Emotional Intelligence: A Business Priority for Hilton Post-COVID

This report analyzes the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in the context of Hilton Hotel, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era. It begins by defining EI and its significance, followed by a background of Hilton Hotel, its leadership styles, and operational strategies. The report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the hotel industry and the need for an emotionally intelligent workforce. It then explores various models of EI, including the ability model and the trait model, discussing their application within Hilton Hotel. The report evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of these models, offering recommendations and a plan for implementation. The conclusion emphasizes the critical role of EI in enhancing employee performance, improving company image, and increasing customer satisfaction, ultimately contributing to Hilton Hotel's success in a challenging business environment. The report also underscores the importance of training programs to develop EI skills within the existing workforce.

Why building an emotionally intelligent workforce should be
a business priority post-Covid and how employers can train
for it in existing staff?

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Background of the hotel...............................................................................................................1
Models of emotional intelligence................................................................................................4
Application of emotional intelligence model..............................................................................7
Critical evaluation and application of model.............................................................................10
Recommendations and plan.......................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17

INTRODUCTION
Emotional intelligence is an ability of understanding, using as well as managing own
emotions in an effective and positive manner (MacCann and et.al., 2020). This ability helps
people in relieving stress, becoming concentrated or focused towards work, communicating
effectively with others and overcoming challenges. This present study is based on Hilton hotel
that is a global brand of full service hotel and resorts. It was founded by Conrad Hilton in the
year of 1919. This present study is going to discuss effectiveness of emotional intelligence and
making environment of emotional intelligence where people or employees of all stages can share
their feelings, emotions and can communicate with each others in an effective manner. Due to
Covid-19, hotels of UK got affected the most in negative manner and employees are striving
hard for getting employment opportunities. It will also show importance as why employees are
required to share their feelings and emotional with each others as it relieves stress at workplace
and make them concentrated on their work. Making an environment of emotional intelligence is
vital for accomplishing goals and having positive outcomes on performance of company after
Covid-19. Further, it will discuss effectiveness of models of emotional intelligence such as:
ability model golemans model and trait model. All these model Shows Company about ways of
creating an environment of emotional intelligence. Analysis of application of appropriate
emotional intelligence model also makes company able to know about advantages and
disadvantages and by analysing they can know overall effectiveness as whether selected model
can help in developing an effective environment or not. An environment where people can
communicate, share their views and relieve stress has several advantages for both company and
employees as it improves overall productivity of the company, improves image, increase
performance of employees and satisfy customers. Lastly, it will recommend some ways by
comparing difference in behaviours of employee at the time of Covid and post covid situation for
improving core values.
MAIN BODY
Background of the hotel
Hilton hotel is an American multinational hospitality company that provides services worldwide.
In regards to Hilton hotel of the UK it can be said that it is well known and famous for its
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qualitative room services. It maximizes sales by offering extra services such as: family fun
packages, breakfast and bed as well as conference facilities. When guests get all these extra
services then it makes them feel valued and increase experience. Covid 19 affected hotel chain
to the great extent as due to fear of spread of covid -19 and getting affected from it, guests do not
prefer to visit hotels that lower sales and also increases unemployment rate. Workers are also
facing several problems due to this so; this hotel of the UK decided to create an environment
with emotional intelligence for improving overall values and continuing work without getting
affected. Detailed information of this hotel includes:
Aim: It wants to make profit and increase customers experience by selling varieties of qualitative
services (The Hilton Hotel, 2018).
Objective: It wants to become highly responsible to its all stakeholders and increasing
sustainability by reducing environmental impacts of products that it sells or produces.
Purpose: It wants to become the most hospitable company in the UK by creating heartfelt for
guests and team members.
Leadership styles: Hilton hotel believes that leader and manager are main 2 pillars of its success
along with skilled workforces. A leader is the one who motivates guides and support employees
in their functions and make them able to increase performance. Leader of Hilton hotel UK plays
a vital role in making it successful and supporting it in taking competitive advantages. Some
styles used by leader of this hotel are the main key of its success. It is found that it mainly
focuses on democratic leadership style.
As per the democratic leadership, leader of this hotel provide opportunity to all employees of
different level and cultures to take participation in decision making process. This method of style
involves the manager and all employees counting in the result creation method. However,
manager takes the final decision by considering views and suggestions of all employees. It
makes employees feel valued when manager or leader respect their views and consider them
while making decisions. It increases loyalty and trust among them towards company and valued
employees are more likely to support hotel in accomplishing their goals. By providing decisive
leadership on main issues, this hotel tries to find limit the amount of poor right decisions being
made. So, overall it can be said that democratic leadership is beneficial for both employers and
employees. It makes employees feel valued and it increases overall productivity and improved
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decision of hotel (Leadership Style of Managers in Five Star Hotels and its Relationship with
Employee's Job Satisfaction, 2019).
Operations: It is highly experienced hotel professional with extensive financial, commercial as
well as operational management skills. There is several effectiveness of this hotel and all these
things differ it than others. In regards to this it is found that it provides down filled standard
pillows along with option of polyester. By providing soft and firm pillows it also allows for
natural air circulation. So it can be said that services provided by it does not only satisfy
customers but also beneficial for environment. Due to lockdown and covid-19 staff members
reduced schedules or are furloughed for round 90 days. It affected its sales and overall economy
of the country to the great extent. Hospitality is one of the main key of economy and due to this
current situation, it increased unemployment rate and also decreased economy. It has numbers of
employees and by providing perks, working environment, benefits like rewards and others it tries
to retain them with it for the long run as it believes that increased staff retention can improve
image of it. But its ability to adapt changes and continuing working without getting affected did
not affected it in this crisis. It is also found that at this time or covid-19, partners of this came in
front with open kitchens in the UK with safety and fulfilling all guidelines of Covid-19. It helped
people in having food. It makes this hotel able to provide around 50, 000 more free meals a
month to those who were in need and instead of throwing food, it gave food to people in this
time and improved image in the eyes of people (Covid 19 Response: How Hilton Hotel are
Supporting Our Communities around the World, 2020).
Competiveness: Three are several hotels in the UK that also sell qualitative food and rooms
services and it is increasing competition for this. But one of the main key and strategy of this
hotel is it provides extra services with basic rooms and food services. It focuses on satisfying
needs of all age group and different background of people. This skill and ability makes it able to
being in the competition and also becoming the market leader. Innovation and creativity in
products and services is other main strategy or ability of this hotel that can makes it able to take
competitive advantages. Another main key of competitive strategy is marketing as it focuses on
digital marketing as it allows people to book their rooms online and they do not require visiting
hotels for booking rooms and they can also take all information via websites and phone. It
provides 24*7 customers services. Increasing competition from other hotels such as: Marriott,
IHG and Holiday Inn etc. So, it is important for this hotel to develop other strategies and making
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an environment with emotional intelligence by which employees can share their feelings and can
work after this covid-19 without having fear and with their potential.
Models of emotional intelligence
Ability model: There are some ability models of emotional intelligence that can help companies
in understanding requirements and emotions of people or their employees. By making use of
appropriate and effective model, employer of Hilton hotel can make their environment with
emotional intelligence. Ability model of emotional intelligence is to be considered a new
intelligence as well as confined to the standard for all new intelligence. As per this model,
employers find easier in understanding emotions of their employees at workplace, integrating
emotions to facilitate thoughts, perceiving emotions and regulating emotions for promoting
personal growth. As per this model of ability there are 4 types of ability related to emotional
intelligence such as:
Emotional perception: For perception of emotions, employers require having an ability to
understand facial expression, body language, voices and pictures. It is also important of having
an ability to recognize as well as understand own emotions. It can help Hilton hotel in making an
environment of emotional intelligence and solving people’s problems that they are facing due to
this Covid-19 and lockdown (Mayer, Caruso and Salovey, 2016).
Use of emotion: It is the second activity of activity model of emotional intelligence in which
employers require having an ability of using emotions in an effective manner for achieving
desired outcomes. At the time of thinking and problem solving, this ability plays a vital role as
by using emotions in an effective manner, employers can solve problems and take better
decisions that can be beneficial for both employees and employers.
Understanding emotion: There are several people who have an ability to recognize basic facial
expressions but there are only few people who can predictably recognize and can understand
emotion language. Understanding behaviours of employees can give several advantages to Hilton
hotel of UK as it can makes their employees able to work accordingly without getting affected
negatively.
Managing emotions: For better emotional intelligence there is requirement of managing
emotions along with understanding emotions. By having this ability, employers can know that
how many employees are struggling at their job and by identifying their emotions and
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behaviours, employers can identify better ways of solving that if they have this ability of
managing emotions.
Trait model: Trait model of emotional intelligence was developed by Konstantinos V. Petrides
and it compasses behavioural disposition as well as self perceived abilities that can be measured
through self respect. This model is being developed for understanding individuals’ personality.
Personality characteristics can be measured in an effective manner and on the basis of evaluation
and measurement, employers can develop an effective environment of having emotional
intelligence (Robinson, Hull and Petrides, 2020). As per this model, there is requirement for
employers of having an ability of understanding some traits of employees such as: flexibility,
emotion expression, assertiveness, self motivation, self esteem, trait empathy, trait optimism and
others. By evaluating and knowing all these traits of employees, employers can measure their
effectiveness and can know reason and areas as where they are lacking behind.
It is a general interpretative model of emotional intelligence and it has several benefits such as it
offers direct route, provides comprehensive coverage of trait EI and also has superior predictive
validity. For making an effective environment, there is requirement of having all these qualities
in any model of emotional intelligence (Piqueras and et.al., 2019). All these advantages can help
employers of this hotel in better measuring effectiveness of employers and understanding their
behaviours on this entire basis. As per this model emotional intelligence is ability and not a trait.
Trait emotional intelligence can be replaced with emotional self efficacy and it can be regarded
as dispositions that can distinguish it from abilities. Traits are different than abilities and by
making use of both trait and ability model of emotion al intelligence, leader or Arcadia group can
accomplish its pre-determined goals, vision and aim. This model can also allow employers in
providing training and making use of appropriate strategies for improving all discussed traits
among employees. By developing these traits, employees can also makes themselves focused and
motivated towards increasing performance. So, it can be said that this is one of the effective
model of EI that can make Hilton hotel able to understand behaviours of employees and
satisfying their needs accordingly.
Goleman s model: Emotional intelligence can be defined as combination of several skills and
competencies as per this model. Main capabilities and skills as per this model include: social
awareness, self-awareness, motivation, and empathy and relationship management. All these
skills play a vital role in increasing emotional intelligence and making workplace with emotional
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intelligence. ON the basis of these main skills, Goleman developed some others sub skills that
overall and altogether can help people in becoming successful at workplace and expressing their
feelings at workplace in an effective manner. Some sub skills are: emotional self control, positive
outlook, influence, team work, achievement orientation and others. Employees with all these
skills can help themselves and others in living an effective and qualitative life at workplace. It
can be linked with the current situation of Covid-19. After lockdown and corona virus,
employees require having employers that can understand their feelings. It can make them feel
valued and motivated. Motivated and valued employees are more likely to stay with the company
and become loyal towards the company and help them out in accomplishing their goals (Livesey,
2017). It is stated that Hilton hotel and hospitality sector affected the most by this corona virus
and lockdown and now for making an effective position in the market they require having
employees with all these skills.
It can also be said that emotional intelligence plays a vital role in influencing customers’ relation
with the company. If Hilton hotel makes use of all these skills, defined by this model, then it can
improve relation with customers and can increase customers’ retention rate. Leaders with high
emotional intelligence are able to understand their own feelings and people around them. It is
important for leader of Hilton of having empathy, motivation, self control and other skills as by
having all these skills they can understand that what their employees are feeling at workplace.
This ability of understanding human behaviour and feeling can make them able to motivate
employees and making use of leadership style accordingly. It can make employees feel valued at
workplace and when leaders understand feelings of their employees without even expressing by
employees then they can take actions accordingly and employees also retain with the company. It
can be said that leaders who have all these skills, stays with their followers in their tough time
and at the time of stress or work load rather than shouting on them. This ability allows them in
solving critical problems in an effective manner and making their company successful. So,
overall it can be said that Golemans model of emotional intelligence is one of the effective
models that can help Hilton hotel in making effective position in the market and making
environment of emotional intelligence (Dhani and Sharma, 2016).
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Application of emotional intelligence model
Importance of EI in workplace: Emotional intelligence or an ability of understanding own
emotions and emotions of others at workplace have several advantages. By applying Golemans
model of emotional intelligence that describes several skills that a leader should posses Hilton
hotel can accomplish its goals because it:
Help in better decision making: Leaders and people with high emotional intelligence as per the
Goleman model have self awareness and motivation skills. With these skills leaders and
employees can understand their own strengths as well as weaknesses. People with self awareness
are more likely to handle and learn from constructive criticism than one who is not. It helps them
out in understanding other emotions and ways of motivating them. Motivated employees are
more likely to focus on their work at workplace that reduces errors and they also help company
in taking better decisions by providing better suggestions with tension free mind (Arora, 2017
Riggio, 2020).
Resolves conflicts: It is already stated that leaders with high emotional intelligence tries to
understand feelings of employees and rather shouting on them on their errors, they support
employees in completing their works. Conflicts occur at workplace between employees due to
stress, work load, some personal problems, lack of focus and miscommunication. But leaders and
employers with this ability of understanding feelings of others and empathy makes them able to
identify reasons. By identifying reasons of conflicts and negative behaviours of employees at
workplace, leaders take better actions that can makes employees feel valued at workplace. By
understanding feelings and reasons, employers and leaders can take better decision and ways of
solving conflicts and providing better solutions.
Improves communication: As per the Golemain model of emotional intelligence, people have
motivation, empathy, self control, team working and other skills. So, by having all these skills
and abilities, employers and employees at workplace can work in a team effectively. When
people work in a team with having empathy skills are more likely to communicate and interact
with each others. It improves their relations at workplace and employees are more likely to heal
each others. Employees with empathy and better team working skills help others in improving
their performance and reducing errors (Importance of Emotional Intelligence at Work, 2015). For
that they communicate with each others as per their convenience and tries to understand feelings.
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It reduces miscommunication and hence reduces conflicts among them and make working
environment effective.
Increases customers’ experiences: When people have abilities of understanding others then it
makes people feel valued. By expressing their feelings with others at workplace in an effective
manner, employees feel comfortable and valued at workplace. It is stated that expressive feelings
makes a person strong and calm. So, with this feeling, employees focus on their work that
improves their performance and recues errors. Lack of errors and improved performances leads
to qualitative work. By delivering qualitative products and services to customers, company can
attract customers to the great extent and when customers give positive feedbacks on the basis of
quality of products then it boosts confidence of employees and pleased them (Varshney and
Varshney, 2020). This feeling at workplace is beneficial for both employees and employers as
employees can get promotional and other opportunities and employers can increase sales and
improve image in the market.
So, on the basis of above discussed benefits it can be said that Hilton hotel can regain its
image in the market and can have skilled workforces at workplace. It can also better understand
needs of employees in this current corona virus situation and can help them out accordingly.
Relation between EI and business advantages
Emotional intelligence helps companies in accomplishing their goals and making company
successful. There is a link between emotional intelligence or abilities of people of understanding
their own emotions and emotions of others with business advantages. Some reasons that shows
link between EI and business advantages include:
Common vision: Employees spend their lot of time at work and at the time of work load and
because of some personal problems, they become frustrated and irritated. They face problems
like anger, nervous crisis and lack of empathy. Due to this, employees also face problems in
understanding vision of the company and due to this they cannot help company in accomplishing
goals. In this situation, emotional intelligence plays a vital role as by having all skills and ability
of understanding emotions demonstrate consistent behaviour to this change of emotions. It also
makes leaders and employees able to communicate positively with others at workplace. This
ability only can make employers and employees able to develop a common vision for team
members because positive attitude only leads to positive behaviours and understanding at
workplace (Oriarewo, Ofobruku and Tor, 2019).
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Improves communication: In regards to business advantages and success it can be said that
communication is the main key. When employees communicate with each others in an effective
manner then it reduces miscommunication and reduces conflicts that makes working
environment effective. By having an effective working environment with no conflicts, Hilton
hotel can attract skilled workforce. But for making this environment there is requirement of
having some abilities among employees. People with high emotional intelligence as per the
Goleman model, are able to express them in an effective manner rather feeling shy in expressing
feelings and talking with managers and employers. With this ability of expressing feelings,
employees earn respect from others and create an effective communication network between
them. This ability of expressing feelings keeps them calm at workplace and at the time of work
load and critical situation they take better decision and solve problems by taking with each
other’s So, it can be said that there is a link between emotional intelligence and effective
communication as well as business advantages (Riggio, 2020).
Change: It is one of the other elements of business success. Business environment is made up of
2 factors such as internal and external. These factors changes any time. These factors include:
political, customers needs, economic, technological, environmental and others. Changes in any
factor can affect company’s performance in critical manner and sometimes these changes affect
overall productivity of the company in a negative manner to the great extent. One of the best
examples of changes is climate change or Corona Virus that affect Hilton hotel the most. But
companies and hotels can continue their work without getting affected in a negative manner and
it is possible when employees at workplace have an ability to adapt changes or flexibility. It can
come with emotional intelligence. By implementing or applying Golemans model, employees
can increase their skills of self motivation, empathy, self motivation and others. Self motivation
leads to flexibility. A person who wants to be professional at work has to be open to change as
well as innovation (Advantages of Emotional Intelligence in Business Life, 2020). Employees
and leaders with high emotional intelligence and self motivation can manage stress, concern and
anxiety at workplace and are also more likely to adapt changes without getting affected. So, it
can be said that emotional intelligence makes people flexible and they also become able to
progress more easily and confidently.
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Critical evaluation and application of model
Among all discussed models, one of the best and effective models is Goleman model of
emotional intelligence. There are several reasons of selecting this model and applying this at
workplace of Hilton hotel. For applying Daniel Goleman model of emotional intelligence there is
requirement of understanding 5 main elements that are: self awareness, self regulation, empathy,
internal motivation and social skills. As per the self regulation and self awareness, people
understand that what other people think, feel along with reason and it helps them out in
improving relation and also protect them against making mistakes. As per the internal
motivation, Goleman believes that for accomplishing goals and making en effective working
environment people require having a passion for what they work (Lone and Lone, 2018).
Rewards and other perks motivate employees temporary but passion is the main key that
motivates employees towards accomplishing goals and focus on continuous development. It also
helps employees in making better decision, solving problems and working under pressure. So, it
can be said that with having all these skills, Hilton hotel of the UK can implement this model at
its workplace in an effective manner.
Effectiveness of Goleman model over other models: There are mainly 3 models of emotional
intelligence such as: Trait, ability and Goleman. In ability model, people are requiring having an
ability to understand non verbal signs such as body language, facial expression of employees. It
is all related to understand emotions that can promote thinking and cognitive activity. Managing
emotions and responding to them is an ability of emotional intelligence. On the other hand, as
per the Goleman theory or model of emotional intelligence, people require having 5 main skills
and there is no requirement of understanding feelings and behaviours of others with facial
expression. As with having empathy, self motivation and team work abilities, employees can
understand behaviours of others by talking and communicating with others (Edelman and van
Knippenberg, 2018). It improves their relation. In trait and ability model of emotional
intelligence, only few employees can understand feelings of others with facial expression and
other non verbal signs. It can take too much time for companies to implement this and make
employees able to develop this ability and implementing it at workplace in successful manner. In
ability and trait models, people try to manage emotions rather understanding and accepting them.
In Goleman model of emotional intelligence, people can understand that what people are feeling
at workplace, how they are behaving along with reasons as what they are behaving like this. So,
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