Most of the challenges that we face in life are emotional matters. Logically discussing them and taking action to address them isn't easy. This is something that people have struggled with throughout history.

When people can't discuss their emotions, it starts a vicious cycle. They get stressed, frustrated, burnt out, and may feel like nobody can or would understand what they are going through. It's a mental damper that people carry with them everywhere. It can lead to a lot of negative effects at work, including but not limited to:

• decreased engagement,
• subpar performance, and
• increased susceptibility to conflict.

As a business owner or a leader, you might be stumped as to why a team member seems to be so removed from their work. You might notice a streak of underperformance and wonder what's gotten into them since they are normally so great at what they do. You might wonder why they just can't seem to get along with other people. Your frustration starts to mount as you try to approach this employee but can't find a way to get through to them and lift them out of their rut.

The best thing you can do in a situation like this is to give them a platform. When employees are given a platform to discuss their emotions in a logical and straightforward way, they are able to build clarity and create understanding. By asking the right questions and listening to their answers, you will be better able to understand what's happening so that you can come up with a solution that works for them not just as an employee, but as a person.

From checked out to engaged

I'd like to share an example that I oversaw not too long ago. A client team leader told me that they were dealing with a very disengaged employee. An otherwise good performer, this employee was checked out, and nobody knew why. People said that this employee was always late and didn't listen, and that he wouldn't change his behavior, no matter what anyone did. This went on for months, and people were growing increasingly frustrated with him.

The first thing I did was ask the team leader to set up a Dignify Check-In with this employee. The Dignify Check-In is a guided conversation delivered via an online platform that allows two people to understand each other on a deeper level with little room for confusion.

The results were eye-opening. This simple Check-In solved a five-month-long issue in under an hour. It was revealed that this employee's son was dealing with challenges that required him to be there as a father. That was why he was always late and sometimes got caught up in his thoughts and missed things at work, despite his best efforts.

After hearing this, the leader completely understood his perspective and why he wasn't really his normal self. He put empathy into practice and adjusted the employee's schedule to help accommodate what he was dealing with. The employee could now care for his son without the constant pressure of being late or messing something up on the job. At the same time, he could do his job and collaborate with others better knowing that he had fulfilled his duties to his son.

Increased satisfaction

When leaders honor their employees' dignity like this, employees are more satisfied with their jobs by a factor of 63%. We know that satisfied employees are engaged employees, and you probably don't need me to tell you that engaged employees are overall better at what they do. Better retention, higher profitability, and more productivity are just a few examples of what you can get out of a satisfied and engaged employee. Level up your communication by honoring your people's dignity and demonstrating flexibility when they are struggling, and watch the magic happen.

Joe Kiedinger is founder and chief executive officer at Dignify. Contact Joe at joek@dignify.com.