EQ and communication

Because EQ underpins a number of other business skills, like communication, team work and decision making, it’s useful to recap on some basics and make the link to managing your own and others’ emotions.

A good communicator/speaker has the following skills:

• Confidence – smiles, makes eye contact, moves about in a calm way, engages the audience
• Good grasp of language – good volume and tone (not monotone)
• Doesn’t use jargon and acronyms
• Often asks questions to get the audience thinking
• Notices audience expressions and reacts/responds.

Not everyone finds conversations easy. Do you sometimes struggle to find something to say or the right thing to say? Not only can conversation skills be considered a personal skill or strength, but they can also be considered from a cultural perspective, particularly conversations that involve "small talk".

Rather than starting or maintaining a conversation with another person, there may be times that you actually need to wind up a conversation - this is particularly true of "small talk" in the work environment. This can be just as difficult as making conversation!

Consider the non-verbal cues you might use to effectively wind up a conversation with a work colleague who has been talking to you about non-work related issues or "small talk" for far too long...

What non-verbal cues would you use?

Rather than send out rude non-verbal cues that are not likely to be noticed, what would an emotionally intelligent person say to wind up the conversation?

• [name], it’s been great catching up but I really must get back to work.
• Or if you feel the need to be more specific... [name], I have a meeting that I need to prepare for, so I really must go.

If someone in an office is a serial offender – talking too much and ignoring or not noticing cues – it is likely to become a management issue and their supervisor may need to provide them with some constructive feedback.