Emotional intelligence speaker Bill Benjamin recently covered EQ and its effect on your business in an article he published on Buisness.com. No surprise that companies who entrench EQ into their company culture find greater benefits to their employee wellness and their business’s profitability. 

But how can you be sure your company is reaping the benefits of a staff who’s EQ savvy?

Assess current EQ

The first step in building a strong, company-wide EQ is to determine how far you have to go. Benjamin says there are multiple ways to assess your team. You could integrate EQ-based questions into existing surveys or quarterly reports to get anonymous feedback. Or you could conduct focus groups to open up a broader dialogue. You could also make EQ assessments available to your team. 

Here are some topics you should be looking for when gathering your EQ intel. 

• Do you have a feedback-rich culture?

• Do people in your company feel safe to take risks and innovate?

• Is your organization agile and resilient?

• Do people handle conflict well?

• Are people able to engage in productive debate?

• Are people energized by the organization’s goals and values?

• Do people avoid difficult conversations?

• Are your leaders able to effectively manage change?

• Do people in your organization skillfully manage emotions?

•  Are people able to listen without judging or jumping to conclusions?

•  Do people admit to mistakes?

•  Do people become defensive when given constructive feedback?

•  Do people feel they’re coached and developed by their managers?

•  How do people handle pressure and tension?

Once you’ve established your baseline EQ for the company, it’s time to work on improving it. 

For ways to develop your staff’s EQ, read Bill Benjamin’s full article at business.com.