Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in Your Workplace

Navigating emotions—both our own and those of others—is a critical skill. This ability is called Emotional Quotient (EQ) or Emotional Intelligence (EI).

Unlike cognitive intelligence, which deals with logic and reasoning, EQ taps into the softer skills that drive how we understand our thoughts and feelings before responding. High EI levels result in better workplace relationships, enhanced problem-solving capabilities, and success in various professional roles.

Recently, during our webinar “EQ in Your HQ,” Michael Mattson, a CX Leader at Walk A Mile CX, and Melissa Pollock, VP of Customer Success at AmplifAI, discussed how emotional intelligence can elevate customer interactions and how customer service combines emotional insights with analytical data to drive better decision-making.

Inspired by the webinar, we summarized the learnings and expanded on areas of emotional intelligence in the workplace that Michael and Melissa touched on in their conversation.

Topics we're covering:

1. What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?
2. Goleman’s Five Pillars of Emotional Intelligence
3. What is the Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace? 
4. Decoding the Organizational Emotional Intelligence (OEI) Framework‍
5. How to Measure and Improve EQ in Your Workplace‍
6. EQ in Your HQ: Webinar Replay

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Quotient (EQ), or Emotional Intelligence (EI), is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and utilize one's own emotions and the emotions of others effectively.

The word “emotional intelligence” was coined by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1990. Emotional intelligence later gained popularity in 1995 through Daniel Goleman’s book on the topic.

Michael said during the webinar,

‍“Emotional intelligence is something that everyone should be improving on continuously.” 

Rightly quoted as achieving EI is not a one-time formula; it is an ongoing process that evolves with time.

Goleman’s Five Pillars of Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman’s book formulated a framework comprising five key pillars of emotional intelligence. Developing these skills allows you to navigate your emotions and relationships effectively for a more fulfilling life.

The book provided a new perspective on analyzing employee performance. According to Goleman, high levels of EI help improve working relationships and enhance problem-solving skills.

Below are the five pillars of emotional intelligence:

1. Self-awareness

The foundation of emotional intelligence is the recognition and understanding of one's emotions and their effects on thoughts and behavior. It involves understanding your feelings, recognizing triggers, and understanding how they affect yourself and others. 

Once you have established your strengths and weaknesses, you can recognize your emotions and how they impact you.

2. Self-regulation and self-management

Managing one's emotions healthily, controlling impulsive feelings and behaviors, and adapting to changing circumstances are crucial to success. Once you're aware of your emotions, you can manage them effectively.

Reactions to certain situations are voluntary, but if you are self-aware about how you feel, it is simpler to transition from reaction to response. Sometimes, the best thing can be to take a pause, collect yourself, and do something to compose your emotions (it can be taking a walk or speaking to somebody) to respond to the situation more appropriately.

3. Motivation

Being driven to achieve for the sake of achievement, showing initiative, and maintaining a positive attitude even in the face of challenges.   

This pillar of motivation goes beyond setting goals. It's about the internal drive and passion that fuel perseverance and achievement. It includes intrinsic motivation, where you enjoy the process, and extrinsic motivation, where external rewards drive you.

4. Empathy 

Understanding and sharing the feelings of others includes recognizing and considering others' emotions and understanding their perspective in decision-making.   

This is the ability to understand and share others' feelings. It involves seeing things from their perspective and responding with compassion.

5. People skills 

Managing relationships to move people in desired directions involves effective communication, conflict management, and building strong interpersonal connections.

This refers to your proficiency in building relationships, navigating social cues, communicating clearly, and influencing others positively. It involves teamwork, conflict resolution, and building rapport.

What is the Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is required in your personal life for more fulfilling relationships, and is also a key leadership quality in the workplace. 

During the webinar, Michael Mattson, our expert on Emotional Intelligence, said:

‍“Ultimately, businesses are relationships between people.”

He highlighted that since people are working with people, you must build an environment that fosters trust and treats employees with dignity and respect. 

EI is a culturally learned behavior; if your leaders do it, you do it. Emotional Intelligence helps foster positive workplace relationships, employee engagement, effective communication, and organizational success.

Five Benefits of High Emotional Intelligence in Your Workplace

1. Drive employee success

Employees who excel at empathy, self-control, and performance are likelier to become strong leaders. 

To thrive and progress, businesses must invest in their employees' emotional intelligence and should focus on becoming more human-centric. 

Equipping staff with the skills they need to excel through emotional intelligence programs, such as mindfulness programs and stress management workshops, is an excellent step to introduce them to the topic. 

The focus should also be on creating a culture where all the employees feel comfortable expressing their feelings and providing feedback. This fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and paves the way for growth.

2. Smooth collaboration among teams 

Developing a team dynamic where everybody works harmoniously is critical for success. Emotional intelligence fosters collaboration and teamwork and gives team members the maturity to understand each other’s perspectives, enhancing communication and productivity. 

Employees with low EQ generally find working as part of a team more difficult. Due to low emotional intelligence, they might have poor listening skills, often disagree with their team members, or not take responsibility for their mistakes. 

This can be due to their lack of awareness of other people’s feelings, which can lead to team disruptions and impact workplace morale. Emotional intelligence allows you to manage conflicts professionally and constructively while maintaining positive working relationships.

76% of employees who experienced empathy from their leaders reported they were engaged in the workplace.

3. Enhance customer service

Emotional intelligence is valuable in customer service and sales roles. Employees with high emotional quotients understand and empathize with customer emotions and requirements, ensuring better customer satisfaction and retention. 

EQ is a great way to build rapport, trust, and genuine persuasion during sales interactions. High EQ among customer service employees leads to positive customer interactions. 

Happy customers are more loyal to a brand and are more likely to refer it to others. This will boost the morale of customer support agents with positive customer service skills.

4. High impact leadership 

61% of employees said they could be more innovative if their leaders were high on EQ. Leaders with high EI can empathize with their team’s emotions and understand their perspective better. This forces employees to perform at their best, hence enhancing productivity.

Leaders with high EQ instill confidence in their team, allowing them to communicate effectively, inspire, and create a supportive work environment. 

Such leaders are better at resolving conflicts, providing constructive feedback, and building cohesive teams.

“More than half of the battle is for leadership to understand the importance of emotional intelligence. “  

 ~ CX leader, Michael Mattson

5. Effective communication

Emotional intelligence enhances communication skills. Since they are already well aware of their emotions, employees or leaders are in a better position to express themselves clearly and understand nonverbal cues. 

Emotional intelligence facilitates meaningful communication with different audiences (colleagues, customers, leaders, or stakeholders).

Snarky emails and passive-aggressive comments are not solutions in an emotionally intelligent workplace. High-EQ employees will think about the issue first and craft healthy responses rather than vent their frustrations uncontrolled. 

“Employees make little mistakes, and it's not the end of the world. However, if you punish mistakes—and we see this all the time—leaders create an environment where mistakes are not okay. Guess what? Mistakes are still being made, they're just not being communicated, and so now you can't do anything to mitigate those mistakes or risks.”

 ~ CX leader, Michael Mattson 

Decoding the Organizational Emotional Intelligence (OEI) Framework

The Organizational Emotional Intelligence (OEI) Framework is an approach that integrates emotional intelligence into every facet of an organization. The framework covers the foundational elements such as culture, leadership, communication, employee development, decision-making, policies, and continuous improvement strategies necessary to cultivate a thriving, emotionally intelligent workplace.

A robust OEI framework can help organizations create an environment that enhances employee satisfaction and productivity and drives overall organizational success.

Organizational foundation

• The organization's vision and mission statements should reflect a commitment to emotional intelligence and highlight its importance. The core values should emphasize empathy, emotional awareness, and respect
• Emotional intelligence must guide the organization's strategic direction, ensuring that decisions and actions align with EI principles

Culture of Emotional Intelligence

• Promote a workplace culture where emotional awareness, empathy, respect, and inclusivity are valued and encouraged
• Develop a psychologically safe environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their feelings and ideas without fear of retribution or judgment

Emotionally intelligent leadership

• Leaders should exhibit high levels of emotional intelligence in their actions and decision-making processes, setting a positive example for their teams
• Encourage leaders to empathize with their employees and provide support to foster a positive and productive work environment

Effective communication

• Foster a culture of open, transparent, and honest communication throughout the organization
• Promote active listening, constructive feedback, and respectful dialogue to enhance employee understanding and collaboration

Employee growth and development

• Provide staff training and development opportunities to help employees enhance their emotional intelligence skills
• Offer coaching, mentoring, and personal growth initiatives to support employees' ongoing development

Emotionally intelligent decision-making

• Integrate emotional considerations and empathy into the decision-making process
• Encourage collaborative decision-making that accounts for the emotional impact on employees and other stakeholders

Supportive policies and practices

• Implement policies that prioritize employee well-being, work-life balance, and mental health support
• Foster initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to create a highly emotionally intelligent and inclusive workplace

Continuous assessment and improvement

• Conduct employee surveys and assessments and gather feedback to evaluate the organization's emotional intelligence
• Use insights from assessments to identify areas for improvement and build action plans to enhance the organization's emotional intelligence over time

How Can We Measure and Improve Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in the Workplace?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) isn't a single, measurable, or quantifiable metric. To properly measure EQ and make improvements we need to look at our organization holistically:

Tools and Methods for Assessing EQ:

1. Self-Assessments and 360-Degree Feedback: Valuable for individual reflection and gathering diverse perspectives on one's emotional intelligence.
2. Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI): Developed by Daniel Goleman, this tool evaluates EQ across five key pillars: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.
3. Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT): Offers an objective assessment of emotional abilities through problem-solving and emotional tasks.
4. Behavioral Event Interviews (BEI):  Insights into real-world EQ application by examining past experiences where emotional intelligence played a role.

Metrics for Measuring EQ Impact:

Identifying the right metrics is key to understanding how EQ influences your organization. Consider tracking factors such as:

• Employee Engagement: Correlating EQ levels with engagement surveys can reveal how EQ impacts job satisfaction and commitment.
• Team Performance: Assessing whether teams with higher collective EQ tend to be more collaborative and productive.
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Examining the relationship between employee EQ and customer satisfaction scores.
• Leadership Effectiveness: Evaluating how EQ levels in leadership roles influence team morale and overall company performance.

Tailored Tools for Contact Centers:

Some of the top customer service leaders in call center's also use these specialized tools to provide additional EQ insights:

• Coaching Effectiveness Assessment: This assessment helps to gauge the impact of coaching on agents' EQ and performance.
• AmplifAI's Coaching Effectiveness Index: This index measures the coaching effectiveness of your team leaders and can be used as gauge of their overall EQ in coaching sessions. Offering a deeper understanding of coaching styles and their influence on agent performance and EQ development.

By combining these assessment methods with their relevant metrics, you can measure the overall emotional intelligence of your organization and make informed decisions to improve EQ and reap the benefits we've discussed in this article.

EQ in Your HQ: Webinar Replay

Did you miss the live version of the EQ in Your HQ Webinar?  

You can still watch the replay below and learn some great strategies for improving emotional intelligence in your workplace.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a powerful catalyst for positive change in the workplace. By fostering self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and strong social skills, you can cultivate a high performing call center environment that delivers exceptional customer experiences.

AmplifAI's call center performance management software gives you the tools to harness this potential, helping you to accurately measure your team's EQ, track progress over time, and deliver targeted coaching to elevate emotional intelligence across your entire organization.

Ready to cultivate a more emotionally intelligent and high-performing call center?