Over the past few years, emotional intelligence (or EQ for short) has become one of the most popular leadership theories in business. It looks at how well you manage your own emotions as well as those of others to achieve success.

Many employers now require employees to take an EQ test before being hired. The average company probably only reviews the results if they pass, but it’s still interesting to know what kind of person you are when it comes to relationships and emotions.

If you suspect that someone doesn’t have very high levels of EQ, there are some pretty simple things you can do to help them get better. Sometimes all it takes is a little push in the right direction, so this article will talk about some ways to improve their EQ.

Note: These tips will work no matter who the individual is, not just for friends or colleagues, but also for family members. This article will be practical and easy to follow.

Look for their strong points

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A lot of times, people with low EQ are very good at one thing. They’re really dedicated to something and they’re great at it, which can make them seem more powerful than they actually are.

A person with low emotional intelligence may be super organized and efficient, but they could easily burn out and feel like they’ll never see success because they don’t have an understanding of what makes someone else happy.

They might focus so much energy on trying to get everyone else excited about things that they forget to look after themselves.

If you notice signs of low emotional intelligence in a friend or family member, there is a way to help them improve. Ask yourself how these traits affect others and if this behavior is harmful or not.

Then, ask how they could work better when talking about certain topics. For example, maybe they need to be less enthusiastic about products during business conversations.

Pay attention to their weaknesses

When someone has low emotional intelligence, it can be tricky trying to connect with them. This person may not know how to show empathy or use emotion as a tool in communication.

They may also have trouble recognizing emotions in others and being able to identify what those emotions are. It is important to understand that this lack of emotional awareness is very personal for this individual.

This is why it is so difficult to get through to them. You will never truly know what they are feeling unless you ask them directly.

By asking direct questions, you give them an opportunity to explain themselves. More than likely, they were thinking about the same thing you were, which helps break the ice.

Try talking about things that normally interest them and see if there is any reaction. By being aware of these tendencies, you will know whether or not they are listening to you.

Talk to them about their emotions

It’s important to understand that people with low emotional intelligence can’t always recognize, identify and describe their own feelings.

This makes it difficult for them to acknowledge and work through past hurt or disappointment.

They may also fail to realize how much other people care about them and need to know what they are feeling before they can show love to you.

If this is the case, then it’s very hard for them to ask for help when they need it. They feel like they don’t have anyone to turn to, so they stay in situations that aren’t working.

It becomes increasingly tough for them to cope, and they end up suffering more than ever. This doesn’t make sense!

Emotionally intelligent people should be able to access those things we mentioned earlier: self-knowledge, empathy and management of others.

Make them talk about their feelings

It is important to not get distracted by trying to figure out what makes someone else feel bad or good, nor are you allowed to call them names or belittle them.

That only puts more pressure on them to change how they feel and make things worse for them. You have to realize that there is a reason why they behave in certain ways, and it is probably because of their personal life or work situation.

It is very difficult for people with low emotional intelligence to process and understand emotions coming from other people. This is an underlying factor in many social problems we see today.

Listen to them closely

Sometimes, people get so focused on what they want or need that they stop listening to other people.

They may talk at a high volume, put up barriers, and dismiss others’ ideas as not good enough. They may interrupt too frequently or refuse to acknowledge that someone else has an opinion that is more important than their own.

When you are around someone with low emotional intelligence, it can be difficult to know how to respond. You might feel like there is no solution, no way to help them move forward.

Tools such as the EQ Test will tell you about your personality strengths and weaknesses. This information can help you develop strategies for improving your relationships and life.

Start by paying close attention to what things mean to you and why you feel the way you do. Then think about whether these meanings are in line with who your partner is when she is feeling strong or weak.

If you make space for her to express herself and ask questions, she will be able to connect with you more easily. Try asking open-ended questions instead of making statements to see if this changes the conversation.

Try to be consistent

Consistency is one of the biggest keys to helping someone with low emotional intelligence deal effectively with their emotions. When you are consistently supportive, understanding and encouraging, this person will feel they can trust you completely when they are feeling down or hurt.

They may even come to look at you as an ally instead of a friend, but still, it’s important that they feel comfortable sharing their feelings with you.

This could mean before coming into work today, they need to know that you have agreed to help them take care of some things they were waiting to do. It could be telling them that they don’t deserve your love and respect and then walking away. Or it could be going out for lunch together after work every day, which helps them relax a little bit and connects them to other people in the organization.

Avoid being critical

A lot of people have low emotional intelligence (or EI for short) when it comes to relationships. This is because they get most of their self-esteem from what others think about them, not from within.

If you are in a relationship with someone who is very sensitive around other people, try to remember that this is part of their personality.

Give them credit for having these skills and use them to your advantage!

By avoiding criticism, you will make their life more difficult. Keep calm and try to be less accusatory or argumentative.

It’s better to be positive than negative, so don’t worry about anything – just focus on all the good things about your partner.

This way, they’ll feel happier and keep the mood light. Also, if you do happen to say something negative, try to avoid making too many assumptions based on how they acted before.

Nobody has perfect emotional intelligence, which means some people may need help figuring out appropriate times to criticize and when it’s best to leave things alone.

Try to be optimistic

When someone is angry or hurt, it can sometimes make them go off about how bad you are. They may even try to prove that you don’t love them by pointing out all of their mistakes and weaknesses.

This could really hurt your self-confidence if you think they will never change. Even worse, they may decide that you don’t want to be in their life for good and leave you!

Instead, try to be as positive as possible when around this person. Talk about things that made them happy recently, ask what you did wrong, and try to agree to disagree.

It might take some work at first, but eventually you’ll see a change in their behavior.