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by
Sara Fletcher
TalentSmart
 Nowadays,
public relations professionals require a wide range of qualities
in order to succeed, ranging from communication, listening to
writing skills.
In addition to these skills, the
best PR professionals also have a variety of personality traits,
such as confidence, creativity, and a level of openness.
However, many professionals have a single trait in common –
emotional intelligence. This quality can be the defining point
between good and great professionals, as it determines the
individual’s ability to emotionally connect with others.
Connecting Emotional Intelligence and Public Relations
Emotional intelligence is the individual’s ability to manage
behavior, navigate social networks, and make decisions that are
not ruled by rampant emotions. This quality is important, not
only because of it provides you with a variety of skills, but
because it also helps you stand out among your competitors.
Regardless of whether you’re a new PR intern or a seasoned
professional, it is vital to display your emotional intelligence
wherever you can. The following are distinct characteristics
that fall under the umbrella of emotional intelligence and
provide any individual with the tools for success:
1. Self Awareness
Self awareness is the individual’s ability to perceive emotions
and stay aware of them as they happen. As a public relations
professional, you are often the voice and face, speaking on
behalf of the company. Therefore, it would not bode well if you
lost your temper, as it would reflect poorly on both the company
and yourself. Keeping emotions in check will help professionals
maintain their cool and better serve as a representative and
spokesperson.
2. Self Management
Simply understanding your emotions is not enough – you’ll also
need to be able to manage those emotions and adapt to any
situation. A display of rage and other emotions causes a range
of negative effects on both the individual and the company,
ranging from failed campaigns to major PR disasters. As a
result, it is vital that PR managers understand when their
emotions are useful and when to keep them under wraps.
3. Social Awareness
Emotional intelligence is more than just being able to perceive
emotions – it also determines the individual’s actions with
regards to those emotions. Social awareness is the ability to
pick up on the emotions of others, being able to sympathize and
effectively connect with them. As a public relations
professional, this skill is vital – it can help you better
understand your audience and get a feel of what best evokes an
emotional response from them.
4. Relationship Management
Finally, the last skill under the broad category of emotional
intelligence is relationship management. This determines your
ability to effectively use your awareness to manage and navigate
interactions with success. Public relations professionals handle
a variety of parties on a daily basis, ranging from clients,
coworkers, media groups and others. In order to navigate the
constantly changing environment of public relations and handle
relationships in the same time, it is vital for PR individuals
to possess a high degree of emotional intelligence.
Sara Fletcher is a writer at
TalentSmart emotional intelligence and
is interested in listening to motivational speakers in
leadership.
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