As a manager of the department, you reviewed the sales report, and sales are drastically down. You decided to attend a seminar on emotional intelligence, and the seminar encouraged you to implement an emotional intelligence management approach in your department. Propose a strategic solution that details how an EI approach can improve organizational outcomes and sales for the CEO.
As you continue to evaluate your role as a manager, the next task to deliver is an emotional intelligence management approach to the CEO. Conduct a research analysis of the company and propose strategic solutions to the CEO of your chosen organization.
Instructions
Write a 5–7 page, double-spaced paper that includes the following components:
EI and Motivation:
Discuss which of the EI building blocks (select one) would impact management's ability to enhance employee performance and job satisfaction.
You will have to research EI, employee performance, and job satisfaction to formulate your individualized approach to this question.
Describe which motivational theory you would utilize based on research to influence the members of the organization.
Include how the selected theory would aid in helping to utilize this new approach to manage its members. Support your solution.
EI, Social Skills, and Decision-Making:
Explain how emotional intelligence would enhance decision-making within the management team.
Effective Teams:
Describe the core attributes of an effective team and the strategies you would implement to develop team dynamics that will benefit the organization.
Sample Answer
Emotional Intelligence Management Proposal: Revitalizing Sales and Organizational Outcomes
Executive Summary
To address the drastic decline in sales, this proposal outlines the implementation of an Emotional Intelligence (EI) Management Approach across the department, designed to significantly improve employee motivation, job satisfaction, team effectiveness, and managerial decision-making. By focusing on Relationship Management (a core EI building block) and leveraging Self-Determination Theory (SDT) for motivation, the organization can foster a high-trust, high-performance culture that directly translates into improved sales figures and sustainable competitive advantage. This approach shifts management from directing tasks to coaching and empowering personnel, a critical change needed for a modern, competitive sales environment.
Company and Current Challenge Analysis
Chosen Organization: Healthy Dynamics
For the purpose of this analysis, the chosen organization is Healthy Dynamics, the wellness company previously analyzed, which is struggling with ineffective strategy, stagnant revenue, and a looming threat of bankruptcy, merger, or acquisition.
Current Challenge
The primary challenge at Healthy Dynamics is drastically down sales, indicating issues not only with the external market strategy but also with internal execution, motivation, and sales team effectiveness. The current "commitment to deliver high quality, effective customer service" is likely hindered by low morale, lack of motivation, and poor collaborative dynamics resulting from the company’s precarious financial position. A solely task-focused management approach is failing to address the underlying psychological factors driving performance.
2. EI and Motivation
EI Building Block: Relationship Management
The most critical Emotional Intelligence building block that impacts management's ability to enhance employee performance and job satisfaction at Healthy Dynamics is Relationship Management (Goleman, 1998).
Relationship Management is the ability to influence, coach, and handle conflict (Goleman, 1998). In a high-stakes, low-morale environment like Healthy Dynamics, strong relationship management allows managers to:
Inspire and Influence: Shift the team's focus from fear of failure (bankruptcy/layoffs) to excitement about the strategic pivot (digital wellness). Managers use empathy and clear communication to articulate the vision and rally staff support.
Coach and Mentor: Focus on developing individual sales skills and addressing performance gaps constructively, rather than punitively. This builds competency and confidence, key drivers of performance.
Manage Conflict and Team Dynamics: Address interpersonal issues that often arise under stress, ensuring collaboration remains functional and professional, which is crucial for complex sales or cross-functional strategy execution.
Impact on Performance and Satisfaction: When employees feel their manager understands them, resolves conflicts fairly, and invests in their development (Relationship Management), their job satisfaction increases significantly. This leads to higher organizational commitment and a willingness to exert discretionary effort, directly enhancing sales performance (Pradhan & Panda, 2017).