Leveraging EQ and Diversity: Building High Performance Team

Continuing from our previous blog, we highlight a few more benefits of emotional quotient (EQ) and diversity supported by research on the subject by renowned thought leaders.

There are tangible benefits to higher EQ. People with higher EQ are more self-aware and have more control over their emotions. They possess the ability to understand others, demonstrate greater motivation, enjoy larger social networks, and even have higher incomes. As the modern workplace connects us with more diverse people than ever before, emotional intelligence is a vital tool for empathy, productivity, and success.

As Daniel Goldman points out, a star-performing team is one where the team members have a very high group IQ. The actual productivity or effectiveness of a team is not measured by the best talent of every person but rather by measuring how people are valued in that team, how people feel there is harmony, how they get along, how they surface simmering issues, take time to celebrate, to know each member's strengths and weaknesses, and how they support each other—precisely a team that has high emotional intelligence.

For a team to work efficiently and smoothly, individuals must feel comfortable collaborating with one another and cooperating on a regular basis. They need to feel secure in a work environment where they understand each other and know that they are appreciated. These are intangibles that cannot be fulfilled by procedures alone. They require a level of trust only a high-EQ team can provide in an authentic manner.

As per research by Vanessa Urch Druska, Assistant Professor of organizational behavior, wrote in an article for Harvard Business Review, there are 3 conditions that empower a group's effectiveness: trust among members, a sense of group identity, and a sense of group efficacy. Without these conditions, a team may not reach their full potential because the members will choose to refrain from fully engaging with each other. To be most effective, the team needs to create emotionally intelligent norms. 

The Center for Creative Leadership identified 3 significant aspects where poor performance can derail the careers of executives: difficulty in handling change and the inability to work on a team and play interpersonal relations. 

The Four Quadrants of EI

Self-awareness: Understanding your own values, passions, preferences, and worldview.

Self-management: Becoming responsible for how you use and display your energy.

Social awareness: Understanding others requires empathy and important soft skills that make a world of difference in our workplace experiences.

Relationship management: Being intentional about your workplace relationships. One must work to engender trust. Help others understand the various perspectives involved and aim at transforming conflicts.

Conclusion

These are essential skills that cut across hierarchies, benefiting every single individual in an organization, including those involved in hiring and retention. A study by professors with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, titled Emotional Intelligence and Diversity—a model for differences in the workplace, concluded that organisations need to establish the behaviour they believe will enable them to achieve an organizational culture rich in purpose, accomplishment, meaning, and one that is strong in mutual respect.

Such cultures foster environments where individuals and teams build and sustain strong relationships. They find a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves and the joy of finding meaning in their work and create connections across the organization in a manner that leads to improved results.