Is Emotional Intelligence on Your Professional Agenda?

 

Is Emotional Intelligence on Your Professional Agenda?

Graduating this year? Looking forward to beginning that new career? Have you given any thought about how you’re going to manage within your new surroundings? Deciding to take the old Scarlett O’Hara approach i.e. “I’ll think about that tomorrow”?

Well, if you’re truly on that pathway to college and career success, then a key skill you need to learn is how to become emotionally intelligent. Emotional what, you’re saying??!!

Popularized in 1995 by Daniel Goleman’s, the concept of emotional intelligence is now a standard practice within most management training programs.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to manage not only your emotions, but also those of others in times of normalcy as well as stress. It’s having the “emotional smarts” to

  1. Recognize your own feelings as well as the feelings of others;
  2. Express your emotions appropriately;
  3. Being self-motivated and encouraging others to do the same;
  4. Knowing how to deal with stress, tension, chaos and confusion while helping others do the same.

According to Belker and Topchik, these are the interpersonal and intrapersonal ingredients that separate excellent managers from poor ones. Not planning on being a manager, you say.

I have news for you!

Regardless of the career path you may be pursuing, you will have to, at one point or another during the course of your professional career, engage in either managing and/or collaborating with individuals whose personalities are as diverse as the universe.

If you’re several years away from graduation, now would be a great time to explore the range of your emotional intelligence skills. Just don’t apply them to your interactions with faculty. Include the entire campus community.

Practice – emotional intelligence is a learned skill. In actuality, you’re sharpening your leadership skill potential.

If you haven’t done so already, begin observing people’s behavior. Assess how you would alter that behavior if it was detrimental to successfully completing your project or assignment.

 

They say that people with high emotional intelligence have a tendency to be more successful.

Think about that as you interact regularly with faculty, administrative staff, your peers, and workplace associates. Pay particular attention whenever you’re assigned to work on group projects and activities.

Being aware of your EQ may be the critical linchpin you’ll need to successfully move forward your personal and professional agendas.

If you have not already done so, now is probably a good time to begin developing your emotional intelligence awareness!

Unless you’re planning to become a monk and live in a monastery, learning about emotional intelligence and how it applies to you and your career goals is an opportunity you simply cannot afford to overlook!