Challenging situations are unavoidable in the workplace. From conflicts between team members to negotiations, handling such scenarios gracefully and effectively is tough but paramount for a productive business environment.
Emotional intelligence is a skill that can help you achieve this. To explain how this competency can help you thrive in the face of tumultuous circumstances, we’ll dive into:
- What emotional intelligence is
- Its key skills
- Why it’s handy in difficult workplace scenarios
- Difficult situations where emotional intelligence becomes useful
- How you can nurture an emotionally intelligent workforce
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and respond to your emotions, as well as those of others. First outlined by Daniel Goleman in his book of the same name, the concept encompasses a skill set that enables harmonious interactions, sound decision-making, and promotes overall workplace well-being. Emotional intelligence factors in how you:
- Create and resolve conflicts
- Deal with adversity
- Regulate or handle your own or others’ moods
- Give and take criticism
- Motivate yourself
This critical leadership competency is increasingly gaining prominence, with the demand for social and emotional skills forecasted to grow by 26% in the U.S. and 22% in Europe by 2030. However, actively developing emotional intelligence can be difficult, mostly because of the transient nature of its variables.
Key skills of emotional intelligence
Like other competencies, emotional intelligence consists of vital skills, all of which you can develop through time and experience. These are:
- Self-awareness: This refers to being cognizant of your own emotions, as well as how they affect your thoughts and behavior. It also involves having a grasp of your emotional strengths and weaknesses or triggers.
- Self-regulation or management: This touches on the ability to control your impulses and reactions in various situations, especially in challenging ones.
- Empathy and social awareness: This involves effectively sensing and understanding the needs, feelings, and perspectives of others, then responding with compassion. It also entails perceiving emotional and social cues and being at ease in social situations.
- Relationship management: This encompasses facets necessary for building and maintaining positive relationships, like effective communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution.
How emotional intelligence resolves difficult workplace scenarios
Learning and developing emotional intelligence skills can help you and your employees handle challenging situations productively in several ways.
Better communication and leadership
An improved understanding of employees’ emotions allows you to communicate more clearly and effectively, no matter the situation. That helps avoid workplace misunderstandings and conflicts and improves collaboration.
Emotionally intelligent leaders can also take better care of their people, as they consider their needs before making any effort to inspire or manage them. In fact, the global leadership development firm DDI ranks empathy as the number-one leadership skill, highlighting how those who possess it perform better in communication, coaching, and decision-making compared to those who don’t.
Maintain relationships
Cultivating skills that enhance empathy and social awareness can help you manage relationships better, particularly when building chemistry among individuals.
Being aware of one another’s needs not only ensures harmonious dynamics but also smoothes collaboration and creates an environment where people can nurture trust and mutual respect.
Boost organizational resilience and productivity
An environment that fosters understanding and unselfish behavior allows your collective workforce to function more effectively and efficiently, especially during major organizational developments like cultural or operational shifts. In fact, 44% of people managers say emotional intelligence is key to leading teams through times of change.
Further, the Harvard Business Review’s “The EI Advantage” found that companies that emphasized their employees’ emotional intelligence enjoy more favorable levels of productivity and engagement than those that overlook it.
Enhance employee retention and reduce turnover
Leaders who lack an understanding of personnel management and are unable to meet their teams’ needs can heavily impede engagement and company productivity.
Emotionally intelligent ones, on the other hand, are more in-tune with what keeps the workforce healthy, motivated, and committed, which results in the opposite. Engaged teams thus exhibit 24%–59% less turnover, which is why 42% of CEOs view employee retention as a benefit resulting from emphasizing empathy in their organizational values.
Nurture healthy stress management practices
Developing emotional intelligence skills entails learning:
- What types of emotions are drawn out in specific conditions
- How those emotions affect your thought processes and actions
- How one can regulate any resulting negative thinking and behaviors
Let’s say you and your colleagues have a disagreement during a meeting. Instead of lashing out when things don’t go your way, you could briefly step away to remove yourself from the situation, gather your thoughts, and then return with a more positive and professional response. You can then destress afterward.
By being aware of these causes and effects, you can take steps toward establishing more productive coping mechanisms, which are particularly useful when going through stressful circumstances.
More positive conflict resolutions
Friction is inevitable when people are pushed together in a business environment. Whether it be due to disagreements or clashing personalities, workplace conflict resolution is a necessity, and approaching it with emotional intelligence is crucial.
Doing so encourages people to settle disputes constructively, which helps minimize disruptions and promotes a positive work culture. By facilitating productive dialogue, negotiations, and compromise, any workplace disputes can be sorted out with mutual understanding and respect.
Difficult workplace scenarios and how to handle them
To give you a more concrete understanding of what we’ve discussed so far, here are some typical examples of challenging workplace situations and how you can approach them with emotional intelligence.
Scenario 1: Unwarranted criticism
Let’s say you and your team work hard on a project but, due to forces beyond your control — like project partners, timeline changes, last-minute changes, etc. — things don’t go according to plan, and results don’t meet the organization’s expectations.
If you gave that assignment your all, but a colleague criticizes your performance in front of everyone, you’d likely feel wronged. Feeling defensive or wanting to lash out are normal reactions, but in such instances, you should instead step back and recognize that the project’s outcomes may have impacted your co-worker as well.
Defuse the situation by offering to help with any added work that was created as a result of the error. If the matter needs to be brought to someone higher up, do so but try your best to clear the air and reconcile quickly.
Scenario 2: Dishonesty
If someone told you they’d turn in a project at a specific date and time, you’d generally make plans around it. But if they turn it in much later without explanation, it would result in lost time for you and, possibly, your superior.
Before immediately confronting the individual, consider what may have influenced them to fail to fulfill their promise. They simply could have forgotten, had unexpected trouble with the project, or lied about its progress.
When uncovering the truth, think about why they did it, ask for an explanation in private, then reach a resolution to be shared with everyone affected. Avoid immediately reacting with anger and instead have a truthful conversation.
Scenario 3: Arguments
Unfortunately, when co-workers argue, they may sometimes try to drag you into the fray. For example, an unfinished task is holding up a project and two team members are arguing over who’s accountable, so they ask you who was assigned to it.
Only one person can be right, but these squabbles often stem from a misunderstanding due to a lack of communication and compromise. In such situations, hang back, listen, and evaluate the perspectives of those involved. Then, ask them how they plan to work together to resolve the problem and avoid it in the future. This puts the onus on them to behave maturely and work things out while allowing you to remain a neutral party.
Scenario 4: Indifferent co-workers
Tasks falling behind schedule will cause your work to lag. If the individual responsible doesn’t seem to care, this can increase the frustration.
Similar to some of the previous examples, it’s best to start by examining why they aren’t meeting deadlines. Avoid pointing fingers at the outset and ask why they’re falling behind; it could be a result of technological delays, personal obstacles, or health problems.
Then, if possible, offer to help or assign someone to provide assistance. Get a clear picture first, then implement measures that prevent similar cases from reoccurring. For instance, clear communication and planning could avert future bottlenecks.
Scenario 5: Plagiarism
While brainstorming on a new project with colleagues, let’s say you provide your input and suggest plans of action. However, at the follow-up meeting, somebody presents your ideas as their own and steals the praise. Your co-worker may not have intended to copy your idea, but if they did, disputing their suggestions in front of everyone could come off as argumentative and demoralizing.
It may be difficult, but clarifying that those ideas were yours without completely discrediting your colleague would be the best remedy. It’ll help defuse the situation, but also make sure to invite your co-worker to a private discussion to prevent them from repeating their mistake.
Scenario 6: Organizational shifts
Technologies, industries, and leadership are constantly subject to change, particularly in dynamic business landscapes. Adapting to these forces will typically require revisions in either your processes, internal business tools, workflows, or culture, and that process fosters uncertainty and stress among employees.
They’ll raise their concerns, but their performance may decline nevertheless, and some may even consider leaving. To handle these disruptions properly, you’ll need to adopt an emotionally intelligent approach to change management, which entails the following steps.
Open communication
Uncertainty can trigger anxiety in many workers, particularly those who fear for their jobs. To assuage their worries, you must be transparent about the changes occurring in your organization. Be clear about your goals and how transitions will take place. Most importantly, reassure your people that their livelihoods aren’t in danger.
An emphasis on well-being
Change is always uncomfortable, and employees may underperform throughout transitions. Instead of pressuring them to do better, gauge their stress levels and let them work at their own pace.
If the adjustment process overwhelms them, give them some breathing room and allow them to take breaks when necessary. Also, regularly check in and see how they’re doing.
Recognition and rewards
Maintaining job satisfaction and morale can be challenging during tumultuous periods. Acknowledgement and incentives can help smooth the path forward though. Recognize and reward the efforts of employees who’ve approached any organizational changes in a stellar fashion, particularly those who’ve adapted well to the new processes or culture.
For those who are still lagging behind, meanwhile, offer them guidance and try to ease their transition.
Scenario 7: Underperforming employees
Dealing with underperforming employees is tricky since their drop in productivity can stem from various causes such as:
- Poor management
- Difficulty adapting to evolving roles
- Personal or health problems
- Workplace conflicts
- Clashes with company culture
- A lack of meaningful opportunities and recognition
Whatever the case, the above factors can greatly diminish work motivation, job satisfaction, and retention, as well as increase stress and turnover.
Scolding an underperformer is counterproductive; it won’t reveal the reasons behind their poor results and will simply add to any tension or resentment they’re feeling. Instead, it’s best to schedule a one-on-one meeting and have a meaningful conversation to uncover the underlying problem.
Once your employee voices their input, provide your own constructive feedback and take steps to address their issues. If they need guidance and support, give it. A performance improvement plan (PIP) can be of great help here.
The goal is to be truthful with one another, identify the root of the problem, make compromises, and ensure the individual can return to proper form.
Scenario 8: Negotiating with dissatisfied employees
In some cases, stellar workers may decide to leave your company. If it’s due to reasons beyond your control, such as the need to move to another city or health issues, there’s little you can do to stop them.
However, these situations also open opportunities to identify problems within your company. That’s because departures can result from issues such as:
- Dissatisfaction with compensation
- A lack of development and advancement opportunities
- Problems with management or colleagues
- Excessive workloads
- Cultural misalignments
These circumstances contribute to job dissatisfaction, so it’s your responsibility to retain skilled individuals in spite of these factors. Once they make their resignation plans clear, invite them to a personal conversation.
Find out what influenced their decision to leave and listen to their demands, then offer solutions and try to meet them halfway. Being mindful of their perspectives is key, so listen, but remember to be assertive as well. Your goal is to convince them to stay and achieve an outcome that benefits both parties.
Scenario 9: Inappropriate conduct
Employees struggle to deal with improper workplace behavior. In fact, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found only 32% of workers have personally confronted a colleague for their troubling conduct. Further, a mere 8% have left or posted an anonymous note addressing it.
Whether it be due to offensive remarks or unwelcome physical advances, employees will either settle the matter themselves or take it to HR or management.
Your role, therefore, will be to facilitate thorough investigations and hand out appropriate punishments. Gather those involved and hear each of their perspectives. Ask for evidence as well; if the purported behaviors are severe, bring in experts or the proper authorities.
Then, to prevent such incidents from recurring, establish policies that enable employees to report unethical actions immediately, then supplement it with company-wide behavioral training.
Scenario 10: Saying no
Saying no in a business environment can be difficult, especially if you want to establish good working relations and a healthy reputation. There are instances, however, when your job’s demands may become excessive.
Declining work requests (so long as it’s within reason) is a critical skill. It helps establish boundaries, limits stress, and reduces resentment. However, before turning someone down, think carefully about how you do it; you should be professional, yet thoughtful and polite.
Explain the reasoning behind your decision as well. For instance, diverting your attention from priority projects may cause them to fall behind schedule. Then, thank whoever made the request for their consideration and understanding.
How to nurture emotional intelligence in the workplace
Now that you know how to practice emotional intelligence in challenging situations, promoting it throughout your company comes next.
Offer training and development
Like other competencies, emotional intelligence can be taught and honed. So, offer workshops, seminars, and coaching sessions focused on skills such as self-awareness, empathy, communication, and conflict resolution.
With even 75% of Fortune 500 companies using emotional intelligence training tools to nurture a more capable workforce, this will prove to be a worthwhile investment.
Hold team-building activities
Emotional intelligence encompasses communication, collaboration, empathy, and building and managing relationships. To enhance these interpersonal skills, have your employees participate in activities designed to strengthen team cooperation.
Whether it be through sports and games, company outings, or simple dinners, give them opportunities to develop a sense of camaraderie and trust by having them spend more time with each other outside of work settings.
Encourage feedback
Open communication and transparency is a two-way street. Since employees have to listen to their superiors, you need to extend them the same courtesy. To do so, establish feedback mechanisms for your personnel.
Set up channels that enable individuals to share constructive criticism with colleagues for self-reflection and improvement. For instance, after mulling over past work experiences, people can openly discuss how to better approach specific situations in the future.
Continuously assess
Emotional intelligence isn’t built overnight; it’s an ongoing process that can take a long time. Throughout your efforts, encourage employees to evaluate their emotional strengths and weaknesses through self-reflection and feedback. Rather than relying on solely feedback, use various assessment tools as well.
Profiles Asia Pacific’s Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0®), for instance, measures how emotional intelligence affects others and the workplace, and its overall score is broken down into five distinct aspects. These can then be applied to efforts tailored for:
- Leadership development and selection
- Organizational development
- Executive coaching
- Team building
Create a supportive environment
To nurture an emotionally intelligent workplace, integrate it into your culture and foster a more constructive environment. For example, you can promote mindfulness exercises that empower employees to pay attention to others’ needs and manage their stress more efficiently.
Minimize workplace toxicity as well and encourage employee work-life balance. Allow them to regulate their workloads, limit their overtime hours, avoid micromanagement, and enable independence. You can even offer wellness programs like access to mental health services. The goal is to prioritize emotional intelligence and foster a healthy workplace that emphasizes worker well-being.
Wrapping up — Emotional intelligence helps you overcome workplace challenges
Resolving complex workplace dynamics and difficult situations requires a thorough understanding of others’ perspectives and needs.
By embracing emotional intelligence and developing key skills such as self-awareness, regulation, empathy, and relationship management, you can steer through challenges more smoothly. Nurture these competencies in your workforce to cultivate empathetic, resilient, and effective teams capable of taking your organization to new heights.
About the Author: rachel@profilesasiapacific.com
