There is one fundamental element that you must be able to control if you want to be successful in business and work in general.
Am I talking about the negotiation? Of customers? Colleagues? Absolutely not.
What you need to learn to control are the emotions.
We are all human and are pervaded by discordant emotions throughout the day. However, you don’t have to let them control you. Especially in the workplace.
How come? Because if you don’t learn to control your emotions, you won’t even be able to make important decisions for your business and, consequently, to achieve the goals you have set for yourself.
Managing emotions is essential, therefore, to make intelligent, thoughtful and capable decisions guide you towards success.
That’s why I want to explain to you what the techniques to control emotions and how you can apply them within your professional life.
The importance of knowing how to manage emotions
Workplaces have evolved, today companies interact with a large number of customers on a daily basis and often have many employees.
In this new environment, research has stated that the most gifted people emotional intelligence I am able to relate better to others and achieve professional goals more easily.
What does emotional intelligence mean?
This term was coined by psychologists Mayer and Salovey in 1990, but only with Daniel Golemana few years later, came to the attention of the general public.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to interpret both one’s own emotions and those of others.
Knowing how to understand your own emotions and metabolizing them is the first step to consequently being able to control them.
Among them 5 components of emotional intelligence theorized by Goleman in his own book titled Emotional intelligencewe find an express reference to what we have just said. This particular form of intelligence is in fact composed of:
- Self-awareness
- Management of emotions
- Self motivation
- Recognition of emotions in others
- Relationship management
Do you think this skill is not necessary in the workplace? Then please continue reading and discover how it can make the difference between success and failure.
The impact of emotions in business processes
Imagine that today you have to have an important meeting with another company or an important client. You would like to present yourself in your best form, however the traffic made you arrive late for work, you weren’t even able to get a coffee and, the icing on the cake, the person in charge with whom you have to speak seems anything but well prepared.
Can you allow yourself to be dominated by your emotions? Even in this case the answer is no.
In this sense, emotions can significantly influence your meeting. If you decide to let a series of significant events overwhelm you, you may never get to that negotiation you were hoping for.
Think about what would have happened if, differently, you had arrived at work early, had plenty of time to discuss that day’s meeting with your colleagues, and a friendly person had shown up.
We are all affected positively or negatively by what happens to us. Simply put, even a rainy day can put us in an emotional condition that is unfavorable to our business.
For this reason, it is very important learn techniques to control emotions and ensure that the latter do not dominate you.
Techniques for controlling emotions
Here we are, after having fully understood the importance of this skill, let’s finally put things on the line and find out how you can master emotions.
On the other hand, if in everyday life you can afford not to show up for a meeting with a friend because your mood is low, this is simply unacceptable in a company.
Knowing how to control your moods allows you to work better with colleagues, to relate more openly and helpfully with customers, as well as to achieve sales goals and corporate.
Here are the four habits you need to develop to become a master of this art.
1. Separate feelings from actions
What does it mean to succeed? separate your actions from your emotions? Let’s find out with an example from everyday life.
Have you ever, during an outburst of anger, had a friend who advised you to wait a moment to regain calm before making a decision? Sooner or later it’s a situation that happens to everyone.
Why do you think he gave you that advice? Why act when you are under the influence of negative emotions it doesn’t allow you to think clearly and in the long term.
For this reason, know how to manage emotions it becomes fundamental if you don’t want to ruin a relationship, ruin your career or lose an important affection.
This technique is as true in everyday life as it is in professional life. Think of a customer who persists in arguing against everything you explain to him about the product or service you intend to sell him. If you let yourself be dominated by emotional reactions you would almost certainly risk losing the customer.
For this reason, the right way to act when you are in the grip of strong emotions is precisely to do nothing and wait until you are calmer.
2. Stay calm
What is the first and normal reaction you have when you find yourself in a stressful situation? There loss of calm.
It may depend on an unexpected influx of customers, deadlines on work you have to deliver or a moment of company crisis. Whatever the cause, every source of stress automatically leads each of us to “lose our temper”.
What to do in such a situation? You have to try to keep calm.
Ok Mirko, it’s easier said than done.
I know, no one said it was simple. However, what I’m suggesting you do is to train yourself in this good habit. Responding to stress with further anguish has never favored the success of an assignment.
So, when you find yourself overwhelmed and literally feel like you’re suffocating, sit down and try to control this state of mind.
To help you the first few times you can draw up a list of priorities and proceed step by step, avoiding letting yourself be overwhelmed by tension again.
3. Maintain a positive attitude
Try going to work and observing your co-workers, if you have any. You will definitely notice that some of them always seem to be pervaded by negative emotions while others face each day with a positive attitude.
Emotions such as stress, anger and frustration are a time bomb ready to explode. And this goes for you too.
If you arrive at work nervous and stressed you will immediately notice unable to concentrateof having bad relationships with customers and you will have the absolute conviction of having achieved nothing that day.
How about, instead, facing the new day with a positive attitude?
Whatever negative thing has happened to you, try to put it aside until you finish your duties.
These techniques for controlling emotions allow you to be much more productive and, consequently, to increase the profit of your company.
Furthermore, adopting a positive attitude also allows you to better combat those colleagues who always seem negative. Don’t let their mood influence you and, if you can, help them to be more focused on their tasks too.
4. Focus on your goal
Do you know what is the best way to control your emotions? Give yourself goals.
Mirko, we all have goals at work.
You’re right, each of us sets goals to achieve. But how strong are yours? In order to counteract negative emotions, and all that they entail, you must make the goal you want to reach your own.
Do you know why I’m telling you all this? Because the emotions linked to achieving a goal in which you firmly believe are much stronger compared to all the other emotions that can pervade you during the day.
Let’s take an example. Is the goal of your work to convince consumers to follow a circular economy to avoid waste and reduce pollution? Excellent, you can well imagine how the emotions linked to achieving this lofty goal are much more intense than all the motorists who cut you off on the way to the office or the colleague who is jealous of your work.
Find your main goal, what drives your motivation and the desire not to give up. You will see that the emotions linked to that will always be stronger than the others that could jeopardize it.
Conclusion
Learning techniques to control your emotions isn’t just important for yours personal growth. It is above all because it allows you to work better within your company, to make your business profitable and to close many more sales negotiations.
Working on your emotions is important both to better relate to your colleagues and to understand the mood of customers, empathize with them, and close more sales than you have done so far.
Every journey begins with a small step, so I urge you to test these techniques today to make a change in your career.
And if you still have any doubts or aspects you would like to explore further, contact me directly to receive advice.
If you want to learn more about other skills in the world of Sales, Marketing or Mindset, continue browsing my blog. You will find constantly updated content on topics useful to today’s entrepreneurs and professionals.
What emotions would you most like to learn to manage in yourself and with others?