You're an environmental consultant who needs to improve your emotional intelligence. How can you start?

Improving emotional intelligence as an environmental consultant can help one better understand and manage one's own emotions and effectively navigate interpersonal relationships & communication in one's professional role. Top 3 tips to improve are: 1. Self-awareness: Take the time to reflect on one's own emotions, triggers, and reactions in various situations, pay attention to how you respond to stress, conflict, and feedback. 2. Empathy: Practice putting yourself in other people’s shoes and trying to understand their perspectives and emotions to help you build better relationships as an environmental consultant. 3. Active listening: Improve your listening skills by giving your full attention to others when they are speaking.

To boost emotional intelligence as an environmental consultant, begin with self-awareness and self-regulation techniques like mindfulness. Cultivate empathy through active listening and understanding others' perspectives. Enhance social skills by communicating assertively and resolving conflicts constructively. Prioritize relationship management by fostering trust and open communication. Continuously learn and apply new skills to strengthen emotional intelligence and build better connections with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.

By reflecting on past interactions we can identify unfavourable behaviours that were a result of our emotions and how we express ourselves. Personally, I dislike conflict and I am a total people pleaser. I know that from my interactions with others. It was hard for me to set boundaries because I wasn't sure what was the right way to say it or how to diffuse the situation. So when I lead a team, I want everyone to like me (still do, if not all atleast the majority) I did not feel comfortable assigning tasks in fear I would come across as bossy. Or I don't assert myself and then feel like I am not taken seriously. The emotions themselves were not the problem but how I expressed them. I then started experimenting by responding differently.

Reflecting on past interactions can reveal unfavorable behaviors influenced by emotions and communication styles. For instance, personally, I've noticed a tendency to avoid conflict and prioritize pleasing others. This reflects in my reluctance to set boundaries or assert myself, fearing it may lead to conflict or portray me as bossy. However, by seeking feedback from peers or mentors and utilizing tools like online quizzes, I can better understand my emotional responses and communication patterns. This insight allows me to focus on areas needing development and guides my journey towards enhancing emotional intelligence (EI).

I would say from personal experience, don't try to take actions not in line with your emotions. When I was challenging myself to change my responses, I found that my best responses were when I handled situations well yet was still friendly and avoided conflict. And there are many ways to establish boundaries, be assertive, diffuse situations, handle conflict and still be likable. I think that's where communication style comes in. There is no one right way to express yourself, one's communication style will depend on what they value and feel strongly about. So when you understand yourself better, you can then work on honing your own unique style that reflects your values. There is no weaknesses when we talk of EI only opportunity.