What do you do if your performance management lacks emotional intelligence in employee relations?

1 Why EI matters for performance management

Performance management is not just about setting goals, measuring outcomes, and giving feedback. It is also about building trust, motivation, and engagement among your employees. To do that, you need to show empathy, respect, and appreciation for their feelings, needs, and perspectives. You also need to communicate clearly, honestly, and constructively, and to handle conflicts and emotions in a positive way. EI helps you to do all these things, and to create a supportive and productive work environment.

2 How to assess if your performance management lacks EI

If you or your employees feel anxious, frustrated, or demoralized by the performance management process, avoid or dread performance conversations, have difficulty expressing or understanding emotions, experience frequent conflicts, misunderstandings, or resentment, or have low morale, engagement, or performance, it may be a sign that your performance management lacks emotional intelligence (EI). In such cases, it is important to work on your EI skills and improve your performance management approach.

3 What you can do to improve your EI for performance management

Taking steps to enhance your Emotional Intelligence (EI) for performance management can have positive impacts on your relationship with your employees and the culture of your organization. Assess your own EI strengths and weaknesses, and gain feedback from others. Learn about different aspects of EI, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. Practice mindfulness, meditation, or other techniques to calm your mind and emotions. Listen actively and empathetically to employees, and ask open-ended questions to understand their views and feelings. Express emotions appropriately and respectfully, using positive and constructive language. Appreciate employees' achievements, efforts, and strengths. Provide timely, specific, and balanced feedback that focuses on solutions rather than problems. Involve employees in setting goals, expectations, and action plans; then support their development and growth. Resolve conflicts constructively to seek win-win outcomes. By improving your EI for performance management, you can foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and excellence.