Ability to empathise key to surviving in marketplace

Emotional intelligence at work is not about being soft and cuddly, it's about getting the best out of yourself and those around you.

It has been described as "the ability to monitor feelings and emotions and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions."

Mark Williams, director of consulting services, at the Hay Group in the Middle East, adds: "Emotional intelligence is about how you can drive yourself and motivate yourself".

A survey conducted by CareerBuilder globally in August 2011 suggested that over 71 per cent of managers looked for emotional intelligence over IQ when hiring and promoting during an economic downturn.

Before the global downturn emotional intelligence was not an important issue for managers and employees in this region as there was room for survival, development and success, says Dr Abu Bakr M Sulaiman, professor of management at the British University in Dubai. Dr Sulaiman co-authored a paper in 2006, looking at emotional intelligence at work in the Arab world.

Now, with organisations less focused on growth and more on efficiency, they are looking at managing resources better, including their people.

They are now targeting "the superior or subordinate [who] is technically and emotionally balanced," Dr Sulaiman says.

"We know that organisations that tend to manage their workforce emotionally intelligently have higher levels of retention, productivity and collaboration," says Gaj Ravichandra, psychologist and general manager of HR solutions at Talent2.

"They will be the ones who benefit most positively through any market downturn as their ability to pick up and lead from the front becomes a competitive advantage when the workforce is more engaged," he adds.

Dr Sulaiman believes there will be organisations in the region "who would be now more interested in those who are able to understand, regulate and manage their own emotions, behaviours and actions for the benefit of the organisation in terms of good work relations, good communication and conducive work climate."

On the other hand, post-crisis, organisations are likely to be more emotionally intelligent, simply because they experienced its benefits during the crisis, says Dr Sulaiman. So, when it comes to recruitment and selection now, he says, organisations will be more inclined towards recruiting those who have a balanced personality, are emotionally intelligent and technically skilled. "Hence, managers and employees will need to continue to learn how to monitor, understand and assess their emotions vis-à-vis others, teams and groups," adds Dr Sulaiman.

Ravichandra says: "The managers that tend to have the greatest success with their teams and see minimum turnover when markets improve are those who display higher levels of emotional intelligence particularly through increased empathy and managing emotions. They also tend to be able to deal with conflict more effectively, lead by example and stay calm under pressure."

And this extends not just to managers but also individual staff. Williams cites the example of call centre customer service agents. Those who have high emotional intelligence tend to get better results, have more satisfied customers and achieve more sales.

Perhaps not surprisingly, a Hay Group study found that outstanding computer programmers have high empathy with others, which allowed them to put themselves in the shoes of the end-user.

Some organisations, says Williams, have started to think about "how do we give our people the development they need, to connect better with our customers, to enhance their customer loyalty, through making them self-aware and more emotionally intelligent."

The UAE's cultural uniqueness can be both a challenge and a reward for people working here, thereby affecting behaviour and relationships.

"With a large focus in some countries, such as the UAE, on mixing with global organisations, being able to ‘emotionally flex' is critical to an individual's success," says Ravichandra. "Individuals from cultures which tend to shield emotions publicly, such as those in parts of Asia, may find it challenging to adapt more easily to different emotional situations in multicultural environments," he adds.

Ron Villejo, managing director at Dr Ron Consulting, Abu Dhbai, points out the pressures of being an expatriate hinder many of them from drawing on some of the qualities of emotional intelligence, namely to step back and self-reflect, look at one's impact on others; experience things from their point of view; and grasp what they experience.

Inner security

"They feel insecure and end up being more self-protective than other-focused," Villejo says. "Emotional intelligence requires a sense of inner security, a willingness to stop talking, and an ability to listen attentively and openly to oneself and to others."

Williams agrees. "So, if anything, it makes it more important in the Middle East to have people who understand that not everybody will necessarily respond to different things in the same way; and the need to adapt their approach accordingly based on awareness of your own self and awareness of others."

You can learn to be more emotionally intelligent, say experts.

Gaj Ravichandra of Talent2 shares some tips: