Emotionally intelligent managers are essential for creating a positive and productive work environment. These managers understand how emotions drive behavior and use this insight to create positive outcomes in the workplace. In this article, we will discuss the dos and don’ts of emotionally intelligent management and how they can create a happier and more productive workplace.

The first and most important do of emotionally intelligent management is creating a positive and inclusive work environment. A positive work environment is one where employees feel valued, respected, and heard. It is crucial that management appreciate that their team members come from diverse backgrounds and have different needs and perspectives. Management should actively encourage open communication and actively listen to their team members. This creates a sense of trust and belonging, which leads to increased engagement and productivity.

Another important do is showing empathy and understanding towards your team members’ concerns and struggles. It is paramount that managers understand that everyone has personal lives and struggles outside of work and that these can impact their work performance. By showing empathy and understanding, managers can create a sense of trust and understanding, which leads to a more positive and productive work environment.

Setting clear goals and expectations is also an important aspect of emotionally intelligent management. Management should understand that clear goals and expectations provide direction and purpose for their team members. However, they also provide support and guidance to help their team members achieve these goals. This helps to create a sense of accomplishment and pride in the team, which leads to increased engagement and productivity.

On the other hand, there are several don’ts of emotionally intelligent management. The first and most important is ignoring or dismissing the emotions of your team members. This can lead to a lack of trust and engagement as team members feel that their emotions and concerns are not being heard. Emotionally intelligent managers understand that all emotions, including negative ones, are a natural part of being human and should be acknowledged and respected.

Another don’t of emotionally intelligent management is playing favorites or making decisions based on personal biases. This can lead to resentment and a toxic work environment as team members feel that they are being treated unfairly. Management should understand that everyone should be treated with fairness and respect and make decisions based on what is best for the team, not just based on personal biases.

Avoiding difficult conversations or conflicts is also a don’t of emotionally intelligent management. Emotionally intelligent managers understand that conflicts and difficult conversations are a natural part of any work environment and should be addressed head-on in a respectful and professional manner. By avoiding these conversations or conflicts, managers create an environment of fear and mistrust, which leads to decreased engagement and productivity.

In conclusion, emotionally intelligent managers are essential for creating a happy and productive work environment. By creating a positive and inclusive work environment, showing empathy and understanding, and setting clear goals and expectations, emotionally intelligent managers can create a sense of trust, belonging, and engagement in their team. They also avoid common pitfalls like ignoring or dismissing the emotions of their team members, playing favorites, or avoiding conflicts and difficult conversations. Lastly, practicing self-awareness can also help managers to better understand their own emotions and how they impact their management style.

Yours Truly,
Edwin Mburu

Certified ADHD & Executive Function Coach

Mental Health Lived Experience Expert