In my work on soft skills, my focus area happens to be Emotional Intelligence.
Not because it is a very “happening” concept but primarily because in my work specialising in turning around troubled projects, it was my focus on people that turned the projects into a success.
This success is something I have replicated successfully every time I manage a project or team. Yes, improving the process is an important contributor but getting your team to stretch that extra mile requires Emotional Intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence is not just a term that requires text books and memorising of concept.
It is a state of mind which recognises 2 rules:
Rule 1. In my world, there is only one person responsible and accountable for action – “Me”
If I am not getting the results from the other person, how can tweak what I am
doing – How can I get the other person to respond the way I need them to?
Rule 2. My rules do not apply to the other person – because we are all different
It is my job (ref Rule 1) to analyse what makes the other person “tick” or not.
This state of mind helps us become inquisitive – turns us into detectives – always looking for the clues to solve the puzzle that is human interactions. Now isn’t that an exciting way to reframe human relationships?
Of course as detectives it would help if we understood the basics of where to look for these clues. And this is where training comes in handy:
- Training in understanding the triggers that dictate our thinking and make each of us different
- Mentoring to support you in treating these clues as pieces of information, i.e., data; this will help you recognise when something big is actually nothingness cloaked in emotion and deal with it objectively
I strongly urge you to turn your stress of human interaction into exciting puzzle solving! Not only will you get the high of solving a problem, you will also have the excitement of living with ease – as you simplify relationships around you.