Emotional Intelligence, or Emotional Quotient (EQ), has been found to be one of the most important aspects of the human mind. Employers and various companies analyze and evaluate EQ to understand employees and determine who they will hire. Additionally, more employers have begun to choose EQ over IQ. Increasing your EQ will not only enhance your abilities professionally, but it will also increase the quality of your relationships
Here are some ways to become more emotionally intelligent and improve your EQ:
Develop better communication skills
Excellent communication skills are widely regarded as the most important personality traits among emotionally charged people. Developing this personality trait will help you improve what you should say, when and how to say it, and in each case, saying the right thing at the right time. This skill is essential for a healthy workplace and home environment and is an integral part of interacting with peers, coworkers, and adults. By developing your communication skills, it will help you become spiritually wise and able to lead a healthy personal and professional life.
Active listening is key
Active listening is one of the fundamental aspects of emotional intelligence. Effective listening skills allow you to hear clearly what the other person is saying from beginning to end and ensure that the response is appropriate and effective. Active listening allows potentially conflicting situations to be resolved quickly and effectively while ensuring that you demonstrate high emotional intelligence levels. A common strategy to ensure you are actively listening is to repeat what you think the person is asking of you so that there is no confusion as to what they are needing from you.
The importance of self-awareness
Self-awareness is an essential part of the personality of emotional intelligence. Having self-awareness allows you to understand what you see, hear, and read from the person in front of you as well as identifying gestures such as body language. It's about noticing how that person or group of people are responding to what you are saying or doing. Having good self-awareness allows you to respond appropriately and to factor in that other people may not be interpreting what you are saying or doing in the way you are intending.
Learning to deal with criticism
Constructive criticism or criticism is a great way to test yourself and achieve self-improvement. When counselors, friends, or colleagues provide feedback, advice, and analysis, you should absorb all that information and use it to help you understand how it can achieve self improvement. Learning to deal with criticism is an extremely healthy habit to have and can help you achieve great personal and professional growth. Reacting poorly to criticism prevents you from absorbing critical feedback and closes you off to the opportunity to improve your actions.
Availability and accessibility
Forming the habit of seeking or offering advice, help, company, or support is an outstanding personality trait of emotionally intelligent people. This trait requires building an open and accessible personality for peers, coworkers, family, and friends and helps them to further trust you. Being a person with excellent social skills and communication skills can prove you are accessible and, as a result, will help enhance the relationship you have with the person you are helping or seeking advice from. Having a 'coachable' attitude is one of the ways that people know you are always open to learning and growing as a person.
Accountability is key
Accountability is a human trait that allows a person to take full responsibility for their actions and consequences. If your actions have caused the hurt, then be the first to sincerely apologize. This includes guessing and understanding your actions' trajectory (and the consequences they will have) before you act. To say, 'that was not my intention' is not an apology or considered to be taking accountability. Say you are sorry for what you did, ask for an apology, and make sure not to do it again! Have a great week!
