CEO at BrightHR and COO at the Peninsula Group, responsible for the global rollout of HR tech supporting over 95,000 organizations.
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Do you think you are emotionally intelligent? By definition, it's your ability to understand and manage emotions. We might say someone is emotionally intelligent when they can regulate how they feel, diffuse arguments easily or stay calm in stressful situations.
Research by emotional intelligence expert Travis Bradberry suggests that only 36% of people have this ability. It's a surprisingly low number when you consider that we now know emotional intelligence helps employees progress and perform better. Additionally, a TalentSmart study found that, on average, people who show high emotional intelligence make $29,000 more each year than low-EQ professionals.
So why is emotional intelligence so important at work?
It improves communication.
For starters, emotionally intelligent employees tend to be better communicators, and good communication is key to any strong workforce. Let's say an employee is nervous as they begin leading a presentation in front of colleagues. They could let their nerves take over, so they'd appear flustered or trip over their words. This would undermine their ability to convey the ideas and concepts of their presentation. An emotionally intelligent employee, on the other hand, would recognize nerves as an emotional response and stay in control. This would allow them to communicate clearly and confidently.
People who are emotionally intelligent also tend to have a better grip on handling conflict and negative emotions. For example, if an employee believes that management hasn’t recognized their role in the success of a project, they might feel frustrated and hurt. As a result, they could lash out by making passive-aggressive comments or sending an angry email. But this is more likely to trigger a negative response and can damage working relationships.
An emotionally intelligent response would be if the employee identified and assessed their feelings before acting on them. Then, they could address the issue from a more stable, clear-headed place and collaborate on the best way to resolve it. This is more likely to produce a positive result and maintain a harmonious relationship with management.
It builds stronger relationships with colleagues.
Because strong communication is key to a good working relationship, emotional intelligence can help employees build better connections with colleagues.
If an employee has a low EQ, they might struggle to work as part of a team. They might have poor listening skills, get into arguments or refuse to take accountability for any mistakes. They might also not be very aware of other people’s feelings. This kind of behavior can be incredibly disruptive for a team, breaking down trust and communication as well as impacting workplace morale.
When an employee shows high emotional intelligence, they respect other people’s ideas and feelings, even if they don’t agree. This means they’re open to collaboration and are able to voice how they feel in meetings without being dismissive or confrontational.
Emotionally intelligent employees are also good at being supportive. They can identify when a colleague is upset about a work or personal issue and talk to them in a way that helps reduce stress and allows the other person to cope. This can create stronger relationships where everyone feels heard and supported, which can lead to them working harder and staying with a company for the long haul.
It helps improve performance.
On top of being better team players, emotionally intelligent people tend to perform better. Bradberry discussed how 90% of top performers score highly for emotional intelligence. A study conducted at a Motorola manufacturing site found that employees were 93% more productive after undergoing stress management and EQ training. So why do emotionally intelligent employees perform better? There are several reasons.
They make positive decisions, have better relationships with colleagues and know how to manage stress. Additionally, when employees have emotionally intelligent managers, they're more engaged at work. This is because managers with high EQ often give positive and constructive feedback that focuses on what employees can do next, not what went wrong. Therefore, employees are likely to understand how they can improve their performance, which creates a more motivated team. This also leads to less turnover; according to research by Korn Ferry, managers who lead with emotional intelligence retain 70% of their employees for five years or more.
It helps employees progress in their careers.
Emotionally intelligent employees have a strong ability to empathize, self-regulate and outperform. So they can make effective leaders. In a Lee Hecht Harrison Penna survey, 75% of respondents used EQ to determine promotions and pay rises. But 68% of organizations didn’t actually have any tools in place to identify or develop EQ. Even so, most employers say soft skills and emotional intelligence are essential for growth and success.
So incorporating EQ training and values into an employee's development plan is vital. Here are some examples of strategies to ensure this skill development.
• Enrolling staff in emotional intelligence training, mindfulness and stress management courses.
• Setting up team-building exercises for employees to get to know each other outside of work.
• Encouraging a culture of open communication with regular opportunities for employees to voice how they feel and offer feedback.
Emotional intelligence can have a profoundly positive impact on the workplace. When people across an organization, particularly leaders, display emotional intelligence, it encourages everyone to do the same.
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