Emotional Intelligence is mostly referred to as EQ (“emotional quotient”). It’s important to understand what emotional intelligence is and why it is so vital in the workplace.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand emotions, as well as how they influence one’s thoughts and behaviors.

Emotional intelligence is more than just having and expressing sympathy or empathy. People with emotional intelligence don’t assume that others will interpret or respond in the same way they do.

People with high emotional intelligence ( EQ ) are able to understand both their own and others’ feelings. They are aware of how their activities may affect others.

They also have a better comprehension of the chain of emotions and acts that lead the person in front of them to the point where they are at a decision. They can also utilize this knowledge of their own and others’ emotions to decide what actions to take, keeping in mind that various people will react differently.

According to reports, “Leaders with empathy perform over 40% higher in employee engagement, decision-making, and coaching”.

Emotional intelligence enables everyone to deal with a variety of emotional and difficult situations. Emotional intelligence abilities will enable you to operate on an emotional level, resulting in a more successful workplace.

According to Daniel Goleman, Emotional intelligence is divided into four elements which are as follows:-

1. Self-awareness
2. Self-management
3. Social awareness
4. Management of relationships

Why is Emotional Intelligence important in the Workplace?

Emotional intelligence is important in the workplace for a variety of reasons, but two reasons are most important which are as follows:-

1. Employees who work with or are managed by people who have high EI/EQ have higher job and employee satisfaction.
2. EQ is strongly linked to job performance.

How to foster emotional intelligence in the workplace?

Here are some of the best strategies to help employers improve emotional intelligence in the workplace:-

1. Ensure that employees feel appreciated

Employees feel more connected when they have a voice. Talk to your employees frequently to find out how they feel about a change or project, allowing them to speak and feel heard. Allow them to express their feeling of anger, frustration, or apprehension. Saying thank you also demonstrates you value them.

2. Encourage stress reduction

Keep track of your employees’ increasing workloads, deadlines, and stress levels. As much as possible, provide a helping hand when required. To ensure fewer emotional ups and downs, provide stress-reduction tools and training.

3. Show empathy towards your employees

Empathy is important for all team members, not just leaders. Empathy is defined as the ability to recognize and respond to the sentiments of others while also considering how it feels to be in their shoes.

People that are emotionally intelligent ask themselves questions like:

• Should I treat people the way they want to be treated (rather than the way I want to be treated by people)?
• Do I ever question my instinctive reactions to people and concepts?
• Is it difficult for me to work with people who are not like me?
• Empathy does not always mean agreeing with other people’s viewpoints.

Showing that you are interested in learning more about other points of view will help you form stronger bonds with your coworkers. This is very useful when dealing with someone who is difficult to work with.

4. Flexibility

A workplace with a high EI/EQ is likely to give flexibility and ease of understanding of the complex and busy lives of its employees. Managers and executives with a good knowledge of emotional intelligence see that people have varied requirements and offer solutions to work smarter.

5. Make a routine of giving and receiving feedback

Giving and receiving negative and positive employee feedback helps everyone in becoming a better employee. Starting with questions is a terrific way to go. “How are things going for you?” “How do you feel?”

Don’t take it personally if you are giving negative feedback. Also, be open to receive feedback from your coworkers.

Make sure to control your reactions to what you hear. If you don’t like it, think about why and take a pause before responding.

Emotional intelligence is a process that takes time to develop. Understanding its components and then utilizing them every day in the workplace is the key for successful emotional intelligence in the workplace.

If you want to know how your employees feel, Dropthought can help you to collect your employee’s feedback, create delightful experiences, and more.

Dropthought is a user-friendly, omnichannel, and real-time employee experience management platform. We empower companies in different verticals to create delightful experiences for employees across their employee journey. Get detailed analysis and insights from data to exactly know what your employees think and what actions you need to take to delight them.

With a dedicated team, we would ensure that you are optimizing your employee Experience programs and strategies to create great experiences!

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