In every workplace, emotions spread like wildfire. A single episode of anger, disappointment, or joy can quickly transform into an entire team’s mood. This phenomenon is known as emotional contagion, and it has become increasingly evident in orthodontic offices. Emotional contagion is why your team’s mood matters. It can determine the outcome of the practice’s success in the long run. In this blog, we will explore the concept of emotional contagion, how it affects orthodontic teams, why EQ is essential, and how orthodontists can better lead emotionally to their teams.
Emotional Contagion
Emotional contagion is when an individual’s emotions are unconsciously transferred or shared within a particular group or team. It means your team members can quickly pick up on your feelings, infecting the entire team. For instance, if you, as an orthodontist, display frustration or anger due to a patient’s outcome, your team members can quickly sense it and react to it by mirroring the same positive or negative emotions. Certain negative situations and responses can affect the entire team’s productivity and morale. When negative emotions are consistent, this contagion can create a toxic environment, resulting in decreased satisfaction and motivation among team members.
EQ In Orthodontic Leadership
Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is the ability to identify, understand, and manage one’s emotions and those of others around them. EQ is essential for orthodontists in managing the emotional level of the team. It enables you to regulate your emotions and those of others, minimizing the negative effect on the team atmosphere. Excellent EQ skills will also help you assess team members’ emotional needs, providing support when necessary. Team members will appreciate an orthodontist with high EQ who can foster a respectful, positive, and supportive working environment.
Positive Emotional Contagion
It is possible to harness the power of emotional contagion as a force for good. Positive emotions can spread through the team, especially regarding patient outcomes. When a patient receives a successful orthodontic treatment outcome, team members foster a shared sense of pride, positivity, and success, increasing motivation, job satisfaction, teamwork, and higher productivity. Orthodontists should create an environment that encourages positive emotional contagion, which will help create a more positive team atmosphere and cultivate high levels of emotional intelligence.
Increasing Emotional Intelligence Skills
Orthodontists should focus on cultivating specific emotional intelligence skills that will enable them to lead their teams effectively. These emotional intelligence skills include self-awareness, empathy, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. Orthodontists should encourage their whole team to improve their EQ skills. They can provide EQ training, such as workshops, and cultivate an environment where EQ is valued, creating a positive emotional contagion throughout the practice.
Conclusion
Emotional intelligence is a critical skill that orthodontists should possess when leading their teams. Emotional contagion, whether negative or positive, can significantly impact the team’s productivity, patient experience, and patient outcomes. Orthodontists should focus on increasing their emotional intelligence skills, such as self-awareness and empathy, to better understand and regulate their emotions and those of their team members. A healthy orthodontic practice culture will integrate EQ to get the most out of our teams, and we should strive to create a positive emotional contagion that will foster a collaborative, supportive environment in our practices.
