Emotional literacy at work

Emotional literacy at work

Keywords: Work psychology, Interpersonal communications

Love is a four-letter word at work … but so is fear. Sadness or happiness is more likely to be experienced at a farewell drink than in a board meeting, while anger is frequently heard but seldom responsibly expressed at the real recipient. The current drive for emotional literacy means that more organisations should become aware of the need to acknowledge feelings in the workplace.

However, the expression of feelings that may have been suppressed in everyday life could pose problems. Creative Platform aims to provide a secure ethical environment on all courses where feelings can be acknowledged before they are tried out in real-life situations. "Authentic presentation", for example, starts with the real feelings of the presenter and works "from the inside out" to make the presentation experience effective and enjoyable."Dramarama", a workplace drama group, provides the opportunity to play with roles and feelings in a safe environment, while the weekend course, "The mastery of self expression", is a way of identifying what is possible in each participant's life at home and work. Experiencing feelings within a supportive environment leads to increased creativity and confidence which impact on all areas of an individual's life.

The Mastery was first developed over 20 years ago, by Dan Fauci, to develop authenticity in actors, and was originally run by the Actor's Institute in the UK. It now appeals to individuals from all walks of life and is held over one weekend from Friday evening to Sunday evening with small groups of approximately 20. It has been used extensively by a wide range of organisations, from BA, to the Metropolitan Police, to Saatchi and Saatchi, to rekindle the creative spark or facilitate a dynamic attitude to change.

For more information, contact Jean Wolfe, Creative Platform, 107 Holland Road, London W14 8HS. Tel: 0207 751 1900. E-mail: jean@themastery.com