The technology world advances around us instantly, and there is no question that technology changes and influences the way we interact with one another. Teams are able to collaborate and strategize in virtual forums across large regions. We communicate and meet people that may have never crossed our paths without the web capabilities. It is vital in the global marketplace to have the ability to communicate virtually and it is certainly welcomed. Even for those that want to fight social networking or virtual meetings it’s hard to avoid using one of the social media sites. Over a billion people use Facebook to communicate with friends and family, over 260 million people use Linkedin for business, over 70 million use Pinterest, and over 230 million Twitter users. All of these tools potentially add great value to our life and interactions. My question is, are the constant online and virtual communications jeopardizing our “emotional intelligence”? Do we now have a greater need to educate ourselves on Emotional Intelligence and why it is so important?
What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?
Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer are leading researchers on emotional intelligence, they defined emotional intelligence as, “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions” (1990). It is often questioned if you can improve your EQ or if it’s an inborn characteristic. I believe your EQ can be improved and therefore also can be hindered. The more we rely on communication from a distance or through the internet we take ourselves out of face to face communication. Yes, you are still communicating and you are still able to foster relationships. However, you cannot recreate all social interactions virtually. So how do we better our Emotional Intelligence when the world is becoming more virtual?
Ways to Increase Emotional Intelligence in a Virtual World
Improv Workshops. Provide and attend corporate training and workshops that will allow your team to engage directly and face to face. I am continually amazed how many businesses communicate solely from email and instant messaging. Many of the people in the same building talk all day through email without ever saying word in person. Businesses have increasingly turned to Improv Training to assist with team building and people skills. Employees and Management can become consumed with the idea that they have too much to do to attend company meetings. The exact opposite is true if the training is effective. Building a sense of team within your organization will increase productivity. It is important for the culture of the company to start from the top and filter through the company. Improv Workshops for business help your team to understand the different personality types. Improv teaches the teammates to work together and to make each other look good. When the teammates make each other look good they create a quality project and create a strong partnership within the organizations.
Networking Groups. If your company is remote or you have limited interactions with others during the day attending networking events. Networking Groups generally are excited to welcome new members and make connections. The group will help you learn about different personalities and businesses. Even if you believe you have amazing people skills it is still important to utilize those skills and make face to face interactions.
Engage in Real Communication. When you are communicating with connections on facebook, twitter, linkedin, or pinterest try to find a real connection. Does this mean you need to call them all or meet each one for coffee? No. Take the time to notice their post and add insight. You can like comments, articles, and posts. On occasion take time to understand the person you are connected to and empathize with their reasons for communicating. We have a tendency to make assumptions without truly understanding the person that is posting. Many people are quick to start debates on a post or blog. It’s very easy for information to be misinterpreted because they did not understand the person’s thought process.
Technology, medicine, architecture, science, and many other industries require a high level of intelligence to help advancements. The same is true for communication and social skills you need to study and practice the science of emotions and people’s interactions. Social Media sites help to connect friends and contacts, and it is important to build on the social interactions past the email, post, or text messages. Take the time to understand the people you interact with and examine your own interactions. Emotional Intelligence will help you in your professional and personal life, and for some of us it comes more natural and for others it needs be to explained and practiced.