- Do you feel demotivated easily at your workplace?
- Are you critical of everyone at your office?
- Do you find it difficult to be part of group projects?
- Do you think you are not communicating your ideas to your team leader?
- Do you freeze and blank out under pressure?
If you have answered “Yes” to most of the questions, then you are not utilizing your emotional intelligence in the workplace. Emotional Intelligence (EQ), as you must have figured out, is the most important ability that contributes to success in your workplace.
EQ, as an ability, has five factors to it:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Regulation
- Motivation
- Social Skills
- Empathy
We can build these things within ourselves incrementally over time. I believe that no intelligence is fixed and permanent in nature; everything is a skill that can be learned with time. The same goes for EQ. It may seem elusive; however, it is not! We all have some level of EQ, to begin with since it is so crucial to our survival in the world. So, it is only a matter of honing it!
Here are my five tips to improve your EQ so that you can do well at your workplace:
1> Look Inward
First of all, recognise your feelings and the root of them. What feelings come up in the workplace? What is the root cause? How do you react to others when those feelings come up? The first lesson is simply to observe what you feel without judgement. In this process, you will discover who you are.
2> Respond, don’t react.
Once you are able to recognise what you are feeling, you are one step closer to regulating it. Think before you jump into judgement and an emotional reaction to the situation. Find ways to channel your feelings in productive ways! If you feel emotionally charged, expend it in exercise or sports. If you feel low, watch a movie or listen to music to uplift you. These strategies are totally subjective. You will know what works best for you!
(I have written a post narrating an incident from my life that deals with this topic! Read it here.)
3> Stay Motivated
People who have high EQ are known to have intrinsic motivation. It means that they are motivated “by the process itself” and not the external rewards that the work can offer. So, you must think about what you like about your job and focus on it! If you do this, it will be easier to stay motivated even on the tough days at work.
4> Stay Connected
Students always tend to ask how can we improve our social skills and be more proactive in the classroom. The simple answer is to be genuinely curious about other people. If you pay attention to what people are saying, their body language, you will know what the right thing to say or do is. Another practical skill you will have to develop is to improve communication skills by imitating the style of someone who you admire, and slowly you will find your own unique style.
5> Think from different POVs.
Last but not the least, we have to be empathetic. People who can see the situation from different perspectives, and be kind about those differences are emotionally intelligent. If you can put yourself in the shoes of the other person, and imagine their reasons, you will be better able to communicate and collaborate with them.
Why must you practice these tips on a daily basis?
We know that an emotionally intelligent person can handle workplace difficulties without indulging in the blame game. They can take responsibility for what went wrong in any situation without castigating themselves too. They have greater empathy for others in the workplace, and therefore can avoid office drama! And above all, they make great leaders since they set the right example by taking action calmly and objectively. And obviously, while you work on your EQ, your personal life will inevitably be enriched too!
Reference:
Cherry, Kendra. “Utilizing Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace.” Verywell Mind, 25 May 2020, www.verywellmind.com/utilizing-emotional-intelligence-in-the-workplace-4164713.