Ever wondered how emotional intelligence can affect project management? How important it is in project management? Many of us think that project management is making plans for the project, tracking development, scheduling tasks, and other managerial work. Yes, it is. But it also so much more. We forget about one of the important aspects that is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is an important aspect that you must possess to be a successful project manager.
Emotional intelligence is very important in project management. The way of business has changed and so has its principles. Companies are looking for project managers with good skills knowledgeable project managers for projects. As a project manager, it is important for you to create an environment where sponsors, team members, and management can communicate with clarity and deal more efficiently and make strategic plans to achieve the goal.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to sense, understand, manage and apply the information and power of emotions as your greatest source of energy, motivation, connection, and influence.
– PMI.org
Many are of the belief that emotions have no part in project management. But that’s not true. Emotions have the power to boost you and your team. Emotional intelligence is the ability by which you can manage your emotions and use them to produce the best output.
Why learn emotional intelligence in project management?
Firstly, it helps you to succeed as a leader and makes you a better project manager. Secondly, it helps in personal success which provides you with job satisfaction. This helps in improving personal life so that you can climb your career ladder and reach where you aspire to be.
How Does Emotional Intelligence Help?
Emotional Intelligence helps you understand your emotions clearly thereby helping in you to make your decisions accordingly.
Emotions are the information provided by the inner feelings that are the result of circumstances around you. Just think how dangerous it is if you are not aware of your emotions if you yourself don’t understand your emotions.
Emotional intelligence will help you in recognizing your and other emotions as well. It helps develop empathy. To be successful in any relationship, be it personal or professional, your understanding of emotions play a vital role. The challenges that you face in your career and relationships are related to your emotions.
You can be a better project manager if you use emotional intelligence in your everyday work.. It has been analyzed that project managers with strong emotional intelligence are able to handle larger teams with more people successfully, than those who are having less emotional intelligence.
Emotional intelligence will help in managing changes and dealing with conflicts. Many project managers are of the view that they are more of a taskmaster who manages tasks than a real project manager who is interested and trained in managing projects. Every project manager focuses on tasks and not on relationships. This is one of the biggest problems in project management today.
What Are The Components Of EI?
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Self-awareness
Self-awareness is a very important quality to be developed in oneself. You should understand yourself before you even attempt to understand others. If you are well aware of your inner feelings and emotions you are able to control your emotions better. If you are self-aware of yourself and your emotions you will be able to understand others as well.
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Self-regulation
It is very important personally and professionally that you should control your emotions. Controlling emotions doesn’t mean that you should hide them deep inside but rather to express them at the right time in the right way.
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Motivation
Motivation is really important to be successful in life. There are always high and low points in life. The low points especially require self-motivation so as to help get up and get moving. Until and less you can motivate yourself, nobody will be able to help you.
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Empathy
It is the skill to understand one’s emotions and react accordingly. Empathy basically entails putting oneself into another person’s shoes. You must possess this skill to understand others’ emotions or feelings and think about what you would do if you were to be put in their place.
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Social skill
You should have good social skills. People who can communicate easily with others are able to develop a good social network. And as we are living in a socially diverse culture, you will be able to understand different people and their emotions.
