Emotional Intelligence and a Safer Working Environment - Essay Example

Emotional Intelligence and a Safer Working Environment Name: Course: Tutor’s Name: 18th, May, 2010. Introduction Emotional intelligence has been found to be very important in the workplace. As Goleman noted, emotional intelligence helps people harmonize. When there is harmony in the workplace, a safe working environment is created. Harmony is only built when one can understand his or her emotions and the other people’s emotions as well. In order to understand how Emotional intelligence is important is the workplace/how it creates a safe working environment, it is important to understand the concept of Emotional intelligence (EI Skills Group, 2010). EI Skills Group defines emotional intelligence by first defining what emotion is and then describing what intelligence is. Emotion is defined as an affective state of consciousness in which sorrow, joy, hate fear and other feelings like these ones are experienced. What one feels considering the conscious mind whether it is pleasurable or un-pleasurable determines one’s emotions. Intelligence is defined as the cognitive abilities that enable one to learn, acquire knowledge and solve problems (EI Skills Group, 2010). When the two are combined, emotional intelligence can be defined as the ability to understand emotions based on one’s knowledge and use that knowledge to solve problems that may arise due to people’s emotions. According to Mayer & Salovey (1997) as described in EI Skills Group (2010), “Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth (EI Skills Group, 2010). With this knowledge, it is very easy to understand how emotional intelligence promotes safe working environment. In a place of work, so many people interact and people have different moods based on different experiences. Because of this, understanding how to deal with people’s emotions is very important. The main aim of this discussion is to show how the theory of emotional intelligence as proposed by Goleman (1995) contributes to a safer working environment. The following emotional intelligence abilities will each be discussed: self awareness self regulation motivation empathy social skills The Theory of Emotional Intelligence The theory of emotional intelligence according to Goleman states that there are personal competencies that help people manage themselves and social competencies that help people manage relationships. A. Personal Competencies Personal competencies are: Personal awareness, self regulation and self motivation Self awareness: is being aware of the internal states, resources, preferences and intuitions. It requires being emotionally aware so that one can recognize his/her emotions and their effects, being confident and accurate self assessment that helps one determine his or her strengths and weaknesses (Goleman, 1998 & Vyas, 2005). A safer working environment considering people’s emotions is that with no conflicts or with conflicts but can be resolved easily. Conflicts arise due to people misunderstanding each other on different concepts. These misunderstandings can influence the conflict between other employees and the employer. In a working environment, interactions are between the customers, the employees, the employers and many other people. Avoiding conflict requires understanding of one’s emotions, determination of one’s strengths and weaknesses and being confident. If for example a person is aware of her emotions and their effects, he/she will be able to control such emotions so that no conflicts occur. With this ability, a safe environment is promoted. Self awareness promotes self management hence safer working environment. Self regulation means the ability to manage one’s resources, impulses and internal states. It involves trustworthiness, self control, innovation, conscientiousness and adaptability. Taking responsibility of one’s performance, keeping troublesome impulses and emotions under control and maintaining standards of integrity are very important in keeping the workplace safe (Goleman, 1998 & Vyas, 2005). Self motivation: These are the emotional trends that guide the attainment of goals. It is characterized by achievement drive, optimism, organizational commitment and initiative. Achievement drive is the determination to meet certain goals, optimism is the persistence in pursuit of the goals irrespective of setbacks, organizational commitment means being committed to achieving the aims of the organization and initiative means being ready to explore or act on opportunities (Goleman, 1998 & Vyas, 2005). In an organization, employers will always give assignments or roles to their employees with certain expectations. They would always expect the work to be done. Achievement drive helps an employee to meet the goals he/she sets in relation to the work given to him by the employer hence reducing misunderstandings. It helps an individual complete his/her work according to specified goals. Additionally, the alignment with organizational goals helps the individual do what is required of him or her in the work place. Self motivation encourages positive interactions between the employers and the employees and among the employees (Goleman, 1998 & Vyas, 2005). B. Social Competence These are other competencies that make up emotional intelligence. They include social skills and Social Awareness and Empathy. Social awareness and empathy requires one to be aware of other people’s concerns, feelings and needs. It requires understanding of other people, recognizing other people’s development and encouraging their skillfulness, appreciating other people and refining opportunities from them, determination of people’s power relationships and emotional currents so that one is aware of the political environment and service orientation which involves prediction, identification and meeting of customer’s needs (Goleman, 1998 & Vyas, 2005). Being emotionally intelligent means having the necessary social skills. According to Goleman, the social skills that a person should have are: Communication skills, which requires open listening and conveyance of appropriate messages Change management skills that are important for initiation and management of change in an organization Ability to co-operate and collaborate with others in a working environment with shared goals so that the goals are met. Conflict Management skills that are important for negotiation and resolution of disagreements. Ability to develop instrumental relationships Leadership skills to guide and inspire people Ability to create group synergies and Ability to influence and persuade people (Goleman, 1998 & Vyas, 2005) All these skills make one proficient in inducing advantageous responses in others. This is part of conflict management since people’s emotions are known and the right decisions are made on how to communicate and interact with each other. In an organization as previously stated, people interact with each other. The interactions are always positive and negative. Negative interactions encourage development of conflicts. For a safe environment to be promoted, conflicts have to be avoided. Managers, employees need skills such as communication skills, listening skills, change management, effective conflict management and inspiration skills. All these skills are connected to emotional intelligence. Providing a safer working environment also means providing a stress free working environment. Generally, a safe working environment means physically safe and emotionally safe. A safe working environment involves determination of the health hazards and implementing preventive measures for example ensuring that there are safe exits in cases of fire. This is not the case handled here although emotional intelligence also plays a role in ensuring the working environment is safe physically. By having empathy towards others, an employer would provide what the employees need to have a safe working environment. For a workplace to be stress free it needs the development of an emotionally safe environment. An emotionally safe environment according to Bluestein (2001) involves creation of an environment where: 1. Employees experience a sense of belonging, being treated with respect and dignity and being valued in the workplace. The employees should feel accepted in the organization. One cannot feel respected if his innovative ideas, talents or skills are not recognized. In the above description of what emotional intelligence entails, encouragement of other people’s innovative ideas is one of the ways of building and managing good relationships in an organization. Without good relationships, there is no emotionally safe environment. Additionally, being aware of other people’s needs, feelings and concerns and recognition of their abilities makes them feel welcome and respected in an organization (Bluestein, 2001). 2. Employees experience the freedom of staying in the organization even without a particular skill and the need for additional practice. Emotional intelligence needs leadership skills which are part of social skills that are important in guiding and inspiring employees. Those who require additional skills can be inspired to gain more and those who do not have can also be encouraged to get the necessary skills without making them feel out placed (Bluestein, 2001). 3. Experience recognition, guidance, instruction, encouragement and resources according to affective, developmental cognitive and modality need. Empathy is a characteristic of emotional intelligence. One who is emotionally intelligent will be able to recognize and understand the needs of his or her employees just as described above. Emotional intelligence needs the understanding of others emotions before reaction (Bluestein, 2001). 4. Experience the freedom from intimidation, harassment (for example employee bullying and threat of being demoted or sacked). A leader or an employer with the ability to determine other people’s emotions, to understand other people’s development and encourage their skillfulness cannot harass an employee. The leader will have determined what skill the employee is proficient in and determined how to make use of it. Additionally, the social skills require a leader who can collaborate and co-operate with others. Co-operation and collaboration cannot be achieved through harassment and bullying (Bluestein, 2001). Emotional intelligence requires appreciating people and intimidation is no form of appreciating people. 5. Experience the freedom from prejudice, discrimination and judgment based on performance, preferences and social capabilities. Emotional intelligence means having the knowledge of what emotions are and their effects. When one’s organizational performance and social efforts are discriminated, one is emotionally hurt. If there is such an employee in an organization and there is constant discrimination against him/her, the employee will be stressed. This already is an emotionally unsafe environment. It is therefore important to understand other people’s concerns needs and feelings (Bluestein, 2001). 6. Employees experience recognition of their own talents and skills without discrimination Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that emotional intelligence helps create a safe working environment. In work places there are conflicts that arise when people interact and people get stressed because of what they are done to. Conflicts arise due to misunderstandings while stress arise due how people are treated, the amount of work, conflicts and interactions at the work place. Personal competencies have been shown to be important in conflict management although the last part of the discussion shows the importance of social skills as well. Social competence which includes social skills, social awareness and empathy are very important in creating a stress free environment. References Bluestein, J., 2001, Defining Emotional Safety: Excerpted from Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents, Retrieved on 18th, May, 2010 from: http://www.enotalone.com/article/4185.html. EI Skills Group, 2010, About Emotional Intelligence, Retrieved on 18th, May, 2010 from: http://www.emotionaliq.com/about.html. Goleman, D., 1995, Emotional Intelligence; Why it can Matter More than IQ, New York; Bantam. Goleman, D., 1998, Working With Emotional Intelligence, New York; Bantam. Vyas, K., 2005, Emotional Intelligence Competencies, Retrieved on 18th, May, 2010 from: http://kartikvyas.com/articles5.html. Read More