On four different occasions, Alejandro Reyna ‘17 visited us to discuss the topic of EQ or Emotional Quotient. Discussing different topics each time under the broad EQ umbrella we learned a lot about ourselves and others. One of the most important ways EQ fits into the business world, from my perspective, is that you need to know people and how to work with them. Having a better understanding of people allows you to form a deeper connection.
Another thing we did while learning about EQ was journaling. While it might seem like a mundane task, it made you really think about what you had done that day, or what was something that made you upset. It also allowed you to think about what you had done to reach your goals for the day, and if you didn’t, what stopped you from reaching them.
An interesting topic that we covered during one of our sessions was sympathy versus empathy. Sympathy is when you are just saying sorry to someone and move on. Empathy is when you understand what someone is going through because you might’ve gone through the same thing. Being able to relate to people is a strong networking skill. Understanding who they are and where they came from allows you to form that deeper connection.
Another key topic that we covered was body language and tone. It’s very important in understanding your mannerisms when it comes to public speaking and listening to people. Most of the time it’s just little things, like keeping your hands out of your pockets and not fidgeting. To go with tone, understanding your surroundings and what kind of setting you are in to dictate how loud or quiet you are when speaking. One way Alejandro helped us understand our voices better was by doing vocal warmups. This let us know the range of how loud we could be while speaking.
In conclusion, a big thank you to Alejandro for helping us better understand ourselves and others. And teaching us valuable skills like body language, our tone of voice, and journaling, that are frequently used in the business world.
