Seven Ways to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence has a crucial role at work. Hiring, compensation or promotion decisions are often based on your emotional intelligence.

Individuals with a high level of emotional intelligence can grasp and assess their own feelings, as well as effectively pick up on the emotions of others. They have a good sense of themselves and can readily deal with stressful situations. They are good decision makers and have a strong feeling of intuition.

While a certain amount of emotional intelligence is based on innate natural ability, there are good habits that can help you boost your own emotional intelligence.

Work on managing emotions

Those with a high level of emotional intelligence understand the importance of not getting carried away when they’re feeling confident and not getting too low when they’re having a bad day. Rather than reacting based on your emotional state in the moment, make an effort to process information and take action after thinking a situation through.

Admittedly, this can be very difficult when someone else’s behavior makes you upset or angry. In these instances, steer clear of immediately jumping to a response. In its place, come up with several ways of looking at the situation, and then respond.

Embrace your emotions

While it’s important to not let your emotions dictate your actions, you also shouldn’t suppress natural emotions that your feel. Acknowledge a strong emotion when you feel it, try to understand why you feel that way, let it go and move forward.

Boost your self-awareness

Elite professionals make personal development a lifelong undertaking and part of that endeavor is addressing personal weaknesses. Try to really get to know you weak points by reflecting on past decision that didn’t produce the best results. Also, ask other people who you trust for honest feedback on your performance as a professional.

Once you have a firm grab on our weak points, see them as opportunities for personal improvement and do something about them.

Practice better non-verbal communication

As any good poker player knows, our bodies have a way of giving away our true thoughts and emotions. Pay attention to the tone and speed of your speech. Focus on your posture. Maintain proper eye contact.

By being able to manage the many bits of non-verbal communication, you don’t tip your hand to others and you can even use your awareness to your advantage.

Become a better listener

By having good listening abilities, we not stay on top of things, we are also capable of connecting to others by picking up deeper meanings, learning more about a speaker and making them feel heard and important.

Often when we listen, we are trying to think of what to say in response. This keeps us from truly hearing the other person. Get into the habit of really listening to someone as they speak, processing that information and responding in an intelligent way.

Show some humility

Instead of touting every single one of your achievements, try allowing your work to speak for itself. Also, spotlight the work others have done. These selfless habits show humility and self-confidence, two very attractive qualities.

Accept blame where applicable

One part being emotionally intelligent is holding yourself accountable for your decisions when things don’t go as planned. Apologize when you have hurt someone. When in an argument, don’t be afraid to admit when you are wrong.

At Career Concepts, we have years of experience in helping job seekers refine their soft skills, like leadership ability and communications. If you’re looking to improve these somewhat intangible abilities, please contact us today and we can point you in the right direction.