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5 ways to boost your Emotional IQ at work

  • Emotional IQ or EQ is an important skill to have in today's world
  • Here's how you can harness that skill
ways to boost your Emotional IQ at work
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First Published Feb 3, 2017, 10:34 AM IST

 

According to a fastcompany.com, several studies show the need for emotional IQ to perform effectively in a leadership role. The lack of which led to “difficulty in handling change, inability to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.”
 

“International search firm Egon Zehnder International analysed 515 senior executives and discovered that those who were strongest in emotional intelligence were more likely to succeed than those strongest in either IQ or relevant previous experience.”
 

In other words, people who were seen to be more liked and trusted had a significant edge over those who didn’t.

 

So, what is Emotional IQ? 
According to psychology today, “Emotional  (EQ or EI) can be defined as the ability to understand, manage, and effectively express one's own feelings, as well as engage and navigate successfully with those of others. According to Talent Smart, 90% of high performers at the workplace possess high EQ, while 80% of low performers have low EQ.  is absolutely essential in the formation, development, maintenance, and enhancement of close personal relationships. Unlike IQ, which does not change significantly over a lifetime, our EQ can evolve and increase with our desire to learn and grow.”

 

 

Wondering how to hone in on your Emotional Intelligence? Here’s how:

 

 

Self-awareness:  
 



Nothing can be more liberating than being self-aware. To be self-aware means you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and use them to work appropriately in any given situation.
 


 

Listen, don’t respond:  
 



Most of us are geared to respond when we hear someone talking to us. And this is detrimental because we are not fully present and actually paying attention to what they are saying. Great leaders understand this and practice it because they realise everyone wants to be heard. Besides, as a leader, you will also hone in what is what is actually being said.


 

Manage your stress:
 



When you throw a stone in a pond, it creates a ripple effect. Similarly, when you are unable to manage your stress it at work, it creates a similar effect and trickles down to your employees, and this leads to an unhealthy and toxic environment especially if it happens on an everyday basis.
 



Social Skills:  
 



Having good social skills goes a long way, and moves beyond the pleasantries at work.  These individuals have a knack for bringing people to work on different tasks and projects, and they themselves are excellent team players.

 



Is genuinely interested in others:
 



When you are genuinely interested in what the other person has to say, or contribute it shows; people, too, will respond in kind. Showing an interest in your employees' life without being terribly intrusive also goes a long way, because then they just don’t feel like another hamster on a wheel.

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