It is an obvious statement to say that the pandemic has changed work and leadership, and the ways in which this statement is true are numerous. However, one of the more seismic shifts has occurred in employee expectations of what constitutes good EQ (Emotional intelligence) among leaders. The words from Johnny Paycheck’s country song “Take this job and Shove it” come to mind…
It is an established truth that people leave jobs because of their managers, and the current workforce climate is such that more than ever before, people are no longer offering grace to bad leaders who display no effort. A lack of leadership growth in this area, or a failure to acknowledge this shift is one of the drivers of The Great Resignation; a reference to a new era kicked off when 4 million U.S. resignations took place in April this year alone. Leaders assume people want to go back to the office, while employees are much happier at home, where they can manage their own days and avoid, to be frank, office bullshit — a majority of which comes from managers and leaders at work.
The workforce has figured out that companies need workers more than workers need companies.
This workforce realization has moved employee experience and leadership EQ to the top of the priority list for retaining and attracting top talent. Whether it’s inclusion, belonging and diversity or reimagined benefits to support work-life harmony and wellness, companies who will come out on top know they cannot go back to company-centered business as usual if they want to acquire and keep top performers.
If there is a silver bullet to solving for bad employee experience (besides a targeted EX strategy of course), it is a focus on management and leadership behaviors. If managers and leaders execute on evolved EQ expectations, they can overcome many structural or corporate issues that may also need to be resolved. In other words, you can, at an individual level make a great impact on employee experience if you understand how to shift your behaviors, communication and leadership style for the new era of talent preservation and cultivation.
This infographic articulates the key shifts from what used to be acceptable EQ to the evolved expectations. Working on even one of these areas will set you up for stronger employee relationships and engagement. Good luck and please let me know your thoughts!
Curious about me? I am Joni Roylance, Chief Human at Advanced Beings, working with individuals and global top 50 corporations. My background spans the HR function and other critical areas like employee experience, transformation (personal and professional)readiness and human-driven design. I am an established advisor, consultant, coach, speaker and writer in adaptive leadership and the future of work, and am known for breaking into new and unknown spaces to align the power of human connection with business outcomes and personal success. If you’d like to connect with me further just drop me a digital line at: firstname.lastname@example.org