Being Aware Of Emotional Intelligence As A PIO

Working in public communication is hard. Whether you’re in the first responder space, utilities, transport or government, there is no doubt that it isn’t ‘just a job’. The public, media and stakeholders are always demanding accountability and answers. 

Have you ever found yourself reacting emotionally to something and wishing you hadn’t? It’s common and understandable in this type of work.

So how do you deal with this effectively so you aren’t being triggered? We broke down some top-line useful pointers to take into consideration when you’re on the front line of communication and media handling.

What is emotional intelligence and why does it matter?

Emotional self-awareness is our ability to understand the emotions we’re experiencing – to be really aware of what the emotion feels like and to be able to differentiate between a variety of emotions. Self-awareness is also the ability to identify emotional triggers, in other words, what is causing our emotional reactions. In this regard, it is valuable for us to treat emotions as information, telling us about the external world.

Ever walked into a room and someone just blows up at you for no reason? When this happens in a professional environment the lasting effects are not just damaging to you but those around you and can linger a long time, causing wider issues for your agency. Everyone has times when they feel that they’ve been pushed too far, which is why being on top of emotional intelligence is important for you, your coworkers and the community you serve.