What do you do if your emotional intelligence is hindering your decision-making as an application developer?

One of the strategies that works for me- Being the observer -when you recognise that there is something hampering your decision making or something within is a miss just watch your own thoughts and look for patterns. If possible, look for the source because it helps in differentiating between the reality within and outside. This helps in watching your own thoughts and then slowly identifying the deeper level biases, judgements or any tension thats going on.

In a previous project,I found myself overly attached to a specific approach to solving a technical challenge.Despite feedback from team members suggesting alternative solutions,I was reluctant to deviate from my initial plan due to emotional attachment to my idea. However, after recognizing my bias and taking a step back to reassess,I realized that my attachment was clouding my judgment.I decided to open myself up to other perspectives and consider the merits of different approaches objectively.This shift in mindset allowed me to make a more informed decision that ultimately led to a successful resolution of the challenge.The experience taught me the ability to separate personal emotions from professional decision-making in app development.

Don’t give your presentation when you are sick or in a bad mood. You often come across presenters who demonstrate “heroism” and conduct events no matter their mental or physical condition. The show must go on and all that. This is wrong, even if you apologize to the audience for being less than your best. For the most part, audiences will be sympathetic to your situation. However, your coughing, sneezing, and red eyes will be a constant distraction from the essence of your presentation. If you are sick or some life event has knocked you off track such that you can’t pull yourself together — it’s better to ask one of your colleagues to replace you or reschedule the presentation. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to cancel it

Approaching someone you trust to share or talk aloud is another strategy that is helpful. This requires one to have a mindset of seeking sustainable solutions and not looking for easy fixes. One has to be curious enough and recognise that gaining clarity is a process. So, sharing your thoughts with someone helps only when this someone also is an evolved being, with clarity and confidence to handle such sharings.

Seeking feedback takes courage and so does being indifferent to comments. After submitting a draft, some may feel that it’s perfect and will get approved as is. But we know that’s generally not the case. Now when we get feedback accept it indifferently. Otherwise you will react maybe not outwards but internally one might have an outburst. So be brave after receiving the feedback, that will help you stay calm and accept it. Sympathise with the others view point and evaluate; if that comment is genuine and progressive. Then gracefully accept or deny it, you have a choice. It is your job your preference.

In a recent project, our team faced a critical issue when a key feature failed to meet the client's expectations. Upon investigation, we discovered that assumptions were made based on personal preferences rather than concrete user feedback. This highlighted the danger of letting emotions influence decision-making. To address this, we implemented a user-centered design approach, conducting thorough user research and incorporating feedback at every stage. The result was a more intuitive and user-friendly application that better met the client's needs. This experience underscored the importance of empathy and objectivity in the development process.