Emotional intelligence and your professional career.

The ability and skills of an emotionally intelligent person are growing in value everyday. ¿Did you know that you professional success depends not only on your technical abilities, but also depends on your capabilities to handle your emotions and people’s emotions in general? In this article, you will discover why and how “soft skills” can improve your career and we will provide you with useful tips on how to develop these skills.

¿What is emotional intelligence and why is it important in the workplace?

Emotional intelligence refers to the capability of recognizing, understanding and administering correctly your emotions, as well as the emotions of those surrounding you. In the workplace, this translates into better ways of handling stressful situations , effective communication as well as peaceful conflict resolution. Affective intelligence has been related with a higher degree of engagement as well as satisfaction with employment.

¿How can we improve emotional intelligence in the workplace?

In order to improve your emotional intelligence it is fundamental to start by recognizing your own emotions and how these affect you. Furthermore, you can work on improving communication skills, as well as your empathy and your ability to work under stress, while practicing positive conflict resolution. It is also important to surround yourself with people that have a high emotional synergy, this can be contagious, and therefore positive.

¿How do soft skills influence leadership?

Soft skills are specially relevant towards leadership, since leader must be capable of inspiring and motivating their team. Leaders that are emotional conscious must be able to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts positively and motivate their team to reach their objectives. Moreover, a leader that dominates emotionally is more capable of understanding the team’s necessities and establishing a healthy and productive work environment.

To sum it all up, emotional intelligence is an ability that is growing in demand in the professional market. Developing it can improve your professional career, your capacity to manage stressful situations and your ability to relate effectively to others. In order to improve your emotional intelligence it is fundamental to start by recognizing your own emotions and how these affect you, working on your communication skills and empathy, as well as managing stress and surrounding yourself with highly emotionally intelligent persons. Do not underestimate the power of emotional intelligence in your professional career.