By Lauren Garris
Feeling your way to success.
It’s been nearly 25 years since Peter Solovey and John D. Mayer first used the term “emotional intelligence” to describe a different kind of intelligence that many business leaders believe is essential to achieving success in the workplace. Unlike many other business trends that have come and gone, emotional intelligence – an intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions and to use that information to guide one’s thinking and action – still has legs. Business leaders continue to use the term and value it as a key employment factor. There is also evidence that HR and talent management professionals who make increasing emotional intelligence among all employee levels a strategic organizational priority will help boost their organization’s bottom line.
What is emotional intelligence?
There are four branches of emotional intelligence when seen as a set of abilities:
1. Recognizing emotion: This means a person is aware of what he or she is feeling while also being aware of others’ feelings. In the workplace, this means that emotionally intelligent leaders understand that feelings affect their employees’ work and productivity. Emotions can be difficult to assess, however, because people exhibit their feelings differently, or sometimes not at all.
2. Facilitating emotions: Emotionally intelligent leaders know how to make others feel good about themselves, and how to be engaged and productive in the workplace. Emotionally intelligent leaders must be aware of their own emotions while being empathetic to those around them.
3. Understanding emotions: Those with a highly developed emotional intelligence go a step beyond merely recognizing their own and others’ emotions; they understand them. Truly understanding emotions requires insight into the chain of emotions that occur as events unfold. For example, anger may result from disappointment, embarrassment and feelings of sadness – a chain of emotions culminating in anger.
4. Managing emotions: Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to deliberately manage their own and others’ emotions to inspire and create passion in people.
HR and talent management professionals can use these four branches of emotional intelligence in selection practices and in employee and leadership development activities to help create a more emotionally intelligent organization.
The benefits high levels of emotional intelligence bring to organizations
Studies have found that high emotional intelligence in organizations is associated with increased productivity, higher engagement levels, lower turnover and absenteeism rates and increased market share. Daniel Goleman, author of a 1995 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence, has theorized that 80 to 90 per cent of the competencies that differentiate high-performing workers from average-performing workers can be found in the emotional intelligence domain, and one study found emotional intelligence to be two times more predictive of business performance than employee skills, knowledge or expertise.
Another study of IT professionals found a positive relationship between an IT leader’s emotional intelligence scores and his or her subordinates’ job performance ratings2. Other studies have found that high emotional intelligence can boost career success, entrepreneurial potential, leadership talent, health, relationship satisfaction, humor and happiness3. And a study conducted by business consulting firm Genos found a positive correlation between the emotional intelligence of business leaders and the employee engagement levels of their direct reports.
How to improve emotional intelligence in the workplace
Emotional intelligence can be developed, but it will take time and patience. A three-hour seminar simply will not have a long-term effect. HR and talent management professionals who want to improve their organization’s emotional intelligence should consider the following steps offered by Cary Cherniss and Daniel Golemen 4,5,6.
1. Select for emotional intelligence
HR and talent management professionals should assess for emotional intelligence during the employee selection process. Cherniss and Goleman caution that emotional intelligence cannot be measured through the usual vetting process, like resume screening and the review of a job candidate’s previous work history, education, skills and expertise. There are a number of assessments that can be used, however, to gauge a candidate’s emotional intelligence. These assessments include Goleman’s revised emotional intelligence competency model, the emotional intelligence assessment by Reuven Bar-On from the University of Texas Medical Branch and quasi-personality tests. Regardless of the test selected, application and interpretation of these assessments may require the expertise of an outside consultant.
2. Start at the top to assess emotional intelligence and to achieve buy-in
Numerous studies have shown that successful leaders model emotional intelligence, so it makes sense to start an emotional intelligence initiative at the senior leadership level. Cherniss and Goleman recommend that before launching an emotional intelligence initiative, HR and talent management professionals should ensure that leaders understand and buy into the long-term benefits of developing emotional intelligence in the organization, a step that can be as simple as sharing the results of the studies highlighted in this article.
Next, consider first piloting emotional intelligence assessment and training with senior leaders so they can gauge their own levels of emotional intelligence.
The concept of emotional intelligence has stood the test of time, and study after study has demonstrated the value it can bring to an organization.
This can help achieve senior leader buy-in and will likely help leaders later communicate the value of the initiative to their direct reports. During and after the assessment and training, HR and talent management professionals should also develop ongoing feedback mechanisms with senior leaders on the progress of their own emotional intelligence journey and the impact their improvements have made to the organization.
3. After the senior leader pilot program, launch a voluntary, company-wide initiative
There are several steps involved in launching an organization-wide initiative. HR and talent management professionals should first assess the organization and identify the key competencies the organization needs for effective job performance, making sure that the identified competencies align with the organization’s culture and long-term strategy. Once those competencies have been identified, individuals can be assessed using the same assessment selected for senior leaders.
A successful emotional intelligence initiativeshould be voluntary, because adults learn best and are more open to change when they are self-motivated. HR and talent management professionals can help increase participation, however, by offering employees a safe and welcoming environment. This can be achieved, in part, by obtaining the full support of senior leaders. Employees who see their managers actively working to improve their own emotional intelligence levels will be inspired to participate.
The results of emotional intelligence assessments should be delivered with care and provide individuals with information on their strengths and weaknesses. Employees should be given plenty of time to digest the information. Once the information has been processed, it is time to get to work.
Initiative participants should work with trainers or coaches to identify the competencies they want to improve, and together, develop a plan on how to acquire them, breaking goals into manageable steps. Participants should be actively involved in developing this plan, because it will increase the likelihood of success. The selected competencies, however, should be linked back to the competencies identified in the organizational assessment. Trainers and coaches should also work closely with individuals to provide honest, timely, specific and behaviour-based feedback and to allow for opportunities to practice in a safe environment.
4. Evaluate the program’s effectiveness
As with any training or long-term development initiative, goals and measures to assess outcomes should be identified during the planning phase. Goals may include improvement in the key competencies identified during the organizational assessment, but may also include improved productivity, decreased turnover and improved employee engagement and morale. To assess these, a control group of non-participants can be compared to the participant group at regular intervals agreed to by senior management (e.g., three, six, nine months and a year after the start of the initiative). Senior leaders should be reminded that this type of initiative will require time because it involves behaviour change. HR and talent management professionals should take the lead to ensure that these measures are assessed and reported back to senior management.
Benefitting an organization
The concept of emotional intelligence has stood the test of time, and study after study has demonstrated the value it can bring to an organization. HR and talent management professionals have the opportunity to improve their organization’s productivity and bottom line by making increased emotional intelligence a strategic organizational goal. It will require assessment, planning and long-term commitment for everyone involved, but the potential benefits make the effort and time commitment well worth it.
Lauren Garris is the author of the white paper, “Emotional Intelligence: Can Companies Really Feel their Way to Success?” and is client relationship manager for UNC Executive Development.