Harvard Emotional Intelligence Class

Chapter 78 Using emotional intelligence to develop leadership (2)
Recognizing where power resides is an integral part of tactics, enabling you to identify allies and minimize forces against you.Using it well with colleagues and within the company may maximize the benefits.Building a network of relationships is another component of tactics.You can use power tactics to build your network for specific goals, such as getting your point of view heard, solving a problem, implementing and completing a project, or advancing your career.Here are some tips to help you wield power effectively.

When you are making a point of view for which you are not directly responsible, think carefully about the following questions: Who will implement and decide, who will be your supporters, who will be skeptics, and who will you Not sure?
Talk to these people informally before you make a proposal.Find out if your judgment of your supporters is correct and their needs are reflected in your point of view.Ask them to make a commitment, ask them if they are ready to support you.

Ascertain the current thinking of potential skeptics.If you're not sure why they're vacillating, keep that question firmly in your mind so you can be prepared to respond if they object to your proposal.

If the key decision maker is not your supporter, find out what is most important to him or her, and modify your plan accordingly to reflect their values.And use your people skills to stay in touch with these people so you can keep your finger on their pulse.

Get advice from people at the top who can give you the bigger picture, as well as inside information about company decisions and plans.They can also provide you with information about the various factions within the organization and the perspectives of key implementers.

Support them when they are in trouble to make sure they are there for you when the odds are against you.Who knows if those who need your support today will one day be your boss.Even in a company with very loose relationships, it's very easy to offend people if you boss them around without consulting them upfront.

Careful observation of political phenomena within the organization.Note who is the most wobbly in the meeting.This doesn’t always happen to the person at the top, it can happen to the person with the most expertise, the best network, or the most charismatic.

When confronting problems, it is inevitable to criticize those behaviors that cause trouble. The ultimate goal is to change those behaviors that are unacceptable.Accepting criticism at work is not an easy task for anyone, let alone getting problem people at work to voluntarily accept criticism and correct their behavior.People always mix many emotional factors into their work, so it is very easy to interpret other people's well-intentioned criticism as an attack on themselves.Here are some suggestions for constructive criticism of problem characters at work:
1.Criticize privately.A basic principle of constructive criticism is to criticize privately.If you criticize others in public, the person being criticized will only become more defensive towards you, and it is not easy for the person being criticized to understand criticism as a threat if you do not criticize in the work area.A company cafeteria, parking lot, or break area with a vending machine are all good places to privately critique.

2.Start with criticism of moderate intensity.Criticizing very harshly at once, even with good intentions, can do a lot of damage to the self-esteem of the person being criticized and can trigger defensive behavior against you.So it's best to start with moderate criticism and, if necessary, gradually increase the intensity of criticism.Another problem with overly harsh criticism is that the person being criticized will not be able to react immediately.

3.Criticism needs the support of objective facts.

No matter who you criticize, it is best to base your criticism on objective facts rather than subjective cognition.People don't take a lot of criticism because they don't think it's valid.If there are objective facts as the basis for criticism, then the possibility of criticism being accepted will be greatly improved.

4.Formulate your critique in terms of common goals.If your critique helps both parties reach a common goal, the chances of it being effective are multiplied.Use words that reinforce cooperation rather than competition or blame.For example, "If you could double-check that the statistics are accurate while I'm writing the report, we'll be able to finish this report in no time." But if you put it another way, you might run into trouble: "If you I won’t be able to finish the report on time without checking the statistics sooner.”

5.Avoid condescending criticism.If you put yourself in the position of the boss when criticizing others, it will often make the person being criticized very angry. Even if your criticism is well-intentioned, he will find it difficult to accept it.

(Section [-] Be a manager with high EQ

There is no one-size-fits-all way to become an emotionally intelligent manager.However, the path to becoming an emotionally intelligent manager is not paved with flowers. It can also be thorny at times.As you develop your understanding of emotional intelligence and the skillful use of these skills, the teams and organizations you manage will exhibit more enduring and better qualities that help make employees feel more belonging, accountable, and committed .

Teams are built, not born.An effective manager of a team can establish a kind of trust among members, and can use trust as a bond to connect everyone closely to form a cohesive group.

In order to create a sense of belonging among team members, it is critical to start frequent communication early on.Getting the best out of team members—by aligning disagreements, pulling together, or using motivational language—is key to effective team communication.

Building a team that performs well while remaining strong and cohesive is perhaps one of the greatest challenges a manager faces.Now, let's take a look at how high emotional intelligence managers build a good team.Although this example is not from the business world, but from the sports world, this story is an example of how to build a good team, not just sports.

The Story of Gretty Little
Baseball coach Grety Little made a decision that was widely seen as weakening the Boston Red Sox baseball team and costing the team a chance to play in the World League.The "see you next year" Red Sox team has once again stalled, with all the blame being placed on the coach, with Gretty Little being heavily criticized by the media.

Graty Little walked to the pitching box after ace Peter Martinez showed a little fatigue.Little was expected to replace Peter with a left-handed hitter, since Little had already warmed up the left-handed hitter on the sidelines.However, Little did not make substitutions.Peter looked tired, but when Little asked him if he could hold on to another batter, he said yes.It was a crucial game, and Little showed his ability to inspire the team spirit, as he has done throughout the long season.Peter said he could, so Little also gave his star player enough confidence.As it is often said, the rest is history.Although Little led the team to more than 90 wins in two consecutive seasons, the result was that he lost his chance to coach in Boston.

Fans were eager to take Little's head off, but those close to Little spoke highly of his leadership and ability to run a team.Peter Martinet also came out in support of the coach's decision.He even took the blame for the entire loss, saying, "I made the shots and I made the decisions. Little has done a great job all season and it's not fair to criticize his decisions on the field." "

The club's general manager, Theo Epstein, who fired Little, also acknowledged Little's great achievement. He saw how Little fostered a sense of team and an atmosphere of mutual support, how he made the team feel The joy of movement."They did set a high bar, and that's what we're asking the Red Sox going forward to always do, to keep their style," Epstein said.

Regardless of whether Little was right or wrong in his decision to keep Peter on the field, all the evaluations in the team attest to Little's ability to judge, understand, use and control emotions. Tell built a cohesive and efficient team.

Even Red Sox president Larry Lucino had to admit that it was difficult to find someone to replace the "multi-talented" coach Little.Watching the Red Sox play you get the sense that this is a team sport, and Little fostered a sense of team spirit among the players. ★
(End of this chapter)