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What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is about the ability to recognise, understand and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others. Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and author who first introduced and popularised the concept, identified that there are four key domains that make up emotional intelligence. They include self-awareness and self-regulation which deal with managing one’s personal emotions, as well as empathy and relationship management which relates to the emotions of others.  

If you would like to have a deeper look into what emotional intelligence entails, these courses allow learners to understand the concept itself, how it differs from other forms of intelligence as well as some benefits associated with emotional intelligence .  

Course Title: Using Emotional Intelligence: Introduction (Part 1 of 8)   

Course Provider: BizLibrary  

Course Type: Interactive

Course Title: Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 

Course Provider: Talent Quest 

Format: Interactive

Why is emotional intelligence important at the workplace?

Given the rise of cross functional teams and collaborative ways of work, emotional intelligence has become more essential in the workplace than ever before. Emotional intelligence can help you to better navigate through the myriad of exchanges and activities at work. For example, emotional intelligence can aid in resolving conflicts and decision-making by preventing judgement from being clouded or emotionally charged.  

Emotional intelligence is a valuable skill which has vast impact on various facets of the workplace. It helps to build rapport with colleagues and business partners by improving one’s communication, collaborative, and relationship management skills. Emotional intelligence also improves negotiation and problem-solving skills which are important to achieving strong business outcomes.  

For those in leadership or managerial positions, emotional intelligence plays an even greater role as these roles are essentially about managing people. An understanding of emotional intelligence enables leaders to better manage their emotions and that of the team. While most leaders tend to focus solely on the performance of the teams, leaders should cultivate better relationships and understand their team inside and out.  

This helps to cultivate a psychologically safe environment at work and encourages team members to strive through adversity. With the conducive working environment and greater compassion towards the team, emotionally intelligent leaders can effectively improve employee retention as well.   

How can one develop emotional intelligence?

Given the breadth and depth of the concept, improving all four pillars of emotional intelligence is key. We recommend the ‘Using Emotional Intelligence’ eight-part video series by BizLibrary as a starting point. Through this interactive course, learners can look forward to discovering various tools and tips to strategically develop all four facets of emotional intelligence.  

1. Self-Awareness

Developing your self-awareness sets the foundation towards increasing emotional intelligence. It is the ability to identify and understand what triggers your emotions. At this stage, you should be asking yourself questions such as ‘What am I feeling’ and ‘Why am I feeling this way’. Penning down these emotions and underlying reason for the emotion experienced can help to boost your self-awareness. For more tips, ‘Improving Your Self Awareness’ by BizLibrary allows learners to understand themselves inside and out.  

Course Title: Using Emotional Intelligence: Improving Your Self-Awareness (Part 2 of 8)  

Course Provider: BizLibrary 

Format: Interactive 

2. Self-Regulation

Self-regulation refers to having the power to pause between feeling an emotion and reacting to it. This is an important aspect as it helps you to control disruptive emotions and impulses, thereby preventing rash decision making at work. One way to practice self-regulation is to explore techniques to release workplace stress such as taking up a new hobby or exercising. The interactive course by BizLibrary on ‘Improving Your Self-Management’ gives leaners a deeper insight into the different ways to practice emotion regulation.  

Course Title: Using Emotional Intelligence: Improving Your Self-Management (Part 3 of 8)  

Course Provider: BizLibrary 

Format: Interactive 

3. Empathy

The third domain to develop emotional intelligence is empathy which is the ability to sense the feelings of others, understand their perspectives and how you respond to them. To increase empathy and perspective taking, try engaging in active listening as you interact with others. This entails asking questions and providing feedback which helps you to pay more attention to both verbal and nonverbal communication. To find out more, ‘Improving Your Social Awareness’ and ‘Social Awareness Tools’ by BizLibrary provides useful tips and practices on how to develop greater empathy.  

Course Title:  Using Emotional Intelligence: Improving Your Social Awareness (Part 4 of 8)  

Course Provider: BizLibrary  

Course Type: Interactive  

Course Title:  Using Emotional Intelligence: Social Awareness Tools (Part 5 of 8)  

Course Provider: BizLibrary 

Course Type: Interactive 

4. Relationship Management

Relationship management is the ability to read situations and modify your response, navigate conflict skilfully and communicate effectively. A widely used tool for enhancing empathy is the DISC assessment which provides insights into your personal behaviour when interacting with others. Here are some of the recommended courses on LHUB GO Infinity to help you build stronger work relationships and social skills.  

Course Title:  Using Emotional Intelligence: Building Strong Personal Relationships (Part 6 of 8)  

Course Provider: BizLibrary  

Course Type: Interactive  

Course Title:  Using Emotional Intelligence: Building Strong Professional Relationships (Part 7 of 8)  

Course Provider: BizLibrary 

Course Type: Interactive 

Course Title:  Using Emotional Intelligence: Using DISC to Raise Your Emotional IQ (Part 8 of 8)  

Course Provider: BizLibrary  

Course Type: Interactive  

While emotional intelligence may come naturally to some, emotional intelligence can be cultivated through practice. While the methods we suggested are not exhaustive, it is important for you to find a method that suits your emotional well-being.  

Understand your own emotional intelligence and gain access to over 75,000 courses today on LHUB GO Infinity today. To learn more about LHUB GO Infinity, or sign up for a free trial, visit: /lhub-go/