Emotional Intelligence Training for Managers
Getting to know people is a difficult task. There are so many emotional intelligence training for managers, traits and characteristics for every individual that we’ll probably never see two people who are exactly alike. Simple triggers can arouse different emotions in different people.
All these emotions and traits are what make us unique, but they are also what make being a leader or a good manager a difficult task. This is where the concept of emotional intelligence comes into play. Emotional intelligence can be defined as an individual’s ability to direct one’s emotions in the right direction so as to achieve the desired results. In this article we are going to discuss the role of emotional intelligence training for managers.
Emotional Intelligence Training at Work
Emotional intelligence has been ranked sixth in the World Economic Forum’s list of the top 10 skills that employees and managers will need to possess to thrive in the workplace of the future. Emotional intelligence affects almost all decisions that employers make, such as promoting, hiring and firing employees. In a 2011 survey, nearly 71% of hiring managers valued an employee’s EQ over their IQ.
A further 75% said they would be more likely to promote an employee with high emotional intelligence and 59% said they wouldn’t hire a candidate with a high IQ and low EQ (Source: Career Builder, 2011). Thus, it is clearly evident that emotional intelligence is an important asset for employees and managers to succeed at workplace and enhance their performance and productivity.
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence for Managers
If you’re a manager, you often need to feel confident and in control, in challenging situations with colleagues and customers. Leaders with a higher EQ can help teams to collaborate more effectively and identify the specific drivers that motivate individual employees. Emotional intelligence training for managers usually targets five key areas, based on Goleman’s 5 component model of emotional intelligence. Within these areas, emotional intelligence training focuses on providing the following tips –
Self-awareness
Keeping a journal helps improve self-awareness by writing down personal thoughts and Emotions. Also, when you experience anger or other strong emotions, slow down to examine why. Remember, no matter what the situation, you can always choose how you react to it.
Self-regulation
Know your values because if you know what’s most important to you, then you probably won’t have to think twice when you face a moral or ethical decision. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences and practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself.
Motivation
Reexamine why you’re doing your job, take some time to remember why you wanted the job and make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing. Also, know where you stand and determine how motivated you are to lead.
Empathy
Put yourself in someone else’s situation and take the time to look at situations from other people’s perspectives. Also, respond to others feelings and address other’s emotions to establish effective communication and relationships.
Interpersonal skills
Learn conflict resolution as leaders must know how to resolve conflicts between their team members and customers. As a leader, you can inspire the loyalty of your team simply by giving praise and appreciating their hard work.
Conclusion
Leading a team is never easy, but some make it easier for themselves by applying some basic principles of emotional intelligence. Truly great leaders identify, understand and not only manage their own emotions, but are able to do that with others in a very empowering way, referred to as having emotional intelligence. The level of emotional intelligence one is able to cultivate has an extraordinary and immediate impact on the people around oneself, and in many cases, on the trajectory of one’s career. Henceforth, emotional intelligence training for managers is essential for one’s work and personality.
