How to strengthen emotional intelligence in teams
The excerpt below is drawn from the article A Simple Exercise to Strengthen Emotional Intelligence in Teams written by Gayle Allen and published by KQED. If you like what you read, find Gayle Allen on Twitter at @CuriousGayle.
“She needs every detail before we start, and it slows us down.”
“He acts before we agree on a plan, so we make a lot of mistakes.”
Sound familiar? These are just some of the frustrations participants share when asked to give feedback on a team experience. And they’re the reasons people often prefer to work alone.
Yet it’s been shown that working as a member of an effective team can boost morale and performance. Team members get more feedback and they get it earlier. They also report learning more and feeling more motivated to work through project challenges. With virtual teamwork on the rise, the potential for ongoing learning and feedback is greater than ever before.
What that means is that emotional intelligence in the form of skills like empathy and collaboration is more important than ever.
As a team leader, there are several simple team-building exercises that can help your team to get started.