Emotional Intelligence is often a critical skill that assumes importance in the workplace. When it comes to the query, “why Emotional Intelligence is important in the workplace,” you need not look far for valid reasons. For starters, Emotional Intelligence enables you to understand your own and come to terms with others displaying sudden bouts of emotion.
Granted, having employees display emotional Intelligence is easier said than done. But think back to the last confrontation you had with a colleague or someone in a lousy mood and displayed a terrible temper to everyone at the office, from the management to the rest.
Now, you can understand the value behind the question, “Why Emotional Intelligence is important in the workplace” and the necessity of hiring the right people. With adequate emotional Intelligence, you can connect better with others.
Moreover, you would empathize with others to the extent of finding out how they are feeling at the moment. And that’s why you need to check out some of the critical reasons why emotional Intelligence is essential to a workplace.
- Understanding non-verbal communication:
When it comes to emotional Intelligence, you would be surprised to find out that it enables you to understand nonverbal communication. Sounds a tad far-fetched. But it is not. In fact, understanding nonverbal communication and dealing with the situation before it spirals out of control is one of the hallmarks of emotional Intelligence.
For example, you must have several colleagues in the workplace who show every indication of being flustered or emotionally stressed. They may not communicate how they feel at the moment, but since you are adept at Emotional Intelligence, you will become aware of the same. This, in turn, allows you to deal with the situation before HR gets called in or the person makes the situation worse.
The perfect example would be the showdown that took place on FaceBook recently after it changed to META. Several employees found themselves emotionally stressed, as a result, until an expert was called in to deal with the situation on the ground.
- Manage your emotions better:
Chances are that you are bound to come across several situations that bring out the worst in you. There are several situations where you may feel the need to stress your independence and rights or even underscore your responsibilities to your colleagues.
And this is why companies are often keen to hire workers with a high level of Emotional Intelligence. Having these workers on the payroll ensures that your workforce is well-trained and adept and is less likely to blow out a fuse.
They are more than capable of handling all their emotions and ensuring, in the process, that their decisions are free of any emotions, biases, assumptions, or misconceptions. In the long run, having such workers on the payroll ensures that the company is not mired in countless lawsuits and that the profits are not affected.
- Improve efficiency:
One of the upsides to Emotional Intelligence at the workplace is that you get to develop empathy. And as such, you should be able to gauge how your colleagues on the team are feeling about being able to handle the myriad issues they are facing at this particular juncture. At the least, it should enable you to communicate clearly with the remaining team members and even develop closer relationships with the lot.
By doing so, you should ensure that the whole team can work on the project within a set timeframe. Moreover, as a result of being empathetic to their requirements, you are liable to find out that your team will go the extra mile to ensure you complete the project ahead of schedule.
- Impact on your career:
As a result of your Emotional Intelligence skills that have been honed already, you should be able to give your career a much-needed boost. You should be able to get your team to work more productively and complete projects ahead of schedule.
Moreover, you have this new-found ability to manage your raw emotions and ensure that your emotions do not get the better of you during work.
To state that Emotional Intelligence and Leadership skills go hand-in-hand would be an understatement. As a result of emotional Intelligence, you should be able to show the management you have what it takes, to take over the leadership role.
One of the hallmarks of Emotional Intelligence is listening actively to others, listening patiently to the other side, keeping your emotions under control, and processing any problem rationally sans any bias or emotions.
And that’s why, as long as you have these skills, you should be able to convince your management you deserve the top post at your organization.
These are some reasons why Emotional Intelligence is essential, if not crucial, in the workplace. Remember, Rome was not built in a day, and learning Emotional Intelligence is not something you can learn in a single day or crash course. Instead, it is a process where you get to learn the ropes as you interact with others at the office. Good luck!
