The Canadian office workers poker face: 74% report the need to maintain emotional composure at work

• Over a third (37%) of Canadian workers have found themselves managing their emotions at work on a weekly basis or more frequently
• Conflict with colleagues (32%), working under tight deadlines (29%) and working with people who have strong opinions (29%) are revealed as the most challenging workplace scenarios for maintaining composure
• Facial expressions (36%) emerge as the hardest 'tell' to control in the workplace, closely followed by tone of voice (35%)
• Workplace expert and author, Angela Champ and PokerStars Pro player, Arlie Shaban, share their top tips for mastering emotional control in pressurised environments

TORONTO, Sept. 4, 2024 /CNW/ - As September is a yearly time of 'refocus' at work for Canadians following the summer, a new PokerStars study reveals that mastering emotional control and perception management are just as crucial for sharpening workplace behaviour as they are in the high-stakes world of professional sport.

The survey of 1389 work experienced Canadiansfound that almost three quarters (74%) admit to having found themselves in work situations where they needed to maintain emotional control, with over a third (37%) experiencing this weekly or more.¹ It was revealed maintaining composure has been challenging during conflict with colleagues (32%), closely followed by working under tight deadlines (29%) and working with people who have strong opinions (29%).

During conflict with colleagues	32 %
Working under tight deadlines	29 %
Working with people who have strong opinions	29 %
Dealing with clients	26 %
Public speaking/ presenting	26 %
Meeting the demands put on me to get things done	22 %
Making my voice heard/speaking up	20 %
Asking for a raise/promotion	19 %
Presenting my work or ideas to others/speaking to groups	15 %
Asking for help	15 %
Receiving or giving feedback	13 %
Having/giving a performance review	11 %
Dealing with suppliers	7 %

"In both the corporate boardroom and around the poker table, strategically managing your outward persona is essential to gaining an edge over your colleagues and opponents," said Arlie Shaban, Ontario's representative on PokerStars Team Pro. "In both environments, a state of emotional frustration or anger can lead to poor decisions and reckless play. Keeping emotions in check helps you to stick to a rational strategy. My advice would be to recognise what specific situations or interactions trigger strong emotions; understanding these triggers can help you prepare and respond more calmly."

The survey also disclosed that workers havefound their facial expressions as the most challenging 'tell' to control in the workplace (36%), with tone of voice (35%) and lack of confidence (26%), closely following.

To equip Canadians with practical strategies for becoming a master at emotional control, PokerStars has teamed up with Angela Champ, a renowned Canadian HR expert, author and senior leadership coach.

"Whether you're in a salary negotiation or presenting to the board, mastering your emotions is like having a winning hand in poker," says Angela Champ. "In today's fast-paced professional environment, the ability to maintain composure under pressure is not just beneficial—it's essential. Developing this skill requires a personalised set of tools, from mindful pauses to perspective-taking, that you can apply in any challenging workplace scenario. By learning to control your tells, you'll not only navigate tough situations more effectively but also enhance your overall influence and impact within the organisation."

To help Canadians level up their workplace performance, Angela and Arlie have curated a set of actionable tips to improve body language and emotional cues in the workplace. The tips can be accessed on the PokerStars blog here: https://www.pokerstars.com/poker/learn/news/mastering-art-of-composure/

Players can have the opportunity to put these tips to the test through Power Path, a four-step poker tournament that gives users a chance to participate in the biggest and best poker experiences through live and online. More information on how it can be used to stimulate focus and sharpen decision making, can be found in the PokerStars blog.

Notes to Editors: 

About the research
Commissioned by PokerStars, this Maru Public Opinion was undertaken by its sample and data collection experts at Maru/Blue between 22nd - 23rd August 2024. The data was collected using an online research survey, randomly selecting 1389 Canadian adults with either current or previous full/part time or self-employment.

About PokerStars:
PokerStars operates the world's most popular online poker sites, serving the global poker community. Since it launched in 2001, PokerStars has become the first choice of players all over the world, with more daily tournaments than anywhere else and with the best online security. More than 200 billion hands have been dealt on PokerStars, which is more than any other site. 

PokerStars is ultimately owned by Flutter Entertainment plc. (LSE: FLTR) (NYSE: FLTR). PokerStars is licensed in Ontario.

Play Responsibly! For more information on responsible gaming please visit our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/about/responsible-gaming/.

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¹ The data reflects respondents that have either previously or currently been in full-time, part-time or self employment

SOURCE PokerStars

Morgan Atwater, [email protected]