The project manager in a multinational tech firm at Bangalore, entrusted with a large team tasked with launching a critical software within a stipulated deadline, resolved an unprecedented dispute between two conflicting members regarding a particular feature of this software. He recognized his own frustration but dealt with the situation in a calm and composed manner, carrying the meeting forward, displaying remarkable self-awareness in this regard. He took a deep breath, practising self-regulation and in an empathetic manner, called both of them in his chamber, acknowledging the contribution of both, while at the same time, explaining why only one idea was more suited to the launching of this new software.
From the above fictional-yet-practical example, it becomes evident that emotional intelligence is not simply a soft skill, but, if used tactfully, can provide immense strategic competitive advantage for employees and organizations, particularly, the MNCs, in meeting their targets and cracking tricky business deals with ease.
Therefore, studies which show that employees with high emotional intelligence (EQ) are 90% more effective in leadership roles, are indeed, quite realistic in today’s world of globally intensifying business and other corporate sectors.
Understanding Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence, therefore, is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s emotions while empathizing and responding effectively to other’s needs, ideas, perspectives, viewpoints and emotional states of mind. As the saying goes, “Charity begins at home”, likewise, our family is deemed as the first source of developing emotional intelligence. Children embody their parents, whose ways of raising them, dealing with their emotional and mental needs in an empathetic manner since childhood, help to cultivate the qualities of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation and empathy in the long run, while at different stages of their educational life, starting from pre-schools and ranging to the university level, they develop the social skills required to interact with their peers in a large socio-cultural setting.
In organizations where productivity seems to be the last word, having employees with high EQ levels is of utmost importance as it facilitates teamwork and collaboration among staff members, promoting the spirit of cooperation ahead of individual goals which could lead the company to heightened levels of achievement in software developments, multimedia programs, business transactions, sales and marketing, and so on. Adding to the principles of teamwork and collaboration, effective leadership and communication among the staff promotes high productivity and this is possible only when the members are high on EQ and ready to take on the global market.
EQ as a Driver of Employee Performance
As is already evident from the fictional account of demonstrating EQ which kicked off this article, it is quite obvious that employees with high emotional intelligence convey clear ideas, which helps in reducing misunderstandings among employees in an organization to a great extent. This, in turn, fosters a sense of trust, mutual respect and collaboration among its members, who, as individuals, perceive the feeling of mutual self-efficacy among themselves.
As a result, emotionally charged and intelligent employees seek to resolve personal conflicts and try to navigate through challenging phases of disagreement in a calm and constructive manner, putting the needs of the company first as compared to their personal whims, which greatly helps people present in leadership and managerial roles to lead their teams efficiently, and if the teams are led by high-EQ managers, they are bound to report higher morale and motivation, contributing to the efficient functioning of the organization in the best way possible.
EQ and Leadership Effectiveness
Leadership is an ability to guide, lead and influence a group of people to adhere to a clear vision and work towards achieving it effectively. Effective leadership involves strategic team-building, effective planning & management of objectives of an organization, and leading the team towards the achievement of these objectives following a well-set operational process for the same. This is where the importance of leaders with high EQ comes into play, who have the ability to balance emotional insight with rational thinking, which in turn inspires and motivates the employees, or rather, the team members, to believe that working in an institution is much more beyond working for monetary incentives, rather, something involving a spirit of determination, commitment and dedication to their job. This will ultimately help in reducing the rate of employee turnover to a great extent, ensuring that the operational efficiency of the organization doesn’t get hampered.
For instance, when Satya Nadella became the CEO of Microsoft in 2014 amidst a transition period involving severe marketing turbulence and perceived disruption of work culture, he shifted the company’s focus towards a culture of “growth mindset”, displaying remarkable emotional intelligence and a spirit of apathy towards his employees, which remarkably reduced turnover rates, restored the work culture once again and a notable turnaround was seen in the global business market in the years to follow.
Emotional Intelligence in Client and Customer Relations
Well, this is a reaffirmation of the example of Microsoft cited in the previous section, as Emotional Intelligence has become an absolute necessity for leaders in managing client and customer relations in an organization.
Facial expressions, eye contacts, voice tones, body postures and other non-verbal signals from the employees and clients are extremely important to be understood and considered by the leaders, and leaders who demonstrate high EQ definitely have these abilities, otherwise, words alone often fail to communicate feelings, especially in moments of disinterest and disengagement. By effectively considering these non-verbal cues, high EQ leaders would be able to manage client expectations, and their empathetic perspectives could help foster loyalty amongst the employees, as more chances of conflict resolution will not only lead to mutually effective decisions, but also help increase the business outcomes of the organization to a great extent.
Developing EQ as a Competitive Edge
Cultivating and developing EQ can be instrumental in providing a strong competitive edge in today’s workplaces. Some practical strategies to enhance Emotional Intelligence might be mindfulness and reflection practices where the employees can engage in self-compassion, without self-criticism, by simply reflecting upon one’s performances and how it can be bettered with time. Peer feedback, mentorship programs, some active listening exercises and certain empathy-building activities like role-swapping, role play, empathy mapping, silent observation, and so on, could be helpful in this regard.
Besides, the respective organizations might think of conducting certain training programs and workshops providing EQ training sessions, helping to embed the spirit of Emotional Intelligence in the company’s work culture. Added to this, considering EQ as a measurable factor while hiring and promoting employees could help in their career growth to a considerable extent, aiding the organization’s business-related expansion in the long run.
Conclusion
To put it like this, Emotional Intelligence, in today’s global business market, has moved much beyond from being just a simple soft skill. Infusing a sense of self-efficacy in the employees’ psyche, EQ drives better communication, collaboration, leadership & client relationships in a organization, which helps in conflict management, releases work-related stress, enhances job performances, which, in turn, increases job satisfaction among the workers. In this way, the company always remains prepared to deal with change, as per fluctuations in the international market.
Dear professionals, can you think of investing even a small chunk of your valuable time in cultivating EQ and try to discuss among yourselves the possible ways of embedding it in the organization’s culture? A coffee break, or a happy weekend party might help in this regard, right?