Our audience will gain some more effective, healthier, and sound ways that leaders in business can use their emotional intelligence to better motivate and manage their employees. Listeners can also learn new tools for more effectively retaining employees and increasing employee morale.
Many leaders and managers were taught early on in their careers that the workplace was no place for emotions or empathy. Others were trained decades ago in theories of management that involved strict accountability, a focus solely on productivity and using fear as a tool to govern and manage their employees and workers.
In recent years, most management consultants, HR professionals, and employee relations experts have come to see the value in having a so-called “softer approach” – one that requires leaders to cultivate and use their own emotional intelligence, and to address employee conflict and workplace challenges through an emotionally sound, psychologically aware lens.
The pandemic – with its stressful impact on the mental health of employers and employees alike – perhaps makes an emotionally intelligent approach to managing that much more crucial to a company’s success.
In our discussion tonight, my guest, Dr. Marc Miller, psychologist, coach, and consultant, and founder of MLM Coaching & Consulting, LLC, will discuss some more effective, healthier, and sound ways that leaders in business can use their emotional intelligence to better motivate and manage their employees.
About Dr. Marc Miller:
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By Segment
0:37 – 15:04 – Starting tonight’s episode, Eric wishes everyone a Happy New Year and welcomes his guest, Dr. Marc Miller. He is the founder of MLM Coaching & Consulting, LLC. With a Ph.D in psychology, Miller helps business owners and other professionals improve their leadership abilities. Miller talks about being about 27 years old and getting his doctoral dissertation done while also having a newborn on the way. Over the years as a psychotherapist, he realized how much he has helped clients reach their goals in life and clarify what they want to improve in their lives; to tap into their strengths. He discovered the idea of coaching later on in his life and liked the approach of looking at people’s strengths rather than people’s weaknesses. Another reason why Miller likes coaching is that he isn’t really diagnosing anyone which is something that he didn’t like as well as dealing with things like insurance companies.
17:19 – 31:36 – Eric asks Miller about how he defines emotional intelligence. He says that the most important aspect is self awareness. It’s about understanding our own emotions, feelings, and desires. Social awareness; how we are aware of other people and other people’s emotions. He also mentions empathy. He says that it’s important because we can’t read other people’s minds but there are ways we can clarify how others are feeling by asking questions for example, so that we can adjust our responses to them. Miller makes a point that having emotional intelligence is important in a workplace setting where leadership, teams, and communication is involved. He challenges our thoughts by asking if one should hire someone who’s very smart or something who is emotionally intelligent. Both, of course, may be important. But the point made is that the parts like self awareness and social awareness are important when working with others in various settings. Getting more into how the human brain works, Miller explains that when we are aware about what triggers our emotions, we can learn how to control or deal with them. Without understanding what triggers our anger for example, we may not be able to control our anger and that anger can create a pattern the other person you are communicating with will react to.
33:39 – 44:43 – Coming back from the break, Eric brings up the topic about Covid19. He asks Miller about how the stress that many have gone through may affect emotional intelligence. Miller says that with prolonged stress, we are more likely to be reactive when there is an interpersonal problem that comes up. Miller also mentions that everyone, including introverted people, are people-oriented. Isolation, anxiety, worry and more has affected the workplace and our personal lives in which people and organizations are challenged to transform and continue to find meaning in what they do. As a coach, Miller doesn’t necessarily answer people’s questions but rather helps his clients find options to deal with their situations and what they are feeling.
46:43 – 58:04 – On the final segment of tonight’s show, Miller gives us tips for employers and employees who are dealing with intense amounts of stress and are emotionally triggered. Self awareness is one. Being aware of what we are feeling before we express them is important. Miller says that asking questions and clarifying issues with employees is a better approach. But also be aware of whether employees are uncomfortable for example; reflect and identify. Staying grounded in escalating situations. Meditation, as Miller says, doesn’t have to be a long 30 minute session. Take 30 seconds to focus on the breath to bring yourself back to the present moment. It’s about focusing on the moment, not entirely on the emotions. He also recommends looking into positiveintelligence.com which helps build our mental fitness. There’s a saboteurs assessment on the website, free of charge, which helps identify parts of our self- talk which can have negative influences. Miller reminds us that struggling with emotional intelligence doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you, rather it’s improving your relationship with yourself and others. We are all human and we all have emotions and reactions to different things. What makes Dr. Marc Miller different from other coaches is that he brings his psychotherapy background and integrates it into his coaching.
About Employment Law Today
Helping Business With Employment Law Issues.
For many business owners, it can be overwhelming to keep up and comply with the federal and state labor and employment laws that govern how they run their business. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new laws and regulations regarding hiring, firing, and workplace practices and protocols — all of which can increase business owners’ anxieties about regaining traction or thriving again. On my weekly show, we will be discussing the most common employment law related questions and challenges that business owners have been facing in these uncertain times.
The show will have three main goals: (1) to inform businesses about employment law updates, (2) to inspire businesses by giving them the tools to move forward, and (3) to demonstrate how some business owners have overcome their employment law problems, walked through the challenges imposed by this pandemic, and have taken steps to regain traction during the reopening phases of this pandemic.
Our guests will include professionals who advise businesses from an H.R., legal, and financial perspective, along with thriving business owners who will share their experiences and insights into running a successful company while complying with labor and employment law mandates during COVID-19.