Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace - How Do You Measure Up?

Four factors are paramount in defining a person'stakers, use your communication skills to help them
emotional intelligence. These factors can stronglyunderstand and learn to care about the consequences
affect your performance at work, how much youof their attitude.
enjoy the work you do and how you affect the3. Stress Tolerance
environment and the people around you.You already have a built-in capacity to deal with stress
1. Social Responsibilityand anxiety, but you can also do a number of things to
In the world of work, we live with other people, peopleincrease your stress tolerance level.
with as many problems and challenges as we do, andLearn to recognize the signals in yourself that will let
who are dealing with them as best they can, just asyou know when you are about to "lose it" — such as
we are. So when negative things happen at workyour hands turning into fists or your teeth starting to
because of someone else's actions, we can eitherclench — in time to reverse the reaction. This will help
take it personally and lash out in anger, or try toyou do some deep breathing or whatever other
understand the other person's point of view andcalming techniques work to reduce your personal
respond accordingly.stress level.
The latter course helps correct the situation instead of4. Impulse Control
placing the blame, and is the choice of people of highPeople with low impulse control can be derailed by
emotional intelligence.e-mail messages, meetings and other situations that
2. Interpersonal Relationshipscan tempt them to react instinctively without engaging
Are you a giver or a taker? When takers some intotheir critical thinking mechanism.
conflict, there's no compromise and very little chancePeople with high emotional intelligence are able to delay
of resolution.their actions or comments until they can be made from
Givers rarely come into conflict with one another, buta place of intellectual control instead of emotional
can find themselves in conflict with takers. The takerreaction.
will take advantage of the finer instincts of the giver,Your emotional intelligence has a huge effect on how
and over time resentment will fester.you work, how much personal satisfaction you can
Learn to recognize the signs in yourself and thosehave in that work and how you contribute to the
who report to you. If you have control over hiring, hireenvironment around you.
more giving people. If you have inherited a group of