What Is Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace?

Defining emotional intelligence: Just as with the rest of life, emotions influence the way we act and react in the workplace. Emotional intelligence is about learning to better understand our emotions (as well as emotions of those around us) while finding the most effective way to manage how we react to them so we can get on with our real work.

The basic idea is, rather than letting our emotions control us, we instead learn to identify them when they arise, recognize their causes and outcomes, and as best we can control them – or at least our reactions to them. Emotions have so many triggers we could never stop them all from coming up – in fact that would be kind of like trying to plug a volcano with ice. Plus emotions can tell a useful story – once we learn to mindfully observe them when they appear. They just shouldn’t be given the chance to run the show.

The real trick is not in fighting against them (or hoping they magically disappear), but in learning to handle them intelligently when they do come up.

Once we become aware of connections between our emotions and our actions (as well as the actions of those around us) we have a better chance of learning to recognize any automatic reactions that may get in our way. Instead of letting emotions take the lead over our brains, emotional intelligence techniques help us learn to relegate emotions to their proper place – while we step through them and act with an eye toward achieving maximum work outcomes as best as possible, unhindered by the buzzing bees of emotions gone wild!

For more on emotional intelligence in the workplace:

7 Ways You Can Put Emotional Intelligence to Work

Emotional Intelligence at Work: The Art of Peace Not War

What Is Courgette?

=> Browse the Career Dictionary <=

NOTE: If you want to suggest changes to this or any other definition in our career dictionary, please feel free to add  your suggestions in a comment.