Northeastern University Emotional Intelligence Importance Discussion Paper Read the attached ebook, Making Teams Stick Together, Emotional Intelligence and
Northeastern University Emotional Intelligence Importance Discussion Paper Read the attached ebook, Making Teams Stick Together, Emotional Intelligence and Team Cohesion by John J. Errigo, MS.
With this week’s individual assignment, you will be asked to define and discuss emotional intelligence (EI) and correlate its importance to the concept of Leading Teams. In addition to an overview of EI, please specifically address the following:
1. I would like to highlight at least three key learning points you have taken from reading this ebook, and talk about these points will help influence your leadership style and/or the way you view the importance of EI as you move forward in your careers.
2. Read the summary entitled An “Aha” Moment and describe an “Aha” moment that you have had as it correlates to your being in a team environment either as a leader or member.
3. Take the Bonus One Emotional Intelligence Survey. What did the results tell you about your EI skills? How will the results help shape your own EI intelligence?
4. Take the Bonus Two Team Cohesion Survey. You will have to pick a team with which you are associated to use when taking this survey. What did the results tell you about your team’s cohesion?
You do not need to cite additional references beyond the Errigo eBook, but if you do, the eBook and any other references must be cited per APA Guidelines.
Submission is to be per APA Guidelines, including Title Page with name (and nickname), Abstract, Running Head, and properly cited references.
Submission should be a minimum of 2 pages (excluding title page, abstract and reference page) and formatted in Times New Roman, 12 font, one inch margins and double spaced. Other Works by John J. Errigo, M.S.:
A Lean Marketing Revolution:
The Timeless Know-How Principles
(Summer, 2011)
Level UP: Lead with Emotional Intelligence
(Fall, 2011)
The Big Bang Entrepreneur:
When Start Ups and Ethics Collide
(Winter, 2012)
Public Domain Works with
Introductions and arrangements
by John J. Errigo, M.S.:
The Science of Getting Rich (Wattles)
(Winter, 2012)
The Laws of Success in Sixteen Lessons (Hill)
(Winter, 2012)
The Art of War: Chopped (Sun-tzu)
(Spring, 2012)
Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book
does not imply endorsement by the publisher, nor does the mention of
specific companies, organizations, or authorities
imply their endorsement of this book.
Copyright © 2012 by John J. Errigo III, M.S.
All rights, including the right to reproduce this booklet or any portion
thereof in any form, whether print, electronic, audio, or for
motion pictures or television, are reserved.
This book, author, staff, or companies of HODT Inc., or Quincentennial
Publishing Company, or any divisions therein, shall not be liable
for any business advice implemented or any negative or
consequential outcomes of taking the proposed surveys in the book.
Published by Quincentennial Publishing Company
Published in the United States of America
Cover Art designed by Award Winning Graphic Artist
Eric Zempol: http://www.eric-z.com
eISBN (13) 978-0-9849828-8-2
Any questions or comments please write to the author at:
john@johnerrigo.com
Like and interact with Johns Author Page
www.facebook.com/johnjerrigo
Quincentennial Publishing Company
Post Office Box 7111
Penndel, PA 19047
www.hodtinc.com/q-publishing
Quotes
If a member is willing to stay on a team when offered a chance to leave,
this is seen as a member who belongs to a cohesive team.
(Shaw, 1976)
If you must slander someone don’t speak it- but write it
write it in the sand, near the water’s edge!
(Napoleon Hill)
TIME is a Master Worker that heals the wounds of temporary defeat,
and equalizes the inequalities and rights the wrongs of the world.
There is nothing “Impossible” with time!
(Unknown)
No man has a chance to enjoy permanent success
until he begins to look in the mirror
for the real cause of all his mistakes.
(Napoleon Hill)
Dont always have the last word; sometimes you
just have to be quiet to get along with others.
(Marie Taylor)
Dedication
To my grandmother, Marie Lucas Taylor,
a beautiful woman who taught me so much
about getting along with others.
She taught me how to remain calm, cool, collected,
and hold-up well with class in times of adversity.
Special Thanks To
My mom who spends her lunch and some free time,
making sure my work is understandable.
Alejandro who is translating my EI works to Spanish:
your dedication and support are simply the best.
Gerry Mayers who dedicates special attention
to each detail in this and every booklet.
Nina for her willingness to help, her skills,
and her gracious advice.
Eric Zempol for his
awesome covers and ideas.
Kais for knowing how to pick out
the best chocolate in Canada!
Making Teams
Stick Together
Emotional Intelligence and
Team Cohesion
BY JOHN ERRIGO, MS
EDITED BY GERARD E. MAYERS
Contents
Preface
The What, Why, Where, and How of Cohesion
Leadership Is the Glue in Cohesive Team
Development
Why Do Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Build Better Teams?
Emotionally Intelligent Leaders:
Great Motivators to Develop Staff
Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Make Teams Stick When Others Dont
Leaders Who Excel and Hit the Ball Out of the Park!
An Aha! Moment (Summary)
The True Synergy in Making Teams Stick Together
The Quick Nitty Gritty Q & A (EI and Teams)
Summary of Findings in Research/Conclusions
There Are Limitations in Proven Realities
like Team Development
Bonus One: Errigos Emotional Intelligence Survey
Bonus Two: Team Cohesion Survey
Citations
Sources
Preface
H
ave you ever wanted to work in, or be part of, a great
team? All of us have worked in teams in a variety of
formats throughout our lives. Most of us have either
enjoyed the experience or found it anything but perfect. This
booklet will help define what a good team is, how to make it
stick, and how the emotionally intelligent leader puts
together good and cohesive teams. Finally, this booklet also
will help you learn what good team leaders are, how to spot
them, and how to become part of a great team.
The What, Why, Where, and
How of Cohesion
A
t a recent training seminar, a participant asked me:
What do you mean by cohesion? As someone who
earned his Masters degree investigating the areas of
leadership, emotional intelligence, and team cohesion, I
thought it was a word everyone knew. To my great dismay, I
did not have a 30-second elevator speech for this person; I was
a bit embarrassed. If I could re-do the scenario, I would try to
say something like this: Cohesion is the simple act of people
who want to stay within a team, company, unit, business
partner, etc., if they had the chance to move to another
venue. This was not the definition you were thinking? Right?
Well, neither was I until I came across a study by two
researchers in the late 1980s from The Netherlands. This was
their simple answer: Cohesion is wishing to remain in a group
when there is a chance to move to another.
Think about this concept for a minute. If you had the
chance in your current job, to move to a different job,
regardless of location and work somewhere else, would you
go? If the answer is yes, then you are not working in a
cohesive manner. I will go a step further: This same rule can
apply to relationships, friendships, teammates, business
partners, and companies.
Cohesion is the fabric of society and the manner in which
we find contentment. We either have cohesive relationships or
we do not. We either have cohesive families or we do not. We
either work in a cohesive team or we do not. The focus of this
booklet is a novel one since there is not a lot written about the
true nature of team cohesion and emotional intelligence.
While preparing my Masters thesis, I had to build the bridges
of scholarly research between emotional intelligence and team
cohesion. There was scant literature on the topic. It is my
pleasure to now present to you a guidebook on cohesive teams
(how to develop and recognize them) and building them with
emotional intelligence to improve their efficacy.
Leadership is the Glue in Cohesive
Team Development
I
t would be tremendous if all bosses knew how to put
together good teams. The fact is they do not. Why? It is
probably due to a whole range of reasons. The main one
might simply be because your boss either is limited in his or
her power to have the people he or she would like to work
together, or simply has no clue on how to build a cohesive
team, or is simply not sure who would work well together. A
mix or all of the above would probably suffice here.
Good leaders, i.e., those with emotional intelligence, know
who will work well together. It takes extraordinary leaders to
put together a good
team. They know who
will work together, not
just by trial and error,
but by knowing the
intimate details of each
persons character,
personality, and how
they will gel with others. (This is a sure sign of an
emotionally intelligent leader.) The next time you have a talk
with your boss, if your boss is in the extraordinary column, he
or she is probably sizing you up to see who you would work
best with. He or she is probably doing this with all of your
teammates. If you have a disaster boss (which most of us
have had in our lives), then this person is clueless and will
never be able to put together a good evaluation of your job
performance, let alone a cohesive team.
Good leadership drives the formation of teams. It should
not be happenstance when forming a team, and it should
definitely not be by trial and error. But, if it has to be that
way, it should not be a frequent occurrence. We all know
when a leader puts together a team by mere happenstance.
People do not readily get along; some people are not
committed to the task at hand; and even more telling, people
are ready to jump ship when the next opportunity or
promotion arrives, just to be off the team. We have all been
there. Some of us have even been in the room when a leader is
trying to pick the team members, and you thought to yourself,
This is not going to work. Oftentimes it does not. Lets
examine what happens when a leader makes the right choices
and why.
Why Do Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Build Better Teams?
A
leader who has a good sense of emotional intelligence
would be best able to put together a good team.
Although not perfect, this emotionally intelligent leader
is automatically in the extraordinary boss column. There
are plenty of emotionally intelligent leaders who are not
perfect and not God-sent. In an article appearing a few years
ago in Time Magazine, noted emotional intelligence expert
Daniel Goleman commented that emotional intelligence is not
the only predictor of success. While he did not use these exact
words, he mentioned emotional intelligence basically has the
ability to push a persons job performance from the mediocre
column to the good column, but it also takes cognitive abilities
and emotional intelligence to be on the path to greatness. I
would also add, this comment would be best suited for those
in executive roles.
I would argue wholeheartedly that, if all the
circumstances fell into place such as budgeting, hiring the
right staff, ability to motivate people, building and motivating
cross-departmental work groups, etc., emotionally intelligent
leaders would put together better teams.
People who do not have emotional intelligence under
control, or have no clue of the concept, might also put together
pretty good teams. I would, however, bet they are not
cohesive, which I propose is the ultimate argument in
professional life (especially in the gritty areas of the work
environment).
Imagine working with people who are not only as good as
you, but perhaps have an ability to bring out the best in you,
and stretch your abilities and creativity. These are the people
who make life easy for you and enjoyable, and you only
experience it when working in a cohesive manner.
Emotionally intelligent leaders would be best at putting
together good teams. They know people quite well, since
through their observation, self-reflection, and dealings with
others, they attract the best people, and people want to work
with them. Also, through their careful observation and
dealings with others, they get to know how people tick and
the personalities of others, and are able to imagine who would
work well together. These traits are what make the
emotionally intelligent leader good at putting together
cohesive teams.
Emotionally Intelligent Leaders:
Great Motivators to Develop Staff
T
o develop a cohesive team, a leader must first develop
the foundational elements of his or her staff. These
foundational elements include the relationship between
the leader and staff, understanding those areas of growth
which need to be targeted, what motivates each member of
the team to produce his/her best work, etc. Emotionally
intelligent leaders will always aim to understand where their
staff are coming from and then how to proceed in developing
them. They will know what areas they need to act and how to
act accordingly:
Leaders must know how to act, as well as
when to act based on characteristics of self,
others (followers) and situations
(environments) within which they lead.
Understanding ones emotions and
developing the wisdom to apply that
knowledge is critical to the appropriate
application of emotional intelligence.1
A leader who knows how to act and when will be more
effective in achieving the desired outcomes. The leaders
emotional intelligence will be a compass for the
developmental needs of his/her staff.
Another useful theory in understanding emotional
intelligence, sometimes known as EI or EQ (I prefer EI as
shorthand for Emotional Intelligence) and how it relates to
staff development, is an Emotional Quotient Matrix — which
is based upon the tenets of emotional intelligence. The
dimensions of the matrix are emotional strengths verses
weaknesses and controllable versus uncontrollable traits.
According to Service and Fekula, emotional intelligence is a
leadership imperative and emotion plays a significant role in
leadership. The
researchers also
believe strongly
that emotion and
leadership (human
influence) together
make for an
outstanding
partnership since leaders then are able to influence a variety
of situations based upon the knowledge they gain from
observing others.2 Leadership and EI do go hand-in-hand.
Service and Fekula also state: EI/EQ is the sum total of
the leaderships ability to know and use ones emotions, as
well as read and use the emotions of others. It amounts to
emotional maturity and is comprised of a range of traits
including energy level, stress tolerance, confidence, locus of
control and emotional and social stability.3 Leaders who
manage their emotions and read the emotions of others are
better able to lead their followers in the workplace since they
can gauge a situation and know how to influence their staff to
action. Without it, they can not succeed.4 Leaders who are
able to motivate their staff and influence them to action are
successful in leading them in accomplishing organizational
objectives. Rosete and Ciarrochi state: Leaders who use the
components of EI, namely idealized influence, inspirational
motivation and individual consideration, were assumed to be
more effective in the workplace.5
Positive leadership has been associated with outcomes
that include happy relationships, teamwork, learning,
recognition, and staff retention. These are positive
characteristics since a leader is able to recognize when these
positive characteristics are important, when to employ them
and use them to bring people and projects together. These
same positive characteristics are paramount when putting
together a cohesive team and emotional intelligence brings
about this awareness in a leader.
In order to develop their staff, leaders need to positively
influence them in order to facilitate behavioral changes which
will contribute to their overall professional development.
These competencies are also instrumental in developing
teams and working with a collective staff to accomplish larger
organizational objectives, i.e., building effective and cohesive
teams.
Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Make
Teams Stick When Others Dont
L
eadership generally consists of such dimensions as
having a vision, power, utilization, delegation,
discipline, supervision, and external monitoring.6
According to Blattner and Bacigalupo, a team implies a
group of people who pull together in a strong, cohesive and
complementary fashion to support the leaders vision and
aspirations.7 It is the function of the team to carry out the
mission of the leader (by who it is influenced) and it is the
leader who sets the tone and develops the team. The leader
has a tremendous influence on the emotions of the team and
how the team sees itself. It is emotionally intelligent leaders
who provide the drive for individual members to perform as
part of their teams.8 The leaders overall charisma,
motivational influence, intellectual stimulation, and
individualized attention to team members create [sic] an
atmosphere of empowerment.9
The leader also influences the teams behavior. If a leader
makes each team member feel important and fosters the
growth of each individual team member, then the leader will
create an effective and cohesive team. The leader has to have
the emotional intelligence necessary to be able to identify
where and how to foster growth of each team member. This
happens with observing others and having an awareness of
others and their subsequential motivations. One researcher
correctly reasoned that the emotionally intelligent leader can
accurately assess others emotions and constructively
influence those emotions: The leader needs to know exactly
when and how to access and subsequently influence the
emotions of the individual team members to achieve a
collective goal or objective.10
Emotion, therefore, becomes a key component in any
leaders ability to create charismatic authority over the
members of the team to ensure team transformation. During
the American Civil War of 1861-1865, it was the
responsibility of the commanding officer of each regiment
North or South, to insure his men were properly drilled as
well as clothed and fed. Each regimental commander was
answerable to his higher authority for any derelictions. In the
beginning, the soldiers grumbled and complained mightily
about the incessant drill imposed upon them. This, however,
changed drastically once combat was joined.
Because he was such a stickler for drilling and proper
procedures, Robert McAllister of the Eleventh Regiment, New
Jersey Volunteer Infantry, originally was spoken of derisively
as Mother McAllister. After the regiments horrendous
firefight at the Klingle farm on July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg,
surviving members looked upon their colonel with affection
and high respect. Previously used in derision, Mother
McAllister now became a term showing the regiments
transformation. By all the definitions cited above, McAllister
had fashioned a cohesive and an effective team.11
The degree to which a leader is able to arouse, inspire and
motivate individuals is closely related to the level of
emotional intelligence possessed by that leader.12 The leader
has to know when to regulate emotions for the common good
of the team and when to use them effectively for a given
purpose. The emotional intelligence of the leader is closely
tied to the ability to influence others; this influence helps
nurture and guides each individual team member.
To use an example, a team leader seeks to influence his
team members about a new training program. A leader who
promotes training uses a careful display of emotions. The
leaders enthusiasm for the program helps create an
atmosphere of excitement by being positive and upbeat in
explaining the benefits of such training. An emotionally aware
leader will know exactly how to display the necessary
emotions (enthusiasm, excitement, positive language,
willingness to take the training as well) to effectively inspire
team members. As a result, the leaders influence over the
team as well as its reactions and emotions has a tremendous
impact on cohesive team development.
In the article Group Development and Team Effectiveness,
Bushe and Coetzer contend there are different stages of group
development. The primary stage is group membership, where
the leader has a great impact on the developing team. The
first phase of development in teams is membership. It is
[considered] the first phase because until members
psychologically join, there is not [a] team but just a collection
of individuals who have been grouped together.13 The
collection of individuals exists first; it is the function of the
leader to bring them together and develop them into a
cohesive team. These two researchers believe strongly that for
a team to develop successfully, its members must want to
belong to the team and come to identify with the team.14 The
leader is the one who has to work with each individual team
member to help them identify with the team. The leader puts
forth the effort to collectively identify with each member,
where the team members will benefit by collectively
identifying with each other.
Perhaps a member is placed in a team in order to foster
professional growth and development as well as to achieve
organizational objectives. Since the emotionally intellige…
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
