Emotional intelligence defines your chances of success
A recent article by Personnel Today reported results of a Roffey Park survey of more than 1,800 managers, which found that 77% of HR professionals said managing change was their top challenge as there is a constant need for it.Change management is not easy. Especially the element of managing people can be very challenging. Many managers have had little training in people management – as we have written before – they often get promoted based on their technical abilities, not on their people management skills. Therefore, many managers are often uncomfortable with managing change and managing people.
As Personnel Today mention, if change management “is handled well, a flexible organisation that is constantly adapting to meet customer needs or to introduce new products and services will go from strength to strength. If handled badly, it can be a potentially fatal distraction to the company’s activities. The difference between success and failure lies in engaging employees with the change and the key to that is making sure that everyone in the organisation uses emotional intelligence.”
Claus Moller has written similarly in his book Heart Work. He separates our intelligence into 3 categories: general, cognitive and emotional. General intelligence is one’s ability to think rationally and act purposefully. Cognitive intelligence is the ability to learn new things, recall information, solve problems etc. Emotional intelligence, according to Moller’s description is an array of emotional, personal and social knowledge and an individual’s abilities to cope with environmental demands and pressures.
Moller goes on to say that emotional intelligence determines how well we make use of our other skills. People with good emotional and social capacity have an advantage in most aspects of their personal and professional life. They tend to be happier with life AND more productive.
How to improve the emotional intelligence?
Personnel Today lists 6 ways to foster emotional intelligence in a work environment.
1. Create a sense of urgency. Do not wait for a crisis but create the same sense of urgency about the importance of completing the project successfully.
2. Help the team to take ownership of the project.
3. Create a vision and “over-communicate” it so that people are in no doubt what the business leaders are aiming for.
4. Remove obstructions and distractions so that there are no excuses.
5. Celebrate quick wins regularly.
6. Evolve the change plan and adapt it as required.