How to Raise Emotional Intelligence

Have you ever said or done something that you regretted? Have you ever considered that your emotions may be hijacking you at work? Learn how to raise your Emotional Quotient, or EQ, so that you can overcome knee jerk reactions and identify the most productive ways to react.

Have you ever said or done something that you regretted? Have you ever felt as if your emotions hijacked you at work? Don’t let your feelings sabotage you. Come on managers, it s time to learn to about emotional intelligence. Guess what? The human brain is plastic. It can adjust to challenges and make new connections. You can change life-long behaviors and reactions for the better. As a manager, you will get incredible traction if you focus on identifying your emotions and how they affect you and your relationships with others. Having a high emotional quotient or EQ means you know what causes you to feel confused, overwhelmed, or panicked and you know the most productive way to react. So, how can you begin to raise your EQ? Consider these steps. Step one, recognize how you react in certain situations. Raising your EQ means leaning into your discomfort. How do you feel physically when your manager moves your deadline up? Or when a struggling employee makes the same mistakes over and over again? Start by figuring out which emotions are associated with specific situations and people. Don’t avoid the ugly. Step two, pick situations you wish to alter your emotional reaction to. Which common situations have you reacted to in a way that indicates you don’t have a firm grasp of your emotions? Identify them, write them down. For example, if speaking to your manager makes you nervous, that is an ideal jumping off point. Step three, select new, more productive ways to react emotionally. Don’t leave your behaviors to chance. Write down productive ways to act and fruitful comments to share. For example, when your manager enters your office, how do you want and need to feel and what would be the best things to say? Step four, stop and think. Once you identify situations that sabotage you, prompt yourself to pause and consciously think about the next steps. Breathe. Give your mind time to remember the emotionally intelligent way to react. Step five, practice, practice, practice. It will take time for you to rewire the automatic and sometimes knee jerk reactions that have lowered your EQ. Stick with it until you have seen and felt progress. It’s emotional intelligence that distinguishes you from other managers. How you react to and manage your emotions and those of others makes a big difference.