“Emotional intelligence is responsible for 90% of a manager’s success (Harvard Division of Continuing Ed, 2015)”.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) experts agree that raising your EQ has a direct impact on how well you perform at work. “But what do emotions have to do with work?”, you ask. Turns out, a lot!
Research shows that managers with higher EQ are more likely to inspire and motivate their teams, create a positive work environment, make sound decisions, and more effectively facilitate conflict resolution. And who couldn’t use more of that in the workplace?!
So how do you bring intelligence to your emotions? Here are 3 quick tips from my “Raising EQ” course:
- Recognize, label and track your emotions. Bringing awareness to your emotions helps you differentiate the range of emotions you experience. The old adage, “name it to tame it”, has a direct impact on your level of EQ.
- Acknowledge your triggers. When you pay attention to the situations, relationships, conversations and events that trigger stress, you are raising your emotional intelligence. Just as important is recognizing what prevents you from spiraling downward. These triggers pull you out of negative emotions. Knowing what helps you recover from stress is also a way to increase your EQ.
- Understand your reactions. By recording your triggers, the emotions they provoke, and your default responses, you begin to clearly see where your reactions are serving you and where they are not. For example, if you notice that your default response to hearing constructive feedback is to get defensive, you’re on your way to choosing a more productive response. Recognizing and choosing to change your default responses puts you on your way to raising your EQ.
When leaders and managers bring intelligence to their emotions, they are more adaptable and effective in their roles.
