Last Updated on May 23, 2022 by Editors Desk
In the 1990s, psychologists coined the word. Its application swiftly spread to other fields such as business, education, and popular culture.
What Is Emotional Intelligence, and What Does It Mean?
Emotional intelligence is defined by psychologists Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer, two of the foremost scholars on the subject, as the ability to perceive and understand emotions in oneself and others. This skill also entails making judgments, solving issues, and communicating with people based on emotional understanding.
There are four stages of emotional intelligence, according to Salovey and Mayer:
- Emotional perception
- Emotion-based reasoning
- Emotional intelligence
- Emotional control
Emotions and intelligence were once thought to be diametrically opposed to one another. However, in recent decades, scholars engaged in emotion psychology have become more interested in cognition and affect.
This section looks at how cognitive processes and emotions interact and influence people’s thinking. Consider how emotions and moods like joy, anger, fear, and sadness affect how people act and make decisions.
Why Is Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Important for Success?
With the publication of Daniel Goleman’s book “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ” in 1995, interest in emotion psychology and the notion of emotional intelligence exploded. Goleman contended in the book that emotional intelligence was crucial for forecasting life success. Emotional qualities, he maintained, played a crucial role in the job as well.
The proposal drew the attention of the general public, especially human resource managers and business executives, quite rapidly. Emotional intelligence is supposed to influence how successfully employees engage with their coworkers, and it is also expected to play a role in how workers manage stress and conflict, according to researchers. It also has an impact on overall job performance. Emotional intelligence has also been connected to job happiness in other research.
While traditional intelligence was linked to leadership performance, Goleman claimed that it was insufficient on its own. People that succeed at work are not only intelligent, but also have a high EQ.
Emotional intelligence isn’t just for CEOs and top executives, though. It’s a skill that’s valued at all stages of a person’s career, from college students seeking internships to seasoned professionals hoping to advance to a management position. Emotional intelligence is crucial to your success in the office and advancement up the career ladder.
Why Does Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Matter in the Workplace?
Why is emotional intelligence such a prized quality in the workplace? According to one poll of recruiting managers, nearly 75% of respondents said they valued an employee’s emotional intelligence (EQ) more than their IQ.
Emotional intelligence is widely acknowledged as a desirable talent that can aid improve professional communication, management, problem-solving, and relationships. It’s also a skill that, according to studies, can be enhanced via training and practice.
What Can You Do to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence?
While some people are born with emotional talents, there are things that everyone can do to increase their ability to comprehend and rationalize emotions. This is especially useful in the workplace, where interpersonal understanding, teamwork, and communication are frequently relied upon in relationships and commercial decisions.
Participants who received training in core emotional competences demonstrated long-term improvements in emotional intelligence, according to a 2011 study. They also had greater physical and mental health, better social ties, and lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone).
Take efforts to develop your emotional intelligence skills in the five categories of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation if you want to improve your working performance.
Develop a greater sense of self-awareness
Recognizing your own emotions is one of the first stages toward employing emotional intelligence abilities in the job. Being aware of diverse aspects of yourself, such as your emotions and feelings, is what self-awareness entails. It’s one of emotional intelligence’s core elements. You must first be self-aware in order to detect your emotions and comprehend what is producing them.
Take note of how you’re feeling.
What impact do these feelings have on how you respond? Do the emotions you’re experiencing influence your decisions or how you interact with others? You may find that as you consider these issues, you become much more aware of your own emotions and the role they play in your daily life.
Make a mental inventory of your emotional strengths and shortcomings
How effective are you at communicating with others? Do you have a lot of impatience, wrath, or frustration on a regular basis? What are some successful strategies to deal with these feelings? Recognizing your flaws allows you to find solutions to them.
Keep in mind that feelings come and go.
You may be irritated by a coworker, or your supervisor may assign you a difficult task to do. Remember that these things are just momentary before you react. Making hasty decisions based on strong emotions can jeopardize your long-term success and aspirations.
Self-control is a skill to learn.
Self-regulation is a crucial component of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman. Being aware of your emotions is a crucial first step, but you must also be able to control them.
To enhance your self-control at work, do the following:
- Learn stress-relieving tactics for the job. Outside of work, having hobbies is a terrific place to start. Physical activity is also a good method to de-stress.
- Maintain your composure. Accept that you won’t be able to control everything. Look for constructive responses that don’t add to the fire.
- Consider your options before making a decision. In the heat of the moment, emotions might overwhelm you. If you give yourself time to evaluate all of the options, you will be able to make a more calm and sensible decision.
Improve Social Skills
According to research on emotion psychology, people with high EQs also have good social skills. They are able to respond correctly to the circumstance because they are skilled at recognising other people’s emotions. In the workplace, social skills are also highly valued because they contribute to improved communication and a more favourable business culture.
Employees and executives with strong social skills are able to establish rapport with coworkers and successfully communicate their views. People with strong social skills are not only excellent team players, but they can also lead when necessary.
To improve your social abilities, do the following:
- Pay attention to what other people have to say. This should not imply simply quietly listening to others speak. Showing interest, asking questions, and providing comments are all examples of active listening. Active listening can demonstrate that you are passionate about work initiatives and prepared to collaborate with others to help the group achieve its objectives, whether you are a manager or a team member.
- Keep an eye out for nonverbal cues. The signals that people transmit with their body language can reveal a lot about their true feelings.
- Improve your persuading abilities. Being able to wield power in the office and persuade coworkers and managers to listen to your suggestions might help you advance your career.
- Stay away from office squabbles. Make every effort to avoid the petty office politics that can occasionally take over the job, but keep in mind that confrontations cannot always be avoided. Concentrate on hearing what others have to say and looking for solutions to problems and reducing tensions.
Become More Empathetic
Emotionally intelligent people are adept at putting themselves in another’s position and empathizing with their feelings. Empathy entails more than simply being aware of how others are feeling. It also has to do with how you react to these feelings.
Empathy permits you to grasp the diverse interactions between coworkers and managers in the job. It also enables you to detect who wields power and how this affects the behaviors, feelings, and interactions that result from such interactions.
- Consider things from the perspective of the other person. It might be difficult at times, especially when you believe the other person is incorrect. Rather than allowing little disagreements to escalate into huge fights, take some time to consider the problem from another’s point of view. It can be a good starting point for finding a medium ground between two opposed viewpoints.
- Keep an eye on how you react to people. Do you give them the opportunity to offer their thoughts? Do you value their opinions, even if you disagree with them? Allowing others to see that their efforts are worthwhile typically makes people more inclined to compromise.
Work on Your Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is another important aspect of emotional intelligence. People with high EQ are more motivated to achieve their goals for their own sake. They want to accomplish things because they find them gratifying and they are passionate about what they do, not because they are looking for external benefits.
Money, position, and acclaim are all terrific motivators, but extremely successful employees are frequently driven by something more. They are enthusiastic about their work. They are dedicated to their jobs, enjoy taking on new challenges, and their energy is contagious. They don’t give up in the face of adversity, and they may motivate others to work hard and persevere in order to achieve their objectives.
- Concentrate on the aspects of your job that you enjoy. There are certainly some aspects of your employment that you enjoy and others that you despise. Concentrate on the areas of your career that you enjoy, such as the sense of success you get when you finish a large project or assisting your clients in achieving their own objectives. Identify the aspects of your profession that inspire you and use them as inspiration.
- Maintain an optimistic frame of mind. Observe how upbeat people inspire and motivate others in the workplace. Adopting this mindset can help you feel more enthusiastic about your job.
Also Checkout: 10 Life Changing Tips on How to Develop Self Awareness
