We do this with kids, but what about for adults?

Many of us intentionally spend time teaching our children emotional literacy, or the ability to recognize one's emotions, name them, and express them appropriately.

But we don't do the same for adults. And we don't even think about it with our teams.

Yet we've all experienced situations where intense feelings escalate, and we're unsure what to do. Or when the emotions of a few overpower the rest, leading to resentment while simultaneously leaving everyone else trying to figure out what the unspoken rules are that dictate what team members can and can't say about how they feel at work.

Yet, we know that highly effective teams are more in tune with their emotions, feelings, and moods, and as a result, they are better able to respond productively as a cohesive unit. Over time, their hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and month-to-month efforts have an accumulative effect on their work and how they work together.

How do we get teams to this point? Especially with high turnover and absenteeism?

How do we get the staff we have to effectively read and manage each other's emotions, feelings, and moods rather than allowing their emotions to take over?

I invite you to join me during the next several weeks as I review the book Team Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Dr. Jean Greaves. In her book, Dr. Greaves gives us insight into four skills that highly effective teams use regularly, along with strategies we can use to support our teams in developing those skill sets.

See you next week!

Sincerely,

Deidre Harris

Chief Agreement Officer