After people leave low-morale experiences, recovery is not immediate or guaranteed – in the Leaving Low-Morale study, as well as the previous studies (and data collection projects and story gathering), participants shared that even several years later (and after moving on to healthier organizations), they still are waiting on the other shoe to drop. They have a hard time believing that their new colleagues are really that helpful – that their supervisors are really that supportive; or that their organizations are really that functional (See Also, Uncertainty & Mistrust).
For people dealing with current low-morale experiences, feeling -and trusting – joy is a hard thing to do. In addition to being repeatedly subjected to abuse and neglect at work, showing joy in a dysfunctional organization can breed resentment, competition, “mean girls” behavior, and sabotage in abusive co-workers. BIPOC workers also report that showing their true feelings may bring unwanted attention, causing them to deauthenticate while at work.
When we feel joy that’s immediately followed by worry about bad things happening or being punished because we are joyful, we place ourselves in a state of worry and anxiety- which takes out of the present. Brené Brown calls these actions/feelings forboden joy, which she connects to compromised abilities to be vulnerable – a necessary state of human connection and community:
But joy is a natural part of human(e) experience. When systems and people (through behaviors, culture, and systems) seek to suppress joy, well – expressing joy not only shows humanity – it is an act of resistance and a channel to counternarrative.
The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers, which can be the basis for understanding much of what is not shared between them, and lessens the threat of their difference.” – Audre Lorde
Toi Derricote’s poem, Joy as an act of resistance, situates the emotion through the context of disenfranchised grief (something familiar to abused employees working in misunderstood or heavily stereotyped industries). Artfully showcasing how sadness sharpens joy, and joy softens sadness, she reveals the importance of being in the present to fully experience things that nurture everyday joy. This, in turn, primes us for gratitude, self-compassion, and richer emotional expression with people we interact with.
How does forboden joy show up in your low-morale experience? If your low-morale experience is over, how did you return to fuller joy? How does trusting joy feel for you now?
If you’re seeking support in regaining joy while dealing with low-morale (or struggling to accept fuller joy after leaving a low-morale experience), contact me for a coaching consultation.
Thank you for this valuable post! I hope you will be pleased to learn that two colleagues and I recently had an article accepted for publication in Libraries Leadership & Managment in which we cite your work along with Brene Brown, Tori Derricote and Fobazi Ettarh. Our piece is titled Leading with Joy: Lessons from the Literature and you can find it in advance of publication in our repository here https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/letfspubs/249/.
Jenne, congratulations to you and your colleagues for your forthcoming publication! Joy pathways are certainly needed and I’m so glad to see your article! Thanks very much for sharing your work with Renewals’ readers, and for your support of and interest in my research.
Forgive me for combining two of your thoughts. Please tell me if I’m off base on this. “Showing joy in a dysfunctional organization can breed resentment” and “something familiar to abused employees working in misunderstood or heavily stereotyped industries.” I have seen administrative level employees resent librarians who enjoy their work and/or are recognized in their fields for their success and contributions. For example, finance, development or marketing people, who have experience in their fields, but are new to libraries and do not understand how libraries work, do not like when librarians receive more attention for their accomplishments than they do.
Hey Lorene, this is exactly an example of what I mean – consider how folks who are abusive show annoyance or ire when they see colleagues in states of happiness, “care-free”ness, and the like – and then make comments to shame or shut down those feelings or interactions with others. And as well, your example is in the vein of engaged library workers who successfully show value and impact, as being “too ambitious” – again, a joy-killing statement that denies understanding of what supported library workers can do (and even do when we are not supported, *le sigh*). These kinds of examples also reveal a salient characteristic of low-morale organizations: focusing on competition instead of development and collaboration.
Yes! Plus, a lot of our work is perceived as fun, which it is, but it is also work and is not always as enjoyable as it might look. Others look at their work as ‘tasks’ and not as ‘fun’ as some of the things we get to do.