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Developing Your Emotional Intelligence Skills
Developing Your Emotional Intelligence Skills
What factors drive personal and professional achievement? In today's modern age, many people place the greatest emphasis on technical skills, cognitive abilities, and intellect, believing that these qualities are the main determiners of success. However, emotional intelligence is equally—if not more—important than IQ. In fact, some studies show that emotional intelligence is the single best predictor of career success. Keep reading to explore the role of emotional intelligence in conflict management, self-regulation, and relationship-building, and discover practical steps for developing your emotional intelligence skills.
What Are Emotional Intelligence Skills?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to interpret, understand, and express emotions. It consists of several skills, including self-awareness, self-management, relationship management, and social awareness. If you’re self-aware, you can identify your own thoughts, motivations, and feelings. You understand how and why emotions influence your behavior. If you’ve mastered the art of self-management, you can also control those emotions to avoid acting impulsively. Another key element of emotional intelligence is relationship management. By communicating effectively and being mindful of other people’s needs, you can build strong, healthy relationships founded on mutual trust and respect. Emotional intelligence also requires social awareness. This involves detecting social cues, empathizing with others, and understanding how other people’s life experiences shape their perspectives.
Why Is Emotional Intelligence Important?
While intelligence quotient (IQ) is often touted as the ultimate measure of aptitude, a person’s emotional quotient (EQ) can be a better predictor of their personal and professional accomplishments. There are many advantages to having a high EQ, including the following:
- Career advancement. Emotional intelligence aids in relationship-building and networking, increasing opportunities for career advancement.
- Leadership opportunities. By learning to discern and respect your colleagues’ feelings and needs, you’ll be better equipped for management roles in which you guide and direct others.
- Interpersonal relationships. Emotional awareness fosters compassion, empathy, active listening, and emotional regulation. These are all crucial components of healthy interpersonal relationships.
- Decision-making and problem-solving skills. Whether a decision is about school, work, or personal matters, a high EQ can help you evaluate your options and make conclusions without being swayed by emotions.
- Mental health and stress management. Beyond personal and professional accomplishment, cultivating emotional intelligence can boost optimism and overall well-being. When you can recognize and address your emotional needs, you’re better able to practice effective self-care and manage stress through positive coping mechanisms.
- Communication and conflict management. When working through interpersonal conflict, you can use emotional intelligence skills to fully understand the other person’s point of view. This reduces the chances of misunderstandings and helps you work together toward a rational, respectful solution.
What Are the Benefits of Having Emotional Intelligence?
By developing emotional intelligence, you can refine your social skills, strengthen your interpersonal relationships, and even improve your job performance. Some of the top benefits of having emotional intelligence include:
- Increased self-confidence and resilience. As you build self-awareness, you’ll gain insights into your strengths and weaknesses, helping you to celebrate your achievements and identify areas for improvement.
- Better ability to navigate complex social situations. Cultivating empathy, active listening, conflict resolution, and other interpersonal skills empowers you to handle complicated group dynamics.
- Improved teamwork and collaboration skills. Whether in professional or personal settings, emotional intelligence allows you to view circumstances from others’ perspectives. This facilitates respectful, productive communication.
- Enhanced ability to motivate and inspire others. Inspiration looks different to each person. While some people love to be challenged by high standards, others require a gentler approach. By understanding the feelings, needs, and goals of others, you can inspire them in a meaningful way.
- Greater adaptability. Emotional regulation, a key component of emotional intelligence, prevents you from panicking or jumping to conclusions in the face of unexpected changes.
Examples of Using Emotional Intelligence
There are countless ways to leverage emotional intelligence skills to benefit your life and help you reach your goals. Consider the following examples:
Self-awareness.
Everyone has unique skills, limitations, and tendencies. Knowing yours helps you succeed in both your personal and professional life. For example, if you know you tend to get nervous during presentations, you can spend extra time rehearsing what you’ll say and take deep breaths to calm your nerves.
Self-management.
Suppose you’re someone who struggles with time management. You have a history of procrastinating and then rushing to finish a project the day before the deadline. In a situation like this, you could use self-management skills to prioritize tasks, create manageable goals, and develop a plan to gradually work on the project each day.
Social awareness.
Imagine you are a business executive eager to finalize a merger with another company. As you observe the executives from the other company, you notice that they appear distant, unengaged, and hesitant. It becomes clear that they may have serious apprehensions regarding the business deal. To ease their anxieties, you ask them about their thoughts, listen to their needs, and discuss their concerns in detail.
Relationship management.
You can improve your work performance by developing mutually beneficial relationships with coworkers, supervisors, and stakeholders. For example, in a negotiation, you can build rapport, pay attention to the other person’s emotional state, and display empathy to increase the chances of a successful agreement.
How Can I Use Emotional Intelligence Skills?
By cultivating emotional intelligence skills, you can better understand yourself and others. This gives you a significant competitive edge—regardless of your chosen career. Emotional intelligence plays an especially crucial role in the following professions:
- Business Psychologist
- Business psychologists work to improve employee productivity and morale. They use emotional intelligence skills like active listening, empathy, and social awareness to transcend surface-level problems and explore the underlying factors contributing to the company culture. These insights allow them to find innovative ways to promote optimism, efficiency, and engagement in the workplace.
- Behavior Technician
- Behavior technicians work one-on-one with children to help them overcome behavioral challenges and develop strong social skills. As the rates of autism spectrum disorder and related conditions rise, there is a growing need for professionals who can provide the personalized guidance and support children need to thrive. Behavior technicians utilize emotional intelligence skills and psychological principles to understand their clients’ needs and provide tailored interventions.
- Psychiatric Technician
- Psychiatric technicians care for individuals in psychiatric hospitals, mental health facilities, clinics, and substance abuse treatment centers. They administer medication, assist patients with everyday needs like eating and bathing, and ensure a safe, supportive environment. Emotional intelligence is crucial in this job. Technicians must be able to remain calm during high-stress situations, recognize emotional cues, and provide compassionate support and empathy to patients in crisis.
How to Develop Emotional Intelligence?
Whether you’re pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology or simply want to expand your skill set, you may be interested in developing your emotional intelligence. There are many practical ways to accomplish this, including:
- Practicing empathy in your daily interactions with others.
- Using a journal to record your thoughts and determine how your emotions influence your actions.
- Regularly practicing self-reflection and mindfulness.
- Asking trusted individuals for their insights regarding your strengths and weaknesses.
- Engaging in active listening during presentations or conversations.
- Reading books or taking online courses about how to improve emotional intelligence.
WGU’s psychology degree program covers essential psychological principles, including theories of personality, psychopathology, neuropsychology, and mental health awareness and education. The curriculum also incorporates valuable insights regarding emotional intelligence skills like social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, and relationship management. If you're seeking a profession that enables you to use your emotional intelligence skills to improve the lives or careers of others, then earning a degree from WGU can be a great start. WGU offers industry-relevant degrees in healthcare, business, IT, and education. Apply today!
