5 Ways to be more “Emotionally Intelligent”​ at work

In the world talking about artificial intelligence, emotional intelligence has taken the top position when it comes to soft skills at work.

I remember coaching a very senior executive who said he use to get extremely uncomfortable when someone from his team or stakeholders/clients use to show any type of emotion. He was always driven by logic and didn’t understand the need to know or show emotions of self or others. It wasn’t considered as an important aspect a decade ago. However, today, the need to have emotional intelligent leaders has grown multi-folds.

Thanks to the VUCA world, social media, growing customer service needs, millennial workforce and a lot more reasons, one cannot ignore the importance of emotional intelligence.

*IQ helps the professional to survive however * EQ will ensure that he/she WINS in the professional & personal space.

While there are a lot of models available to understand the concept of Emotional Intelligence, in this article I am sharing some cool tools that we can use to consciously become more emotionally intelligent at work.

Here are 5 Applied Emotional Intelligence techniques that can help you build winning relationships at work with your stakeholders and teams –

1.     Emotional Vocabulary : While there are 6 basic emotions that most people associate with, do you know there are more 600+ words in English vocabulary to describe emotions. Consciously, start using few more words describing emotions in your daily language. Sentences including words from emotional vocabulary are more STICKY! Small little changes in your vocabulary can create a magic in your relationships. Start these baby steps today and feel the difference. Examples:

• You articulate well – I love the way you articulate your message,
• So you have decided to go? – It’s disheartening to see you go,
• Congratulations to all of you for this award – It is a moment of pride to see you all winning this award
• Thank for this recognition – I am grateful to get this recognition

2.     Micro-Observations: I remember in a lot of meetings, the experience when this enthusiastic soul is all absorbed by his/her own presentation, try giving them signs, but they have to say what they have up on the slides, without paying attention to the room’s emotional temperature. Next time when you are presenting,

• Consciously pay a little more attention to the micro body language of the listeners – gulping water, no or little eye movement, tight facial muscles etc. and if you notice no interest, it’s time to capture their attention again, instead of going on with your slides
• Tweak your content to keep your audience interested, identify their styles

3.     Give safer platforms to your team members, colleagues or stakeholders to share their emotions : While you are waiting for your meetings to start, offsites or generally lighter days on the work floor, smoke or lunch breaks, have some meaningful conversations, ask questions that kindle the limbic (emotional) brain. Some people might find this very awkward, remember you are only helping them build their Emotional Intelligence! There might be some discomfort in the beginning, but everyone will like it eventually. It feels human! Do try it out maybe in safer forums to begin with.

Few examples to begin conversations in initial stages:

• What was your most defining moment of life, or in the project?
• What was the most challenging part?
• How did you cope up with all the stress?
• How are you feeling about this?
• Who’s the best stakeholder you have ever had, what was special?
• What’s the part you enjoy the most in this team? How do you feel about it?

4.     Flex to the social styles: “Meaning of the communication is as good as it is understood”, one formula or way of communication, doesn’t fit for everyone. So yes, while you may be very proud of your own vocabulary, if the person you are talking to doesn’t understand, it’s a communication failure.

For your most important stakeholders or conversations, pay a little more attention to their communication styles – whether they are more Data centric? Relationship oriented? Result oriented?. How do they generally communicate, what would they like to hear. Shifting this gear can completely change the way you communicate.

5.     During tough conversations: During tough conversations, pay attention to the mental hierarchy that you are operating from. Do you in your mind feel that you are more than or less than the person you are talking to? An emotionally intelligent leader will take an equal position (I’m ok and you are ok) specially during tough conversations where collaboration is required.

The inner dialogue will be something like below or check out my book

1. We can agree to disagree
2. You and I are both equally good human beings
3. Our intentions are good, we might have difference in opinion though
4. I’m sure you are saying this with some background, let me understand this better

Summing Up

It has been already established in many researches that an emotionally intelligent team can produce atleast 20% more results. EQ plays a big role in personal life as well, and hence taking small steps can create huge changes in the way you experience others and others experience you. Ponder and learn more about the following –

1. Controlling emotions make people physically sick, managing emotions can be liberating for self and others. Learn the difference!
2. It’s not a great idea to say “Keep your emotions out of the room” – instead say “Let discuss how you feel about this”
3. Embrace and respect emotions of self and others, even if they are making you uncomfortable.
4. When you are not able to manage your emotions, take a break.
5. Don’t kill yourself for being emotional, treat “emotions” with grace and dignity for self and others. Identify your triggers and learn how to respond better to your triggers.

Want to learn more about the subject? Write to us at info@neucodetalent.com or visit us at http://www.neucodetalent.com

*IQ : Intelligence quotient, *EQ : Emotional quotient