Emotional Intelligence in Project Portfolio Management

Introduction

One of the most important qualities of leadership needed in today's multigenerational business world is Emotional Intelligence (EI). EI is a "people smart" type of intelligence — it enables an individual to read a person and provide the right kind of emotional feedback and responses to that person's needs. Leaders who demonstrate strong emotional intelligence are able to improve project performance because they focus on the individuals within a team rather than simply or exclusively on goals and procedures (Cacamis & Asmar, 2014). EI allows one to be person-centered, oriented towards responding to emotional cues that others are consciously or unconsciously displaying in their words, behavior, body language, and communications. Effective use of EI can help organizations promote a stronger workplace culture, stronger teams, and stronger overall performance (Den, Deanne & Belschak, 2012).

In a multigenerational workplace environment where conflicts might arise within teams as a result of disparate worldviews, attitudes, ethics, belief systems, expectations, and individual needs, an EI approach can help project managers overcome the disconnect that some employees may feel at work. Project portfolio management is a strategy in which the management of methods, technologies, and procedures is centralized to ensure efficient use of resources and effective scheduling of activities in support of organizational objectives. Many factors play a part in the successful management of project portfolios — including the way in which employees relate to their project manager. As economic instabilities on a global scale have pushed back the retiring age of many Baby Boomers, there is a greater mix of younger and older generations in the workforce than ever before (Stewart, Oliver, Cravens & Oishi, 2017). Added to this is the fact that Generation X and Generation Y employees tend to have different collective attitudes towards life, values, interests, and their jobs compared to older generations (Ahmad & Ibrahim, 2015). Such differences of opinion and outlook can lead to miscommunication, misinterpretation of feelings, and unstable work environments — especially if management does not take an active role in promoting more positive engagement with and among workers (Schyns & Schilling, 2013). As the research indicates, EI is a skill that project portfolio managers can acquire in order to address multigenerational issues within teams and promote a positive, efficient, and high-performance workplace environment.

Literature Review

There is substantial literature relevant to the issue of multigenerational work environments and the management initiatives that can be used to address them. Much of the research indicates that generational gaps are real and manifested in the workplace through the behaviors, attitudes, work ethics, and beliefs of generational groups (Zopiatis, Krambia-Kapardis & Varnavas, 2012; Schullery, 2013; Krahn & Galambos, 2014; Smith & Nichols, 2015; Moore, Everly & Bauer, 2016; Rosa & Hastings, 2016; Van der Walt, Jonck & Sobayeni, 2016). Each generation has specific outlooks shaped by educational and life or work experiences, which inform its skill set. The challenge of the project portfolio manager is to harness the unique skill sets of the various generational groups within each team, bring the team together through communication, and promote productive discourse that embraces diversity. As the literature shows, these challenges are best met through the utilization of emotional intelligence on the part of management. To the extent that a project manager expresses empathy, sympathy, and emotional support, the team is likely to succeed.

The study by Ahmad & Ibrahim (2015) examines the working environment in Malaysia, where the three main generational cohorts in the workplace today are Baby Boomers (1945–1964), Generation X (1965–1980), and Generation Y (1980–present). The study focuses on how each cohort differs in outlook and the ways in which managers can respond to these differences to establish a better workplace environment. Baby Boomers are found to be task-oriented and strong believers in staying late to finish a job; their work ethic tends to be solid and they are commonly seen as loyal to their organization. Generation X workers tend to seek a balance between work and life, viewing each as equally important; they are flexible and tend to enjoy working independently. Generation Y workers are tech-savvy but often have fewer interpersonal communication skills, both verbal and written. According to Ahmad & Ibrahim (2015), these three cohorts now make up most working environments, and it is the responsibility of leadership and management to help bridge the gap between them by adapting to the needs of each group. Implementing EI skills is an effective way to adapt to these diverse needs and demonstrate a supportive approach toward individuals from different generational backgrounds.

Bringing the generations together and uniting them through organizational culture should be a central aim of management. As Butts (2015) shows, managers who take a personal interest in their workers, reach out to them, and address issues through an intergenerational lens are better positioned to produce positive outcomes than those who do not. Exercising emotional intelligence can be an effective tool in assisting management in this aim, especially as Generation Y workers and Baby Boomers hold significantly different outlooks on issues such as employment, debt, finances, education, and social justice (Cutler, 2015). Bringing these groups together in projects can be difficult, particularly if the project portfolio manager fails to recognize the power that EI can have in building relationships (Cacamis & Asmar, 2014).

A study on nursing turnover serves as a useful example of the generational problem that can arise in organizations where disconnect between managers and employees results in frustrated staff and low retention rates. Meretoja, Numminen, Isoaho & Leino-Kilpi (2015) conducted a cross-sectional survey of interventions in coaching nurses from various generational backgrounds in order to promote competence and quality care. The study's objective was to identify causes of nurse turnover as they related to generational outlooks. Of the more than 2,000 questionnaires completed by nurses at a Finnish hospital, findings showed that younger Generation Y nurses were more adept at — and willing to help — older Baby Boomer and Generation X nurses learn, use, and embrace technology, which is an especially important tool in modern nursing. The older nurses were also able to impart knowledge based on their years of experience to the younger nurses. A productive trade-off was therefore discernible: each generational group had something meaningful to offer the other. With regard to managerial approach, the study found that managers can enhance teams by incentivizing workers and fostering a workplace atmosphere that rewards career development. This idea of fostering connectivity is central to addressing the multigenerational problem and closing the gap between project managers and workers. By approaching the issue from the perspective of what every employee can contribute to the group, management can build on the team's overall capabilities and apply EI to help bridge the disconnect felt by workers who are unsure how to bring their skills to the group or to their manager.

Bringing generations together to enhance team productivity was also the focus of the study by Douglas, Howell, Nelson, Pilkington & Salinas (2015), which examined four generational outlooks on team dysfunction. The generations studied were Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. The dysfunctions examined included absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. The researchers found that multigenerational issues can be addressed by conducting communication workshops for multigenerational teams, providing one-on-one coaching sessions, probing for conflict, and promoting a culture that recognizes results. Hillman's (2014) study supported this finding as well, showing that teams benefit from multigenerational composition when members communicate effectively and utilize one another's strengths. For example, one skill that Generation Y brings to multigenerational teams is a sharp understanding of and ability to effectively use social media — a skill that can help teams in ways that older generations are often less familiar with (Shirish, Boughzala & Srivastava, 2016). For a project manager, identifying the skill sets and strengths of each unique generational group makes it possible to see how the pieces fit together in order to more efficiently plan, schedule, and orient work projects.

Embracing multigenerational teams as an opportunity rather than an obstacle is also the cornerstone of an article by Phillips (2016), who finds that communication, commitment, incentivization, and motivation are the keys to helping generations bridge the gaps that divide them. EI plays a role in Phillips's (2016) findings in that each generational group exhibits tendencies that can be offensive to other groups — for instance, Baby Boomers' tendency to show unwavering deference to authority versus Generation Y's tendency to speak its mind and advocate for its educated opinion. These two tendencies can create conflict when misread. Schullery's (2013) literature review corroborates this assessment by showing that Generation Y values juxtapose with those of earlier generations and can generate negativity between younger and older generational sets. The high self-esteem characteristic of Generation Y is particularly viewed as an agitating factor by Baby Boomers and Generation X, leading to confrontational dynamics (Schullery, 2013).

Conclusion

In conclusion, multigenerational groups are now more common than ever before in the workplace. These groups present special challenges for management because of their unique outlooks, work ethics, and values. Some generational cohorts will be skilled in certain areas while others will be skilled in different areas. The manager who is trained in EI will recognize that all generational groups bring a substantial skill set that can be shared with and benefit the other groups. Through implementing emotional intelligence, the manager can better unite workers and overcome the disconnect that employees may feel with management and with one another.

The primary ways in which the manager may accomplish this are to show empathy to workers, exercise transparency and openness, and recognize the verbal and non-verbal cues that workers demonstrate — cues that reveal underlying issues below the surface requiring attention. By exercising EI, the manager can better ensure that disconnection does not become entrenched and that the multigenerational project group remains fully functional and united. Ultimately, as the body of research reviewed here affirms, emotional intelligence is not merely a soft skill but a critical leadership competency for any project portfolio manager working in today's diverse and multigenerational organizational landscape.

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