Emotional intelligence refers to a set of abilities related to understanding and using emotions in ways that affect social functioning. Although these abilities are typically more difficult to see than cognitive abilities, they are also extremely important in a work context. Think about how you feel when you are working on a project and a team member repeatedly says odd or inappropriate things. This behavior reflects one aspect of emotional intelligence and highlights that it can negatively influence group functioning and ultimately performance. The following activity goes through the various types of emotional intelligence that are associated with different jobs. You have been reading through job advertisements and notice that these descriptions also give you a bit of insight into what is emotionally required in each job. When you stop to think about it, you realize that, in addition to cognitive abilities, emotional abilities are also an important aspect of a job. Ideally, you would like to find a job that is cognitively challenging and taps into your emotional strengths. Bartender: "it is important that you manage unruly customers well and not let your emotional reactions to them get the best of you"
Product Developer: "you need to accurately express your emotions and opinions regarding the products and scenarios presented
Car Sales Associate: "successful sales associates are often good at harnessing their emotions from negative customer interactions in ways that spark them to sell more cars"
Waiter: "understand what your customers need and how they are feeling, then respond accordingly"