Emotional Intelligence for Agile Teams

Some time ago,  I had the pleasure of presenting the topic of emotional intelligence for the Agile/Lean Peer to Peer group of Kitchener/Waterloo.

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein was on to something very important here.  Arguably of tremendously high IQ, Einstein also possessed a great degree of emotional intelligence. His curiosity is proof positive that even Einstein knew his intelligence could not get him where he needed to go.

Same is to be said for Agile teams.

Self-organizing, decision-making authority at the team level, high performing, quick adaption to change, required ownership and flexibility – these are not skills for the faint of heart.

Your EQ, not your IQ, is what will remove the barriers you are experiencing and propel you and your TEAM to greater success.

The Agile manifesto points to 4 principles…

• People over processes
• Products that work over documenting what the product is supposed to do
• Collaborating with customers over negotiating with them
• Responding to change over following a plan

Your environment is giving you constant feedback and from this feedback, you must:

• Self-orient
• Self-organize
• Self-optimize

Basically, you need to be a Hyper-Productive Team:

• Autonomous (self-organizing and self-managing)
• Transcendent (sense of purpose)
• Cross-fertilized (all skills present within the team)

Plus you have to move bloody fast. And then…our emotions show up. Someone provides feedback on a part of the process that we were involved in and what happens?

• We shame ourselves
• We blame others

Why?

It’s human nature to wear a shield of armour to protect ourselves from rejection. Our shields present themselves in 1 of 2 ways:

• FIGHT WEAR
• LIGHT WEAR
  

OR

The direction, the vision, the team itself CHANGES and we have to adapt…and what happens?

• We get frustrated, confused, shocked even
• We enter denial
• We dig in our heels and resist
• Our anxiety levels rise and our emotions run wild 

Why?

It’s human nature to choose comfort over courage

Vulnerability is just that – vulnerable

So where do you start???

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Relationship management

However, fully developed emotional intelligence does require that you look at the entire realm of EQ because when developed, and balanced, the following benefits are reaped: 

• Overall well-being and happiness, content with life, enjoys themselves and what they are doing
• High social functioning, part of groups and teams, get along well with others in all kinds of situations
• Peak performance, achieving their goals, firing all cylinders, continually learning and growing and challenging
• Optimal emotional functioning, deep relationships, stellar communicators when stakes and risks are high, high levels of empathy and understanding

• Low level of well-being or happiness; dissatisfied with life, complains about a lot of things however doesn’t take action, a lot of blame or shame dialogue
• Low social functioning, NOT introverted (this is not the same), does not get along well with others, loads of conflict, low participation with people and groups, social uncomfortable, awkward or offensive
• Low performance, achieving below their peak/optimal levels and capabilities, not learning, not growing, not challenging, coasting and even less
• Emotions are unmanaged and wild, ticking time bomb, low levels of stress are unmanageable and send them into a downward spiral, poor communication, low levels of empathy or understanding
  

HOW ARE EMOTIONS SHOWING UP AT WORK?

Examples:

• Ticking time bombs reacting to the slightest provocation
• Defensive behaviours – shaming and blaming – pointing fingers or feeling under the microscope
• Taking ownership and speaking up – assertiveness
• Managing through change and adaptation
• Creating safety in the workplace – psychological safety – everyone feels safe to speak up 

This is the video link to answer these questions and more: