ALL CONTENT AND PHOTOS WRITTEN AND SUBMITTED BY NIALA RAMKALLAWAN
Life in the Caribbean offers great scope for business in any sector and industry. Though ‘island life’ is associated with the perception of being laid back and easy going, in reality, Entrepreneurs are faced with many hardships, struggles, sacrifices, stress, demands, numerous choices and countless changes to undergo for survival.
Constantly bombarded by decision making, acknowledging pessimistic comments, and enduring internal conflict together with personal challenges, Entrepreneurs need to think rationally and remain level-headed to treat every single person with whom we interact as HUMAN BEINGS. Yes, some persons may be in higher positions, have more power and authority, status, wealth, contacts, personality or attitude than us, still that doesn’t give us any excuse to be unprofessional, defensive or stoop to their level.
Each individual we cross paths with has a distinct purpose in our lives and will shape our personal story or entrepreneurial journey in one way or the other. They come for a season or a reason, to contribute positively or negatively, as a blessing or to teach us a lesson.
When we least expect it, our Emotional Intelligence or EI is activated. Our EI kicks in subconsciously like an instinct and contributes substantially to the management, leadership and success of our Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Emotional Intelligence as defined by Daniel Goleman (1995), is “a person’s ability to manage his feelings so that those feelings are expressed appropriately and effectively.” We are all very fortunate as EI can come naturally through birth or be developed as a habit over time.
Simple daily interactions with stakeholders require the practice of good Emotional Intelligence and is essential for cultivating healthy relationships, experiencing personal growth and development, managing moods, enhancing your disposition, and adapting the right attitude.
Entrepreneur Magazine highlights, “Emotional Intelligence is the foundation for critical skills: Decision-making, Time Management, Change Tolerance, Empathy, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Presentation Skills, Trust, Assertiveness, Accountability, Social Skills, Flexibility and Customer Service” - Travis Bradberry, 2015
Weekly Challenge:
I would like you to be as honest as possible for the following Self-Evaluation Activity:
1. Compile your very own list of which traits you exhibit using the table below.
2. Then simply tally the amount in each category.
3. Now observe your result. You can clearly:
a.) Fall into 1 category either ‘Low EI’ or ‘High EI’, or
b.) Have a combination of traits in both categories. If this is the case, the category with the majority will be the deciding result.
Rest assured, if you know where you are today, there’s definitely room for self-improvement tomorrow. With that, let’s explore some techniques to develop your EI.
Key Tips to enrich your Emotional Intelligence when:
- Communicating
- Be open - To learning new things or listening when advice is sought from trusted persons
- Actively listen - Pay attention with the intent to learn something substantial and give suitable feedback
- Control that impulse - Don’t interrupt a speaker no matter how strongly you feel
- Leading
- Practice being assertive NOT aggressive - Especially if you are 100% certain you are right, be aware of your tone and volume level in response. It may sound condescending or hurtful, and may unintentionally offend the other party.
- Know when to act on your feelings - Don’t act rash based on what you feel. It’s very easy to make promises when you are happy, reply adversely when angry, or make poor decisions when sad.
- Boosting positive energy
- Know your limit - When it’s time for a change of scenery, to remove persons from your inner circle, and to make changes within yourself
- Confide in trusted individuals in your personal and professional networks
- Read, watch and listen - To motivational, inspirational and empowering articles, books, videos or movies
- Controlling negative influences
- Transform all critique into constructive criticism, closely examine and reflect on key areas mentioned
- Know when to be silent - Give neither your energy nor time to continual tongue-lashings, gossip and negativity
- Applying Self-Care
- Know your limit - Don’t over extend yourself, until the demands of others become a threat to your health, be it mental, emotional or physical.
- Show gratitude and love - Give hugs freely and extend warm wishes too when you can. This will help you de-stress and uplift your mood.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle - Blood Pressure is serious business and can escalate quickly as we age, so be sure to monitor and regularly keep tabs on your BP readings.
- Physical activity - Exercise is required, even if you can only dedicate 20-30 minutes a day will greatly help your body, when combined with some daily meditation.
- Don’t bottle up your feelings and emotions - Find healthy ways to express yourself, through art, crafts, music, dance or any other avenue that may interest you, maybe fishing, archery, paintballing or zip lining.
Emotional Intelligence is one of the pillars in becoming a promising entrepreneur and can often be the difference between an underlying outcome of success or failure.
I strongly believe EI is a pivotal factor and vital for our daily lives on a personal and professional level as we maneuver our way out of an intricate or even sensitive situation. By adopting simple yet effective best practices when it comes to EI, we are ultimately preserving our mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Minor changes will impact directly on our approach to a situation or the reaction to a certain outcome in the future. Let’s control those emotions, practice good Emotional Intelligence and add more of a human touch in our lives and businesses.
Sources:
https://www.enkiquotes.com/emotional-intelligence-quotes.html
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241998
https://me.me/i/did-you-know-you-will-continue-to-suffer-if-you-21834768
About Niala
I am a Freelance MSE & Social Media Advisor, the Owner/Founder of Gia’s Creative Studio and YBTT Mentor/Advisor providing ‘Insights from a Creative Entrepreneur’ on transformational leadership, strategy, forging a legacy, motivation and success.
Niala Ramkallawan, MBA, BSc.
You can find me on:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/niala-r-71b12742/
YBTT - https://ybcaribbean.skysthelimit.org/volunteer-profile/15317
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/giascreativestudio/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/giascreativestudio.868/
