A designer storms out of the back room, frustrated that her ideas for a wedding installation were dismissed by a co-worker. Minutes later, a customer walks in with a complaint about a late delivery — and the staffer at the front counter, already stressed, responds with visible annoyance instead of empathy.
What went wrong in both cases? A lack of emotional intelligence, says Jackie Bruce, an associate professor at North Carolina State University and an expert who has studied the link between EQ and workplace performance. Bruce contends that emotional intelligence — the ability to understand, manage and respond to emotions, both your own and others’ — can make or break success in sales, problem-solving, collaboration and just about every other aspect of the job.
That’s why the Society of American Florists has invited Bruce to lead an education session on EQ at its 2026 Next Gen LIVE! conference, held Feb. 22–24 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The session “What’s Your EQ?” offers young floral professionals a crash course in emotional intelligence. Through real-world scenarios, self-assessment and guided reflection, attendees will learn how to recognize their emotional patterns, regulate their reactions and be more effective in their interactions with customers and co-workers alike.
EQ in Action
In the session, attendees will explore core emotional intelligence skills using real-life floral scenarios — including some delightfully awkward ones — to help participants laugh, reflect and relate. Then Bruce helps them bridge those insights to the tougher questions: How do you handle stress, uncertainty or team tension without shutting down or lashing out? What does it mean to take responsibility for your own emotions — but not for everyone else’s?
“If you’re going to lead, whether that’s with a client or a team, you have to understand how your emotions impact others,” says Bruce. “We’ve told people for years to leave their emotions at the door — but that’s not realistic, and it’s not helpful.”
Designed for Immediate Application
Bruce incorporates what she calls “I scenarios” — role-play style moments where attendees are the protagonist and must decide how to respond — to simulate emotionally charged workplace moments and debrief on EQ-rooted responses.
Participants will also walk out with a commitment to implement three tangible actions within 48 hours. “No goals, no vision boards — just three small things that move the needle right now,” Bruce says. “That’s how you build the habit.”
“What’s Your EQ?” is one of 10 education sessions designed to meet young professionals where they are — whether they’re new to the industry or stepping into leadership for the first time. The full program equips attendees to make smarter decisions, communicate more effectively, and think like owners — skills business leaders say they’re actively seeking.
“You can’t scale a business on technical skills alone,” says Megan Gerace, chair of SAF’s Next Gen Committee, which helped build the education session lineup. “We want the next generation of leaders to be strong in emotional intelligence too — because that’s what creates loyal teams and lasting impact”.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
