As the owner of a home services business, Nathan Hadrava spends much of his time interacting with customers and making sure they’re happy and satisfied. That’s not too unusual when you work in a customer-facing role, but what sets Hadrava apart is the way he interacts with the people he encounters on a daily basis.
Hadrava, who has run Klean Home Detailing for the past five years, is a firm believer in using emotional intelligence to have deeper and more meaningful interactions with both his customers and his employees.
“It’s all about learning to see people for who they essentially are and also to look objectively at yourself,” Hadrava said. “Being able to do this is extremely helpful and useful and it can really impact your ability to succeed in all areas of your life.”
Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to perceive, understand and manage emotions. People like Hadrava with high levels of emotional intelligence can use information gleaned from emotions – both their own and those of others – to inform their thinking and adjust their behavior depending on the situation.
An avid reader, Hadrava has embraced the four categories of emotional intelligence outlined in the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Joseph Griffith. They are:
- Self awareness: This is about learning not to just see emotions but also reactions, perspectives, strengths, weaknesses, views and values. It’s also about having the self confidence to walk through the world as yourself.
- Self management: This goes hand-in-hand with self awareness. When you are self aware, Hadrava said, you can learn how to regulate your reactions and responses so if you’re put in a challenging situation, you can react more calmly and appropriately.
- Social awareness: This category centers around empathy, forming connections and understanding the emotions of others. “You’re trying to get a more objective perspective on things and trying to view situations through the other person’s lens,” Hadrava said.
- Relationship management: This final category relates to leadership, influence, conflict management and teamwork and collaboration.
Using Emotional Intelligence In Personal Interactions & Business Settings
Hadrava has incorporated all four pillars into his everyday life both personally and professionally, and it’s made him more deliberate in how he interacts with people. For example, he’s constantly reading body language and listening for verbal cues.
“When I talk to someone, I’m looking at their facial expressions and listening to the tone of their voices,” he said. “Then I’m able to regulate how I talk and how I interact based on what I’m seeing so I can be more attuned to what motivates them.”
When it comes to his employees, for instance, some of them need a lot of encouragement to be successful and productive. When Hadrava sees someone who falls into that category, he knows just what to do.
“Rather than saying ‘good job,’ I’ll be more specific,” he said. “I’ll say ‘I saw you doing (a certain activity) and you did great – keep up the good work.’ Because of my emotional intelligence, I’m mindful of those things and it makes all the difference.”
In terms of interacting with clients, Hadrava is mindful of the signals they send so he can make adjustments in communication. If he senses someone is really busy and just wants him to get to work and finish the job, he’ll follow her lead and keep things moving. On the other hand, if a client indicates that he wants to be more sociable and talkative, he can pick up on that as well and fully engage in the conversation.
Benefits Of Using Emotional Intelligence In Your Business
While developing emotional intelligence doesn’t happen overnight, Hadrava has found that the more you practice being aware of yourself and of others, the better you get. And for Hadrava, it has paid off in the form of new business.
“Emotional intelligence helps build trust,” he said. “I’ve had customers tell me that I wasn’t the most affordable option but they hired me because they trusted me. That really means a lot.”
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