Emotional intelligen in the workplace – hot or not?
Have you ever dived into the issue of emotional intelligence in the workplace? The idea which is supposed to be the salt for any leader. We might have heard that EI makes a great leader, but what does it actually mean?
Let’s unravel this mystery together with a dash of personal insight.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: The What and The Why
By definition it is: the ability to manage both your own emotions as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you. There are five key elements to EI: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. It seems like a ship’s steering wheel that helps us navigate choppy waters of human emotions. It is about being aware of your own emotions, managing them effectively while being able to influence others’ behaviours.
It can’t be disputed that it is not a gender dependent issue as every one of us is an emotional creature.
The Block and the Empath
Now, let’s take a closer look at the extremes: the block of wood and the over – the top empath.
The Block: just doesn’t get it at all.They are more focused on spreadsheets than people around. While being great with numbers or procedure, they never realize their teams are on the verge of a meltdown.
The Empath: feels everything and everywhere. They are so tuned into recognizing everyone’s emotions that they easily forget how to set boundaries.
The Golden Middle
Most probably, the best approach lines somewhere in between. Being empathic without losing company’s goals from sight. It has been already proven that leaders with high emotional intelligence are more likely to stay calm when under pressure, resolve conflict effectively, and respond to co-workers with empathy. The golden middle is a chance to balance compassion with pragmatism, ensuring the teams’ well – being and business success.
Easier said than done as it is energy consuming. Such an approach is like an energy vampire drilling your soul down. The question is what the cost you need to bear and whether there is a prize at the end of the rainbow awaiting. I have already answered that question while being a leader and try not to apply for the annual leave every second month to retrieve my energy sources.
A Fun Fact: Hearing vs Listening
There are many explanations of EI core competencies like: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management and you can find a lot on that in internet. I would like to highlight some other skill, though. Hearing a person does not actually mean you are listening. You can be hearing a person telling you about their holiday plans while drafting and email to your boss. Active listening equals addressing underlying emotions. It seems to be the cornerstone of emotional intelligence.
Walking on a hot tin roof
Balancing the company’s objectives with your employees’ personal goals may seem like an option that is not quite viable. It is a tricky act, but emotional intelligence might be your superpower here and serve like a balancing pole.
Leaders set the tone of their organizations. If they lack emotional intelligence, it could have more far-reaching consequences, resulting in lower employee engagement and a higher turnover rate. While you might excel at your job technically, if you can’t effectively communicate with your team or collaborate with others, those technical skills will get overlooked. With the snowflake generation coming to the labour market, this may be even more important. Let`s not underestimate it. I would not underestimate. We’d better bera that in mind if you don’t want to end up waking up one day to learn half of your team is actually leaving or at least considering doing so.
