It is obvious why having technical and business skills is crucial in today’s modern workplace. For instance, both of these qualities are necessary for roles in sales and marketing, IT, human resources, and finance. However, emotional intelligence is frequently a quality that is disregarded.
Our capacity to recognise and manage our own emotional states while also being aware of the emotional states of those around us is known as emotional intelligence (EQ). It all comes down to awareness!
Unfortunately, not every worker is adept at handling emotions. The good news is that emotional intelligence is something that can be taught!
Emotional intelligence is something companies look for when hiring new employees. Many companies are also investing in and teaching emotional intelligence to help their existing employees grow.
In this session, we will explore why emotional intelligence training is vital to company success and the major benefits of investing in EQ training for your employees. We’ll also explore how to get buy-in from stakeholders and some of the challenges to convincing people of the value of this training.
Finally, we’ll provide some ideas for conducting EQ training, discuss the use of EQ assessments, and provide some links to tools and resources to get you started.
Table of Contents
- Why is EQ training good for employees?
- Business benefits of emotional intelligence training
- Reduces stress
- Assists staff to advance to the next level
- Assists employees in overcoming their fears, apprehensions, and insecurities
- Teaches staff how to react to constructive criticism
- Enhances communication skills
- Increases tolerance for frustration
- Improves social skills
- Teaches staff how to spot potential risks to their mental health
- Fosters a positive environment
- Shows staff their limitations
- Assist staff in adjusting to change and uncertainty
- Enhances sense of responsibility
- Improves leadership
- Increases team or group cohesion
- Enhances customer service
- Building your emotional intelligence training programme
- Useful resources and links
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Why is EQ training good for employees?
Emotional intelligence training for employees builds the necessary skills to succeed in business. This type of training programme should focus on awareness, control, social, and relationship skills. Some people have natural emotional intelligence, but most need help. Emotional intelligence training is vital to any company’s L&D strategy.
Business benefits of emotional intelligence training
Emotional intelligence predicts job performance from leaders to frontline workers (particularly in jobs with high levels of interpersonal contact). It boosts job satisfaction and reduces burnout. Emotional intelligence improves collaboration and relationships (either between management and employees or between colleagues). As workplace diversity rises, it’s crucial.
Employees and managers should learn to manage their own and others’ emotions. Emotionally intelligent employees will ensure the organisation operates effectively and efficiently and follows standards. However, sometimes it takes a bit of convincing for managers and employees to embrace emotional intelligence training.
One of the best ways is to state some of the major business benefits of emotional intelligence training:
Reduces stress
High-EQ employees can manage their reactions to others’ emotions, recognise and control their own negative feelings, take responsibility for their reactions, and manage their expectations. Emotional intelligence training helps teams work under stress.
Assists staff to advance to the next level
Emotional intelligence training helps employees develop leadership and character skills. That means staying calm under pressure, being considerate of irate customers and employees, and approaching problems methodically. A team member who has reached their peak can become a leader with the right training.
Assists employees in overcoming their fears, apprehensions, and insecurities
Have you ever had the impression that some members of your team had trouble moving past setbacks or disappointments? If so, employing emotional intelligence training can give them the skills they need to become more resilient and advance in a positive manner.
Teaches staff how to react to constructive criticism
Your team will avoid acting and speaking defensively with emotional intelligence training. They’ll recognise and be able to control negative emotions.
Enhances communication skills
Instead of expressing their (usually negative) emotions, your team will learn to recognise them, take responsibility for them, and communicate what they need.
Increases tolerance for frustration
Emotional intelligence training helps employees deal with frustrations. This results in better employee interactions and customer service.
Improves social skills
During the pandemic and more recently, employees spent less time talking to each other because there were more teams that worked from home. With the workforce spread out around the world and fewer face-to-face meetings, that can hurt employees’ ability to get along with other people. With training in emotional intelligence, teams will have some tools to help them get along in social situations.
Teaches staff how to spot potential risks to their mental health
Emotional intelligence at work is not just something that employees need to learn. It should also be required of those in charge. These courses can teach leaders how to spot signs that an employee or even an entire team is having trouble, such as negative emotions, poor coping skills, and other signs.
Fosters a positive environment
During emotional intelligence training, one of the things people learn is how to be aware. In particular, they learn that if they don’t control their emotions, they can hurt other people. Also, they will learn to recognise times when they can be good role models.
Shows staff their limitations
Emotional intelligence training doesn’t eliminate negative emotions. It provides tools and techniques for coping. This training helps employees recognise their feelings and limits. Then they can plan their interactions and activities with others.
Assist staff in adjusting to change and uncertainty
If employees have been properly trained, they can accept change, figure out the best way to respond to it, and make changes that are good for the business.
Enhances sense of responsibility
High-EQ employees can own their mistakes. When they fail, they can control their emotions and focus on problem-solving.
Improves leadership
Team managers can draw intelligent conclusions when they use EQ to understand employee emotions and responses. They can identify each team member’s motivators and demotivators. This helps identify ways to boost employee engagement and productivity.
Increases team or group cohesion
By fostering a sense of empathy among team members and ensuring that they are aware of each other’s issues, emotional intelligence training can provide teams with the foundation they need to work together productively. It enables the team to give collaboration and communication top priority.
Enhances customer service
An employee who has received EQ training will be able to: identify and manage their own negative emotions; demonstrate empathy for the customer; work towards a solution without letting their emotions get in the way; and cultivate intelligence over emotions. Even the ability to turn negative interactions into positive ones can be learned with the help of emotional intelligence.
Building your emotional intelligence training programme
So, now you know why emotional intelligence training is vital to company success and the major benefits of investing in EQ training for your employees. We’ve also explored how to get buy-in from stakeholders and some of the challenges to convincing people of the value of this training.
In this section, we’ll provide some ideas for conducting EQ training, discuss the use of EQ assessments, and provide some links to resources to get you started.
Use blended learning
Blended learning is the most effective method for emotional intelligence training. During classroom instruction, participants can act out role plays, have discussions, and interpret scenarios using feedback. Participants will comprehend the material better if the learning materials that were covered in person are reinforced online using a learning management system (LMS). You ought to be able to track training metrics for live webinars and in-person training sessions in addition to the efficiency of online training with the appropriate LMS. You must include emotional intelligence training in your training schedule, which should be carried out and completed every three months.
Include tests and quizzes
Learners can better understand a lesson’s key concepts by using online tests and quizzes. Additionally, it keeps students more engaged and enhances the training course experience for their training programme. When creating online tests and quizzes, trainers frequently use a variety of question types, including multiple-choice, true or false, and matching tests. As a result, the course is more engaging, and the subject matter doesn’t get too dry.
Try It Out in Real Life
After the training is over, having your students practise in their regular environments is a simple way to get them to use their EQ skills.
Useful resources and links
Psychology Today
146 questions, free
It takes about 45 minutes to complete.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/tests/personality/emotional-intelligence-test
Mind Tools
15 questions, free
Institute for Health and Human Potential
17 questions, free
FAQs
Q1: How long should an EQ training programme be?
Most EQ training programmes are 8–12 hours in total, spread out over several sessions. This allows time to absorb lessons, practise skills between sessions, and assess growth. Ongoing refresher training every 3–6 months helps maintain skills.
Q2: What are some examples of EQ assessments?
Three common online assessments mentioned are the Psychology Today EQ test (145 questions), the Mind Tools EQ test (15 questions), and the IHHP EQ test (17 questions). These evaluate self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management skills.
Q3: How can I get buy-in from management for EQ training?
Highlight business benefits like better decision-making, productivity, customer service, and retention. Provide research showing ROI. Offer a pilot programme and evaluate its impact. Emphasise that EQ is a learned skill, not inherent. Relate training to organisational values.
Q4: What if employees are resistant to EQ training?
Address your concerns respectfully. Explain that training helps professional growth, not evaluation. Lead by example in meetings. Make it relevant to the roles. Emphasise learning versus testing. Give employees agency in shaping the curriculum. Celebrate wins openly to build enthusiasm.
Q5: How do I ensure EQ skills are used after training?
Provide managers with tools to give constructive feedback and coach skills. Send periodic reminders about lessons. Highlight how colleagues apply skills successfully. Recognise and reward improved behaviours. Incorporate EQ competencies into performance reviews to make skills part of regular conversations.
Conclusion
Emotional intelligence is something companies look for when hiring new employees. Many companies are also investing in and teaching emotional intelligence to help their existing employees grow.
This training should focus on awareness, control, social, and relationship skills. It’s vital to any company’s L&D strategy.
Emotional intelligence training helps employees develop leadership and character skills.
A team member who has reached their peak can become a leader with the right training.
Training should also be required of those in charge, so leaders can spot signs that an employee or entire team is having trouble.
High-EQ employees can own their mistakes and focus on problem-solving.
Team managers can draw intelligent conclusions when they use EQ to understand employee emotions.
The ability to turn negative interactions into positive ones can be learned with the help of emotional intelligence training for employees.
You must include emotional intelligence training in your training schedule, which should be carried out every three months.
Participants can better understand a lesson’s key concepts by using online tests and quizzes.
You ought to be able to track training metrics for live webinars and in-person training sessions.
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