Emotionally intelligent people are good at wearing another person’s shoes and understanding how they feel. Empathy is more than recognizing how others feel. It also includes the way you react to these emotions.
In the workplace, empathy allows you to understand the different dynamics between colleagues and leaders. It also allows you to recognize who has the power and how it affects the behavior, feelings, and interactions arising from such relationships.
• Look at things from the other person’s point of view. Sometimes it can be challenging, especially if you think the other person is wrong. Instead of letting disagreements accumulate in major conflicts, take the time to look at the situation from everyone else’s perspective. This could be a big first step towards finding a middle ground between two opposing points of view.
• Pay attention to how you react to others. Do you leave them with the opportunity to share their ideas? Do you accept their contribution even if you disagree? Notifying others that their efforts often help everyone feel more willing to compromise.
Why empathy is important
Work on your motivation
Another key component of emotional intelligence is internal motivation. People who have a strong EQ tend to be more motivated to achieve goals for themselves. Instead of looking for external rewards, they want to do things because they find them meaningful and are passionate about what they do.
Money, status and recognition are great, but people who have great success in the workplace are usually motivated by more than that. They’re passionate about what they’re doing. They have a commitment to their work, they like to accept new challenges, and their enthusiasm may seem contagious. They do not indulge in obstacles and are able to inspire others to work hard and persevere to achieve the goals.
• Focus on what you love about your work. There are probably things in your work that you love and things you hate. Try to focus on aspects of your work that you like, such as the sense of accomplishment you get when you complete a big project or help your customers advance to their own goals. Identify these components of your work and get inspired by them.
• Try to maintain a positive attitude. Pay attention to how optimists in the workplace tend to inspire and motivate others. Adopting this kind of attitude can help you feel more positive in your work.
Something to conclude
Emotional intelligence plays an important role not only for well-being, but also for your success in the workplace. Fortunately, there are a number of lessons you can take from the psychology of emotions that will allow you to improve your EQ and promote greater emotional competencies to improve your work and career success.