If we really want to
love, we must learn how to forgive. --Mother Teresa
The Power of
Forgiveness at Work
--by Brooke Deterline, syndicated from Greater Good, Sep 15, 2016
Over the last
two decades, much research has
been published about the positive impact of forgiveness,
particularly on the forgiver and in relationships. Now, a new study—building
on a smaller but growing body of research in the workplace—supports the power
of forgiveness to potentially improve well-being and productivity in
professional settings.
Conflict among colleagues is inevitable, and—left
unheeded—associated with significant stress, health problems (both mental and
physical), and poor productivity. Researchers set out to explore the role
of forgiveness in ameliorating these negative impacts.
The participants—more than 200
employees working in office jobs in Washington, DC, or manufacturing jobs in
the Midwest—responded to questionnaires about their levels of forgiveness,
productivity, and well-being.
The first survey asked respondents to focus on a specific offense,
and how they believed it affected them. The second study looked at
participants’ general tendency to be forgiving and their general state of mind
and work habits over the previous month.
In both cases, forgiveness was linked to increased productivity,
decreased absenteeism (fewer days missing work), and fewer mental and physical
health problems, such as sadness and headaches. In the second study, these
benefits were partly explained by reductions in interpersonal stress that went
along with a forgiving disposition.
This new research is important to
employees and employers alike, as a lack of forgivenessnegativelyaffects the
individuals involved and organizations as a whole. Holding on to negative
feelings after a conflict may lead to disengagement at work, a lack of
collaboration, and aggressive behavior. Carrying a grudge is also associated with
increased stress and a host of negative emotions, including anger, hostility,
and vengeful rumination.
Since many people who have been in conflict need to continue to
work together, forgiveness can be an effective coping tool, and a way to repair
relationships and restore trust—both of which are key to effective work
cultures.
More evidence of the power of forgiveness
In 2012, my team at Courageous Leadership LLC worked with
employees at Google to build a more courageous culture, including the courage
to forgive (one of the keys to healthy ongoing work relationships). We had
employees share times when they failed to act on their values at work, to admit
they didn’t understand something, or to speak up when they thought they had a
better idea. This was designed to remind everyone how easy it is to act outside
of our values in stressful situations—to do something that might merit
forgiveness.
Participants then practiced taking
courageous action. We had them use the REACH model(developed
by Everett L. Worthington, one of the coauthors of the new workplace study) to
practice forgiveness by identifying current grudges and work on forgiving (not
condoning) the behavior. Participants also remembered and shared when others
had forgiven them.
Our program also showed positive impact. Participants reported a
greater understanding of the power of stressful situations to negatively affect
behavior. They also reported feeling better and more connected afterward; as
one noted: “I had a deepened sense of lightening inside, like letting go of
heavy weights. I feel the forgiveness exercise for me was very powerful.”
Participants also took more social risks, like offering new ideas, admitting
fears or concerns, and asking for or offering help.
Research shows that this kind of forgiveness can
even impact employees who aren’t involved in the conflict. When people see
others practicing forgiveness (and other virtuous behaviors) at work, it often
fosters positive emotions that can improve decision-making, cognitive
functioning, and the quality of relationships.
How to foster forgiveness at work
Unresolved stress from interpersonal conflict often dampens our
cognitive and compassionate capacities, making it hard to find a way to
forgive. Drawing on the implications of their study, the researchers offer
individuals and organizations some suggestions to foster forgiveness at work:


Model forgiveness at work, particularly if you’re a leader.
Leaders’ behavior often has the greatest impact on organizational culture, a
kind of contagion effect. Leaders who model forgiveness on a regular basis are
cueing similar behavior in others.
Apologize and attempt to make restitutions. If we
don’t take responsibility for our mistakes, distrust grows and the fear of
something happening again can be worse than the original incident.
Rebuild trust by working on a common task, creating new
experiences and memories of cooperation.
Conduct interventions (sometimes best done by third
parties) to address conflict and foster forgiveness. Invest in programs to
build understanding and teach evidence-based tools for ongoing forgiveness in
the workplace.
There’s an old saying (attributed to everyone from the Buddha to
Carrie Fisher) that goes, “Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the
other person to die.” If you’re holding onto a grudge at work, you could be
sharing the poison with your colleagues.
Forgiveness, of course, does not mean
we condone or ignore bad behavior. Every workplace should have policies and
procedures for dealing quickly with serious transgressions. However, if you do feel ready and the situation
warrants it, give forgiveness a try. It could help you, your colleagues, and
your workplace.
This article
is printed here with permission. It originally appeared on Greater Good,
the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC). Based at UC Berkeley, the GGSC studies the
psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that
foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.
Be The Change: In what
ways can you use the power of forgiveness in your workplace today?
Sourced From www.dailygood.org
