Crying at work is like the kiss of death for professional women, writes Jeneva Patterson.
. . . to cry in front of colleagues, especially male peers or bosses, ranks as one of the most humiliating professional experiences.
Patterson explains the crying response rates between men and women and the likelihood that women in the workplace will naturally react to some situations with tears. Since crying is a natural part of women’s biology, a new attitude about crying must be part of the culture of inclusivity as women advance into leadership positions.
Source: Harvard Business Review, June 19, 2018. Link.
If you are a leader and someone on your team cries, try these strategies:
- Openly acknowledge that crying is a natural, autonomic process. This normalizes crying as a healthy behavior.
- Share an example with your colleagues of when you cried at work.