It is necessary to emphasize that emotional intelligence (EQ) is essential in every environment. Bradberry and Greaves (2009) state that this ability “accounts for 58 percent of performance in all types of jobs” (p. 20). That is why there is no doubt that EQ is critical in an inpatient facility, and two personal examples can prove this claim. Firstly, some of my patients wanted to be alone most of the time, while others appreciated friendly conversations, and EQ helped me choose the most suitable behavioral model. Secondly, working in the inpatient facility also implies cooperation with other staff members. Thus, high EQ contributes to better professional collaboration since this ability allowed me to identify whether it was suitable to ask a person for a favor, or it was better to give support.
The completed EQ Action Plan demonstrated that Social Awareness is my lowest EQ dimension. Four strategies, including greeting people by name, watching body language, living in the moment, and practicing the art of listening, can be implemented to improve this dimension. Specific reasoning can explain why I focused on these issues. Thus, using people’s names establishes contact and creates a warm atmosphere because people understand that they are acknowledged (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). Body language is also essential because it can reveal a person’s real emotions (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). This knowledge is critical to determine which response is the most suitable for this person. Bradberry and Greaves (2009) admit that living in the moment allows individuals to focus on their present and notice “what is happening with others right now” (p. 154). Finally, practicing the art of listening means to “stop everything else and listen fully until the other person is finished speaking.” (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009, p. 160). These are the most suitable strategies to improve the Social Awareness dimension.
Even though greeting people by their names is not a challenging strategy to implement, putting the others into practice will involve some difficulties. For example, a person should have some knowledge of psychology to interpret others’ body language. Simultaneously, living in the moment and practicing the art of listening require significant concentration. However, one can suppose that these efforts are worth taking because the objective is better EQ.
Reference
Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional intelligence 2.0. TalentSmart.