The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Team Communication

“Your learning process is frustratingly slow, I cannot consistently keep up with correcting you”.?

These were the exact words one of my students said his team lead told him. In his words “Ma’am those words broke me beyond imagination,

I always went to work feeling small. To be honest, at the time, I had a sick mom who was in the hospital and I was struggling so badly to put myself together. Thankfully she got better and I just had to resign".?

We all know what it takes to get a job, now imagine someone losing their job because of you.

Emotional intelligence is one word that is very common but not many of us understand how it can affect our relationship with others as well as Foster our career growth.?

When working with humans, it is very important to note that humans are creatures of emotions. We are generally controlled by how we feel and our reactions are often based on which emotion gets triggered.

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a pivotal role in team communication, serving as a cornerstone to foster understanding, collaboration, and cohesion within a group dynamic.?

Especially founders, team leads, managers, and HRs, paying attention to how you communicate to the people you are leading is very vital. Emotional intelligence entails knowing when to speak, what to say, and when to be quiet.?

Emotional intelligence is not a stand-alone word, there are key components that make up effective emotional intelligence.

1. Empathy:?

Empathy is the ability to feel the pains of others without judgment or criticism. Empathy is a key component of emotional intelligence, it allows team members to understand and resonate with each other's feelings and perspectives. When you? demonstrate empathy to team members, they better trust you, and this leads to more? effective and compassionate interactions?

2. Effective Conflict Resolution:?

Conflicts are inevitable in any team setting, but as an individual with high emotional intelligence, you can navigate disagreements with tactics and diplomacy. By recognizing and managing your own emotions and understanding the perspectives of others, you as an emotionally intelligent team member can facilitate constructive dialogue and find a mutually beneficial solution

3. Open Communication:?

Being an emotionally intelligent team member creates an environment where open communication flourishes. It helps you express your thoughts and feelings clearly and respectfully. This encourages an open flow of communication among others.?

4. Building Relationships and Trust:?

Emotional intelligence helps you cultivate strong interpersonal connections by building rapport and trust among team members. When individuals feel understood and supported, they are more likely to share ideas, offer feedback, and collaborate toward common goals. This strengthens the team's cohesion and resilience, even in challenging circumstances.

5. Enhanced Leadership:

Emotional intelligence is particularly crucial for you as a team leader, as it enables you to inspire and motivate your team members effectively. Most Leaders with high EI can empathize with their team, communicate vision and expectations clearly, and provide constructive feedback that fosters growth and development.?

Emotional intelligence is a powerful medium for building great teams and interpersonal relationships. The best way to constantly? work on improving your emotional intelligence is to?

1. practice active listening: Being a good listener helps you pay attention to not just the words but the emotions behind the words. Work on understanding and empathizing with the emotions of others by putting yourself in their shoes to understand their perspective.

2. Self-awareness: Take time to reflect on your own emotions, triggers, and reactions. Practice mindfulness techniques such as meditation to increase self-awareness.

3. Seek feedback: Ask for feedback from trusted friends, family members, or colleagues about your emotional intelligence. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement.

4. Social skills: Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. Practice effective communication techniques such as assertiveness, active listening, and conflict resolution. But if you do not know where to sharpen your communication skills. D'lor Academy is an exceptional soft skills school that offers corporate communication mastery as one of its core courses.

5. Recognizing emotions: Learn to recognize and label emotions, both in yourself and others. Pay attention to non-verbal cues such as body language and facial expressions.

In conclusion,

Whether you're a team lead or not, developing your emotional intelligence skills is an important step to having a balanced career life and personal life. Most of our personal relationships will last longer if we are emotionally intelligent enough to know how to respond with respect to the feelings of others.

Until I come your way next time,

Keep being phenomenal

Your Friend

Marygold the Communications Trainer.