Strategies That Helps Increase Your Emotional Intelligence

Often, People underrate emotional intelligence. Most people are judged or perceived. Not singly by what they do but also how they make others feel. Emotionally intelligent people understand this. And are, therefore, aware of other people’s emotions as they are about theirs. Emotional intelligence is generally defined as the ability to manage one’s and other people’s emotions. And managing emotions is a step after identifying and understanding how others feel about themselves.

Developing emotional intelligence is a science as well as an art. It is a science because it requires the subconscious study of human interactions as they happen. These interactions over a number of years culminate into the experience that shapes how humans respond. Either to new or similar interactions or manage emotions in the future.

Emotional intelligence is an art because the management of one’s emotions must be carried out gracefully and/or tactfully. For instance, in a situation where one may be free to express anger. It should not be done in a manner as to rob one of his/her goodwill.

There are many benefits of one being emotionally intelligent. Emotionally intelligent people are good at managing relationships. They have a high degree of emotional awareness that helps them to win friends or influence people.

Emotional intelligence, just like the intelligence quotient, needs to be constantly improved. The following are strategies that can help you increase your emotional intelligence. So you can enjoy the benefits above.

Empathize With Others

How best can one understand what others are feeling or experiencing than empathizing with them? When you empathize with others, you are simply putting yourself in others’ shoes. To know the pain or gain they have. Empathy does not necessarily translate into charity. But it reminds us how we should treat others because of our human weaknesses. This constant reminder increases our emotional intelligence (towards the plight of others).

Practice Sociable Communication

Communication is quite complex when you are in a new environment. New environments come with the challenge of applying emotional intelligence. This is to manage new situations or expectations. In such context, you need to raise your emotional intelligence.

By communicating your choices or values to those whom you perceive are safe. If you are a senior who has just changed jobs, organizing an informal hang out with your colleagues may help you to bond. To learn more about your new role and your colleagues than formal interactions at work.

PractiCe Good Listening Skills

Listening is hard but not listening is expensive. If you want to exude high emotional intelligence, you must endeavor to listen. Not just to words spoken and unspoken. A good practice of active listening, subject to the situation and culture, is looking into the eyes of the speaker when he/she is talking. Eye contact denotes many emotions like care, inquisitiveness, love, etc. Good listening helps to identify the different emotions and apply emotional intelligence in managing them.

Always Put Your Mind On The Spot

Have you ever found yourself listening attentively to a conversation but suddenly are lost in thoughts? Or you have been overwhelmed by a load of information. So much that you were incapable of giving an opinion. Or making a fair judgement about a matter? Imagine you are asked to summarize the key points in the first instance.

The way you respond to such situations says a lot about your emotional intelligence. A way to raise your emotional intelligence is to always anticipate impromptu actions and reactions. That way, you might be more intentional about the things you do. It also helps to be quicker to provide solutions to problems.

Do Your Research

Many people have failed, especially at managing relationships. This is because they failed to understudy the people they are dealing with. As a human being, you cannot know it all. And you do not want to spend the rest of your life on trials and error. Researching about the people you love or care about.

Or need to meet certain expectations because of them is expedient in improving your emotional intelligence. An instance as researching the values of a company could be the determining factor for acing an interview. Do your research and raise your emotional intelligence.

We have discussed extensively about emotional intelligence. And I bet that if you applied the tips mentioned in this post you are good. You are well on your way to mastering emotional intelligence. Try it out and give me feedback. Waiting to hear from you.