What do you do if your HR team lacks emotional intelligence for effective feedback and coaching?

1 Assess your HR team's EI

The first step is to evaluate your HR team's current level of EI and identify the gaps and strengths. You can use various tools and methods to measure EI, such as self-assessments, 360-degree feedback, behavioral interviews, or psychometric tests. The key is to be honest and objective about your HR team's EI competencies, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. You should also look for specific examples of how your HR team demonstrates or lacks EI in their feedback and coaching interactions.

2 Provide training and development

The second step is to design and implement a training and development plan to address the EI gaps and enhance the EI strengths of your HR team. You can use different formats and approaches to deliver EI training, such as workshops, webinars, e-learning, coaching, or mentoring. The content and duration of the training should be tailored to your HR team's needs and goals. The training should also include practical exercises and scenarios to help your HR team apply EI skills to feedback and coaching situations.

3 Create a feedback culture

The third step is to create a feedback culture within your HR team and the organization. A feedback culture is one where feedback is valued, encouraged, and exchanged regularly and respectfully. To create a feedback culture, you need to model and promote EI behaviors and attitudes, such as listening, asking, acknowledging, appreciating, and learning. You also need to provide your HR team with opportunities and platforms to give and receive feedback and coaching, such as performance reviews, peer feedback sessions, or online forums.

4 Monitor and evaluate progress

The fourth step is to monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of your EI initiatives on your HR team's feedback and coaching skills. You can use various indicators and methods to measure progress, such as feedback surveys, observation, feedback logs, or performance data. You should also solicit and incorporate feedback from your HR team and other stakeholders on the effectiveness and satisfaction of the EI training and development activities. You should celebrate the achievements and recognize the improvements of your HR team, as well as identify the areas for further improvement.

5 Seek external support

The fifth step is to seek external support if you need additional resources or expertise to enhance your HR team's EI for feedback and coaching. You can consult or collaborate with external partners, such as EI experts, coaches, trainers, or consultants, who can provide you with guidance, advice, or services to help you achieve your EI goals. You can also benchmark or learn from other organizations or HR teams that have successfully implemented EI initiatives or best practices for feedback and coaching.

6 Keep learning and growing

The sixth and final step is to keep learning and growing as an HR professional and as a team. EI is not a fixed or static trait, but a dynamic and evolving skill that can be developed and improved over time. You should always seek to expand your knowledge and awareness of EI and its applications to feedback and coaching, as well as other aspects of HR and business. You should also foster a growth mindset and a continuous learning culture within your HR team, where feedback and coaching are seen as opportunities to learn, grow, and excel.

7 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?