As temperatures continue to climb across Europe, many employees are finding that the biggest challenge is not the weather but the people around them. From hot-headed managers to short-tempered colleagues, workplace tensions appear to be rising alongside the mercury. Experts at Hogan Assessments, a global leader in workplace personality assessment and leadership development, say one of Europe’s hottest summers may be exposing a growing problem with workplace behaviour.
A perfect storm of pressures
The timing is hardly surprising. Organisations are navigating a combination of AI-driven uncertainty, ongoing change fatigue, leaner team structures, and the lingering effects of burnout that intensified during and after the pandemic. At the same time, employee engagement continues to decline globally. According to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report, global engagement fell for a second consecutive year, while manager engagement dropped from 27%–22%, its lowest level in years.
Then there is the heat itself. Research from the World Health Organization warns that excessive heat can impair concentration, increase fatigue, and reduce productivity, with performance falling by 2%–3% for every degree of heat stress above key thresholds. Around 30% of workers exposed to frequent heat stress report productivity losses. The UK has already experienced extreme conditions this summer, including record June temperatures exceeding 36°C in some areas and repeated heat-health alerts, adding physical strain to existing workplace pressures. Together, these factors mean frustrations boil over more quickly, patience wears thinner, and minor disagreements can rapidly escalate into major flashpoints.
Understanding the excitable personality
This dynamic is particularly relevant for colleagues with excitable temperaments. While passion and energy may be strengths in everyday situations, the same people can appear easily disappointed, directionless, and emotionally volatile when they stop monitoring their behaviour. Someone who is enthusiastic one day and irritable the next may, over time, develop a reputation for being inconsistent and unpredictable.
“Showing passion keeps a professional from appearing unemotional, indifferent, or uninterested. But a display of emotional ups and downs isn’t always helpful at the workplace. When stress causes emotions to swell, employees must adapt how they communicate negative feelings,” said Jessie McClure, MA, Senior Consultant and Team Lead at Hogan.
Hogan identifies this pattern through its Development Survey as the excitable scale, one of several dark-side personality characteristics that can derail performance under pressure. Passion remains a valuable strength, but unchecked emotional volatility can disrupt teams, erode trust, and reduce productivity precisely when organisations need stability most.
Techniques for managing emotional temperature
Fortunately, it is possible for people to learn to moderate their behaviour by managing their emotional expression. Excitable employees should first analyse the situations in which they become frustrated and upset. Learning to recognise the signs or triggers that they are about to lose control can help them pause before they react and create distance from a situation, avoiding unintended messages that might affect colleagues’ performance. Over time, temperamental professionals can build resilience slowly by learning how much stress is sustainable.
Other useful steps include
- Balancing initial enthusiasm with realistic expectations to maintain motivation when obstacles appear
- Committing to persistence and seeking feedback from trusted colleagues
- Working with an accountability partner to support steadier responses
These measures allow individuals to retain the benefits of energy and investment while limiting the downside of emotional swings.
For employers, the challenge extends beyond helping people stay physically cool this summer to recognising that emotional temperature matters too. Practical steps such as clearer communication protocols, leadership development focused on self awareness and attention to workload during peak heat periods can help teams navigate both the physical and psychological pressures of the season.