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There is an emotional component behind most of the things that will make or break employees’ and leaders’ success. When someone first hears the word emotion, it may suggest emotional intelligence. Developing emotional intelligence is one important factor that has been demonstrated to lead to success. However, that is just part of the picture.
Emotions are a big part of engagement as well. Engagement is the emotional commitment the employee feels toward the organization and its goals. Emotion creeps up when discussing soft skills, culture, sales skills, and just about anything regarding success at work. Soft skills include components such as interpersonal skills. Having strong interpersonal skills are a big part of emotional intelligence.
Sales skills often require tapping into consumer’s emotions. Sales skills are a big part of being successful as an entrepreneur as well. Some of the top emotion-based issues employees, leaders, and entrepreneurs face, involve managing emotions, finding ways to become emotionally committed and having others become emotionally committed, and developing ways to improve emotional awareness in others. What makes a top salesperson successful? They find an emotional need or pain. Sales are based on people’s greed, fear, envy, pride, shame, and a host of other emotions that lead to a feeling of emotional reward. When creating content for consumers, marketing professionals consider the motions that design, color, and images will have on them.
Gamification has been added to the workplace to develop employees on an emotional level. Emotions are powerful and impact learning. Training programs must have aesthetically pleasing aspects, or negative emotions could result. Gaming has become a strong focus for Millennials as they see it as a form of entertainment. However, it can also be used to create positive emotions to improve training and productivity. Plutchik’s psycho-evolutionary theory of emotion explained there are eight primary emotions which include anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, anticipation, trust, and joy. These emotions trigger behavior. He suggested eight primary bipolar emotions: joy versus sadness; anger versus fear; trust versus disgust; and surprise versus anticipation. Up to 90% of purchasing decisions are based on an emotional response.
People in sales situations, at work, in school, or at home, may have difficulty expressing emotions or even understanding their emotions or those of others. This difficulty has led to a multitude of problems that impact behaviors. Most people are hired for their skills and fired for their behaviors. This problem with behaviors is a big part of what employers call soft skills. Soft skills can include a multitude of issues including lack of effective interactions with others. The sooner employers realize that emotions are not just a part of emotional intelligence, but engagement, productivity, sales, and a vast array of outcomes that can be either positive or negative if employers find ways to capitalize understanding their value at work.
To find out more about emotions, check out some of these authors and speakers. All but two of them have been on Take the Lead (my nationally-syndicated radio show), and I have been part of events where I heard the other two speak. I highly recommend looking into the work that these individuals have produced because all of them are very impressive:
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As technology becomes more sophisticated, some activities previously completed by employees can be handled by computer programs. HR professionals have already found that AI can perform candidate searches and determine best matches for jobs. Using technology can help make candidate reviews more manageable. AI can even monitor email to determine if employees are engaged at work and notify leaders of those who may be ready to leave the company. Some companies already offer some AI-related assistance to track candidates or monitor workers. Some examples include SAP, Entelo, Veriato, and Bluvision. It is possible to receive alerts if employees have poor performance or if they are not where they should be at work.
Why continue to have employees when computers can do all the work? AI can have its biases. It may make decisions based on past information. It has no gut instinct. There is no way to determine if AI is more effective than the human choice yet because it has been unchartered territory. However, AI has offered some insight into things managers and leaders may not have time to track. That is not to say there are no issues. Privacy is something that jumps to the front of the line as companies track people’s online footprint. Some argue that AI reports may lead to incorrect assumptions by leaders. While leaders want to determine the best way to predict success in their employees, the current software options available may not have the level of sophistication required. There may be important pieces of the puzzle left out in the process. How can a machine grasp the human emotional aspect of performance? Instead of using AI as a replacement for employees, it may be more of a tool to use in addition to personal insight, gut instinct, and common sense based on experience.
If blue and white color jobs are already at stake, will leaders soon be replaced by AI? Sydney Finkelstein from Dartmouth argued that middle management is already virtually extinct. Frey and Osborne’s (2013) study “The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerization” predicted that 47% of workers will be replaced by machines. Accenture (2015) found leaders lack some basic human skills including social networking, people development and coaching, and collaboration. The Accenture results indicated that “84% of managers believe AI will make their work more effective and interesting. Manpower performed a survey of 18,000 employers in 43 different countries, which found 82% expect to maintain or increase staff levels because of automation.”
Perhaps it is not a question of if leaders and managers will be impacted, but more a question of how much and when. Disruption continues, and all levels of management cannot escape some impact. Leaders and managers will need to keep pace with advances, communicate to keep the human component indispensable, be creative, and design organizations that utilize human and AI talent to take advantage of both.
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If IQ is a measure of intelligence, EQ a measure of emotional intelligence, then what is CQ? In each of these cases, the Q stands for quotient, which means a measure or degree of that characteristic. The Cultural Intelligence Center defines CQ as, “the capability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. It goes beyond existing notions of cultural sensitivity and awareness to highlight a theoretically-based set of capabilities needed to successfully and respectfully accomplish your objectives in culturally diverse settings.” Companies are becoming more culturally diverse, and that means leaders must adapt.
If leaders have positions where they have considerable involvement with foreign cultures, it is critical that they truly understand that culture. It is not enough to just read about cultures. It may be challenging to determine a level of CQ. To be a cultural master is different from being culturally competent according to Ricardo Gonzales at Bilingual America. To develop a level of mastery is a journey. Leaders continue to develop.
Some important skills to develop to have true cross-cultural awareness may include things associated with EQ, such as adaptability and empathy. Just like EQ, CQ can be developed. One way to do this is through experiential learning. Immersing oneself into a culture can be challenging. However, it may be helpful to develop a true understanding of cultural norms.
Leaders may work with people in foreign cultures and have little appreciation for what is embraced in that society. It may be important to know about their favorite sports, their appreciation for different artists, musicians, etc. Some leaders may know historical information, but not truly be mindful of what is popular, or what employees hold dear. To connect with others at a cultural level, leaders need to dig deeper and strive to have a greater understanding of those things that give the people with whom they connect meaning. This has been referred to as cultural metacognition or cultural mindfulness.
It may be important for leaders to work on their cultural mindfulness. To do this, it may help to consider past successful and unsuccessful interactions. Echo Yuan Liao of IESE Business School explained that in addition to reflecting, paying attention to other people’s reactions can help as well. Bilingual America offers cultural training for help with interacting with the Latino culture. This may be helpful to all levels of leaders and managers who manage Latino workers.
As organizations grow into emerging markets, increasing their CQ becomes paramount to their success. The Cultural Intelligence Center found, “Fortune 500 companies expect that their greatest revenue streams over the next decade will come from emerging markets, and top universities are recruiting students from around the world and from groups previously underrepresented on campus. Organizations with culturally intelligent students and staff are more likely to accomplish their mission in today’s multicultural, globalized world.” Those leaders who have the foresight to embrace the importance of CQ will benefit, just as those who have embraced the importance of EQ.
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Job listings often describe the skills needed to perform in a position. However, many of the skills required for success fall under the category of soft skills. Many employees may be hired for their knowledge and yet may end up being fired for their behavior or lack of social skills. Forbes reported that 46% of newly hired employees will fail within 18 months. Mitchell Communications Group found that companies lose $37 billion a year in the United States due to miscommunication. Research from Adecco Staffing considered what the C-suite thinks about the type of skills employees lack. They found that the C-suite believed 44% lacked soft skills including communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. This has led to missed growth opportunity, low productivity, and reduced profits.
The good news is that we can improve these social or soft skills. The first step is realizing that there is always room for improvement. It can help to observe others who have strong skills that may need development. To determine areas that may need improvement, start by considering some questions.
It may be critical for people to develop empathy by considering how they would feel in another person’s position. When making decisions, consider how those decisions will impact others. Most of the issues that employers deal with are communication-based. Once you can recognize your own emotions and empathize with how others feel as well, that is a big step to building emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence and emotional commitment to one’s job (aka engagement) are two important pieces of the employee success puzzle.
There are two fascinating TED talks that may help. Amy Cuddy’s talk “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are” and Susan Cain’s The Power of Introverts may provide some insight regarding how to truly know your strengths and weaknesses and learn to embrace them. Personality and preferences play a big role in how we interact at work. It is important not to under-estimate the impact of interpersonal skills. Rather than waiting for schools or employers to help, individuals can learn a lot from:
As with any learning, it takes time to develop soft skills. The U.S. Department of Labor created a great workforce readiness soft skills training downloadable PDF for youth ages 14-21. Although that is intended for young adults, older workers could benefit from many of the activities as well.
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Gallup’s 2016 survey results have shed light on how poor engagement is in the workplace. If only 13% of workers feel engaged, there are serious consequences for productivity, turnover, and team effectiveness. Managers may be instrumental in encouraging employees and helping them improve their levels of engagement. Gallup (2016) focuses on 12 elements that are important to having effective and productive workers, which include:
If managers and leaders had a conversation with their employees about these 12 areas, they could determine where employees lack engagement. Employees may simply lack clarity regarding what is expected of them. If leaders understand this, they can create engaging conversations to help improve communication. It all begins by asking questions and opening a dialogue.
Because there are so many areas where employees may experience issues with engagement, it may be helpful to take on each area one at a time. Perhaps begin a conversation about job expectations this week and spend the month working on that if that is problematic. Next month consider asking questions about their materials or opportunities, etc. Take some time to get to know each person’s individual needs. Have a plan to meet with employees and follow up on any information obtained that indicates improvement is required.
Keep in mind that engagement involves emotional commitment, and people base 70% of how they make decisions on factors that involve emotions. Leaders must recognize the importance of focusing on feelings and emotions because that impact how employees behave and the choices they make. By increasing engagement or emotional commitment, organizations found less absenteeism, less turnover, and improved productivity. The key is to recognize that leaders have the most impact on employee engagement. Employees do not leave companies; they leave their bosses or leaders.
Please click on this link: to take a Generational Engagement Survey.
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On March 7, 2017, Forbes’ Editor John Tamny will speak in San Diego about the fed. What does that have to do with sexy marketing? Tamny has done a great job of utilizing celebrity examples to make his points about economics. Think about his latest book title: Who Needs the Fed?: What Taylor Swift, Uber, and Robots Tell Us About Money, Credit, and Why We Should Abolish America’s Central Bank. If it were just titled Who Needs the Fed? that would not be nearly as intriguing. Taylor Swift is far sexier. What is great about Tamny’s writing is that he discusses important economic subjects, while bringing in celebrity examples to bring his points home. By using timely examples like Taylor Swift’s stance on Apple’s decision to give away music for free, he appeals to the masses. Tamny’s title and content choice demonstrate how even the most challenging topics can be made more appealing if the right picture is painted in consumers’ minds.
Tamny probably learned many content publishing tips from his work at Forbes. One thing his book’s title demonstrates is how important it is to reach prospective customers with a personalized message. That is what top marketing professionals hope to accomplish. However, many marketing professionals can attest that this may be challenging when creating content at scale. To help improve this process, I wrote and taught some brand publishing courses as part of my work as the MBA Program Chair for the Forbes School of Business and Technology. I was fortunate to interact with many CMOs at last November’s Forbes Summit in Coronado. My interactions with these professionals reinforced how many of them experience the same frustrations involving the difficulty with the process of transitioning from traditional forms of advertising and marketing toward brand publishing. Personalizing content, making it appealing or sexy, can be quite challenging. When creating the brand publishing courses, we used Bruce Rogers’ Publish or Perish Report as a key component. Bruce did an excellent job researching how top companies use the vast number of vendors in the most effective ways.
Whether marketers want to create a social media campaign or individuals want to write a book, the same thing is true; content is king. That is evident through the work from John Tamny. For those of you in the San Diego area on March 7, I highly recommend reserving your spot for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see John Tamny, top Editor at Forbes, speak for free. I will be there and look forward to interviewing him.
About the Author:
Dr. Diane Hamilton is an award-winning speaker, nationally-syndicated radio host, educator, and the co-author of It’s Not You, It’s Your Personality Dr. Hamilton has spoken for top companies including Forbes about topics including leadership, engagement, emotional intelligence, and generational conflict. She can be reached at DrDianeHamilton.com. If you would like to sign up for her update please click here: Contact Dr. Diane Hamilton.
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Radio remains a leading platform for organizations to advertise and for individuals to learn lessons from inspirational speakers, authors, and leaders. If an executive’s day is so packed with things to do, the thought of listening to a radio show may seem like a luxury. However, the reality is, a lot of people are listening. News Generation shared some important statistics.
With so many working people listening, leaders must ensure that their companies are represented well there. Radio is just one part of the total brand publishing picture. Radio shows seek sponsors with enticing messages. Business organizations have a variety of goals they want to achieve with their message. Radio advertising is cost-effective, time-efficient, demonstrates measurable results, and can provide the following opportunities.
Not only can leaders connect to their consumers through radio, but they can also learn from it. There is no shortage of talk radio shows where leaders can learn from their peers. With the advent of iTunes, IHeartRadio, and other platforms, everyone has the luxury of listening when it is convenient, and they can do it on just about any mobile device. The more technology changes, it is interesting to witness how the need for connection and edutainment continues to remain popular.
About the Author:
Dr. Diane Hamilton is a nationally-syndicated radio host of Take The Lead Radio, an award-winning speaker, educator, and the co-author of It’s Not You, It’s Your Personality. She developed brand publishing courses for Forbes based on Bruce Rogers’ Publish or Perish Report. Dr. Hamilton has spoken for top companies including Forbes about topics including leadership, engagement, emotional intelligence, and generational conflict. If you would like to learn more about these issues or be a guest on her radio show, you can go to Dr. Hamilton’s website or contact her through Linkedin.
A recent report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at Penn State found that Teachers are burning out at an alarming rate. Around 30-40% will leave their jobs by their fifth year of teaching. There are many reasons for this turnover. The four main reasons are stress-related and include:
When teachers are stressed, teachers, students, and schools suffer. High turnover costs schools $7 billion each year. The research from Penn State found, “the cost per teacher is estimated from over $4,000 in rural areas to over $17,000 in urban districts.” The authors of this study found that there needs to be a way to prevent negative issues that impact teachers. The authors also found few teachers receive professional development to improve their social and emotional competence. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs may improve student behavior and reduce teacher stress.
In March 2017, I will speak about ways to improve student behavior and teacher stress at the ABSEL Conference in Myrtle Beach. My research I will present mirrors many of the issues found in this Penn State research, including how behavior problems are the source of teacher burnout and ways to improve behaviors in students to proactively provide teachers a less stressful classroom environment. To find out more about improving the classroom environment to improve teachers’ stress levels, check out: What other educators are saying; to learn more about the types of training teachers receive, check out: Classroom Management Agenda.
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I have worked with educators in schools and universities across the United States since 2006. My experience includes teaching, speaking, mentoring, training, program review, and curriculum design. My goal is to help educators succeed and make a difference in the lives of students. As a successful educator, coach, national trainer, and speaker, I promise to motivate and inspire educators through my on-site school training and district keynotes. I share practical, proven strategies for immediate use in classrooms. This information will help educators feel self-value and proud of their chosen profession as they witness what proven techniques can do to help them succeed. Please contact me today to find out how I can make a difference for you and your students. For more information about hiring me for business consulting, speaking, and other training, please click on this link: https://www.smore.com/ruh68-stop-the-madness
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