Risk & Business Magazine General Insurance Service Fall 2021 | Page 19

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
2 . STRESS MANAGEMENT
Dr . Moïra Mikolajczak found that people with high EQ report better moods , less anxiety , and less worry during times of tension and stress than those who can ’ t identify and manage their emotions . This is because high EQ people have improved their ability to simultaneously engage their emotional and rational thinking . When confronted with stress , they can control what they do next . Instead of catastrophizing , casting blame or worrying , they find the silver lining , practice positive self-talk , and recall good memories . Once they get control of their reaction , they devise a plan of action .
EQ Skills Help You Tackle Your Stress : Right after the transition to remote work , Nitya couldn ’ t slip back into “ family mode ” the way she used to when she got home from the office . With her work computer just in the other room , she found herself thinking constantly about that next meeting , email , or client while her kids tried to tell her about their day . Only after she caught herself missing what her kids were saying and making mistakes on multiple late evening emails did she realize her stress was a problem . To get herself back on track , she first reminded herself that she balanced her work and family for years without a problem . Then , she put together a plan . Each day when she stopped working , she would slip out the side door to her espresso machine on the patio . She would make a latte , sit , and drink it . She wouldn ’ t check her phone or read . She would just sit and unwind . If something work-related came to mind , she would write it on a notepad as a to-do for tomorrow . The routine was simple , but it acted as the perfect mental transition between work and family . Post-latte , Nitya found she was able to turn off her work brain and turn on her family brain .
3 . EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
The working world , and our lives , are made up of important conversations . At work , we give and receive feedback , deliver bad news , manage conflicts , and check-in with struggling coworkers … The list goes on . As different as each example seems , important conversations usually share three things in common : 1 ) opposing opinions , 2 ) strong emotions , and 3 ) pressure . Because developing EQ builds the connection between the emotional and rational parts of the brain , it equips people to manage their emotions under pressure and come up with an effective response in real time .
EQ Skills Help You Communicate Effectively : Dianne ’ s in her first week of work at the front desk of a hospital ’ s imaging department . Their appointments frequently run late , and she finds herself overwhelmed as she informs patients . When a patient begins to get upset , she boils over and snaps at him . He then complains , and her manager , who is displeased , has a long conversation with her at the end of the day . That night Dianne commits to adjusting her approach to these moments . The first thing she will do is take a deep breath and count to five before responding . Then , she will ask a question to learn why the patient is upset . Some people , she now finds , are quite nervous about the imaging procedure and their results ( and she is able to talk them down ). Others are anxious because they have somewhere to be ( and she offers apologetically to reschedule ). These small adjustments make a big difference in Dianne ’ s ability to uncover slight differences in patients ’ needs and then address each accordingly .
From Insights to Action . The best thing about EQ skills is they can be developed with practice . Practicing any of the above behaviors will build new habits for you , too . The result is that when you ’ re faced with a similar situation in the future , you will respond with emotional intelligence . +
BY : DR . TRAVIS BRADBERRY
As a cofounder of TalentSmart and world-renowned expert in emotional intelligence , Dr . Travis Bradberry speaks regularly in corporate and public settings . He is also coauthor of the # 1 best-selling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 , Leadership 2.0 , and The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book . His books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries .
Dr . Bradberry also co-developed the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal ®, a suite of self and 360 assessments . His survey and assessment development expertise are grounded in simple , applied approaches to measurement .
Some of Dr . Bradberry ’ s past speaking engagements include : Wells Fargo , NY Life , Fortune Magazine Growth Summit , Salesforce . com , and The Conference Board : Learning from Legends . He has also written for , or his work has been covered by , Newsweek , Business-Week , Fortune , Forbes , Fast Company , Inc ., USA Today , The Wall Street Journal , The Washington Post , and Harvard Business Review .
Dr . Bradberry received his PhD in Organizational Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and his BS in Clinical Psychology from the University of California – San Diego .
TalentSmartEQ . com
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