Emotions, Communication and Productivity

As we go about our professional and private lives we realize that there are three constant components to our existence, Emotions, Communication and Productivity. Let us now look at each of these components in detail and see how they fit into our everyday lives.

Emotions:

What are our emotions? Emotions are an expression of “energy in motion”. All emotion is perfectly normal. Sadness, Anger, Joy and Fear are emotions that are expressed at different levels of intensity according to how we feel. Emotions are intense and temporary. Feelings such as Happiness, Worry, Love and Contentment are sustainable and low key.

These days employers are more interested in the EQ (Emotional Quotient) as opposed to the IQ (Intelligence Quotient). Emotional quotient (EQ) or emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups. An Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a score derived from several standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. Obviously a balanced combination is desirable however I believe that an emotionally intelligent employee, partner or employer will gain much more from their relationships/teams privately or professionally.

Communication:

There are 3 main styles of communication: Assertive, Passive and Aggressive. It is said that 70% – 80% of all our communication is through Body Language. If a person is feeling angry or upset they will most likely display body language to support the emotion that they are experiencing. We have all had the experience of walking into a room and “feeling” the negative or positive vibe that had resulted before we entered. It may be that an argument may have taken place between a couple; or it may be that the group had been laughing uncontrollably at something very funny…..either experience produces an unseen feeling or “Vibe” which we interpret as positive or negative .

Learning how to deal with all three types of communicators can be difficult. One needs to be open to the signs that give us clues and in an instant we decide what type of communication we need to use or what type of communicator we may be dealing with.

There is however one very important communication skill that is very often overlooked, and that is the art of “Listening”. So many of us are not present in our conversations, instead we are thinking about what we are going to say next, and so therefore we are not truly listening. As a professional counsellor I must always be present with my client and listen intently to not only what is being said, but also what is not being said…….a good communicator will always remain attentive and present in a conversation.

Productivity:

What is productivity? As a human being what does it mean to be productive? Is it that we perform well in our work, or that we are able to check off all our jobs on our “to do” list? Or does it mean that we need to join the dots Emotionally, Mentally, Physically and perhaps even Spiritually? What does it exactly mean “to be productive?”

Let’s talk here about being psychologically productive; what might that entail I hear you ask? If we go back a little to Emotions and Communication we might see that in order to be psychologically productive we must first have these two areas under some level of control. Research tells us that we are “four bodied system”. We might call this the “Square of Life” and in this square we have our Physical body, our Emotional body, our Mental body and our Spiritual body. When one of these four areas of our lives is inadequate then we feel as if we are “out of balance”!

To be psychologically productive we need to have these four areas in balance. If we look deeply enough we will be able to identify which of these areas we need to work on. Perhaps it’s the physical body, for example diet or exercise, maybe it’s the emotional body, looking at our stress levels and engaging in some relaxation classes might be useful. The mental body may be where our work needs to be done. Perhaps by addressing our negative thoughts and actions or becoming aware of our self talk and making an effort to change or improve it. Finally what if we are out of balance spiritually, what would that feel like? Perhaps you have felt disconnected at sometime in your life? I am certainly not talking about religion here it’s about the connection you feel with your community, with nature and the faith you have in yourself……maybe that’s where your work needs to be done.

Perform a reality check on your Emotions, Communication and Productivity levels and bring your life back into balance.