Emotional intelligence in organizations

Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage one's emotions and recognize 

How can organizations improve emotional intelligence?

• Assess organizational barriers that impact or impede the application of emotional intelligence, like: 
  
  • Organizational culture that creates pressure and incivility
  • Unreasonable or unclear expectations
  • Unfair or inequitable treatment of employees
  • Lack of effective training or resources
• Embed emotional intelligence in your leadership training, coaching and mentorship.
• Encourage all employees to take the Emotional intelligence self-assessment.
• Once they have their results, ask employees what resources or training they may need to improve their emotional intelligence.
• Use Team building activities that enhance emotional intelligence and resilience.
• Evaluate outcomes and reassess every year for continual improvement.

More strategies and tips

The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) developed the following strategies for continual improvement of emotional intelligence: 

• Benchmark the core competencies of emotional intelligence as demonstrated by your best leaders. Examples include:
  
  • Adaptability
  • Flexibility
  • Collaboration
  • Cultural responsiveness
  • Effective communication
  • Ethical conduct or leadership
• You can then use your identified core competencies to help with hiring and promoting.
• Use behaviour-based questions in interviews that identify emotional intelligence. Take note of how applicants recognize and respond to workplace situations.
• Include competency measurements  in performance reviews that compare behaviour and corporate values. You’ll find helpful information and tools in Performance management.
• Ask employees, including leaders, to identify times when others demonstrated corporate values. Use this information to recognize successes.
• Provide education about the value and impact of emotional intelligence in the workplace. Focus on the business case for senior leadership and the personal gains for all staff. You can find more resources in Emotional intelligence for leaders.
• Support senior leadership to "walk the talk to model the expectations for interactions among employees.
• Offer opportunities for self-assessment of emotional intelligence for all staff.
• Share activities, tips and strategies for improving emotional intelligence. See Emotional intelligence for employees for a variety of free resources.

Workshop materials

Emotional intelligence workshop

This workshop helps participants:

• Understand their emotional triggers
• Explore the functions of emotions
• Reflect on when behaviours are a symptom of emotions
• Respond better to the emotions of others

Start helping yourself or others right now. Depending on your role, check out Emotional intelligence for leaders or Emotional intelligence for employees for a variety of free resources to help build emotional intelligence in your workplace.