Stereotypically, the ideal employee is seen as strong, ambitious, and someone who strives for absolute perfection. These traits are not going to be the same for every employee. The expectations put on employees to be perfect is unfair. When individuals feel they need to always impress, they will soon become burnt out, and no longer work at the same level.
Emotional vulnerability is often seen as a weakness, and isn’t celebrated within workplaces. Truthfully, being vulnerable is an asset because it requires bravery. Here are reasons as to how more emotional vulnerability can be beneficial in the workplace.
Transparency
When we hide our raw emotions, it's difficult to be open with others. Showcasing feelings helps build transparency amongst coworkers, and makes a team closer. This connection is beneficial to the success a workplace can reach.
Expressing vulnerable emotions breaks the ice and gives employees the opportunity to relate with one another. Bonds like these develop a transparent workplace where feelings can be utilized for stronger teamwork.
Creativity
Being calm, collected, and focused rarely results in creativity. Ideas and innovation are derived from emotional vulnerability in most cases. Your management team may teach you how to complete a task in one single approach.
Unbeknown to you, there are multiple acceptable ways to work on the task. If you take a risk, express your thoughts to fellow coworkers, and put your effort into new approaches, it can pay off. While this could only be done in reason depending on the rules and regulations of your job, being vulnerable helps promote creativity.
Modern workplaces still fail to make dated tasks more efficient. Your ideas could benefit the workplace, making your emotional vulnerability an asset to the company. “Having a unique perspective is a strong suit in several business based environments. New ideas are responsible for the incredible resources and tools we have today,” declares Ruby Lang, project manager at Academized and Oxessays.
Stronger Relationships
The huge reason as to why employees suffer from indifference is the inability to connect on a deeper, more personal level. Emotional vulnerability can positively impact the relationship amongst employees. This is how genuine friendships and partnerships can be established.
Workplaces thrive when coworkers get along and have family-like values. When emotions are repressed and not appreciated, the development of strong relationships is prevented. Management teams want their workplace to be full of lasting relationships that lead to impressive teamwork. This is why managers shouldn’t shame employees for being emotionally vulnerable in certain situations.
Authenticity
People come off as fake if they hold everything together to maintain their picture perfect identity. This makes workers appear inauthentic if they don’t show their weaknesses. Having zero flaws is a threatening quality. In retrospect, everyone has flaws because nobody is completely perfect. This is why employers should not make it a goal for employees to avoid being vulnerable.
When everyone in the workplace is the real version of themselves, it makes everything run more smoothly. Nobody wants to work alongside people who can’t be honest about their lackluster qualities. “Becoming authentic requires emotional vulnerability. Suppressing emotions stops individuals from being themselves,” claims James Richards, HR manager at State of writing and UK Top Writers.
Growing & Gaining Skills
Courage, bravery, and making risky decisions all help people grow and gain new skills. These qualities are part of one’s emotional vulnerability. In order to try new things we need to be courageous, especially in work related settings. The best employees are well rounded, meaning that they take risks to become better. Even if a decision could lead to failure, we can learn from those experiences.
Striving to learn and grow is a wonderful mindset to have. Individuals who wish to elevate their work abilities are quality workers. Experiencing highs and lows is important for developing resilience. Resiliency is the ability to persevere through challenges, and to keep trying no matter what’s at stake. Presence of emotional vulnerability at work helps employees work towards becoming resilient, and gaining other valuable skills.
Employers should never shame employees for being vulnerable with their emotions. While being too emotional can be a negative thing, in moderation, vulnerability can be highly beneficial.
By Sara Sparrow, a technical writer who works as a project coordinator at Lia Help and offers college assignment help on the side. Sara is also involved in business consultation, conferences and offers top essay writing services.
