Are you emotionally intelligent? Maybe you’ve never asked yourself that question, but if you’re reading this post, it’s because something about the concept of “emotional intelligence” caught your attention. Perhaps it’s because, until a few years ago, the words intelligence and emotion didn’t fit well in the same sentence. This, supported by unfounded prejudices about the supposed weakness or lack of rationality of expressive or sensitive people, generated the collective idea that feelings are incompatible with clarity of thought.
Well, we’re here to debunk that myth and tell you that yes — it’s absolutely possible to be empathetic, sensitive, and emotionally intelligent. In fact, developing these qualities can greatly help you in your professional career. Keep reading to learn how to apply emotional intelligence in the workplace!
It’s often mistaken that repressing emotions or not expressing them means being emotionally intelligent — but that’s far from true. Suppressing emotions is never a good idea; what we must learn is how to manage them to our advantage. For example, in a conflict between two coworkers with different interests, the more assertive and resilient person will be the one who best expresses their opinion while respecting the other party — without being submissive, and always aiming for a win to win outcome.
However, not all disputes end in mutually beneficial outcomes, and sometimes we have to adapt and accept decisions. This is where emotional intelligence should surface. In a business environment, a person is emotionally intelligent when they don’t let their emotions take control, when they can think before acting, and when they execute in alignment with their professional goals. To achieve this, maintaining calm, developing social skills, and practicing active listening are essential.
Self-awareness: encourage self-evaluation and make time in your routine for personal reflection. To do so, perform a self-analysis of your own emotions, strengths, and areas for improvement.
Active listening: pay attention to what your coworkers, clients, and supervisors are saying, showing genuine interest and empathy toward their concerns and emotions.
Emotional self-control: learn to manage your emotions effectively in challenging workplace situations, avoiding impulsive reactions and making more rational decisions.
Assertive communication: express your thoughts, feelings, and opinions clearly, respectfully, and directly, promoting open and constructive communication in the workplace.
Empathy: cultivate the ability to understand and share others’ emotions, recognizing their perspectives and showing genuine interest in their needs and concerns.
Teamwork: foster a collaborative and supportive environment, recognizing and valuing each team member’s contributions.
Conflict resolution: develop skills to address conflicts constructively, seeking effective solutions for everyone and promoting open communication toward mutual understanding.
Flexibility and adaptability: learn to adapt to changes and unforeseen situations with flexibility.
Motivation: cultivate a positive, goal-oriented mindset by setting challenging but achievable objectives and seeking internal motivation to reach them.
Just as it’s important for employees to be emotionally intelligent, it’s even more crucial for leaders — since making decisions, managing interests, and evaluating others’ work is no easy task.
To lead effectively, a balance between empathy and firmness, discipline and flexibility, human vision and corporate vision must be achieved. Thus, the qualities that a good leader should possess, related to emotional intelligence at work, include: empathy, the ability to motivate the team, self-awareness and self-criticism, humility, being self-taught, determination, confidence, charisma, and knowing how to activate rational thinking to act objectively when facing crossroads that also involve emotional factors.
In conclusion, by creating a work environment that fosters emotional intelligence and supports employee growth and well-being, both productivity and the organization’s reputation will benefit.
Are you curious to learn more about the qualities that make you emotionally intelligent and how to develop them? Keep exploring the Educa.Pro blog and continue your professional growth.
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