Over the past few years, emotional intelligence (EI) has become one of the most popular workplace strengths. Some even refer to it as the “newest cool thing” at work. Why is that?

It seems like everyone these days is talking about EI – teachers are teaching it in schools, employers are asking candidates if they have it, and leadership coaches offer training in it all the time.

Why all the attention for this skill?

Well, just like any other skill we want to improve, EI can be learned and integrated into our daily lives. It also helps us achieve our personal and professional goals.

So why not invest in this talent?

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Fortunately, there are reliable ways to measure your level of emotional intelligence. You get points for each question you respond with, making it easy to compare yourself to others who take their job performance seriously.

The more you know about emotions, the better you will handle them in everyday life and at work. Plus, being able to manage your own feelings and those around you is an integral part of leading.

When you consider how important emotion is to success, investing in its development makes sense. But what should you look for when searching for answers about EI?

Here are the top three types of questions asked to assess someone’s EQ. And depending on which ones you struggle with the most, you may need to devote some time to develop yours.

The link between emotional intelligence and job performance

Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in what is known as “emotional literacy” or “emotional quotient (EQ).” This concept focuses not only on how much emotion you have but also whether those emotions are positive or negative, and what effect they have on others.

Studies show that people who are able to recognize and manage their own feelings and those of other people are more likely to succeed at work, socially, and in relationships. They may be better paid too!

Emotions play an important role in motivating us to do things. We feel motivated when we believe our efforts will make a difference and reward us, so understanding your own emotions and those of others can help you perform your best.

Some experts suggest that developing your EQ could even improve your overall health and wellness.

Ways to improve one's emotional intelligence

Recent studies have shown that people who are highly emotionally intelligent show higher levels of empathy, optimism, and social competence. In fact, being empathetic and optimistic can actually help you in your career!

By understanding how emotions work and learning how to manage them, we can all achieve our professional goals more effectively. This is because most successful workplace relationships depend on good communication and collaboration, as well as respect for others.

So, here are some tips to try to strengthen your emotional intelligence. Try out these strategies for several days and see what changes you make.

Practice self-awareness

A lot of people think that being aware of your strengths and weaknesses is only for individuals who are looking to improve their career performance, but it’s actually something that everyone should strive for.

This way of thinking about emotional intelligence comes from the theory called ‘theory of integrated learning'. This says that we all have different areas of knowledge that we learn in throughout our lives, and these pieces fit together to make up what we know.

We develop some skills early on (for example, knowing how to read) which help us to understand certain concepts and content, and as we grow older we hone in more specific expertise in certain fields (for instance, becoming very good at math or music).

But there is one area we never really focus on -our own personal qualities and traits. We may learn small bits about ourselves here and there, but it’s not until we are asked directly that we truly realize what things we are confident with and what ones we struggle with.

By having this understanding, you can better yourself in other areas of life by investing time into studying hard, mastering the basics, and then adding onto that with more advanced lessons.

You could also use your newfound knowledge to help you achieve your goals related to employment, education, and hobbies/lifestyles.

Be realistic

A lot of people get emotional about career changes, so don’t assume that things will work out for you if you aren’t making huge waves at your current job. Take time to assess how well you can manage your emotions before jumping into something new.

If possible, try talking to colleagues in your present position or others in similar positions to see what it is like where you live. Chances are, they have gone through a similar process as you and could offer some helpful tips.

Don’t expect too much from yourself – we all need help from time to time, but not when it comes to improving our own performance.

Embrace change, but only if you feel that you can control your outcome.

Make eye contact

Making direct eye contact with people is one of the first things that we learn when we are children. It’s also one of the most important skills to hone as an adult, especially in business.

When you make direct eye contact with someone, it shows that you are paying attention to them, and they can sense that you care about what they have to say. This creates a more relaxed and productive environment, which is good for teamwork and relationships.

It’s also a great way to gain their trust, because they feel seen and understood.

Making direct eye contact isn’t just limited to adults — kids know how to do it! When you look into their eyes, you see who they really are.

In business, making direct eye contact means looking at the other person with understanding and respect. You show that you value them and their opinion, which helps create rapport and cooperation.

Be consistent

Consistency is one of the most important things to be when developing your emotional intelligence. Just like with any skill, you will not improve your EQ unless you use it on a constant basis.

You must consistently demonstrate these skills in order to achieve results. For example, if someone worked hard all day to be kind to others, they would probably notice that people seem more friendly around them.

People who spend time together often talk about each other and how good or nice everyone else was. They may even praise the person doing the kindness for doing something well.

This is because we are aware of our own weaknesses and learn from the strengths of others. We become inspired by their behavior and imitate it.

If you want to see changes in your emotional IQ, then work on it daily. Make a goal to practice for an hour every morning and afternoon. The rest of the day can go as it pleases.

Be honest with your peers

As mentioned earlier, emotional intelligence can play an important role in workplace performance. However, there is one area where it can be detrimental if not used properly. This is when you are interacting with people who share similar levels of emotional intelligence as yourself.

If you’re in a meeting and someone else comes across as more passionate or enthusiastic than you, it may distract you and lower your motivation. You may even feel insecure because you do not seem like you care about the same thing they do.

This could happen at any level- from having a conversation over lunch to talking about how much money you make. It does not matter what position you hold, nor what team you are on. If you cannot stick up for something that you believe in, then why would anyone trust you?

By being able to recognize and manage your own emotions, you will improve your job performance in this area.

Be honest with your supervisors

As mentioned earlier, emotional intelligence (or EQ as it is commonly referred to) can have an enormous positive effect on your job performance. However, before you can show these qualities at work, you must be able to identify what emotions are coming from whom, and why they’re being displayed.

If you find that your colleagues seem consistently angry or depressed, there may be something going on in their personal lives that they aren’t sharing. If you notice them crying frequently, perhaps they’ve been told they're no longer needed at the company and have been given their paycheque.

By knowing how to recognize and manage your own feelings, as well as those of others around you, you will never underestimate the importance of keeping secrets from someone who works for you.