Emotional intelligence(EQ) is the ability to understand, use and manage your emotions in ways that are professional and positive to communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.
Product managers need to be good at emotional intelligence due to the nature of their day-to-day work that actively involves conversations with users, meetings with stakeholders, and the day-to-day management of the product team.
To manage people and conversations well, the product manager has to have emotionally intelligence. Emotional intelligence helps you identify, assess, and manage your own emotions as well as those of others. It also helps you understand the emotions that drive people’s decisions and behaviors.
It can be hard to find time for self-development while juggling so many responsibilities but it’s important to remember that emotional intelligence will help you become more efficient in your work and achieve better results in the long run.
In this section, we will go over the importance of emotional intelligence in product management. Emotional intelligence is a crucial skill for product managers that needs to be developed if lacking. This is because product managers often need to deal with conflicts between stakeholders and team members, and they need to understand the impact of their decisions on different departments within the company.
Here are some ways that you can improve your emotional intelligence:
Listen well.
A product manager needs to listen to everyone involved in the product’s life cycle (stakeholders, users, clients, development team, etc.). Understanding their emotions and analyzing their needs to make the right business decisions. Doing this consistently builds your emotional intelligence.
Humor.
It is not all the time everything has to be serious. Include minor relevant jokes that are not degrading to any party in the conversation. This should not be too much so people don’t get too distracted. Remember laughter brings the nervous system into balance, reduces stress, and makes people more empathic. Humor is also a great way to gauge emotional intelligence.
Be Enthusiastic.
Seduce the stakeholders and your product team with your energy and determination. Enthusiasm is a significant part of success. Steve Jobs once attributed the success of Apple to their passion and enthusiasm through a simple phrase: “We’re just enthusiastic about what we do.”
Be Empathetic.
There will always be times when people fall short or are finding some tasks challenging. At these moments, a product manager needs to put themselves in the other individual’s shoes. Empathy helps one see better and make the best decisions based on reality while taking into consideration the factors affecting other people. Also, paying attention to everyone’s emotions, needs, and expectations, using pleasant words to recognize success, or criticizing constructively – when needed – will create a friendly and trusting work environment that helps people perform better. Learn about communication skills here.
