PRIMAL TEAMS, Harnessing the Power of Emotions to Fuel Extraordinary Performance, by Jackie Barretta, Amacom 2014People are hard, and when they're in teams, frustration and resentment and anxiety can grow quickly, spreading toxicity that takes down good intentions, projects, and even careers. But, says author Jackie Barretta, there is a way to stop the spread of destructive negative emotions.
"Trying to eliminate undesirable emotions from a team is like trying to blow the spots off a leopard, " she says. Barretta offers workable easy tips to recognize and use the hard part of the human brain, powerful emotions:
* tap into the power of fundamental "heartfelt" emotions, from delight to passion, to unleash a team's positive potential
* shift negative emotions by reigniting a sense of playfulness on the job and celebrating the joy in accomplishment
* validate fear as a natural emotion in stressful situations, invite people to express it with honesty, and release a team from its grip
* tune into the body's signals - subtle cues from the nervous system - to perceive the emotions of others, even when they're hidden beneath misleading words
* use emotions to trigger intuition and innovative thinking team-wide, and sift through random thoughts to uncover nuggets of profound insight
* spread optimal emotions among team memers, ignite team spirit, and build strong emotional bonds that keep teams working together through obstacles.
Examples are taken from IBM, Apple, Google, sports and music.