22 tips for boosting Emotional Intelligence in your workplace

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has become a major buzzword for many companies who are looking to have a happier, healthier and more productive workforce. This is not without reason, as Emotional Intelligence is the strongest predictor of performance and is responsible for 58% of success in all types of jobs.

The key to creating a successful Emotional Intelligence program for your workplace is by encouraging the practice whilst keeping it fun and inspirational. Many companies struggle to keep their employees engaged in new initiatives, so be sure to keep your Emotional Intelligence program fun, try new ideas and see which initiatives your employees value the most.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled our best Emotional Intelligence tips. Some of these tips have been tried within our organisation and others have been suggested (and implemented) by our clients to motivate and inspire their team.

22 tips for your workplace

Emotional Intelligence is at the very foundation of who we are, and what we do. We feel that by creating an emotionally aware workplace culture, you can foster leadership and get your team working towards a common cause.

1. Create an Emotional Intelligence skills guide

Ask your employees to share their ideas. Take the best ones and compile them into a collection and share them around the office via email or digital download (or go a step further and get copies printed).

2. Organise a post-it note wall

Designate a wall in your office and encourage people to write down their thoughts and suggestions.

3. Open an Emotional Intelligence library

Provide your team with access to books by some of the industry’s top thinkers to keep them inspired.

“Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood.”

John Green

Productivity

4. Create flexible working hours

This may depend of the type of organisation you are, but if you can offer your staff flexible working hours then you should. Multiple studies have shown that workers who are offered flexible working hours are not happier, but are more able to make good decisions on a daily basis.

5. Encourage collaboration with shared spaces

It’s no secret that our environment shapes our actions, which is why you should encourage collaboration and communication through shared spaces in your office for teams to collaborate.

6. Set clear objectives for meetings

We’re all guilty of allowing meetings to deviate from their intended purpose, which is why setting a clear agenda is crucial for successful meetings. It’s also worth noting that setting an agenda will naturally lead to clearer communication between your team members.

Leadership

One of the best ways to implement an Emotional Intelligence strategy in your organisation is to lead by example. Learning and improving your own Emotional Intelligence can be highly valuable for leaders who are looking to improve their leadership and organisation.

7. Share your vision

Every leader is motivated by a vision that makes them strive for more and you should share this with the rest of your team to help inspire them.

8. Recognise that one size doesn’t fit all

A big part of being Emotionally Intelligent is recognising that your employees are not always rational actors when it comes to their work. When it comes to leading and inspiring your team, you should focus on what drives the individual.

9. Create an employee engagement survey

Don’t let your employees suffer in silence. Send out an engagement survey to see how people feel about the work they’re doing, the culture of the organisation and for any suggestions for improvements that they would make.

10. Be transparent with your employees

Some leaders have a tendency to keep their employees on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. This may be something of a missed opportunity to engage with your staff and improve your relationships through trust. We’re not suggesting that you open the account books to prying eyes, but keeping employees in the loop can lead to a more engaged workforce.

Development

11. Learn how to lead a younger generation

It’s become a popular stereotype to label the younger generation at technophiles with poor Emotional Intelligence, however no cliche exists in a vacuum.

Leading and inspiring multi-generational talent can be difficult, but studies have shown that the younger generation are extremely eager to learn – take advantage of this.

12. Organise skills share afternoons

In larger organisations, a disconnect can sometimes occur between different departments. One way to address this is to organise afternoon skill-sharing workshops, where a member of one team teaches another team all about a specialist subject.

13. Encourage your employees to attend networking events

We’ve all come away from networking events feeling ready to take on the world, so imagine the effect it would have if your team were attending similar events. Inform them about upcoming events of interest and encourage them to go, or even host your own.

Workplace Wellness

14. Start a healthy eating program

Multiple studies have shown that healthy eating can have tremendous benefits on your employee’s productivity. It’s an unfortunate consequence of our fast-paced lives that people tend to miss breakfast. This leads to people being unproductive in the mornings and taking an early lunch (which leads to a long afternoon).

15. Have time away from the screen

Encourage your employees to take a break away from the screen for a few minutes, helping them to recharge (though we can’t promise that they won’t look at another screen whilst taking a break).

16. Keep desks germ free

It’s no secret the sick days can disrupt your day-to-day business, which is why cleaning desks is an important way to keep employees healthy. Offer free cleaning wipes so your staff can keep their desks squeaky clean and employ a frequent cleaner.

Team Building

17. Draw each other

This suggestion is a little out there but what better way to break down communication barriers then something amusing? Plus, your team members are sure to receive a masterpiece (!) at the end.

18. Start a breakfast club

Like a certain 80’s teen movie, we’re all individuals with distinct personalities. An integral part of Emotional Intelligence is breaking down barriers to get people communicating. Why not start a breakfast club to get people communicating and starting the day right?

19. Obvious question day

Set aside a day for people to ask a question that may seems obvious to some. This can help foster interdepartmental understanding and improve overall communication and collaboration.

Reward Systems

20. Extra money (for the extra mile)

Sales teams have always been given the incentive to go the extra mile through commission schemes, but ask yourself why other members of your team don’t have similar incentives? Set each department unique goals that are rewarded if they go the extra mile for them.

21. Commute Cover

Commuting can get expensive. Try rewarding star employees by covering the cost of their commute for a month.

22. The power of a simple ‘thank you’

How often have you heard of good employees feeling undervalued because they’ve not been told ‘thank you’? Don’t fall into this trap.

Next steps

For more information on how to improve Emotional Intelligence in your workplace, download our brochure on Emotional Intelligence development programmes.

>> DOWNLOAD NOW: Perform At Your Peak: Emotional Intelligence Development Programmes for Businesses.

Alternatively, get in touch today and take your first steps towards understanding the most effective way to build an effective Emotional Intelligence training programme for your employees.