Getting to know people is an extremely difficult task. There are so many intricacies and traits for every individual that we’ll probably never see two people that are exactly alike.
Simple triggers can make someone angry, joyous, sad, or happy. We also cognitively develop triggers over time that allow us to feel a certain way during certain events. Example: you know when to laugh at a joke, you know that when it’s 5 pm on a Friday, you get excited.
All these emotions and triggers are what make us unique, but it’s also what makes being a leader or a (good) manager so damn hard.
A true leader must have enough emotional intelligence to gain an understanding of the people that are following their lead.
Unfortunately, some employees believe their bosses are not only bad but so terrible that they cause employees to feel disengaged at work. A problem that is costing the US workforce over $400 Billion in lost productivity per year.
Quite frankly, if management is not doing their job in leading, it’s certainly because they lack the emotional intelligence to motivate and trigger their employees and push them to prominence.
What Happens When Managers Lack Empathy
One of the worst parts about managers lacking empathy or emotional intelligence is the fact that they don’t know it. It’s a narcissistic behavioural pattern that doesn’t allow them to see past their own biases and beliefs.
Managers that lack empathy will not only discourage the people around them but make life a living hell for an employee that just wants to keep on advancing and producing. Employees with bad bosses hate a lot about their managers, but not considering the feelings of the people that are working their hinds off is a no-go for any organization.
There are plenty of styles and different ways to lead, and having a “leader” with narcissistic values that don’t get the concept of working as a team will always lower the productivity of a team. Make sure you get an accurate psychometric assessment that will let you know if an employee is a good fit for your organization. Not everyone is cut out to be a leader, and having the wrong candidate for an important position can mess up the culture at your office.
How To Develop Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is something that is usually inherited as opposed to teaching. The kinds of characters that lack empathy and emotional intelligence lack one other thing, patience. If you or someone you know is trying to develop emotional intelligence, the best way to go about it is to take things one step at a time. Slow down and acknowledge what is happening.
It doesn’t necessarily mean to over-analyze every action, facial expression, or look at what the goal is for the future and why it hasn’t been met yet. Slow it down. Take a breath and look around.
Get to know the people around you and gain an understanding of what’s going on and why people react to things in a certain way. The more you get to know about the people around you, the more you’ll get to see what are their true motives and how they can be better. People that are emotionally intelligent are motivators. Whereas those who aren’t tend to be demotivators.
At the end of the day, it depends on whether or not the person truly wants to change some of their bad habits and become a good leader. The attitude of the office will always reflect the leadership, so whether you’re the CEO or HR manager, get a feel for the employees and hear them out. It will only be good for your organization as a whole.
DCM's Emotional Intelligence for Managers workshop
Become more self-aware of your emotions and learn how to interpret others. Managing reactions of others in the workplace effectively is important to the success of the team. Being able to interpret other emotions is what sets a leader apart from a manager. The skills to identify emotional triggers are key to emotional intelligence.
The workshop is highly participative and will focus on providing an opportunity for participants to practise the skills needed to gain better emotional intelligence.
If you have any questions about this course, please feel free to contact one of our team today.
Source: Atmanco
