Building Emotionally Intelligent Teams
Emotional Intelligence has been a popular concept in the business world for some time now and has proven its benefit to businesses in numerous ways.
Leaders who prioritize Emotional Intelligence (EQ or EI) principles in their leadership witness improved job performance, higher employee retention rates, and increased employee well-being. In short, better conversations lead to more impactful, happier teams.
Yet, companies rarely measure EI in performance reviews or hiring. They often focus on the WHAT, not the HOW. Emotional Intelligence is critical in building any team, especially a design team whose members frequently collaborate across marketing and product.
Adam Perlis (Academy UX) and I are teaming up on this article to explore ways in which you can build and lead an emotionally intelligent team right now. Read each piece as they are complimentary, and let us know if you'd like to hear more on the subject.
Let's dive in.
"The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence."
-- Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman is a renowned psychologist who wrote the book on Emotional Intelligence in 1995. "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ," brought the concept of EI to the forefront of public awareness. He has popularized that Emotional Intelligence is a crucial skill set for individuals to thrive and excel in today's complex and interconnected world. These skills are essential for effective communication, conflict resolution, and leadership. It is easy to see why companies would want their employees to have high levels of EI.
However, while companies acknowledge the importance of EI, they tend to focus solely on job performance when evaluating employees. This can lead to a culture prioritizing individual achievements over teamwork, collaboration, and emotional Intelligence. This can be problematic as individuals with high EI are often better equipped to work in teams, build relationships with colleagues and clients, and communicate effectively. Furthermore, prioritizing job performance over EI can lead to a toxic work culture that values results over the well-being of employees.
As Simon Sinek puts it, "we keep promoting and bonusing toxicity in our businesses, which is bad for the long game because it eventually destroys the whole organization."
So how can we hire and evaluate performance utilizing EI? First, let us take a closer look at Daniel Golemans EI framework, Four Abilities:
1. Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is recognizing and understanding one's emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values. People with high self-awareness can accurately assess their feelings and how they impact their behavior, which helps them make better decisions and handle challenging situations more effectively.
For hiring or performance reviews, some questions that could test this ability are:
How do you handle high-pressure situations or setbacks without becoming overwhelmed?
Tell us about a time when you had to demonstrate self-discipline and perseverance to achieve a goal.
2. Self-Management
Self-Management is regulating emotions and behavior to achieve personal and professional goals, learning to control impulsive behaviors, adapting to change, and staying focused and motivated in facing challenges.
Relevant questions related to this dimension:
Describe a situation where you effectively picked up on non-verbal cues and adjusted your communication style accordingly.
How do you actively listen to others and make them feel heard and understood?
3. Social Awareness
Social-Awareness is the ability to understand and empathize with the emotions and perspectives of others. This includes reading social cues, listening actively, and empathizing with others' feelings and experiences. People with high social awareness can build strong relationships, work effectively in teams, and communicate well with others.
Relevant questions related to this dimension:
Describe a situation where you effectively picked up on non-verbal cues and adjusted your communication style accordingly.
How do you actively listen to others and make them feel heard and understood?
4. Relationship Management
Relationship Management is the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with others. People with high relationship management skills can build trust and rapport with others, which is essential for effective leadership and teamwork.
Relevant questions related to this dimension:
How do you establish trust and rapport with colleagues or team members?
Describe a situation where you effectively collaborated with others to achieve a shared goal.
Finding ways to assess situational judgment in hypothetical (or lived) experiences that tap into these abilities is an excellent place to start. There are also psychometric assessments, such as the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), to gain insights into candidates' emotional intelligence strengths and areas for development.
I've also brought leadership development programs into organizations and have seen the positive effect that they can have on a team. These programs can provide leaders with the knowledge, tools, and techniques to improve their emotional intelligence abilities.
When it comes to performance reviews, use 360-degree feedback to assess EI. Gather feedback from peers, subordinates, and supervisors to understand an individual's emotional intelligence abilities comprehensively. Ask team members to think about the HOW the WHAT was achieved.
Towards the end of my tenure at Uber, we started doing this, which radically changed the review process. It opened up new conversations on teamwork and seeing performance differently. Not all high performers are the loudest in the room, and evaluating your team through other lenses can help unlock talent that otherwise goes overlooked.
Remember, this is just the beginning. There are various ways to build emotionally intelligent teams. Read Adam's article on employing Growth Mindset, Cultural Contributions, and EQ to enhance your team-building efforts further. We invite you to share your experiences and insights on tackling this vital aspect in your company. Together, we can create workplaces that prioritize EI and unleash the full human potential of your team.
