EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS

The global community and the industrial world are full of businesses offering a variety of goods and services. The business sector is a complicated area or field composed of different aspects such as cognition and communication. Cognitive abilities and other skills proved to be important in a business as the industry gains profits from these abilities. The talents and skills are essential in a business as these are the source of income of the company. Moreover, without the talents and skills, the business will not be able to render the goods and services it is offering right now.

Aside from the profit motive of the business, a business is composed of other aspects that are essential in every organization. Emotional intelligence is an area in psychology that proved to be of vital importance in a business. Nowadays, tests in assessing the emotional intelligence of a person is becoming a part of the initial exams in some businesses. Emotional intelligence is relevant in every organization and business as it proves to understand and assess peoples behavior. Moreover, it serves as a vital tool in different areas like learning styles, management styles, interpersonal and corporate communications as well as in bringing out the persons potential.

Emotional Intelligence in Business
In order to reach the top of the corporate ladder, a person needs to have powerful people skills. Any form or venture in business is in need of the right skills, especially those hold the managerial position whom interact with a number and variety of employees. The world most effective and successful leaders and managers are alike in one thing they have a high degree of emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Business, 2009). Emotional intelligence is becoming popular and relevant in businesses nowadays. Emotional intelligence refers to having the ability to recognize and understand emotions and their impact on behavior and attitudes. (LoveToKnow Corp., 2009, n.p.).

People with high emotional intelligence have the ability to tune in both their emotions with the emotions of the other person to whom they connect or interact. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in the business industry as it involves being sensitive and perceptive of the emotions of other people. This is essential in business as it is needed in intuitively facilitating improved performance. Moreover, the current workplace is characterized with open communication, cooperation, teamwork and respect with co-employees and superiors. Thus, possessing high emotional intelligence allows people, especially managers to better understand their people and create ways to motivate them (LoveToKnow Corp., 2009).

The conventional way of management, which involves intimidation and authority often, find it difficult to adapt their management styles in the demands of the todays workers who need interpersonal connectedness. Authoritarian managers are often unsuccessful in the long term than those who utilize a democratic style of management. Successful businesses in todays society need to understand the role and importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace environment (LoveToKnow Corp., 2009).

The proponents of emotional quotient argued that IQ tests or the traditional way to measure intelligence have failed to predict success, while tests on EQ are more accurate. The proponents also argued that high emphasis on cognitive skills does not contribute to peoples well-being however, emphasizing on the emotional intelligence of a person increases productivity, reduces stress for individuals and organizations, decreases conflict, improves relationships and understanding and increases stability, continuity and harmony. (Baras, n.d., n.p.).

The popularity of emotional intelligence in the business sector has been the biggest change in the industry and it proves to be effective, especially in exploring the human resources talents and potentials as well as having a harmonious and productive relationship within the workplace. Managers with high emotional intelligence handle supervisory activities and responsibilities in a more dynamic approach far from the authoritarian perspective. A person with high emotional intelligence values the importance of constant and effective communication with the staff members in order to nourish the established relationships. Moreover, the virtue of respect is highly important in a workplace where different people interact. A person with high emotional intelligence values this trait and utilizes it effectively in dealing with work-related matters (LoveToKnow Corp., 2009).

People who have outstanding leadership qualities possess a high degree of emotional intelligence. Leadership is not inherent in the high positions in an organization it is bestowed by the employees to outstanding and effective managers. A person with high emotional intelligence is able to tune his or her feelings with the feelings of other people and is more likely to empathize with the emotions that affect the attitudes and behaviors of others (LoveToKnow Corp., 2009). The reason behind the importance of emotional intelligence in managers is for understanding the emotions of employees that may affect their attitude and behavior toward their work and tasks. Moreover, not all things can be resolved by cognitively thinking for a solution. Some problems in the workplace involve the feelings of the status quo and effective managers with high emotional intelligence have the capability to pose solutions to these types of problems.

The best example of utilizing emotional intelligence in the workplace is when managers and supervisors or people in the top positions of the company really listen to the employees. Whether they realize it or not, they are utilizing emotional intelligence as a management strategy of handling their employees. Listening is an integral part of leadership and is a sign of respect to other people who may be on the lower positions in the company. In return, the employees best respond to this kind of managers or supervisors who treat the employees as individuals and address their emotional and psychological needs.

The Future of Emotional Intelligence in Business
Emotional intelligence or quotient proves to be essential in the business today. However, it is more likely to be more important in the future, as many countries are facing old age and the workforce is continuously decreasing. The companies will have to deal with labor shortages like no other. In an economy with limited number of workforce, it is of vital importance to hold on to good employees and to prevent them from transferring to another company. The competition over the best employees will be fiercer and good workers who are not treated fairly at the workplace will look for employment elsewhere (LoveToKnow Corp., 2009).

The best way to hold on to the best employees is to incorporate or include emotional intelligence in the personal and management styles employed in the workplace. It is important that the managers bear in mind that their employees are still people with emotions and feelings that affect how they think and act and most likely to affect how they do their job. Effective managers consider first that their employees are people and workers second. This great understanding best guide managers in handling and treating their employees at all times.

Emotional intelligence or quotient in business is the current way forward for businesses. Every individual, major, multinational and global company seems to be jumping in the bandwagon (Agarwal, 2008). Emotional intelligence is currently paving its way in the mainstream business as an essential management tool in handling employees. The success of the company is suddenly based on the utilization and involvement of emotional intelligence in the workplace.

Emotional intelligence is the ability of a person to understand and tune in both his or her feelings with the emotions of other people. Top and effective leaders and managers are characterized with a high degree of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence in the workplace is essential for managers to better handle the staff members as they deal with different people. Emotional intelligence revolutionized the conventional way of management or the authoritarian approach wherein stick and carrot style of management is employed. The influx of emotional intelligence in the workplace is characterized of democratic style of management wherein the thoughts and feelings of employees, even in the lowest positions, are valued.

Emotional intelligence in business proved to be beneficial in the companies and organizations as it maintains the harmonious and productive relationship with all the employees. Good and effective leadership is important in the workplace especially in managing the employees so that they are guided and supervised effectively. Not all managers and supervisors are leaders. Leadership is defined by the employees or the followers to outstanding managers with the right skills and abilities, one of which is being able to understand the feelings of his or her employees.

With the decreasing rate of workforce and the demands of employees, it is important to include emotional intelligence in the management styles employed by the company. It is important to hold on to good and deserving employees that are essential in the business. The workers who are not treated well will eventually seek employment elsewhere. Moreover, in order to handle employees better and be successful in the competition, we will need to transform the current ineffective way of management.

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