What do you do if your office administration professional lacks emotional intelligence?

Identify which EQ components pose serious issues within your Office Admin team. Once identified, consider the following development actions: EQ Training for Office Admins: Invite experts in EQ to conduct targeted training sessions, aligning with management's main concerns. Lead by Example: Demonstrate exemplary EQ behaviors to influence team members positively. Show them what's possible rather than just telling them.

Consider training them. Sometimes what a professional needs is identify ways for them to be more efficient. Consider having workshops around Emotional Intelligence and it will surely help!

One way to do this is to not necessarily directly point out the sensitivity, for instance, but to reframe it in a way that can allow them to take a moment to reflect on the situation and for you to learn how this person reacts. For example, if a co-worker has a tendency to easily frustrate at the speed of the printer, suggest approaching the problem together. Empathize with them at the moment and suggest ways you have approached the situation ("Give it some time to print before leaving your office to pick up the documents." Or "Ensure no one is at the printer or a fax is coming in before you print.").

Depending on the individual, reflection comes in different forms. Many times, people want to know others understand their feelings and situation. Ensure that their cries are heard, but that does not mean that it is without harm. Sometimes, frustration comes from a place of needing help. Show them that if similar frustrations occur, who they can contact and help with the issue.

Foster the positive EI that occurs and combat the lack thereof by having these conversations of looking objectively. Some conversations are just not to be had in the workplace, so steer conversations away from those directions can signal to them that they need to re-think what they were saying or doing.