Did you know that half of all funeral professionals leave the profession after 5 years?

It’s no secret that being a funeral professional is emotionally, physically, and mentally demanding. But what if there was a way you could improve your service to families while reducing your own stress?

That’s where emotional intelligence comes in.

Dr. Melanie Carr, author of Emotional Intelligence for Funeral Directors: The Secret to Less Stress and Burnout at Work, has spent years researching the effects of emotional intelligence on funeral professionals. According to Dr. Carr, emotional intelligence is “the way we process emotional data as we interact with others and how we use that emotional data to achieve our goals.”

After interviewing countless funeral professionals, she discovered that only 50% of all funeral professionals make it to their fifth year of service, and more than 70% leave before 10 years of service. Dr. Carr also uncovered that by focusing on your emotional intelligence, you can better support yourself, your staff, and the families you serve.

Emotional intelligence is an ability you can develop that can help you enhance your empathy, lower your stress, and build a stronger team.

Let’s explore how focusing on your emotional intelligence can help you in each of these areas.

1. Enhance your empathy

Navigating emotions can be challenging, especially during times of profound grief. That’s why emotional intelligence is an essential skill for funeral professionals who work closely with grieving families.

In this clip from our FD Talks podcast, Dr. Carr explains the importance emotional intelligence has on your relationships with families and your fellow funeral professionals.

By focusing on your emotional intelligence, you can better recognize, understand, manage, and respond to others’ emotions, all while maintaining professionalism.

Remember, strong emotional intelligence is about more than being empathetic—it’s about using emotional insight to better serve families.

Developing your emotional intelligence enhances your ability to empathize with others, ultimately improving the quality of service you provide.

2. Lower your stress levels

Funeral professionals face a variety of stressors, including long hours, unpredictable work days, and emotional demands. And if you are struggling with stress or burnout, you don’t have the energy to care for every family as best as you can.

In this clip, Dr. Carr dives into the relationship between emotional intelligence and work stress.

According to Dr. Carr, there is a strong relationship between emotional intelligence and work stress. Having higher emotional intelligence can help you manage your stress more effectively and serve every family you meet well.

And don’t worry if you haven’t worked on your emotional intelligence before. This skill can be learned and improved over time, allowing you to experience less stress and help more families in your funeral home.

3. Build a stronger team

Having an emotionally intelligent team is key to building a funeral home that supports its staff and cares for families. Emotions can sometimes run high in your funeral home, so having a team with high emotional intelligence can help create a more resilient culture.

In this clip from the FD Talks podcast, Dr. Carr describes the importance of focusing on emotional intelligence throughout the interview process and why it matters.

Your funeral home should prioritize assessing emotional intelligence during the hiring process. This will ensure that new team members bring the empathy and interpersonal skills needed to thrive in the funeral profession.

Beyond hiring, developing emotional intelligence within existing staff can significantly boost motivation, performance, and persistence. Emotionally intelligent employees are more likely to navigate challenges effectively, communicate openly, and work collaboratively to support families and co-workers.

By prioritizing emotional intelligence during the hiring process and within the workplace, you cultivate a culture of trust and respect, reducing workplace tension and turnover. A positive workplace culture not only strengthens team dynamics but also improves the service you provide to families.

Grow intelligence, shrink stress.

From enhancing your empathy and lowering your stress levels to building a stronger team, emotional intelligence makes all the difference in your funeral home. By developing emotional intelligence, you can connect more meaningfully with your families and improve the level of service you provide.

The best part? Emotional intelligence isn’t a fixed trait. It’s an ability that you can develop.

To learn more about developing your emotional intelligence, read Dr. Carr’s book here.

And to watch the full podcast episode on emotional intelligence, click here.