Work requires intellectual faculties, a lawyer must know the law, an IT developer must know how to code a program, a mechanic must know the mechanics, … but to summarize the work to simple factual knowledge to do a job would be very reductive because we are not machines, but being thinking and interacting with ourselves and our environment just like the other people around us. So summing up the work to mere knowledge acquired from books is not enough to do one’s job effectively. It is often necessary to communicate with other people to be effective, but how does it work? Emotional intelligence would be the key to understanding this, because our actions are also a reflection of our emotions, and this influences our relationships with others and with ourselves. In this article we will quickly see how being aware of our emotional intelligence can improve our work.
1 / Become aware of your emotions
One of the major steps in developing your emotional intelligence is becoming aware of your emotions. Worried, angry, stressed, happy, jovial,… Knowing what you feel and knowing what it produces in you is essential. By knowing what you are rehearsing at all times you will also be able to better analyze what produced your feeling and when?
2 / Understand your emotions
Why do you feel like this? What caused your mood to change, was it after a call, an email, a meeting? Realizing the moment that made you go from one emotional state to another will allow you to have a better analysis of the situation. Why do I feel more stressed after this email? Why do I feel relieved with this note? What made this situation change everything?
3 / Act with your emotions in mind
At work, you will often have to make decisions, very often after receiving information, messages or verbal exchanges that can change your emotional state. With your understanding of your emotions and the situation, you will have better control over yourself and your environment, you will be able to interact with your interlocutors in a more rational way without being destabilized, which will radiate your charisma while earning the respect of your colleagues. Controlling your emotions will therefore have a direct impact on the people you work with.
