Ways to keep sane in the workplace
WE GET to meet different people almost daily from all walks of life - it can be on public transport, while walking in the street, or in the workplace.
Agile talent strategist, leadership and HR expert and executive coach, Anja van Beek, has outlined how we can best control ourselves if we randomly face a conflict - at work or just down the street.
Van Beek explained how people respond differently when we work with them in a workplace, or any setting. The “how” they respond to that specific situation or matter is what sets the tone for what can be seen as acceptable behaviour.
She said how mastering our minds and thinking before we react could save us from a lot of things.
“Emotional intelligence has an impact on all interactions among groups, friends and family. When these encounters are founded on emotionally mature behaviours, better outcomes, improved performance, or greater team traditions can emerge, all of which contribute to the development of a stronger culture,” Van Beek said.
She said the importance of the critical skill of emotional thinking, which is also known as EQ, was familiarised by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman in the 1990s in his book “Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ”.
EQ, explained in short, is to better recognise and manage emotions. It helps with insight into triggers and the ability to not only recognise, name and understand the emotion but also to manage the impact of emotions on the behaviour in our life. In short, it serves as a way to help us think before we talk.
Goleman categorised the EQ into 4 S’s which are guaranteed to help us know our emotions better. They are:
1. Social awareness – which allows us to have empathy and awareness of others
2. Self-awareness – the competency for us to understand the impact of our emotions
3. Self-regulation – the ability for us to manage our emotions in a healthy way
4. Social skills – to help us build strong relationships, inspire and motivate people
Van Beek said there were ways people could help keep their sanity when faced with conflict. They are:
1. Reframing our thoughts as a person, and thinking happy thoughts to help us to not focus on our anger.
2. Naming the emotion and how we feel after we have calmed down and how it made us feel.
3. She also recommended taking a break outside and catching our breath to allow our thinking to flow.
She said she could not wait until we all chose to respond in an emotionally intelligent way, and care and connect with our colleagues as humans so we could grow and contribute to the overall purpose of our designated businesses.
“Once we all practise the act of intelligent thinking we will create organisational cultures that make team members want to go to work in the mornings and willingly share their talents to help the business grow. Those are the businesses that reach the balance of profit and purpose and create a space where people can be successful,” Van Beek concluded.
Daily News