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Put It Into Practice
Step 1: Recognize that today's workplace requires that everyone exhibit good interpersonal skills. This requirement applies to every level of management from the C-level executives to middle management to front-line employees. It applies to every function from Human Resources to the IT department to the customer service team to the sales and marketing professionals. Emotional intelligence with both co-workers and customers is a requirement for success in the current marketplace.
The growing expectation that even the most technically savvy employees also exhibit good people skills can be seen in a survey conducted by NYSIA (the New York Software Industry Association) in the Winter of 2003. The number 1 skill employers were looking for in computer/IT personnel was communication skills. Communication ranked higher than a college degree, industry certifications, web site design, UNIX system admin skills or a computer science degree. Step 2: Identify the most obvious communication gaps in your organization. Which departments tend to have the most communications breakdowns with other departments? For instance, most organizations have a gap in communication between the sales and marketing group and the technical experts. The two groups tend to have very different communication styles, breeding mistrust and finger-pointing. This gap can be deadly in today's marketplace, in which sales professionals need to be able to leverage technical experts in sales situations. Technical experts and sales teams must work well together to ensure that marketplace requirements are clearly understood and that nothing is sold that cannot be delivered. Where are the breakdowns in your team or organization? Step 3: Roll out communication improvement training in the context of business requirements. Avoid stereotypes that label certain professions as sadly deficient in emotional intelligence compared to others. Professionals for whom emotional intelligence comes more naturally can be role models and help others learn what they know only if they don't assume a stance of superiority. (Just as employees who excel at understanding technology are more effective in helping others learn when they avoid techniques designed to demonstrate how smart they are and how dumb everyone else is.) When working on improving communication between groups with widely divergent styles, there is always something for everyone to learn.
Coaching For High-Tech & Financial Services |
Forward Focus is pleased to announce our new coaching program designed especially for managers and employees in the high-tech and financial services sectors.
After coaching in these industries for the past 5 years, we have gained the insights to develop a truly unique program that addresses the specialized needs and the increased demands placed on technicians, information technology specialists, finance and accounting specialists and employees who have been promoted from these roles into management positions.
If you would like more information, please click here to download the Forward Focus Coaching Program for Managers service sheet.
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For other ForwardFocus tips, exercises and tools, we invite you to access the Tools section of our web site: www.forwardfocusinc.com
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