Managing Emotional Intelligence As A Departmental Manager Is Crucial For Success.

Enhancing Personal Emotional Intelligence

• What are your emotional strengths and weaknesses?

As a departmental manager one must possess self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills as emotional strengths. However, the emotional weaknesses are not able to stick on the point, afraid of confrontation when required, do not appreciate any one, easily quit.

• What are  personal  causes  of  stress  in  your  work  life  and  how  do  you  deal  with them?

The personal causes of stress in the work life are fear of being cut off, doing overtime due to staff less umber of staff, pressure of performance however, that does not meet the criteria of job satisfaction, less control on working style. All these can be dealt by taking help for co-workers, team management. However, changing some habits in personal life like meeting friends, spending quality time with family might reduce the stress at work (Segal, Smith, Robinson, & Segal, 2021).

• What are your emotional triggers and how have you learnt to manage them?

Emotional triggers are memorizing any trauma, ego protection, having opposing belies and stress. In order to manage these triggers I took the pathway of being patient and then analyzed the personality of other person in order to overcome trauma. Then started writing possible triggers. With patience I started practicing self-controlling process without getting suppress, amplified or act upon it. This is a bit lengthy but effective process. Moreover, I started practicing self-management that has increased my productivity (Fouts, 2019).

• What would you do to act as a role model to workers in your department in the
  management of emotions?

In order to become a role model for the workers in my department I would prefer doing hard work which means that I will make them believe that no task is small like if office helper is not there, I will clean the floor if its dirty. Moreover, I will earn trust of my team by being honest, fair. Respect is always earned thus I will be respectful to each worker. I will always encourage my team mates to do work by being positive and persistent irrespective of situations (Barsade & Neill, 2016).

• Are you open to feedback from others in relation to your EI? How would you go
  about getting and using it?

Yes, I am open to the feedback in relation to the emotional intelligence. This will help me to attain happiness and satisfaction in my personal life as well as increase my productivity at work. Someone said that I cannot handle the emotions and shout on people frequently. This feedback helped me to manage the emotions and be stable and calm at workplace. Eventually, it also helped me to make good working and personal relationships at work and outside the office. Due to this it has increased the productivity which is also stated in a study that if one controls the emotional quotient then his or her productivity would increase several times (Pekaar, Linden, Bakker, & Born, 2017).

• How does self-reflection factor into the continual development of your EI?

Self-reflection is defined as conscious analysis or investigation to assess oneself, things that are important and the response to the situation in a particular way (Perkins & Schmid, 2019). Thus, as a manager I would notice my thoughts and analyze them. Additionally the process of evaluating the decisions would also help me to enhance Emotional Intelligence. Another effective method would be meditation that will be helpful in enhancing the capability to focus.

• How would you respond to a worker who is:
  o Extremely angry?
  o Extremely stressed?
  o Extremely upset?

As a manager I would first acknowledge the feelings and then I will try to effectively communicate with the angry worker.

Causes of Stress in Work Life

For a stressed worker as a manager I would appreciate the hard work done by the worker, moreover, I would allow them to work flexibly.

For an upset employee as a manager I would provide him or her with moral and ethical support. Also I will help him or her to solve the individual problem if he or she has any.  

• How  much  knowledge  do  you  have  about  the  cultural  expressions  of  emotions? How would you use that knowledge?

Culture plays an important part in understanding and expressing the emotions one would feel. It is the culture that helps in determining that whether a person would feel or relates to the emotion or not. The emotions are the universal expressions given by the nature to show what a person is feeling however, the expressions might be different in different cultures (Hareli, Kafetsios, & Hess, 2015). This understanding would help me to reduce the gap between the people with different cultures. Moreover, celebrating different festivals, occasions and holidays would help me to enhance these emotions in employees.

• How would  you  adapt  your  leadership  style  to  workers  experiencing  different
  emotions?

As a manager it would be important for me to conduct one on one communication with the employees having different emotions. Moreover, i would encourage the employees to give negative and positive feedbacks that eventually help me to solve the problems the workers are facing. Besides these, language that might be direct or indirect will also be helpful in effectively communicating with the employees (Harvard Business Review, 2020).

• How would you factor the emotions of workers into decisions that you make?

Emotions are an effective way to make decisions. The emotions also influence the teamwork in a company that might lead to success. If the worker is feeling sad, afraid of something or irritated then as a manager I would make some decisions that will motivate workers and make them search alternatives to work effectively. However, if the workers are happy, excited then I would provide them their free space to share all those emotions with each other. So that it would help then to be more productive and less stressed.

• How would you  provide  opportunities  for  workers  to  express  their  feelings  and
  emotions?

In order to enhance the emotional intelligence of workers it is required to identify the strengths and weaknesses of workers. I would provide them flexible and engaging environment at the workplace so that they would communicate with each other effectively. Moreover, this will also spark passion in them. Building norms for the team would compel them towards same goal irrespective of different thoughts or cultures and that is how they might express their feelings and emotions.

• How would you make workers aware of how their emotions and behaviours affect
  others and how would you encourage them to manage their emotions?

As a manager I would make them indulge in social situations, encourage them to engage in some professional and casual state of affairs and spending more time with the workers and then getting feedback would prove to be beneficial.

In order to help the workers to manage their emotions I would provide them open environment where workers can get my help regarding any problem. Moreover, it would be helpful for the workers to practice breathing exercises to control emotions. As a manager I would provide them training for resolving the conflict to control emotions (Lau, 2020).

• What would you do to encourage others to develop their EI?

In order to motivate others to develop emotional intelligence I would provide creative ways of managing stress like encouraging them to take breaks for some time form work. I would discourage them to do multitasking as well as encourage them to be empathetic. Encourage them to speak up that will intern enhance their communication skills. Make their work more interesting and allow them to work and play simultaneously.

• What would you do to create a positive emotional climate in your department?

As a manger I would enhance the feeling of belonging in them by creating welcoming environment, allowing video conferencing for remote workers and by designing informal areas for relaxation. Additionally, appreciation would help the workers to see their worth. Moreover, encouraging the workers to engage in work with full mindfulness will also help them as it will help them to enjoy their work and thus they will feel happy for inside.

• How would you use the strengths of workers to achieve workplace outcomes?

As a manager I would organize some activities so that workers would recognize their strengths and this will intern achieve the workplace outcomes. Moreover, using the strengths of workers will help me in eliminating the negative emotions at workplace.

References

Barsade, S., & Neill, O. A. (2016). Manage Your Emotional Culture. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2016/01/manage-your-emotional-culture

Fouts, J. (2019). Managing Emotional Triggers At Work. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/30/managing-emotional-triggers-at-work/?sh=5698020c6e05

Hareli, S., Kafetsios, K., & Hess, U. (2015). A cross-cultural study on emotion expression and the learning of social norms. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1501.

Harvard Business Review. (2020). Adapt Your Leadership Style to Your Situation. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/tip/2020/03/adapt-your-leadership-style-to-your-situation

Lau, Y. (2020). Bringing Emotions Into The Workplace. Retrieved from Forbes: forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/05/06/bringing-emotions-into-the-workplace/?sh=6bcb0e4d162d

Pekaar, K. A., Linden, D. V., Bakker, A. B., & Born, M. P. (2017). Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance: The Role of Enactment and Focus on Others' Emotions. Human Performace, 30(2-3), 135-153.

Perkins, N. A., & Schmid, A. A. (2019). Increasing Emotional Intelligence through Self-Reflection Journals: Implications for Occupational Therapy Students as Emerging Clinicians. Journal of Therapy Education, 3(3).

Segal, J., Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, R. (2021). Stress at work. Retrieved from Help Guide: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-in-the-workplace.htm