“Emotional intelligence is critical in building and maintaining relationships and influencing others—key skills that help people throughout their career and wherever they sit in an organisational structure,” — says Margaret Andrews, instructor of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership.

So, how to improve emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence development is a continual process, and the path is unique to each individual. Nonetheless, the following acts are believed will help you improve your self-awareness, empathy, and social skills.

1. Determine what you are really feeling

Recognising your feelings is the first step in learning how to be emotionally intelligent. Ask yourself what you're feeling. Mindfulness is a tried-and-true method for gaining perspective on your emotions, allowing you to regulate unpleasant emotions and harness positive ones. As you become more aware of your sentiments, you will be able to pay more attention to how you speak to others.

2. Acknowledge and appreciate your emotions

Improving your emotional intelligence does not imply rejecting your emotions. Your emotions are always there to help you, so be open and honest about your feelings. When you learn to validate your own emotions, you become more capable of validating the feelings of others, which is a critical component of practising empathy.

3. Create a strong belief in yourself

When you think you will be able to conquer it, you get unstoppable confidence. Consider another moment when you successfully managed a similar sensation to establish trust in any scenario. You can do it again if you've done it before. You can handle rugged terrain with confidence.

4. Value self-awareness

Accepting your feelings is one of the steps in a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Emotional mastery requires a level of self-awareness in which you detect your emotions and understand how they influence your conduct. As you grow more self-aware, you become more tolerant of yourself and more empathic toward others. You will become your inner manager as you utilise self-awareness to learn how to develop emotional intelligence. Instead of responding to things without knowing why you may assess what motivates you. Instead of being impulsive, you may control your responses and make intelligent decisions.

5. Be aware of others’ feelings

Being conscious of your own emotions makes you more aware of the feelings of others, which improves your ability to form good connections. You can comprehend others' problems, pick up on emotional clues, and engage with others relaxed. When you can take care of your own emotional needs, you are more emotionally available as a spouse, friend, coworker, or family member.

6. Use your active listening skills

Emotionally intelligent people listen for clarity in talks rather than waiting for their turn to speak. Before answering, they make sure they comprehend what is being stated. They are aware of nonverbal cues in a conversation. This will avoid misunderstandings, helps the listener respond appropriately, and demonstrates respect for the person.

7. Use an assertive communication approach

Assertive communication goes a long way toward winning respect without appearing overly aggressive or meek. Emotionally intelligent people understand how to express their thoughts and want directly while respecting others.

8. Respond to conflict rather than react to it

Emotional outbursts and sentiments of fury are prevalent during times of conflict. The emotionally intelligent individual understands how to remain calm under challenging conditions. They do not act rashly, which might lead to even worse difficulties. They recognise that the purpose of conflict resolution is to achieve, and they make a conscious decision to focus on ensuring that their actions and words are in line with that.

9. Experiment with techniques to keep a positive mindset and be motivated

Don't underestimate the influence of your attitude. If a person permits it, a bad attitude may readily infect others. Emotionally savvy people are aware of the moods of individuals around them and adjust their attitudes accordingly. They understand what they need to do to have a pleasant day and an optimistic attitude. This might involve eating a nutritious breakfast or lunch, praying or meditating during the day, or placing encouraging quotes near their workstation or computer.

10. Get enthusiastic and take action

“A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action.” —says Tony Robbins.

You must get out there and practice to grasp how to enhance emotional intelligence truly. Set a new goal or milestone for yourself and keep track of your progress. Step outside of your comfort zone. Increase the number of meaningful discussions you have with the people in your life. Be more aware. Place yourself in circumstances where emotional intelligence is necessary on purpose. You will be rewarded in your personal and professional relationships if you put your emotional mastery to work by being receptive to others.

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WHAT IS PROBLEM-SOLVING?
In this era of sophistication, everything has problems, and this is due to the fact that no system in the world is entirely efficient. Humanity spends a significant amount of time, both at work and in our personal lives, attempting to solve problems. Some issues are minor, and we can quickly resolve them. However, others are complex problems that necessitate collaboration, creativity, and a significant amount of effort to solve.

Problem-solving is the process of resolving any type of issue, while problem-solving skill is regarded as a soft skill or a personal strength rather than a hard skill that can be acquired through education or training. Problem-solving abilities assist you in determining why an issue occurs, finding out the root cause, and resolving it quickly and effectively. 


STEPS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING
1. Define the problem
Diagnose the situation so that your focus is on the problem, not just its symptoms. Helpful problem-solving techniques include using flowcharts to identify the expected steps of a process and cause-and-effect diagrams to define and analyze root causes.
The sections below help explain key problem-solving steps. These steps support the involvement of interested parties, the use of factual information, comparison of expectations to reality, and a focus on the root causes of a problem. You should begin by:
Reviewing and documenting how processes currently work (i.e., who does what, with what information, using what tools, communicating with what organizations and individuals, in what time frame, using what format).
Evaluating the possible impact of new tools and revised policies in the development of your "what should be" model.

2. Generate alternative solutions
Postpone the selection of one solution until several problem-solving alternatives have been proposed. Considering multiple alternatives can significantly enhance the value of your ideal solution. Once you have decided on the "what should be" model, this target standard becomes the basis for developing a road map for investigating alternatives. Brainstorming and team problem-solving techniques are both useful tools in this stage of problem-solving.
Many alternative solutions to the problem should be generated before the final evaluation. A common mistake in problem-solving is that alternatives are evaluated as they are proposed, so the first acceptable solution is chosen, even if it’s not the best fit. If we focus on trying to get the results we want, we miss the potential for learning something new that will allow for real improvement in the problem-solving process.

3. Evaluate and select an alternative
Skilled problem solvers use a series of considerations when selecting the best alternative. They consider the extent to which:
A particular alternative will solve the problem without causing other unanticipated problems.
All the individuals involved will accept the alternative.
Implementation of the alternative is likely.
The alternative fits within the organizational constraints.

4. Implement and follow up on the solution
Leaders may be called upon to direct others to implement the solution, "sell" the solution or facilitate the implementation with the help of others. Involving others in the implementation is an effective way to gain buy-in and support and minimize resistance to subsequent changes.
Regardless of how the solution is rolled out, feedback channels should be built into the implementation. This allows for continuous monitoring and testing of actual events against expectations. Problem-solving, and the techniques used to gain clarity, are most effective if the solution remains in place and is updated to respond to future changes.


HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS
1.   Establish basic knowledge:  
Many people criticize the traditional education system. Indeed, the traditional education system sometimes cannot meet the changes of the times. However, basic knowledge is an important foundation for us to solve unknown problems. So, the first step to improving problem-solving skills is to establish your basic knowledge.

2. Links of cross-domain knowledge:
Knowledge is like a three-dimensional network structure, which does not exist alone. The establishment of basic knowledge is to prepare for linking them together. The connection of knowledge requires strong self-learning ability. One needs to constantly explore and make connections between knowledge, so he can finally put knowledge into practice to solve problems, which we call Application.

3.   Application:
Application is to put certain basic knowledge, concepts, or techniques into practice. After we make this, problems are solved. Application sounds simple, but to improve that, we need to accumulate many experiences. Practice speaks louder than words. When encountering a problem, all we need to do is to continuously accumulate our knowledge, strength, and experience. Constantly thinking, analyzing, and researching can let us deal with problems more and more smoothly and sophisticatedly. 

4. Independent thinking:
People nowadays constantly acquire knowledge on Facebook, IG, or other social media. The way we learn makes us get used to getting information passively, which let the chances of thinking independently fewer than before. To sharpen our independent thinking skills, we shouldn’t believe what we see or what we hear. On the contrary, we should always doubt the correctness of the information and think independently, searching for ways to double-check that information.

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"Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing."
Rollo May


Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important life skills to learn. Communication is defined as transferring information to produce greater understanding. It can be done vocally (through verbal exchanges), through written media (books, websites, and magazines), visually (using graphs, charts, and maps), or non-verbally (body language, gestures, pitch of voice, and tone). All of these means of communication are essential Soft Skills that are vital for a successful Career.
Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person, or group to another.
Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message, and a recipient. This may sound simple, but communication is a very complex subject.
The transmission of the message from sender to recipient can be affected by a huge range of things. These include our emotions, the cultural situation, the medium used to communicate, and even our location. The complexity is why good communication skills are considered so desirable by employers around the world: accurate, effective and unambiguous communication is extremely hard.


The Importance of Communication Skills


"If you just communicate, you can get by. But if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracle."
Jim Rohn 


Having strong communication skills aids in all aspects of life – from professional to personal and everything that falls in between. From a business standpoint, all transactions result from communication. Good communication skills are essential to allow others and yourself to understand information more accurately and quickly.
In contrast, poor communication skills lead to frequent misunderstandings and frustration. In a 2016 LinkedIn survey conducted in the United States, communication topped the list of the most sought-after soft skills among employers.
Effective Communication is significant for management in the organizations also to perform the basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling.
Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities, it serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the managers who in turn must communicate the plans to implement them. Organizing also requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly, leaders must communicate effectively with their subordinates to achieve the team goals. Tasks control is not possible without written and oral communication.


The importance of communication in an organization can be as follows:

1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their performance if it is not up to the mark.
2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-making as it helps identify and assess alternative courses of action.
3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering an individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well-informed individual will have a better attitude than a less-informed individual. Organizational magazines, journals, meetings, and various other forms of oral and written communication help in molding employees’ attitudes.
4. Communication also helps in socializing. Just the presence of another individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without communication.
5. Communication also assists in controlling processes. It helps control organizational members’ behavior in various ways. There are various levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job role efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus, communication helps in controlling the function of management.

Listening- the most crucial part of communication


Communication can be divided into two parts: listening and dialogue, which complement each other. They both play an important role in communication and must coexist to form a good one.
Some believe that if someone only listens and does not speak, that person did not engage, causing the speaker to feel unappreciated. On the other hand, if someone only talks but does not listen, he will not receive others' messages and will not understand what they are thinking, making it impossible for him to respond appropriately and sophisticatedly.
Therefore, if the two aspects do not coexist, the meaning of communication will not be achieved. Listening or dialogue will become meaningless.
Listening is a process that needs receiving, comprehending, evaluating, and responding to voice messages and emotions, and it requires the use of all senses. Many people neglect the importance of listening and will only rush to speak without paying attention to what others share. It is essential in effective communication because communication is a two-sided exchange. One can bring their insights and reflect on what they can improve and progress by listening to others.
In addition, listening can encourage others to express their thoughts, allowing us to gain a better understanding of others' inner thoughts. It will also entice others to communicate with you further.




How to improve communication skills


There are specific things to do that can improve your communication skills:


Practice active listening: We sometimes forget that communication is more than just saying our piece when it is actually about effectively listening to the other person. Engage with what people say by giving affirmative replies and asking follow-up questions. The person speaking to you should be the most important at that moment.


It is essential to know who you are speaking with: Effective communicators tailor their message to the person to whom they are speaking. You cannot assume that the other person understands everything you say. So, keep the other person in mind when trying to convey your message.


Concentrate on nonverbal communication: Understanding nonverbal cues and signals can help you avoid miscommunication and signal interest to those around you. Pay attention to your facial expressions and body language. Your nonverbal cues influence the first impression you make on someone. When meeting someone for the first time, maintaining eye contact, limiting hand gestures, and having good posture go a long way. But also pay attention to the other person: folded arms in front of a person may indicate defensive or closed off. Lack of eye contact may indicate that they are uninterested in what you're saying, are embarrassed about something, or find it difficult to discuss something. 


Be succinct while remaining specific: Practice being brief yet straightforward enough in your written and verbal communication so that the other person understands what you're trying to say. Also, when responding to an email, make sure you read the entire message before writing your response. You will learn not to ramble or provide excessive information with enough practice.


Practice your public speaking skills: Although public speaking can be intimidating, there is no better way to develop good communication skills than to seek out public speaking opportunities. Great communicators can express their emotions clearly, whether speaking in front of a large group or one-on-one with another person. Speaking in front of a group regularly will highlight your strengths and weaknesses and force you to develop excellent communication skills.


Make a list of everything: Take notes while talking to someone else or during a meeting, and don't rely on your memory. Send a follow-up email to ensure you comprehended what was said during the conversation.


Take a moment to reflect before speaking: Always pause before speaking, and never say the first thing that comes to mind. Take a moment to think about what you're saying and how you're saying it. This one habit will save you from embarrassment.


Everyone should be treated equally: Treat everyone with respect and don't talk down to them. Treat others as equals. You don't have to like or agree with someone's ideas, values, or opinions to communicate effectively with them. To fully understand them, you must set aside your judgment and refrain from blaming or criticizing them. When the most challenging communication is successfully executed, it can frequently lead to an unexpected connection with someone.


Keep a positive attitude and a smile on your face: Even if you're on the phone, smile because your positive attitude will come across, and the other person will notice. People will respond positively to you if you smile frequently and exude a positive attitude.


Create a filter: Effective communicators typically have well-developed social skills and can modulate how they express their thoughts and feelings to those around them. Understand what is appropriate to communicate in various interpersonal contexts. Creating a filter will help you supplement other communication techniques, maintain a certain level of decorum, and avoid conflict in the workplace.


Request feedback: Asking your coworkers or subordinates for feedback on how to improve your communication skills can help you better understand how you come across in the workplace. If there appears to be a misunderstanding, consider paraphrasing what has been said. "What I'm hearing" or "Sounds like you're saying" are excellent ways to reflect. Express how the speaker's words have affected you. Ask clarifying questions, such as "What do you mean when you say..." or "Is this what you mean?"


Be open and honest: Being open means discussing essential issues that are important to you, both positive and negative. It entails being open and vulnerable, exposing yourself to potential hurt and disappointment.



Avoid interrupting the conversation or attempting to redirect it to your concerns: "If you think that's bad, let me tell you what happened to me," for instance. Waiting for your turn to speak is not the same as listening, and you can't focus on what someone else is saying if you're thinking about what you're going to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that your mind’s elsewhere.



Digital communications: the panacea we've all been looking for?


Living in our era it seems only fare to mention digital communication as well, since it has become our main channel of communication on a daily basis. But is it the same as talking face-to-face? What are the down sides of this change?


What Exactly Is Digital Communication?
Digital communication is the most effective form of communication nowadays via voice or video, with screen sharing. It is a process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others at a particular time and place with the aid of digital devices like cell phones, computers, and similar electronic devices.
Before the advent of modern technology, people had to write a letter and send it by post, what involved fees. Besides, the letter took some time to get delivered by the postman and the news written weren’t news anymore. Nowadays, digital communications had broadened our horizons like never before and changed how we relate. It allows us to connect instantly with more people. Applications such as Whatsapp, Skype, Facebook, Instagram, and so on, allow people who live far apart to keep in touch with their family members, friends, and loved ones regardless of distance.


Why should we still need to learn face-to-face communication today when social media is developing so rapidly?
Face-to-face communication between people in today's society has gradually decreased due to the increasingly developed Internet and the emergence of social software. Personal development is hampered by a lack of practical communication, regardless of age or gender. As a result, many people nowadays are afraid of social interaction, particularly face-to-face communication, making them more lonely. Then it turns into a vicious circle. Some of them complain that they have thousands of friends on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, but none of them can freely and comfortably communicate with them. Most of them are overly reliant on social networking and lack communication skills, causing society to become cold in this modernization. As a result, we must improve our communication skills to foster a welcoming community.

"Critical Thinking Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous."
Confucius ​

There was a time when being literate was so simple. It was like being able to read, write, and do arithmetic. According to educators, education is a social development, and being proficient infers that an individual can decipher, produce, comprehend, and investigate language properly. In any case, the comprehension of being proficient in the 21st century has been additionally confounded by the heap of "proficiencies" that come to be perceived. But the modern-day has a different view. Ideas and views are the games of the brain that put the brain constantly into motion to find out a new solution to the problem or a way to lead a happy life. Now, in this case, the term “Critical thinking” comes!

"Critical thinking is not something you do once with an issue and then drop it. It requires that we update our knowledge as new information comes in."
Daniel Levitin

The conception of important thinking came from the mid-20th century. Several nice thinkers and reformers of the earth have outlined the term important thinking in their own words. In simple, important thinking is learning, observing, and analyzing the data fastidiously and giving a conclusion. Critical thinking is, in fact, independent, non-indigent, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and aware command of their use.

"We must dare to think about ‘unthinkable things’ because when things become ‘unthinkable,’ thinking stops, and action becomes mindless."
J. William Fulbright

Now, it’s time to show the importance of being a critical thinker so that there's a constant partner to claim the question: “Why critical thinking?” Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - regarding any problem, content material, or pull away - at some stage in which the thinker improves the exceptional of his or her wonder with the aid of skillfully taking the price of the systems inherent in questioning and implementing highbrow requirements upon them. A great critical thinker continuously raises significant queries and issues, formulating them truly and specifically. He gathers and assesses relevant know-how, victimizing abstract ideas to interpret them effectively includes nicely-reasoned conclusions and solutions, checking them out towards applicable criteria and requirements. He thinks open-mindedly at periods completely specific structures of concept, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and smart effects; and also, he communicates successfully with others to determine answers to superior concerns.

"Critical thinking is certainly a ‘skill’ but when possessed as a mindset–a playful and humble willingness–it shifts from labor to an art. It asks, ‘Is this true? By what standard?" 
Terry Heick

Critical thinking requires an open and inquiring attitude, several reasoning skills, and knowledge of the basic concepts of critical thinking. Critical thinking skills allow you to recognize and address conditions based totally on all available facts and statistics. Normally, the use of essential thinking at work entails processing and organizing statistics, records, and other records to outline a problem and expand powerful solutions. There need to be a few abilities that might be honestly needed for critical thinking. How many can one wager? Well, here are some of them to help you out! The competencies that one wants to be capable of thinking critically are varied and consist of remark, evaluation, interpretation, evaluation, clarification, problem-solving, and selection making. Specifically, individuals who want to be critical thinkers, need which will think about a topic or difficulty in a goal and important manner, become aware of the different arguments there are about a specific difficulty, examine a point of view to decide how sturdy or legitimate it is, understand any weaknesses or poor factors that there are in the evidence or argument, be aware what implications there might be in the back of a statement or argument, and additionally to provide structured reasoning and guide for an issue that we wish to make. There may be one element for certain and that is, being a vital philosopher can be very much useful to sure specialists and in particular to students. Now, the big question comes, exactly how to use crucial questions for trouble-fixing? Nicely, this might be helpful to folks who want to comply with a few steps to start questioning seriously:

Being in the health science field, we have all faced the pressure of doing well in exams. Having the scores to prove our intelligence and show that we possess the qualifications to move forward is not unique to our profession and ones like it. However, as to-be vets, we deal with animals and wide variety of clients with an even wider range of  emotions. All the book smarts, street smarts and practical knowledge, may not amount to much, if we do not know how to deal with them properly. ​

 For more on the subject, check out the sources we   used:
1. The Meaning of Emotional Intelligence
https://www.ihhp.com/meaning-of-emotional-intelligence/
2. Improving emotional intelligence - an article on  helpguide.org
3. Emotional Intelligence  . Developing Strong "People Skills" 
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm
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Communication is an understated soft skill. How you express yourself to others is vital and if done poorly, it can make for a person who is hard to trust, or believe in. Would you leave the success of your team in the hands of someone unreliable?
Great leaders are clear, truthful and genuine; consistency shows a grounded presence. It shows that you are someone who can be counted on by your teammates or juniors.​

Every practice has them: clients who make you want to find a task to do all the way in the back. Who set off a frantic game of rock-paper-scissors amongst the workers to determine who has to deal with them. Anything to avoid another confrontation. ​

Let us take a look at some of the regulars that you find at  every clinic, and how to better deal with any problematic behaviour instead of resorting to unprofessional conduct like  avoiding them, ignoring them or getting into an argument with them.

These are  a  few ways  how you can avoid conflict in the workplace, but they're more guidelines than sure-fire methods. Learning how to deal with difficult people is usually something that comes with time and practice.

So rather than avoiding going in to work, or hiding in an alleyway when you see a client you recognize walking down the street. Face them and be firm, and you will be a better vet for it!

Resources:   
1. NAVC   Veterinary Solutions for Dealing with Difficult   People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGf2OzJ-ANk
2.    How to Approach Difficult Situations: It's Not Always About the Medicine
Elisa A. Rogers CVT, VTS(ECC) Matthew J Ryan Veterinary Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa 
3. 5  most difficult  veterinary clients  -   Hall Johnson,   Debbie Allaben Gair
https://www.dvm360.com/view/5-most-difficult-veterinary-clients

Lack of motivation has a variety of causes ranging from not achieving set goals in an imagined timeframe to lacking skills or knowledge to complete the task to just being plain bored. ​

You may not want to admit it to yourself, but you are not actually interested in doing it; you either just don’t see the point or the reward is just not attractive enough. Either you:

• Don’t do it.   You'll doing  yourself a huge favour. 

                                    OR

• Find a strong WHY under the surface: If you can’t quit - because it is part of your job or you don’t want to break a promise- you need to change your perspective. Think about the task differently. 

​These are a few of the most common reasons why the average person finds themselves feeling demotivated to continue to work at it. The simple ‘fixes’ and ‘what-to-do’s are not easy remedies and may not be for everyone.

But once you find what works for you, then you’ll figure out how to avoid getting demotivated in the future. And if you’ve already found what works for you, then hey! What are you still doing here? Go make New Year's resolutions that you  can actually keep.

Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors in order to achieve milestones and dreams in one’s life. Motivation is not usually an ocean of abundance but more like a seasonal stream that will fill up and flow in the favourable conditions, while sometimes it may dry up  or even freeze over. ​

For more on the topics mentioned in this article and to check out where we got our information from, visit:
Regaining Motivation In Medical School- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6006981/
Factors associated with motivation in medical education: a path analysis- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6006981/
Burnout in veterinary medicine: Let’s talk action- https://vetidealist.com/burnout-veterinary-medicine/#:~:text=The%20recent%20Merck%20Animal%20Health,topped%20the%20list%20of%20problems.
Burnout and health promotion in veterinary medicine- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3711171/
1/2: Need Motivation? The 3C-Check for Success & Happiness-   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9a-xrPjFqQ&feature=youtu.be