Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
Emotional Intelligence
What is Emotional Intelligence and how can it be used in the workplace?
Psychology Today defines Emotional Intelligence as the ability to manage not only your own emotions but also the emotions of others.
There are three skills needed to develop Emotional Intelligence:
- Identifying and naming emotions.
- Applying emotions to problem solving when necessary.
- Regulating your own emotions and knowing when to help regulate the emotions of others.
These Emotional Intelligence skills can come into play in virtually every industry. It can help you be better able to meet the needs of your customers and in other settings can help employees identify the real underlying issues when they are working, rather than being swept away by anger or frustration.
Emotional Intelligence training for employees is important and must include the following four domains of development:
– Self-Awareness – Self-Management – Social Awareness – Relationship Management
These domains can be trained most effectively through experiences and interactions. Simple things like selecting a company-wide book on Emotional Intelligence and holding discussion groups or giving employees regular time to volunteer can help develop all four domains.
Other ideas for developing Emotional Intelligence skills include:
- Teaching meditation for self-management.
- Promoting and developing better listening skills for social awareness and relationship management.
- Developing team-building activities that foster empathy and promote better understanding of others.
- Developing a shared work culture that is diverse, inclusive, and supportive.
- Trainings can also include online check-ins or microlearning modules that include questions to think about or reminders to reflect on what is happening right at that moment.
Evaluate your training
You can easily evaluate the success of your Emotional Intelligence training by implementing one of the tests from above and then testing at subsequent points after taking the training. In many cases, though, the success of your training will be apparent as soon as you walk through the office.
Emotional Intelligence in the workplace is one of several soft skills that make employees better at their jobs (and more satisfied in them).