Emotional Intelligence at Work

EI at Work is a monthly podcast that highlights the difference emotional intelligence (EI, or a lack thereof), makes in businesses across the globe. Each episode, co-hosts Dr Ben Palmer and Marie El Daghl are joined by professionals and leaders implementing EI in their workplace. They share real-world examples of how EI has transformed their customers, staff, business outcomes and selves.


Latest Episode

Tune in online or on your preferred podcast app and stay on top of the world’s most in-demand job skill.


Meet the Hosts

Dr. Ben Palmer

Dr. Ben Palmer

Dr Ben Palmer is the CEO of EI network, Genos International. Renowned for transforming workplaces, business outcomes and lives, Genos International is a world leading provider of EI assessments and development programs.

At Genos International, Dr Palmer has been at the forefront of providing game-changing emotional intelligence services to iconic organisations worldwide, such as IBM, Pfizer, Rio Tinto, Laing O Rourke, and Qantas. Through his work with leaders and professionals, he has invaluable insight into how EI significantly improves staff performance, customer satisfaction, profitability and more.

Dr Palmer completed his PhD at Swinburne University, Melbourne. He developed the first Australian model and assessment of emotional intelligence specific to workplace outcomes. Dr Palmer has continued to contribute his extensive knowledge to various global research articles, book chapters and journals.

As our resident EI Expert on EI at Work, Dr. Palmer brings his extensive knowledge to facilitate thought-provoking discussion on the transformative effects of EI.

Dr. Ben Palmer

Marie El Daghl

Marie El Daghl brings both her affinity for people and knack for humour to her role as EI at work co-host. A master communicator and comedian you can expect her to bring out the best in all guests and the details you’re looking for.

No stranger to business, or training, Marie is the managing director of communications agency Chasing Albert. She runs the firm’s training and coaching program, where she helps her clients to improve their communication effectiveness including presentation training, media skills and more. She is also the host of Commical; a successful business communications podcast that is light on the ear and heavy on the learning.

On EI at Work you can expect Marie to ask all the right questions with her signature wit.

All Episodes

February The State of EI in 2024
February
The State of EI in 2024

What is the State of EI in 2024? We delve into the critical role of emotional intelligence in today’s labour market, the opportunity for Genos Certified Practitioners and the exciting lineup of events from Genos this year. 

DecemberEI in Hospitality
December
EI in Hospitality

It’s the happiest season of the year, a whirlwind of Christmas parties, family gatherings, holidays, and joy. Yet, amid the festivities, the end of year brings long hours, short breaks and lots of forced smiles as the seasons demands intensify – particularly for retail and hospitality sectors. This can leave individuals feeling more frantic than festive. In this episode of EI at Work, Leadership Coach Christine Rumble reveals the essential micro behaviours for navigating the end of year mayhem – including taking adequate breaks to manage stress, being self-aware and practicing gratitude..

NovemberWhat People Want in a Workspace 
November
What People Want in a Workspace 

Learn how to improve organisational culture through workplace design, it’s no longer just about aesthetics – but about creating environments that foster connection, collaboration, and wellness. Discover how Futurespace is revolutionising workspaces.

OctoberResolving Workplace Conflict Through Mediation
October
Resolving Workplace Conflict Through Mediation

Delve into workplace conflict resolution through mediation and explore the essence of conflict, the role of self-awareness, and the transformative power of a win-win mindset.

SeptemberBuilding Teams That Can Effectively Manage Highly Emotional Customers
September
Building Teams That Can Effectively Manage Highly Emotional Customers

Do your employees have to cope with the unique stress of dealing with stressed out customers? Learn how Allianz is tackling high levels of emotional labour across its workforce – with great results.

AugustCultural Readiness for AI adoption 
August
Cultural Readiness for AI adoption 

Business leaders know that AI will disrupt their business in the near future. However, not many have given thought to the culture required to adopt AI successfully. In this podcast with Karl Treacher, CEO of The Culture Institute Group, learn why strong leadership, resilience and collaboration are essential to success. 

Teresa-Callow-podcast-guest
June
Psychological Safety and Legal Obligations in the Workplace

An emotional culture is at the heart of what makes people and companies tick. Learn how this innovative and highly successful company built an emotional culture that not only drove its success, but transformed the industry it operates in.

MayPsychological Safety and Legal Obligations in the Workplace
May
Psychological Safety and Legal Obligations in the Workplace

Unlock the secrets to ensuring workplace safety and legal compliance in this eye-opening episode of EI at Work. Renowned workplace health and safety expert Steve Bell from Herbert Smith Freehills reveals the global emphasis on psychological safety and recent legal changes impacting employers in Australia. Gain invaluable insights on proactive risk management, legal protection, and effective incident response strategies. Don’t miss out on this must-listen episode that could save your organisation from reputational damage and legal consequences. Stay ahead of the game and prioritize the well-being of your team today.

MarchPaul Wood on EI at Work
March
Paul Wood on EI at Work

What was the crime? Murder. And as he puts it in the podcast “feel the weight of that word”. Dr Wood shares a remarkable story of Netflix proportions of his journey to becoming a Dr of Psychology. Today, he is an expert in helping people and organisations strive towards their potential and flourish through change and adversity. Paul works with everyone from senior leaders in fortune 100 companies such as Google to at risk-teens. He is a regular contributor in the media, an author, and his recently released second book, “Mental Fitness; Build your mind for strength and resilience every day” was another instant best seller.

FebruaryBuilding team emotional intelligence
February
Building team emotional intelligence

Success hinges on the ability of teams to collaborate, communication and connect effectively. However, in today’s dynamic and dispersed world of work, it can be more difficult than ever to foster an environment where teamwork – really works. In this episode with leadership and team development expert, Dr Vanessa Druskat, discover how emotional intelligence applies to teams and how to foster this essential skill set at a group level.

OctoberCelebrating 20 years of Genos International
October
Celebrating 20 years of Genos International

Game-changing for business. Life-changing for people. Genos International is proud to celebrate 20 years of realising this very philosophy, through the assessment and development of emotional intelligence in the workplace.  
 
An organisation that started as the brainchild of a passionate research team and Swinburne University, has since become the world-leader in emotional intelligence and assessment development. So where did it all start? How was emotional intelligence evolved over the last twenty years and where is it headed in the future? Learn all this and more, in this very special anniversary episode of EI at Work. .

SeptemberThe cost of hiring the emotionally unintelligent
September
The cost of hiring the emotionally unintelligent

It’s no secret that Australia has a staff shortage. Businesses across the country are competing for talent. But at what cost? In a recruitment landscape with a candidate shortage, can hiring for potential fill the gaps? And if so, does that make emotional intelligence our most crucial asset? Will Ainsley, COO at Testgrid, joins us to discuss value of emotional intelligence during the recruitment phase, and whether it should be a non-negotiable for businesses navigating Australia’s employment crisis.

JuneThe Science of Opinions
June
The Science of Opinions

If you’ve debated where Covid-19 came from, whether Amber Heard is believable, or who should win a recent election – this is a podcast for you. Polarised opinions seem to be the norm on most things these days. So, learning how to express and solicit strong opinions is paramount. Dr Andy Luttrell, social psychologist and host of Opinion Science, joins us to discuss the fascinating science of opinions, and why EI is a must in managing our views respectfully at work or home.

AprilHow to make work from home – work.
April
How to make work from home – work

It’s official, working from home is here to stay for good. 1 in 2 employees now work mostly from home, and 70% would like to continue doing so post-pandemic. But are we truly prepared?

While remote work has a long list of advantages, it doesn’t come without its flaws. One survey found that 56% of people get along worse with their colleagues from home, and 30% enjoy their job less from home. WFH has fundamentally transformed our understanding of culture and connection. So, what are the long-term impacts of moving employees and leaders to permanent remote work? And how we can we get it right?

March Signs you need to improve psychological safety in your workplace.
March
Signs you need to improve psychological safety in your workplace

Do you want psychological safety at work? You need emotional intelligence.
In the face of continuing change, COVID disruption stress and high levels of burn out, people are in desperate need of psychological safety, and ready and willing to change jobs to find it.

But how can you tell if your workplace needs to work in this area?
World-leading EI expert and CEO of Genos International, Dr Ben Palmer, reveals the signs you need to look out for. Plus, how emotionally intelligent ways of working can create and support psychologically safe teams.

JanuaryWhy facial expressions aren’t a true reflection of our emotions.
January
Why facial expressions aren’t a true reflection of our emotions

Welcome to 2022 and a new world of work. Virtual teams and remote work are here to stay, and the lines between our professional and personal lives are more blurred than ever. As we learn to adapt to all this change, being in touch with the emotions of ourselves and others is critical. The issue? Some of our core beliefs about managing, perceiving, and understanding emotions are wrong. We’re joined by Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett, Distinguished Professor and Scientist, to discuss how emotions are made and what her revolutionary research has uncovered about facial expressions and reading emotions.

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October
Your EI Questions – Answered

Everyone wants to know more about emotional intelligence, and for good reason. Emotional intelligence is a soft skill that’s in high demand. It’s promised to improve many facets of work and personal life, including productivity, job satisfaction, stress, and change just to name a few.

Want to know more? Tune into this special episode of EI at Work, where we answer our listener questions sent in over past 6 months.

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September
The importance of emotional intelligence for teachers and educational leaders

Educator, mentor, counsellor, motivator, mediator, and even friend. On any given day, school teachers and leaders wear many hats to fulfil the demands of their profession. However, with these different roles comes the toll of highly charged emotional labour. We’re joined by Neil McDonald, CEO of QELi, to discuss why growing emotional intelligence in school teams is key to enhancing culture, wellbeing, and student outcomes.

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August
Coaching with compassion and its role in helping people change

A big part of any manager or leader’s job is to help people change – yet we often overlook the way we tackle this. Coaching is often approached from a lens of compliance, that is, with set ideas of how people need to act or change. While the best of intentions may drive this style, trying to ‘fix’ others is far from effective. We’re joined by distinguished professor and author Richard Boyatzis to discuss why leaders must coach with compassion.

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July
How EI helped a patient-centric pharma company enhance vision and workplace culture

We’re introduced to a pharmaceutical startup that harnessed the power of EI to cultivate a successful organisational culture – from the get-go. Newly formed from its major pharmaceutical parent, the startup was on a mission to establish patient-centric vision and improve ways of working. Over 18 months, they worked with Genos to implement an EI program that helped them transform workplace behaviours and reach these goals.

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June
Emotional intelligence in sports: a critical component of a sports leadership program

The Phoenix Suns are in the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 11 years thanks to a competitive advantage like no other – emotional intelligence. In this episode of EI at Work, we’re joined by Jeff Bower, Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for NBA team Phoenix Suns. He highlights how emotional intelligence has helped to transform the performance of teams and individuals and the role that played in getting them to where they are today.

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May
Can a leopard change its spots?

The bad behaviour of leaders has come into the spotlight over the last year and many commentators have called out a clear deficit of Emotional Intelligence in positions of power. Whether you are an aspiring leader who behaves like John McEnroe in the office or a HR leader trying to tame the CEO, this podcast will help you understand how an established leader with deeply entrenched negative behaviours can genuinely develop emotional intelligence.

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April
Can EI help to improve the quality of care in aged care?

The Aged Care sector is responsible for the care of over 1.3 million Australians. However, with issues such as poor workplace conditions, understaffing and abuse confirmed; it’s clear the industry is failing its vulnerable customers and workforce.

Campbell McGlynn, Executive GM People & Culture, at leading aged care provider IRT Group discusses the emotional labour of the aged care industry. He shares how in just 6 months emotional intelligence has already made a mark. Tune in for this deeply insightful episode on emotional intelligence in aged care. Learn why the industry needs to view this as a must-have skill, and how it improves outcomes for workers and residents.

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What is Emotional Intelligence? Dr Ben Palmer breaks it down to Marie El Daghl

On EI at work, we’ll be sharing real stories, results and business insights on the power of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in the workplace. But before we get started, it’s important to know exactly what EI is. In this opening episode, our hosts Marie El Daghl and EI Expert Dr. Ben Palmer, talk about the science of emotions, what EI is, who should develop it, and how it makes a difference.

New to Emotional Intelligence – then this is essential listening on the basics.

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