To mitigate the impact of artificial intelligence we must harness the power of emotional intelligence – The HR Director Magazine

One of the most recognised interpretationsof emotional intelligence (EI) is that of the American author and sciencejournalist, Daniel Goleman. He describes EI as how we use a combination ofself-awareness, self-management and empathy to build and maintain successfulrelationships. Goleman suggests that EI accounts for 67% of the abilitiesneeded to be a successful leader and that it is twice as important as technicalproficiency or IQ.

Why EI is so importantThe most successful leaders enjoy positive relationships with other people. They are able to do this because they are aware of and understand what they feel and why. This awareness and understanding helps them make good decisions and develop a sound moral compass.

As well as understanding theiremotions, successful leaders can manage them and channel how they feel inpositive ways. They understand how other peoples emotions affect their ownfeelings and behaviour. And they bring all this together into how they manage theirrelationships with other people.

Of course, EI has always beenimportant, for all of us. But the impact of technology today is making it essential.83% of executives interviewed by Capgemini in 2019 said a highly emotionallyintelligent workforce will be a prerequisite for success in years to come. And76% said their employees need to develop their EI so they can adapt to newroles and take on tasks that cant be automated.

Claudia Crummenerl, global practicelead, people and organisation at Capgemini Invent said, Companies areincreasingly aware of the need for emotional intelligence skills but are notmoving quickly enough to invest in them.

Why the need for EI is growingToday, were talking to each other less and less while algorithms and AI are influencing us more and more. As a result were losing our ability to connect, to have empathy and to understand. Our EI is suffering.

The more we depend on technologythe more we impair our EI. To counter this we must preserve and capitalize on thethings we can do that technology cant. And we must recognise and value ourimportance as people, as more than simply cogs in a corporate machine.

The value of high EIPeople with high EI, understand their emotions and use them to guide how they act. They know their own strengths and weaknesses, can handle constructive feedback and use it to improve their performance and that of the people they manage.

People with high EI are better atcoping with and managing change. They are more likely to hire people whoperform well in areas they struggle with themselves, and in doing so improvetheir organisations performance.

And people with high EI understandothers and so can motivate them. This makes them more comfortable taking on aleadership role. Because they can manage their own and others emotions, theyare able to create a positive working environment.

These strengths are also thestrengths of people who in my business we call innovative communicators. Andits why we base our communications training firmly in EI.

What high EI means for communicationThe more we interact with other people, the more we learn to understand our own motivations and behaviours. And the more we interact with other people, the more we learn to understand their motivations and behaviours.

So the more we communicate withothers, the more emotionally intelligent we become. And as we become moreemotionally intelligent, so we become better or innovative communicators.

Innovative communication is not afunction, something you delegate to your human resources or communicationsteam. Its a set of qualities anyone can develop to help them lead withconfidence and drive growth. It depends on behaviours such as adaptiveleadership, collaboration and delegation, all of which contribute to high EI.So its impossible to separate high EI from effective communication skills. Thebest communicators will all have high EI because the two are co-dependent.

This means when you train people incommunication skills you need to look at the whole human and base the trainingin EI. Its not about internal comms, external comms, PR, HR or marketing. Itsabout human beings talking to other human beings and the wide range of skillsand personality traits it takes to do that effectively particularly todaywhen we are so influenced by technology and social media.

The time to act is nowThe demand for people with high EI and innovative communication skills is set to soar so you should prepare your business by training your teams now. In 2019, IBMs Institute for Business Value found that, over the next three years, more than 120 million workers worldwide will need retraining in behavioural skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, ethics and integrity. All of which are firmly rooted in EI.

Our rhetoric, our politics and our economies are becoming increasingly divisive. Which is why there has never been a better time for people in business to reconnect through meaningful communication, to what matters most to them and to each other, and for the greater good.

Miti Ampoma,Founder and DirectorMiticom Communications Training

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To mitigate the impact of artificial intelligence we must harness the power of emotional intelligence - The HR Director Magazine