Trader Joe's Essay

A cozy and intimate competitor of stores such as Whole Foods and Dean and DeLuca, Trader Joe’s has a dedication to not only customer satisfaction, but employee satisfaction as well. In order to achieve both customer and employee satisfaction, Trader Joe’s has utilized tools such as paying particular attention to the wording of job descriptions and the traits of those that they recruit. By utilizing the four functions of the management process, Trader Joes’ is able to develop its employees to meet established organizational goals. While meeting these goals, it is especially important that the four competencies of emotional intelligence is used to not only manage relationships but increase the competitive edge of the company as well.

Job Satisfaction

By arranging the amount of resources as such, employees are able to have a valuable familiarity that are helpful and promote a culture of product knowledge and involvement with the customer that aids in accomplishing goals and the companies organizational objectives (Schermerhorn et al, 2012).

Leading

To instill enthusiasm and motivate employees to work hard while maintaining interpersonal relations, Trader Joe’s compensates its employees at a higher rate than their counterparts at competitor chains, promote personal and professional development at Trader Joe’s University, and offers an incentive program consisting of paid vacation and employee discounts (Schermerhorn et al, 2012).

Controlling

By enrolling future leaders in Trader Joe’s University, employees are taught to run the stores according to customer and employer expectations by monitoring performance and making corrections (Schermerhorn et al, 2012).

Use of EI

There are four key competencies of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, understanding one’s own emotions and their implications; social awareness, understanding other people’s emotions and the impact that they may have; self-management, controlling one’s own emotions and not acting before thinking; and relationship management, using emotions to establish and maintain relationships (Schermerhorn et al, 2012). It is important that employers actively participate and exhibit self-awareness and self-management as a role model and example to their employees. Employers could utilize informal counselling sessions with employees or anonymous detailed climate surveys, social awareness, to see exactly what strengths and weaknesses are present within the workplace. Using the data obtained from these informal counselling sessions and detailed climate surveys, relationship management, employers are provided the tools to not only make corrections, but make improvements and cultivate relationships that not only promote a healthy workplace environment but a successful workplace environment. These suggestions also fall in line with the Four Branch Model of Emotional Intelligence: perception, facilitation, understanding, and management (Mayer & Caruso, 2002). More specifically, the suggested methods for managers to effectively