Five Habits of the Emotionally Intelligent

University of Maryland Smith School of Business
20 May 201504:04
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRStretch assignments at work can be a double-edged sword, offering opportunities for leadership and growth while also presenting challenges that may lead to stress or even departure from an organization. The key to navigating these assignments successfully lies in emotional intelligence (EI), which can be developed through practice. The video suggests five behaviors to enhance EI: building a support team, negotiating assignment terms, recognizing unproductive attitudes, flipping the narrative from threat to challenge, and changing the situation to regulate emotional responses. For managers, the video offers five tips to improve team advancement potential: starting small with stretch assignments, appreciating diversity, monitoring and adjusting, regulating the situation during interventions, and giving permission to fail to foster a culture of learning and risk-taking. By embracing these strategies, individuals and managers can turn stretch assignments into stepping stones for career advancement.

Takeaways
  • 🧘 Stretch assignments can be challenging and may lead to leadership emergence or breakdown depending on emotional intelligence.
  • 🤝 Building a support team is crucial for coping with stress and discussing its origins at work.
  • 🚫 Negotiating terms early on can prevent feeling overwhelmed by daunting or unrealistic assignments.
  • 🤔 Recognizing unproductive attitudes is key; acknowledging contradictory feelings without dwelling on them can foster creativity.
  • 🔄 Flipping the narrative from threat to challenge can transform a protective stance into an opportunity for personal growth and meaningful contribution.
  • 🚫 Change the situation when necessary; emotional intelligence involves knowing one's limits and regulating thinking patterns.
  • 📈 For managers, starting small with stretch assignments can prevent setting employees up for failure and turnover.
  • 🌐 Appreciating diversity in team members' backgrounds and strengths is important for effective management.
  • 👀 Monitoring and adjusting as a manager involves detecting negative signals through verbal and nonverbal cues to intervene appropriately.
  • 🛡️ Being the regulator in interventions helps employees frame situations better and, when necessary, change their circumstances.
  • 💡 Giving permission to fail encourages a culture of tolerance for errors and risk-taking, which can lead to success for both employees and managers.
Q & A

  • What challenges do stretch assignments at work present to employees?

    -Stretch assignments at work can be challenging and threatening, causing some people to emerge as leaders while others crumble under the pressure. Negative reactions can even lead some people to leave the organization.

  • How does emotional intelligence impact the outcome of handling stretch assignments?

    -The outcome of handling stretch assignments hinges on individual levels of emotional intelligence. People with higher emotional intelligence are more likely to succeed and advance in their careers.

  • What can individuals lacking in emotional intelligence do to improve their chances of success?

    -Individuals lacking in emotional intelligence can 'fake it' by adopting the habits of emotionally intelligent managers. As they practice, their skills will improve, leading to career advancement.

  • What is the first behavior suggested for individuals to consider when dealing with stretch assignments?

    -The first behavior suggested is to get support. People often learn to bury their feelings at work, but talking about stress and its origins can help cope, so building a support team is crucial.

  • Why is it important to negotiate terms and have conversations upfront when faced with a daunting assignment?

    -Negotiating terms and having upfront conversations about necessary resources and support is important to prevent getting overwhelmed and to ensure that the assignment is realistic and achievable.

  • How can acknowledging unproductive attitudes help in managing emotions during stretch assignments?

    -Acknowledging unproductive attitudes, such as fear and excitement, is normal for emotionally intelligent people. They know that dwelling too much on unpleasant feelings can stifle creativity and lead to withdrawal, so managing these emotions is key.

  • What does flipping the narrative entail and why is it beneficial?

    -Flipping the narrative means changing one's perspective from viewing a situation as a threat to seeing it as a challenge. This shift focuses on the opportunity for mastery, personal growth, and making a meaningful contribution, which is beneficial for motivation and success.

  • Why is it necessary to change the situation when regulating thinking patterns is not enough?

    -Changing the situation is necessary because emotionally intelligent people know their limits. They anticipate their emotional reactions and organize their time to avoid stressful activities all at once, which helps in managing stress effectively.

  • What are the five tips for managers who want to improve the advancement potential of their team members?

    -The five tips for managers are: 1) Start small and build people up over time, 2) Appreciate diversity and understand different backgrounds and strengths, 3) Monitor and adjust by detecting negative signals and being mindful of cues, 4) Be the regulator by providing emotional intelligence and helping employees frame situations better, and 5) Give permission to fail to create a climate that encourages tolerance for errors and risk-taking.

  • How can managers ensure that stretch assignments are not set up for failure?

    -Managers should ensure that stretch assignments are not too much of a stretch that they set people up for failure. This involves starting small and gradually increasing the difficulty to avoid turnover.

  • What is the importance of appreciating diversity in the context of stretch assignments?

    -Appreciating diversity is important because people come from different backgrounds and have different strengths and weaknesses. Managers should not assume that everyone thinks alike and should leverage the diversity to the team's advantage.

  • Why is it crucial for managers to monitor and adjust their team's workload and emotional state?

    -It is crucial for managers to monitor and adjust because they must detect negative signals and be mindful of verbal and nonverbal cues to know when it's time to intervene and provide support to their team members.

  • How can managers help their employees frame situations better when necessary?

    -Managers can help employees frame situations better by providing an infusion of emotional intelligence when they intervene. They can guide employees to see challenges as opportunities for growth and mastery.

  • What is the significance of giving permission to fail in a team's work environment?

    -Giving permission to fail is significant as it creates a climate that encourages tolerance for errors and risk-taking. This fosters innovation and learning, and can lead to both the team and the manager looking like superstars.

Outlines
00:00
🧐 Emotional Intelligence in Stretch Assignments

This paragraph discusses the impact of stretch assignments at work, which can be both challenging and threatening. It highlights that emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in determining how individuals respond to such tasks. People with high emotional intelligence are more likely to emerge as leaders, while others may struggle or even leave the organization. The paragraph suggests that those who lack emotional intelligence can still succeed by adopting the habits of emotionally intelligent managers. It outlines five behaviors that can help individuals cope with stress and advance their careers: building a support team, negotiating terms, recognizing unproductive attitudes, flipping the narrative, and changing the situation when necessary.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Stretch Assignments
Stretch assignments refer to tasks or projects that push an individual beyond their current capabilities. In the context of the video, these assignments are described as being both challenging and threatening, which can lead to the emergence of leaders or cause individuals to crumble under the pressure. The video suggests that the outcome depends on an individual's emotional intelligence and provides strategies for managing such assignments.
💡Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's own emotions and the emotions of others. It is a key concept in the video, as it is suggested that individuals with higher levels of emotional intelligence are better equipped to handle stretch assignments. The video also offers advice for those who may not naturally possess high emotional intelligence, by adopting the habits of emotionally intelligent managers.
💡Leaders
Leaders are individuals who are able to guide and influence others, often emerging in challenging situations. The video script mentions that some people emerge as leaders during stretch assignments, indicating that these tasks can serve as a crucible for identifying and developing leadership potential.
💡Pressure
Pressure in this context refers to the stress or strain that comes with challenging tasks or situations. The video discusses how some people crumble under the pressure of stretch assignments, which can lead to negative outcomes such as leaving the organization.
💡Career Advancement
Career advancement refers to the process of moving forward in one's professional life, often through promotions or increased responsibilities. The video suggests that successfully managing stretch assignments can be a pathway to career advancement, as it demonstrates an individual's ability to handle challenges and grow.
💡Support Team
A support team is a group of individuals who provide assistance and encouragement. In the video, building a support team is recommended as a way to cope with the stress of stretch assignments by discussing and addressing the origins of stress.
💡Negotiate Terms
Negotiating terms involves discussing and agreeing upon the conditions or requirements of a task or assignment. The video advises pushing back if a stretch assignment seems too daunting or unrealistic, and having these conversations upfront to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
💡Unproductive Attitudes
Unproductive attitudes are mindsets that hinder progress or productivity. The video mentions that emotionally intelligent people recognize contradictory feelings but avoid dwelling on unpleasant feelings, which can stifle creativity and lead to withdrawal.
💡Flip the Narrative
Flipping the narrative means changing one's perspective or interpretation of a situation. The video suggests that when faced with a protective stance due to withdrawal, one should consider the potential upsides and reframe the situation from a threat to a challenge, focusing on opportunities for growth and contribution.
💡Change the Situation
Changing the situation involves taking proactive steps to alter circumstances that are causing stress or discomfort. The video points out that emotionally intelligent people know their limits and organize their time to avoid stressful activities, which can help in managing the impact of stretch assignments.
💡Managerial Intervention
Managerial intervention refers to a manager's active involvement in addressing issues or providing support to team members. The video outlines strategies for managers, such as detecting negative signals, providing emotional intelligence infusion, and helping employees frame situations better.
💡Tolerance for Errors
Tolerance for errors means being accepting and understanding of mistakes. The video advises managers to create an environment that encourages risk-taking and tolerates errors, which can foster a culture of learning and innovation.
Highlights

Stretch assignments can be both challenging and threatening.

Individuals' reactions to stretch assignments vary, with some emerging as leaders and others struggling.

Emotional intelligence is key to determining the outcome of stretch assignments.

Lacking emotional intelligence can be mitigated by adopting the habits of emotionally intelligent managers.

Skills can be improved through practice, leading to career advancement.

Building a support team is crucial for managing stress at work.

Negotiating terms and resources can prevent feeling overwhelmed by assignments.

Recognizing unproductive attitudes is important for emotional intelligence.

Acknowledging contradictory feelings is a sign of emotional intelligence.

Flipping the narrative from threat to challenge can lead to personal growth and meaningful contributions.

Changing the situation is necessary when emotional regulation alone is not sufficient.

Managers should start small with stretch assignments to avoid setting employees up for failure.

Appreciating diversity in team members' backgrounds and strengths is essential for managers.

Monitoring and adjusting to negative signals is a key managerial skill.

Managers should act as regulators, helping employees frame situations better.

Creating a climate that encourages tolerance for errors and risk-taking is beneficial for team advancement.

Practicing these skills can turn stretch assignments into opportunities for career advancement.

Transcripts

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Emotional IntelligenceLeadership SkillsCareer AdvancementWorkplace StressTeam ManagementPersonal GrowthStress CopingSupport SystemsCreative ThinkingRisk Tolerance