How can you use EI to align your decisions with your organization's mission and vision?

Emotional intelligence is a powerful tool when it comes to aligning decisions with an organization's vision and mission. Being the Obi-Wan Kenobi of emotional intelligence, inspiring others to be their best selves isn't too difficult either. Here are some examples to munch on : 1. You master the art of reading body language like a human lie detector, & can tell when someone's not feelin' the vision. You gently nudge them in the right direction. 2. You're a pro at managing conflicts with humor, and know just when to throw in a "that's what she said" to diffuse a tense situation. 3. You're the master of self-awareness, can acknowledge when you mess up & learn from it, setting an ex for others to do the same.

The key is to work for individuals and/or organisations that align with your values. At least not for an organisation that is opposing your values. That makes it easier to live holistically and true to yourself.

I can show people what it looks like when someone cares enough about his or her self to care enough about other people. Put another way, I am able & willing to help upper management in ways that they would rarely expect by discussing ways of better understanding & managing their people. e.g. If everyone in the organization simply worked in every department for 1 month as a mandatory work training experience, everyone would benefit. I am always amazed at how fractured & dysfunctional departments truly are for no other reason than upper management does not do their part in training & developing. This, to me, is all too common & a very, very sore deficit in most organizations.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a skill that allows people to understand their own values, sympathize with others' feelings, and communicate effectively. It improves self-awareness, allowing people to express their values effectively. EI also aids in conflict resolution by allowing people to approach problems with empathy and identify solutions that benefit all parties involved. EI also encourages adaptation, allowing individuals to stay aware of shifting values while remaining aligned with the organization's mission and vision.

Most of the time it is NOT black or white, but truth and values come in different shades of grey. Try to understand why someone has made the decision like it is now. Ask, ask, ask, NOT assume. Often it is a misunderstanding, not a deliberate breach of your values.

Emotions leak and are contagious - even when you think you might be hiding or suppressing a difficult emotion, it will leak and the people around you will sense it, through your behaviour. The key to EI in your day to day work is having the discipline to manage and process your emotions. Knowing and being able to describe to yourself what you feel is the first step. Second step is to take time to process the emotion before acting. Processing means, finding the cause of the emotion, acknowledging the emotion and allowing the emotion to pass (they always do). Only then can you respond to the challenge or situation with full clarity and good judgment.

To use our emotions to our advantage, we need to identify the triggers that set them off. Here is a 4-step STAR framework I use when coaching on mastering emotions: 1. S - When feeling overwhelmed by emotions, and tempted to act irrationally, STOP. 2. T - The next step is to THINK about the impact of your actions. 3. A - ASSESS all options to ensure you have vetted all of them. 4. R- Once you have thought through all options, choose the right RESPONSE at aligns with your desired goal. Mastering our emotions is a process that takes time, but by learning to manage them, they can help us become better in our personal and professional lives.

Here are some practical ways to use EI in interactions: 1. Understand your feelings and how they influence your thoughts and behaviors. 2. Practice controlling impulsive reactions and emotional outbursts. 3. Be flexible and open to change by adjusting your emotions and behaviors as necessary in different situations. 4. Pay attention to the emotions, needs, and perspectives of others by listening attentively without judgment, and validate the emotions and concerns of others. Using emotional intelligence in your interactions with others can lead to better relationships, improved teamwork, and more successful personal and professional connections.

Managing relationships is a key competency of EI. No one person has all the knowledge or experience to go it alone for long and organisations thrive through the collective work of people working together. Take time to build and nurture relationships, understand the give and take, the perspectives and experiences of others, listen and be curious about their views and opinions and be realistic about the bumps in the road. No one is perfect, everyone can have a bad day, don't be the person who makes a fraught relationship worse.

The key is to take initiative and communicate clearly with others - share how you feel and what should be done. Then, listen to others. Again, there is no black-and-white to most issues. Define for yourself the non-negotiables of your values and where you can be more flexible.

When things do not turn out the way you would like it is an opportunity for reflection. It is an opportunity to analyze why you made the decision(s) that were not the right ones. Perhaps you made a decision because it would keep the peace rather than making a tough/unpopular decision that you knew was the right one. The key to EI is understanding yourself and what drives you, causes blindspots for you, and leveraging that knowledge to help you make better decisions in the future.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is crucial to a thriving, joyful, high-performing, and purposeful team. As leaders, it is our job to create physiological safety in our workplaces. Does every team member have a buddy in their peer group with whom they can troubleshoot? Does every team member have a mentor to whom they do not report so they can learn and grow professionally? Maslow stressed the importance of safety as a basic need. To ensure team members thrive, create and implement accessible structures and processes (e.g. buddy and mentor programs, which can be very informal!) to promote emotional safety.