by Todd Pheifer

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2009

Does this mean I have intelligent emotions?

The concept of emotional intelligence is a one of the trendy "pop" psychology theories applied to today's organization. Overall, the theory has two general aspects. One aspect has to do with the individual and how they understand and manage their own emotions and emotional makeup, particularly in stressful situations. The other aspect has to do with "reading" and adjusting to the emotional states of other people, including co-workers and subordinates.

Theory and practice

The theory suggests that people who can manage their own emotions and work with the emotional states of others may be more prone to be good leaders and managers because they are able to get the most out of people with a minimum of emotional distraction. "Technical" professionals can be unique individuals who are stereotyped to, at times, struggle with their emotional intelligence. Therefore, here are a few thoughts on how these types of people can boost their overall emotional intelligence.

Listen

One of the best things that people can do to boost their emotional intelligence is to practice listening. This can be a challenging task, particularly for people who are used to talking or giving particular types of answers. Whenever technical professionals dialogue with people, they should look to give that person an opportunity to speak, rather than cutting them off because they think they know what is coming. Maintaining eye contact and asking questions is another good way to promote listening. Sometimes summarizing and repeating concepts back to a person can also be helpful.

Watch people

In addition to listening, people should watch for non-verbal cues. For example, if people are confused by the particular vernacular of a technical professional, they can tend to look baffled or perplexed. Paying attention to this kind of expression or body language can be a positive step towards increasing emotional intelligence. Too often people ignore the non-verbal signs and assume that people will state in words what they want. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and the person of high emotional intelligence understands this. Asking for the person to confirm that they understand may be a good step for the technical professional.

Manage your stress

Of course, reading other people doesn't do much good if people do not deal with their own emotions. Therefore, the technical professional must find ways to manage their own stress. Sometimes technical jobs can carry with

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