Engage and Inspire: Elevate Employee Engagement through Emotional Intelligence and Genuine Care

They were in Beijing for a high-level business meeting. Clark, the company sales rep had set up the dinner meeting with the client and the company engineers the night before the important negotiations.

Daniel, the lead engineer and manager, told Clark he was severely allergic to shellfish, especially shrimp, and asked that some food be shellfish free.

When the 5-course set meal was served, every dish had generous doses of shrimp even though there were other choices on the menu such as the exception made for the president of the client company, Zhang Wei, who was served lamb chops.

If I were to guess, I’d say that Clark’s emotional intelligence scores on Social Regulation and Empathy would be extremely low to non-existent.

If Clark had chosen to use Emotional Intelligence, he would have been sensitive to Daniel’s request because a shellfish allergy can be a life and death situation. In Daniel’s case it was.

If Clark had chosen to use the Emotional Intelligence Skills of Empathy (recognizing the feeling of others) and Social Regulation (interacting with other in relationship-building and intelligent ways), he could have:

·?????Acknowledged that Daniel was not eating ?

·?????Realized Daniel was just as hungry as everyone else

·?????Asked questions to confirm or discover why Daniel was not eating

·?????Ordered him an acceptable dinner on the spot.

In this example, Clark totally ignored the human needs and well-being of Daniel. Why? We could give Clark the benefit of the doubt and say that he forgot Daniel’s human need. But it was such a stark denial of a simple request that we can only wonder if Clark thought Daniel was telling a fib, not being truthful or trying to get attention. Another alternative is that Clark just didn’t care about Daniel’s allergy.

There was no clue, no apology, no questions about why Daniel ate nothing the entire night.

Even though Clark and Daniel were friends, Clark damaged his rapport with Daniel and the fragile relationship between sales who promote a product and an engineer who delivers the product.

Demonstrate Empathy

In your interactions with colleagues and team members, you can demonstrate your empathy for them by:

1.???Observing them.?Watch their body language. What is it telling you?

2.???Listening?to them.?Listen without interrupting. Respond in nonjudgmental ways.

3.???Walking in their shoes.?Even though this is impossible, you can virtually walk in their shoes. Think about their situation. Imagine you were experiencing the same, how would you feel and react?

Use these tips to strengthen bonds and build rapport. They won’t know it, but you are using high emotional intelligence.

Increase the Emotional Intelligence in Your Organization with Assessments and Training

You can expand your emotional Intelligence with the DISC and Driving Forces and emotional intelligence (EQ) assessments. Next, training is a key factor in improving interpersonal relationships on teams.?The DISC assessments and workshops I provide give individuals a better understanding of personal strengths and limitations. They get tips on working with opposite personalities.

EQ assessments center on self-management, self-regulation, social awareness (empathy) and social regulation (interpersonal skills).

Email me at [email protected] for a complimentary assessment.

ABOUT KARLA

Karla Brandau is a 25-year veteran of the speaking and training industry. She offers DISC, Driving Forces and Emotional Intelligence assessments combined with training events and retreats.

The assessments are a component in her leadership development courses. Her book, "How to Earn the Gift of Discretionary Effort," positions her as a thought leader and expert in re-calibrating leadership for the 21st century and enables employees to give discretionary effort on a regular basis.

Her presentations help managers become the leader people CHOOSE to follow not HAVE to follow because of their place on the organization chart.

She has spoken for Coca-Cola Enterprises, Panasonic, BYD America, National Facilities Management and Technology Conference, US Poultry and Egg Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and the National Kitchen and Bath Association.??

Certifications include Certified Speaking Professional, Certified Facilitator, and Registered Corporate Coach.

For more articles, visit?www.KarlaBrandau.com?and sign up for charismatic leadership updates.