The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Workplace Productivity

There are a lot of things that contribute to workplace productivity, like technical skills and available resources. But if you really want to empower your highest level of productivity, one area can arguably ramp up workplace productivity more than any other—emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence (also known as EI) is a highly in-demand skill. For example, according to research from CareerBuilder, when evaluating candidates, 71 percent of employers value emotional intelligence over intelligence and technical competency—and nearly 60 percent would opt not to hire a high IQ worker if they had a low EI.

And there’s a reason for that. People with high emotional intelligence (also known as EI) tend to be more productive and successful than their less emotionally intelligent counterparts.

But how, exactly, does emotional intelligence contribute to workplace productivity?

What is emotional intelligence?

First things first. Before we jump into the role of emotional intelligence in workplace productivity, let’s quickly touch on what emotional intelligence is.

According to an article from Harvard Business School, “Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand and manage your emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you.”  

People with high EI clearly understand their emotional landscape—and, more importantly, how to manage those emotions effectively. For example, an emotionally intelligent person would know what kind of workplace situations might trigger a negative emotional reaction and have a plan for managing that reaction without negatively impacting their coworkers.

People with a high level of emotional intelligence also understand other people’s emotions—and can empathize with others and interact with them in a way that acknowledges and respects their emotional experience. For example, a person with a high IQ would recognize that a colleague might be feeling down after getting passed up for a promotion—and check in with them to see if they want to talk about it or need support.

So, how does that play into workplace productivity?

Emotional intelligence keeps people in their jobs.

Long-term productivity depends on a person staying in their role long enough to make a real impact.

And, as it happens, emotional intelligence can help them do so.

Emotional intelligence plays into retention both at the individual and organizational level. Individually, research shows that people with high EI are likely to be happier and more satisfied at work (partly due to their ability to manage stress effectively)—while another study found that employees with high EI feel 50% more inspired than their lower EI peers.

From an organizational perspective, managers with high EI can contribute to the retention of their direct reports. For example, research from Initiative One found that employees are 400% less likely to leave an organization when they have a high EI manager.

Emotional intelligence drives performance.

Another way EI contributes to workplace productivity? Employees with high emotional intelligence are generally better performers.

In fact, according to [data from TalentSourceEQ](https://www.talentsmarteq.com/articles/what-a-high-emotional-intelligence-looks-like/#:~:text=A%20leader's%20emotional%20intelligence%20(EQ,tone%20for%20others%20to%20follow.), a whopping 90 percent of top performers in leadership positions have high EI—and that emotional intelligence is responsible for almost 60 percent of those leaders’ success in their roles.

That improved performance can also be tied directly to revenue. For example, an internal study from PepsiCo (outlined in this article from Leaders.com) found that managers with high EI outperformed their yearly revenue goals by up to 20 percent.

Emotional intelligence fosters collaboration.

EI also contributes to team productivity—more specifically, by fostering more effective collaboration.

To be successful, teams need to be able to collaborate and work together to reach common goals. As mentioned, emotional intelligence involves understanding and managing not only your own emotions but the emotions of others. Having a high EQ allows people to better understand their coworkers’ emotions and collaborate with them in a way that feels supportive and empathetic—which ultimately leads to better collaboration and increased team productivity.

Emotional intelligence prevents burnout.

Burnout is a productivity killer; when you’re burned out, it’s hard to get anything done, let alone stand out as a high performer. However, research shows that emotional intelligence can reduce the likelihood of job burnout.

How? People with high EI are in tune with their own emotions. They can recognize when their workload has become too overwhelming—and take steps to keep burnout at bay (for example, by requesting time off or assigning some of their duties to a direct report). Employees with high EI are also better at managing challenging emotions—like stress or frustration—which contribute to burnout. Finally, thanks to their relational skills, people with high EI are more likely to have strong relationships, both at and outside of work—and having that support system can be extremely helpful in avoiding burnout (for example, by having a colleague to vent to after a challenging experience or to brainstorm ideas to manage an overwhelming workload better. 

Bottom line? People that are burned out can’t be very productive. And because emotional intelligence helps you avoid burnout, it can also support you in avoiding any burnout-related dips in productivity.

Emotional intelligence is a crucial part of workplace productivity.

While many factors contribute to workplace productivity, few are as significant as emotional intelligence. People with high EI know themselves and their emotions—and can understand and empathize with their coworkers’ feelings. This delivers an across-the-board productivity boost, improving everything from collaboration to stress management to individual and team performance—which is why it’s crucial to organizations. So, if you’re looking to get ahead at work and increase personal and team-wide productivity, you can start by increasing your EI, individually (for example, investing time in better understanding your feelings and reactions) and for others (for example, actively listening to colleagues and responding with empathy).