Employee happiness and wellness can have a powerful effect on your organization’s success. When employees are satisfied and feel valued, they will work harder and be more productive.
But how can you improve morale, communication, and the overall emotional intelligence of the employees and management of your organization?
Keep reading to find out!
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence, also referred to as emotional quotient (EQ) refers to a person’s ability to regulate and control their emotions. While this is useful in personal relationships it can also help in the workplace.
When employees have high emotional intelligence they can access their internal motivation and social skills. With enough practice, emotional intelligence can inform decision making and better behavioral patterns at work.
The 10 tips below will help guide you to making your organization a more emotionally intelligent place to be.
1. Acknowledge Emotions in Challenging Times
Part of creating an emotionally intelligent environment is recognizing that people have emotions – even when they’re at work. When people show up in their office they can’t shut out everything they are feeling. And you shouldn’t ask them to do so.
During these difficult times it is even more important to show employees that it’s okay to feel frustrated, fatigued, or stressed. When things change, emotions may be heightened. And in order to foster a higher emotional intelligence, make it clear that the emotions being felt are normal.
2. Foster Communication
Good communication in the workplace is essential. And workplace communication skills need to be fostered if you want to improve emotional intelligence.
One of the major skills for emotional intelligence is relationship management. And in order to encourage good relationships, individuals must learn communication skills – both verbal and non-verbal.
No matter what industry you work in, communication is invaluable.
3. Create Opportunities for Stress Management
If you can help employees manage their stress, you will create a better environment for emotional intelligence to grow. Having happy employees means that the level of stress is easily controlled.
You can offer discounts on stress management tools like meditation apps to show that your organization cares about effective stress management. Once a person can manage stress, they have a clear path towards emotion regulation and higher emotional intelligence.
4. Make Listening a Priority
Once employees know that they are working in a safe space to share emotions, they will need a person dedicated to listening. Managers and other employees should be trained in how to effectively listen.
There should be a dedicated time and place for employees to share how they are feeling and what challenges they are experiencing at work. The person doing the listening should do so without judgement.
5. Set a Meeting Agenda
You probably already know that a meeting agenda can improve the organization of a meeting. But did you know that it can also help make your workplace more emotionally intelligent?
Meeting agendas bring validation to a given employees responsibilities. They have the time and space they need to address a problem, solution, or question.
When you set a meeting agenda make sure that there is an expectation of mutual respect. When someone is speaking, the rest of the group is listening attentively. Questions should be reserved for when the speaker is done. An agenda also keeps people on task so that each item on the list gets enough time.
6. Allow Flexibility
A workplace that allows flexibility shows that the organization values its employees. Whether it’s allowing a schedule change to accommodate a family commitment or embracing a new way of doing things, flexibility is essential.
When individuals feel like they are trapped in a rigid environment, they won’t feel comfortable sharing new ideas or feelings about aa given project or task. But by embracing flexibility, employees are more likely to stay engaged with their work and be motivated to work harder for a company that values them.
7. Plan Social Engagements
Part of building emotional intelligence is getting to know other people in the organization outside of work. It allows people to cultivate social relationships that bring them closer together.
As a leader of an organization you can plan activities outside of work or create a space at work for people to socialize. Showing that you value their happiness and their relationships with each other demonstrates emotional intelligence.
8. Make Self-Reflection Part of the Job
Emotional intelligence is built upon self-reflection. Employees should have a process to reflect on their own skills and development. Regular evaluations and check-ins with management is a great way to get this process implemented.
Not all self-reflection processes have to be formal, either. You can ask employees to keep a journal or schedule informal coffee meetings to discuss their progress and what might be getting in the way of their development.
Sometimes all it takes is an opportunity for self-reflection to have a break through at work.
9. Lead by Example
Employees learn emotional intelligence when they observe it around them. If you can practice the key principles of emotional intelligence, others will notice and follow along.
Additionally, the more emotionally intelligent the environment, the easier it is for the individual. You can lead by example as you implement new emotional intelligence strategies in your organization.
10. Commit to a Long Term Solution
Improving emotional intelligence in an organization takes time. So you have to commit to a long-term approach to a healthier workplace. Create a plan and a timeline for any changes you decide to make.
Then, create a system so that employees can rate the success of the measures. You want to see how well your new policies are working.
Start Raising Emotional Intelligence Today
Now you have a better idea of what emotional intelligence is and how you can foster it in your organization. Remember that it takes time, but each small step leads you closer to your goal.
Once you have successfully improved the emotional intelligence of your organization you will see a noticeable improvement in the satisfaction of employees and their motivation.
For additional workplace advice, visit our website and keep learning how you can improve your office.