Emotional and Cultural Intelligence

B: One way I can improve my self-awareness is by becoming proficient in emotional awareness. This is especially important when emotions are high, and I am being faced with new or challenging tasks or confronting difficult situations. Becoming proficient in emotional awareness will allow myself to gather my thoughts and ward away negative emotions which might cloud my ability to think strategically and be decisive. Another way I can improve my self-awareness is by doing an accurate self-assessment of my emotions and understanding my strengths and limitations when it comes to letting emotions control my decisions and what behaviors they trigger. This is an important aspect of managing emotions within myself and understanding the causes and consequences of my emotions. The next intrapersonal area of opportunity is self-management, and one of the ways to improve self-management is to become competent at self-control. Self-control is important for controlling distracting emotions and impulses which may lead to indecisiveness and is a sign of a lack of emotional intelligence. Another way to improve self-management is to become proficient in adaptability. This is an important competency for navigating situations that are changing such as processes in the workplace, and for overcoming challenging obstacles such as leading a team that is culturally diverse. C: The first interpersonal relationship area of opportunity is social awareness. One factor of social awareness is service orientation or recognizing and meeting the needs of customers. This is important for building business relationships and gaining the trust of customers. One technique that can improve this area of opportunity is by communicating with congruency, which ensures that the customer will receive the message clearly and that the message aligns with your feelings and thoughts. Proper implementation of congruent communication will build trust and foster a successful business relationship that is mutually beneficial. Another factor of social awareness is empathy. A technique for improving this area of opportunity is by listening with empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and relate to the feelings of the person you are communicating with. More importantly, empathy involves understanding clusters, or the nonverbal clues that are accompanied with someone making their point. When attempting to fully understand someone you must look and listen to ensure they have your undivided attention. The next interpersonal relationship area of opportunity is relationship management. Business relies on making relationships with employees, business partners and customers, and must be mastered to efficiently navigate and negotiate different business obstacles. One communication technique that can improve relationship management is by being professional. This involves effectively communicating with respect and being present during communication. This is done by actively listening and includes maintaining eye contact and giving nonverbal indicators such as head nods and asking relevant questions about the topic. Another communication technique that can improve relationship management is by mastering the art of holding a meeting. While it seems simple at face value, holding a meeting takes up the time of many people who may span different time zones and come from different cultures. As such, it is important to have a purpose for the meeting and to only include people who can contribute to or benefit from the meeting, and to make sure that the meeting is at a time that everyone can attend.