Emotional Intelligence For Dummies
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At work, emotional intelligence can help you deal effectively with difficult people and situations. If you’re in the unfortunate position of working with people that you don’t like, you can follow these tips to get the most out of the time spent with your co-workers:

  • Know your work style. Determine whether certain people bother you or whether you generally just want to work alone.

  • Know your feelings. Decide whether you prefer to work with some people (either employees or certain types of customers) and not others. Structure your time to get more control over when you have to work with people you have negative feelings about.

  • Pick a time of day. See whether you're more open to dealing with others at a particular time of day.

  • Choose a place. Decide whether you're more comfortable working with others in a particular place (for example, standing at her desk so that you can decide when to leave).

  • Plan ahead. Plan your interactions (set goals for the interactions) in advance so that you can structure them and control the time.

  • Keep it short. Set the amount of time for your interactions in advance and try to stick to it.

  • Be professional. Be pleasant, even you if you don’t like the person you have to deal with.

About This Article

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About the book author:

Steven J. Stein, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and CEO of Multi-Health Systems (MHS), a leading international test publishing company. A leading expert on psychological assessment and emotional intelligence, he has consulted to military and government agencies, including the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy; special units of the Pentagon; and the FBI Academy; as well as corporate organizations, including American Express, Canyon Ranch, and professional sports teams.

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