This document discusses emotional intelligence (EI) and its importance in the workplace. It defines EI as one's ability to understand their own emotions and the emotions of others to act appropriately. EI is comprised of four skills: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. The document provides strategies for improving EI, such as selecting one skill to focus on, choosing strategies to use, and finding an EI mentor. With improved EI, the implications for the workplace include better communication, teamwork, patient care, safety, and work-life balance.

1. Emotional Intelligence:
Leverage in the
Workplace
GREG EAGERTON, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

2. Discussion Objectives
 Defining Emotional Intelligence (EI)
 Identifying the four skills of EI
 Identifying strategies for enhancing EI
 Implications for the workplace

3. Definitions
 A person’s ability to understand their
own emotions and the emotions of
others and to act appropriately
based on this understanding
 Ability to manage emotions in
one’s self and in others in order to
reach desired outcomes

4. Three Factors Affecting Behavior
 Personality
 Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
 Emotional Intelligence (EI)

5. Four Skills of Emotional Intelligence
 Self-Awareness
 Self-Management
 Social Awareness
 Relationship Management

6. Self-Awareness
 Your ability to accurately perceive your own
emotions in the moment and understand your
tendencies across situations
 Just thinking about self-awareness helps you
improve this skill
 When you have this skill, the other EI skills are
easier to use

7. Self-Management
 What happens when you act –
or not act.
 Your ability to use your
awareness of your emotions to
stay flexible and direct your
behavior positively

8. Social Awareness
 Your ability to accurately pick up
on emotions in other people and
understand what is really going on
with them
 Listening and observing are the
most important elements of social
awareness

9. Relationship Management
 Your ability to use your awareness
of your own emotions and those of
others to manage interactions
successfully
 Relationship management poses
the greatest challenge for most
people during times of stress

10. Improving Your EI
 Select one EI skill to work on
 Pick three strategies to begin
using for your chosen strategy
 Choose an EI mentor
 Keep the following in mind as
you apply your chosen strategies:

11. Improving Your EI (cont.)
 Expect success, not perfection
 Practice, practice, practice
 Be patient

12. Example of Strategies
 Social Awareness Strategies:
a. Greet people by name
b. Watch body language
c. Live in the moment
d. Practice the art of listening
e. Catch the mood of the room

13. Implications for the Workplace
 Improved communication
 Improved teamwork
 Improved patient care
 Improved patient safety
 Improved work life

14. Questions?
Gregory.Eagerton@va.gov