Mastering Emotional Intelligence for Your Small Business Success
Small businesses must be selective when choosing employees. When a small organization or company operates a large group of people, miscommunication can happen. Miscommunication can be costly due to unnecessary time wasted and inefficient work performance and production. On the other hand, many small businesses thrive with their dedicated workforce. Therefore, it is crucial to identify candidates with a strong emotional intelligence who will be capable and reliable employees for your organization.
Why is Emotional Intelligence Important in the Workplace?
Emotional intelligence is one of the top ten job skills in 2020, according to The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report”. Another survey conducted by CareerBuilder showed that approximately 75% of employers prefer employees to have higher emotional intelligence than IQ. If communication is poor between employer and employee, it can be challenging to foster a successful workplace. Emotional intelligence is therefore an effective tool to possess so that employers and employees can work together to grow the business and meet the goals of the company. This is particularly important for small businesses and organizations due to the small number of employees. Even when social skills aren’t an issue, employees and employers can still struggle to maintain a high level of emotional intelligence. But they can improve these skills with online learning options such as the ones offered by ej4.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is defined by the ability to gain insight into other people’s understanding, the use and control of emotions for a positive resolution, a strong sense of efficient communication techniques, and a high empathy toward others. Emotional intelligence is comprised of four main attributes: Self-Management, Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management.
- Self-Management- This attribute is what it sounds like. Managing oneself. This includes employers and employees alike. It means you are able to find healthy ways to control impulsive feelings and behaviors. This can be done by asking yourself: What is the root cause of my adverse feelings? Why do I feel that way about a situation? Then, attempt to think about your emotions and the consequences that follow from any reactionary behavior.
- Self-Awareness- You must identify your own emotions and determine the rationality of those emotions. This allows you to understand how being self-aware can change your behavior and actions. For example, many people find self-confidence in identifying their own strengths and weaknesses. This applies to the workforce because employers can help employees enhance their strengths and develop areas where they may be weaker.
- Social Awareness- Social awareness is a skill defined by the ability to empathize with others. Consider the emotions of the other person. Learn to recognize and read their nonverbal communication, such as the tone they speak in, behavior, body posture, eye contact, etc. Being socially aware will allow you to better understand how to find resolutions and understand the dynamics of different people. This leads to better teamwork and effective conflict resolution.
- Relationship Management- This component of emotional intelligence is one of the most important to maintain a positive workplace and establish employee morale. One must learn to communicate effectively and foster the importance of communication among employees. This can help improve KPIs, quality services, teamwork, and conflict management.
