From health experts to psychologists, a lot of people believe that emotional intelligence can matter a lot for an individual, even at this workplace. How,you may ask. And why?
How to Use Emotional Intelligence At The Workplace
Why Emotional Intelligence?
It has been found that at workplaces that have high levels of stress, individuals who are more emotionally intelligence are able to cooperate with others in a better way, and handle their work related stress more efficiently. Plus, they are also able to learn better from their mistakes made at the workplace, and solve workplace conflicts in a breeze, and all of that is just the tip of the iceberg.
With the globalization affecting all areas and aspects of our lives today, emotional intelligence plays a key role- it helps improve cross cultural relationships, make stronger teams and can help individuals and organizations make better business decisions.
It has also been found that individuals who have high EQ tend to keep their cool during stressful situations in workplace settings and are more likely to listen, speak up and offer constructive criticism. They also tend to have greater empathy and are more likely to listen, observe and then react.
How to Do it Right
Emotional intelligence may not be treated as one, but it is actually a very valuable skill, and one of the simplest ways to emphasize it is to become more self aware. The more you have a better understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses, the better you’ll be able to make decisions for yourself. You’ll also be able to understand better how your actions influence others, which can in turn, help you understand and exercise self regulation
In a workplace setting, here’s how you could put emotional intelligence to use.
- Your EI could help you better decisions, because you’ll be more likely to observe and try to understand things from different perspectives as opposed to being judgemental.
- If you’re in a leadership or authority position, your emotional intelligence may help you connect with your team members in a much deeper way, and they’ll be more open and comfortable with you.
- You’ll also be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your individual team members, and will be able to help them access those strengths and play by them more effectively when it comes to the company.
- If there’s a situation at the workplace where there’s a fight or a disagreement between team members, you’ll be more likely to be able to solve the issue and come to a settlement.
- Best of all, you’ll also be able to have better, stronger relationships with other team members, and you’ll be able to get the best out of them in general, motivate them to work at their best, which will be beneficial for both them and the organization.
I learned all about Emotional Intelligence/Emotional Quotient when I began teaching at the kindergarten section of a school. Dealing with 4, 5 and 6 year olds hadn’t been an experience and I struggled in the initial period. But, after a few months, I learned how to deal with the little people and over time I also learned how to deal with the parents of the little people. It somehow also helped me deal with my MIL better–in that, it made me pretty diplomatic, and I learned how to keep her and everyone around “happy” so as to maintain peace around–be it at school or at home. Dealing with patients of mental illness requires higher EQ and that’s what I understood.
I completely agree with what you said about people with high EI being able to handle others, handle the stress and work as a team. Earlier, I would rue the fact that my IQ was so low…but over the years, after interacting with people with high IQ, I was glad I had a high EQ, instead. That is what helps in LIFE, isn’t it? 🙂
I totally agree with you that EQ is important, not only in the workplace, but in most human interactions.
You make it sound easy to develop this skill or trait, but in truth, it’s not quite that simple. It takes a lot of trial and error and practice, if it doesn’t come naturally. To ask some people to be more self aware is tantamount to asking a fish to sing.
I have a young friend who is actively working on this past of himself. It’s fun to watch him grow. It’s also occasionally necessary to point out when he’s trying TOO hard, as it’s important to be sincere and sometimes the effort comes across as the opposite. It isn’t, or he wouldn’t be working on his EQ at all, but the expression of sympathy or empathy can seem forced and unnatural, when you’re WORKING on it.
Where there’s a will, there’s usually a way. But it can a can also to be a challenge to get someone with low EQ to recognize the need to develop it in themselves.
I wish Emotional Intelligence can be cultivated easily but it is not. Yesterday I read your post on toxic relationships and today it is on EI. I can see how they can be related. The other thought I have how long can one apply one’s EI to deal with stressful people and conditions – work or family. 7 years, 10 years, 13 years, how long?
Great Tips of Emotional Intelligence. Great article and thank you for sharing valuable information.
People with a high level of emotional intelligence have a greater vocabulary, which really helps them get through to the person they’re addressing.
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