IQ measures your intelligence, while Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is all about your ability to recognise emotions and understand what they are telling you, and realise how your emotions affect people around you.
Business success isn’t just about intellect and technical skills. The ‘people skills’ of EI, knowing whom to trust, being able to communicate and get along with people – are also vital. Take what Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) chief executive Ross McEwan said about apprentices when he spoke at the bank’s Early Careers event in Bishopsgate, London. On 22nd July, McEwan said: “Skills can be built later. Ability is good, but having the right attitude should come first.” He added: “It’s great when you have young people asking ‘why is it done that way?’ I would encourage any business to bring that energy into their company, and see the change it can bring.”
So if you want to deliver your emotional intelligence or encourage others to develop theirs, you may find these 5 Top Tips useful for developing EQ (emotional quotient):-
1.Label your feelings
Become emotionally literate – start labelling your feelings, stop labelling people and situations.
Use three word sentences beginning with “I feel”
“I feel impatient” not, “This is ridiculous.”
“I feel annoyed, not “You are an insensitive idiot.”
“I feel afraid” not, “You are driving like a mad man.”
2.Take more responsibility
Take more responsibility for your feelings.
Analyse your own feelings rather than the reactions or motives of other people.
“I feel jealous” not, “You’re making me jealous”
3.Set ‘Feeling Goals’
Use feelings to achieve your goals.
Think about how you want to feel or how you want others to feel (i.e. your employees, your clients, your boss, your children, your partner).
Get regular feedback towards achieving your ‘Feeling Goals’ by periodically measuring feelings.
For example, ask people how respected they feel from 0-10.
4.Other’s feelings
Validate other people’s feelings.
Avoid judging people.
Show empathy, understanding and acceptance of other people’s feelings.
5.Listen to understand
Listen to understand, not just to respond.
Don’t advise, command, control, criticise, judge or lecture to others.
Diagnose before you prescribe.
Want to read more of the Top Tips?
Visit the Creativedge ‘Top 10 Tips’ mobile App available for iPhone and Android smartphones:-
Appstore – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/top-10-tips/id796349890?mt=8
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elixsoft.creativedge
