Team EQ is a set of norms that develop as group members interact with each other. Norms need to be created, in order to establish the following:
- Mutual trust among members;
- A sense of group identity; and
- A sense of group efficacy.
When working with a group it is important to recognise that developing team EQ is most effectively done as the group engages in its task. Group norms develop as a result of the actions or inactions of team members.
Using the additional levels of awareness and regulation for team EQ, recommended norms at each level are provided.
- Working with individual’s emotions:
- Take time away from group tasks to get to know one another;
- Have check-ins at the beginning of meetings and ask how everyone is doing;
- Assume that undesirable behaviour happens for a reason. Understand the reason and avoid negative attributions;
- Tell team members how you feel or what you are thinking; and
- Ask whether everyone agrees with a decision.
- Regulating individual’s emotions:
- Set ground rules and use them to point out errant behaviour;
- Hold members accountable for errant behaviour;
- Support members and volunteer to help if they need it, while being flexible and providing emotional support;
- Validate individual’s contributions – let members know they are valued;
- Protect members from being attacked by other team members;
- Respect individuality and differences in perspectives and
- Never be derogatory or demeaning.
- Working with group emotions:
- Schedule time to examine team effectiveness;
- Create measurable tasks and process objectives and then measure them;
- Acknowledge and discuss group moods;
- Allow members to question the process;
- Post your work and invite feedback; and
- Benchmark your processes.
- Regulating group emotions:
- Make time to discuss difficult issues;
- Find creative ways to express the emotion in the group;
- Create fun ways to relieve group stress and tension;
- Express acceptance of group members’ emotions;
- Reinforce that the team can meet a challenge;
- Focus on what you can control;
- Remind members of the group’s important and positive mission;
- Remind the group how it solved a similar problem before;
- Focus on problem-solving, not blaming; and
- Anticipate problems and address them before they happen.
- Working with emotions outside of the group:
- Create opportunities for networking and interaction;
- Ask about the needs of other teams;
- Provide support for other teams; and
- Invite others to team meetings if they have a stake in what you are doing.
Druskat, U.V., & Wolff, S.B. (2001). Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2001/03/building-the-emotional-intelligence-of-groups?autocomplete=true.
Wolff, S.B. (2006). Group Emotional Intelligence (GEI) survey: Technical manual. Retrieved from http://www.eiconsortium.org/pdf/GEI_Technical_Manual.pdf.