Emotions in Business By Tiffany J. Norwood

Here’s an invitation that will give you some insight into the role of emotions in business. Think of a time when you made a significant decision in your business. Then ask yourself why you made that decision. Give yourself a moment to think….

Was the memory of that decision one that did not make you feel happy? Or, was it a good decision? And why is that? Why would you make a decision that would go awry? How did you make a decision that brought you happiness?

Because in either case, the decision involved your emotions. The decisions you remember most are the emotional ones, whether happy or disappointing.

You do this all the time. Most decisions have emotions attached; using emotion is a main part of how you function. Some decisions have more feelings attached than others, and emotions are undoubtedly a major driver in choices when it comes to business. This is more true for entrepreneurs who are living their purpose (which is their business!) of course find that more emotions are attached to the actions they take.

Take yourself back to the time when you regretted having made a business decision. You’ll remember the emotion that was attached to it. Now, go back to your “why.” Remove the emotional aspect of your decision and then ask yourself, “Would I still make that decision?”

If you say no…let me welcome you to emotional intelligence! Emotional intelligence is being aware of your emotions to the point where you gain control over them before they gain power over you. Is this possible? Can you control your emotions? Yes, but you often cannot control how you initially feel when first faced with a decision. What is great to know is that you can manage your response and behavior, then control the outcome (which will be attached to how you initially felt).

Now you know why emotions must be managed with great care in business. Here’s an example from my own experience: I remember someone saying they chose to do business with me because of the color of my skin. And, I’d chosen to do business with that person because of who they “used” to be. Both of us made our choices to work with one another absent important, logical facts. In the end, we’d both made a bad decision. My lesson here was that business opportunities are too important to rush into to run them by ‘heart’ rather than by ‘head.’

Here is a list of ways to that I suggest you be mindful of when making a business decision.

Take time to be aware of and to manage your emotions. This means to spend time writing in a journal, go for a long walk, do a meditation, and/or make a list of pros and cons. All these actions help you rise above emotion and see aspects of the decision with clarity.

Plan for a good outcome (especially when it is a ‘money’ decision), but do not be so tied to it that you ignore the character of the person(s) you are dealing with. Listen to your intuition.

Yes, you may feel excited about a prospect; positive energy is generally good. Make sure that the emotion of excitement is not too overwhelming and ask all the questions you can think of in order to move forward with peace of mind.

Be wary of people who rush you into a decision. It’s better to say no than to regret saying yes. Do not allow yourself to feel pressured, and move forward only when you want to and feel that it’s right. Have a solid understanding of what you are doing.

Rest assured that while a decision is pending, the others involved are not going anywhere and will certainly accept your call when it is time for you to agree, or, to be appropriately disappointed if you reject the proposal. The key is to be careful, but timely. Making no decision (because of indecision) is still a decision.

Know that it is OK to take a risk when you agree to understand it fully, and want to take that risk.

Emotions in business situations must be analyzed carefully. Take notice of when they are hindering versus driving a decision. You already know that managing your emotions in your intimate and personal relationships has its own set of rules, but I recommend that you take the more logical route when it comes to your business and financial wellbeing.

Tiffany J. Norwood is the founder and CEO of Your Emotions Matter. She is a certified emotional intelligence practitioner, author, certified NLP practitioner and transformational speaker. www.youremotionsmatter.com