Everyone gets stuck in a difficult situation with their manager, boss, peers, or colleagues at one point or other in their career. This is precisely the moment when you need to be emotionally strong and intelligent.
There are a few terms like, Emotional Intelligence (EI) or Emotional Quotient (EQ) that define the capability to understand and manage your emotions well.
This blog is for all those employees who are suffering at work because of their emotional outbursts, who fail to express themselves when confronted, and who often find themselves on the complicated side of their superior, manager, or boss.
If this is your story too, then you are just at the right place. Here, we are going to talk about emotional intelligence at work, how it helps in the workplace, and some tips to acquire this skill-
What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?
Emotional Intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourselves as well as others. This ability helps in better management and control of your emotions at workplace.
Emotionally intelligent people often know how to handle their emotions and are not controlled by the emotional impulses.
They are compassionate and don’t judge others by their emotional outburst as well.
They don’t get angry easily. They take criticism very well. They also are the decision makers.
They always approach a situation like a problem; they first observe and understand the conflict and then calmly analyze it for the potential solution.
They know just the right words to say at the wrong time in a manner that would explicitly clarify their point of view without offending or upsetting anyone in the process.
Wow! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have such a skillset at your disposal?
Negative & Positive Emotions at Workplace!
When we talk about the workplace; a place where a team works together towards a common goal, following professional protocols, where we are suggested to keep our emotions at bay and not let them overwhelm us.
As long as the emotions are positive, i.e., you are excited, overjoyed, compassionate, or polite, you are on the safe side.
Things turn ugly when negative emotions like fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, rudeness, arrogance, etc. start taking their toll. These emotional attributes impact your productivity, mindfulness, and intercept with your work ethics (negatively, of course!).
Tips to Enhance Your Emotional Quotient (EQ) Factor?
When we speak, it’s not about what we’re saying, but how we are saying it that matters. When emotions get the better of you, you forget that you are in a professional environment, and you have to control your emotions to effectively carry out your tasks.
Being emotionally intelligent doesn’t mean that you become a cold-hearted robot. It simply means that you handle every situation rather peacefully and intelligently, leaving no room for any confusion and miscommunication.
Here are a few tips that can save you from an embarrassing emotional burn at the workplace -
#1 Ask These Questions to Yourself!
Whenever you are about to burst out, remember to take a moment to breathe. Now, ask yourself-
- Is it right to behave like this at the workplace?
- Am I overreacting?
- What if I’m wrong? (It might be that you’re right, but let’s not rule out the possibility of being wrong.)
- Am I getting personal?
You should never forget where you are. A professional workplace requires professional response and behavior. Everything you say or show ultimately reflects your own personality. Your intentions might be good, but how you frame just the right words to explain your point of view is the vital part.
#2 Understand Your Peers!
Instead of building up a mountain of an ant-like matter, you should try to de-escalate the potentially conflicting situation.
There might be a disagreement between you and your colleagues, immediate manager, or boss, etc. A conflict at work is nothing more than a form of miscommunication. However, it has the ability to transform a good day into a bad one for you and others as well. You wouldn’t want to be the reason for someone’s bad day, would you?
Sometimes, you end up thinking that the person you’re having trouble coordinating with is a bad person. There is not even an ounce of truth in this statement.
There are bad situations, miserable moods, unpleasant confrontations, but not bad people.
Every individual is dealing with their inner demons, and we have no idea how they are keeping up their upfront.
So this would be a wonderful time to give them some benefit of the doubt and try to start afresh.
#3 Drop the Matter!
As Aristotle says, to be angry is to succumb to a momentary impulse. Well, this is easy. Everyone loses their temper under stress. However, this is not sensible.
But, getting angry to the right level, not crossing the limit, at the right time and for the right reason, is beyond the capacity of ordinary people. And it’s not easy.
Dealing with your high-tempered mindset requires a high level of rational thinking, self-control, and empathy.
Even while facing unintelligent treatment, you need to behave intelligently. No matter how bad the situation is, no matter your boss not getting your point, no matter you failed to explain your situation well. All that matters is that you don’t escalate the situation right then.
If you can’t just let go of the matter, then do this- address the situation the next day or so with calm endeavour and a concerned tone. Try to relax things down. However, if your manager is stretching the matter further, then you might want to contact HR to address and resolve the issue.
#4 Change Your Perspective!
Each individual has a different and unique perspective of a situation.
When two people see ‘6’ written on the ground, they can argue whether it is ‘6’ or ‘9’. However, this does not mean that one of them is wrong. It is all about perception. They should agree to the fact that they are both right, respect it and move on. There’s no reason to create a rift or hold grudges for an unnecessary reason, right?
Similarly, when find yourself in a potential argument; try to understand the situation from the other person’s perspective. They may be right from their point of view and even if you think they are wrong, you should leave the argument for good. You might not be able to do it at the first instance, but once you start practicing this, you would be automatically bringing in more understanding and compassion within yourself and the ability to look something from a broader perspective.
#5 Be Genuine!
This is a magical tip! Yes, it is.
In the end, being honest and genuine will save you. If all else fails, try being genuine and peacefully describe your side of the story, and don’t forget to close the argument with a sincere apology.
Whether you were wrong or not, you still took the initiative to drop the matter and offered a genuine apology. That’s a bonus point in your favour which depicts that you value the team more than your grudges and are ready to correct any discrepancies on your part for better results.
This approach will help you build a significant presence in the company and strengthen your personality.
Bottom Line
Being emotionally intelligent is not always helpful, however. People with high emotional intelligence are normally not liked by their peers. Bitter? But it is true.
Such people are considered rude, arrogant, cold and neutral and in most cases colleagues avoid interacting with them. But if you want to thrive in your career, then emotional intelligence is the skill set you would need the most.