Being a leader can be challenging and stressful, and it’s emotionally taxing to assist people with personal issues, especially when you are barely keeping up with your work responsibilities. That means it’s important to strategically choose when and how you help, according to a recent Harvard Business Review study.
The Harvard Business Review conducted a longitudinal study of leaders and the people who directly report to them, surveying 43 middle and senior leaders and up to five of their followers each day for three consecutive workweeks. Researchers found that leaders’ negative mood increased on days when they helped employees with personal problems.
Managers must recognize that helping employees with personal issues might put them in a bad mood. One way to possibly lessen that impact is to ask if their help was beneficial. The knowledge that you helped may protect and even improve your mood.
Employees seeking personal help must also be mindful of making these requests of their manager. Try to approach leaders with personal help requests on days when they aren’t particularly busy because, as found in the study, their mood and performance is less likely to be harmed on these days. Read the full article.
