Emotional intelligence is referred to a person's capacity to comprehend and control their own and others' emotions in a social setting. After Goleman's book Emotional Intelligence, the concept became popular in the 1990s. Studies on the notion have continued since then, and it is frequently used to improve interpersonal interactions, but it is also commonly employed in the workplace.

Emotional intelligence is a term that has been around for a while. Employers have traditionally utilized a variety of characteristics to forecast a job applicant's future performance. Cognitive capacity, previous behaviours, talents, personality, and job-related competencies are all examples of such qualities. Emotional intelligence has now been added to that category, and it is becoming increasingly popular.

Benefits of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace:

1. Adjusts better:

Employees are certainly aware that changes are occurring as a result of what is required or best for the organisation, but they may not always embrace them with open arms. We have always grappled with change as humans. Employees with high emotional intelligence, on the other hand, adjust readily and frequently accept change and grow with the organisation. This is an important personality trait that can spread throughout the team.

2. More self-awareness:

When providing constructive and required feedback to an employee, managers often become defensive. This might result in irritation and loss of productivity. Another issue that leaders face is personnel who are unaware of their own limitations.

While emotionally intelligent people are aware of their own capabilities and what they can achieve in a given amount of time, others are more inclined to overpromise and underdeliver.

Employees working with emotional intelligence may both learn from constructive criticism and be aware of their capabilities. These are extremely useful tools.

3. More self-control:

People with great emotional intelligence understand how to deal with adversity. There will always be circumstances in a company that is uncomfortable, especially for someone in a leadership position.

Impact of lack of emotional intelligence on employee’s performance:

When it comes to a lack of emotional intelligence in the workplace, you might be wondering what that looks like. There are two ways in which a lack of EI might harm the employee’s performance:

1. Communication-

A lack of Emotional Intelligence can have a negative impact on workplace communication through numerous mechanisms:

• Less awareness of one's own feelings
• A lack of empathy for others' feelings
• Communication of thoughts and emotions to others is less successful.
• Communication-related inappropriate behaviour, such as emotional outbursts, oversharing, or omitting to share crucial information.
• It's simple to see how these mechanisms affect total communication and, as a result of less efficient communication, reduced employee productivity and efficiency.

2. Decision Making-

Emotional Intelligence can have a major impact on workplace decision-making. Members of an organisation with high emotional intelligence may grasp the cause-and-effect link between emotions and events and plan efficiently.

When EI is low, members of an organisation may have "incidental emotions" when making decisions. Anxiety, for example, is a typical feeling associated with decision-making, particularly when it comes to major decisions with considerable consequences.

Those with low EI may not recognise the source of their worry or how to successfully manage it, leading to excessive risk-taking, insufficient risk-taking, or biased judgement.

Goleman’s 5 elements of emotional intelligence

What role does emotional intelligence play in workplace leadership? Emotional intelligence contains five critical parts, according to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist and author of the pioneering book "Emotional Intelligence." When controlled, these elements enable leaders to achieve a greater level of emotional intelligence.

A) Self-Awareness: Emotional Intelligence requires the ability to detect and understand one’s own emotions. Being aware of the impact of your behaviours, moods, and emotions on others goes beyond simply identifying your own. You must be able to monitor your own emotions, recognise diverse emotional reactions, and accurately name each feeling to become self-aware. Individuals that are self-conscious are also aware of the connections between their emotions and their actions.

Take note of how you're feeling. How do these feelings affect your reactions? Do your emotions have an effect on the decisions you make or how you interact with others? You may become much more conscious of your own emotions and the role they play in your daily life as you think about these questions.

Make a mental inventory of your strengths and shortcomings. How efficient are you at communicating with others? Do you have a lot of impotence, rage, or frustration on a regular basis? What are some successful strategies to deal with these feelings? Recognising your flaws allows you to find solutions to them.

B) Self-Regulation: one's ability to control emotions and impulses is referred to as self-regulation. It is the ability to exert restraint by knowing what is required and would benefit all parties involved in a given situation. For example, instead of yelling at another employee because they are stressed, a person with self-control will find alternative ways to manage their emotions, such as outsourcing some responsibilities.

Find methods to relieve stress. Outside of work, hobbies are a terrific place to start. Physical activities are another effective stress reliever.

Before making a decision, think. In the heat of the moment, emotions might overwhelm you. Allowing yourself time to analyse all of the options can help you make a more calm and sensible decision.

C) Motivation: Emotional Intelligence is also influenced by internal motivation. External benefits such as fame, money, recognition, and praise do not inspire emotionally intelligent people. They are driven by a desire to meet their own personal demands and objectives. They seek internal rewards, flow, and peak experiences.

Pay attention to the aspects of your job that you enjoy. You probably have likes and dislikes in your professional life. Concentrate on the areas of your profession that you enjoy, such as the sense of success you get when you finish a large project or assisting clients in achieving their own objectives.

Maintain an optimistic attitude. Observe how positive people inspire and motivate others in the workplace. Adopting this mindset can help you feel more enthusiastic about your job.

D) Empathy: If you are self-aware and self-regulate, the next step is to understand how to interact with others in this regard. Empathy is the ability to acknowledge and comprehend another’s feelings. It’s putting oneself in the other person’s position and attempting to comprehend why they are reacting the way they are.

Consider things from others’ perspectives. It might be difficult at times, especially when you believe the other person is incorrect. Rather than allowing little disagreements to escalate into major ones, take some time to consider the matter from another’s perspective.

Take note of how you react to other people. Do you give them the opportunity to express themselves? Do you respect their opinions, even if you disagree with them? Giving people credit for their efforts can make everyone feel more comfortable.

E) Social Skills: Another critical part of emotional intelligence is the ability to interact well with people. It requires more than merely thinking about your own and others’ emotions for true emotional awareness. You must be able to apply this knowledge in your everyday interactions and conversations. Employees gain from being able to form relationships with other employees in a professional context.

Be aware of nonverbal communication. The signals that people transmit through their body language can reveal a lot about their true feelings.

Avoid office squabbles. Make every effort to avoid the petty office politics that can occasionally take over the job, but keep in mind that confrontations cannot always be avoided. Pay attention to what others have to say and look for solutions to problems and reduce tension.

Employees can benefit from emotional intelligence by:

1. Rather than being influenced by their emotional encounters, use their brain capacity to complete their task.
2. Deal with situations where a conflict is likely to occur, resulting in non-productive behaviour, with care.
3. Predict how other people will react in a given situation and try to come up with better solutions.
4. Customers, colleagues, or management should not be offended.
5. Have better impulse control and stay away from distractions that may cause them to miss their deadlines.

Cultivate a culture of emotional intelligence

The secret to a thriving business is to remove preconceived notions about management or a boss and replace them with the perception of how emotionally intelligent they are. Employees nowadays seek respect and value from their bosses rather than a bossy.

As a result, businesses should exercise emotional intelligence in the same way they practise other technical and soft skills, with employees and managers working together to improve their emotional intelligence.

This can be accomplished by setting some objectives, such as those listed below:

• Determine emotional triggers and discuss them with teammates.
• Make plans to meet up with coworkers.
• Make yourself approachable.
• Pay attention during the conversation.
• Whatever you do, don’t whine.

Following the goal-setting process, ice-breaking sessions are critical; these may require encouragement and may be difficult at first, but once the discussion begins, things will become more comfortable.

All of the above tips are self-evident, such as self-awareness and treating others with respect, but understanding and applying emotional intelligence at work takes a lot of experience.

Emotional intelligence always breeds more emotional intelligence, and the higher the employee's and employer's emotional intelligence, the more likely they are to succeed. Emotional intelligence is something that should be practised on a regular basis because it is crucial not only for one's well-being but also for creating a high performing team.

Final thoughts

Emotional intelligence is undeniably vital for success in the business; it will open doors and allow you to connect with people. Not to mention the higher levels of happiness and fulfilment that come with being able to control your emotions.