Introduction
Are you able to read a room right as soon as you walk into it? Do you understand how people are feeling below the surface by observing their body language and facial expressions? If you do, these are signs of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a hot topic as of late; with growing interest in soft skills among the professional world emotional intelligence is now known to be fundamental to working well with people. The term EQ has sprung up to quantify one’s emotional skills in the same way IQ references one’s cognitive skills. Having EQ knowledge is a key component of being a great leader and efficient communicator. We interviewed two industry professionals who both have roles in the localization industry and asked them what they thought about EQ and the importance of soft skills in the workplace. We found that nearly everything in the workplace has a relationship with EQ, whether it be communication, leadership skills, cultural sensitivity, or simply personal flexibility and confidence. Being in touch with your emotional intelligence is necessary for today’s workplace. In this article, we would like to share with you advice we learned from interviewing industry professionals.
When is EQ Relevant?
When interviewing industry professionals, something that was emphasized was the importance of being able to connect with team members. An effective way to connect with a team is to know how your team members prefer to engage when discussing team projects, giving and receiving feedback, and if necessary— conflict resolution. One of our interviewees mentioned how he asked his colleagues how they and their supervisor(s) preferred to communicate (i.e. high-context vs. low-context communication styles). We found this to be a simple solution to creating those communication channels rather than just trying to guess how to approach a new team. Depending on factors such as cultural differences and company culture, your approach to addressing supervisors and managers can vary if the company or department already has a strict hierarchy in place.
Being aware of others’ emotional needs, in addition to our own, can lead to better quality of work, a transparent and productive work environment, and successful interactions while establishing new connections as well. Say I was in the position of a project manager. If I noticed that my team members were not asking a lot of questions, there is a possibility that they might not be aware that they are allowed to ask questions. I would use my social awareness to then remind them that it’s okay to ask questions and speak to me about their needs as a valued team member. However, even when we are not in a managerial position, only we can advocate for ourselves.
When we are able to advocate for our needs to our fellow team members, it is proof that we are in a healthy working environment that is happier and more sustainable in the long run.
Communication Best Practices
An important “soft skill” that companies often look for when hiring people is communication. They may not ask directly, but often they want to know if you are an effective communicator, someone who can communicate well in a diverse team. But what does effective communication look like? How do we communicate well with others in a professional setting? After talking with two different localization industry professionals, I found the following to be what constitutes effective communication.
- Be clear and precise
You need to be incredibly clear and precise in spelling out the tasks, their details (such as deadlines) and any requirements. Keep it simple, so that it is easily read and understood. This is one step in avoiding miscommunication and misunderstandings.
- Don’t assume you were understood
Make sure that you not only get confirmation that the email was received, but also confirmation of the details of the task/request, such as deadlines. This way, you know for sure the important details were seen and understood. Similarly, when you are confirming a task/request yourself, retell what you have understood a task/request to be, as well as tell back what you are going to deliver. Again, these are more steps to avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings.
- Overcommunicate
Great and effective communication may feel uncomfortable, like you are overcommunicating. But being persistent in communication, “overcommunicating” in essence, means you are doing what you can to keep communication going and to avoid misunderstandings.
- Understand other’s communication styles
Everyone communicates differently. Some are more high context communicators, while others may be more low context communicators. Understanding how others communicate can help you better communicate with them in a way that works for them. And if you aren’t sure – ask!
Overall, communication seems to take intentional effort. Effective communication is not just going to happen. You must make the decision and effort to put in the time to communicate through clear and precise language, check if one was understood repeatedly, communicate often so that it feels like you are overcommunicating, and strive to understand others’ ways of communicating. Then you can confidently say that you are, indeed, an effective communicator.
Leadership: Facilitating Healthy Communication
Leadership and communication are so closely linked it could be said that good leadership in the workplace is just good communication. One of the things said by an industry professional we interviewed that really intrigued all of us is, “you don’t need to be a leader to show leadership skills.” Even if you have just arrived in a workplace there are many specific ways to show leadership and it starts with communication. Checking in with colleagues and making sure that everyone understands the specific tasks they and their teams are doing is essential. Being the person who asks clarifying questions in meetings is also a simple way to make sure everyone is on the same page. Furthermore, engaging in healthy communication will make your workplace more efficient and just a more enjoyable place to work. Sometimes clarification may seem redundant but anyone who has been in a workplace without healthy communication knows how far these small gestures will go; good communication resolves problems before they happen, and if you keep your communication simple, sincere, and friendly everyone should know that you are trying to benefit the group. And the good news is that establishing good communication is relatively easy–asking substantive questions, checking in with colleagues, clarifying tasks, deadlines, and workflows–these are habits that one can adopt easily. One just needs to start thinking of themselves as the person in the office who does those things. Furthermore, going out of your way to mentor others and or be a guiding voice through challenges builds trust and showcases your ability to inspire and motivate those around you. Ultimately, embodying these traits can pave the way for future leadership opportunities as representing yourself as a leader makes it easier for others to imagine you in that leadership role you have your eyes on.
“What I Wish I Knew”
As a localization professional, you will have to meet and work with stakeholders with different priorities, business needs, and preferences. Identifying what those specific differences are is key to a successful partnership and having high EQ and good communication skills will help you build that connection over time. As a student studying localization, group projects or individual assignments that simulate the workplace environment may seem overwhelming as you try to execute everything to perfection. However, the people that you work with now and the skills you learn from these group experiences will certainly carry over in your future professional career, whether they had positive or negative outcomes. “Take everything that you learn as a long-term investment rather than a sprint.” – Localization Specialist
Take this opportunity as a student and the courses available to you to develop the skills you want to achieve in your career. If you have areas in which you feel you are lacking, identify what that is and start building your own “passion projects” to dive deeper into that topic. Not only will you learn the hard skills associated with it, but you can also conquer the feeling of imposter syndrome in the process. It is easy to let imposter syndrome take over when we recognize our own incompetencies for certain skills. But if you allow yourself to transform those negative thoughts into reflection and opportunity for growth, that is how you can overcome it, by making something unknown or seemingly difficult more applicable for you. “Every situation is an opportunity to learn from. Take rejections as opportunities.” – Localization Manager
Conclusion
As we navigate our careers, it’s essential to recognize that emotional intelligence and soft skills are integral to our success and advancement. EQ has emerged as a critical skill set in today’s professional landscape, especially within the localization industry. Our interviews with industry professionals highlighted that the ability to read a room, understand diverse communication styles, and foster connections are paramount to effective teamwork and leadership in the localization industry. Ultimately, developing these skills will position us as future leaders and capable members of the localization industry.