![How Shopping at Costco Can Raise Your EQ](https://talentplus.com/wp-content/themes/pro-child/assets/images/placeholderimg.jpg)
Sometimes enlightenment strikes in the most common of circumstances – like a Saturday shopping trip to Costco with your husband. Standing in the seam between the produce section and the frozen foods recently, I realized that these kinds of trips have improved our emotional intelligence, and they have made both of us better spouses, parents, employees and leaders.
Costco might be disappointed to learn that the magic isn’t in the store. It’s in going to the store and what you do while you’re there. As we shop for what we need, we talk about what’s coming up on our schedules, make some short-term plans and negotiate who will do what to make all the trains run on time in the week ahead. We negotiate other things too:
- Cheetos or Doritos?
- Name brand or generic?
- Buy extra because it’s on sale?
- Do we need a new rug for the living room?
- Should we think about getting a Smart(er) TV?
- Given that we’ll have two kids in college next month, do we really need to replace that teenage refrigerator or can we get one more year out of it?
Some questions are smaller. Some are bigger. None are game changers. We share information, reveal our individual (and often conflicting) preferences and priorities, plan, argue, negotiate and figure out a way forward. At some point, we have to leave so there are time limits on these interactions. Usually we can achieve some kind of resolution pretty quickly.
This isn’t rocket science. It’s simple and normal and something everybody can do or already does. But it flexes and strengthens our emotional intelligence. Here’s a quick review of the elements of emotional intelligence:
- Self-awareness: understanding your own drives and how they affect others
- Self-regulation: controlling impulses and suspending judgment
- Motivation: pursuing goals with persistence and optimism
- Empathy: understanding other people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors
- Social skills: building rapport, finding common ground and being persuasive
We’re hitting all five of those elements of EQ in the aisles of Costco and Sam’s and King Soopers and Target and, just to be fair to online shopping, as we make purchases together on Amazon. This is where we practice knowing our own minds, sharing perspectives, negotiating and persuading, arguing and compromising, about (relatively) small things. And it strengthens us for the bigger things, not only in our relationship with each other but also in our interactions with other people.
Don’t underestimate the power of common experiences to prepare you for uncommon ones. Take the practice where you get it. Let it work for you and make all your relationships stronger. And, for the record, on the Cheetos or Doritos question, the answer is always Cheetos.
Latest Posts: Blog
![successful team at work](https://talentplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AdobeStock_373511095-1024x612.jpeg)
Blog July 24, 2024
Go for the Teamwork Gold
Discover the keys to building engaged workplace teams. Learn how coaching strategies can unlock your work team's full potential.
Read More![Individual taking a Talent Plus Talent Online Assessment](https://talentplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AdobeStock_428958176-1024x576.jpeg)
Blog June 20, 2024
Integrating Talent Plus Assessments with Your Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Learn how integrating Talent Plus assessments into your ATS can streamline your talent acquisition process and improve candidate volume.
Read More![Mother with two kids on school break working at home.](https://talentplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AdobeStock_399389692-1024x683.jpeg)
Blog June 03, 2024
How Workplaces Can Support Working Parents During Summer Break
Summer breaks rarely match up with work schedules, affecting working parents. Leaders must adapt & accommodate or risk losing good employees.
Read More![Employee engagement at work](https://talentplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AdobeStock_322543323-1024x683.jpeg)
Blog May 14, 2024
The Intersection Between Planning and Engagement
Learn how succession planning and employee engagement are interconnected and how they can drive organizational success.
Read More![Employee who has great well-being at work.](https://talentplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AdobeStock_292967634-1024x683.jpeg)
Blog May 09, 2024
Well-Being, Burnout and How To Invest in Your Employees
Boost employee engagement and well-being with these four strategies. Learn the keys to fostering a dynamic and flourishing workplace culture.
Read More![Happy individual at work](https://talentplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AdobeStock_221668045-1024x597.jpeg)
Blog May 03, 2024
Unlock Your Potential With the Talent Card
Unlock your potential with the Talent Card. Discover the benefits of understanding your talents and learn examples of how to leverage them.
Read More