Emotional literacy is essential in the corporate landscape. A leader is frequently tasked with managing the human emotions that comes with leading a team. One skill includes effectively managing the ups and downs that come with emotions. According to the research, emotional literacy is crucial in the corporate world. Why is that? Simply, during times of making critical decisions, solutions are not solely data driven but can be formed by understanding the human element or conversely can be lost by not understanding the human element.
In prior posts, CPR highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence (EI), which is the overall umbrella for leading with emotions. However, emotional literacy refers to our ability to communicate our emotions effectively. Emotional literacy is the vocabulary of our feelings. Imagine articulating exactly what you're feeling and why, without being misunderstood. That is the essence behind emotional literacy. As a leader, it is important to comprehend what is being articulated by all stakeholders.
In the Corporate landscape it is gradually recognizing the value of emotions in the workplace. During the pandemic, as a wellness champion, emotional literacy was reintroduced to our clinical teams and administrative staff. The healthcare industry quickly realized that the absence of emotional literacy led to poor clinical judgment based on oral and written miscommunication. Much like a ripple effect, this created strained relationships, and poor decision-making that led to toxicity and clinical burnout including attempted suicide.
According to Capgemini’s study of 750 Executives in 2019, Global Demand for EQ is anticipated to increase six times over the next few years. In fact, a study conducted by Talent Smart (2020) found that "emotional intelligence is responsible for 58% of performance in all types of jobs. A leader with high emotional literacy can create a more empathetic and understanding environment. This approach fosters trust and openness, encouraging team members to bring their whole selves to work."
Emotional literacy paves the way for an inclusive, healthy, creative, and resilient organizational culture. Today's post will commence the conversation on emotional literacy and EQ on CPR's Wellness Wednesday. Today, CPR offers a few tips on the fundamentals of emotional literacy:
1-Active Listening
This means fully concentrating on what's being said. Active listening involves paying attention to non-verbal cues, not just their words.
2-Mindfulness and Reflection
Being mindful of your own emotions is a great start. CPR's Leadership coaching advocates for self-reflecting, which builds self-awareness. Self-awareness is the first step in emotional literacy.
3-Create a Safe Space
Encourage open expression of emotions in the workplace. This step heightens creativity, giving employees the space to explore.
4-Professional Development
If this is new to your organization, then begin to introduce reading material to your team. Also, consider coaching services that invoke the power of emotional literacy. If as a leader, you have been doing the work, it will be a worthy investment to explore training you and your team. For recommendations, please be sure to reach out to take advantage of CPR's consultant on-call service.
Remember, simple mistakes are frequently signs that you should seek professional assistance. Don't delay! Procrastination exacerbates the problem. A healthy mind is a creative mind.
#CPRLLC #consultantproficiencyresources #consultantoncall #levelup #wellnesswednesday #2024 #emotionalliteracy #EQ #organizationalculture
Warm Regards,
CeeCee