Discussion 1
Emotional intelligence has become widely appreciated as an important leadership quality for those managing projects not only in business but in education and healthcare as well. Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as “the capacity to understand your own and others’ emotions and to motivate and develop yourself and others in service of improved work performance and enhanced organizational effectiveness” (Stoller, 2021, para. 1). From a business perspective, being able to understand the emotions of yourself can be extremely beneficial in terms of performance and career success. Moreover, from a project management and leadership approach, understanding emotional intelligence and knowing how to respond accordingly has shown to significantly impact how project leaders are perceived and the positive impacts EI can have on team members. One study noted that “successful leaders enhance unity and morale by creating shared emotional experiences. Hence, if leaders can affect follower emotions, they can significantly affect follower performance” (Gorgens-Ekermans & Roux, 2021, para. 3). With this in mind, to be an effective leader and be able to fully understand the emotions of those on the team, they must first understand how to identify those emotions. In the book Power your tribe create resilient teams in turbulent times by Christine Comaford, she shares an interesting statistic that states, “Only 36 percent of people can accurately identify their own emotions” (Comaford, 2018, p. 36). Thus, to better understand one’s emotions, Comaford discusses a visual called the Emotion Wheel that links a variety of key emotions to show how interconnected certain feelings are to one another.
The Emotion Wheel is unique in the strengths and weaknesses it provides the individual using it. A major strength for the Emotion Wheel is the simplicity of how certain emotions correlate with other types. Starting from the core of the Emotion Wheel it outlines the six primary emotions and then from there each of those six emotions branches off into six more secondary emotions and then finally twelve more emotions associated with the secondary ones. With this format, it is easy and clear for the individual to see how the emotions they are feeling are linked to other emotions. Additionally, it allows the individual to see the bigger picture and identify at the core what their feeling at that given moment. Being able to recognize and categorize one’s emotions quickly by looking at the Emotion Wheel can provide many physical and mental benefits leading to better leadership and work performance (Maamari & Majdalani, 2017). On the other hand, the Emotion Wheel presents a few weaknesses that can have the opposite effect on the individual. First off, the Emotion Wheel limits the total amount of emotions which can make it difficult for the individual to make any connection to better understand what they are feeling. Additionally, these emotions can be subjective to the person looking at the wheel. For example, if an individual is feeling at peace, it can be because they have a sense of loneliness by getting away from all the chaos that may be surrounding them. However, the Emotion Wheel identifies lonely as a link to sadness, which could make that person reexamine their feelings and inaccurately characterize them. Overall, the Emotion Wheel can provide clarity to the individual, but because it is stagnant and doesn’t adjust to the specific individual’s emotional make up it becomes very subjective and potentially misleading.
As a project manager, the Emotion Wheel can provide a great deal of emotional intelligence that can be used to not only support the team but more importantly assist in handling resistance within the team. Resistance can be defined asan action or inaction towards the change. However, the reason for the resistance usually comes from a certain emotion that is holding the individual back from adopting the new change. In an article discussing team resistance it was noted that “employees usually resist change not because they disagree with it but because there is a lack of knowledge about what will happen… either they have to learn something new and they fear their ability to adapt to it, or there is a lack of communication causing confusion or misunderstanding” (Caneda & Green, 2007, para. 3). The root cause of resistance can be unique for every individual and understanding the specific emotion that is linked that that resistance will allow the project manager to approach the situation more effectively. For example, if a team member is portraying characteristics such as hesitation or disapproval towards change, the project manager could use the Emotion Wheel to see that these emotions are linked to being scared. Understanding that this is what the individual is feeling, the project manager can put a larger emphasis on communication and transparency to help alleviate these negative emotions. More importantly, the Emotion Wheel helps to distinguish the primary emotion related to the resistance. Being scared versus being mad are two extremely different emotions and if the project manager cannot decipher between the two it can lead to a lack of trust, commitment, and most notably increased resistance. Although the Emotion Wheel does not give directions or guidance on how to respond to certain emotions, it is a great starting point to understand the primary feelings of individuals and the additional emotions that are associated to them.
In addition to understanding the team better, the project manager can use the Emotion Wheel to their advantage to help reduce fear or a lack of trust from outside stakeholders. In a study regarding emotional intelligence, it was found that “leaders who underestimate EI are likely to fail due to their inability to move followers and satisfy customers” (Kim & Kim, 2017, para. 2). As a project manager, one of the main responsibilities is to be able to adjust and handle any obstacle to ensure that the project stays on track. The ability to understand the emotions of stakeholders through the project life cycle is one of those core duties. Without having regard for other’s emotions as a project manager, it shows a lack of overall leadership and understanding which can be viewed as detrimental if leading a project. Conversely, as the project manager it is important to understand their personal emotions and how that affects those around them. If the project manager is portraying certain characteristics linked to negative emotions, it can create a sense of discomfort for the stakeholders to see the project lead unsettled and anxious. Thus, it is imperative that the project manager understand both the emotions of themselves and the stakeholders. With this knowledge, project managers can become better communicators and increase their social skills by identifying what emotions their stakeholders are having and how to respond. Simply put, “Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They’re rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don’t sit back and make everyone else do the work: they set an example with their own behavior” (Mind Tools, 2022, para. 33). To close, with every action there will be a response that carries a certain type of emotion. In the world of project management there are countless actions that take place during a project that impact a great deal of people. Thus, project managers must understand their emotions and strive to be a positive role throughout the duration of the project. In the same way also, the project manager must acknowledge the emotions of others and respond appropriately to ensure a sense of comfort and positivity throughout.
References
Caneda, S., & Green, R. (2007). Employee Resistance to Change. Library Worklife. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2007/11/16/employee-resistance-to-change/
Comaford, C. (2018). Power your tribe create resilient teams in turbulent times. McGraw-Hill
Gorgens-Ekermans, G., & Roux, C. (2021). Revisiting the emotional intelligence and transformational leadership debate: Does emotional intelligence matter to effective leadership? SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(2), e1-e13. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v19i0.1279
Kim, H., & Kim, T. (2017). Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership: A review of empirical studies. Human Resource Development Review, 16(4), 377-393. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484317729262
Maamari, B. E., & Majdalani, J. F. (2017). Emotional intelligence, leadership style and organizational climate. International Journal of Organizational Analysis (2005), 25(2), 327-345. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-04-2016-1010
Mind Tools. (2022). Emotional intelligence in leadership: Learning how to be more aware. from MindTools.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_45.htm
Stoller, J. K. (2021). Emotional intelligence: Leadership essentials for chest medicine professionals. Chest, 159(5), 1942-1948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.09.093
Respond with – The student must then post 2 replies of at least 200 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module/Week. Each reply must incorporate at least 2 scholarly citation(s) in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years.
Discussion 2
Question/Topic
Emotional intelligence has become an essential topic in managing modern project teams. The author Comaford discusses the Emotional Wheel as a tool for examining one’s resistance. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Emotional Wheel. How can the emotional wheel help a project manager deal with resistance in the team? How can the Emotional Wheel help reduce fear and lack of trust when working with stakeholders outside of the team?
Discussion
Emotional intelligence is closely related to many other ideas illustrated throughout this course. All of these concepts can be a starting point for evaluating the baseline performance an individual, which can lead to a better understanding of team dynamics. Maya Angelou said “you can’t really know where you are going until you know are.” This is the critical first step. In the following discussion we’ll evaluate how to use the Emotional Wheel to identify behaviors that may affect team performance and address the root cause of those problems using other management techniques.
The Emotion Wheel (Comaford, p. 37, 2018) is a basic tool used to potentially identify the needs of an individual or team and can provide a baseline from which to develop them from. In the never-ending pursuit of increasing team performance, it’s critical to understand the motivating factors that drive each member and address them individually. This must be prioritized in such a way that the most immediate needs are aggressively corrected first; these are the fixes that will show the most immediate impact improvement on positive performance (Druskat, Wolff, 2001). Implementing changes, even on the level of a single individual, will kindle resistance. How does a leader address it using the wheel as a tool?
Resistance to any change, whether it’s positive or negative, will be felt amongst a high-performing team. It can mitigated in advance somewhat by deliberate communication that is clear, concise, and through maximum collaboration. However, the expectation that resistance can be eliminated entirely is an unreasonable thought. “Inherent resistance often correlates to an employee’s basic needs not being met” (Sy et al., 2018). This is where we can use Comaford’s Emotion Wheel to close these two gaps? The innermost emotions can be viewed as a sort of “root cause” for expressed emotions in the outer rings that may or may not be visible in a team member. Using the highlighted paths to trace from the outermost circle inwards a leader can isolate which of the six primary emotional traits that individual is centered on. Since the wheel is simply a tool to identify traits, a leader can use other tools addressed throughout this course to further investigate and address how to improve individual performance.
In practical use, if a leader identifies one team member who is suddenly always tired, distant and feels remorseful, they can use the Emotion Wheel to trace back to the basic emotions of sad and mad. With that information, we can use two other concepts to pave a way forward. How do these basic traits correlate to Maslow’s Hierarchy? A constant negative attitude may indicate that a person is “stuck” in one of the lower tiers, likely with pressing psychological or safety needs. Team members in these tiers “can rapidly degrade team performance and undermine leadership’s strategic direction” (Kaufman, 2018). The immediate goal becomes to address the root cause of the problem and attempt to elevate the team member out of those bottom tiers. This is the strategy to use the wheel to identify issues and utilize other concepts to address them.
It’s been my experience that teams led by those who show a genuine caring interest in their team member’s feelings often perform well. This is from my own anecdotal observation, but is corroborated in scholarly writings. Authors Victoria Mattingly and Kurt Kraiger discuss the meta-analysis to assess the effect of deliberate training on the emotional intelligence of both leaders and followers. They say “an untrained leader is unlikely to key in on the emotional calling of an employee or team member in need. These individuals, usually subconsciously, will exhibit behaviors that can create a negative atmosphere. It requires more than a conceptual understanding and leaders often times don’t even realize they may be operating in a training deficiency” (Mattingly, Kraiger, 2019).
What does all of this mean? We can look to the Bible for guidance; “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (King James Bible, 2017, Proverbs 12:15). Communicating with a team as a whole or individuals on the subject of feelings and basic needs can be an extremely difficult discussion to have. However, when the strategic direction of improving overall team performance is the goal, the importance of addressing the emotional needs of team members cannot be understated. Each problem solved pushes the performance upward, and more importantly, builds rapport with the team members as the leader will be viewed in a genuine light.
References
Comaford-Lynch, C. (2018). Chapter 7-8. Power your tribe create resilient teams in turbulent times (pp. 93-156). McGraw-Hill.
Druskat, V. U., & Wolff, S. B. (2001). Group emotional intelligence and its influence on group effectiveness. The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups and organizations, (pp.132-155).
Kaufman, S. (2018, November 7). What does it mean to be self-actualized in the 21st century? Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/what-does-it-mean-to-be-self-actualized-in-the-21st-century/
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org
Mattingly, V., & Kraiger, K. (2019). Can emotional intelligence be trained? A meta-analytical investigation. Human Resource Management Review, 29(2), (pp. 140-155). Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-16912-001
Sy, T., Horton, C., & Riggio, R. (2018). Charismatic leadership: Eliciting and channeling follower emotions. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(1), (pp. 58-69). Retrieved April 12, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.12.008
Respond with – The student must then post 2 replies of at least 200 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module/Week. Each reply must incorporate at least 2 scholarly citation(s) in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years.