If you’re here, you probably already know the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the workplace. Finally, the corporate world has recognized that work cannot be separated from emotions, but we can use them to improve our performance.
Unlike IQ, which measures cognitive ability, EQ reflects how well you manage and recognize your own and others ‘ emotions. Its five core components are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Improving emotional intelligence in the workplace means improving them all.
What you can do is follow our seven evidence-based steps to improve your EQ in the workplace. They’re free and easy to follow.
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Step #1: Test Your Current Level of Emotional Intelligence
How can you climb the mountain if you don’t know whether you’re going downhill or already halfway up the road? Same with emotional intelligence, you can’t move if you don’t know which EQ components need improvement.
There are multiple digital and in-person assessment options for EQ. The evaluation you choose should be reliable, like the EQ Test by Breeze, created by Hannah Schlueter, a licensed professional counselor. Levels of EQ cannot be diagnosed, so you can confidently use digital tools to compare results and track progress.
If you would like to choose an EQ assessment for yourself, here are the requirements that a high-quality assessment should meet:
- It should be based on trusted EQ frameworks. We recommend looking for tests that are based either on the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) or the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), and it is better if the test combines both of these trusted approaches.
- The test should explain how it works: which EQ components will it assess, how they relate to your work, and how to use results effectively.
- It’s highly advisable that it be developed by a mental health/corporate health practitioner.
- If the test touches triggering topics, it should reveal them in the beginning. Generally, EQ evaluations don’t go that deep into personal details, so be aware.
To make the most out of EQ assessments and actually improve your emotional intelligence in the workplace:
- Take the test when you’re calm. Not during high-stress seasons, traumatic events, or under substances.
- Record your results to track improvement every few months.
- Reflect honestly on the behavior you notice. There’s nothing wrong with recurring frustration or lack of motivation.
Once you understand your emotional baseline, you can take targeted actions to develop the emotional intelligence skills that truly matter at work.
Step #2: Introspection
Introspection means a deep analysis of your current thoughts, habits, and behaviors. Somebody may call it self-reflection, and they won’t be wrong, but still, the latter focuses more on the past and how it formed you as a person.
Introspection is an important step in improving emotional intelligence because it’s important to know yourself like you would know your partner or your manager. This significantly contributes to self-awareness and self-regulation.
Here are two practical tips for introspection:
- “Ask What, Not Why” method. Instead of asking, “Why did I get upset?” ask, “What caused my reaction?” Too deep a reflection on reasons and causes is not as useful if not required for the technical parts of a job. A much more critical part is reacting healthily and the ability to cope.
- (Micro)journal. Journaling is a go-to method for introspection, but guess what? Nobody wants to do it, especially after a draining day. Instead, make quick notes about meaningful ideas, challenges, and powerful emotions after meetings or interactions.
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Step #3: Propose or Develop a Healthy Feedback Culture
Although “corporate gurus” teach workers not to be vulnerable at work, honest, respectful feedback is more valuable than being perceived as the smartest. A healthy feedback culture allows growth without fear. Perfect feedback isn’t criticism but collaboration.
- Propose regular check-ins regardless of whether you’re a subordinate or a manager. You can explain the importance of feedback from both perspectives and express a sincere desire to improve. This will be appreciated.
- Include the “How to improve emotional intelligence?” part in your assessments. Potential questions include: How well do I handle stress? How open am I to new ideas? How supportive am I toward others?
Receiving feedback benefits at least two components of emotional intelligence — self-awareness and self-regulation. First, you see yourself more objectively. Second, you can adjust your working styles to benefit both your professional growth and team productivity.
Step #4: Don’t Aim for Results, Aim for Motivation
Motivation is one of the key pillars of emotional intelligence. Being more motivated means improving emotional intelligence in the workplace. But don’t feel wrong because you’re not always motivated.
Intrinsic drive is something that naturally fluctuates, especially in high-pressure work environments. There are some things you can do to detach motivation from external factors and always find it within.
- Set daily/weekly goals or to-do lists. It’s easy to get lost in a huge aim and not feel satisfaction from your daily life. Set small tasks that you can complete in a day, so that the feeling of achieving something will motivate you to go further.
- Reward yourself after completing daily/weekly projects. In order to prevent burnout and feel satisfaction from your work, take a short walk, grab a coffee, listen to music, anything that’s small but something you will enjoy. These micro-rewards train your brain’s reward system to associate effort with satisfaction.
- Use the “Eat the Frog” technique. Start your day with the hardest or most dreaded task. If you complete the hardest day the earliest, you’ll be more motivated to navigate other tasks. And “that dreadful” email won’t be spoiling your mood throughout the day!
Motivation doesn’t mean being productive every minute. If you’re burned out, rest is progress. Consistency, not perfection, is what sustains motivation in the long term.
Step #5: (Self)Empathy Is King
Don’t assume that if you’re a compassionate colleague or a nice friend, then you’re a highly empathetic person. Answer one question: how do you feel about your imperfections or failures? If you answered that you constantly strive to be better and don’t like to make mistakes because of the fear that others might judge you, pay closer attention to this section.
A person who isn’t kind to themselves cannot be compassionate and supportive of others. So to improve emotional intelligence in the workplace, you need to practice this:
- Be empathetic toward yourself as you’d be toward others.
- Empathy mapping for self-empathy and compassion toward others. It’s an approach from design thinking. Write down what a colleague might think, feel, see, and hear in a given situation. It’s a structured, practical way to train perspective-taking.
Step #6: It’s About How You Say It
Strong communication is at the heart of emotional intelligence. If you can explain yourself well, you have well-developed empathy and social skills.
To become a better speaker:
- Focus on structure and presence.
- Begin by organizing your ideas before meetings or presentations.
- Start with your main point, then explain your reasoning, and finish with a clear takeaway.
- Maintain eye contact and speak with a calm, steady tone.
- Use gestures and body language.
However, communication is a two-way exchange. Great speakers are also great listeners. Practice active listening: give people your full attention, reflect back what they said (“So what I’m hearing is…”). This shows respect and helps prevent misunderstandings.
Step#7: Structure What You Want to Say
Clear communication is one of the simplest yet most underrated ways to demonstrate improved emotional intelligence in the workplace. It’s important how you say things; that’s why we included that step above. However, what you say, in what order, and with which messages, matters even more.
A practical method to improve clarity is the Minto Pyramid Principle, which is frequently used in consulting. Here’s how to use the Minto Principle in structuring your messages with an example:
- Main message or conclusion. Although we’re partners in this project, I don’t feel that Barbara has made significant input.
- Supporting arguments. I led the last three meetings with clients, and I conducted the main groundwork for this project.
- Detailed information or evidence. Here in our calendar, you can see she declined our last three meetings, and here’s her input into this project compared to mine.
Then you can continue explaining how you’re upset and how you could’ve been more productive and effective if Barbara had joined you, also using the Pyramind principle: conclusion -> arguments -> evidence.
Finally
Why even bother with answering the question, “How to improve emotional intelligence in the workplace?” Employees with higher EI scored 28% better in overall job performance and productivity. Employees who are motivated and connect their job to their values are less likely to burn out. Because leaders with higher EQ do a better job at increasing employee trust and organizational commitment.
Enhanced emotional intelligence in the workplace leads to quantifiable improvements in performance, morale, leadership effectiveness, and overall well-being. And ignoring EQ means missing out on a huge opportunity.
