Emotional Intelligence and Your Career

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou

Ever wondered why you were not considered for the interview you went, for that foreign trip from your office, or for that all important promotion? You did all the work on time, you were punctual and you hardly took a leave. You even wished your superiors every time you crossed. What more, you even had the right qualification. And being a sensible person you probably gave yourself a huge dose of reconciliation ranging from it was not my day to a better destiny. What if these misfortunes happen on a regular basis? You have the talent, yet you are not considered.

 

All of us like smart people, but do we like smart, intelligent plus arrogant people? This where the smart quotient or the IQ takes a back seat and gives way for the EQ - Emotional Quotient. So being smart is not the only factor. To be successful in a society, especially in a corporate society, you have to be emotionally smart and learn how to deal with the society – that is the clients, colleagues, superiors, competitors etc.

 

The good thing about EQ is you do not have to go through books, write exams or score marks. It is already inbuilt in all of us. As humans one must understand that all of us are unique in our nature and there is none like us on this planet. In simple terms, Bill Gates (no offences) might be the richest in the world but even if he tries out of his skin he just cannot be like you in behaviour, attitude and persona. He might be slightly better or below par. So you already have the talent. The only thing is recognizing the talent and using it your way. So stop following the herd or the worrying about the end result.

 

Then, you have to realize what your qualities are like – your behaviour, attitude, and personality. Whether, you are a shy introvert or the extravagant extrovert or the normal ambivert. Are you the eternal happy go type or the critic who takes everything with a pinch of salt in life? What is it that motivates you? What upsets you? Basically do a soul searching about inner you.

 

So once you realize the "True You", you will know what to do the next time you go for an interview, apart from carrying your credentials. You will know if you are really enjoying the job or just doing it.

 

End of the day you might be an expert in your domain. But if you end up having emotional attyachar, then it is time to check your EQ.