In an environment of continued growth and constant change, building relationships and establishing trust amongst a team is incredibly important. Day-to-day, we work alongside team members who all have different expertise, strengths, and feelings.
Over the past few weeks, our staff has participated in Emotional Intelligence (EI) training sessions organized by Cindy Chan (Director) and Jared Macey (Client Relations Team Lead). The overall goal of this training is to create emotional awareness and nurture a healthy work environment where direct feedback and professional development are the norm.
So, what is EI? It is the ability to[i]:
- Recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions
- Recognize, understand, and influence the emotions of others
Is it a silly soft skill, a buzzword, or the cornerstone of a successful team?
As a group that requires cross functional collaboration, our team feels strongly that the training sessions and supplementary exercises have been imperative to the prolonged success of the team. Secondly, it allows all team members to look after their own physical and mental health and well-being, while also assisting others achieve the same goal.
Going forward, we will continue to build upon the foundation of the first training session and encourage on-going dialogue amongst the team. Everyone aspires to be less stressed and work in harmony towards a common goal. We encourage all organizations to create greater focus on the importance of EI in today’s workplace.
[i] “What Is Emotional Intelligence,” Institute for Health and Human Potential, https://www.ihhp.com/meaning-of-emotional-intelligence.