Manage your communication and emotions in a professional setting
Communication and emotions are two essential aspects of professional life. They influence the way we work, collaborate, negotiate, solve problems, manage stress and conflicts. Knowing how to manage your communication and emotions in a professional setting is therefore a key skill for your career and personal development.
What do we mean by communication and emotions?
Communication is the set of processes that allow us to exchange information, ideas, opinions, feelings with other people. It can be verbal (words, writing) or non-verbal (gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice). Communication is effective when it is clear, precise, adapted to the context and to the interlocutor, and when it allows to reach the intended goal.
Emotions are psychological and physiological reactions to a situation, an event or a person. They can have positive connotations (joy, satisfaction, enthusiasm) or negative ones (anger, fear, sadness). Emotions are useful because they inform us about our inner state, our needs, our values. They motivate us to act or react.
Emotions have an impact on:
- Behavior (actions, reactions)
- Motivation (desire, commitment)
- Creativity (innovation, adaptation)
- Health (stress, fatigue)
- Self-esteem (confidence, competence)
What are the benefits of knowing how to manage your communication and emotions?
nowing how to manage one’s communication and emotions in a professional setting has many advantages:
Improving professional relationships:
by communicating in a respectful, empathetic and assertive way, you foster trust, cooperation and mutual respect with your colleagues, superiors and/or clients. Misunderstandings, tensions and conflicts are avoided.
Increase your performance:
by communicating clearly, concisely and relevantly, you facilitate the understanding, transmission and use of information. You save time and efficiency. You strengthen your professional image and credibility.
Develop your emotional intelligence:
by recognizing, accepting and regulating your emotions, you avoid them overwhelming or paralyzing you. We learn to use them as levers to achieve our goals. We strengthen our self-confidence and self-esteem.
Preserve your mental and physical health:
by managing your stress and negative emotions, you reduce the risk of burn-out, depression and anxiety. We improve our well-being and quality of life.
How to learn to manage your communication and emotions?
There are several ways to manage your communication and emotions in a professional setting. Here are some examples:
Take a step back:
when faced with a difficult or stressful situation, it is important to take time to analyze the situation, identify the causes of the problem, the needs and expectations of each person.
Training:
there are specific training courses to learn how to manage communication and emotions in a professional context. These trainings allow you to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge on the subject.
Practice:
like any skill, managing communication and emotions is developed through practice. It is therefore useful to practice regularly to communicate effectively and to regulate one’s emotions.
Get support:
it can be beneficial to get help from a professional (coach, psychologist) to work on your strengths and weaknesses in terms of communication and emotions.
Conclusion
Managing communication and emotions in a professional environment improves the quality of relationships at work, whether with colleagues, superiors or clients. It also helps to avoid conflict situations, reduce stress and increase productivity and professional fulfillment.
There are several ways to develop one’s communication and emotional management in a professional setting: taking a step back, training, practicing, and getting support. Human resources have an important role to play in informing employees about these subjects and offering them training adapted to their needs.
It is therefore possible to improve the management of one’s communication and emotions and to benefit both professionally and personally.
