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Emotional Intelligence and Decision-Making

The latest content on emotional intelligence and using it to make informed and effective choices. 

Emotional Intelligence and Decision Making

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The Organization Development and Talent Managment Newsletter

Relationship intelligence (RQ) is the engine that drives defining moments. Reputations and legacies are made by those types of defining moments, but what makes the defining moments possible?

ATD Blog

What Is Relationship Intelligence?

What is Relationship Intelligence?

TD Magazine Article

Should We Be Training for EQ?

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Emotional Intelligence in Talent Development

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3 Ways to Bring EI to Your Writing

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Emotional Intelligence Training: Where to Begin

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Closing the Loop: Using Data to Maintain Trust and Psychological Safety 

How are you feeling today? Talent leaders know that emotional intelligence (EI) is a contributor to professional success. Awareness of one’s own emotions and the emotions of others is essential to managing feelings and relationships in a productive and empathetic way.Yet many sales leaders focus on building their team’s hard skills and neglect emotional intelligence or “soft skills.” Emotional intelligence matters for every field—especially sales. When sales professionals understand and act on emotions appropriately, they can connect and communicate more effectively with their colleagues and customers.This ability has a significant impact on job satisfaction and sales performance. Find out why emotional intelligence is essential for sales professionals today and how to develop this critical skill.The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Sales Having a great product is no longer a guarantee of a successful sales career. Today’s sales professionals need to position themselves as strategic advisors—resources to help solve their customers’ business problems. This is known as “consultative selling.”A consultative sales professional puts the buyer’s needs ahead of their own. Instead of leading with a sales pitch, sellers discuss options, provide insights, and guide buyers.Emotionally intelligent sales professionals are well suited for consultative selling because they’re aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, able to adapt to the emotional states of others, and proficient at building rapport and maintaining strong connections.5 Ways Emotional Intelligence Affects Sales PerformanceThere are five categories: self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation. Each of these contributes to the success of highly emotionally intelligent sales professionals.1. Self-Aware Sales Professionals Manage Their Emotional StatesSelf-aware sellers can identify and understand their emotions and the impact they have on others. They can manage their mood, are less likely to clash with others, and recover from rejection faster than sellers who don’t recognize or manage feelings. 2. Self-Regulated Sales Professionals Control Their ImpulsesSelf-regulated salespeople don’t bring negative emotions—anxiety, discomfort, or irritation—to sales conversations. They adapt their behavior to the needs of their job and can motivate themselves over the long term. 3. Socially Skilled Sales Professionals Make Meaningful Connections Sales professionals with strong social skills make meaningful connections, build rapport easily, and maintain relationships over time. They know how to “read a room” and adjust their own behavior to get the outcomes they desire. 4. Empathetic Sales Professionals Understand Others’ EmotionsEmpathetic sales professionals identify other people’s emotions—and are good at adapting to fit the situation. Empathy helps sellers understand customer needs, goals, and pain points so they can address them most effectively.5. Motivated Sales Professionals Work to Achieve Their GoalsMotivated sales professionals get more done in a day and seek out training to improve their skills. They pursue promising leads and follow up on opportunities more assertively than less-motivated peers. They embrace coaching that helps them reach their goals.Developing an Emotionally Intelligent Sales Team Emotional intelligence can be developed to improve sales team performance and harmony. Look for these five building blocks of emotional intelligence when hiring and developing sales professionals:Self-Awareness: Do they seem able to recognize their own emotions and tendencies? Emotional Regulation: How do they describe handling stressful or challenging situations?Social Skills: Do they make eye contact? Do they pick up on social and non-verbal cues? Empathy: Can they see things from another perspective? Do they actively listen?Motivational Skills: Do they have techniques or habits to keep themselves energized? You can help your sales professionals increase their emotional intelligence and perform to their maximum potential with an emotional quotient (EQ) assessment. Assessments help team members gain self-awareness, reveal strengths and gaps, and help talent professionals develop low-competency areas. Consider the level of emotional intelligence within your sales organization. Are there customer satisfaction issues, personal conflicts, or tensions? It may be time to assess the team’s ability to understand and apply the power of their own emotions to improve sales performance and satisfaction.Want to learn more about emotional intelligence and sales training? Visit The Brooks Group blog for expert advice.

Emotional Intelligence: Why It’s Essential for Today’s Sales Professionals

Today’s economy is … challenging. On top of that, some organizations are still adapting to the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, like distributed teams, remote meetings, and hybrid offices. The need for strong leaders is more significant than ever in light of those obstacles.Strong leadership skills are essential for managers to build and lead engaged, innovative teams prepared to handle today’s challenges. And the key to being a strong leader might be different from what you think. In an ELB Learning webinar, Kristie DeLoreto, SVP, Client Solutions, and Laura Doerr, VP, Operations at ELB Learning, demonstrated why empathy matters in leadership.Empathy in leadership is the ability to relate to and connect with people to inspire and empower their lives. However, it’s important for leaders to understand the difference between empathy and sympathy. “It’s a very gray line,” said DeLoreto. “I think you either kind of understand it, or you need to practice to get better at being more empathetic or knowing the difference between those two.”Lack of Empathy vs. EmpathyYou may have worked in environments where the first second somebody has performance problems at work, the automatic response is to say, “You’re out.”That is an example of a lack of empathy. Unfortunately, this can be fairly standard in our business world. Someone walks into your office and says, “Your numbers have been down for the third quarter in a row. You have to pick up your numbers. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what the future will look like.”How inspired is that person going to be at work the next day? On the flip side, here’s the empathetic approach.Someone walks into your office and says, “Your numbers are down for the third quarter in a row. Are you okay? I’m worried about you. What’s going on?”We all have performance issues. Maybe someone’s kid is sick. Maybe they’re having problems in their marriage. We don’t know what’s going on in their lives, which will affect their performance at work. Empathy means being concerned about the human being, not just their output. Most people don’t want to be bad performers; they want to do a good job. Leaders must remember this.Exercising empathy can help leaders build teams, hire employees, and work with clients.Building teams. According to a 2022 Gallup report, employee engagement has dropped over the last several years to 32 percent, and 17 percent of employees are actively disengaged. Recognizing and respecting your employees’ emotions—even the negative ones—is a powerful way to connect with them. Empathy lays the groundwork for mature leadership and connecting with your workers as people.Hiring employees. Empathy is also important in the hiring process. It gives insight into another person’s motivations and helps you judge whether a candidate is right for a position. “If you look at your candidate with empathy, you can see the person and the human they are. And if they’re going to bring that to the table and bring those right skills and the right fit culturally, and all those other pieces just by thinking about that,” said DeLoreto. Working with clients. By employing empathy in your conversations with clients or subject matter experts, you can better understand their pain points and get on the same page. Having an open, thoughtful, empathetic conversation—especially with difficult clients—where you align and get on the same page will improve your relationship. In addition, empathy allows you to understand how another person is likely to behave, which can be powerful in negotiations.Why Leadership Training Can HelpDuring the webinar, DeLoreto polled the audience, asking who had worked for a leader who lacked empathy at any point in their career. The response was a resounding 95 percent “YES.”Effective leadership training needs to include soft skills training such as empathy. While there will always be a demand for training on hard skills, at ELB Learning, we’re seeing more and more clients come to us for manager and leadership development.

Most Important Skill for Leaders Is Empathy—Here’s Why

When it comes to leadership, vulnerability is often mistaken for weakness. However, research and practical experience show that demonstrating vulnerability to your team as a leader can actually be a strength. Embracing vulnerability is required to build trust, encourage open communication, and build a stronger, more cohesive team. Today, we’re going to discuss the transformative power of vulnerability in leadership and some practical tips for starting to be more vulnerable with your team today. The Power of Vulnerability in LeadershipBrené Brown, a renowned researcher on vulnerability, defines it as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” For leaders, this means admitting when you don’t have all the answers. It also includes sharing your challenges and being open to feedback. Vulnerability fosters trust, encourages open communication, and builds stronger relationships within teams. Long story short, it makes you seem more human and much more relatable. Building Trust and ConnectionWhen leaders show vulnerability, they create an environment where employees feel safe to express their honest thoughts and ideas. This openness leads to stronger connections and trust. Teams that trust their leaders are more engaged, more innovative, and more willing to go the extra mile. The flip side of is that when teams don’t trust their leader or organization, you’ll see higher levels of stress, more burnout, and lower retention rates. Encouraging Authenticity and EngagementVulnerable leaders are authentic leaders. Authenticity in leadership means being true to yourself and aligning your actions with team or organizational values. When leaders are authentic, they inspire their teams to be genuine and committed to their work. This authenticity boosts employee engagement and morale. It also creates a culture where employees feel valued and motivated to do their best work. Enhancing Learning and GrowthAdmitting mistakes and uncertainties is a key aspect of vulnerability. This openness to imperfection encourages a culture of continuous learning and growth. When leaders acknowledge their mistakes, they set an example for their teams to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. A growth mindset is necessary for success. Vulnerable leaders show that it’s OK to make mistakes and demonstrate how to learn from them. This not only creates an opportunity for personal growth but also drives innovation and resilience throughout the organization as a whole. Improving Decision MakingVulnerable leaders seek input and feedback from their teams, leading to better decision making. By considering diverse perspectives, leaders can make more informed and effective decisions. This collaborative approach not only improves outcomes and helps you hit those TKRs but also allows employees to take ownership of their work. This is one of the most effective ways to be sure your decisions align with the organization’s goals and values while simultaneously improving your team’s cooperation and performance.Practical Steps to Embrace VulnerabilityLet’s go over a few simple ways you can start to embrace vulnerability with your team:Admit When You Don’t Know: It’s okay to say, “I don’t know.” You’re only human; not knowing is part of that experience. Being honest about the unknown opens the door for collaboration and problem-solving.Share Personal Stories: Share experiences of challenges and failures. This helps humanize you and makes you more relatable to your team.Ask for Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from your team and act on it. This shows that you value their opinions and are committed to improvement.Encourage Open Communication: Create a safe space for employees to share their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment.Lead by Example: Demonstrate vulnerability through your actions. Be transparent about your goals, challenges, and decisions.Vulnerability is a cornerstone of effective leadership. By embracing vulnerability, leaders can build trust, encourage authenticity, foster growth, and improve decision making. It’s time to shift the narrative and recognize that showing vulnerability is not a weakness but a powerful strength. Embrace vulnerability and watch how it transforms your leadership and your organization.

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