When the Heat Gets to People's Heads
Rising temperatures, waning patience: Experts from Hogan Assessments explain the link between heat stress and emotional strain in the workplace—and what managers and employees can do about it.
While the Temperatures Across Europe As temperatures rise, many employees find that it’s not the weather that poses the biggest challenge—but people. From short-tempered managers to teams that lack patience and energy: Tensions in the workplace seem to rise along with the thermometer. Experts from Hogan Assessments, a leading provider of workplace personality assessments and leadership development, is examining how one of Europe’s hottest summers could reveal a growing problem with the emotional climate in the workplace.
Pressure at all levels
Companies are currently navigating a perfect storm: AI-driven uncertainty, persistent change fatigue, leaner team structures, and the aftermath of a surge in burnout that accelerated during and after the pandemic. At the same time, employee engagement continues to decline worldwide. According to Gallup’s latest «State of the Global Workplace» report, manager engagement has dropped dramatically from 27 to 22 percent—the lowest level in years.
Added to this is the actual heat: Studies by the World Health Organization warn that excessive heat impairs concentration, increases fatigue, and reduces productivity. Beyond certain thresholds, performance drops by 2 to 3 percent for every degree of increase in heat stress. About 30 percent of workers who are frequently exposed to heat stress report declines in productivity.
Understanding the Personality of the «Short-Tempered» Coworker
The result is a work environment where frustrations boil over more quickly, patience wears thin faster, and minor disagreements can quickly escalate into major conflicts. This is especially true for spirited, easily agitated individuals. While passion and energy can certainly be strengths in everyday life, the same person can easily come across as disappointed, disoriented, and emotionally explosive when under pressure. An employee who is enthusiastic one day and irritable the next will, over time, earn a reputation for being unpredictable.
«Showing passion prevents a professional from coming across as emotionless, indifferent, or uninterested. However, displaying emotional highs and lows isn’t always helpful in the workplace. When stress causes emotions to run high, employees need to adjust the way they communicate negative feelings,» says Jessie McClure, senior consultant and team leader at Hogan Assessments.
Strategies for Spirited Personalities
Fortunately, people can learn to moderate their behavior by managing their emotional expression. Employees who are easily agitated should first analyze the situations in which they tend to react with frustration or agitation. Recognizing triggers—that is, signals that indicate one is on the verge of losing control—can help them pause before reacting. This creates some distance from the situation and prevents unintended signals from affecting their colleagues’ performance. In the long term, passionate professionals can gradually build resilience in this way.
For employers, the challenge may not only lie in helping people stay physically cool. It’s just as important to recognize that the emotional climate in the workplace plays an equally significant role. After all, when companies are already under intense pressure from AI-driven upheavals, uncertainty, and employee burnout, another heat wave may be the last thing needed to calm tempers in the workplace.
More information: www.hoganassessments.com
