Emotions are a big part of how our personal and professional lives turn out. Here are some good ways to get it down like a pro! Emotional intelligence is the ability to keep track of your feelings and understand how other people feel in any situation. It lets you reduce stress and fights and make the team more productive. To move up in your career, you need to master this skill. Let’s look at the top ten things you can do to get smarter about your emotions.
1) Use an assertive communication style
Assertive communication means talking to people in a way that shows you care about what they think but doesn’t let them step on your rights, needs, or personal boundaries. It helps you stand up for yourself without upsetting other team members or causing problems.
Tips to help you be a strong communicator
- Know who you are, what you’re worth, and how valuable you are to the organization.
- Maintain your eyes on the someone you are speaking to. It shows that you are strong and don’t care what they say about you.
- Stand strong, but not too stiffly. Don’t stand straight or slouch.
- Talk firmly, but don’t raise your voice.
- Keep your expressions calm, and make sure your message is clear.
2) Don’t react; respond.
You react when you choose without thinking about how it will affect you. On the other hand, you’re responding when you stop for a second, look at the situation quickly, and then act with thought. When you’re in a conflict, making decisions on the spot can cause bigger problems in your career. So, every time you’re in a similar situation, think about the resolution and make a choice.
Tips for Being Responsive Rather Than Reactive
- It’s a skill that can be learned, so face little things often to train yourself to be responsive.
- Before making any choice, you should always think about your overall goal.
- Stay aware of what’s happening in your mind and the world around you.
- Even out your feelings with facts.
- Don’t do things right away.
- Think about what’s going to happen.
3) Enhance Your Active Listening Capabilities
Active listening is the third skill that can help you improve emotional intelligence. Listening is the only way to understand what other individuals have to say without putting your meaning on it. People who are emotionally intelligent make sure that no misunderstandings happen because of carelessness.
Tips for Active Listening
- Please pay attention to how the person speaking moves and looks to understand better what they are saying.
- Maintain proper eye contact.
- Make sure to smile or nod to show that you’re paying attention.
- Once they’re done, say what you’ve learned. This helps you avoid misunderstandings and shows that you value the other person.
4) Learn to deal well with criticism
People can struggle to deal with criticism without getting angry or defensive. On the other hand, emotionally smart people do it all the time. Their secret is simple: they don’t react to what’s happening. Instead, they respond. They think about where it’s coming from and how it might affect how well they do in the future. They look at it from a long-term point of view and discover a way to solve the problem in a good way.
Tips for Accepting Criticism
- Don’t answer right away. Stop for a moment and give your brain some time to figure out what’s happening.
- Remind yourself that feedback is meant to help you do better next time.
- Listen carefully, and don’t try to figure out what’s going on yourself.
- If they don’t say much, like, Your report from last week was terrible, ask them what they mean. Ask what the real problem was to get a better idea.
- Say thank you.
5) Show you care.
Empathy understands how other people feel and see things from their point of view. People who are emotionally intelligent care about others and know that caring about others is a sign of strength, not weakness. When you have empathy, it’s easier to deal with people who have different ideas while still respecting each other.
How to Get More Empathetic
- Talk to people and learn more about their lives to find out what you have in common with them.
- Give money often.
- Watch and think about your biases.
- Talk to people you don’t have much in common with.
- Always forgive and say you’re sorry.
6) Develop your social skills
Emotionally intelligent people are also easy to get along with. They come up to you with a smile and talk to you. Some people are just good at it. But some people might find it hard to do. If you’re in the second group, you’ll be happy to know that you can learn to do this with practice and time.
Tips for Enhancing Social Skills
- Interact with other people on purpose.
- Have more conversations.
- Even if it’s hard for you, try to start new conversations. After a periodic time, it will become a second character to you.
- Ask questions that don’t have clear answers to continue the conversation.
- Stay up-to-date on your field or new information so you have something to say.
Conclusion
It can be hard to learn how to be emotionally intelligent. But it’s an endearing trait that can assist you to go a long way with what you have and do more with it.
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