Emotional Intelligence and teams
Management theorists have defined a ‘team’ as a distinctive class of group, which is more task oriented than other groups, and which has a set of obvious rules and rewards for it members (Adair, 1986). This view suggests that high performing teams substitute collective goals and task focus for individual agendas and interpersonal conflicts. 
Nadler, Hackman and Lawler (1979) state that the quality of interpersonal relationships among group members is often poor because people fall into patterns of competitiveness, conflict and hostility.
As a result of the above situations, individuals can experience substantial internal tension as team members. This is why emotional intelligence in teams is so important and is gaining popularity as a desirable training module for employees. Team members must be able to understand and communicate their own emotions along with the emotions of their teammates in order to reduce stress within the team. Developing skills to raise one’s emotional intelligence thereby raising the team’s emotional intelligence is the best way to ensure emotional success. One emotional intelligence skills are taught, individuals can incorporate them into their teams. During the initial formation of teams, members begin to develop rules, expectations and goals for the group.
There are several roles that team members assume in which emotional intelligence is needed. Group members must assume the role of a friend when serving on a team. This entails making connections with others, establishing common ground, balancing interests, and providing help and support. The second role of a team member is that of a negotiator. This requires the individual to resolve conflicts by generating alternative solutions to problems, monitoring other’s responses, and adjusting their actions accordingly. Finally, members in a team often exhibit leadership. Team members organize groups via the initiative of activities. Also, the role of a leader inspires and motivates other group members and keeps the group focused on the task at hand. Emotional Intelligence is a skill needed in all these roles in order to understand other team members enough to bond with them and ensure team cohesion.
| Team performance and EI
Various aspects of teams such as task or goal attainment, communication skills interpersonal process, cohesion and conflict management contribute to team performance. Emotional Intelligence is central to many of these components and can aid in attaining successful performance. Emotional Intelligence has been shown to benefit interpersonal processes and raise self-efficacy. The higher one’s emotional intelligence, the higher one’s ability is to enhance life satisfaction and decease depression symptomatology which can benefit teams overall performance.
The quality of interaction also affects communication effectiveness, perceptions of equity, and competitive behaviour. By developing emotional intelligence skills, team members will be able to communicate more effectively due to their ability to recognize and regulate their own and other’s emotions. Lastly, Emotional Intelligence could potentially reduce aggression in the work place. Satisfaction with coworkers has been found to be negatively related to absenteeism and destructive behaviour on the job.
Emotional Intelligence is a valuable construct for any organization contemplating or currently practicing the teams approach. Because teams are constructed of individuals who experience and exhibit emotions, emotional intelligence is needed so that team members can interact in an appropriate and efficient manner. If team members are trained in Emotional Intelligence, perhaps they will enhance their communication with one another, increase chances of accomplishing their goals smoothly, increase cohesion and commitment, and decrease interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict.
Emotional Intelligence is increasingly relevant to organizational development and developing people, because the EQ principles provide a new way to understand and assess people’s behaviours, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Emotional Intelligence is an important consideration in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service, and more. The process and outcomes of emotional intelligence development contains many elements known to reduce stress for individuals and organizations by decreasing conflict, improving relationships, continuity and harmony.
If one works in a large organization, even now he or she is probably being evaluated in terms of these capabilities, though they may not know it. If an individual is applying for a job, it is likely to be scrutinized through this lens, though, again, no one will tell it so explicitly. Whatever ones job, understanding how to cultivate these capabilities can be essential for success in one’s career and eventually to the organization one is part of. An organization fosters these competencies or discourages them if an individual is part of their management team. To the degree the organizational climate nourishes these competencies, an organization will be more effective and productive individuals will maximize their group’s intelligence the synergetic interaction of every person’s best talents
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