In recent history, love is a topic that has been relegated to family and close friends - the people that we interact with outside of work experiences. Love, the word, and the behaviors that are traditionally associated with love, typically are taboo in the workplace.
Sure, we may say things like, “I love my job,” or “I love the people I work with” — and these indeed may be sentiments that are heartfelt and real. But at the core of these sayings, I wonder if we unintentionally gloss over what we really mean to say.
Meaning, are we truly being honest when we say “I love my team.” If so, then great. Because studies show that the workplace “love” that we share translates into deep, meaningful human connections that help develop cultures of inclusion and feelings of belonging.
In the study, ”What’s Love Got to Do With It?: The Influence of a Culture of Companionate Love in the Long-term Care Setting”, Wharton professors Sigal Barsade and Olivia A. O’Neill, surveyed 185 employees, 108 patients, and 42 patient family members at two points in time, 16 months apart, at a healthcare facility. Employees who felt they worked in a loving, caring culture reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork, and they showed up to work more often.
Their research also demonstrated that this type of culture related directly to client outcomes (“Love in the workplace” Marcella Bremer, 2018). Love simply shows up differently in the workplace, and that’s ok. Actually, it’s appropriate. Many leaders that I speak with attempt to rationalize the question “Why is love so important in the workplace if it presents itself differently?”
Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec shares that “Love simply takes on a different form, but it is still love. Love will often be expressed differently at home and in one’s closest relationships, perhaps with hugs, kisses, and loving touch. That is not the way love is expressed in most workplaces.”
Sure, we may say things like, “I love my job,” or “I love the people I work with” — and these indeed may be sentiments that are heartfelt and real. But at the core of these sayings, I wonder if we unintentionally gloss over what we really mean to say.
Meaning, are we truly being honest when we say “I love my team.” If so, then great. Because studies show that the workplace “love” that we share translates into deep, meaningful human connections that help develop cultures of inclusion and feelings of belonging.
In the study, ”What’s Love Got to Do With It?: The Influence of a Culture of Companionate Love in the Long-term Care Setting”, Wharton professors Sigal Barsade and Olivia A. O’Neill, surveyed 185 employees, 108 patients, and 42 patient family members at two points in time, 16 months apart, at a healthcare facility. Employees who felt they worked in a loving, caring culture reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork, and they showed up to work more often.
Their research also demonstrated that this type of culture related directly to client outcomes (“Love in the workplace” Marcella Bremer, 2018). Love simply shows up differently in the workplace, and that’s ok. Actually, it’s appropriate. Many leaders that I speak with attempt to rationalize the question “Why is love so important in the workplace if it presents itself differently?”
Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec shares that “Love simply takes on a different form, but it is still love. Love will often be expressed differently at home and in one’s closest relationships, perhaps with hugs, kisses, and loving touch. That is not the way love is expressed in most workplaces.”