Recent research has proven that there is a quantifiable link between the level of management practice in a firm and its productivity. McKinsey and LSE have shown that a one-point increase in an organisations management practice effectiveness score, on a scale from 1 to 5, is associated with a 25% increase in labour productivity.
But how do emotional competencies affect workplace productivity?
To answer this question I investigated it among Irish middle managers working across a large variety of Irish organisations who undertook the IMI Core Skills of Management / Advanced Skills of Management.
Correlating Bar-On EQi responses with management practice adoption, I found that:
1. Managers who can tune into the reality of the immediate situation are more likely to define clear performance metrics, review performance against such metrics and address poor performance
2. Managers who care about what happens to other people are more likely to address poor performance by taking action and implement re-training in areas of weakness or realigning talents to where they can deliver better performance
3. Managers who have difficulty in controlling strong impulses are less likely to define the right balance between financial and non-financial metrics. They are also less likely to continuously track the right metrics
The McKinsey / LSE work mentioned earlier identified three key areas of poor adoption in Ireland, these are:
1. Defining the right metrics
2. Reviewing Performance against these metrics
3. Addressing poor performance
So, developing the emotional competencies of Irish managers, especially in the areas of adaptability, empathy and impulse control are essential in order to improve how Irish managers adopt management best practice and in turn increase productivity.
In practical terms, models like the ‘6 Seconds’ approach, can help develop emotional competence through quick and easy to use strategies such at the six-second challenge.
Joshua Freedman and Max Ghini of the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence network will be in Ireland in May to help managers learn how to use such critical strategies.
For more information please click here.
