Healing the Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Downsized Organizations

7.5. Balancing Feeling and Thinking

Despite the desire for a rational and objective system by some researchers and management "scientists," organizations are social systems, and employees don't leave their feelings and emotions on the doorstep when they come to work. In times of organizational stress and trauma, helping employees deal with anger, fear, and anxiety is the managerial currency of the realm. Because organizational cultures suppress the authentic expression of emotions, most managers are more comfortable dealing with matters of the head (thoughts, concepts, and analysis) than matters of the heart (emotions, feelings, and subjective perceptions). In order to facilitate authentic communication, managers must become equally adept at ...