Most executives might cringe at the idea of basing their organization off human emotion—or becoming a “business of feelings.” But if they want their company to survive and thrive during the Great Resignation, it’s an idea they should get behind.
While such talk is often put under the “people over profits” category, it’s really about putting people first, which can be done without a hit to the bottom line. In fact, the reverse can be true, made clear by the success of these companies with high levels of employee happiness.
With people stressed out if not totally exhausted by the events of the past two years, companies must acknowledge that their employees’ feelings are affecting their businesses more than ever. And to recognize this fact, they must adjust accordingly. But this shift won’t be easy for executives, most of whom are used to focusing on how employees think and behave in the context of their knowledge work (i.e., innovation, customer emphasis, or team coordination).
To truly put people first, companies must equally emphasize protecting and caring for employees by focusing on how they feel—thereby creating, as Harvard Business Review writers Sigal Barsade and Olivia A. O’Neill phrase it, a positive emotional culture. That means it’s time to try something different to find and keep good people…
