In the age of digitization, robotics, and epidemics, the world of work and the service industry is changing rapidly. Indeed, jobs and activities are increasingly automated, employees and workplaces are becoming more remote, virtual, and global. While this technology and transformation offer many opportunities and benefits, including increased flexibility, productivity, and performance, It is necessary to emphasize the human touch. So there is a growing demand for soft skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy, and integrity on employees and leaders. Developing emotional intelligence is also a critical and essential component of leadership, as the ability to manage emotions and get to know and influence others is one of the most vital indicators of performance in the workplace.
Benefits of emotional intelligence in the workplace
The success of your organization depends not only on technical skills but also on how well you interact with, understand, and motivate the workforce. Therefore, influential people management skills in general, and emotional intelligence in particular, will help you reduce conflict, make the workplace more positive, and make employees more productive. So not only are you working on developing your emotional intelligence, but you should also help your employees develop such critical interpersonal skills. Because employees with high emotional intelligence are collaborative, self-motivated, easy to work with, and good at building positive relationships with colleagues and clients, note that if you are looking to advance in your career, you must master the skill of emotional intelligence.
Let’s look at some practical techniques you can use to develop your emotional intelligence:
1. Organize yourself
Self-organization refers to how you manage your emotions, behaviors, and impulses. The more aware you are of yourself, the easier it becomes. If you can get to know how you feel and why? You can run your business appropriately. So if you acknowledge your feelings and give yourself time to process them, you can carefully craft your approach and avoid doing anything that might jeopardize the goodwill you worked so hard to build.
2. Try a diary and write down your thoughts
At the end of the workday, think about your meetings, projects, and interactions, both positive and negative. You can identify specific patterns about your behaviors and reactions by recording your thoughts, among others. Where did you stand out? How do your employees feel? Were there certain people or situations that frustrated you, and if so, why? The more accurate and transparent you are, the better. Thus, you will become more aware of what is bothering you to avoid this from happening in the future or create and reinforce actions that raise employee morale.
3. Practice driving skills
Leadership skills are not just for leaders; they are for anyone willing to take the initiative, make wise decisions, and solve problems. So emotionally intelligent people practice these skills consistently and efficiently when needed.
4. Stay motivated
Successful managers and business leaders discover what motivates their employees and use that information to train them to perform at their highest level. Note that what the manager does and does not do directly affects the performance of employees. Also, one of the best qualities of emotionally intelligent managers is to stay motivated and motivate others with their positive attitude. Knowing that they cannot encourage others, they can create a positive and more productive environment that inspires them to do the work required of them.
5. Communicate with firmness and confidence
The style of communicating assertively and confidently is sharing with others so that you show respect for their opinions without allowing them to overstep their bounds regarding your rights, needs, and personal boundaries. Note that this method helps you speak for yourself without creating any personal conflicts or tension between team members.
6. Listen Effectively
Active listening, not talking, is the key to good interpersonal communication, as listening may be the most important to knowing and understanding the feelings of others. Also, listening to ourselves and others to solve a problem makes us more likely to find the solution. So it is always about actively listening to understand what others want to convey without explaining anything yourself. So emotionally intelligent people make sure that there are no misunderstandings due to neglect or lack of attention and listening.
7. Sympathy
Empathy is understanding the feelings of others and looking at things from their point of view. Hence, emotionally intelligent people enjoy empathy and know that empathy for others is a sign of strength, not weakness. So when you have empathy, it becomes easier to deal with people with different opinions while maintaining mutual respect.
8. Be positive
It’s easier to be harmful than to be positive, but negative thinking uses three times more energy than positive thinking. Hence, maintaining a positive attitude is not only about you but also about staying aware of other people’s moods to realize how you can perform at your best. And sometimes the difference is in the attitude, so a positive attitude plays an essential role in our personal and professional lives.
9. Respond and don’t react
Those who get used to (emotion) towards life’s challenges are not professionals, but those who know what motivates people to be achievers have an advantage in communicating with people. Sometimes, responding to life requires looking at life from a different angle. A particular negative situation can be changed to positive by the response, not by interaction.
10. Accept criticism
It can be challenging for people to criticize without being defensive or offensive. But emotionally intelligent people always do this, responding to situations and criticisms rather than reacting to them. They also understand the source of these criticisms and how they may affect their performance in the future. These outstanding leaders see this from a long-term perspective and find effective ways to resolve problems and conflicts constructively.
11. Practice self-awareness
Self-awareness is understanding your moods, patterns, and behavior and knowing what you think and feel. So emotionally intelligent people have these things straight, as they know themselves and their feelings, so they understand how their emotions affect others.
12. Improve your social skills
Another great feature of emotionally intelligent people is communication with them. They come to you with a smile and communicate with you effectively. This feature is typical for many people; however, many people may also have difficulty communicating socially and knowing that social skills can be learned and improved with practice and time.
Improve your emotional intelligence for success
The ability to manage your emotions requires the effective integration of your thinking and emotional brain, and when you are emotionally intelligent; Your feelings work for you, not against you. Thus, you respect the feelings of others and become a successful person. And by fostering the right components of emotional intelligence, you can gain an edge in controlling your thoughts and emotions, too. Hence, anyone who wants to enhance their personal growth needs to develop emotional intelligence to the maximum. So be patient as you build and nurture the qualities of an emotionally intelligent person because the success that comes from mastering your thoughts and emotions is well worth the effort.
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