If you have a very functional role where you are called upon to perform a series of routine tasks and rarely need to interact with other people, then emotional intelligence might not be very important to your position. However, that kind of work is the easiest to automate, so you will have to watch your back for the robots coming for your job.
And should that happen, emotional intelligence can be key to landing your next job as well as moving up through the ranks at work.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is your capacity for recognizing, understanding, and regulating your own emotions and grasping the influence that these might have on other people's reactions. Emotional intelligence, or EI as it is commonly known, incorporates the concepts of emotional expression and regulation, self-awareness, and empathy.
EI was first defined early in the 1990s as “a type of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions.” It was further summarized as “the verbal and non-verbal appraisal and expression of emotion, the regulation of emotion in the self and others, and the utilization of emotional content in problem-solving.” These observations come from an academic paper called Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Academic and/or Professional Success.
What does EI have to do with professional success?
Having some degree of emotional intelligence is essential in being hired for most roles. Of course, you want to get hired for a new job, but you don't want to demand that the employer give you the role or fall on your knees and start pleading for it.
Those are both simplified examples, but they show how self-regulation of your emotional responses is necessary for successful professional interactions. You use your ambition and nervous energy as a motivating force to drive you forward.
Once on the job, emotional intelligence plays a significant role in high-performing teams, and it can be the essential ingredient to individuals achieving leadership positions.
Work comes with stress. We are all under pressure to deliver – sometimes on tight deadlines. We frequently count on contributions from colleagues to deliver on our objectives, and often there are customers or clients to negotiate with. Imagine for a moment if everyone who was feeling unhappy or stressed acted out their unfiltered emotions in every interaction and always blurted out their first response to situations without considering the impact their words might have on others.
It would be chaos. That is why hiring managers scrutinize candidates' communications skills and self-awareness during the hiring process. They are trying to determine a potential employee's emotional intelligence. If you can't demonstrate some degree of EI in the job interview, you are unlikely to be hired. Showing a high degree of emotional intelligence on the job makes you a strong candidate for leadership positions.
Emotional Intelligence in detail
Author and psychologist Daniel Goleman first popularized the concept of EI in his 1995 book, "Emotional Intelligence." In this work, he used in-depth research to show that while technical and analytical skills are necessary for professional success, emotional intelligence seems to be the key differentiator between outstanding performers and those who are merely adequate on the job.
Goleman's work indicates that emotional intelligence consists of five distinct components.
Self-awareness: Knowing who you are and how you react emotionally to things is a starting point to behaving in an emotionally intelligent way. Knowing yourself can help you understand your own emotions and moods and appreciate the impact that they might have on other people.
Self-regulation: Of course, recognizing your emotional responses and mood swings is only the first step. The key is to be able to moderate them. This will help you to succeed in your personal life as well as in your professional interactions. Don't fly off the handle under pressure. Never make a decision when you are angry. Take the time to assess a situation, realize when you are feeling emotional, and put off responding until you are able to reason through it.
Motivation: Your internal motivations are essential aspects of emotional intelligence. This means understanding what drives you and making rational choices about what is most important to you. Emotionally intelligent people are able to form long-term goals and move towards these strategically rather than chasing after every shiny object that catches their eye.
Empathy: Being self-aware also helps you to empathize with other people. You have an easier time understanding what another person is feeling because you can look at the situation from their perspective. This ability to step into someone else's shoes for a moment plays an essential part in negotiation, conflict resolution, and successful team building. When leaders can appreciate what their staff are going through and how they are feeling, they can create a supportive culture where each individual contributor can thrive.
Social skills: Putting all of these elements together helps with socializing. You know what situations make you uncomfortable, you are aware when you are feeling nervous or stressed, but you can regulate your emotions and make rational decisions. This helps you make connections with people. It is important for making positive impressions in job interviews, cultivating your professional network, and managing interpersonal interactions on the job. Positive social skills are essential for professional success.
So, why is emotional intelligence so important for most workplaces?
EI can play a crucial role in creating and motivating high-performing teams, because an emotionally intelligent workplace has open communication and reduced stress, and fosters a positive, welcoming work environment. Emotional Intelligence is also a key attribute of successful leaders who help their teams and the organizations overall to thrive.