The work environment has radically changed and new approaches are needed to management. Robin Hills explains the value and benefits of taking a fresh look at management style.
Responses to the pandemic upended some long-standing employment certainties, especially around what constitutes a workplace. Hybrid and remote working not only fragmented the workforce for a wide range of industries, it also extended lines of communication and reduced face-to-face interactions.
This new employment paradigm has worked well for many employees and employers, alike. The shift in integrating work into other aspects of life and the flexibility it delivers has benefited staff, while the ability to reduce office space has helped a lot of employers reduce their overheads.
But it’s not all been plain sailing. Hybrid working has also created problems, especially around individual and team engagement.
A crisis of engagement
According to recent research carried out by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, employees in the UK are experiencing a “disengagement crisis”. Almost half of the respondents said their workplace had become unrecognisable in the past 12 months, with high staff turnover (54%), fewer people working from the office (49%) and a decline in social activity (43%) being cited as top reasons.
The hybrid work model has pushed organisations worldwide to reinvent how they engage with staff”
The hybrid work model has pushed organisations worldwide to reinvent how they engage with staff. With changing expectations around workplace relationships, especially among younger and newer employees, it is clear that an evolution in management approaches and company cultures is desperately needed.
As a result, there’s been a renewed focus on emotional intelligence.
A driver of performance
Emotional intelligence isn’t a new concept but perception around its value in the workplace is starting to change. People are now realising that emotions fundamentally underpin everything that we do. We engage with other people through emotions, in both personal and professional scenarios. We make decisions based on our emotions. We learn because of emotions. Emotions drive our motivation.
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Which brings us to the big question: how do we leverage our emotions to work positively with other people? The answer might initially seem simple. It’s all about expressing emotions, but – and here’s the tricky part – it’s about doing it in an appropriate way; in a manner that helps to build relationships and encourages people to better engage and influence those around them. What some people wrongly assume is that it’s all about being kind and nice. It’s not; it’s about assertively and sensitively articulating our point of view in a way that encourages further dialogue and collaboration between both parties involved.
It’s worth pointing out that in a hybrid environment, digital communication tools such as instant messaging and email play a major role. These online forms of communication can create problems and have unexpected consequences. For example, someone’s emotional state when writing or reading an email can affect the way in which they phrase or interpret it. A key part of emotional intelligence is moderating yourself and controlling your impulses.
A simple way to combat any issues via email communication is to pause, consider what you’ve written or read and then respond, taking time to consider its intentions and consequences. A short email read by someone under pressure might be construed as terse or hostile, while if they’re feeling happy they might interpret it in a different way.
It’s therefore worth thinking about the recipient’s frame of mind as well as your own. In today’s era, digital platforms allow us to connect more frequently so learning how to communicate positively and effectively through all verbal, written, and visual channels, implementing emotional intelligence, is key to a successful work life.
Opportunities to learn
It is important to stress that emotional intelligence can’t be developed just by taking a course, whether it’s online or in a classroom. People can learn about emotional intelligence, but they must take away what they’ve learned and put it into practice daily – working with different people and trying out new behaviours and ways of communicating to find which characteristics work best for the individual, for it to be effective.
Emotional intelligence is a power skill that can positively impact each employee’s growth regardless of specialty, industry or role”
For example, all my courses on Udemy contain a series of practical activities that can be completed as a key part of the course. These range from scored personality questionnaires to guided activities in the workplace. Most courses have an activity that encourages learners to score themselves on some competencies relevant to that course and then to get some feedback.
Simply watching a few videos doesn’t work; it’s the worksheets, quizzes and case studies that will help people to really absorb and nurture their emotional intelligence skills.
Choosing the right coach
A lot of good emotionally intelligent leaders go through training and will be looking to continually develop, change and grow. I’ve had conversations with senior leaders at enterprises who are encouraging entire teams to take Udemy Business courses that provide personalised and flexible learning opportunities, after finding the courses have been beneficial to them personally.
Along with technical skills, organisations today must also focus on continually building their teams’ power skills related to leadership and communication. Emotional intelligence is a power skill that can positively impact each employee’s growth regardless of specialty, industry or role.
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The common denominator between any business or industry – the thing that makes every one of them work – is the people. If we can look at how we can get these people to better work together we can improve their performance. Emotional intelligence is an important key to optimising that potential.
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