Emotional intelligence is an exceptionally important soft skill, crucial in promoting productive teamwork and collaboration, excellent communications and a positive working environment as well as effectively managing work relationships and conflict resolution.Â
What are soft skills?Â
Soft skills include the way someone behaves, communicates and relates to other people as well as key abilities such as time management, presentation skills and aspects of project management. Unlike hard skills, soft skills are not specific to a particular role or profession. Â
Soft skills contrast with hard skills which are the professional knowledge and technical expertise you need to carry out your job such as technical and know-how, industry-specific knowledge and experience, and skill in using tools, equipment and machinery. Â
Improving the emotional intelligence of leaders and managers in the workplace will in turn have a broader positive impact on the overall culture of the organisation, helping to foster a positive and inclusive work environment.Â
What is emotional intelligence?Â
Someone who is emotionally intelligent is able to perceive, evaluate and react appropriately to their own and other people’s emotions.Â
Five ways to elevate your emotional intelligenceÂ
Developing emotional intelligence is an ongoing project and there is always more to learn:Â
- You can work on your self-awareness by regularly reflecting on how your emotions affect your reactions in particular situations. Keeping a journal can be helpful. You can then build a picture over time, notice patterns, understand your emotional triggers, and take steps to improve your ability to move away from immediate reaction to a more considered response.Â
- Try simple but proven solutions for managing negative emotions such as deep breathing, taking the time to pause and think before responding, taking some time away from the immediate workplace or talking things over with someone you trust. Â
- Develop the ability to actively listen to others to enhance your understanding of their emotions and perspectives. Work on seeing things from others’ point of view.Â
- Improve your social skills, including communication techniques, body language and relationship building. Present yourself as approachable, empathetic and respectful.Â
- Seek honest feedback about how you interact with others from those you manage, your line managers and mentors or coaches. Don’t take negative comments personally, but instead use them to plan improvements and adjust your behaviour in the workplace. Â
Training coursesÂ
Impellus offers a range of Level 3 training courses that are targeted at team leaders and newly promoted managers, enabling them to analyse, understand and apply key soft skills such as emotional intelligence, communications, presenting, delegation, coaching, and managing performance. These include: Â
- Leadership Skills Development: An essential course that is particularly relevant for managers who have never had any formal training or those new to a leadership role. Â
- Developing Winning Teams: This is particularly useful for those looking to inspire greater harmony, motivation and productivity from their people. Â
- Managing and Appraising Performance: This course will enable managers to use clear goals and targets to appraise the performance of their team members and provide effective feedback. Â
Our Level 5 courses for middle and senior managers also emphasise the importance of developing soft skills. For example: Â
- Organisational Leadership Skills helps delegates to explore their own leadership styles, the cultural impact they have on the organisation and how they can adapt to get the best from their people and the environment in which they are operating. Â
- Strategic Thinking and Decision Making concentrates on how to make faster and better decisions, strategic thinking and communicating vision, mission and values.