Getting Serious: Emotions In The Workplace

Why should we care about what our co-workers are feeling? Historically, emotions in the workplace were not taken seriously by practitioners, managers, or academics. In fact, many viewed emotions as inappropriate in the workplace, and employees were expected to do what was necessary to avoid showing, if not feeling, emotions at work. But when real and serious violence crept up in the workplace in ways most of us hope never to encounter - the postal worker shot, hostage situations, and other sundry tales - people began to pay attention.