Using Emotional Data to Improve Decisions

Leaders make decisions all day. Some of these decisions are strategic and carry significant consequences. Most are quick, relational, and made in the middle of competing priorities. When pressure is high, decisions are rarely “just logic”. They are shaped by our observations, interpretations of others, self-regulation, and how we respond to emotional signals.

That is where emotional intelligence (EI) becomes practical. Emotional intelligence is about reading emotional information accurately and using it to think clearly, communicate effectively, and choose responses that support performance and culture.

A simple, useful framing is this: all emotions are data. They are information, and they are trying to tell us something. The question is whether we can interpret that data well and act on it in a way that improves outcomes.

Why This Matters at Work: Clarity Under Pressure

When the brain is resourced, people tend to think more clearly. They pay attention better. They self-regulate more effectively. They make stronger decisions, and they stay more strategic rather than reactive.

In the workplace, the daily management of energy, recovery, and emotion by leaders and teams shapes the brain's resourcing. Positive emotions fuel the system and support higher-order thinking, facilitating clear decision-making and attention.

• Clear decision-making

• Focus and attention

• Self-regulation and impulse control

• Strategic thinking

• Staying constructive in complexity

Positive emotions matter, and every emotion plays a role in shaping awareness, decisions and behaviour at work. Every emotion is valid. Every emotion carries useful information. Teams that build the capability to work with emotional data navigate pressure, change, and conflict with more skill.

All Emotions Are Data: What Are They Signalling?

Emotions often signal one of three things:

• Needs: something matters here

• Values: this connects to what we care about

• Risk or opportunity: pay attention, adjust, choose wisely

For example, frustration can indicate blocked progress. Anxiety can be data about uncertainty and perceived risk. Pride can be data about effort and progress. Gratitude can be data about connection and support. Calm can indicate that your system is regulated enough to think clearly.

When leaders treat emotions as data, they shift from “manage emotions” to “use information well”. This creates more productive conversations and better decisions.

Why Ability-Based Measurement Changes the Conversation

Many people assume their emotional intelligence is strong because they care about people or they have positive intentions. Intention matters, and performance is about capability in the moment.

This is where ability-based emotional intelligence is different.

Ability-based emotional intelligence focuses on what someone can do with emotional information, rather than how they see themselves. It gives you a clearer baseline for development because it is anchored in ability rather than confidence.

That is why MSCEIT®2 is valuable in leadership and practitioner contexts. It supports:

• A clearer picture of current emotional intelligence capability

• A stronger, more structured debrief conversation

• Development priorities that translate into practical actions

• A shared language that reduces confusion and defensiveness

In practice, this means you are working from a credible diagnostic that helps people and teams move forward with clarity.

Three Workplace Scenarios Where Measurement Improves Outcomes

Scenario One: Decision-Making in Ambiguity

When information is incomplete, people default to patterns. Some become overly cautious. Some push ahead too fast. Some avoid the decision. Ability-based emotional intelligence supports stronger awareness of what emotions are signalling and helps leaders slow down and choose a response rather than reacting.

Practical application:

• Name the emotion signal

• Identify what it might be protecting

• Decide what data you still need before acting

Scenario Two: Conflict and Repair Conversations

Conflict often escalates when emotional cues are missed or misread. Leaders may focus on content and miss tone, timing, or underlying needs. Ability-based emotional intelligence strengthens perception and interpretation of emotional information, so conversations become more accurate, less personal, and more solution-focused.

Practical application:

• Summarise the issue and the likely emotional impact

• Ask one clarifying question before proposing solutions

• Align on what “better” looks like and how you will measure it

Scenario Three: Leadership Presence and Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is the difference between “I know what to do” and “I can do it under pressure”. When leaders recognise emotional cues early, they can choose actions that support psychosocial safety and performance, including pausing, reframing, and remaining constructive.

Practical application:

• Use a ten-second pause before responding in high-heat moments

• Choose one question that opens options rather than closes discussion

• Confirm the next action and the decision owner

Three Questions for Your Next One-to-One

To introduce an 'emotions as data' approach in a practical, light-touch way, use one of these:

• What felt most energising this week, and what does that tell you about what to protect?

• Where did you feel stuck, and what might that emotion be signalling about what you need?

• What is one conversation you want to handle with more skill next week, and what support would help?

These questions are simple, and they quickly move people from opinion to insight.

Strengths Profile Accreditation (Tuesday 17 February)

Strengths Profile brings an energy lens to strengths work. It measures 60 workplace strengths across energy, performance and use, supporting clearer role conversations, stronger development planning, and more sustainable performance.

This accreditation is delivered virtually by our CEO and Founder Sue Langley, across four half-day workshops designed for interaction, reflection and practice.

What the virtual program includes:

• Your Expert Strengths Profile Report, plus a pre-program debrief with a qualified practitioner
• Strengths Cards and The Strengths Book, with practical tools you can use immediately
• Follow-up mentoring support and practitioner resources, including case studies to strengthen debrief confidence

Request the Strengths Profile course guide here

MSCEIT®2 Accreditation (Monday 16 February)

When development conversations move into change, pressure, or conflict, emotional intelligence becomes a decisive capability. MSCEIT®2 is an abilities-based tool that helps practitioners assess and develop emotional intelligence, with practical debrief frameworks leaders can apply in real workplace contexts.

This accreditation is delivered virtually by our CEO and Founder Sue Langley, across four half-day workshops designed for interaction, reflection and practical debrief skills.

What the virtual program includes:

• A clear framework for interpreting results and leading evidence-based debrief conversations
• Practical tools to strengthen emotional awareness, understanding and regulation in real workplace scenarios
• Guided practice to build confidence applying the tool across leadership, talent, and development contexts

View MSCEIT®2 dates and details

Work on Wellbeing Accreditation (Tuesday 3 March)

Wellbeing strategy lands faster when measurement is clear. Work on Wellbeing supports benchmarking and action planning across four pillars of wellbeing:

1. Global wellbeing
2. Life satisfaction
3. Workplace wellbeing
4. Component wellbeing

What the accreditation builds:

• A structured approach to interpreting and debriefing the comprehensive individual report
• Practical use of additional scientifically validated measures and qualitative questions for tailored insights
• Ongoing practitioner connect sessions for shared learning, updates, and applied case discussion

Platform update for accredited practitioners:

• A new and improved practitioner platform, designed to support confident administration and smoother ongoing use

View WoW dates and details here

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