How To Develop Emotional Intelligence Training For Your Team

By developing emotional intelligence training and providing employees with the tools and skills needed to effectively navigate their emotions, communicate effectively, and build positive relationships, you can improve overall team performance and increase job satisfaction.

Employees should be disciplined to have excellent workplace ethics like good communication skills that should be a standard for their conduct in the working environment as this helps achieve the company’s goal and sustainable growth.

Without training, the workplace environment would be mired by toxicity, indiscipline, vindictiveness, and lack of self-awareness that characterizes social situations.

As a social psychologist, I have outlined in this article, a comprehensive training procedure that will be effective for employees irrespective of the organization’s size that will promote healthy coexistence to enhance performance.

This training guide might be ambiguous for the new in emotional intelligence matters, but with careful examination of the below procedures, it would be easier for you.

What is Emotional Intelligence Training?

Emotional intelligence (EI) training in the workplace is a program designed to help employees develop social awareness and other skills to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others, in a work context.

The goal of EI training is to help employees improve their ability to communicate effectively, build strong relationships with colleagues and customers, and make better decisions in their work.

EI training in the workplace typically involves a series of activities and exercises designed to help employees develop specific skills, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills.

These activities may include self-reflection exercises, role-playing scenarios, group discussions, and case studies that are tailored to the specific needs of the organization and its employees.

Emotional intelligence training for employees is made up of the following domains of development:

Self-awareness

This training on these can be achieved most effectively through experiences and interactions. Simple things like identifying a company-wide book on emotional intelligence while organizing discussion groups or giving employees regular time to volunteer can help quicken the development of the four domains.

Benefits of Emotional Intelligence Training for Your Team

Emotional intelligence training can help team members to better understand and manage their emotions, leading to stronger relationships, improved communication, and higher job satisfaction

Emotional intelligence (EI) training can have numerous benefits for your team. Here are they:

Good Communication skills: good communication skills are a key benefit of emotional intelligence training. Emotional intelligence training can help individuals develop the skills and behaviors necessary to communicate more effectively.
Improved Communication: EI training helps team members to better understand and express their emotions, which leads to improved communication and stronger relationships.
Better Conflict Resolution: With an increased understanding of emotions, team members are better equipped to manage conflicts in a constructive manner.

Increased Empathy: EI training can help team members to develop empathy and understand the perspective of others, leading to better collaboration and teamwork.
Higher Job Satisfaction: When team members have strong emotional intelligence skills, they are better able to manage stress and maintain positive relationships, which can lead to higher job satisfaction.
Improved Leadership: Leaders who have strong emotional intelligence skills are better able to manage their own emotions and those of their team members, leading to a more positive work environment and increased productivity.

More Financial Gain for Employees: employees with higher emotional intelligence are more likely to be effective communicators and collaborators, leading to better teamwork and increased productivity. This can result in higher pay and bonuses as well as better opportunities for career advancement.
Improved Self-awareness: Improved self-awareness is a key benefit of emotional intelligence training. Through emotional intelligence training, individuals can develop a better understanding of their own emotions, motivations, and behaviors.
Improved Social Awareness: Improved social awareness is another key benefit of emotional intelligence training. Social awareness is the ability to understand and empathize with the emotions, needs, and perspectives of others.

Teamwork and Collaboration: Emotional intelligence (EI) training can be highly beneficial in enhancing teamwork and collaboration within a group or organization. It improves empathy, communication skills, conflict resolution, and stress management.
Stress Management: Stress management is one of the key benefits of emotional intelligence (EI) training as it improves self-awareness, self-regulation, and improved resilience.

Assess Your Team’s Current Emotional Intelligence Before Training

Assessing your team’s emotional intelligence before training can help you tailor your emotional intelligence training to their specific needs and ensure that you address any gaps in their understanding.

Here are some ways to assess your team’s emotional intelligence:

Surveys

Conducting a survey can be an effective way to assess your team’s emotional intelligence before training.

By using a survey to assess your team’s emotional intelligence before training, you can gain valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses and ensure that your training is targeted and effective.

Here are some steps you can follow to create a survey:

Determine the Scope of the Survey: Decide what aspects of emotional intelligence you want to measure. For example, you may want to assess how well your team members are grounded in social awareness and how they understand and manage their own emotions, how well they recognize and respond to the emotions of others, or how well they communicate and collaborate with others.
Choose the Right Questions: Develop questions that are specific and focused on the aspects of emotional intelligence you want to assess. Consider using Likert scale questions, which allow respondents to rate their agreement with a statement on a scale of 1-5 or 1-7. You can also use open-ended questions to gather more detailed responses.

Administer the Survey: Distribute the survey to your team members and ensure that they have enough time to complete it. Consider making the survey anonymous to encourage honest and candid responses.
Analyze the Results: Once you have collected the survey responses, analyze the data to identify patterns and trends. Look for areas where your team members may need more training or support.
Use the Results to Inform Your Training: Based on the survey results, tailor your emotional intelligence training to address the specific needs of your team members. For example, if the survey reveals that your team members struggle with recognizing and responding to the emotions of others, you may want to focus your training on empathy and active listening skills.

Below are some of the assessment methods that can be used to measure emotional intelligence:

Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test – Scales (MSCEIT)

This assessment measures EQ in the same way IQ does on cognitive intelligence. It examines the four branches of emotional intelligence:

Emotion Perception: The capacity to perceive emotions in oneself and others as well as in objects, art, and music stories and respond to the stimuli around the environment.

Facilitating Thought: This is the ability to generate, apply and feel the emotion as it is necessary to communicate feelings or apply them in other cognitive processes.
Understanding Emotion: Understanding emotions is the ability to grasp the mechanics of emotions as they combine and progress through relationship transitions and how to appreciate their meanings.
Emotion management: This is the ability to have an open mind for feelings to thrive, and then modulate them in oneself and in others to encourage and promote personal understanding and growth.

Emotional intelligence training ongoing in the workplace

The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i)

The Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 (EQ-i 2.0) and the EQ-360 were formed to create the Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence.

The EQ-i 2.0 is a measure of self-report designed to measure a number of constructs related to EI.

The EQ 360 assessment gives a better comprehensive analysis by asking the people that work with the candidate to provide information on the candidate as well.

Comparing observer ratings, with the results of an EQ-i 2.0 self-report, a clearer detailed profile is gotten. The two assessments gauge emotional intelligence using one final score, five composite scores, and 15 specific subscale scores. Item-level results are also presented.

Social intelligence makes the difference between a good intelligent leader who drives performance and growth and the average leader who gets by.

The real importance is derived from the 360 degrees view into the pillar behaviours that stand outstanding leaders out from average performers.

It also helps to create a competitive advantage for professionals and managers for their company by upping performance, teamwork, innovation, and cohesion, and making sure resources and time are managed properly while building a culture of motivation and trust.

Use the emotional and social competency inventory (ESCI) to:

Measure emotional intelligence in your leaders and professionals

Initiate awareness through powerful feedback
Concentrate your coaching and development on abilities
Elicits the best in individuals and teams.

The Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Genos EI)

This behavioral test measures how frequently an employee shows emotionally intelligent behavior.

The Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Genos EI), is a behavior-based measure. It gives a comprehensive insight into how well someone performs or shows emotionally intelligent traits of workplace behaviour from the most trusted source that can be gotten.

This information can be gotten from people who see the candidate performing on daily basis.

Occasioned by a wealth of peer-reviewed research, Genos EI Is available in self, 180, and full 360-degree formats and in Leadership and Individual Contributor versions.

ALSO READ: How To Harness Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace

It is also provided in many different languages being used by a wide variety of Fortune 500 multinational companies every day.

Interpretation of results is engaging and can be accessed in nicely presented report analysis.
Results are both internally benchmarked and benchmarked against global norms.
Moderators provide free text responses for each competency assessed. These are captured in the Feedback Reports and help candidates understand the context behind moderator responses to assessment questions.

Results come with Development Tips workbooks detailing how candidates can boost their emotional intelligence, relationships and success at work.

Housed in a modern, responsive, online survey system, moderators can complete Genos EI on their phone, tablet, PC, or Mac, anywhere, at any time.

At 42 items in length, Genos EI typically takes about 12 minutes to complete. The secure administration platform makes it possible and easy to set up survey groups, monitor the progress of the survey, and download ready reports.

It’s not compulsory to administer four tests to start. The MSCEIT is quite a good place to begin and can give you detailed overall comprehension of your employees’ emotional intelligence traits.

Because emotional intelligence can be acquired, it’s pertinent to identify a baseline so you can measure progress from there going forward.

Feedback

It’s important to note that feedback can be both positive and negative. Use both types of feedback to celebrate successes and identify areas for improvement.

By using feedback to assess your team’s emotional intelligence before training, you can gain valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses and ensure that your training is targeted and effective.

Here are some steps you can follow to gather feedback:

Identify the Right Feedback Providers: Choose individuals who have worked closely with your team members and can provide an objective assessment of their emotional intelligence. This may include supervisors, peers, or even customers.

Develop a Feedback Survey: Create a survey that asks specific questions about your team members’ emotional intelligence. For example, you may ask respondents to rate how well a team member handles stress or how effectively they communicate with others.
Administer the Survey: Distribute the survey to the feedback providers and ensure that they have enough time to complete it. Consider making the survey anonymous to encourage honest and candid responses.
Analyze the Results: Once you have collected the feedback, analyze the data to identify patterns and trends. Look for areas where your team members may need more training or support.

Use the Results to Inform Rour Training: Based on the feedback, tailor you’re training to address the specific needs of your team members. For example, if the feedback reveals that a team member struggles with communication, you may want to focus your training on effective communication skills.

Focus Groups

Using focus groups to assess employees before emotional intelligence training can be a great way to gather detailed information about your team’s emotional intelligence.

Here are some steps you can follow to conduct a focus group:

Define the Purpose of the Focus Group: Identify what specific aspects of emotional intelligence you want to explore and what information you hope to gather.
Identify the Participants: Choose a diverse group of individuals who have a range of experiences and perspectives. Consider including individuals from different departments, levels of seniority, and demographics.
Develop a Discussion Guide: Create a list of questions that will guide the focus group discussion. Consider asking questions about how team members manage their emotions, how they respond to the emotions of others, and how they communicate and collaborate with others.

Conduct the Focus Group: Facilitate the discussion using the discussion guide. Encourage participants to share their experiences and perspectives and ask follow-up questions to gather more detailed information.
Analyze the Results: Once you have conducted the focus group, analyze the data to identify patterns and trends. Look for areas where your team members may need more training or support.
Use the results to Inform Your Training: Based on the focus group results, tailor your emotional intelligence training to address the specific needs of your team members. For example, if the focus group reveals that team members struggle with managing their own emotions, you may want to focus your training on stress management and emotional regulation techniques.

Self-assessment

Encourage team members to assess their own emotional intelligence by completing a self-assessment questionnaire.

This can help them improve self-awareness by identifying their own strengths and weaknesses in managing their emotions, as well as their understanding of others’ emotions.

Ask team members to assess each other’s emotional intelligence. This can help team members gain insight into how they are perceived by others and identify areas for improvement.

Supervisor assessment

Ask supervisors to assess their team members’ emotional intelligence. Supervisors may have a better understanding of how their team members manage their emotions in the workplace and can provide feedback on areas for improvement.

360-degree assessment

This involves collecting feedback from multiple sources, including team members, supervisors, and peers.

This approach can provide a more comprehensive understanding of each team member’s emotional intelligence.

Observation

Observe your team members in action and assess how they manage their emotions in different situations.

This can provide valuable insights into their emotional intelligence and help you tailor your training to their specific needs.

Once you have assessed your team’s emotional intelligence, you can use this information to design and deliver targeted training that addresses any gaps in their understanding and helps them develop the skills they need to be more effective in the workplace.

Emotional intelligence training instructor helping a student out

Develop an Emotional Intelligence Training Program

Here are steps to take in developing an emotional intelligence training for your team:

1. Set Specific Goals and Objectives

Setting specific goals and objectives is a crucial step when developing an emotional intelligence (EI) training program for your team.

Clear goals and objectives will help you design a targeted and effective training program that meets the needs of your team.

Here’s how to set specific goals and objectives:

Identify the areas for improvement: Based on your assessment of your team’s current level of EI, identify the specific areas where your team members need to improve. This could include areas such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, or motivation.
Define your goals: Once you have identified the areas for improvement, define your goals for the emotional intelligence training program. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, a goal might be to improve team members’ ability to recognize and regulate their emotions in the workplace.

Break down your goals into objectives: Once you have defined your goals, break them down into specific objectives. Objectives should be concrete, actionable steps that help you achieve your goals. For example, an objective might be to teach team members specific techniques for managing stress and anxiety.
Align your objectives with your training methods: Once you have defined your objectives, consider the best training methods to achieve them. This could include classroom training, online modules, coaching sessions, role-playing exercises, or other methods.
Set timelines and milestones: Finally, set timelines and milestones to ensure that you are making progress towards your goals. This could include scheduling training sessions, tracking progress through assessments or surveys, or setting deadlines for completing specific objectives.

By setting specific goals and objectives, you can ensure that your emotional intelligence training program is targeted and effective and that you are making measurable progress towards improving your team’s emotional intelligence.

2. Determine the Training Format and Methods

The training format and methods for the emotional intelligence training of a team can vary based on the team’s size, goals, and available resources.

However, here are some general recommendations:

Training Format

In-person training: In-person training is the most effective way to deliver emotional intelligence training because it allows for direct interaction between the trainer and the team members. This type of training can be conducted either on-site or off-site, depending on the team’s availability and budget.
Virtual training: Virtual training is a good alternative to in-person training and can be conducted through video conferencing platforms. This type of training is particularly useful for remote teams or teams that have members in different locations.

Training Methods

Role-playing: Role-playing is an effective method for emotional intelligence training because it allows team members to practice their communication and interpersonal skills in a safe and controlled environment. In this method, team members take turns playing different roles and responding to different scenarios.

Case studies: Case studies are a useful method for emotional intelligence training because they allow team members to analyze and discuss real-life situations that they may encounter in the workplace. This method encourages team members to think critically and develop problem-solving skills.
Group discussions: Group discussions are an effective method for emotional training because they encourage team members to share their thoughts and feelings openly. This method allows team members to develop empathy and understanding for each other’s perspectives.
Mindfulness exercises: Mindfulness exercises are a useful method for emotional training because they help team members develop self-awareness and regulate their emotions. This method can include breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga.

Feedback sessions: Feedback sessions are a useful method for emotional training because they encourage team members to give and receive constructive feedback. This method helps team members develop their communication skills and build trust and respect within the team.

Overall, a combination of these training methods and formats can be used to provide effective emotional training for a team.

It’s also important to tailor the training to the specific needs and goals of the team, as well as to provide ongoing support and reinforcement to ensure the training is effective.

3. Decide on the Training Materials and Resources

Emotional intelligence (EI) training requires a variety of training materials and resources to be effective.

The materials and resources chosen should be engaging, relevant, and accessible to all team members.

Here are some recommendations for training materials and resources for EI training for your team:

Workbooks: Workbooks are an effective way to provide structured learning and practice for team members. They can include exercises, self-assessments, and case studies that help team members develop their EI skills.
Videos: Videos are a powerful tool for EI training because they can help team members visualize and understand complex emotional concepts. They can include interviews with experts, simulations of real-life situations, and training modules.
Books: Books can be a valuable resource for team members who want to dive deeper into the theory and research behind EI. There are many books available on the topic, including popular titles like “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves.

Online Courses: Online courses are a convenient way to provide EI training to team members who may not have the time or resources for in-person training. These courses can include video lectures, interactive exercises, and quizzes to help team members develop their EI skills.
Assessments: Assessments are a critical component of EI training because they help team members understand their strengths and weaknesses. There are many online assessments available that can provide insights into areas like self-awareness, self-regulation, and social skills.
Coaching: Coaching can be a valuable resource for team members who want individualized support and guidance in developing their EI skills. Coaches can help team members identify areas for improvement, provide feedback, and develop action plans for improving their EI skills.

A combination of these training materials and resources can be used to provide effective EI training for your team. It’s important to choose materials and resources that are engaging, relevant, and accessible to all team members to ensure the training is effective.

4. Develop a Training Schedule and Implementation Plan

Developing a training schedule and implementation plan for emotional intelligence training for your team can be broken down into the following steps:

Step 1: Assess Team Needs

As outlined at the beginning of this article, the first step is to determine the current emotional intelligence level of your team.

You can use assessments or surveys to gather data on areas of strengths and weaknesses, and then create a plan tailored to meet the needs of your team.

Step 2: Determine Objectives

After assessing your team’s needs, the next step is to determine what you want to achieve through the training.

This could include improving communication skills, conflict resolution, team building, and overall emotional intelligence.

Step 3: Create the Training Program

Using the data collected in step one and the objectives established in step two, develop a training program that will meet the specific needs of your team.

The training should be interactive and include activities and exercises to help participants learn and practice the skills they need.

Step 4: Choose the Delivery Method

The delivery method can include various options such as classroom sessions, online modules, webinars, coaching, and mentoring.

You may also consider a combination of these methods to meet the learning styles and preferences of your team members.

Step 5: Schedule the Training

The training program should be scheduled in a way that allows all team members to attend and participate. This could be done through a series of short sessions or a more extended program, depending on the complexity of the topics covered.

Step 6: Implementation and Feedback

Once the training program is implemented, gather feedback from team members to assess the effectiveness of the training.

This will help you identify areas of improvement for future training sessions and ensure that the training is meeting the objectives set in step two.

Overall, developing a training schedule and implementation plan for emotional intelligence training requires a systematic approach that is tailored to the specific needs of your team.

Emotional intelligence instructor teaching teamwork and collaboration

Implement and Evaluate the Emotional Intelligence Training

Communicate the Importance and Benefits of Emotional Intelligence Training: It is essential to communicate the importance and benefits of the training to your team members to help them understand why it is valuable and relevant to their personal and professional development. The importance and benefits of EI training are listed at the beginning of this article.

Provide the Training to the Team: Once you have communicated the importance and benefits of emotional intelligence training to your team members, it is time to provide the actual training.
Engage Participants: Ensure that your team members are actively engaged in the training program. This could include group discussions, role-playing, case studies, and other interactive exercises.
Assess the Effectiveness of the Training: Use assessments and evaluations to determine how much your team members have learned and how effectively they can apply what they have learned in real-world situations.

Provide Feedback: Give feedback to your team members throughout the training program to help them understand their progress and areas for improvement.
Make Adjustments to the Training Program: Make adjustments to the curriculum based on feedback and evaluation. This could involve adding new topics, removing redundant material, or modifying exercises to make them more engaging or effective.
Provide Additional Support: If your team members are struggling with specific concepts or skills, provide additional support through coaching or mentoring. This will help them to understand the material and apply it in their work.

Encourage Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

After employees have undergone emotional intelligence training, it is important to encourage and reinforce the use of emotional intelligence in the workplace.

Here are some strategies that can help:

Lead by Example: As a manager or leader, model the use of emotional intelligence in your own interactions with others. This means being aware of your own emotions and responding to others’ emotions in a thoughtful and empathetic way.

Create a Culture of Empathy: Foster a workplace culture that values empathy and emotional intelligence. This can be done through team-building activities, sharing personal stories, and encouraging open communication.
Provide Ongoing Support: Offer ongoing support and resources for employees to continue to develop their emotional intelligence skills. This can include coaching sessions, mentorship programs, and access to educational materials.
Recognize and Reward Emotional Intelligence: Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate emotional intelligence in their work. This can be done through verbal recognition, promotions, or other forms of incentives.

Incorporate Emotional Intelligence into Performance Evaluations: Incorporate emotional intelligence into performance evaluations, as it is an important skill for workplace success. This can help employees see the value of emotional intelligence and encourage them to continue developing their skills.
Model Emotional Intelligence Behaviors: After undergoing emotional intelligence training, it’s important to actively apply the skills and behaviors learned in real-life situations to improve one’s emotional intelligence.

By following these strategies, you can help employees continue to develop their emotional intelligence and create a more empathetic and supportive workplace culture.

Other Ideas for developing emotional intelligence skills include:

Teaching meditation and mindfulness for self-management
Encouraging and developing better listening skills for social awareness and relationship management
Developing team-building activities that inculcate empathy and promote a better understanding of others’ emotion
Developing a shared work culture that is diverse, inclusive, and supportive
Updating the work environment to create space for collaboration and a warmer, more comfortable environment
Helping employees understand (and implement) their best work style
Training can also include online check-ins or microlearning modules that include questions to think about or reminders to ruminate on what is happening right at that moment.

Even a push notification that prompts employees to do a quick ten-second scan of their emotional landscape and state of mind can boost emotional intelligence skills.

A good variety of TED talks on emotional intelligence

Conclusion

In conclusion, developing emotional intelligence training for your team can have significant benefits for both individuals and the organization as a whole.

By providing employees with the tools and skills needed to effectively navigate their emotions, communicate effectively, and build positive relationships, you can improve overall team performance and increase job satisfaction.

Emotional intelligence training can help employees better understand themselves and their coworkers, leading to improved collaboration, productivity, and a more positive work environment.

It can also help employees manage stress, reduce conflicts, and improve their overall mental health and well-being.

To ensure the success of emotional intelligence training, it’s important to tailor the program to meet the unique needs of your team and provide ongoing support and reinforcement.

By investing in the emotional intelligence development of your team, you can build a more resilient and productive workforce that is better equipped to handle the challenges of today’s dynamic and ever-changing workplace.

Frequently asked questions

What is emotional intelligence training?

It is a program that teaches employees how to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions and the emotions of others. The goal of EI training is to improve communication, collaboration, and overall job performance.

Why is emotional intelligence training important for employees?

It is important for employees because it helps them better understand themselves and others, leading to improved communication and collaboration. It can also help employees manage stress, reduce conflicts, and improve their overall mental health and well-being.

What are the benefits of emotional intelligence training for employees?

The benefits of EI training for employees include improved communication and collaboration, better decision-making skills, increased empathy and understanding, reduced stress and burnout, and improved job satisfaction.

How long does emotional intelligence training take?

The length of EI training can vary depending on the program and the needs of the team. Some programs may be a one-time session, while others may span over several weeks or months.

How can I measure the success of emotional intelligence training?

Measuring the success of training can be done through surveys, assessments, and feedback from employees. This can help determine if the training has led to positive changes in communication, collaboration, and overall job performance.

How often should emotional intelligence training be conducted?

EQ training can be conducted on a regular basis or as needed. Some organizations may choose to offer ongoing training opportunities to reinforce the skills and behaviors learned in the initial training program.

How can I choose the right emotional intelligence training program for my team?

Choosing the right training program for your team involves considering your team’s unique needs and goals. Look for programs that are tailored to your industry, provide practical tools and strategies, and have a proven track record of success. It’s also important to consider the facilitators and ensure they are experienced and qualified to deliver the program effectively.

REFERENCES

Training Others in Emotional Intelligence: Your Ultimate Guide

Emotional Intelligence Training

Emotional Intelligence Training: What Exactly Is It?

Assessing Emotional Intelligence Training

Emotional Intelligence Training Programs

Emotional Intelligence Training For Employees

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pyo Merez (PsyD)

Website | + posts

Adolescent and Adult Psychologist
Pyo Merez (PsyD) is a certified adolescent and adult psychologist who has been on the frontline of helping adolescents and adults with mental health. An expert in cognitive and developmental psychology - social relationships, cultural contexts, and individual differences. He is also a speaker and panelist on issues bordering on budding young people.