As we launch into another year filled with people challenges and complexity, in 2022, are you actively practicing EQ and building your personal awareness?
We have already had some great discussions with People & Culture Leaders around their learnings in 2021 and recent instances where individuals have, self admittedly, not been close enough to their people/ understood capability / potential fully and as a result have lost talented people, spent valuable time trying to back peddle to address issues or had relationships frayed because they did not pick up on compounding concerns of team members.
A few key areas to explore, as a starting point:
- Are you close enough to your people/ reports?
- Do you understand their personal circumstances and their career aspirations?
- Are you really listening for the things that go unsaid (particularly in busy times) and are you picking up on subtle cues?
We often talk about what EQ includes and how to measure EQ and here is a summary below of key areas we believe are critical in Leaders:
- Empathy
Being able to yourself in someone else’s shoes is such a wonderful leadership trait and can be developed, even if this is not a natural ability. People naturally relate to leaders for whom this is part of their ethos and way of engaging and people leaders with high empathy build high trust and engagement.
2. Self-Awareness
Active self-awareness is harder than it sounds and at times, requires considerable effort and for some, a mindset shift. Sometimes we think we are demonstrating self-awareness but asking others to check you and people you trust to be a regulator in meetings etc is not only vulnerability in action but is a great external check on how you are doing in this area.
3. Ongoing Learning Mindset
When we are open to learning new ways of working, ideas and developing our selves, this creates a safe and open space for others to do the same and to have open, engaging discussion, debate and the freedom to learn from failures. This personal self-awareness and way of approaching challenges is truly a part of high EQ and an aspirational mentor / leader trait.
4. Get Vulnerable & Share
When leading people, it is at times uncomfortable and challenging to share yourself and put yourself out there, whether this is not being an expert in a situation, asking for help or just acknowledging an error in judgement, this is a critical leadership trait and one of the most admired and trust building behavioural you can demonstrate with your team. People also want to know who they are working for/ with and giving a little of yourself, allowing others to see your flaws and your openness to share experiences, learnings and failures will build high trust and engagement, without a doubt.
5. Communication & Connection
All of the above build connection but open, clear and consistent communication is paramount in building successful and highly engaged/ high functioning teams. Whether this is with your direct team or the wider business, communication and connections are key to success.
With conscious EQ building, focusing on understanding your audience’s different perspectives, drivers and pressures, building relationships that stretch beyond task focus and deliverables and making conscious time to designate to these activities, connections and building understanding, you and your team will thrive and more deeply connect, irrespective of remote working, challenging times and business pressures.
Time is always a challenge for People Leaders, however by developing stronger connections, clearer and more targeted communication, adopting a learning mindset and practising self-awareness, with some vulnerability and a recognition that none of us are perfect, you will achieve the following:
- Crisper and more effective conversations that lead to faster outcomes
- A mutual understanding with those that work with you of who you are and how best to work together
- Higher satisfaction in your role and for individuals in your team
- High performing teams that succeed and win together
Regardless of how successful you are in leading people and culture, ongoing self-development, heightened awareness and a genuine desire to truly understand how your people are doing, what drives them and what their personal goals are remain critical in creating highly engaged, connected and winning teams and organisational culture.
What will you work on/ give more focus, to achieve deeper engagement and connection today?