Transform Your Workplace with Emotional Intelligence

We've all been in situations where emotions have run high, maybe not to the point where chairs are thrown across the room (hopefully), but when a situation possibly could've been handled with a little more care.

Alongside intelligence, the ability to be self-aware and understand the emotions of others is equally as important. These skills are under the umbrella of Emotional Intelligence (also known as EI or EQ) and are fundamental in pursuing success.

When it comes to EI in the workplace, those that tend to progress into positions of seniority have these skills in abundance. So why is emotional intelligence so important?

Why does emotional intelligence matter?

Research in factories, the health sector and the armed forces have identified emotional intelligence as an important factor in team success. Across these workplaces, EI has an influencing factor in shaping meaningful connections with co-workers and exhibits higher empathy.

EI matters in the workplace, as it helps foster a productive and healthy organisational culture. This is usually reflected in employees feeling more valued and emotionally supported, leading to a culture where everyone feels more motivated.

Daniel Goleman was crucial in understanding the importance of EI and created the below model, which discussed the multiple factors contributing towards recognising our own and others feelings. The overall goal is to master self/social awareness and self-management, in order to become an expert at relationship management.

The workplaces that exhibit decreased social awareness are likely to see employees show signs of burnout, negative morale and poor mood. By having a strong HR process and a culture exhibiting a 'employee-first' mentality, organisations can ensure emotional issues are addressed.

High EI attributes compliment soft skills employers are looking for. For example, adaptability is related to being able to create new ways of working; self-control is related to setting targets, avoiding distractions and achieving goals in timely manner; empathy is related to leadership and negotiation. Every EI attribute has an important role to play in developing key employment skills.

Impact on performance & success

When we think about EI, we often think about the factors that influence others. However, a massive aspect is also our self-awareness and the impact of our own feelings, values, beliefs, and actions on others.

By focussing on our own mental/physical health, we are sending a powerful message about wellbeing to others (often those in our team). If you have a high self-care, it portrays a commitment to achieving success and indicates that you're willing to do everything to help achieve.

Those showing emotional commitment to others and expressing outward positive emotions will have a greater likelihood of success in the workplace. This also works for career progression, as Dale Carnegie indicates that when we regulate the feeling of happiness and positivity, the outward expression of positive attitude and enthusiasm will enthuse others and yourself.

"Action seems to follow feeling. By regulating action, we can indirectly regulate the feeling. Acting and seeming happy will allow happiness to follow." - Dale Carnegie in How to Win Friends and Influence People

EI is one of the guiding factors in career success. Among the other more common desirable determinants of success (area of study, career stage, educational achievement), sits demographical influences (age, race, gender), which should be considered undesirable when hiring for job roles.

EI also has a direct correlation to job satisfaction, with those individuals displaying a higher EI being more likely to exhibit a higher job satisfaction. Being content with your job, whilst good in isolation, will also improve the likelihood of effective task performance.

How to be more emotionally intelligent (personally and organisationally)

As a workplace, there should be a consistent push to garner meaningful feedback from employees (emphasis on the meaningful part). This should be anonymous and ask questions that help identify specific ways to improve the workplace (get specific examples).

From an organisational perspective it is also important to:

⚠️ Address toxic environments and/or blame cultures directly

💭 Understand each employee on a personal level (and any barriers impacting their workplace wellbeing)

🏄‍♂️ Empower employees to practice EI (give them time, training and environments that encourage EI skills)

It has to be a collective effort, which also requires support from the employees to ensure the workplace environment is emotionally intelligent. As an individual, we should:

💡 Understand the different facets of EI and their areas for improvement (by taking an EI test)

⛹️ Improve your emotional weaknesses (e.g. if you have low self-awareness, schedule ten minutes to practice mindfulness or consider your feelings)

🗣️ Talk to your peers about how you feel and listen to how they're feeling (emphasis on listening)

There is also research to suggest that emotional intelligence can be taught through courses and training. However, theory is important, but there needs to be time for practice in environments that demand opportunities for the individual to improve their weaknesses.

As mentioned, there needs to be a synergy between employee and employer, which could be compared to the habit loop. If the routine is the employee dedicating an hour of their working week towards improving their self-confidence (by being mentored or leading meetings), although the internalised reward is improved self-confidence, this should also be recognised by the workplace.

Conclusions

Emotional intelligence is vital in the workplace. It enables individuals to foster meaningful connections, enhances job satisfaction, and promotes a positive organisational culture. By prioritising EI, both employers and employees can ensure a productive environment, where everyone feels valued and motivated.

A commitment to nurturing emotional intelligence benefits both personal and professional growth. Organisations that encourage and support the development of EI are more likely to see improved performance, reduced burnout, and happier workers. So the next time you reflect on your performance, take the time to consider, are you being emotionally intelligent?