Toxic Emotions at Work: How Compassionate Managers Handle Pain and Conflict [Hardcover]

Peter J. Frost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2003 | ISBN-10: 1578512573 | ISBN-13: 978-1578512577

Human interaction is never flawless. Even the best relationships produce tension and at times, unpleasant emotions. Since organizations are comprised of people, all organizations generate emotional pain as part of the process of doing business: producing new products on tight deadlines, setting benchmarks for performance, creating budgets, crafting company policies, and so on. Getting the job done is rarely painless. But when emotional pain goes unmanaged or is poorly handled, it can negatively affect both employees and the bottom line - in essence, it becomes toxic. In "Toxic Emotions at Work and What to Do About Them", Peter J. Frost argues that the way an organization responds to pain determines whether it remains toxic or becomes generative, whether it endures as a debilitating poison or is transformed into a force for healthy organizations.According to Frost, when ignored, toxic emotions betray employees' hopes, bruise their egos, reduce their enthusiasm for work, and diminish their sense of connectedness to their company's community and goals. Compassionate responses to pain, on the other hand, encourage those who are suffering to effect constructive changes in their work lives. Despite their powerful role in employee performance, toxic emotions are rarely addressed by organizations. Instead, most companies respond to pain informally and unconsciously through self-selected individuals whom Frost calls "toxin handlers." Typically a senior manager or someone with a high emotional intelligence capacity, toxin handlers soften the blow of emotional pain for others, but over the course of time, absorb much of the pain they handle to their own detriment.They are often unrecognized, unrewarded, and poorly supported by their organizations. And, while they often provide a temporary relief from the symptoms of toxic organizational pain, toxin handlers alone are unable to eradicate toxic emotions for the long-term. "Toxic Emotions at Work and What to Do About Them" suggests that handling toxic emotions effectively is an important, though unrecognized set of competencies that must be understood and embraced - not only by toxin handlers, but by leaders, managers, and the organization as a whole. Through rich examples of how individuals and organizations have managed emotional pain successfully, Frost describes the key skills necessary to cope with emotional pain and to manage it effectively, and offers concrete courses of action for organizations to institutionalize compassion in the face of emotional pain.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Organizational "toxin handlers"-the people who deal with emotional pain in the workplace-serve a dual role, says Frost, contributing positively to the health of both companies and their employees. The author, an organizational behavior professor at the University of British Columbia, explains that toxicity is a normal by-product of organizational life. It can stem from hard-driving executives who push production and motivate by fear; inevitable changes like layoffs, mergers or leadership shifts; or personal pain from illness, death or lifestyle transitions. Frost offers myriad anecdotes to show how toxin handlers attempt to absorb bad vibes via the role of compassionate listener, guide, buffer and mentor. These do-gooders face repercussions from their often-unacknowledged efforts; they might, for instance, become emotionally over-involved with people in pain, or even become toxic themselves. Although specific remedies for painful situations require custom-made responses, companies can adopt certain practical responses, e.g., "raise the issue of competence without undermining anyone's abilities." Emotions at work are an increasingly absorbing business dilemma, and this thoughtful book should be a help to leaders for whom there's more at stake than mere corporate profit and loss.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A compelling analysis... Toxic Emotions at Work has the potential to transform the discourse on leadership and leadership education today. -- HBR Press Endorsement Robin Ely, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business School.

Author uses multiple cases and examples showing the debilitating effects of organizational toxins and suggests practical ways to handle them -- Edgar H. Schein Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus and Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management HBS Endorsement

Peter Frost breaks a taboo in business schools by discussing the need for leadership to address the pain of change. -- Ronald A. Heifetz, Cofounder, The Center for Public Leadership, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government and coauthor of Leadership on the Line. HBS Endorsement

This is a marvelous account of what really holds organizations together ---and the costs incurred in doing so. -- Karl E. Weick, Rensis Likert Distinguished University Professor of Organizational Behavior and Psychology, University of Michigan Business School. HBS Endorsement

Toxic Emotions at Work provides tested guidelines for handling the fallout of emotional toxicity with clarity, conviction and compassion -- Philip H. Mirvis, organizational psychologist and consultant and author of From the Desert and Back. HBS Enorsement

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 251 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business School Press (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578512573
• ISBN-13: 978-1578512577
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.