2017 Network for Social Work Management Conference

Connecting the Dots:

Emotional Intelligence,
Ethics,
and Workplace Cultures that “Work”

Jennifer L. Magnabosco, PhD, ACC

-Organizational Consultant
-Certified Life Transitions & Leadership Coach
-Certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner
-Adjunct Faculty: USC School of Social Work Virtual Academic Center
Copyright ©2017: No use of material is permitted with permission of author

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 Inspirational Quotes

“Every organization is an emotional place because it is a

human invention, serving human purposes and dependent
on human beings to function…Emotion is what creates and
sustains a system in its current form” (Reynolds & Vince, 2004)
________________________________________________

“The symbiotic connection between

emotional intelligence and the sphere of ethics and morals
is what delineates human beings” (Keidar & Yagoda, 2014)

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 Presentation Outline

 Basic Premises, Evidence and Trends

o Emotions in the Workplace
o Ethics
o Emotional Intelligence (EI) and the Workplace

 Information for Action

o Guiding questions for assessment and best working practices

to help create workplace cultures that are
“socially just from within”
(Grand Challenge #12: “achieving equal opportunity & justice”),
or those that exude and practice principles of
EI & ethics that are “expected” and experienced on a daily basis

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 Basic Premises
Emotions in the Workplace

Time Evolution Highlights

1970’s “People who were best at identifying others’ emotions were more successful in their
work as well as in their social lives” (Morrison, 2007)

1980’s & Empathy was indicated as a particularly important contribution to occupational

Early success (Salovey and Mayer, 1990). The Emotional Intelligence (EI) movement was
1990’s launched.

Mid- Goleman (1996, 2002) further developed the concepts, measurements and applications
1990’s- of EI for individuals, groups and organizations. Additional research on emotions in the
2002 workplace, EI, and the application of results for organizational/occupational practice
(and non-work life) moved forward in several fields.
2002 & More widespread recognition that an “emotional bottom line supports a financial
Beyond bottom line” (Institute of Ethical Leadership). However, actions to support and
nurture this recognition still very much evolving across fields and professions.
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 Basic Premises
Emotions in the Workplace
 Each of our emotions bears a “gift” (Learning in Action, 2010; Johnson, 2010) of information
that…

o “tells” us what to focus on, how and when to “act”, and

o can help us to better understand, develop, and manage ourselves, our interactions,
relationships, and experiences.
Emotion/Feeling “Gift” Emotion/Feeling Brings (Johnson, 2010)
Anger “Direction, motivation, and boundary setting
Anxiety Clarity
Fear Protection against harm
Joy Emotional vitality-zest for living and involvement in life
Love Warmth, caring for others
Sadness Sensitivity to others’ loss as well as one’s own
Shame Humility (knowing that as human beings we have limits and
are “perfectly imperfect”)”
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 Basic Premises
Emotions in the Workplace
 Our emotions:

o Are often considered to be “contagious” (Goleman, 2005; Brovedani, n.d.) or easily

transmitted with/without intention, and/or purpose.

--“Harnessing” this “contagion” is important (Brovedani, n.d.) so that we

contribute to an “emotional economy”* (The Art of Influence, n.d.; Institute of
Ethical Leadership) that helps to yield:
--healthy (and meaningful) relationships,
--valued productivity and performance, and the
--professional and personal development we desire/need.

--Our EI, and ethics, can help us do this!

* An “emotional economy” is the “sum total of exchanges of feelings among us” (The Art of Influence, n.d.), or the “emotional exchanges [that] are
registered in our bodies and determine the quality of our mood and performance” (Institute of Ethical Leadership).

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 Basic Premises
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
(Northouse, 2016)

Basic Definition Underlying Premise

 Ability to perceive and:  People who are more
• apply emotions to life’s tasks sensitive to their emotions
• reason/understand emotions & their impact on others
will be more effective
• express emotions
across a spectrum of
• use emotions to facilitate leadership and non-
thinking leadership roles and
• manage emotions within activities
oneself and relationships

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 Basic Premises
EI: Measurement Dimension Examples

Source EI Focus Dimensions

MSCEIT Set of mental abilities Perception, facilitation,
(Northouse, understanding, manage-
2016) ment of emotions
Goleman Set of personal and social Self-awareness, confidence,
(1995, 1998, competencies self-regulation,
2002) conscientiousness,
motivation
Shankman & Awareness of 3 aspects of Context, self, and others
Allen (2002) leadership
Learning in 3 core competencies that are the Self-reflection, self-
Action foundation for developing a wider regulation, empathy
Technologies range of competencies and skills to
(2010) manage emotions, especially
under stress
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 Basic Premises
EI: Goleman Competencies

(Goleman et. al, 2002)

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 Basic Premises
EI: Goleman Competencies
Dimension Intra-personal Inter-personal
Self-Awareness Emotional Self-awareness;
Accurate Self-assessment;
Self-confidence
Self-Management Self-control;
Conscientiousness;
Adaptability;
Achievement Orientation
Social Awareness Organizational Awareness;
Service Orientation;
Empathy
Social Skills Visionary Leadership; Influence;
Change Catalyst;
Building Bonds; Developing Others
Communication; Conflict Management;
Teamwork and Collaboration

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 Basic Evidence & Trends
EI

 Rudimentary to the development and enhancement of one’s own

emotional self-awareness & management, and for helping others develop
their emotional competencies for teamwork, leadership, etc.

 Core to balancing work/school life, home life and leisure time

 Inherent to the human services field, and especially the social work
profession, because of the relational nature of our work

--However, using EI to our full potential as human service professionals has

not been studied extensively, or accepted in its entirety (i.e., beyond
empathy) as a competency yet
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 Basic Evidence & Trends
EI
Nonetheless, EI “is”:

Essential for effective leadership, team success, quality based work process and
products, and increased productivity, across professions

Increasingly “expected” skill/competency for hiring, no matter the position or level

Intrinsic to several leadership styles, including transformational, servant, adaptive,

psycho-dynamic, and team

Becoming increasingly relevant in intergenerational work environments

Being investigated for its “dark side” (e.g., the more a person is in tune with his/her EI,
the more manipulative behavior he/she may demonstrate
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 Basic Evidence & Trends
EI & Emotional Resilience

 EI is often confused with “emotional resilience (ER)”:

ER is part of our intra-personal development, and considered part of our EI

 ER is our capacity/competency to
“offset negative feelings (e.g., frustration, anger, anxiety) with positive
experiences and emotions that put perceived failure into perspective.
Over time these positive experiences and emotions enhance personal
resources rather than depleting them, thus leading to resilience”
(Grant & Kinman, 2010)

 ER is part of what gives us the “staying power” to work through difficult

situations over time successfully
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 Basic Premises
Ethics
(Northouse, 2016)

Dimension Description

Definition Values and morals an individual or a society finds desirable or appropriate.

Basis for ethical System of rules or principles (credo) that guide us in making decisions about
credo and what is right or wrong, and good or bad, in a particular situation. A credo may
communication or may not be obvious to its employees; direct and transparent written and oral
communication needed. Bases for credo are rooted in our moral development,
and other organizational and situational factors.
Theories Conduct (“ethical” behavior connected to consequences; or, the good for self;
(Two Examples) or, the good for the larger group/society); character (virtues and moral abilities
not innate but can be acquired and learned through practice).
Historical basis of Virtues of an ethical person—courage, temperance, generosity, self-control,
Human virtues honesty, sociability, modesty, fairness, justice-traced back to Aristotle.
Relationship to If one has power, he/she has the responsibility to be sensitive to how it
power influences and impacts others, and to treat others with dignity and respect. A
leader’s use of power plays a major role in establishing the ethical climate
within their organization, i.e., 14leaders’ conduct is directed by their ethics.
 Basic Premises
Ethics-Leadership & Team Effectiveness

Definitive links between ethics and leadership first shown in 1996. However, research on
the theoretical foundations of leadership ethics is still evolving.

“An ethical leader [or manager] understands that positive relationships are the gold
standard for all organizational efforts…and are the most important determinant of success”
(Northouse, 2016; Institute for Ethical Leadership).

Principles of ethical leadership:

o “Respecting others, serving others, showing justice, manifesting honesty [integrity and
trustworthiness], and building community” (Northouse, 2016).
o *All overlap with EI dimensions!

Ethics plays a role in each theory, approach or style of leadership.

Characteristics of team effectiveness:

o“Clear goals, results-driven structure, competent team members, unified commitment,
collaborative climate**, standards of excellence*, external support and recognition,
principled leadership*”(Northouse, 2016; Larson & LaFasto, 1989).
o*Overlaps with ethics, and ** overlaps with EI.
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 Basic Evidence & Trends
EI & Ethics
EI has been positively correlated with a variety of social results, including social
adaptation, quality social relationships, capacity for healthy social behaviors,
altruism, effective communication, and the “personal coherence essential to moral
and ethical behavior” (Keidar & Yagoda, 2014).

EI has been shown to be a leading factor in establishing the ethical climate in
organizations (Baker, 2016), and with ability to make ethical decisions.

Higher EI allows for the “discernment” of positive or negative ethical behavior

(Pathak, Jaiswal & Patwardhan, 2015), as well as higher levels of perceived
trustworthiness (Brovedani, n.d.).

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 Basic Evidence & Trends
EI & Ethics
 “Making crucial, ethical and moral decisions requires a deep understanding of the
emotions and feelings behind those decisions”, how they are formed in the
workplace, and the impact of that they may have (McManus, 2017).

 Lack of EI is one of the leading causes of conflict (Agarwal, 2013):

--Similarly, lower/less developed EI has been associated with less successful

conflict management outcomes (Morrison, 2007).

 EI has been shown to be a predictive factor in the “perception of the role that
ethics plays in one’s achievement of success”: (Rodriguez Cabral, Pereira de
Oliveiera Carvalho, 2014)

o Since individuals with high levels of EI are typically more successful in their interactions
with others, they are more likely to conduct themselves more ethically in competitive
situations because they are more aware of their own value and capacity to achieve
success.
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 Best Working Practices:
“Socially Just” Workplace:
EI + Ethics =
 Organizational community working together in an environment of mutual
respect and trust

 Organizational culture that exudes, “one for all and all for one”

 Transparent communication at all levels

 Leadership (at all levels) that sets the tone for ethical decision-making
and behavior that is communicated directly, known and practiced all
round

 “Fair” competition for positions and career pathing, with established

metrics for success

 Equality in earnings and “power”

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 Best Working Practices:
“Socially Just” Workplace:
EI + Ethics =
“Moral conversation[s that can be had which] allow [employees] to be
equal participants”(McManus, 2017), and feel free to speak up without fear
or consequence

Development of employees’ EI is valued and supported in service to

themselves, and to their clients/customers, at every level with a focus
on use in every day practice, and as part of conflict management

 A clear and well-communicated ethical credo is supported by written

procedures and processes, is discussed openly, has clear accounta-
bility, and includes EI tone/principles.

Many more!

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 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical (“Socially Just”) Workplace Cultures-
Organization/Team Assessment

Assessment Question EI Ethics

Does your organization/team use, incorporate, or have a direct focus on…If EI? Ethics?
so, in what ways? If not, why not?
How would you describe your organization’s/team’s … EI? Ethics?

What are your organization’s/team’s strengths in… EI? Ethics?

How might your organization/team improve its... EI? Ethics?

What facilitators, and barriers, come into play for addressing issues, and EI? Ethics?
improving your organization’s/team’s…
Who is involved in setting the tone/spearheading your organization’s/
team’s… EI? Ethics?
Are there requirements (e.g., mandatory training) that employees need to
fulfill with regards to… 20 EI? Ethics?
 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical (“Socially Just”) Workplace Cultures-
Individual Assessment
Assessment Question EI Ethics

How do you feel about your organization’s/team’s approach, use, and focus, EI? Ethics?
on…?

How would you describe your…? EI? Ethics?

What are your strengths in…? EI? Ethics?

How might you improve your…? EI? Ethics?

What training/knowledge building, discussions with management and/or peers,

and activities/strategies might be helpful for you in relation to…? EI? Ethics?

What facilitators, and barriers, may/have come into play with utilizing your … in
the workplace? In other situations? What impact do they have/have had on EI? Ethics?
you? What have you learned? How can you make21those learnings work for you?
 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical Workplace Cultures-
Individual Practices
Mindfulness is…

 “the practice of paying attention in a particular way on purpose, in

the present moment, and non-judgmentally…a way of just being…a
life practice”

 “alive in our DNA…the ancient wisdom that lives in our hearts of

what we don’t know, what we do know, and what we are longing for…
what we want to be in touch with to be more complete, more whole”

--Dr. Jon Kabit-Zin, Professor of Medicine Emeritus, founding

Executive Director of the Stress Reduction Clinic & Center for
Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care & Society, University of
Massachusetts School of Medicine
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 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical Workplace Cultures-
Individual Practices

Mindfulness practices are associated with improving health issues

& conditions [e.g., anxiety, depression, asthma, cancer, chronic pain,
heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep disturbances],
and supporting personal and professional growth.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) = “intensive training

in mindfulness meditation and its integration into the challenges/
adventures of everyday life”

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) = modality to gain

greater capacity to recognize and consciously and skillfully respond
to “low mood and negative thoughts”, e.g., to prevent depressive
episodes
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 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical Workplace Cultures-
Individual Practices
Mindful Teachers website (www.mindfulteachers.org)
“Breathing mindfully
Listening deeply
Cultivating insight
Practicing compassion
Limiting reactivity
Expressing gratitude
Nurturing mutual respect
Building integrity
Fostering leadership
Being peaceful”
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 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical Workplace Cultures-
Individual Practices
Generally ”known” practices and activities:

MBSR, and other mindfulness training and programs

Meditation
Body-scan meditation (for sensations, emotions)
Breathing exercises/Following the breath
Yoga
Pilates
Qigong and Tai Chi
Exercise
Stress reduction techniques and programs
Massage/reflexology
Psychotherapy/hypnotherapy
Coaching
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 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical Workplace Cultures-
Individual Practices
Be” mindful (aware) of your mindfulness

Consciously note your mindfulness as you start and end the day, and
in particular situations daily

 Journal/track mindful moments, feelings, behaviors, activities over

time, and changes that result

Seek out more information/phone apps, questionnaires, trainings and

professionals to help develop and assess your mindfulness, such as

Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)

Mindfulness activity measures: www.mindfulteachers.org
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 Best Working Practices:
EI & Ethical Workplace Cultures-
Individuals Practices

 Reflect on your ideas about what it means to be emotionally

intelligent and how you might use it in your decision-making, and other
scenarios

 Seek out others’ perspectives on your own emotional intelligence and

ethics & what can move your development forward

 Commit to activities you identified to enhance your EI strengths &

address areas for improvement

 Reflect more on how your EI is related to your capacity to balance

school, work and social life

 Seek out additional resources & people to gain more information and
insight to enhance your personal and career development,
organizational commitment, and relationships with others
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 Contact Information

Jennifer L. Magnabosco, PhD, ACC

Organizational Consultant
Certified Life Transitions & Leadership Coach
Certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner
Adjunct Faculty-USC School of Social Work
Virtual Academic Center
jLmagnabosco@yahoo.com
(310) 948-1758
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