In an organisation, the capability to perform is not solely defined by the accumulation of skills and knowledge. Beyond these tangible elements, there are critical underlying factors, deeply rooted in our emotions and social interactions, that significantly contribute to an organisation’s capability. This understanding broadens the traditional perspective of capability gaps and introduces a more comprehensive approach to addressing them.
Picture an organisation as a complex web of individuals and teams, each with unique emotional landscapes and social skills. These landscapes and skills can significantly affect how these individuals and teams interact and relate to each other, thereby influencing their collective capability. This reality underscores the need for an approach that recognises and addresses these emotional and social aspects of capability gaps.
In the realm of emotions, the concept of emotional intelligence is pivotal. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage our own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. An organisation with high emotional intelligence can navigate the complexities of interpersonal relationships more effectively, thereby enhancing its overall capability.
Similarly, social skills play a crucial role in shaping organisational capability. Social skills refer to the set of skills people use to interact and communicate with each other. These include both verbal skills such as speaking, listening, and non-verbal skills such as body language, gestures, and personal appearance. By honing these skills, an organisation can foster more effective communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution, thereby addressing capability gaps.
The realisation that capability gaps extend beyond skills and knowledge to encompass emotional intelligence and social skills, offers a new avenue for organisations to enhance their capability. By understanding the neuroscience of these aspects, interventions can be designed to improve emotional intelligence and social skills within the organisation. Such interventions could include emotional intelligence training, team-building activities, and communication workshops, among others.
However, the journey to addressing these capability gaps is not without challenges. The deeply ingrained nature of our emotions and social skills means that changing them requires a significant amount of effort and commitment. Moreover, the uniqueness of each individual’s emotional landscape and social skills calls for a personalised approach to intervention design. Therefore, while this approach offers a promising pathway to addressing capability gaps, it also demands a careful and thoughtful implementation strategy.
In the end, we come to understand that capability is a multifaceted construct, shaped by a myriad of factors ranging from skills and knowledge to emotions and social interactions. By recognising and addressing these factors, organisations can bridge their capability gaps and enhance their overall performance. This understanding invites us to view our organisations not just as collections of skills and knowledge, but as complex emotional and social landscapes. As we navigate these landscapes, we should remember that every interaction is an opportunity to learn, grow, and enhance our collective capability.
References:
Barsade, S. G., & Gibson, D. E. (2007). Why does affect matter in organisations?. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21(1), 36-59.
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
Riggio, R. E. (1986). Assessment of basic social skills. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(3), 649.
