profile

Darcy Eikenberg, PCC

how do you do the emotional labor?

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

You've probably been where I find myself today, Reader, wrestling through a tough, tough situation.

If you have been, you know it's time-consuming, and frankly, exhausting.

Here's what's weird.

At the end of a loooong day, you hunt for signs of progress. But they're not obvious and don't seem significant, at least not in proportion to the joules of energy it took.

What's really going on here?

Why do things take longer than we think they should, and why do some things feel harder than we planned?

I've asked myself this a lot lately. And I'm hearing similar themes from my coaching clients too.

After a chat with one of my coaches (yes, coaches have coaches too!), I realized what I was overlooking.

I was forgetting about the emotional labor of all we do.

If you're new to the term, emotional labor is defined as putting another's feelings or desires before your own. It's essential as we work in integrated teams and deal with the complexities that naturally occur when we work with other humans with thoughts, feelings, and values of their own.

The topic has come up enough that I decided to spend my entire LinkedIn Live spot on the topic this week.

Watch a clip that introduces the concept of emotional labor here.

Watch the entire LinkedIn Live episode here.

How about you, Reader? Does the idea of emotional labor resonate in your life at work? Hit REPLY and tell me your stories, or ask your questions. I always love to hear from you.

In the meantime, I'm trying to open up more time, patience and care to support the emotional labor that's needed from me today so I can continue to show up as the person I want to be long-term. It's a process, for sure, Until then, thank you for doing the emotional labor in your life--it matters more than you know.

Always, Darcy

P.S. If you want to go deeper on this topic, my friend Dina Denham Smith penned this piece for the Harvard Business Review. As I mention in the video, I'm no expert--just a seeker, too. So I appreciate those who are helping us all understand these complex ideas of our new world of work.

P.P.S. For those of you who celebrate Easter, I wish you a safe and joyous holiday with your friends and family!

Darcy Eikenberg, PCC

I help leaders how to help their people stay & grow in the new world of work

So you REALLY want to be a better people leader—or want to grow more effective people leaders across your organization—but it all feels so darn complicated these days, right? Hybrid workforces. Increased demands on pay and time off. Turnover turbulence. Economic headwinds. Fill in your company's crisis du jour here. 😱 I help leaders create fresh solutions to people problems, especially when it comes to retaining and motivating their best people. In a nutshell, I help you help people stay—and grow, and thrive. And when your people grow, you do, too. **Please know you're not alone. I see you, and I can help. One way to start is to sign up for my weekly Insider strategies and stories—ideas I only share with my private clients and with you directly in email. **

Read more from Darcy Eikenberg, PCC

I'll often admit to asking for forgiveness instead of permission, Reader. Maybe you're the same way. So I'm always surprised when I talk to someone who's waiting for permission to do something they know is the right thing to do. I get it--doing what we know is right can feel risky in a world where not everyone agrees on "right." Our relationships—especially in a remote and/or time-strapped workplace— can feel easily crackable if we unintentionally injure or insult someone. 😳 So we tend to...

4 days ago • 1 min read

Recently, Reader, you might have seen my article in the Harvard Business Review offering strategies for when your colleagues have an outdated perception of you. (Read it here if you missed it--may require a free sign-up). Misperceptions about what you can do can cause you to miss out on new projects and be stuck in things you've done forever, which can get boring fast. But what if others are just forgetting or overlooking how you can help? In today's wild world of "who's working from where...

11 days ago • 1 min read

I remember the feeling so well, Reader . . . (cue the wayback machine) I'd just closed a $1MM+ consulting deal with the mercurial but powerful EVP of HR at my client's Fortune 50 company. It was the biggest contract in our region to date that didn't involve software--just services. MY team's services--communication and change management. Services no client had paid us a million buckaroos before to do. The traditional sales leader hadn't wanted to be involved. "A" (that's what we'll call him)...

18 days ago • 2 min read
Share this post