Companies Need to Remember the Importance of Natural Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the zeitgeist of our work (and daily) lives. Let's face it, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the new cool kid on the block. Everyone wants to hang out with it, use it, and show off their fancy AI-based tools and their successes.
But while companies are busy swiping right on AI, they seem to be ghosting Natural Intelligence of their teams. Natural intelligence is important in team engagement for several reasons.
Here are a few ways in which natural intelligence can contribute to a positive and productive team environment:
Building trust: Natural intelligence helps team members to understand and connect with each other on an emotional level. This can help to build trust and rapport between team members, which is crucial for effective collaboration which leads to better engagement. "Building trust is like hiking up a mountain - it's a journey, and you need to pack the right gear. Just like how you wouldn't climb a mountain in flip-flops and a Hawaiian shirt (unless you're going for that 'barefoot hiker' look), you can't build trust without the right tools. Building trust is a journey and things such as timely recognition, honest and transparent communications, etc. will help build trust.
Improving communication: Effective communication is essential for successful team engagement, and natural intelligence can help team members to communicate more effectively. By understanding the context, content and emotions of others, team members can avoid misunderstandings. This is key to strong team engagement. Some people prefer to text, while others prefer to send an email or jump on a video call. It's like ordering pizza - some people like thin crust, while others prefer a deep dish. So, provide teams with a communication buffet and let everyone choose their own preferred mode. When it comes to communication and pizza, there's no such thing as one size fits all.
Conflict resolution: Teams are like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get. You could bite into a sweet, creamy center or end up with a bitter, nutty surprise. And just like how different chocolates have different flavors, team members have different personalities and perspectives, which can sometimes cause conflicts. Natural intelligence can help team members to manage and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner. We can manage and resolve conflicts like a master chocolatier - turning bitter battles into sweet victories. Tools that allow Video, audio, chat and rich emoticons can go a long way. Active listening techniques like nodding or repeating back what the other person said show that one is engaged and listening.
Motivation and morale are critical factors in team engagement and productivity. Natural intelligence enables team members to understand and empathize with each other's feelings and motivations. This heightened emotional awareness can help team members provide vital support, recognition, and encouragement to one another, which has been proven to boost engagement and improve motivation and morale within the team. Tools that allow instant recognition and celebration of team's accomplishments, milestones, etc. will help in improving motivation and morale. Just like how a touchdown celebration can get the whole stadium hyped, using tools for instant recognition and celebration can boost motivation and morale within the team.