Many individuals find it challenging to proactively plan their careers, often prioritizing immediate job security and financial stability over long-term aspirations. As a result, they may lack a clear sense of purpose and direction regarding their professional path.
It is understandable and acceptable to experience uncertainty regarding your job, skills, and future possibilities. However, even in the midst of this uncertainty, there is a proactive step you can take to enhance your job satisfaction and success at work.
It doesn’t matter what your job is or whether you are at the beginning or at a more senior stage in your career right now.
What matters is investing your time in those aspects of your role that are :
- Building your character and
- Building your personality
in the best possible ways and that are ultimately yours wherever you go next.
The easiest way to do this is to identify those aspects of your role that are closely related to building your emotional intelligence skills.
Why? Because emotional intelligence is at the foundation of all other transferable skills you need at any workplace, such as:
♦ Communication – You cannot communicate effectively if you don’t acknowledge the impact that your emotions are making in your conversations, and the impact of the emotions of the person you are speaking with. Emotional intelligence helps you become more aware of your own emotions and the emotions of others when in conversation, so that you can understand not only verbal, but those subtle underlying non-verbal cues and emotional messages you are receiving and also sending when speaking.
How able are you to listen actively, and respond appropriately? Do you foster better understanding and collaboration or do you rarely see improvement in your relationships with others?
♦ Persuasion – By understanding the emotions and motivations of others, you can tailor your persuasive efforts to resonate with their needs and values. Emotional intelligence helps you build rapport, establish trust, and present compelling arguments that appeal to people on an emotional level.
♦ Conflicts resolution – Conflicts, even though they are inevitable in any workplace, emotional intelligence can be your asset to navigate them more effectively. It helps you remain calm in challenging situations, understand different perspectives, and find mutually beneficial solutions for all stakeholders. Who doesn’t want to work with people who know how to achive win-win situations?
♦ Decision making – Have you ever heard of a phrase: “Be smarter with your feelings”? This is what emotionally intelligent individuals know, the importance to consider not only their logical reasoning but also the emotional implications of their decisions. They are better able to regulate their own emotions and emotional reactions, they are more aware of thier blindspots and can better manage biases that can impact judgment. This all leads to a more balanced and thoughtful decision-making process.
♦ Problem solving – Emotional intelligence enhances your ability to approach problem-solving with empathy, a key skill in emotional intelligence. By understanding the emotions and needs of others involved, you can address underlying concerns and promote positive outcomes for everyone involved in the problem solving.
♦ Collaboration – It is evident that building strong relationships and fostering collaboration is crucial for success in any team or workplace. Emotional intelligence helps you build trust, manage conflicts, and create a supportive environment where individuals feel valued and motivated to contribute their best. Without the ability to understand and manage interpersonal dynamics it can be impossible to collaborate with others and achieve business goals.
Understanding and developing your emotional intelligence skills is a continuous journey, rather than a short trip. It involves self-reflection, practice, empathy, active listening, and seeking feedback from others. Assessments like emotional intelligence tests can provide insights into your strengths and areas for improvement, serving as a starting point for further development and if you are interested in knowing how your emotional intelligence looks in data, you can always measure it.
Instead of waiting for others to understand you, your emotions, and your intentions, start understanding yourself first and use your skills to improve your current career, wherever that you are.
Author: Ana Toroman, Talent Development Consultant
Being a part of training and development educational programs across companies in the Middle East, I help people develop their potential through learning key skills for career building, with a particular interest in emotional resilience in the workplace. Having started my career in HR and education and working as a Corporate Trainer & Coach in Dubai, I work on self-development strategies for both teams and individuals. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn here or follow me on Instagram on HR and Wellbeing page here.
Very interesting subject, thanks for putting up.Expand blog