What do you do if your nonprofit team lacks emotional intelligence?

Teach them!! Irrespective of the profit situation..... any business working in teams will benefit from learning how to be more EI. This will boost innovation, collaboration, trust, team work and results. 1st look at what problems this is causing. Decide if the problem requires an intervention. Explain the problems you are observing and how you would like to help overcome them and talk about the benefits of doing this for the individuals and the organization. Step 1 Assessments - 360 EI behavioural assessments are the best. Step 2 Training and development - either as a group or 1:1 coaching depending on the level of the individuals involved.

Evaluating the way you react to certain situations so that you can better lead by example is crucial. This is true in any organization. If you can recognize your triggers, you can manage them more effectively. Making EI part of your learning and development in your organization could make a huge difference in the company culture. Also allowing your team members to express ideas and frustrations with out fear of retaliation goes a long way. Some of my most productive one on one conversations have been an open forum for ideas and professional development. It helps your team to feel supported, which allows for better emotional intelligence overall.

If a team member lacks emotional intelligence the first thing to try to understand is if it is a temporary problem or a more permanent one. Early career team members may need mentoring on hard skills, critical thinking, as well as soft skills like emotional intelligence. If someone is more fixed in their ways and less able to adapt and grow in this regard, then it's important to accept this rather than expect them to change out of sheer hope--they may not have the ability. Instead, consider how that team member can contribute to the team in ways that play to their strengths. If emotional intelligence is not a strength for a particular person, try to put them in a role for which this skill is not central to the success of the project.

Before jumping to teach them I would assess their context and my judgement why this premise of ‘lacking emotional intelligence’ This will help in a fair assessment of the situation before any intervention or teaching is planned.

For the times when we have visited communities or did any particular community outreach, I would always share with our team that they need to feel the power of what we see. For example, if we are visiting a seniors home, can we feel the loneliness? If we are visiting a school for the blind. Can we feel the challenges that those children would have because of their visual impairment? So, to get the emotional fluids flowing within us, we first need to be understanding and empathetic and put ourselves in the others’ shoes. In short, it is about being human first, then the connections will automatically happen.

Sharing personal challenges and how you've managed them can inspire your team, showing that understanding and managing emotions are valued skills within the organization.

Workplace Trauma is often overlooked and rarely addressed. It's important to recognize that we show up to our jobs with attitudes and behaviors shaped by former employers and the industry environment. I encourage leaders and organizations to address this by incorporating human-centered, restorative processes which help increase the protective factors and resilience.

To cultivate a culture of Emotional Intelligence you should lead by example. As a leader model the behaviour and values you desire to nurture in your team. Foster positive and supportive environment where all voices are heard, valued, and respected. Exhibit understanding, compassion, and empathy in your interactions. Demonstrate composure, resilience and patience even during challenging and stressful situations. Resolve conflicts in an amicable manner. Be liberal with appreciation and compliments, as it will keep your team motivated. Admit mistakes openly and seek feedback, as your team is bound to emulate. Serve as a role model, if you want your teammates to develop EI. More than your words, your actions will inspire the team.

Actions speak louder than words. Demonstrate active listening by giving your team your full attention and avoiding distractions. Celebrate successes big and small, recognizing achievements and the effort and dedication behind them. When delivering constructive criticism, frame it with empathy and offer solutions. By consistently embodying these behaviors, you become a role model for the team, inspiring them to integrate EI practices into their daily interactions.

EI training is essential for the growth of your team. It’s needed to nurture powerful conversations, team building, and leadership. When you have an EI organization so much gets done and your customers will appreciate and feel it.

El Coaching es esencial en estos casos. En ocasiones se nos presentarán grandes desafios que necesitarán que estemos lo mejor preparados posible. Todo lo que se pueda entrenar y toda capacitación es clave para prepararse para esos duros momentos.

Knowledge is power! Invest in your team's growth by providing access to workshops or online courses on emotional intelligence. These resources can equip your team with the tools to understand and manage their emotions. They'll learn to recognize emotional cues in others, build stronger relationships with colleagues and beneficiaries, and navigate challenging situations with grace and composure. Consider incorporating EI training into onboarding processes or professional development programs to make it an ongoing focus for your team.

I have had success helping coaching clients strengthen their emotional intelligence through the use of the EQi-2.0, a research validated, assessment that examines several behaviors, traits and skills critical to EI. The tool is available both as a self-assessment and a 360° feedback assessment and is useful for coaching individuals and teams. The EQi-2.0 also provides research-based developmental resources and tools. Using an action research approach, feedback from the assessment results is provided to the team for goal setting, development planning, action implementation, coaching, accountability and evaluation. Evaluation results then serve as new assessment data for a cyclical process that drives continuous improvement and results.

Feedback is one of most powerful learning techniques. Using tools, like the ones already suggested can be valuable in starting the conversation but it’s the connection and content that makes feedback so valuable. Providing each other with true, honest and forward feedback helps everyone grow. Make sure that there’s trust and safety in the relationship before you start, set great ground rules so everyone knows how to engage and the. Be as detailed and descriptive as possible to make sure the feedback is really impactful.

My experience is that not everyone knows how to do things properly. When that happens it’s a teaching moment- not a diatribe demeaning them. But again, empathy and sympathy are not that easy to teach.

Start with supporting self awareness development by creating a culture of coaching conversations and reflective practice. Embedding habits of self reflection will result in leaps in EI within the team in a short space of time.

Teamwork makes the dream work, especially when it comes to emotional intelligence. Structure group activities that encourage active listening, problem-solving with empathy, and celebrating diverse perspectives. Consider role-playing scenarios where team members have to navigate emotionally charged situations. By working together on these exercises, your team will learn from one another's strengths and weaknesses, build trust through open communication, and develop a deeper understanding of how emotions can impact group dynamics.

We all have various emotions. The ability to be aware of our tgoughts and actions as a result of them is a life skill that is practiced every day. We go to a gym to build our physical muscles. Why would our emotional muscles be any different? They are not. M

I personally believe that fostering EI in a non-profit organisation necessitates prioritizing self-care & mindfulness. Amid the demands of serving others, own well-being gets neglected. Encouraging self-care involves recognizing one’s personal needs & seeking support when necessary. Mindfulness practices, like meditation & deep breathing, enhance self-awareness & stress mgmt. By integrating these into non-profits culture, it signals the importance of individual well-being. Resources & open dialogue about mental health further reinforce these values. As we prioritise what’s within our control, we become role models, thus stressing the importance of self-care & mindfulness in achieving sustainable impact & fostering emotional resilience.

In my experience modeling self care is an effective way to encourage use of emotional intelligence. Show the team how to step back from an emotionally charged situation and evaluate what it triggered for them personally. What were physical cues for them (headache, stomachache, blurred vision, or other symptoms)? Taking time to care for self will increase the likelihood of caring for others in a healthy manner.

Non profits exist for a purpose and the connect to the big picture in terms of how they are making a difference to society is where the emotional quotient can be tapped into. What happens when you don’t deliver to donor expectations? What happens when you fall short on commitments to the cause ? When people connect at that level , the head and heart are engaged and it becomes a good starting point for growing empathy and emotional connection

Start a resource library - a “shared drive” of articles, ted talks, You Tuve videos, books, etc. Create an ongoing resource for all of your employees. For Supervisors, Managers and “wannabes” read and review a certain number of these resources in a particular order before you are promoted. Case Studies and their resolution is the most advance - what if, how about scenarios showing a lack of EI and what to do about it. We are facilitating this with many of our clients.

First and foremost, define what EI traits are important to your organization. The traits for senior leaders may be a super set of what the organization's employees generally need to demonstrate. For example, being an organization builder who nurtures a culture is more a senior leadership trait. Secondly, make this Traits assessment an integral part of your talent acquisition and talent management processes. Introduce Behavioural events interviewing skills so that you recruit not only for functional skills. Lastly, back these with a robust talent development process that helps build the EI Traits, helping convert Strengths to super Strengths and improving showstopper limitations to threshold levels.

When discussing non-profit organizations, a great percentage of the people working in this field are doing so because they believe in the mission of helping others. As the leader, you can tap into that innate sense of mission. You can help your team to connect the effectiveness of their ability to achieve that mission with their development of their EI skills. The method of delivery is less important than succeeding in getting the team to center their desire to help those the non-profit is designed to assist. Helping the team to be both self-aware AND socially aware through exercises illuminating the good they are delivering for their constituents, can unlock the EI of your entire team.

Integrating emotional intelligence into organizational values and practices can transform the workplace culture. Consider how each team member's unique emotional strengths can contribute to achieving the nonprofit's goals, and recognize those who exemplify emotional intelligence in their work. This holistic approach not only improves individual well-being but also enhances collective performance and impact.