By Debbie Gregory.

Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, is essential for small business owners.  It is important because it opens the lines of communication.  It also prevents misunderstandings, confusion as well as frustration that occur between management teams and their employees and team members.  Additionally, it also helps to foster and grow positive customer relations.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is quite complex. Emotional intelligence is defined as the capacity to be aware of and sensitive to controlling and expressing one’s emotions. It also means that a person can empathetically handle interpersonal relationships.

Do you have high emotional intelligence?

Below are some of the characteristics of people who have high emotional intelligence:

Self-Awareness:

Emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness. You must understand how emotions affect you and your behavior. Managing your emotions effectively allows you to make better decisions as well as identify and understand other people’s emotions.

Negative Thought Control:

We all have negative, self-defeating, or tempting thoughts that may make you lean towards doing something you know is wrong. People with high emotional intelligence don’t dwell on these negative thoughts; instead they work hard to replace them with positive ones.

Emotional Response Control:

Those with high emotional intelligence learn from their past emotional mistakes and work hard to correct those negative behaviors. We have all said or done something we regret as a knee jerk reaction while angry because we did not pause before acting on our emotions. It is important not to act intentionally nor to make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions.

Criticism and Balance:

No one likes being criticized.  However, those with high emotional intelligence understand how to control their responses. They also tend to learn from what people say about them and do better. If one person has negative thoughts about them, odds are good there are others who share the same opinions. It is positive to take this information to heart and use it for growth and improvement. People with high emotional intelligence recognize that they have both strengths and weaknesses and they strive for balance and humility.

Acknowledging Others:

People with high emotional intelligence tend to show other people respect by acknowledging their presence. These acknowledgments are things as simple as a smile, a head nod, or saying hello as they pass other people during the day.

Questions to ask yourself to gauge your own emotional intelligence:

• Have I taken the time to really get to know myself?
• Do I act or speak differently when I’m in a great mood versus a lousy mood?
• Do I practice self-care?
• What are my emotional triggers?
• Do I focus on what I can control?
• Do I try to control my thoughts?
• Do I think before I speak?
• Do I know how to handle negative emotions?
• Do I learn and grow from negative feedback?
• Am I open to other perspectives?
• Am I too easily swayed by others?
• Do I acknowledge others?
• Do I praise others?
• Do I listen for the message, and not just the words?
• Do I show empathy?
• Do I keep my commitments?
• Do I have a balanced view of myself?
• Am I authentic?
• Do I give helpful feedback?
• Do I willingly and authentically apologize?
• Do I forgive and forget easily?

Asking yourself these questions should help you get a good idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie. This in turn can help you determine where to work on yourself as well as identify where you already excel.

All of us possess some emotional intelligence and it is always a good idea to continue to improve upon you. Take the time to master yourself and make your emotions work for, not against, you.