As leaders, often we don’t pay as much attention to the emotional intelligence(“EI”) of our employees as we should. Identifying employees with a lower EI can be crucial to building a strong team that can effectively work together as well as providing a healthy work environment. As leaders, we tend to focus on performance and coaching employees to refine their skills and meet business goals and deadlines. However, employees that exhibit low EI can derail an entire project and team.
Individuals that have a low “EI” do not handle stress well. They struggle with understanding other perspectives and exhibit in-appropriate emotional responses during conflict. Often these individuals will lash out and have difficulty managing their emotions during high-pressure situations. Many of us have moments where we let the pressure show, the difference is those with a low EI tend to consistently repeat the behavior when under strain and lash out at their fellow team members causing a harmful work environment.
Employees with a strong EI have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and handle the unexpected gracefully. To identify your employees that have a low EI, observe their behavior when there is a major change in people or process.
Once you understand which team members have a low EI, to ensure that projects are completed and team dynamics are not disrupted, avoid assigning these individuals any high-stress leadership roles. Instead focus on their strengths and assign roles where they can excel. These team members can be strong team players just be wary of their inability to manage stress and conflict. Make sure to set clear communication standards emphasizing the importance of professional and constructive conversations and behavior.
Emotional Intelligence can be developed over time, and as leaders it is our responsibility to coach and work with our team members on their weaknesses. Investing in the emotional wellbeing of your employees contributes to a productive work environment and a more harmonious work life.#emotionalintelligence #teambuilding #growthleadership #growthmindset #operationalexcellence