Behavioral Scale Deep Dive: High Emotional Support

Emotional Support: The need to be noticed, receive acknowledgement, and obtain a positive reaction from others.

Do you tend to wear your emotions on your sleeve? Do you care a lot about what other people think? If so, you may be a high scorer in emotional support. Let’s take a look at the behavioral traits of someone with a high emotional support score and what managers can do to best encourage their growth.  

High Emotional Support

Meet Jeff. Jeff is an incredible painter but often gets discouraged when people don’t like his work. He cares a lot about what people think and gets really down when someone doesn’t tell him exactly what he wants to hear. Jeff often bases his self- esteem on what other people think about him. He can also be moody and sometimes his roommates are afraid to upset him because of his sensitive nature. He spends a lot of time in his own mind and often avoids conflict.

Jeff is a good example of someone who likely has a high emotional support score. He:

• Is sensitive and may appear moody
• Tends to be peace loving and introspective
• Is often influenced by the opinion of others
• Has an active imagination, and can be creative and expressive
• May at times appear needy and tends to “wear his emotions on his sleeve.”

Tips for Managing High Scorers

Although high scorers in emotional support can be introspective and imaginative, sometimes they may appear preoccupied and distant.  At times, high scorers may also depend on others too much for their sense of well- being, and become angry or hurt when they do not feel their emotional needs are being met. This pattern often leads to conflict with others and is ultimately self- defeating. Whether you’re a manager of a high scorer in emotional support or want to learn how to better understand a colleague’s behavior, here are some ideas on how to effectively manage this behavioral trait.

Recommendations for High Scorers:

• They may benefit from the maxim that “one does not have the luxury of being moody.” Encourage them to be nice to others whether they “feel like it” or not. This is a difficult lesson, but one that will help them immeasurably.
  
• They may also benefit from continually taking stock of their tones, body language and energy levels, making a concerted effort to keep all three positive during the day.
  
• Encourage them to realize and accept that maintaining a steady mood is difficult. They need much more encouragement and support than most people.
  
• Consistent praise and recognition motivate the high scorer in Emotional Support.