How “intelligent” are the managers that you hire?

Emotional Intelligence AND THE INNOVATIVE WORKPLACE......

For a workplace to be innovative, there needs to be a supported, open exchange of ideas among employees at all levels. Talent needs to be inspired and supported so they can develop new solutions to existing problems through ideas for process and product innovation, and a manager who has developed his or her own self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation and empathy will be best suited to encourage and support innovative teams. In other words, emotional intelligence (or EQ) plays an integral role in the innovative workplace.

Let’s say one of the employees I manage comes to me with a new idea on how we can overcome a challenge that’s been keeping us from achieving one of our goals. What she doesn’t know is that just prior to her popping into my office and asking if she can tell me about her idea, I was on a phone call that has affected me, altering my usual state, and I’m going to have a difficult time giving her the attention needed to support her and foster a workplace of innovation. Whether or not I possess high or low EQ will have a lasting effect on my team and our workplace.

Manager with Low Emotional Intelligence...

If I had low Emotional Intelligence, I might tell my employee, “Sure, come in” and let her talk about her idea. I might listen to her, give some quick feedback, but then never follow up and do anything with her idea. Whatever I experienced prior to our quick meeting has distracted me from the rest of my work, and I’m not able to give the proper attention to an innovative approach to our business. Just as soon as my employee leaves, I’ve forgotten about the interaction. What I’ll do is teach my employee not to waste her time focusing on new ideas to solve company challenges because if she brings those ideas to me, I won’t do anything with them. Co-workers who heard her idea might ask about it, and then they learn their voice won’t be valued either.

Manager with High Emotional Intelligence.,...

If I had high  Emotional Intelligence I’d still be affected by that phone call. Having high Emotional Intelligence doesn’t make me impervious to emotional chaos, but it does mean I possess self-awareness and can recognize that I’m not in the best state to receive creative, innovative ideas from my staff. With high Emotional Intelligence I might tell my employee, “Now’s not really a good time, but I’m extremely interested in hearing your idea … let’s look at our calendars and block out some time to talk.” After making arrangements to regroup the following day, she leaves my office understanding that maybe I’m not having a great day, but that I value her opinion and her time enough to make concrete plans on revisiting her idea.

What if that one employee’s idea sparked a bigger conversation about a growth-hindering issue for the company? What if by taking the time to encourage collaborative thinking among all staff we developed a culture of innovation that moved us closer and closer to achieving our strategic goals? Now, what if managers’ lack of emotional intelligence not only prevented this from happening, but also sent it spiraling downward, furthering a culture of disengagement that resulted in the loss of high potential employees and missed opportunities? With over 70% of the top issues in the workplace tied to leadership, it’s no surprise that organizations are looking for the cutting edge science of Emotional Intelligence assessment as part of their due dilligence PRIOR to making their hire decision.

To learn more about emotional intelligence assessments call: Chris Wilkinson, Business Pilot @ (905) 275-2907.

Chris Wilkinson.

Certified Business Behaviour & Attitudes Analyst.

Business Coach.

Tel: (905) 275-2907 (Mississauga).

E-mail: buspilot@bell.net