Emotional intelligence, sometimes referred to as EQ or EI, is a concept first proposed by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman. It is about the ability to recognize, manage, and understand one's emotions, as well as those of others.
How Does EQ Work?
Neuroscience shows us that the brain is wired to react, think and make decisions based on the body and mind. How much we exercise our brain is dependent on how much we understand and respect this balance. So how can we increase our EQ? The quality of a person’s emotional response to any stimulus depends on the balance of different neurotransmitters in their brain. The brain utilizes these chemicals to trigger specific responses in different parts of the brain. These neurotransmitters are responsible for a range of things including how we sense the environment around us, our perception of ourselves and others, our emotions, our perception of time, and how we respond to experiences and stimuli.
Comprehension of Emotions
Emotional intelligence is a natural ability that can be developed by just doing your best to try to comprehend how other people feel. By understanding what emotions other people are expressing and the causes for their expressions you will be able to better respond to them. Benefits Here are just some of the numerous positive aspects of emotional intelligence: Improved relationships Personal development Leadership Improved judgment Enhanced problem-solving skills Increased personal productivity Employee engagement Increased motivation More effective employee retention Assists business growth and success Possible uses of emotional intelligence How can your sales team, for example, benefit from developing emotional intelligence?
The Four Components of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence comprises four key components: Empathy, Effectiveness, Self-Awareness, and Conscientiousness. Empathy and Effectiveness The first component of Emotional Intelligence relates to the ability of a person to have an understanding of other people’s emotions, thoughts and needs, and to be able to identify them. This is what is known as empathy. In order to have empathy, a person needs to be able to take time to see things from the perspective of others. Empathy also requires emotional intelligence, since it is possible for someone to have the emotional intelligence of a five-year-old and not have the emotional intelligence to empathise. Effectiveness is the ability to solve problems and make decisions.
Applying EQ to Sales
Emotional intelligence and social networking are bringing it to the forefront of popular discussion and influence. EQ measures your ability to discern your own feelings, others’ emotions, to predict their emotional states and how they are likely to feel in a given situation. Essentially, EQ is not just about the ability to recognise emotions in yourself and others, but also about recognising emotions in your customers, partners, coworkers, and customers. It allows you to gain insight into the hidden aspects of their personalities, enabling you to better understand their wants, needs, and desires, whether that be products and services, communication styles, or even lifestyle choices.
EQ and the Workplace
An increase in your EQ can have an impact on your job in a number of ways. These include; It can improve communication with your staff and direct the way they approach and perform their duties. It can improve your attitude and the way you work with others to deliver the project you’re on, and add extra value to the company. Being able to recognise and manage your own emotions and those of your employees, can also lead to improvements in productivity, job satisfaction and job retention. Improving EQ Studies show that an EQ score of between 70 and 100 is considered high, between 20 and 75 is good and anything below 50 is considered poor. However, there is a variety of training and coaching available to improve EQ. These include; EQ training for employees.
Conclusion
One of the most important skills to acquire to become a successful entrepreneur is emotional intelligence. In the past it has been difficult to measure and quantify emotional intelligence. But we’re in a new era now. The science behind emotional intelligence has advanced significantly. In a world where the number of employees interacting on a daily basis with one another is growing exponentially, emotions are more important than ever. Salespeople with strong motivation get more done in a day. They respond better to rejection and seek out training and opportunities to improve their skills. They embrace new behaviours and activities that help them reach their goals.
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