How To Influence Others

I always keep wondering what Q will turn up next. IQ, EQ, MQ, SQ...and so on! Be that as it may, since we human beings rule the planet, and emotions, in turn, rule us, EQ to me is the stand-out Q! Someone who has intelligence here can rise above the rest!

In simple terms, EQ (emotional quotient) refers to your ability to monitor your emotions, and others' emotions, to facilitate inter-personal behaviour! Let me illustrate the power of this asset through 2 examples in the mode we learn best, viz., stories!

I used to work for a manager who had many good traits. He was available when you needed him, candid in terms of feedback (whether positive or negative), approachable, able to add value when you met him with a problem et al. Dream manager? Well, not quite because the people who worked for him felt that he was not an "emotional being". When he went in for a 360 degree appraisal, he was shocked to know that people did not feel comfortable with him and that they did not want to work for him because of just one simple reason -the way he made them feel! High on many Q's but just extremely poor on emotional connect with people. Half in jest, half in seriousness, I told him that no wonder the album with "The Way You Make Me Feel" is one of the biggest sellers of all time!!

The second one. I attended a training program wherein the trainer explained to us that EQ is the one of the key differentiating factors between managers and leaders. He spoke about an example wherein one of his trainees (a 50+ year old head honcho) used to argue with him on each of his points. He finally told him, "Sir, if you are in my shoes, you will understand my point of view". The head honcho told him that he had been doing that right through the day. To this, the trainer responded with a line I will remember for the rest of my life, "Sir, may I remind you that if you need to be in my shoes, you need to take off your shoes first?" The head honcho was stunned. Nobody had told him this before. Sometimes, these completely unexpected flashes of insight throw you into deep introspection, and the head honcho told the trainer after the training program was over that he had wasted so many years just refusing to understand others' feelings.

That's EQ for you. You interact with people day in and day out. And if you need to succeed, you need to know how to understand, perceive, influence and relate to others' feelings! Hope I have made you "feel" good and enlightened:)