Emotional intelligence

Emotional Intelligence and Appreciative Inquiry Emotional Intelligence and Appreciative Inquiry Introduction Over the last fifty years, institutions or organizations have been regarded to comprises problems that must be solved. This has obliged managers to adapt a problem oriented approach in managing organization and as a result, slight achievements or accomplishments have been achieved. In this regard, there has been the need to replace the problem oriented approach with emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry as a means of achieving improved outcomes. This paper offers a brief description of an issue in a health care setting that requires change, and how a nurse leader or manager could apply both emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry strategies to address this issue and facilitate positive results that lead to improved quality.
Defining appreciative inquiry and emotional intelligence
Appreciative inquiry is defined by Nel and Pretorius (2012) as ” The study of what gives life to human systems when they function at their best” (p. 41). Nel and Pretorius (2012) further asserts that appreciative inquiry functions under the postulation that human beings posses exceptional and distinctive talents, abilities, and involvements. Therefore, there exist intact and unexploited strengths that have to be connected or intertwined in order to achieve change. In other words, appreciative inquiry involve investigations to identify the strengths of an entity by means of well calculated queries with an intention of achieving change. Emotional intelligence, as explicated by Sadri (2012), involves ” perceiving emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought” (p. 536). It also involves controlling or managing feelings in order to support and encourage poignant and logical development (Sadri, 2012).
Problem that requires change
Conflicts are inevitable in health care organizations. Health care organizations comprise of individuals from diverse backgrounds with divergent opinions regarding specific issues. Therefore, diversity contributes to these conflicts. Emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry can be used to prevent conflicts in health care organizations. During conflicts, nurses and other medical practitioners are likely to demonstrate emotions or sentiments. In other words, their responses in times of conflicts are based on their emotions. By using emotional intelligence, i can be able to comprehend nurses emotions and thus use the understanding to make decisions relating to conflict resolution. This is in view to the fact that people have divergent viewpoints and hence their emotions ought to be considered in conflict resolutions. This will result to a healthy dialogue that will facilitate positive results and improved quality.
In terms of appreciative inquiry, identifying employees strengths and aligning them with their activities and emotions can help me, as a nurse manager, prevent conflicts in health care organizations. Rather than focusing on the problems, using appreciative inquiry would help me focus on strengths that are producing positive results (Copperrider and Godwin, 2010). As mentioned earlier, organizations are considered problems that ought to be solved. Appreciative inquiry changes this perspective or notion to an ambiguous entity that must be embraced in order to achieve positive results (Copperrider and Godwin, 2010). Under the appreciative inquiry approach, peoples behaviors are guided by how they envision the future. In relation to conflict resolution, appreciative inquiry will make nurses and other medical practitioners involved in conflicts understand the probable future outcomes if positive behaviors to improve quality are embraced. For instance, it can lead to improved productivity. In conclusion, emotional intelligence involves making out peoples emotions and employing the understanding in making decisions relating to change. Appreciative inquiry involved investigating peoples abilities to identify their strengths. Both emotional intelligence and appreciative inquiry can be used in conflict resolution. To achieve change, health care managers ought to align employees strengths with their activities and emotions.
References
Copperrider, D. L., & Godwin, L. N. (2010). Positive organization development: Innovation-inspired change in an economy and ecology of strengths. Retrieved from http://appreciativeinquiry. case. edu/intro/comment. cfm
Nel, H., & Pretorius, E. (2012). Applying appreciative inquiry in building capacity in a nongovernmental organization for youths: An example from Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa. Social Development Issues, 34(1), 37–55.
Sadri, G. (2012). Emotional intelligence and leadership development. Public Personnel Management, 41(3), 535–548.