The importance of emotional intelligence at work and how to apply

Work success: how crucial is emotional intelligence?

Enhancing effective communication among employees

The most crucial workplace skill is effectively getting along with others and influencing their actions intelligently. This is accomplished through emotional intelligence, which enables clear and effective communication, confident and calm self-expression, understanding others’ emotions and needs, and boosting motivation and inspiration. These behaviours foster healthy relationships among employees, colleagues, and staff, especially for those in managerial positions.

Promoting collaboration and teamwork

Studies indicate that employees’ propensity to work in teams is strongly correlated with emotional intelligence. Higher emotional intelligence increases the likelihood of success and cooperation in teamwork.

An emotionally intelligent employee can understand, respect and consider colleagues' perspectives. They can address work problems thoughtfully, manage personal emotions, and accurately understand the work requirements to collaborate efficiently with their colleagues.

Empowering employee professional development

Talent Smart, a company specialising in business management, has highlighted the link between emotional intelligence and salary in many of its articles. They found that employees with high emotional intelligence earn higher annual incomes than those with low emotional intelligence. This is because such employees utilise their skills and experience more effectively, make decisions more easily, and are thus more suited for management and leadership roles.

Improving customer service and sales optimisation

Employees with higher emotional intelligence better understand and empathise with the customers’ emotions and needs. This ability enhances their negotiation, persuasion, and trust-building skills. Consequently, it ensures customer satisfaction, fosters loyalty, boosts sales, and aligns with the business’s objectives.

Supporting decision-making and problem solving

Decision-making is crucial in the workplace. Employees who leverage emotional intelligence can make informed decisions that support business goals, resolve problems efficiently, and demonstrate empathetic leadership by valuing their team's perspectives without bias.

As the American psychologist and author, Daniel Goleman puts it in his book Emotional Intelligence: “Knowing one’s emotions. Self-awareness—recognising a feeling as it happens—is the keystone of emotional intelligence.”

Reinforcing leadership and management skills

Emotional intelligence is vital for managers and leaders, enabling them to effectively lead and manage their teams by empathising with colleagues and employees, understanding their perspective and roles. Moreover, it drives leaders to motivate, inspire and positively influence their teams, fostering a supportive and positive work environment and promoting team cohesion.

How to apply emotional intelligence at work?

Communicating effectively and positively

Employees should consistently communicate clearly and respectfully with colleagues and superiors, refraining from negative comments or criticism. Instead, they should use positive and supportive language, embrace diverse points of view and practise active listening in all interactions, including meetings with management, discussions with colleagues and when handling customer complaints.

Exhibiting compassion and social awareness

Social awareness, a crucial aspect of emotional intelligence, involves understanding and interpreting colleagues' emotions and verbal/non-verbal cues, particularly when they may not express their feelings directly at work. For instance, if an employee notices a colleague struggling with a task, they should take the initiative to offer assistance.

Embracing criticism positively 

Receiving and accepting criticism at work can be challenging, whether from a manager or colleagues. However, employees who prioritise emotional intelligence should handle criticism positively, recognising it as an opportunity for personal and professional growth and development.  

Confronting challenges and taking responsibility for mistakes

Employees should approach work challenges intelligently and consciously, viewing them as opportunities to enhance their skills and experiences. If they fail to complete a task or behave inappropriately with a colleague, they should take responsibility for their mistakes, avoid blaming others, identify the root causes, and ensure prevention of recurrence.

Self-awareness: understanding yourself and your emotions

Self-awareness and emotional understanding are fundamental skills of emotional intelligence. They involve recognising one's work-related strengths and weaknesses and leveraging these attributes to enhance professional growth. They also entail adeptly managing emotions to prevent them from impacting interpersonal dynamics or job performance. For instance, when feeling fatigued or frustrated at work, individuals must ensure these emotions do not compromise their interactions with colleagues or their productivity.

References 

[1] testgorilla.com, The importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace
[2] ucanwest.ca, THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
[3] leaders.com, Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: What You Should Know
[4] indeed.com, 12 emotional intelligence examples (Plus ways to show it at work)
[5] haiilo.com, The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace