Featured Article: Developing Your Emotional Intelligence

Recognizing and managing emotions, both our own and those of others, is essential for effective leadership and communication. Developing emotional intelligence, or EQ can significantly enhance our ability to lead, resolve conflicts, and build strong relationships in both personal and professional settings. By becoming more attuned to our emotions and the emotions of others, we can navigate challenging situations and communicate more effectively.

To further enhance our emotional intelligence, there are key steps we can take:

1. Increase self-awareness: Reflect on your emotions and their impact on your communications and actions. Practice mindfulness techniques to heighten awareness of your emotions in the present moment. To improve your self-awareness, make a note of when you are feeling strong emotions and consider what triggers them. Take a few moments to consider your own emotions and practice a measured response instead of reacting.

2. Stay positive: Emotionally intelligent individuals recognize the power of positivity in communication and behavior. Maintaining a positive attitude in stressful situations can inspire calmness in others and promote problemsolving and teamwork. Practice training your brain to look for the upside and to explore the positive possibilities. Make the effort to have positive conversations. Believe in yourself. You can do it.

3. Improve self-regulation: Learn to manage emotions in a healthy way. Techniques like deep breathing and journaling can help maintain composure in stressful situations. Invest in yourself and take care of your mind and body by practicing greater self-control. Try taking a few extra moments to gather your thoughts and emotions before you answer or respond to someone.

4. Build social awareness: Observe and acknowledge the emotions and body language of others. Practicing active listening and empathy can enhance understanding of others' perspectives and feelings. Take the time to ask questions and listen to the responses. Work to learn why and how people think and feel about issues.

5. Develop relationship management skills: Foster strong, positive relationships through effective communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork. It may be scary but learn to lean into discomfort and don't be afraid to address issues and concerns with honesty and respect.

6. Seek feedback and learn from others: Gain insight into how your emotions and communication style impact others by soliciting feedback from colleagues, peers, and mentors. Reflect on this feedback and make necessary adjustments.

Continuously learning and developing your emotional intelligence can lead to improved leadership and communication skills. Remember that emotional intelligence is a skill that can be cultivated with practice and dedication. Prioritize your emotional intelligence growth to see growth in your leadership abilities and communication skills."

Test Your Emotional Intelligence

EMOTIONAL SELF-AWARENESS

• I can describe my emotions and feelings in the moment I experience them.
• I understand the reasons for my feelings.
• I understand how stress affects my mood and behavior.
• I understand my leadership strengths and weaknesses.
• I know my tendencies and their effect on others.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK & MOTIVATION

• I'm optimistic in the face of challenging circumstances.
• I focus on opportunities rather than obstacles.
• I see people as good and well-intentioned.
• I look forward to the future.
• I have a passion for work beyond just money and status.

EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL

• I manage stress well. I control and redirect disruptive emotions & impulses.
• I'm calm in the face of pressure or emotional turmoil.
• I control my impulses and think before acting.
• I use strong emotions (anger, fear, joy) appropriately & for the good of others.
• I'm patient.

ADAPTABILITY

• I'm flexible when situations change unexpectedly.
• I'm adept at managing multiple, conflicting demands.
• I can easily adjust goals when conditions change.
• I can shift my priorities quickly.
• I adapt easily when a situation is uncertain or ever-changing.

EMPATHY & SOCIAL SKILLS

• I strive to understand people's underlying feelings.
• My curiosity about others drives me to listen attentively to them.
• I try to understand why people behave the way they do.
• I readily understand others' viewpoints even when different from my own.
• I understand how other people's experiences affect their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
• I manage relationships & teams to influence people in desired directions.

Next Steps:

1. Objectively rate yourself. Recognize and acknowledge your patterns and accept your desire to make a personal change.

2. Have someone you trust rate you. Review and discuss any gaps you identify.

3. Think about how your EQ affects yourself and others and develop your personal plan.

4. Focus on your strengths and enhance areas where there are opportunities for growth.

5. Continuously work to improve the areas you've highlighted and continue to focus on these as you practice Emotional Intelligence.

Group Discussion

Have a group conversation on the following:

• What are some workplace triggers that stir up strong emotions for you, and how do you successfully manage those emotions?
• What are some techniques you use to help maintain your composure in stressful situations?
• What are some ways we can express a positive attitude to others and create better employee morale?
• How can you demonstrate active listening?
• What are ways you like to give and receive feedback?

Other Discussion Points:

• Updates - Discuss any pending items or any previously presented safety concerns. Ask for input.
• Incidents - Summarize recent incidents and any injury trends that have occurred since the last meeting. Review corrective actions that have been taken or that are needed. Concentrating on incident causes brings awareness to everyone on what they can do to mitigate risk and exposure.
• Inspections/Audits - Share findings and corrective actions of safety inspections made since the last meeting. Discuss reoccurring trends to remain focused on and recognize positive behaviors/actions you want to continue.
• New Information - Ask for employee suggestions on relevant safety topics. Discuss employee responsibilities, expectations, new procedures, policy changes, safety issues, etc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andy Booth is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Safety Manager for Signal Management Services, a worker's compensation insurance provider for United States Longshore and Harbor Workers coverage. He supports roughly 50 Signal Members in this region, which include shipyards and supporting ship repair industries, as well as marine terminals, marine construction, and many other maritime-related companies. He has grown up and lived in Norfolk for most of his life, except for time spent at sea as a licensed ship's officer, and now enjoys time spent at home with his wife Meagan and their enormous Great Dane, Harper.  The thing he likes best about helping improve safety across our region is that he gets to work with everyone from employees to executives to make sure everyone gets to go back to their homes, and to their loved ones at the end of the day.

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