25 Tips for Improving Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

If you walk into a manager or colleague's office, can you quickly get a sense of their mood? Can you tell if they are on edge, stressed, or frustrated, or if they are in a great mood and feeling extra chatty? Your emotional intelligence (EQ) is what allows you to do this. In addition to understanding others' emotions, your EQ also makes you aware of your feelings and helps you control them.

The ability to do this is critical in the workplace. It allows you to be a better decision-maker, team player, and communicator. It gives you and the company you work for a competitive edge.

There are varying degrees of EQ, just as there are with IQ. You can test your emotional intelligence online using various quizzes (check out Berkley University’s online EQ quiz here https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/ei_quiz/take_quiz ). Some people are naturally emotionally intelligent, where others have to develop these abilities within themselves.

The higher your emotional intelligence, the better you will be. To improve your emotional intelligence in the workplace, here are 25 tips that you can start implementing today:

1. Observe how you respond, behave and act.

When you are frustrated or angry – what do you do? Do you sigh heavily or raise your voice? Let’s say you just got fantastic news – do you shout in delight, clap your hands or buy coffees for the entire office? The first step in increasing your emotional intelligence is becoming aware of your emotions and how you respond to them.

2. Become accountable for your emotions and behaviors.

Those with low EQ will blame others for how they are feeling. For example, if they slammed a door in anger, it is the other person's fault who made them angry. You are the only person responsible for your emotions. You control how you feel and how you respond to people and events.

3. Develop a positive mindset.

Emotionally intelligent people have a positive mindset. This doesn’t mean feeling happy all the time. You will feel negative feelings like disappointment, sadness, and anger – and you should acknowledge them. However, when you focus more on the positive and become more optimistic, you will be better equipped to regulate your emotions and recognize others' feelings.

4. Practice mindfulness.

There will be periods of stress and uncertainty in most workplaces, which can trigger varying emotions that may cloud your vision, cause distractions, and make decision-making more challenging. You can help control your emotions by practicing mindfulness. An easy way to do this is to focus on your breathing. Research has found that spending just 10 minutes a day focusing on your breath can increase mental clarity, slow the heart rate and make you feel calmer.

5. Track your emotions with a journal.

An effective way to increase your self-awareness is to track your emotions. Look at your emotions and behaviors objectively and journal how you were feeling throughout the day. Identify the emotions and be as specific as possible, including the intensity and triggers.

6. Allow yourself to make mistakes.

Self-development and increasing your emotional intelligence won’t happen overnight. It will take consistent effort, and there will be mistakes along the way. Don’t let these discourage you. Journal it out and keep going.

7. Acknowledge your emotions before responding to them.

Regulating and controlling your emotions doesn’t mean stifling negative feelings. It just means you control your emotions instead of your emotions controlling you. Take time to acknowledge your feelings before responding. For example, if you are disappointed in a colleague, acknowledge these feelings and regulate yourself before speaking to them.

8. Manage emotional triggers.

As you journal and increase your self-awareness, you will identify things that trigger positive and negative emotions. You can use these to your advantage to help you better manage them. If you can’t avoid negative triggers, try changing your surroundings. Sometimes a quick walk outside or grabbing a coffee from a local café can increase positive emotions and minimize those negative ones.

9. Set your emotional intelligence goals.

You can include this in your journal or your company objectives. Perhaps you want to give emotionally intelligent feedback to your team, leaving them inspired after your meeting.
Or, perhaps you want to improve your listening skills and provide more emotional support to your team. Write it down and become clear on how you want to improve in the workplace.

10. Focus on the present moment.

When you focus on the past or future, emotions can get the best of you, and these emotions don’t reflect your current reality. When you focus on something someone did in the past or thinking of how your career will look in the future, you aren’t focusing on the present moment.
This reduces your self-awareness and your awareness of others around you.

11. Consider the perspectives of other people.

This can take some practice, but eventually, it will become automatic. Put yourself in the “other person’s shoes" and try to see the situation from their perspective.

12. Meet new people.

The best way to understand unique perspectives and viewpoints is to meet new people that are different from you. When your social and working circle consists of people with the same cultural background, religion, and education, you end up with a more narrow perspective. Expand your circle, focusing on diversity.

13. Exercise regularly.

This may sound unrelated, but those who regularly exercise are happier, calmer, and more in control of their emotions. If you can, try getting outside for some exercise. Even a 30-minute walk can make a significant impact on how you feel each day.

14. Actively seek out the opinions of others.

Increase your understanding of other people's emotions by asking how they are feeling and listening with an open mind. Ask for opinions and feedback. When you are online, read comments under articles and posts to discover the views of other people.

15. Encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Regardless of your role, you can encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace by learning about different cultures. As you embrace diversity and educate yourself on others' experiences, you will increase your emotional intelligence.

16. Start networking and socializing.

Those with a high EQ have excellent social skills. They can connect with others on a more emotional level. Look for opportunities to strengthen these skills by interacting with other people. The next time you grab lunch, spend a few extra minutes getting to know the person working behind the counter.

17. Observe how others respond to what you say.

Sometimes it’s not so much what you are saying, but how you are saying it. It’s possible that although you don’t intend it to, your messages could come off as blunt, rude, or offensive. Observe other's facial expressions and how they respond when you say things, and adjust accordingly.

18. Improve your conflict resolution skills.

Emotional intelligence will allow you to resolve conflicts healthily. When you can see another person’s perspective and understand your own emotions, your conflict resolution skills improve. To further enhance these abilities, actively work on mitigating conflict rather than “winning.”

19. Adopt a growth mindset.

A growth mindset is when you believe you can change (and improve) who you are. For example, you are able to become better at specific skills, learn new things, and grow as a person. If you don’t believe you can change, then you probably won’t. You must have a growth mindset to improve your EQ.

20. Set boundaries.

We all have our limitations, and you should acknowledge and honor these. By setting boundaries for yourself in the workplace, you will have better control over your emotions and reactions.

21. Trust your intuition.

Those with high EQ are better at making decisions because they are more in tune with their body and intuition. When you are faced with a decision or are in a new environment, how do you feel? If you feel uneasy about something, start trusting your intuition.

22. Focus on trust.

For many people, trust is earned, not given. You should not assume that everyone trusts you. Focus on earning and maintaining the trust of others. You can also increase their confidence in you when you display your trust in them. This can be through trusting them with information or to help on an important project.

23. View asking for help as a strength.

Those who have a high EQ are more likely to ask and offer help. If you need support for a project, reach out and ask. It shows a greater level of authenticity and honesty. In turn, others will feel more comfortable asking you for help, and it will create a more collaborative working environment.

24. Be more approachable.

Are there any non-verbal signals you are giving that make it seem like you are not approachable? For example, if you are a leader and tell your team that you are always available, yet your door is always closed, and you never leave your office, it sends a different message. Leaving your door open occasionally and checking in on others will make you more approachable.

25. Do not engage in water-cooler chat.

A lot of workplaces will have underlying drama, personal conflicts, and office gossip. Although it may seem like you are connecting with others when you are gossiping, this toxic behavior will cause others to lose their trust and respect for you. Remember, if someone is willing to gossip with you, they are also willing to talk about you.

By using these 25 tips for improving emotional intelligence in the workplace, you can maximize your potential and give yourself a competitive edge.

Media Contact
Name: Robert Moment
Email: Robert@HighEmotionalIntelligence.com
Website: www.HighEmotionalIntelligence.com

About the Author

Robert Moment is an experienced ICF Certified Social + Emotional Intelligence Coach and ICF Certified Executive Coach, Trainer, Speaker and Author of the bestselling book, High Emotional Intelligence for Managers . He is a Certified Diversity and Inclusion Specialist.

Robert specializes in solving problems in communication, management, leadership and employees using emotional intelligence coaching and training solutions for workplace success and guaranteed profitable results.
Robert is Certified to deliver The Social + Emotional Intelligence Profile-Self (SEIP) ® Assessment, the most comprehensive, scientifically validated, and statistically reliable instrument on the market and review the results with clients and create a comprehensive developmental action plan. This includes the workplace and 360-versions as well as self and adult editions.

Visit www.HighEmotionalIntelligence.com to Schedule Your FREE 30 minute call to discuss your Emotional Intelligence Coaching and Training needs or email:
Email: Robert@HighEmotionalIntelligence.com .
During this call there will be No Sales Pitch. No fluff. Actively listen to your needs and goals, help you gain clarity and focus and create a game plan for Strategy and Direction.
Download the FREE Ebook titled, Emotional Intelligence and Empathy.

Enroll in the High Emotional Intelligence for First Time and Experience Managers Online Course.
Get exposed to skills for management success in the New Future of Work.

https://Courses.HighEmotionalIntelligence.com
Visit www.HighEmotionalIntelligence.com

This release was published on openPR.