Safely Infuse Emotional Intelligence Into Your Organization

We recently clarified how we help HR leaders engage employees with a focus on the pillar of emotional intelligence. In our new work worlds, there are tons of opportunities and risks for the ways we redefine work. Imbuing a sense of emotional intelligence into the workforce won’t be regretted. 

As a classic intro, here are a few thoughts on why you may want to start thinking about introducing these elements into your programs. 

One thing I can tell you is that you can, to some extent, benchmark your emotional intelligence.  You have to keep in mind that emotional intelligence while varying in certain details, is universal from one organization to the next. So then why aren’t you 100 % sure that you’re actually doing it right and doing it well? 

I will say that 3 things come to mind when I talk about successful emotional intelligence with KangoGift’s clients. 

• How good are you incorporating emotional intelligence into your culture?
• How truly authentic is your emotional intelligence?
• Are you ready to do what is required? 

Let’s look at these in more detail.

How good are you at fitting emotional intelligence into your culture--This is something that almost begs the follow-up question,” well?” As I have said and seen, so many companies talk the big game but really don’t deliver.  

For example, I see dozens of companies that speak of the importance of the organization’s team, family, and similar adjectives.  But then when they see an increase in departures and read the exit interview reports they see things about people not seeing any future for them, or feeling like they are being ignored, and other things an organization invested in emotional intelligence would prevent. 

So you have to ask why aren’t you fitting emotional intelligence into your employee engagement? You say you are but you are still losing people for reasons that an emotionally intelligent program would not be. Are you sure you’re doing what you think you are doing? 

Practical ways to introduce this are through manager training, employee communication, and the HR tools employees are using to collaborate and give feedback. Remember words matter. We’ve all received a Slack message from a colleague and said to ourselves, “why would they say that?” 

How truly authentic is your emotional intelligence–Here is something that is sensible but makes no sense all at the same time.  Some research claims to show that a vast majority of employees are happy in their jobs. Two out of three in some cases.  But we are also seeing people running for the exits? To use a term from my youth, what gives?

I have to say it boils down to many human resources and C-level officers thinking they have a truly extraordinary culture and environment when they don’t. If you stop and think about it, people are always going to leave for the usual things.  Pay and opportunities.  But why don’t you see that those are actually challenging to your emotional intelligence?

Pay comes down to the concept of fairness, equity, and recognition.  People aren’t leaving you because they think they can $10 more down the road they are leaving because they think you don’t value them. So why hasn’t your emotional intelligence been strong enough, or authentic enough, to see that you’re not really getting across your concern for their well-being? There have been numerous studies that show that intrinsic, real-world recognitions carry stronger than the baubles.  Sure who doesn’t want a gift card but an extra day off would carry just as well.

Are you ready to do what is required–This is a question I always ask when I am talking about KangoGift.  Sure we are able to help you do what is required to engage your employees on an emotionally intelligent level but are you READY to do what is required? For example, are you ready to become a more authentic emotionally intelligent organization? This would require you to be both more proactive and reactive.  Can you do that?

Think of asking if you are willing to make those small steps necessary to make employees feel engaged and make them believe you have their best interests in mind. This may require you to step out of the comfort zone but, truly emotionally intelligent organizations know that is required to succeed. An organization willing to invest in an employee engagement program that has emotional intelligence as its core is willing to make the changes needed to thrive. 

So what should you do to make your organization more emotionally intelligent?  Let’s do this:

• Take a closer look at why your people are leaving and use that as the basis to determine if you’re practicing an engagement strategy that is truly emotionally intelligent.
• Make sure to think of the little things and how they impact your organization’s emotional intelligence.  
• Ask yourself if you’re ready to do what’s required to become an emotionally intelligent organization and then ask if you are REALLY ready! 

Being emotionally intelligent is a cool thing to be.  It just sounds so great to say yeah we are.  But you have to ask if your organization is ready to take those difficult steps to become a truly emotionally intelligent organization?