Have you ever considered whether your healthy emotional intelligence ? To make such a determination is not typically on your career agenda. But it is a critical emotional competency for managing pressure, handling challenges and being able to solve problems.
There are very few jobs where it is not required to deal with other individuals. But in society, one must prepare to handle differences and understand how to behave when things go against us.
Of course, we experience stressful situations, either at work or in our personal life, and cannot step away from what is going on at home or in our career. But lacking knowledge of the feelings we are experiencing and disregarding our emotions can have negative effects, whether that is losing patience with someone or not being able to figure out a problem and leaving the resolution in other people’s hands.
What is emotional intelligence?
As its name implies, emotional intelligence refers to the capacity of a person to cope with their feelings. Individuals possessing this capacity highly developed find it easier to make sense of what they feel and how to contain it in good time.
In real life, this translates into not being governed by instincts, but instead working towards cultivating a thinking mind that can analyze what you feel and take charge of your own feelings.
Developing emotional intelligence is important in all aspects of our lives, as it allows us to develop healthier relationships, based on dialogue and not just being in a euphoric state.
Secondly, this skill allows you to be more aware and sensitive to the emotions of those around you, building empathy and trust. In the workplace, this allows for better cooperation and a smoother relationship.
The pillars of emotional intelligence
It was Daniel Goleman, a psychologist, writer and PhD from Harvard University, who popularized the term “emotional intelligence”, in addition to spreading this skill through five pillars. Check it out:
1 – Self-awareness
In general, our emotional response to a certain event comes on impulse, however, what Goleman assessed was the possibility of understanding this feeling before taking action.
Thus, the first pillar concerns this ability to know yourself better and know how to evaluate situations in order to act responsibly. It all starts, then, with self-awareness, that is, an active effort to understand emotions.
2 – Self-regulation
Then there is the issue of what to do about these emotions. Suppose that there are two coworkers who are doing a project for work but cannot agree on a particular thing.
Certain individuals, acting without thinking, will begin a fight or be circulating negative talk about their coworker. Having realized this feeling of frustration or anger, one is also able to consider how to act.
3 – Self-motivation
Self-motivation is related to a person’s goals, professional objectives and motivation to work. It helps to control emotions, as it puts goals first and keeps the professional focused.
This makes it easier for people to deal with challenges and achieve positive results. Therefore, it is also linked to confidence and belief in one’s own potential.
4 – Empathy
As we said, emotional intelligence allows us to develop empathy, after all, we live with people with different stories and life experiences than ours, and therefore, they also have different opinions.
By knowing how to deal with their own emotions, people also understand the importance of valuing the feelings of others, and are better able to resolve situations through dialogue.
5 – Social skills
Finally, the fifth pillar refers to the ability to relate to others, building bonds based on kindness and respect. With social skills we are able to build lasting connections and, in our careers, this has an impact on everything from our day-to-day relationships with colleagues and managers to our ability to network.
How to assess emotional intelligence?
As we have seen, this skill plays an important role in our personal and professional lives. In our careers, it opens doors and helps our reputation, helping employees to create good relationships and even inspiring others to do the same.
In everyday life, it allows people to not despair when faced with an unexpected event and to transform negative thoughts into logical actions that allow them to deal with the issue. But how do you know if you have developed this skill? Check out the signs:
1 – Works well even in challenging times
Everyone goes through days when it seems like the world is falling apart. Those who have emotional control know how to deal with these situations, can prioritize what is most important, and have the serenity to find solutions.
To help in this regard, professionals must continue to seek new knowledge. If self-confidence is a pillar of emotional intelligence, specializing will provide more technical tools to resolve situations without despairing.
2 – It is flexible and adapts easily
In a rapidly changing job market, some people find it difficult to deal with change and let their emotions take over. Those who work on emotional intelligence do not let themselves be carried away by insecurities or fear, but rather adapt to the scenario at hand.
3 – Be patient with everyone
It’s easier to point out what’s wrong with other people’s work than to recognize their positive aspects, but this only makes relationships more complicated. Having the patience to deal with people who don’t behave the way we would like them to creates fruitful relationships and is an indication that emotional intelligence is healthy.