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Emotional Intelligence and the Workplace

It has been a commonly held belief that people with the highest IQs will be the most successful in their careers and personal lives.  Today, that belief has been shaken by research that shows that having high emotional intelligence (or EI) is more crucial than a high IQ for business and personal success.

At one time, a business could differentiate itself simply by the technology it possessed. Now as businesses compete in a global environment, and companies have similar technology available to them, the differentiating factors for success have become human capital and emotional intelligence.  Research has shown that the number one cause of personal and professional derailment is not a lack of intellectual intelligence or technical skills, but rather ineffective emotional intelligence (interpersonal abilities).

What is emotional intelligence?   Emotional intelligence is knowing and understanding yourself, knowing and understanding others, and knowing how to relate most effectively in all contexts. In his book, Working with Emotional Intelligence, Dr. Daniel Goleman has defined emotional intelligence characteristics: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, and he has documented the power of emotional intelligence in the workplace, in relationships and personal and organizational success.

Through his research, Dr. Goleman, has discovered that every encounter with parents, spouses, bosses and even strangers affects cells throughout our bodies, right down to our genes, for good or bad.[1]  In a workplace setting, as an example, when a manager treats his employees well and speaks to them respectfully, employees thrive, they feel less stress, are more productive, they experience less conflict with others.  Their home environment is much happier.  The company’s bottom line thrives, as well. Alternatively, when a manager mistreats and berates his employees, employees feel more stressed, they are less productive, they experience more conflict, their home environments suffers, and this eventually impacts negatively on the company’s bottom line.  Thus, the higher the position an employee holds within a company, the more imperative it is that they posses highly developed emotional intelligence skills.

In an article entitled, “At Work, Feeling Good Matters”, by Jerry Krueger and Emily Kilham, it is reported that according to a 2005 Gallup Management Journal survey “happy employees are better equipped to handle workplace relationships, stress and change.” They also stated that, “other research on happiness in the workplace suggests that worker well-being plays a major role in organizational performance.”  The article reported on a study conducted in 2004 by The American Psychological Association where it discovered that almost 2/3 of those that participated indicated that their work lives had a significant impact on their stress levels. One in four had called in sick or taken a “mental health day” resulting from the stress they experienced at work. In addition, health care expenses are almost 50% higher for employees who experience higher stress levels.[2]

It is important for organizations to recognize the relationship between employee stress and their health and well-being, so that they can help employees manage stress and find balance in their work and personal lives.  Organizations that recognize this important link demonstrate emotional intelligence, and experience greater productivity and higher employee engagement levels.[3]

At any given moment, every company employs three groups of employees: 

1. Engaged;
2. Not-Engaged; and,
3. Actively Disengaged.[4]

Engaged employees are passionate about their work.  They arrive early, stay late, and are willing to help others in the company. They believe in the company’s vision and have greater company loyalty. 

Employees who are not-engaged tend not to have passion for what they do.  They arrive and leave on time, but they will often accomplish only the bare minimum to have a pay cheque. 

Actively disengaged employees are not happy being at work (and in their life in general), they tend to arrive late, leave early, take more sick leave, and, when they are at work, they frequently are disruptive. Employers often wish they had just stayed at home.

Levels of engagement have been studied in various countries. Here are some examples from the Gallup Survey noted in the book; “Follow this Path”[5]:

 Country             Engaged       Not Engaged     Actively Disengaged

 Canada                  24%                    60%                      16%

 France                     9%                     63%                      28%

 Great Britain      17%                     63%                      20%

 Italy                        Not Recorded

 Singapore             6%                       76%                     17%

 US                       30%                       54%                     16%

Previous Gallup research indicates that supervisors play a major role in worker well-being and engagement.  The findings show that having a positive relationship with a supervisor has an impact on engagement, and suggests that employees who are more engaged have more positive interactions with their co-workers than those who are less engaged.[6]

The Gallup Management Journal’s 2005 survey went one step further as to estimate the cost of lower productivity due to disengagement. The loss to the U.S.economy for only the actively disengaged employees was estimated at $300 billion a year.[7]  As seen above, other countries have actively disengaged employees as well, and their respective economies are negatively impacted, too.  Organizations would do well to address the disengagement levels within their companies. 

How can this be done?  It starts with engaging their employees; speaking and dealing with their employees with emotional competence; communicating, delegating and recognizing each employee according to their personality styles.  Each personality style has different needs and values to meet. Accommodating the needs and values are very simple adjustments to make.

Any organization competing in the global marketplace and wanting to be a leader in their field, to differentiate themselves as ‘Employer of Choice’ and to improve their productivity and profitability levels, would be prudent to increase their emotional competence.  Emotional intelligence is here to stay and is changing the way we do business and deal with employees.

Keys to Engaging Your Employees – The Ten C’s

Most employers desire staff who are enthusiastic, productive, and reliable.  What are you doing within your business to develop these characteristics in your employees?  Is there a struggle to find and keep employees that represent the best of your business?

If you are experiencing issues with employee retention or are looking for ways to improve your employee relations, the TEN C’s of employee engagement may offer some insight into effective employee management. The Ten C’s of employee engagement, is a good way to gauge employees’ personal values within your business and offers keys to improvement.

Connect:  Employees thrive when they feel sincerely valued by their employer.  Share your company’s mission, strategies and initiatives with your employees and link how their actions tie into the success of the company.

Career: Most employees thrive with challenging and meaningful work. Assign stretch goals to your employees and hold them accountable for their progress, while at the same time instill confidence that they can meet these goals.  Ensure that your employees have the resources and the knowledge available to them to be successful in reaching the goals.

Clarity: Success in essence is achieved by the amount of clarity we have on what it is we want to achieve.  Have you communicated a clear vision of what your company’s goals are, their importance and how they can be achieved together as a team?

Convey:  A good leader conveys their expectations and provides positive and constructive feedback to each and every employee.  On a daily basis help your employees improve their skills, and create small wins. Your team will perform at its best.

Congratulate:  Society in general focuses mostly on what is wrong, what we do wrong.  How about focusing on what we do right?  Offer praise and recognition on even the littlest ‘right’.  You will boost your employees’ self esteem, they will respect you more as a leader, and they will work more effectively.

Contribute:  Employees need to know that their work matters and that they are contributing to the company’s success.  Implement simple measurement systems to track how well you are doing with your employees and customers.  Share the results with your team and relate their contributions to the overall results.

Control: Employees value having control over the flow and pace of their work.  As a leader do you consult your employees regarding their needs?  Do you involve employees in the decision-making process, in setting goals or milestones, especially when employees will be directly affected?  Involving employees creates an environment of trust and a culture where employees will take “ownership of problems and their solutions”.

Collaborate: ‘There is more strength in numbers.’ Create a strong team environment, an environment of trust, cooperation and mutual respect.

Credibility:  Do you reflect positively or negatively on your business?  Do you live by your word?  Employees will either be proud to work with you or embarrassed to work for you.  It is all up to you.

Confidence:  A good leader helps create confidence by maintaining “high ethical and performance standards”.  Lead by example.  Your employees are watching your every move. They will follow your lead if your actions are congruent with your words and they believe in you.

 Flowers wither without constant watering.  Practise the Ten C’s consistently and watch your employees and your company’s success flourish.

Note:  The principles of the Ten C’s can be modified and applied to families as well as friendships.  They do work.

Source:  “What Engages Employees the Most, or The Ten C’s of Employee Engagement”, Gerard H. Seijts & Dan Crim, Ivey Business Journal, March/April 2006

Can’t find the answer to your human performance or health & wellness-related questions?  Just Ask Sandra via email at scorrado@nextlevels.ca.  The answer to your question may be featured in future blogs.

Sandra Corrado of Next Level Consulting is an independent Human Performance Specialist & Health & Wellness Facilitator.  She is a Board Certified Hypnosis Trainer and Master Coach.  www.nextlevels.ca.