Target's Holiday Policy and Emotional Labor: Ho Ho No! Part 2

This holiday season, Target rolled out a new policy called "10-4" that requires employees to smile, wave, display welcoming body language, and engage in warm, helpful interactions with customers at all times. While it sounds straightforward and even nice on the surface, this kind of “forced niceness” comes at a cost to the employee in the form of emotional burnout, higher stress and anxiety, and lower job satisfaction.

At the organizational level, this results in more absenteeism and higher turnover. And it's happening at a time of year when the store chain needs their people the most. Not exactly what Target was shooting for. Why is this happening? Two words: emotional labor.

What Is Emotional Labor?

Emotional labor is what happens when you're forced to display emotions you're not actually feeling. Picture this: a Target employee dealing with the World's Worst Customer—someone who walks in with a chip on their shoulder and proceeds to unleash their lousy attitude on everyone around them. They complain, argue, yell. Meanwhile, the Target employee has to remain pleasant, charming, professional, and cheerful, even though they'd like to do just the opposite. Those forced pleasant emotions? They come at a cost to both the employee and Target. And during the holidays, this happens a lot.

So What Can Target Do About It?

The answer lies in culture and leadership, and the messages (both subtle and blatant) that flow from them to employees.

Company culture should reflect what's truly important to the organization. It's the social glue that binds people together and creates a sense of community. Culture also establishes norms—the right and wrong ways to behave. If you want employees to act a certain way, those behaviors must align with the values embedded in your company's culture. And one of the best ways to communicate culture? Through leadership.

Leaders need to be the face and heart of the culture. Modeling the behaviors you want to see is one of the most important things a leader can do. Much like the child-parent relationship, employees look to leaders for clues about how to act and react. They watch to see what values are truly important. So, if the employee sees a leader who ignores customers or treats them poorly, that is the way the employee will act.

Making the "10-4" Policy Actually Work

Given the influence of culture and leadership, here's how Target can make their "10-4" policy more successful:

Acknowledge the labor and the toll it takes. Leaders should talk to employees upfront about emotional labor and how it can affect anyone, especially during busy times like the holidays. Be honest about how it feels and show empathy when employees are struggling. As much as possible, help employees engage in "deep acting” where they actually try to develop the emotions they're being asked to display. It's the holidays, after all. What can managers do to help employees get into the holiday spirit themselves?

Know the norms (and teach them). Target should be clear about the rules they expect employees to follow around the "10-4" policy. Help employees learn the techniques through observation of seasoned staff, constructive feedback, and recognition when they nail it. Don't assume employees automatically know what constitutes a "warm, helpful interaction." Let them practice before throwing them onto the floor. Give them specific examples of things they might say to customers to spread holiday cheer.

Create a safe space. Target should designate places in each store where employees can escape from customers for a bit. These spaces should be staffed by managers who can help employees feel comfortable. During this time of year, it's crucial that employees have someone to listen and let them vent the frustration that inevitably builds when dealing with crowds of customers in stressful situations. Not just other employees (though that helps too), but someone in a leadership role acting with genuine empathy—that's what really makes a difference.

Be the example. Employees take their cues from leadership, so it's essential for leaders to interact with customers exactly how they want their employees to act. But beyond that, leaders also need to model work-life balance—taking breaks when possible, talking through feelings, acknowledging the stress of the season. Vulnerability and mindfulness can make a huge difference to employees watching from the sidelines.

The Bottom Line

The holiday season is stressful, particularly for the people serving customers in stores and helping them find that perfect gift. Target has challenged their employees with a policy that requires stamina, emotional stability, and patience. For it to work, Target must ensure their culture aligns with the behaviors they want to see and that their leaders act as role models and active participants, working alongside employees to make the holidays truly memorable for customers.



(And please, don't play "All I Want for Christmas Is You" 1,000 times—that alone would be enough to make anyone lose it.)