Some employees do really good work on paper but just don’t seem to cut it in terms of personal interactions with their colleagues and clients. In today’s business climate, being able to work well with others is increasingly important.

If you need a career development boost, it is possible that what you need to do is get along better with others. If you or one of your employees is stalled out in terms of career growth, stop to consider whether a refresher course in emotional intelligence may be in order.

Employees with strong emotional intelligence are able to empathize with other people and see any given situation from a variety of perspectives. They can also understand different personality types and what makes them tick in order to communicate more effectively. If you or anyone you know needs an emotional intelligence boost, these are easy action steps that you can take.

Improve Your Emotional Intelligence.

1. Take an Online Personality Test.

The personalized results of an online personality test will help you understand not only your own personal communication style, but also how to better interact with a variety of other personality types.

2. Subscribe to a Professional Development Newsletter.

Free online resources such as a professional development newsletter can help give useful tips that will strengthen your communication with others. Business blogs or a free professional development newsletter are good sources for such information as how to resolve employee disputes, how to deal with difficult people, and a variety of other ways to strengthen your emotional intelligence.

3. Take a Breather.

If you have difficult people that you have to work with each day, then online personality tests and other online business resources are an excellent resource. However, sometimes the best thing you can do in a difficult situation at work is to have the emotional intelligence to know when you need a break. If things are getting heated, then do what you need to do to stay calm. Take a break to get a drink or take a walk around the block. Ultimately, strong emotional intelligence means being able to do what you need to do to control your response to any given situation.