THE SIGINIFICANCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE WORKPLACE

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is defined as a set of competencies demonstrating the ability one has to recognize his or her behaviors, moods, and impulses, and to manage them best according to the situation.

Typically, EQ is known as to involve emotional empathy; attention to, and discrimination of the feelings; accurate recognition of one's own as well as others' emotions; mood management or control over emotions; reaction with appropriate (adaptive) emotions and behaviors in various life circumstances (especially to stress and difficult situations); and balancing of honest expression of feelings against courtesy, consideration, and respect (i.e., possession of good social skills and communication skills).

EQ can greatly impact your work life and career, so it is important to understand exactly what it is and why it is so important. Every workplace is composed of people with different strengths, personalities and emotions. These idiosyncrasies can greatly affect the way they work and their working dynamics with you and your team. Having a great EQ is akin to an uncanny ability to identify and manage your emotions as well as the emotions of others.
In most workplace environments, EQ is typically factored into the everyday decisions in which employers make, such as hiring, firing and promoting employees. Many hiring managers study candidates’ emotional intelligence by asking specific questions during the hiring process to assess leadership potential. Typically, when promotions and pay raises are being considered, emotional intelligence is typically factored into the decision.
Although the right academic background, professional experience and certifications are obviously necessary to land yourself in a higher position, a high EQ however, could possibly be the secret recipe to career success, particularly when stepping into senior management roles.

Emotionally intelligent managers are generally rated higher in job satisfaction and lower in levels of turnover, compared to less emotionally intelligent peers. If your career plans include a senior leadership position, a high EQ can help you develop a high performing work culture, where employees are happier and more productive in their work.

The ability to understand what motivates others, relate in a positive manner, and to build stronger bonds with others in the workplace inevitably makes those with higher emotional intelligence better leaders. An effective leader can recognize what the needs of his people are, so that those needs can be met in a way that encourages higher performance and workplace satisfaction. An emotionally savvy and intelligent leader is also able to build stronger teams by strategically utilizing the emotional diversity of their team members to benefit the team as a whole.

The Hay Group states that one study of 44 Fortune 500 companies found that salespeople with high EQ produced twice the revenue of those with average or below average EQ scores. In another study, programmers demonstrating the top 10 percentile of emotional intelligence were developing software three times faster than those with lower EQ scores
One recent study conducted by a Dallas corporation measured that the productivity difference between their low-scoring emotional intelligence employees and their high-scoring emotional intelligence employees was 20 times.

Lack of EQ - Negative Repercussions

The business world is always changing and emotions are becoming a much more important aspect of working relationships. Having emotional intelligence increases your chances of being more accepted on teams and considered for leadership positions. It can also set you apart from the competition when seeking a new position or promotion.

Conversely, a deficiency of EQ can have a very disruptive and long-lasting destructive implication on your career. Listed below are some misunderstandings and negative connotations that could easily result from a poor EQ in the workplace:

1. Insensitivity: You might be perceived by others to be uncaring.
2. Arrogance: You can easily be misunderstood as being haughty and proud. Co-workers are less inclined to work with you or offer help.
3. Volatility: You might cause emotionally dysfunctional teams, upset co-workers and doom projects to failure if you do not keep your emotions in check.
4. Rigidity: In today’s dynamic work environment where collaboration is heavily emphasized, being an agile and adaptable team player is absolutely necessary.
5. Selfishness: You could be perceived as being selfish. Being professional means aiming for a win-win situation whenever possible.

Employers are generally looking for candidates who know how to listen and communicate well – both important aspects of emotional intelligence. They also prefer employees who are adaptable to changing work environments, not rigid and inflexible. Other attributes employers seek in people during the hiring process include self-management, the ability to work in teams and strong leadership potential. All of these competencies are intertwined in emotional intelligence.
Developing your emotional intelligence is a sound career strategy. In today’s global business world, where teamwork is essential to success, emotional intelligence can make you an asset to any employer.