May-2019

44 / BUSINESS / Book review
TRAVEL / Tips / 45
No Hard Feelings:
The Secret Power
of Embracing
Emotions at Work
Authors
Liz Fosslien & Mollie West Duffy
Publisher
Portfolio
Bio
Liz Fosslien is a strategy and design
consultant and illustrator. Her
work has been featured on or by
publications including The Economist
and Life Hacker. Mollie West Duffy is
an organisational designer at global
design company IDEO, and she has
helped companies and startups
develop workplace cultures.
Pages
304
Summary
Our emotions make us human, so it
pays to make sense of our feelings in a
professional and personal setting. In
seven “new rules”, the authors explore
how to identify, interpret and apply the
emotions we encounter at work.
“How & when
to rely on your
feelings”
Do you think that being professional
means leaving your feelings at home?
Nothing could be less true. No Hard
Feelings reveals how to navigate the
emotional minefield that is the office.
Top tips from the book.
Teams
To be productive, team members
should, “Feel safe throwing out ideas,
taking risks and asking questions.” It’s
all about psychological safety. “If you
don’t let people speak up, or make
them feel stupid, you limit your team’s
chances of pulling off something magical.”
How to foster a “safe” culture?
A “bad ideas brainstorm”, inviting the
most absurd ideas, takes the pressure
off. Also encourage open discussion.
Questions, such as “Does anyone
disagree?”, stop people from voicing
their ideas.
Communication
People would rather break up with
someone than confront a colleague in a
difficult work-related conversation, a
survey cited in the book reveals. So,
how to bite the bullet and have that
talk? “Label your feelings, understand
where those feelings are coming from
and feel calm enough to hear the other
person out.” If you are not able to do
this, wait until you are. Why? “Effective
communication depends on our ability
to talk about emotions without getting
emotional.”
Leadership
“Trust between leaders and workers
breaks down completely if leaders never
show any emotion at all.” It’s also bad
for leaders’ own health to not express
their emotions, the authors write. The
best leaders, they point out, are able to
open up to their staff. “So what’s the
line between sharing, which builds trust,
and oversharing, which destroys it?”
The answer? “Show vulnerability when
assessing a difficult situation, but then
present a clear path forward.”
About the book
With tips on everything from
crying in the office, dealing
with conflict and not getting
pulled in by complainers, here
is a mix of anecdotes, research
and practical takeaways offset
with fun illustrations portraying
those all-too-recognisable
situations we face at work;
including the dreaded “can we
chat” email from the boss.
Text: Annemarie Hoeve
Text: Emma van Egmond Image: Alamy
Geneva’s Gems
Welcome to the gateway to the Alps.
Geneva is ideally situated to explore the
stunning SURROUNDING mountainside
areas, lakes and – partly French – villages.
Here are four great options.
Strolling on a filmset
Situated on top of a hill in the
Rhône-Alpes region, you’ll find
Pérouges: one of the most
beautiful villages in France. It’s
a perfectly preserved medieval
jewel full of history, old stone
gates, winding and paved
streets, cosy squares – such as
Place du Tilleul – and colourful
gardens. It’s well worth the
1.5-hour drive from Geneva.
Say cheese!
Hidden between the mountain
slopes Moléson and Dent du
Chamois (1.5 hours by road
from Geneva), you’ll discover
Gruyères. This traffic-free town
boasts stunning Swiss scenery,
from rolling, green hills and
snow-capped mountains to
picture-perfect castles, such as
Château de Gruyères. This town
is world-famous for its Gruyère
cheese. To find out more about
this heavenly specialty, we
recommend a visit to cheese
farm La Maison du Gruyère.
Going sky high
Get ready for an hour-long drive
from Geneva to the French
mountain resort, Chamonix.
This popular skiing spot lies
at the base of Mont Blanc
and is known for its 169 km
of legendary slopes. But,
Chamonix is also worth a visit
beyond the winter season. Hop
in the cable car to Aiguille du
Midi for a breathtaking view
(at a height of 3,842 m) of the
Swiss-, French- and Italian Alps.
The lively city centre has lots of
atmospheric restaurants, bars
and shops, and the surrounding
area is a hiking and biking
paradise.
Along the quiet river
Enjoy the most beautiful parts
of the Rhône, one of Europe’s
longest rivers (812 km),
during a three-hour cruise. The
boat takes you from Geneva
to Verbois, and it sails past
unspoilt nature along the
riverbanks, through lavenderfilled
landscapes and past
rolling hills that are dotted with
castles and charming villages.