There is a lot of
buzz in the industry around Emotional Intelligence, which primarily deals with
having interpersonal skills. The issue
is really much broader than this. As we
go throughout our day, we may experience a variety of emotions based on
specific situations or how we perceive our interactions with others.
“What’s with all the leadership closed-door
meetings? Are we going to have a layoff?” (fear)
“How dare they pass me over
for that promotion. After all I’ve contributed to this company?” (anger)
These
situations can ignite emotional triggers which drive our behaviors and
reactions. Becoming aware of these
emotions, being in charge of them, how we react and behave because of them is
the key. We call this being flexible or
agile with your emotions.
Most of the time,
especially in the workplace, we don’t take the time to think about the emotions
we’re experiencing, or to consider how they might impact our behaviors. That usually happens after the fact - on the
drive home when we ruminate on a heated discussion and wish we’d handled it
differently. Or it may not happen until someone calls us on our behavior the
next day. Or worse, it may not happen at all.
In his work, psychologist
Robert Plutchik identified eight basic emotions and their opposites: Joy –
sadness; trust – disgust; fear – anger; surprise – anticipation; sadness – joy;
disgust – trust; anger – fear; anticipation – surprise. Plutchik theorized
that:
- Emotions have served an adaptive role in helping organisms deal with key survival issues posed by the environment
- Primary emotions can be conceptualized in terms of pairs of polar opposites
- All emotions vary in their degree of similarity to one another
We need our emotions! Even the ones that we might
consider negative – sadness, anger, fear, disgust. In fact, according to an article
in Scientific American, “anger and sadness are an important part of life, and
new research shows that experiencing and accepting such emotions are vital to
our mental health. Attempting to suppress thoughts can backfire and even
diminish our sense of contentment.”
So the key is not to suppress your emotions, but to
become more aware and appreciative of them, and in so doing, recognize how they
impact your behaviors. This enables your
ability to reframe your behavior into a more productive response.
Once
you have an awareness of how you typically respond to certain triggers and in
certain situations, you can choose a different response. It’s not about
avoiding certain emotions, or interpreting them as good or bad. After all, your
emotions are your emotions. It’s about understanding them and learning to
adjust your behavior accordingly.
When we
experience an emotion, we should recognize and act on it. You know you are
feeling something, what are you going to do with that? Are you acting in a way
that aligns with your belief system, or are you reacting to old baggage?
Emotions are not good or bad, right or wrong. We have to reframe and understand
where they are coming from, or act on them and make a change. Our emotions come into play when our core
values are compromised. If our behaviors
are not in line with our core values, it creates discontent within us.
So how do you
begin the journey from recognizing emotions to managing behaviors? Lumina
Emotion is the internal compass that helps us align our behaviors with our
values and beliefs. The Lumina Emotion
Portrait uncovers the relationship between your inner feelings, emotions and
behaviors. It examines unique patterns of behavior, including how you may tune
up or tune down certain behaviors to suit the needs of your environment. It
also focuses on how you can overplay your strengths and highlights potential
blockers to interpersonal effectiveness - those emotions we feel when we are
overly stressed or under pressure. Lumina Emotion helps you understand how you
will react. It takes you on a journey to composure, which helps you find the
behavior that will rescue you.
Interested in learning
more about Lumina Emotion? Contact us at info-us@luminalearning.com to learn about upcoming Lumina Emotion events.
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