Develop Emotional Intelligence at Work

By Sandra Thébaud, Ph.D.

Developing a strong sense of emotional intelligence starts from within. You must become aware of your own common thoughts and feelings. You will find many reasons behind common behaviors and assumptions once you fully appreciate your own mental habits. Building emotional intelligence in the workplace begins with one person. Though some companies have no interest in emotional intelligence despite the documented benefits, you can still utilize the power for yourself.

When you are at peace with yourself, you can begin to practice your abilities in the world around you. You can take several steps to foster emotional intelligence on a personal level. The first step is to be your own best friend. This means you do not consistently degrade or insult yourself when you make a mistake. You acknowledge it and move on.

Another recommendation is to smile more. This doesn't mean you will always be happy or that you should feign happiness. Pay attention to those around you when you smile. You will likely see several people return the smile even if they appeared to be anxious or worried before noticing you.

You should build your emotional vocabulary. Learn what emotions you regularly enjoy and what appears to be fleeting. You will have far greater communication abilities when you can precisely convey your thoughts and feelings without stress or frustration.

One major force in our world that is commonly destructive for emotional intelligence is the news. Limit your intake of the negativity in the world and concentrate on the good in your life and the lives of those around you. It is a struggle to maintain this perspective as so many terrible things happen on a daily basis. It is a worthwhile mission that will reward you with better psychological and physical health.

When you have fully attuned to your own feelings and behaviors, you can better understand others. The scope of applicable EI benefits can travel as far as imaginable. Emotional intelligence governs:

* Intentions

* Self control

* Confidence

* Curiosity

* Cooperation

* Overall communication

You can help develop an EI awareness at your company by realizing that emotions are always in play at work. Employees are always getting reviews, promotions, demotions and bonuses. Add to this already volatile mixture the fact that so many people bring in personal problems from home and vice versa. It's easy to see how both personal and work relationships suffer from a lack of EI.

Emotionally handicapped individuals can't function normally. They may feel incredible stress over the argument they had with their spouse instead of devoting appropriate attention to that new company account. They may find a conflict with a neighbor is eating away at their professional focus.

It is worthy of recognition that EI influences the majority of life as a whole. One of the benefits to adding this element to the workplace is the effectiveness. Attending a seminar may improve the situation for a short period. Watching a video can help for a time. The ongoing practice of EI will ultimately decide its success. When emotional intelligence is introduced to the workplace, it can be the best factor incorporated. Production will rise and attendance will improve. Employees will start to see one another as individuals as opposed to mere rivals.

Management will also take notice when several employees undergo such improvements. This will likely influence their own decision of how seemingly unnecessary EI is in the workplace. One employee can easily find they've started a workplace trend that is more than temporary. It can change company policy and create a more helpful and productive work environment.

Copyright © 2009 Paramount Transitions, LLC

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