Last updated on Aug 23, 2024

How do you use emotional intelligence to build trust in meetings?

Organizing meetings can be challenging, especially when you have to deal with different personalities, expectations, and agendas. How do you use emotional intelligence to build trust and rapport with your meeting stakeholders? Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others. It can help you communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and influence positive outcomes. Here are some tips on how to apply emotional intelligence to your meeting planning and execution.

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1 Know your audience

Before you invite anyone to your meeting, do some research on who they are, what they care about, and what they expect from you. This will help you tailor your message and tone to their preferences and needs. For example, if you know some of your stakeholders are analytical and data-driven, you can prepare relevant facts and figures to support your points. If others are more emotional and relationship-oriented, show empathy and appreciation for their contributions.

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JesÃ¹s Bejarano Mateo

Gerente general en AGROGANADERA DOÃ‘ANA SL | GestiÃ³n de redes, Habilidades sociales
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Imagina que estÃ¡s organizando un encuentro con tus amigos. Cada uno de tus invitados es Ãºnico, con gustos diferentes, a uno le justa los juegos de mesa, otro prefiere mÃºsica en directo, y otro disfruta con una buena conversaciÃ³n. Â¿QuÃ© harÃas? Â¡Exacto! InvestigarÃas un poco sobre ellos para que tu fiesta sea un Ã©xito. Lo mismo puedes aplicarlo en tus reuniones de trabajo. Antes de invitar a alguien, investiga Â¿cuÃ¡l es su estilo de comunicaciÃ³n? Â¿QuÃ© espera sacar de la reuniÃ³n? Esa informaciÃ³n te servirÃ¡ para adaptar tu mensaje a cada persona, lo que harÃ¡ que se sientan mÃ¡s valorados, y aumentarÃ¡s las posibilidades de que tu reuniÃ³n sea un Ã©xito para todos.

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2 Set clear objectives and agendas

One of the most common sources of frustration and confusion in meetings is lack of clarity about the meeting's purpose and goals. To avoid this, set clear objectives and agendas for your meeting and communicate them to your stakeholders in advance. This will help them understand why they are invited, what they need to prepare, and what they can expect from you. It will also help you establish credibility as the meeting organizer.

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JesÃ¹s Bejarano Mateo

Gerente general en AGROGANADERA DOÃ‘ANA SL | GestiÃ³n de redes, Habilidades sociales
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Antes de la reuniÃ³n, siÃ©ntate un ratito y piensa en que quieres conseguir. Una vez que tengas las ideas claras, armas una pequeÃ±a agenda. AsÃ, todos sabrÃ¡n por quÃ© estÃ¡n ahÃ y que se espera de ellos. A nadie le gusta perder el tiempo, por eso al tener una agenda clara estÃ¡s demostrando que valoras el tiempo de los demÃ¡s ayudas a que la reuniÃ³n sea mÃ¡s productiva. Esto es como ir a comer a un restaurante sin menÃº. Todos llegan con hambres y nadie sabe que pedir, pero su anfitriÃ³n lo tiene todo organizado y le ofrece a cada uno un menÃº de lo que hay para comer. Ese gesto genera confianza a los comensales, haciendo que se sientan mÃ¡s relajados y seguros durante la comida.

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3 Listen actively and attentively

During the meeting, show that you are listening actively to your stakeholders. This means that you are not only hearing what they say, but also paying attention to their body language, tone, and emotions. Demonstrate your listening skills by nodding, making eye contact, asking questions, and summarizing. By doing so, you can build rapport, trust, and understanding with your stakeholders. It also helps identify concerns or opportunities that may arise.

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JesÃ¹s Bejarano Mateo

Gerente general en AGROGANADERA DOÃ‘ANA SL | GestiÃ³n de redes, Habilidades sociales
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Para que la reuniÃ³n sea un Ã©xito, no basta con estar presente. Cuando demuestras que estÃ¡s realmente interesado en lo que los demÃ¡s tienen que decir, construyes un lazo de confianza. Y cuando hay confianza. Las ideas fluyen, se identifican problemas y se encuentran soluciones.

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4 Manage emotions and conflicts

Even with the best preparation and communication, meetings can sometimes trigger strong emotions and conflicts among stakeholders. As the meeting facilitator, you must manage these situations with emotional intelligence. This means recognizing your own emotions, as well as empathizing and responding to those of others. Use techniques like breathing exercises and reframing to calm yourself and others. Also, asking open-ended questions, finding common ground, and proposing solutions are useful tools to resolve conflicts.

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5 Follow up and follow through

After the meeting, follow up with stakeholders. This involves sending a summary of the meeting that highlights key takeaways and next steps, and thanking them for their participation and feedback. Also monitor the progress of the action items, and provide support when necessary. By doing so, you maintain trust with stakeholders and ensure you can achieve your meeting objectives.

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6 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that donâ€™t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you use emotional intelligence to build trust in meetings?

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1 Know your audience

2 Set clear objectives and agendas

3 Listen actively and attentively

4 Manage emotions and conflicts

5 Follow up and follow through

6 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

Organizing Meetings

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