Rachel Parnes* outlines the three most common mistakes managers make in times of change and how to avoid them.
Managers across the globe are getting a crash course in leading through change—over and over again.
For most of us, it feels like personal and professional pressures won’t let up.
Whether it’s corporate layoffs, shifting public health orders, or managing whether your kids are going to school in person, almost everyone is struggling to get their footing.
This isn’t the time to ignore the emotions that come along with change, says Cassandra Worthy in her course Using Emotions to Leverage and Accelerate Change: A Guide for Leaders.
Instead, to successfully and effectively lead through major changes and disruptions, she says you need to “acknowledge and understand your own emotional energies and the emotional landscape of your organisation.”
To motivate and support your team during these turbulent times, and avoid three common mistakes managers make when they devalue emotional intelligence in management.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) in management
Emotional intelligence, also known as “EQ,” is the ability to perceive, evaluate, and respond to your own emotions and the emotions of others.
And according to data from LinkedIn’s network of over 660+ million professionals and 20+ million jobs, emotional intelligence is one of the most in-demand skills in 2020.
When you have strong emotional intelligence, you can manage your emotions in a range of different (and difficult) situations.
You’re also empathetic to what others are experiencing, which helps you effectively respond to, interact with, and inspire everyone on your team.
Avoid these three low-EQ management mistakes in difficult times
Mistake one: You assume a one-size-fits-all approach to change.
“For any major change, a high complexity of emotion will churn across the organisation, both negative and positive,” says Worthy.
“When we assume a one-size-fits-all approach to change, we fail to empower our people to contribute and thrive in their own unique way.”
Embrace the fact that everyone wears change differently, she advises.
Managers with high levels of EQ allow every individual on their team the space to process change, execute on deliverables, and communicate (or not) on their own terms.
Whether you’re dealing with a major reorg or a process change (remote work, anyone?), keep in mind that some people will be eager to jump in feet first, while others will need more time to transition
Mistake two: You diminish or ignore negative emotions.
Managers talk about change being difficult, but when negative emotions come up, they quickly squash them.
“Role modelling this grit your teeth and bear it mindset is dangerous because it ignores the very real emotion involved with change and can lead to employee burnout and disengagement,” says Worthy.
Instead, model a more emotionally intelligent way of coping.
If you or one of your employees is feeling fear, disappointment, grief, or anger—all emotions that accompany big changes—first name it and acknowledge it.
Then, instead of pushing it away, recognise the emotion as a signal that can wake you up to new opportunities.
“These tough emotions signal us into opportunities to evolve, to grow, to become better and more compassionate leaders,” says Worthy.
To help yourself become more emotionally self-aware and develop a mindset of turning change into opportunity, try this introspection exercise.
Create a chart with two columns, labelled: “What emotion am I feeling?”, “Why am I feeling this way?” In the first column, list everything that you’re feeling: anger, fear, grief.
Then in the “why” column, explore the thoughts that are driving those emotions. Are you afraid because you think you may lose your job?
Are you angry that you don’t have enough resources available to your team?
Are you grieving a perceived loss of job security and success in your career?
Here’s an example of asking yourself: What emotion am I feeling? and Why am I feeling this way?
- Anger: Boss not seeing/interested in my unique talent
- Fear: Thought of losing job and income, and having to find another job
- Grief: Thought of career coming to an end, already missing my colleagues
Once you’ve filled out both columns, then ask yourself: What are my options? List all productive options you can take to mitigate the “whys.”
For example, you can explore a new position in your company, or you can start a job search for a position at a different company.
“The value of this exercise doesn’t necessarily depend on the sheer number of options listed,” says Worthy.
“Rather it’s the intentional mental focus of taking an emotional inventory and subsequent clarity of your options to maximise each and every opportunity change presents.”
Mistake three: You don’t give employees a chance to express themselves.
“When we, as leaders, do not create productive conduits for emotional energy to flow, we enable the potential for counterproductive energy to continue churning within the organisation through the rumour mills or the street committees, eventually stalling or thwarting change success,” she says.
Especially now, when you can’t get the pulse of your teams in person, and are missing the opportunity to casually catch up with people in the break room, you need to get ahead of this before it turns into a problem.
First, engage your teams as early as possible whenever you’re dealing with change. Even if you don’t have the answers or can’t share all the details, communicate authentically and transparently.
Continue to encourage people to express how they’re feeling throughout the change lifecycle.
Some may prefer one-on-one meetings; others will be comfortable sharing in a group.
*Rachel Parnes is a senior Brand and Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn.
This article first appeared at linkedin.com.
