3 Proven Strategy To Boost Emotional Intelligence To Enhance Productivity
Workplaces and service industries are fast evolving in an age of digitization, automation, and pandemics. Activities and jobs are becoming more automated, while people and workplaces are becoming increasingly distant, virtual, global, and scattered. While advanced technology and modernization provide numerous possibilities and advantages, such as enhanced flexibility, efficiency, and execution, it is vital to keep the human touch in mind.
Nevertheless, we are still dealing with people, not robots, and as human beings, we make almost all of our judgments emotionally, accompanied by hours, weeks, or months of rational reasons. We must connect with people as individuals—and keep in mind that humans and emotions are inextricably linked.
Employees and executives are increasingly in need of soft skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and integrity. These social and emotional abilities are becoming a key differentiator for firms since they are regarded as crucial to the future of jobs. According to a 2017–Deloitte research, "soft skill-intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030", and hiring people with excellent soft skills "could increase revenue by more than $90,000." Empathy, according to the Harvard Company Review's 2016 Empathy Index, is "more important to a successful business than it has ever been", alongside productivity, growth, customer happiness, and greater profitability.
What is emotional quotient (EQ) and how does it affect your professional life?
Emotional quotient (EQ), also known as emotional intelligence, can be defined as the capacity to identify, analyze, and control one's own and others' emotions. Self-management, self-awareness, relationship management, and social skills/awareness are widely perceived as four basic abilities of emotional intelligence.
People with a high EQ are more aware of their own and others' emotions, making them more empathic, thoughtful, nimble, tactful, and sincere. All appealing qualities in this changing environment, where "emotional fitness" will be just as crucial as a firm's ability to adapt, recover, and thrive in a post-Covid world of working remotely, flexible schedules policies, an increasing thirst for meaningfulness and purpose, and the subsequent increase of the experience economy.
Where does it originate from?
Emotional intelligence may be influenced by a number of causes.
Parenting styles and upbringing
Early on, empathy and emotional awareness began to evolve. As you become older, your parents and caregivers could help you develop these talents.
Children often develop better levels of emotional intelligence if their primary caregivers:
* attend to their needs immediately
* provide warmth and affection
* display strong emotional management skills themselves
* motivate them to speak out their thoughts and communicate them appropriately
Emotional intelligence issues may run in families as well. Because they have fewer opportunities to develop good coping strategies, individuals whose parents have poor emotional intelligence may struggle to control their own emotions. If your parents provided improper support and affection, never urged you to express the emotions, or unfairly punished you for doing so, you may have lower emotional intelligence.
Lower emotional intelligence, according to research, has also been linked to parental excessive demandingness, which may include:
* efforts to impose control
* unduly severe punishment
* a lack of consistency in discipline
Issues with mental health
Difficulty recognizing and controlling emotions is a hallmark of melancholy and borderline personality disorder, among other mental issues. Social anxiety might also be caused by a lack of emotional intelligence.
If you have difficulty understanding what other individuals feel, you may find encounters unpleasant and be afraid of saying anything that may make them angry. Social anxiety that persists might cause you to shun social interactions and contribute to emotions of despair or sadness.
Alcoholism and other drug abuse problems have also been linked to decreased emotional intelligence in research. This link may be used in both ways: Addiction may impact your capacity to perceive and control emotions and impulses by causing changes in the brain.
However, if you already struggle in these areas, you may turn to alcohol or other drugs to help you deal with uncomfortable emotions or negotiate difficult social situations.
Alexithymia
The difficulty to recognize and express emotions is a symptom of this condition. People with alexithymia may also find it difficult to empathize with others. They may place a higher value on logic and tangible facts than intuitive or emotional reasoning.
Alexithymia may be caused by a variety of factors, including:
* adversity as a youngster
* stroke
* brain injury
This difficulty deciphering emotions may sometimes appear as a sign of certain mental health illnesses, including depression, and then go away along with the other symptoms after you get therapy.
Alexithymia has also been linked to autism, with studies estimating that up to half of all autistic individuals have alexithymia. Many people believe that autism inevitably equates to a lack of emotional intelligence, although the existence of alexithymia in combination with autism may make empathy and emotional expression difficult for certain individuals.
Emotional intelligence: the secret to increased productivity
Establishing and sustaining connections in the workplace, as well as cooperating effectively with teammates or partners to achieve outcomes, are essential. People with high emotional intelligence are born with the ability to efficiently manage interpersonal relationships and establish productive work settings.
Here are 6 ways a high EQ team imparts value and increases productivity in an organization:
1. Their empathy makes conversation easier
Exceptionally emotionally intelligent people may modify their style of communication according to the group or person with whom they are communicating, thanks to their skill, empathy, and honesty. Their increased self-awareness also allows them to listen more effectively, and to hear with the aim of comprehending rather than merely reacting.
The ability to communicate empathically enables for honest, sincere, and fruitful discussions. Differences are embraced, even praised, in order to gain trust within the crew and the business, eliminate misunderstandings, and foster a healthy work environment.
2. Their versatility encourages problem-solving and creativity
Acknowledging that change is unavoidable, workers with high EQ are highly adaptive to the individuals and situations around them, making them adaptable and receptive to transformation, new ideas, and inventive solutions.
They are skilled at managing and solving issues with emotion, and they also take constructive criticism and feedback effectively, directing it in a good way to develop themselves, their career, and their colleagues.
3. Their innate desire motivates them to complete tasks
Individuals who are emotionally intelligent are more self-disciplined and self-driven, which implies they are more proactive in taking lead and doing the job, or ensuring the task is done.
They are often considered natural leaders, but they are also excellent at involving and encouraging colleagues, pushing them to accomplish their best, and enhancing team productivity.
4. Their capacity to handle emotions reduces conflict
Staff members with a high emotional quotient have always been better equipped to manage and settle disputes, whether it involves themselves or others since they are skilled at regulating both their own and others' emotions under pressure.
They are less likely to get 'hot-headed,' reacting in ineffective ways to difficult circumstances, and instead concentrate on staying steady, controlled, and composed while having constructive dialogues and finding solutions.
5. Their presence of mind improves cooperation and teamwork
Emotionally intelligent workers have a penchant for building ties and relationships and promoting a sense of belonging because they have a natural ability to understand situations from multiple perspectives, perceive unspoken emotions, and have a genuine caring for others.
They foster empathy, mutual respect, and cooperation by acknowledging and valorizing other people's needs and concerns, and they establish a supportive, vibrant, and happy work environment, which helps to retain workers and attract fresh talent.
6. Their focus on people fosters fruitful collaborations
Employees with high EQ are well-equipped to recognize and meet (potential) client and partner needs, develop and maintain strong relationships, improve customer experience and employee engagement, and strike new strategic collaborations to boost sales and investment options, thanks to their extraordinary communication and interpersonal skills and potential to emotionally connect with others.
Effective & Proven Methods to Boost Emotional Intelligence
Sound Therapy: Binaural beats are said to generate the very same state of mind as in meditation, but much faster. Binaural beats seem to be a possible weapon in the battle to decrease anxiety, boost concentration and attention, reduce stress, promote relaxation, create better moods, stimulate creativity, and assist in managing pain, according to multiple human studies. According to the theory, binaural beats can aid in the creation of the frequency required for the human brain to produce the identical waves as those observed during meditation. Binaural beats are often referred to as brain wave entrainment technology when used in this manner.
Meditation: A lot of us have trouble controlling our emotions. Our emotions could perhaps have the image of a wild horse, brimming with anxiety and uncontrollable energy. They may make you panic, shut down, or act out, causing difficulty in thinking clearly and leading to you saying and doing things you'll end up regretting. Rather of attempting to ignore powerful emotions, you may embrace and conquer them by taking control of the reins & starting to learn to riding them. This is where the practice of mindfulness meditation comes into play. Meditation aids in the relaxation of the mind, which aids in the regulation of emotions. It not only helps you relax, but also helps you to control all your emotions, including the ones you've been looking to dodge. You'll understand how you must deal with strong emotions while being in charge of the situation and your actions.
Crystals: Agate is a stone that may help you cope emotional trauma, pessimism, and resentment. Amethyst is a very effective gem for emotional stability. Calcite also can be used to purify, regulate, and energize all of the chakras. Moonstone promotes profound emotional healing as well as the repair of GI problems caused by emotional stress. Azurite relieves tension and anxiety, as well as sorrow and grief, while also bringing more clarity on your emotions. Irritability is one of the unpleasant emotions released by Jade. Larimar may assist persons with emotional dysregulation by balancing out emotional extremes. Chrysoberyl helps you forgive people who have hurt you in the past by aligning the solar plexus and crown chakras.
