All human interactions within the business world are affected by Emotional Intelligence (EI), from customer service to troubleshooting and brainstorming, meeting presentations, and employee motivation.
When a staff is emotionally intelligent, they are further empowered to achieve maximum effectiveness through teamwork. On all levels, an emotionally intelligent workforce warrants a successful business.
The Theory Behind Emotional Intelligence
We have all heard the adage, “think before you speak”. Instead of allowing our emotions rule our actions, we must learn how to recognize them as they develop, realize their cause and potential effects, and do our best to control how we react. While our emotions can warrant inspiration and inventiveness, we must be sure to not allow them to trigger a regrettable situation. Essentially, emotional intelligence can be described as a very important social skill, which is not only critical in our personal lives, but is also indispensible in the workplace where tensions can sometimes run high.
Achieving Emotional Intelligence at Work
According to professors Peter Salovey and David R. Caruso, authors of the publication “The Emotionally Intelligent Manager”, developing a sense of emotional intelligence can be broken down into four basic skills:
- Recognize your own feelings as well as those of others.
- Utilize your emotional mindset to help guide your own thoughts and analyses, in addition to those of others.
- Realize the variableness of feelings and initial reactions, and how they change and evolve with unfolding events.
- Remain open to the information that feelings may disclose and incorporate this into your actions and choices.
The incorporation of these practices within a corporate culture can help managers remain empathic to their employees; support healthy and constructive collaboration among team members; and promote a general ethos of patience, logical thought, and staying power among employees and managers alike.
Where to Begin
Of course, attaining a pinnacle level of emotional intelligence within yourself is the first step toward it becoming second nature within your company. Whether you are a business leader or team member, you can still provide others with an example of emotional intelligence by employing these values on your own. Achieving this balance will not occur instantaneously, but through practice and perseverance, you and your team will begin to learn how to view the larger picture when a potentially reactive moment arises.
Stewart, Cooper & Coon, has helped thousands of decision makers and senior executives move up in their careers and achieve significantly improved financial packages within short time frames. Contact Fred Coon – 866-883-4200, Ext. 200