What do you do if your team is experiencing conflicts due to emotional intelligence differences?

2 Understand your team's EI

The next step is to understand the EI of your team members and how they interact with each other. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, observations, or feedback sessions, to gather information about their emotional preferences, styles, and needs. For example, you can ask them how they prefer to communicate, how they handle conflict, how they respond to change, or how they deal with pressure. You can also observe how they express their emotions, how they listen and respond to others, or how they collaborate and solve problems.

3 Adapt your communication and leadership style

Once you have a clear picture of your own and your team's EI, you can adapt your communication and leadership style accordingly. You can use different strategies, such as active listening, paraphrasing, mirroring, or asking open-ended questions, to establish rapport and trust with your team members. You can also tailor your feedback, recognition, and coaching to their emotional needs and preferences. For example, some people may appreciate more praise and encouragement, while others may prefer more constructive and specific feedback.

4 Manage and resolve conflicts

Conflicts are inevitable in any team, especially when there are EI differences. However, you can manage and resolve them effectively by applying some EI skills, such as self-awareness, self-control, empathy, and assertiveness. You can use a conflict resolution model, such as the Interest-Based Relational Approach (IBRA), to guide you through the process. The IBRA involves four steps: setting the scene, gathering information, agreeing on the problem, and brainstorming solutions. The key is to focus on the underlying interests and needs of the parties involved, rather than on their positions or emotions.

5 Develop your team's EI

Finally, you can help your team develop their EI by providing them with opportunities and resources to learn and practice new skills. You can create a learning culture in your team, where EI is valued and rewarded. You can also offer training, mentoring, or coaching programs to enhance your team's EI competencies. You can also encourage peer feedback, reflection, and support among your team members. By doing so, you can foster a more emotionally intelligent, cohesive, and high-performing team.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?