BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

By Ochuko Aggreh

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 Overview
Peter Drucker asserts that ‘’Organisations
are like machines.’’ The constant interaction
of people tends to generate tension and
excite emotions. These tensions and emotions
if not properly handled can adversely affect
working conditions, staff morale, corporate
culture and ultimately organisational
productivity.

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Introduction
Emotional Intelligence is
concerned with understanding of
oneself and others, relating to
people, adapting to and coping
with the immediate surroundings
and addresses the emotional,
personal, social and survival
dimensions of intelligence.

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 What is Emotion?
• A mental state brought on by neurophysiological
changes, variously associated with thoughts,
feelings, behavioural responses, and a degree of
pleasure or displeasure
• Feelings, impulses to act, the instant plans for
handling life ingrained in human nature.
• strong feeling deriving from one's circumstances,
mood, or relationships with others.
Emotion aka energy in motion.

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 Emotions
A piece of information that tells you something
about how you are experiencing your world.
Are one thing common to all thus provides a sense
of community.
Are experienced internally and expressed
externally.
All emotions are forms of energy and can provide
motivation.
Are both consciously and unconsciously generated.
Are modified by the socialization process and
genetic makeup of a person (temperament).
Are not good or bad – they just are…………….
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Emotions

Is it possible to make
a decision without
emotion?

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Importance of Emotions

Emotional awareness helps us know what we need

and want (or don't want!). It helps us build
better relationships. That's because being aware
of our emotions can help us talk about feelings
more clearly, avoid or resolve conflicts better,
and move past difficult feelings more easily.

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“Anybody can become angry – that is easy,
but to be angry with the right person and to
the right degree and at the right time and
for the right purpose, and in the right way
– that is not within everybody’s power and
is not easy”.

Aristotle

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Intelligence
• The ability to acquire and apply knowledge
and skills.
• The ability to think, to learn from
experience, to solve problems and to adapt to
new situations.
• Intelligence is important because it has an
impact on many human behaviours.
• Ability to initiate or modify action in the
light of ongoing events.
It is based on ability to understand,
assimilate, learn and think things out quickly.

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Flavours of Intelligence

• Word Smart (linguistic intelligence)

• Mathematical alacrity (numerical/reasoning/logic
intelligence)
• Physically Smart (kinesthetic intelligence)
• Music Smart (musical intelligence)
• People Smart (interpersonal intelligence)
• Self Smart (intrapersonal intelligence)
• Visually Smart (Spatial intelligence)

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A Case for Emotional Intelligence

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 What is Emotional Intelligence

This is the CAPABILITY of

INDIVIDUALS to RECOGNIZE their
own emotions and those of others,
discern between different feelings
and label them appropriately. Use
emotional information to guide
thinking behaviour manage emotions,
environment and achieve ones goals.

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 EI vs IQ
IQ tests measure your
ability to solve
problems, use logic, and
grasp or communicate
complex ideas. EQ tests
measure your ability to
recognize emotion in
yourself and others, and
to use that awareness to
guide your decisions.

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EI vs IQ

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Levels of emotional intelligence

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Understanding Emotional Intelligence
The ability to perceive, control,
and evaluate emotions.

The ability to understand, use,

and manage your own emotions in
positive ways to relieve stress,
communicate effectively, empathize
with others, overcome
challenges and defuse conflict.
It determines how well we can use
the other skills or intelligences
we
possess. It offers an added edge
in the workplace even among people
with similar technical skills.
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…emotional intelligence
It is about being honest, being aware of one’s
own feeling, being aware of the others feelings
and about being smart with one’s emotions.

It is concerned with understanding of one self

and others, relating to people, and adapting to
and coping with the immediate surroundings and
addresses the emotional, personal, social, and
survival dimensions of intelligence.

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Your Intelligence

The make up of the human brain

-The human brain has two sides

The left (cognitive) side

-The Right (Emotional/ Creative)

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Left Cognitive Side
• Analytical,
• Logical and sensible,
• Good with numbers, words
and symbols
• Process information
slower
• Make specific statements.

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Right Creative Side
• Intuitive and
impressionistic
• Favour what feels good
• Good with metaphors,
images and narratives
• Process information
more rapidly
• Make sweeping
statements

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 Components of Emotional Intelligence
• Getting to know our
own emotions.
• Learning to manage
our own emotions.
• Learning to
recognize and deal
with the emotions of
others.

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Managing your Emotions
The emotionally intelligent person can take
charge of his or her emotions.

Emotions ebb and flow naturally unless you

sustain them with your thoughts.

Managing how you think or talk about your

feelings can extend or reduce the intensity of
the emotion.

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Balancing your Emotions
• Use the heart to
change the mind, or
the mind to change the
heart.
• Observe your emotional
state and then decide
if it is an
appropriate response
for the circumstances
and people involved.
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 Benefits of Emotional Intelligence
• Improved Communication
• Increased Self-
confidence
• Better Employee
Relationships
• Persistence in
Achieving Set Goals
• Effective Decision
Making
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• Increased Optimism
• Improved Leadership
Abilities
• Increased Self-
Awareness
• Better Conflict
Resolution
• Proper Balance Between
Personal
• Life and Work
• Better Problem Solving
Skills
What is Emotional Hijack?
• A phenomenon where a person's mind gets taken over by
his emotions.

• It prohibits a person from taking look at and viewing

a situation realistically.

• The person under an emotional hijack may temporarily

feel a cognitive loss of control and can be very
harmful.

• It is an emotional response to stress, often thought

of as losing control of one's emotions.

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Causes of Emotional Hijack
The symptoms of an emotional hijack are caused
by the body's chemical response to stress. When
you experience stress, your brain releases two
kinds of stress hormones: cortisol and
adrenaline. Both of these hormones, which are
released by the adrenal glands, prepare your
body to fight or to flee.

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Stages of Emotional Hijack
• Identifying the
Trigger
• Feeling a Strong
Emotion
• Reacting
Automatically
• Feeling Regret

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Stage 1

Identifying the Trigger:

• Identifying the Trigger:

o The first stage of an
Emotional ‘emotional hijack’ is to
Hijack perceive and identify an
event that you register
as a threat.

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Stage 2

Feeling a Strong Emotion:

• Feeling a Strong Emotion:

Emotional o The second stage of an

Hijack ‘emotional hijack’ is to
suddenly feel a strong
vehement emotion which is
caused due to the recognition
and identifying of the trigger
event by you.

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Stage 3
Reacting Automatically:

• Reacting Automatically:
o The third stage of an ‘emotional hijack’
is the automatic reaction that makes
you respond automatically based on the
trigger and the strong emotion you felt.
o Mostly, such automatic reaction may
make you regret your reaction later.
o This is because it is not thought of and
decided prior to reacting and may have
a negative effect on you and others.

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Stage 4
Feeling Regret:

• Feeling Regret:
o The fourth and last
stage of an
‘emotional hijack’ is
feeling regret about
your reaction.

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During emotional hijack,
the person may not be
able to develop a
rational response. Signs
and symptoms of amygdala
hijack include a racing
heartbeat, sweaty palms,
and the inability to
think clearly. People
can try to prevent
amygdala hijack by
becoming more aware of
how they respond to
stress.
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Handling Stress
• A physical or mental
strain.

• A condition causing
hardship, disquiet etc..

• Stress management is the

ability to maintain
control when situations,
people and events make
excessive demands.

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•Fight
•Flight
•Freeze

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Importance of Emotional Intelligence at
Workplace
Studies have found that high Emotional Intelligence can be greatly beneficial
in the workplace with respect to the following three categories:

Selection Derailment Success

 Selection

• High Emotional Intelligence can be greatly

useful to get selected in an organization
and to prove oneself better than the other
candidates in an interview.
• A survey conducted by the National US
Department of Labor has found that in
today’s times organizations are increasingly
listing emotional competencies as criteria
for new hires.
 Derailment

• High Emotional Intelligence can be greatly useful to

prevent the derailment or total collapse of one’s
career.
• A study conducted by the Center for Creative
Leadership found that a majority of the executives
who faced derailment or total collapse of their
career displayed certain common traits.
• These traits were extreme rigidity in dealing with
people, poor relationships with their team members
and the inability to lead teams.
 Success

• High Emotional Intelligence can be

greatly useful to achieve unparalleled
success at your workplace.
• Several studies conducted on Harvard
graduates and Foreign Service Officers
has found that the test scores of the
candidate’s entrance exams did not always
match the success in their careers.
 Competencies of Emotional
Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence

Personal Competence Emotional Competence Social Competence

Self Self Social Relationship

Awareness Management Awareness Management
Self Awareness
• Emotional Self-awareness
• Accurate Self –assessment
• Self-confidence

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Self Management
• Emotional Self-control
• Transparency
• Adaptability
• Achievement Orientation
• Initiative
• Optimism

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Social Awareness

• Empathy
• Organizational
Awareness
• Service Orientation

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Relationship Management
• Developing Others
• Inspirational Leadership
• Change Catalyst
• Influence
• Conflict Management
• Teamwork and Collaboration

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Personal Competence
• Self Awareness
• Self Management

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Self Awareness
It means knowing one’s internal
strengths, preferences,
resources, and Intuitions. Self
Awareness Competencies are:

• Emotional Self-awareness
• Accurate Self-assessment
• Self-confidence

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Emotional Self Awareness
It means reading one’s own emotions and
recognizing their impact such as using a ‘gut-
sense’ to guide decisions. It is one’s ability to
be aware of one’s feelings and emotions, to be
able to differentiate between them, to know what
one is feeling and why, and to know what caused
the feelings. It means recognizing one’s emotions
and their effects.

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Accurate Self Assessment
It is the process of identifying your. inner
resources, abilities, strengths, and
acknowledging and. accepting your limits. It is
based on the desire to receive feedback and new
perspectives about yourself and is motivated by
the desire for continuous learning and self-
development.
It means knowing about one’s strengths and
limits. It means thriving on an
open, honest, compassionate feedback about one’s
strengths and limits.

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Self Confidence
It is a strong and sound sense of one’s
self worth and capabilities. It means
believing in one’s capabilities.

An attitude about your skills and

abilities. It means you accept and trust
yourself and have a sense of control in
your life. You know your strengths and
weakness well, and have a positive view of
yourself.
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 Types of Self-Confidence
Realistic sense of
what you can
Optimal accomplish.
Realistic goals,
playing within
False yourself.
Confidence Diffident

Unfounded confidence
in abilities. Cocky, Lacking confidence.
arrogant. This can Fear of failure, high
also be an act to degree of self-doubt.
cover up diffident Use ego-protective
attitude. behaviors.
Ways to boost your self-
confidence
• Successful Performance
• Vicarious Experience
• Verbal Persuasion
• Emotional Arousal

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Practicing Self Awareness?

Practice and learn

Be aware of your to ‘tune-in’ and
own emotional ‘tune-out’ to your
states emotions

Learn to control your

Identify the
emotions and your importance of
responses in stressful emotions even in
situations ‘technical’ fields
Self management
Self-management is managing one's
internal states, impulses and
resources. It means you are able to
control impulsive feelings and
behaviors, manage your emotions in
healthy ways, take initiative, follow
through on commitments, and adapt to
changing circumstances.

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 Self management competencies
• Emotional Self-control
• Transparency
• Adaptability
• Achievement Orientation
• Initiative
• Optimism

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How can you increase your
optimism?

Write down a list of the characteristics

that you will need to display in order
reach your goals and be optimistic.

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Influence
Influence is a social competency. Leaders who
are equipped with the emotional self-awareness
and self-control to manage themselves while
being adaptable, positive, and empathic can
express their ideas in a way that will appeal to
others

It means having impact on others and using a

range of effective tactics for persuasion.

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Conflict Management
Conflict Management’ means negotiating and
resolving disagreements. It involves having
the ability to help others
through emotional or tense situations,
tactfully bringing disagreements into the
open, and defining solutions that everyone
can endorse.

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Steps to Resolve Workplace Conflicts
Step 5:
Negotiate a
Define a mutual Step 4: Solution
Understand problem Brainstorm
each other’s Possible
needs and Solutions
Step 3: Come to a
concerns
Understand Agree to a solution that is
the situation Problem agreed upon by
rationally Step 2: Think of all both the groups
Gather the possible
Information solutions
Step 1:
Set the
Scene
Managing Workplace
Conflict
• Build good relationships before
occurs.
conflict

• Do not let small problems escalate; deal with

them as they arise

• Respect differences.
• Listen to others’ perspectives on the
conflict situation

• Acknowledge feelings before

focusing on facts.
• Focus on solving problems, not
changing people
• If you can’t resolve the
problem, turn to someone who
can help.
• Remember to adapt your style
to the situation and persons
involved
Teamwork and Collaboration
Teamwork and Collaboration’ means
creating group synergy in pursuing
collective goals. It means cultivating
and maintaining a web of relationships
that foster cooperation and team
building.

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How to Create Effective Relationships?
Be aware of and
employ all your
emotional
competencies such as Use your people skills
emotional awareness, to influence and
and social awareness persuade others

Always strive to build

consensus and support
for team goals Motivate and inspire
yourself and others to
achieve goals
Motivation is the umbrella for explaining why
we think and behave as we do.
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It is the inner
power or energy
that pushes toward
acting, performing
actions and
achieving. It has
to do with desire
and ambition,
if they are absent,
motivation is absent
too.
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Understanding motivation

Motivation is the will to act.

The art of motivating self and others
starts with learning how to influence
individuals’ behavior.
Motivation
It is the processes
that accounts for an
individual's
intensity,
direction, and
persistence of
effort toward
attaining a goal.

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Can I lose motivation?

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How can you continuously fire up your
motivation?

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 Self motivation
Self-motivation is the
force that keeps pushing us
to go on – it's our
internal drive to achieve,
produce, develop, and keep
moving forward. When you
think you're ready to quit
something, or you just
don't know how to start,
your self-motivation is
what pushes you to go on.

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Self-motivation is a more Role of Self Motivation
efficient method to motivate
oneself. Reading books will
inspire you temporarily. If
you can motivate yourself,
you do not have to depend on
any external factors. Self
motivation is the best
inspirational technique.
Emotional Apathy
Apathy is characterized by feelings
of indifference
and lack of emotion. The term is
often used to
describe a lack of caring or concern,
but in mental health contexts, this
loss of interest in different
aspects of life events is often a
sign of a condition.
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Signs of Apathy

Apathy mainly involves a general

indifference and lack of motivation to do
anything at all. You might also notice:
fatigue. anhedonia, or a loss of passion
or pleasure for the things you usually
enjoy.

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Dealing with Apathy

Determine: what the problem

Discuss: speak openly with
others
Engage: In New Experiences
Dream: work it out

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 Parting Shot

“When awareness is
brought to an
emotion, power is
brought to your
life.”

– Tara Meyer Robson

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