respond to Ezri and JOSEPH while being respectful of and sensitive to their viewpoints. Consider advancing the discussion in the following ways:
- Post an article, video, or additional research to reinforce a peer’s idea or challenge them to see their point from a different perspective.
- Consider asking a content-relevant question or discussing your personal experiences.
EZRI POST
If I could pick only one factor of emotional intelligence, I would argue that the most important in a professional setting is self-regulation, it is the most critical. In a workplace, you’re bound to face many challenges like stress, and interpersonal conflicts. Having the ability to manage one’s emotions, especially when you’re under pressure can be the difference between escalating a situation and being able to resolve it in a professional manner. It is important as a professional to have self-regulation and healthy coping skills to keep yourself calm, so you can think clearer instead reacting impulsively.
One effective strategy to promote an increase in emotional intelligence related to self-regulation is practicing being mindful and reflecting before responding to a situation. This would involve, taking a brief moment to assess your emotional state and situation before reacting. It’s especially important when you’re stressed and your emotional state is high. Taking a brief moment so you can breathe, identify your feeling, and consider the potential impact of your response, is so important and as time goes on and you’re working on healthier ways to control your emotions, it can strengthen your emotional control, reduce impulsive behavior, and help maintain professionalism.
If I could sit down with any theorist that we covered in this course to discuss and debate my choice with, I would choose Abraham Maslow. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs emphasizes the importance of chiseling self-actualization, but he also recognized that in order to reach that level, individuals must first develop inner control, which is closely tied to self-regulation. I would be interested in discussing with him how he views emotional self-control and how it is a foundational part of personal growth.
Emotional regulation in the workplace or in a job interview is important because it helps an individual stay calm, think clearer, and respond in a professional manner especially when put on the spot. This not only leaves the person that is hiring you or an employer a positive impression but it also builds trust, and reduces miscommunication/conflict.
In my experience especially in the past two years working in Applied behavioral analysis/healthcare, healthy workplace structure tends to be the exception rather than the norm. I started working for a new company this year and I can see why they had such a reputable background even though the company has only been running for about three years. When you actually prioritize your employees over-all well being, have positivity, consistent communication etc. it makes such a great difference in work performance when everyone is working as a team, and that, I’m not used too and it is nice being able to actually experience it.
JOSEPH POST
Although all four factors could make a case for being the most important, I would suggest the most important would be awareness of self. The main reason being is that the other four factors hinge on this factor. Especially in the realm being a manager, it is important for awareness of self and an understanding of one’s own role. It would suggested it would be challenging to assign roles to others if there was not first an awareness of one’s own role. Regarding self-regulation, it is very challenging to manage one’s own triggers when they are unknown. The article Emotional Intelligence and Managerial Communication said this when speaking about self regulation “This factor may be the hardest part of EI to achieve especially in stressful situations. In a professional setting, it is always best to exercise self-restraint…” (Nguyen, 2019). It become almost impossible to practice self-restraint if there is no awareness of self. Lastly, connecting with other individuals and developing relationships often require individuals to first have an awareness of self or the development of the relationship will likely have a shallow ceiling and be limited.
A few strategies are given on how to grow in awareness of self here “Write a list of things that make
you upset as well as happy and explain why they make you feel that way. Figure out what your triggers
are and why these things get under your skin. ” (Nguyen, 2019). Sometimes the only strategy an individual needs to grow is time and self-reflection.
I would thoroughly enjoy sitting down with either Sigmund Freud. Freud had a strong emphasis on the unconscious and the power it has in driving our behavior. With his focus on looking at what individuals are doing when they are not consciously making decisions could bring about a deeper level of understanding of oneself.
To use my quote above “This factor may be the hardest part of EI to achieve especially in stressful situations. In a professional setting, it is always best to exercise self-restraint…” (Nguyen, 2019). Self-regulation is not only important for the professionalism that comes with regulating one’s emotions but also because it is a difficult trait to develop. Combing the challenge of developing the trait, which shows high EI(Emotional Intelligence) and rare trait, and the ability to manage emotions in stressful situations, employers will know they are likely getting a reliable and rare employee that will assist in creating a healthy team culture.
From my experience healthy workplace cultures tend be more of an exception. I have experienced both and worked in a handful of different workplaces. However, it is not far from being about half and half. Recently I have noticed there has been a greater emphasis for developing a healthy work environment by the majority though. There are still plenty of workplaces that struggle to maintain healthy cultures, but I have progression in a positive direction
