Part Three: Chapter 10, Managing with Heart Summary and Analysis

In business people skills are becoming increasingly more valuable. The days of the bully manager are over in favor of building consensus and harmony in the workplace. One management consultant said, "Stress makes people stupid," to describe the effects. When people are upset they have memory problems, creativity is lowered, and they have difficulty paying attention, learning or making clear decisions. Good management means giving employees feedback on their performance so they can improve. Just as in marriage, personal attacks, sarcasm, disgust, contempt and bitterness create an emotional response that does not resolve the problem at hand.

Corporate consultant and psychoanalyst Harry Levinson advises managers on how to coach employees: be specific, offer a solution, be present (face-to-face in private) and be sensitive (be attuned to the employee's point of view). Sensitivity to prejudice has been addressed with diversity courses in an attempt to prevent lawsuits and conflict on the job. Prejudices imprinted in childhood can be masked but not erased so managers must also be vigilant in guarding against their own biases. Lawsuits against Denny's restaurants for their poor treatment of black patrons cost the company in money and in reputation and the situation evolved because the managers allowed it.

As businesses rely more and more on teamwork in a global environment, the more prized employees will be the ones who demonstrate high emotional intelligence to create harmony in the team. Engineers at Bell Labs were studied to see how well teams of 5 to 150 could work together. In the study, the star performers were identified as the ones who know the value of building informal networks of knowledgeable trustworthy coworkers. Their social skills set them above their peers because by building networks, they create a larger cooperative of knowledge to draw on.

Think about someone who is admired for their ability to influence others. What soft skills (the sort of person they are) and hard skills (techniques) did they demonstrate? Why are these important and what affect do these skills have on others?

1. Who did you choose and why?
2. List at least 3 soft skills possessed, under asoft skills category
3. List at least 3 hard skills possessed, under ahard skillscategory.

Be sure the soft and hard skills are differentiated to ensure it is clear your understanding of these differences. Remember to reflect on the reading material in your Resources area in this Module, for some definitions of soft and hard skills.

4. Write a minimum one-paragraph summary about how developing your Emotional Intelligence can help contribute to you becoming a person of influence. Remember to cite your source(s).