Emotional Intelligence: why it matters in the workplace

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Association of Apprentices (AoA) Trending Topics Blog Series

There was a time in human history when feelings were largely disregarded, especially in formal settings. Particularly in British culture, the idiom of ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ encouraged people to power through and disregard how they felt, no matter what they were going through.

Thankfully, here in the 21^st century, we are better able to recognise to role of emotions in the working world, and all the ways that being mindful, of both our own triggers and those of the people around us, impact working teams and overall organisational success.

What can we do as individuals, leaders, and teams to ensure harmony and happiness in the workplace? How can we build robust working relationships that enable teams to pull together and collaborate effectively, even in a room full of different personalities and personas?

Join tend as we explore the topic of Emotional Intelligence, and discover just how important it is in preventing toxic working environments, burnout, turnover, and disparate team dynamics.

So, what is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, sometimes referred to as EQ, is a person’s ability to:

• Understand their own emotions
• Manage their responses
• Use emotional awareness to guide behaviour
• Build positive, effective working relationships

From your own personal standpoint, EQ is often broken down into 5 key components:

• Self-awareness – recognising your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and how your behaviour affects others
• Self-regulation – controlling impulses, remaining calm under pressure, and responding thoughtfully rather than reactively
• Motivation – being driven by internal values, goals and purpose – not just external rewards
• Empathy – possibly the most important aspect; understanding the feelings and perspectives of others, and responding compassionately
• Social Skills – communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, teamwork, building trust, and influencing

A lot of these elements are essential to effective workplace relations. That is why it’s considered one of the top predictors of workplace success across industries.

Why does Emotional Intelligence matter in the workplace?

We encounter all different kinds of people in our working lives. Each and every one of us is different. We each have preferred ways of working, approaches to processing information or change, and varied responses to certain workplace scenarios.

When we practice Emotional Intelligence, we learn not only to show empathy to others, no matter how different they may be from ourselves; but also, to self-reflect and become mindful of our own reactions and habits.

For these reasons, EQ facilitates:

• Better communication
• Stronger teamwork
• Improved conflict resolution
• Higher productivity and engagement
• Better decision-making
• Reduced burnout and staff turnover
• Better leadership

EQ is highly regarded in the working world as a future-forward practice, especially in caring, people-centred roles.

Why Emotional Intelligence is crucial in the care sector

Health and social care is inherently an emotional undertaking. Care staff are required to support people who are:

• Anxious
• Confused
• Frightened
• Lonely
• In pain
• Distressed
• Grieving
• Managing chronic conditions
• Living with dementia
• Coping with neurodivergence or mental health challenges

This means that empathy is a prerequisite for working in the care sector, making EQ less of an option, and more of an essential, professional skill.

Care workers must be able to:

• Understand and respond to people’s emotions
• Build trust
• Manage difficult situations
• Support person-centred care
• Protect staff and patient wellbeing

This will enable them to view situations from the perspective of others, and practice mindfulness as they carry out their duties.

Emotional Intelligence in Line Management

All members of a team, across all industries, are diverse, and rich in differing traits and personalities. Those who aspire to lead teams will need to take this into account to get the best out of their people.

The job of a Line Manager is to be able to:

• Adapt to a variety of needs – each worker will have different communication styles, motivations, stress triggers, backgrounds, cultures, traits, and lived experiences. Therefore, each member of a team will likely require a unique approach. To get the best out of people, and make them as comfortable and happy in their work as possible, Line Managers must adapt to each individual’s needs and working styles. A blanket approach is often ineffective in teams with contrasting skill sets and personalities. Asking someone to be the same as one of their colleagues is not a reasonable request, or a fair position to put anyone in. Embrace what makes each person different, empower them to play to their strengths, setting them up for success.
• Boost morale and staff performance – Line Managers with little-to-no EQ fail to create psychological safety for their team members. This means, staff feel they cannot be open about how they are feeling, ask for clarity, or raise concerns for fear of reprimand.  Some Line Managers go as for as to punish those who don’t conform to their own preferred way of working or reacting. All this does, is damage morale, demotivate staff, and cause undue distress, creating uncomfortable working environments with high turnover. High EQ is demonstrated when Line Managers actively listen, recognise achievements and good-quality work, handle people with compassion as opposed to judgement, provide coaching and/or constructive feedback, de-escalate conflict, and prove that honesty and openness will not lead to punishment. This leads to a happier, healthier, collaborative and caring workforce.
• Ensure regulatory compliance – in regulated care sector environments, for example, Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors expect Line Managers to promote kindness, dignity and respect. They must lead by example, building a positive team culture, and managing concerns with compassion. EQ underpins all these requirements. Being a manager of people demands that you are attuned to the needs, feelings, and differences of others. These components also play into Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and safeguarding policies as well, which are legally binding. So, if you disregard people’s needs and feelings, it could make both you and your employer liable for legal action.
• Be supportive – workers in care, for example, often deal with patients and families experiencing trauma, bereavement, distress and anxiety. Line Managers need to be a rock for their staff, supporting them to perform their jobs to the best of their ability. For these reasons, team leaders need to be able to identify when their direct reports need wellbeing support, workload adjustments, additional training or coaching, or simply some encouragement. This protects both care staff, and patients alike. That said, this emotionally intelligent approach to both moral and professional support would serve Line managers in any industry just as well.

It boils down to one simple element, and that’s empathy. For Line managers who are adept at viewing the team experience through each person’s eyes, they will find themselves at the helm of a strong, supported, and happy group of professionals.

How care sector apprenticeships teach Emotional Intelligence

Apprenticeships, especially those delivered by sector specialists like tend, are ideal for building high levels of EQ. This is because they teach in a way that combines:

• Theory
• Reflection
• Workplace feedback
• Coaching and mentoring
• Communications training
• Safeguarding guidance
• Person-centred approaches

In addition to all these things, they also clearly map out progression pathways for learners, which not only help them to move up the professional ladder, but also to build upon their Emotional Intelligence skills and behaviours in an organic way.

As an Advisory Partner of the Association of Apprentices, tend offers free AoA membership to all of its learners. One benefit of this, is that there are all sorts of fantastic resources, materials, and tutorials our learners can access, many of which count towards their off-the-job hours.

One such webinar for members is an upcoming, online masterclass, taking place on Friday, 12 December 2025 from 12.00 noon until 13.30pm. Hosted by Calvin Eden, this insightful session, titled, ‘The Power of Emotional Intelligence: Thriving with Empathy and Awareness’, will help anyone keen to learn more about EQ, including understanding your own feelings and triggers, plus, tips for building EQ confidence and following best practices.

Final Thoughts

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is so much more than a so-called ‘soft skill’. It is fundamental to all professionals and work environments, both in the care sector and beyond. Its principles embody the elements that enable teams to not have to survive work, but to thrive there.

For Line Managers, or aspiring team leads, EQ is a leadership differentiator. While many managers climb the professional ladder through acquiring practical or technical skills, only the ones able to balance pragmatism with empathy will get the best out of their employees. Anyone can be a boss; but is takes an emotionally attuned individual to be a leader.

For workers in the care sector, empathy and EQ are especially important. Supporting those with complex needs and health concerns requires a high level of resilience and people-centred practice. Self-reflection and regulation will ensure that you are monitoring your own feeling and triggers, while also being able to understand those same things in others. This makes for great patient interactions, as well as professional relationships.

Emotional Intelligence is also woven into the fabric of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) regulations, safeguarding legalities, and person-centred practices, making it an essential element of regulatory compliance in the workplace.

Though it may seem like a lot to remember, if ever in doubt, EQ can be distilled into a single sentence: treat others as you’d like to be treated. The ability to ‘put yourself in someone else’s shoes’ holds more value in the working world than most people realise. Manage that, and you and your team will always be healthy, happy, and motivated.

Hit the button below to learn more about the partnership between tend and the Association of apprentices.