Few managers would argue that employee behaviour and motivation play a vital role in increasing an organisation’s productivity. But how many have the skills to understand and positively motivate their employees?

According to Principal Organisational Psychologist Cheryl Adams, of Think Trek Consulting, there are many reasons managers should study human behaviour, plus an important rule to L.I.V.E by for success as an emotionally intelligent manager.

 

1. Return on Investment (ROI). The key reason to invest your time and focus into people is a return on your most important investment and asset – your employees.  Research shows that for every dollar spent on your staff’s well-being and emotional intelligence (EI), you have a return of $A2.3 dollars. ^

 

2. Employee Well-being:  Good workplace + practices = well-being = ROI.  In today’s fast-paced environment, employee satisfaction is essential; however, staff well-being and mental health is a priority.

 

3. Happiness: Get to know your staff and their needs, interests, motivators and try to incorporate these into the workplace and watch their happiness and well-being grow. Happy employees have lower absenteeism rates, and that makes them more productive in the workplace.

 

4. Productivity! As above, a happy employee is more productive at work. If you want your employees to achieve more in less time, you need to focus on building a positive workplace culture.

 

5. Creativity: Managers should encourage their employees to be creative with work practices and to keep up with change.  Creativity comes from team members within an organisation feeling safe, having good well-being and being praised and valued for coming up with new ideas.

 

6. Ability to Manage Ambiguity: Businesses are continually changing, and staff need to be able to bend and adapt to change.  Understanding your employees will allow you to identify the best way to support team members with change and to manage ambiguity.

 

7. Manager Satisfaction:  Being a manager is an inherently tricky Be kind to yourself and invest time in your people to increase your work satisfaction, well-being and productivity.

 

8. Increased Skill Level of Your Team: Get to know your employees by understanding their strengths (and incorporate these into the workplace) and be aware of areas for development. In this way, you up-skill your team and develop a capable workforce, which makes your job easier.

 

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence is about understanding the impact you have on other people and how other people’s behaviour influences you. It’s about self-control and your ability to act positively with your motivations, needs and feelings.

Some people have innate emotional intelligence, but any manager can learn Emotional Intelligence (EI) to increase employee well-being.

Ms Adams says there’s a simple rule to L.I.V.E by to get to know your staff and encourage Emotional Intelligence (EI) and well-being.  She says the little things have the most significant impact.

 

L-I-V-E is a helpful acronym to remind us to practice small, simple steps to create a positive work environment.

 

Listen

• Make eye contact
• Pay attention to what others have to say
• Don’t interrupt

Include

• Invite to participate
• Invite to socialise
• Keep in the loop
• Build on other ideas

Value

• Give credit where it’s due
• Encourage strengths
• Acknowledge accomplishments
• Respect others’ differences
• Benefit of the doubt

Engage

• Say hello and goodbye
• Give equal time to all
• Ask for input
• Open body language

 

Professional Development for Managers  

If you manage people, there are many professional development courses to help you understand human behaviour, and as a result, become a better manager.

If you’re in a management role or are considering a course in Management and Leadership, your success will depend on an in-depth understanding of what drives the people who work for you.

If you’d like to understand better what makes people tick, consider studying with Australian Online Courses. So, what are you waiting for? If you’ve been considering gaining new skills in management and leadership, check out the following professional development courses for managers today.

 

Certificate of Biopsychology

This professional development course explores the human mind, brain and behaviour and provides an insight into the functions of the human brain as well as the applications of neuropsychological research in the areas of business, technology and fitness and health.

 

Develop Emotional Intelligence

To learn how to avoid miscommunication, resolve conflicts and build a cohesive work environment study to enhance your management skills. At the end of this online course, you will be equipped to improve your work relationships, reduce stress and increase your motivation and productivity.

 

Anger Management

In this online anger management course, you will explore anger dynamics, the anger process and the factors that sustain its detrimental effects. This course is beneficial for those who manage people in a work or recreational setting to gain insight on how to be assertive and sensitive to the emotions of others.

 

Certificate of Psychology

Are you interested in human behaviour? Psychology is an exciting area of study that explores why people behave in certain ways and is beneficial across many industries, including health care, social assistance, education, marketing and more. In this course, you will develop your foundation knowledge for a deeper understanding of human behaviour, psychological disorders, organisational psychology and social psychology.

 

Australian Online Courses

When you study with Australian Online Courses, you have access to an eLearning platform that allows you to study where and when you choose. This self-paced learning environment will enable you to plan your study around work, life and family commitments.