Since the importance of emotional intelligence was first taken into account, managers have become something like regulators of feelings who try to encourage positive emotions. They believe that this is a way to achieving better results. However, there is no simplistic approach to emotional intelligence that could be efficient in all situations. Emotional intelligence is about understanding the need to see meaning in our work, claims the management-issues.com website.
Managers need to approach emotions with intelligence
Discouraging negative emotions is not always good, since it forces you into suppressing feelings. If you try to display positive emotions and to be enthusiastic all the time, you can be easily seen as artificial and inauthentic. But there is another problem with this overly simplistic approach to emotions in business, it puts too much emphasis on only the personal qualities of the manager. His analytical and organizational skills are still highly important.
Emotional intelligence is not only about being in touch with your feelings and the feelings of others, it is also about understanding basic human needs and acting based on this understanding. Managers need to approach activities with regard to emotions. They can praise individual work and still draw attention to collective projects, for example. They should ensure there is enough space for discussion in the office, without this other rather negative and aggressive forms of conflict resolution can emerge.
Emotional dynamics of giving
People have a deep desire to interact with others. They also need to believe that their work is in fact gives something to others. That is important for their sense of doing something meaningful and generous. Cross-department initiatives, mentoring and voluntary exchange of information and expertise, all these tend to produce positive emotions associated with giving.
Read more in our previous article: What exactly does it mean to be emotionally intelligent?
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