Workplaces are made up of all kinds of different people with different personality types. Often times, you may find yourself either working with someone you normally would not interact with in your personal life, or someone you may just generally not get along with at all. Having emotional intelligence can help you navigate through these different personality types, and help you optimize your interactions in the workplace and beyond.
Defined simply, emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize our own emotions, how well we understand emotions in others, and how we use this knowledge within our own interpersonal relationships. Dubbed as EQ, being emotionally intelligent in the workplace is integral when it comes to building and maintaining relationships.
Here are three simple tips to improving and optimizing emotional intelligence in the workplace:
Check in with Yourself
How do you react to various situations at work? When you have strong reactions at work, try to name and define how you are feeling. Your emotions can affect others, and by simply recognizing or making a note of them, you will be you will be better equipped to control and master them.
Solicit Feedback
Check in with your co-workers to better understand them and where they are coming from. By interacting with your colleagues, this can help you relieve any sort of tension you may have with them, or allow you to get to know them better. It’s the golden rule, the more you show you care about them, the more likely they are to care about you. Start with something as bold as “What do you think of…?” or “How are you?” Too simple? It is!
Ask Questions
Now that you have a better idea of those around you, try to take a look at what lies beneath those feelings especially when applied to situations like disagreements. Does passive aggressive communication from a certain supervisor send your anxiety sky high every time? Try to take a step back and ask yourself what’s motivating their behavior and why you’re so strongly affected by it. Knowing your own weakness and triggers will undoubtedly have an effect on how strongly they affect you and how you can deal with it when communicating back to them.
Whilst we aren’t capable of managing others’ emotions, by following these three simple steps, we have the ability to choose our reactions and better reframe our responses towards stressful or challenging situations. Identify these emotions, and allow your newfound ability to increase the quality of interactions you have with others, as well as yourself.
