#48: Managing Conflict and Emotional Labor | Dr. E. Michele Ramsey | Bloom Providence 2018

At Bloom Providence, Dr. E. Michelle Ramsey gave a talk about managing conflict and emotional labor in the coffee workplace. Discussion focused on misconceptions about conflict, the role of power in conflicts and how we can better balance power between people, the impact of emotional labor on coffee professionals, and ways to manage oneself and others to help mitigate the impact of emotional labor. Dr. E. Michelle Ramsey is an associate professor of Communication Arts & Sciences and Women's Studies. She teaches a number of classes at the college, including Conflict Management, Gender and Communication, Women’s Public Address in the United States, Public Speaking, The Rhetoric of American Horror Film, Issues in Freedom of Expression, Contemporary American Political Rhetoric, and Black American Political Rhetoric. Her research interests include representations of gender in the media, political communication, with a focus on women’s rights rhetoric and social movements. She’s currently working on a co-authored book titled, “Back to the Humanities: College, Career, and Community in the Modern and Future Economy.” Related Links - Read the full transcript on SCA News: https://scanews.coffee/podcast/48/managing-conflict-and-emotional-labor-dr-e-michele-ramsay-bloom-providence-2018/ - Listen to other episodes of the SCA Podcast: https://scanews.coffee/category/podcasts/sca-lectures-podcast/ - Learn more about the upcoming 2019 Lecture Series: https://coffeeexpo.org/lectures Subscribe to this podcast on your favorite app: - iTunes: www.apple.co/2sXdmSj - Stitcher: www.bit.ly/2JBJOk8 - Pocket Casts: www.bit.ly/2JBowTT - RadioPublic: www.bit.ly/2JCfeGY Table of Contents: 0:00 Introduction 1:45 Introduction to what is conflict and conflict management 3:45 Conflict is normal, there will always be a power imbalance and describing what is emotional labor. Women and minorities have a higher burden. 9:00 How does not managing these things affect you psychologically? 12:15 What can baristas do to relieve emotional labor? 17:30 What can managers and supervisors do to relieve the emotional labor of their staff? 21:00 What can owners and upper management do to help relieve the emotional labor of their staff? 24:15 Summary of the talk Questions 25:15 What is an alternative to bottling up your emotions when you can’t leave the cafe floor? 27:00 What sorts of questions should you ask when hiring people for emotional intelligence? 27:45 What are strategies for dealing with burnout? 29:30 Are there specific strategies for specific situations of misgendering? 31:30 Tips for managing the emotional states of your customers 34:45 Suggestions for getting management on board with emotional labor and helping you deal with it 36:15 If you’re in a leadership person and you have had negative interactions with a person you manage, but must stay friendly and professional, what strategies do you recommend to handle the emotional burden of that? 38:50 What can management do to minimize the emotional labor of woman and people of color, who feel it most acutely? 42:00 Some staff are good at not showing emotional labor. They “tough it out.” Is there a way to better recognize this in your staff and helping them be vulnerable? 44:00 Outro --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/specialty-coffee-association-podcast/message