Emotions and Business: How do they work together?

Wonder what the buzz around Emotional Intelligence (EI) is all about? What do emotions have to do with business?

Here’s a quick exercise to help you understand the importance of emotions in the workplace. Either individually or as a team, list the top 3 to 5 skills that are required for your job. For example, a sales professional might list: presentation, networking and closing skills. Once you’ve identified them, think about what percentage of each skill is emotional and what percentage is cognitive.  For example, change management is at least 75% emotional, dealing with the emotions of those effected (including yours), redirecting people from the negative to the positive and reacting to situation.

Now imagine having the ability to harness and empower your emotions by being aware of your own make up and simply by employing the “Right Emotion at the Right Moment.”® Imagine how you could improve performance, interactions with others, and ultimately, business results.

When was the last time you thought about how you were feeling and thinking when approaching a challenge at work? How did you respond to the situation? How did you relate to others involved?  Bad situations can have better outcomes if you respond positively to the situation and quickly and effectively deal with others’ emotional responses.

The better your emotional awareness, the more likely you are to have a positive and powerful outcome. Let’s look at a common situation. You are preparing to negotiate a supplier contract.  What emotions are required? It’s important to be empathetic toward your supplier’s situation while at the same time you must ensure that your needs are understood and met. Both parties need to have flexibility and openness to alternative solutions.

1. Stop: Next time you are preparing for a meeting or a discussion, stop and think about what emotions are at play in the situation. Consider your own and the other person’s points of view.
2. Think: Now ask yourself how you can ‘Power Up’ your emotions to ensure the best outcomes. How can you redirect your emotional reaction to produce a winning outcome?
3. Act: Create a mental plan for your next meeting. What will you do differently? How will you relate to the other party?

Once you understand and direct your emotions, you will drive Powerful Results.

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