Emotional intelligence (EI) is a critical indicator of managers’ leadership qualities and skills since it determines their interaction with subordinates. At the same time, EI in health care is equally essential for ordinary employees and managers because of their constant communication with people and the complexity of experiencing emotions. My EI test results showed that I have some strengths, but I need to improve many components of my emotional intelligence to be competent in my profession.
Interaction with people is an integral part of almost any person’s life, but for many people, their professional achievements depend on the quality of communication. Ovans (2015) provides several definitions and components of emotional intelligence that describe a person’s ability to recognize his or her own emotions and the emotions of others, the relationship they identify, and their management for problem-solving. Most often, the importance of EI is emphasized for leaders and managers, since their main task is to direct followers, but in health care, EI is critical for all employees. Nurses and doctors are faced with the need to convey information to patients correctly, and the ability to recognize and manage emotions is crucial for decision-making and appropriate communication with the patient. For example, a nurse needs to take the right approach to convince a patient of the need for treatment or inform a family about the death of a relative.
At the same time, EI is vital for leaders in healthcare as they have to interact with many parties to organize work. For example, Freshman and Rubino (2002) note that self-awareness and self-management are necessary for healthcare leaders to defend their position rationally. Social awareness and skills are required to motivate followers, subordinates’ needs, and boarding members’ demands (Freshman & Rubino, 2002). At the same time, the critical components of EI are also divided into more specific features, each of which is important in management. For instance, conflict management and self-control help to rationally criticize subordinates and seek improvements from them (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2017). Consequently, a leader’s EI is essential for productive communication between all healthcare providers and improving patient service.
My EI Test was partly surprising to me and demonstrated that I have to work hard to be successful in my profession. My EQ score is 78, which is pretty low, and I thought it would be a little higher. I knew that I had trouble recognizing other people’s emotions and that I also had a hard time coping with stressful situations. I also always considered myself rational, which, according to the test, is my strength. However, I thought that my rationality outweighed my emotions, but they have a more significant impact on me. Possible strengths and weaknesses demonstrate that the first direction for improvement in my own emotions and motivation because, without self-awareness and self-management, I will not be able to perceive and manage the emotions of others. I also find the recommendation for improving EI useful and accurate, and I’m going to use them to become a professional.
In conclusion, emotional intelligence is a critical aspect of effective management, especially in healthcare, where the health of patients depends on the right decision and communication of healthcare providers. However, even for regular employees, emotional intelligence plays a significant role and requires constant improvement. For this reason, I intend to make substantial efforts to improve my skills and become a more competent specialist for patients and colleagues.
References
Freshman, B., & Rubino, L. (2002). Emotional intelligence: A core competency for health care administrators. Health Care Manager, 20(4), 1-9.
Goleman, D., & Boyatzis, R. (2017). Emotional intelligence has 12 elements. Which do you need to work on? Harvard Business Review. Web.
Ovans, A. (2015). How emotional intelligence became a key leadership skill. Harvard Business Review. Web.