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(The phone rings.

Mary: “Good afternoon, [reception]. How can I—”

Flustered Client: “Hello, I requested numerous items that I need  right now!.”

Mary: “Okay, can I have the requisition number?”

Flustered Client: “You people always do this!!”

Mary: “No, madam, I need the requisition number to check-”

Flustered Client: “You ‘re useless!”

Mary: “Ha! Then good luck to you. ”

Slams Phone!)

Of the skills needed to succeed in the workplace of today and the future, EQ has been ranked top among them. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand and manage your emotions and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of EQ know what they’re feeling, what they’re emotions mean and how those emotions affect other people.

Like most things in life, EQ sounds theoretically amazing but that then begs the question, ‘how can this possibly enhance workplace harmony?‘ Well to begin with, let’s look at the picture below of someone with High EQ vs someone with low EQ;

Which of these two would you prefer as a workmate, let alone a leader?

Why Emotionally  Intelligent Employees are Essential for Organisations

It results in;

1. Better team work and collaboration among staff.
2. Better customer service and sales – Studies show that sales people with high EQ outperform those with medium EQ by 50%.
3. Greater employee satisfaction and better workplace environment.
4. Lower employee turnover and recruitment costs – Lets not forget that people leave bad bosses as opposed to organisations.
5. Being ahead of the competition!!! Very few organisations link their business success with emotional intelligence, so whilst your organisation is hiring for and developing EQ now, they’re still ignoring it’s place in their business success.

How to develop EQ

Luckily for most people (myself included), you don’t have to be born emotionally intelligent. It’s something you can learn. Here are a few things that can get you started on that journey;

1. Connect your thoughts to your emotions.
2. Think before you act.
3. Practice Responding and not Reacting.
4. Practice empathy.
5. Manage your stress and stressors.

If Mary had been self-aware, self-managing, socially-aware and able to manage her external relationships, how do you imagine that conversation would have gone?

For more from me on EQ checkout Is EQ the new IQ?