Emotional Intelligence (EI) and its Value & Role in Veterinary Practices
Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is 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. Emotional intelligence helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at school and work, and achieve your career and personal goals. It can also help you to connect with your feelings, turn intention into action, and make informed decisions about what matters most to you.
Emotional intelligence is commonly defined by four attributes:
- Self-management– You’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances.
- Self-awareness– You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior. You know your strengths and weaknesses, and have self-confidence.
- Social awareness– You have empathy. You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization.
- Relationship management– You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict.
EMOTIONAL intelligence (EQ) is a person’s ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. High EQ enables people to communicate effectively, empathise with others and manage emotions, thus helping them diffuse conflict and relieve stressful situations. In a nutshell, they are good with people.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is what allows us to understand ourselves and the world in which we live. It helps us deal with the pressures of life. There are two major factors that define emotional intelligence:
- Cognitive intelligence — This is your ability to think rationally, act with purpose, and manage your environment.
- Social intelligence — This is your awareness of yourself and others.
The capacity to understand and judiciously express one’s emotions and effectively manage relationships is called emotional intelligence (EI). Building strong networks, motivating employees, managing impulsive behavior and decision-making, and recruiting and leading teams of talented people are all part of emotional intelligence.
In short: EI is everything in the mind that an I.Q. test doesn’t measure.
There are five competencies emotionally intelligent people exhibit consistently.
They are:
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Social skills
There are many in veterinary practice with high or very high intellectual intelligence (IQ), but having a high IQ is not enough when it comes to dealing with people. A high IQ will help someone pass exams, diagnose illness and be good at the intellectual side of his or her job, but it’s his or her EQ that will help with stressful and emotional situations, and relate well to the people he or she works with – both clients and colleagues. Typically, people with high EQs will have good skills in the following areas: • Self-awareness – recognising one’s own emotions and how they affect one’s thoughts and behaviour, and understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses. • Self-management – being able to control impulsive feelings and behaviours, manage one’s emotions and adapt to change. • Social awareness – being able to read body language and other non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions; understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people and pick up on emotional cues. Also, the ability to hear words not spoken, by being aware of tone of voice, pauses in speech, inflection of the voice and so on. • Relationship management – knowing how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, control and handle emotions so they do not get out of hand, and work well in a team, including understanding the effect his or her actions or words are having on others. There is the usual nature versus nurture debate when it comes to EQ, and it’s true there are people who naturally have a high EQ. They are the ones who seem to get along with everyone, tend to be the peacemakers in difficult situations and always seem to be liked by clients. We might all like to have their ability, but for some, it can be an uphill struggle, while for others there is a real unawareness of their lack of EQ. All is not lost however, as it is possible to improve one’s EQ by practising some of the following ideas. • Focused listening – we tend to be thinking of our response to the other person when he or she is talking to us, rather than actually listening to what he or she is saying, so focus your mind and attention on what is actually being said and on the questions you might ask to clarify and understand fully what the person is really saying. • Summarise and feedback – an excellent way of ensuring you have really heard what someone has been saying to you is to summarise what he or she has said or you think he or she has said. For example: “So what you are saying is…” Not only does this clarify communication, but it also shows the other person you are listening and are interested. • Ask questions to identify emotions and feelings – if you have difficulty reading how someone is reacting to a situation emotionally – particularly if it is something you are having to tell him or her – ask how he or she feels about the situation. It is far better to ask the question than assume incorrectly everything is fine, giving the impression you don’t really care about the person. • Awareness of body language/non-verbal communication – if body language is inconsistent with the words spoken, this suggests all is not well. It takes time to interpret body language and there can be many pitfalls along the way, but having a basic knowledge of non-verbal signals and watching out for them will make for much better communication and understanding. • Observe your own reactions – be aware of your own reactions to situations. Try to understand what emotions you are feeling and how these may perhaps be seen or heard by the other person. Developing and improving your EQ takes time and perseverance, but for those working in a veterinary practice – where so much is about emotions and relating well with people – the ability to recognise one’s own emotional state and that of others, and be able to engage with people, is very important. Obviously, some work roles require more EQ than others, but the fact is, most staff will be dealing with clients at some point in their day and, for much of their time, they will be part of a team and need to work well and harmoniously with others.
Emotional intelligence refers to an individual’s ability to become aware of one’s emotions along with other person’s feeling at specific moment and then using this information for self management and management of relationship with others. This can be attained by consortium of four pillars: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. Emotions need to be on both sides in veterinary profession which require interest of doctor in treating patient and faith/trust of animal owner in doctor. All are exposed to emotional situation one or the other time. In time of stress, clients are anxious and look forward for compassion, empathy and understanding from the other person. One needs to develop emotional along with social intelligence for success in veterinary profession. Emotional intelligence leads to various advantages in personality development of individual. Communication is improved with better empathy, stress reduction, improved relations, better selfmanagement with enhanced leadership skills which are important for success in any field. Self-awareness is also noted which is important for self-assessment. In today’s competitive world one should acquire above qualities for being successful. Research is in process to examine how cognitive abilities or consciousness are used by animals using artificial intelligence. Emotionally intelligent animals in decreasing order are believed to be: dolphins, elephants, red foxes, bee, rats, pigeons and dogs .Animals whether fish or elephant do think, acquire knowledge, memorize, perceive senses, recognize individuals and languages. They do perceive the presence of individual in their proximity and show their feelings. It has been reported that fish after recognizing, associate with individuals. The mental power of humans and animals differ only in degree and both attribute emotions. Book titled Animal Liberation authored by Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher brought above facts into public domain and led to formation of foundations for animal rights. Earlier intelligence was explored in primates which is considered closest species to humans .Kanzi(bonobo) was found to communicate through lexigrams which are symbols representing words , Koko(gorilla) used sign languages and Ayumu(chimpanzee)with amazing memory. Vertebrates have ability in expressing emotions. Dingoes which are pests attacking livestock have been found to be highly sentient and intelligent animal. Whenever sickness or death took place after consumption of baited meat, older members of dingo packs in future avoided baits and also taught young one to do similarly sensing danger. Animals also are considered to have consciousness, so they can plan act based on memories. Feeling of affection/emotions can be well noted through behavior of dogs and horses which are considered most faithful to owner. Animals do have emotions and feel pain. Surrounding awareness significance can be noted in livestock in abattoir. Veterinarian behavior does affect animal response. If doctor is handling animal quietly and with calmness, animal moves well right to stunning point before being slaughtered. But in case of rough handling, animal vocalizes with alert alarm for animal behind them to foresee danger (animal may release pheromones in urine and saliva).Social animals are good communicators using subtle signals. Fishes are no exception. Fishes and sharks also respond to pain. Dolphins, elephants and primates recognize death. In one case, death of pup of dingo took place due to snake bite. In about 30 minutes pup breathed last and during this time its mother and every sibling interacted through sniffing, pawing and whimpering. Later mother dingo could be seen protecting its pup body by picking it up in its mouth and keeping close to family by repeated movement. RI scans can be used to study brain activity as a response to stimuli. Dogs and cats are found to be the most common emotional support animals for humans. Dogs can express emotions on its face or through cocked head and activities like wagging or droping tail, whining or barking. The ways of human’s interaction with animals is of prime importance. Recognition of intelligence, sentience and emotions in animals has helped in stopping annual mass killings mainly of dolphins in Japan, whaling and in creating awareness for protection of species from being getting extinct.
Why need for emotional Intelligence:
Emotional quotient enhancement helps in both profession and personality development. It has been found that 90% top performers possess high emotional quotient and 58% of our job performance is dependent on emotional quotient. Moreover people having high emotional quotient has significantly higher earnings compared to others. Individuals with high emotional intelligence have control on their mood and understand effect on others. People with poor emotional intelligence become easily frustrated abusing the animal to be treated. Frustration and stress need to be counteracted properly for successful management of self and relations. Reference checks, behavioral interviewing and setting expectations and consequences are must to study emotional intelligence in individual. Role modeling, training and coaching (for recognition, relaxation and reframing) is must for positive emotional intelligence and correcting problem behavior.
5 Components of Emotional Intelligence
Let’s take a look at each component of EI, plus how we can practice it and recognize it in others.
- Self-awareness
The first characteristic that all emotionally intelligent people have in common is their self-awareness. To “know thyself” is to understand one’s own emotions, moods and feelings, and recognize their effect on others.
Self-aware people are honest about their own capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. They are rarely overly hopeful or unrealistically pessimistic. They make career decisions with realistic goals in mind and they’re usually passionate about what they’re doing.
Because they’re both passionate about their work and aware of their limitations, self-aware people are constantly searching for constructive criticism. That veterinary technician who is constantly asking questions about the subtleties of a treatment may indeed be more than just curious. That receptionist who seems overly inquisitive about her own performance may be exhibiting a thirst for improvement tips.
Characteristics of self-assessors include:
- Honesty and candor in self-assessment
- Self-depreciating humor
- Confidence
- Self-regulation
An extension of self-awareness, self-regulation is the capability to free oneself from one’s emotions and feelings.
We all have bad moods and emotional impulses; self-regulators consistently find ways to control their emotions and avoid letting them dictate their actions. They don’t jump at every impulse, and make important decisions only after thoughtful consideration of the consequences.
As a leader of a veterinary practice, self-regulating your bad moods can translate to more consistently positive demeanors from your employees and greater trust throughout the practice.
Technicians, administrative staff and veterinarians alike will trust your judgment implicitly in the face of troubling times when you self-regulate. They’ll notice how you calmly and reasonably react to troubling or frustrating news and will absorb your even-keel attitude.
This kind of mutual trust between you and your staff can increase your employee retention; talented people will notice your integrity and won’t be tempted to leave.
Do you want to completely overhaul every line in the employee handbook? No problem. Your staff will have seen their self-regulating leader take on many challenges calmly and enthusiastically, and they’ll strive to demonstrate a similar aptitude.
Characteristics of self-regulators include:
- Ability and willingness to adapt
- Thoughtful and calm behavior in the face of difficulty
- Trustworthiness; avoidance of impulsive behavior
- Motivation
All leaders exhibit great motivation: the internal drive and energy for success. They’re highly motivated by their internal desire to exceed their own expectations and those of others. Emotionally intelligent leaders are driven to achieve for achievement’s sake, rather than for an impressive title or big salary.
Motivated leaders are always trying to improve; they have a restless energy for going forward, always striving to raise the bar. They take pride in overcoming challenges and, like self-regulators, are always curious about exploring different methods for their work. They’re innovators, never satisfied with the status quo.
Motivated leaders are results-oriented, and look to track their performance whenever possible. And, when a particular initiative underperforms, the motivated leader stays optimistic, searching for solutions rather than giving up.
And, in a veterinary practice, where emotions can run high every single day, a leader who can radiate optimism and positivity will motivate his or her team to maintain productivity in the face of difficult circumstances.
Characteristics include of a motivated leader include:
- Strong desire to outperform expectations
- Optimism
- Commitment to work
- Empathy
Empathy may seem like a concept unfit for the competitive, every-person-for-himself/herself business world, but it’s more than just mushiness. Empathy, at a leadership level, means considering the feelings of others in making business decisions. An emotionally intelligent leader can sense and understand the viewpoint of everyone at the table.
Now, that’s not to say that, as the leader of a veterinary practice, you must consider the feelings of your staff in every decision, or that it’s your job to please everybody – that would be impossible and unproductive. Rather, being able to listen to and understand your co-workers and staff will strengthen your practice’s internal collaborations.
Empathy is an important component of service in any industry, especially in veterinary medicine where distraught clients are part of the daily routine. Actively listening to your clients, maintaining eye contact and presenting an attentive and understanding posture will act as subtle reassurances that let them know they’re in the right place – and they’ll come back.
Characteristics of an empathetic person include:
- Attentive listener
- Sensitivity to differing viewpoints
- Consideration of input from all levels of employees and co-workers
- Social skills
The final component of EI is social skill: friendliness with a purpose. It’s guiding people toward wherever you want them to go using the other four components of EI. Social skill is really the culmination of the other components; it is EI put to work.
If a leader is self-aware and regulating, motivated and emphatic, EI will manifest as social skills; this leader will have a wide network of friends and colleagues and an aptitude for finding common ground. This person will be popular, and his or her motivated positivity will spread to those in the company. He or she is an effective team leader for these reasons and coworkers will naturally follow his or her lead.
Characteristics of a person with social skills include:
- Expertise in leading teams
- Having a wide network of colleagues and acquaintances
- Popular, upbeat persona
EI In Practice
Building a veterinary practice with high EI starts in the hiring process. Look for emotionally intelligent candidates who exhibit the characteristics listed above.
Ask interviewees about a time they let their emotions get the better of them (we all have, once or twice). Candidates with a high EI will describe one with a smile. Ask about their goals; motivated potential leaders will answer with specific targets and strategies to achieve them.
But, EI starts at the top. As the leader of a veterinary practice, the most effective way to develop EI in your practice is to demonstrate it yourself, though it won’t happen overnight. But, with commitment and dedicated practice, EI can be learned over time in your practice and in yourself.
Technical ability and cognitive skills are no doubt crucial to the success of a veterinary practice leader. But, just as important, maybe more so, is emotional intelligence. Building networks, managing impulses, generating positive relationships and driving productivity in staff all stem from the emotional intelligence of the leader. Your staff will admire your upbeat optimism, your level headed approach to conflict and your motivation to achieve. Your passion for your work and your empathy for your patients and their owners will ignite the same in them.
Your clients will receive better care, your staff will love working in your office and you’ll be able to focus on your job – running an efficient and successful veterinary practice – without getting bogged down by in-house distractions.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
