While many people have languished during the Covid-19 pandemic, others have felt a more complicated state called emotional ambivalence: the simultaneous experience of positive and negative emotions about something. It’s what we think of as being “torn.” For instance, many people feel conflicted about returning to the office. For others, it shows up when they consider how they really feel when a colleague asks, “How are you doing?” in a Zoom meeting. As we continue into yet another phase of this prolonged pandemic and the uncertainty that defines it, many employees are experiencing some of the most complex emotions of their lives.
Embracing the Power of Ambivalence
Effectively leading others starts with acknowledging your own conflicting emotions.
September 14, 2021
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Summary.
Emotional ambivalence is the simultaneous experience of positive and negative emotions about something. It’s what we think of as being “torn.” As organizations develop ways of working that better consider the collective needs of our society, it’s critical for leaders to adapt and evolve expectations, structures, and reward systems in ways that support employees’ increasingly complex emotional lives. Drawing on the collective insights from their previous and ongoing research, the authors offer six critical leadership lessons for building cultures and structures that encourage emotional ambivalence and harnessing its benefits as we establish a “new normal” in the second half of 2021.