Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important for Your Optometry Business
You may have heard of IQ, but do you know about EQ?
Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important for Your Optometry Business
EQ is short for emotional intelligence quotient, and it is a concept that is often overlooked despite its importance in the workplace. While IQ is a popular measure of a person’s cognitive abilities, EQ is a lesser-known measure of their emotional intelligence or the ability to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.
In the optometry world, high EQ is important for those in leadership positions, including business owners, managers, and practitioners, but also for others in your team or staff.
Here’s why.
Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important for Your Optometry Business
Individuals with high EQ tend to have better communication skills and promote teamwork, making them more effective in problem-solving and promoting business growth. Lacking EQ can hinder professional
relationships with employees, staff, and customers.
Poor communication and a lack of understanding of others’ feelings and concerns can lead to inefficiency, conflicts and issues, causing the progress of your optometry business to stall.
On the other hand, high EQ can have the opposite effect.
You and your staff can improve communications with patients, build stronger relationships with your team members regardless of the size of your optometry business, and provide better customer service
to increase customer loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Your team can also improve conflict resolution through high emotional intelligence, because they have a better understanding of the emotions that led to those conflicts. The benefits for your optometry business, its team and patients are incredible.
In the past, there was not much emphasis on the importance of EQ, and there were few tests available to screen for it.
These days, however, EQ is considered a fundamental ability for healthy interpersonal relationships an effective communication in business. Studies have shown that 60% of larger global companies include EQ in their employment pre-screening process.
Individuals who score high in EQ tend to be more successful in their careers, while those who score low often struggle. Fortunately, EQ is a learned behavior, rather than a genetic trait.
Professional advisors in the field of EQ can help your optometry businesses pre-screen job candidates and provide training to enhance the skills of existing staff interacting with others.
Your optometry business can find specialized advisors on the internet and through professional associations dedicated to EQ. These advisors often recommend active listening to understand perspectives, emotional self-reflection to identify healthy management strategies, and the practice of
seeking feedback to improve communications and interpersonal skills.
Wrapping Up
EQ is a crucial factor in your business’s success, because it dictates the outcome of how you and your staff engage clients and each other.
Just as your patients visit you to maintain and improve their eye health, your optometry business should utilize specialized advisors to maintain and improve the emotional intelligence of its team.
Not only will it bring more loyal customers and revenue for your business, but it will also make your team more empathetic, united, and efficient.