9/24/2024-“Gimme that EI…it’s mine!”

Whether it’s a snarky email from a client or an obnoxious comment from a peer at a company outing, you must learn to manage your reactions and emotions if you want to be in the TOP 10%.

EI…it’s when you block distractions and control your reactions. (Who has time for drama when you know you must keep moving toward your goals?)

Emotional Intelligence can be developed. And that’s good news if you weren’t born with a hey whatever switch set to ON.

Let others on your team overreact and throw mini-tantrums… just smile, walk away, and return your focus to your tasks and goals.

To build your reaction muscle, don’t overreact to anything today.

Break through a big internal obstacle that has been wearing you down? …don’t break a smile.

Land a meeting with a VIP you’ve been tracking for a year? …high five nobody.

Close a whale account? …well, okay, go ahead and call your mom! Mom deserves good news and the joy she hears in your voice.

Emote and react as if nobody is watching; build your "whatever" muscle.

These days, you don’t have to block out Acct. Mgr. Fred’s horrible music because you’re working in your bedroom. (Thanks, Covid!)

But what about your manager, who made that not-so-discreet comment on the video sales weekly meeting yesterday? (Does your manager know how hard you’re working the Acme account??)

Whether it’s a snarky email from a client, an obnoxious comment from a peer at a company outing, or a mocking statement from someone on the enablement team, you must learn to manage your reactions and emotions if you want to gain admission to the TOP 10% club.

Even if you’re an expert at maintaining a fake smile while "SCREW THAT MISERABLE JERK" floats through your brain, you know that’s not the definition of managing emotions. (Thoughts need to be managed too.)

Here are a few tips to help drive forward through the muck of the day:
1. Ignore it. Laugh it off.
2. Judge nothing you hear…let the comment made by the miserable jerk (ha) drift away.
3. Empathize: reactions and behaviors are symptomatic of something… maybe the poor person didn’t eat a good breakfast?
4. Focus. Realize it’s your decision how much power you give to negative energy. Don’t let it distract you from working on your goals.

While baseball is an elegant game featuring graceful and measured athleticism….the players in this montage can surely get upset and take things hard!

As you think about keeping cool and managing your emotions, don’t let these animated temper tantrums give you any ideas.

Keep an even keel.