
UPPING YOUR EMOTIONAL
QUOTIENT
EQ and you

The first step to increasing your EQ is practicing self-awareness. Learning to trust and manage your emotions will help extend awareness to how members of your team may be feeling.
Whether it be rounding on staff, before a meeting with a physician, or after interacting with a patient, gauging how you feel throughout the day is critical on your journey to boosting both your EQ and your CVSL.
- Set a timer at various points in the day
- When the timer goes off, take a few deep breaths
- Notice how you’re feeling emotionally
- Pay specific attention to how that emotion is appearing as a physical feeling in your body and what it feels like
Establish empathy from the start
This is a saying that has stood the test of time, and for good reason. Self-regulating your emotions enables you to take control. It minimizes the chance of impulsive reactions, providing you with the ability to respond rather than react. By self-regulating you can take an honest look at your own personal strengths and weaknesses.
As a CVSL leader, it’s important to develop a good sense of self-regulation. It will empower you to share your emotions with the right people at the right time—letting them know where you stand with critical decisions.
Respond vs react

React

Respond

Practice positive thinking by:
“I really do have a great job. I’m valued for the work I do, my CVSL team is fantastic, and my institution is an industry leader.”
As a leader, it’s critical for you to develop solid relationships with your staff. How they act and perform may be a direct reflection of how you manage that relationship.
A good way to develop these relationships and boost your EQ is to become aware of your nonverbal communication. Body language is a huge indication of how you are feeling. It’s important to recognize the nonverbal messages you’re sending to nurses, physicians, and patients and alter them if need be.
What your body language may be saying to others

Another thing to remember and practice is to see conflict as an opportunity to grow closer to staff members. Disagreements happen in the workplace. And, while not everyone will share the same opinions and expectations, resolving conflict in constructive ways is important. This is similar to responding versus reacting. Practice listening more to the other person and responding in a constructive manner that will benefit both parties.
Nurturing and developing solid relationships in your CVSL will bring you closer to those around you and create that positive team environment many institutions desire.

Related Content
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
By Mind Tools
Find out your EQ score and how you can develop your EQ by taking the MindTools EQ questionnaire.
Establishing Linkages Between Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership
By Sanjay Kumar
Article from Industrial Psychiatry Journal
This article discusses the benefits of emotional intelligence and how EQ is critical to transformational leaders.
Emotional Intelligence and Patient-centered Care
By Yvonne F. Birks and Ian S. Watt
Article from Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
This article discusses how emotional intelligence can effect healthcare from a patient and provider perspective.
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