Episode 47 - Emotion at Work in Shame in the Workplace

Jan 7, 2021

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Shame as an emotion and topic in the workplace is one particularly interesting to me because I have experienced it, and long story short, led me to the work I do today. This is something my guest Francesca Cardona is an expert in and why I chose to bring her onto the podcast. Francesca is an organizational consultant and coach and we first got onto discussing the idea of as she put it “listening to the music behind the words”, so looking beyond the surface of words and emotions, sharing some strategies and tips on how to do that.

Some of the ways in which Francesca does this and tips for the listeners therefore are:

Don’t look for a solution but instead accept that you don’t know
Even if the client desires an immediate answer, trying not to do so and taking the time it requires is important
Try to avoid prejudice and keep an open mind

We go onto discussing how shame not only affects individuals but also the workplace. Its cause can be a combination of the individual and the workplace, and there is not always just one party at fault. The different types of shame, recovery of shame, and vulnerability of shame are the topics we dive into as well where we share some of our personal and professional experiences.

What I really enjoyed about this podcast is the natural discussion we had that led to topics and questions that were not necessarily planned before but felt appropriate in the moment. The way in which Francesca answers every question is particularly enjoyable as she is very humble in her articulation and always tries to give tips and how-to’s.

Your links and references to the key areas and ideas we discussed are below:

Around 17 minutes Francesca mentions her book:

https://www.routledge.com/Work-Matters-Consulting-to-leaders-and-organizations-in-the-Tavistock-tradition/Cardona/p/book/9780367313180

Around 58 minutes Francesca makes two book recommendations:

The Unconscious at Work: A Tavistock Approach to Making Sense of Organizational Life by Anton Obholzer and Vega Zagier Roberts

https://www.routledge.com/The-Unconscious-at-Work-A-Tavistock-Approach-to-Making-Sense-of-Organizational/Obholzer-Roberts/p/book/9780815361350

Working Below the Surface by Clare Huffington, William Halton, David Armstrong and Jane Pooley

https://www.routledge.com/Working-Below-the-Surface-The-Emotional-Life-of-Contemporary-Organizations/Huffington-Halton-Armstrong-Pooley/p/book/9781855752948

Around 60 minutes Francesca makes a podcast guest recommendation who is Author of a book called “A Good enough Mother”

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Enough-Mother-Novel/dp/0525561250