One in five employees think that having Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is more valuable than having a high IQ (Cision, 2017). 65% of employees say that it’s equally important as IQ. The truth of the matter is that being emotionally intelligent is a highly benefit skill and can help you immensely in your career because EQ helps you to better manage your emotions and the emotions of those around you.
It turns out that 92% of employees believe they have EQ. What does that really mean, though?
EQ isn’t just keeping your emotions in check. It is also focusing on what others are saying with their words and nonverbal cues and being able to identify and empathize with them so you can build effective working relationships. People with strong EQ:
- Make better decisions and solve problems
- Keep cool under pressure
- Resolve conflicts
- Have greater empathy
- Listen, reflect, and respond to constructive criticism
So, how can you work on your EQ to make you a better employee, supervisor, manager, or worker? Try doing the following:
- Become more self aware by paying attention to how you are feeling
- Learn techniques to identify, acknowledge, and accept certain emotions without immediately reacting on them
- Find a way to reduce your workplace stress (movement, breathing exercises, and eating can all help)
- Improve your social skills by practicing Active Listening and avoiding petty office dramas
- Be more empathetic to others by trying to see things from their point of view; especially if you disagree with them
- Try to maintain a positive attitude so you can be motivated and successful