Background Information on Emotional Intelligence

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Background Information on Emotional Intelligence

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is variously referred to as EI or EQ for Emotional Quotient. Emotional intelligence describes abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence or IQ. Essentially, emotional intelligence is being able to recognize and understand your emotions and the impact that they have on your behavior and on others. Being able to understand how others feel and knowing how to manage relationships allow one to succeed in the workplace and in life. A growing body of research is proving these "emotional muscles" are key to effective leadership, customer loyalty, retention, and team performance (click here to download a business case briefing in PDF format (241Kb).

There are several models of emotional intelligence. Dr. Daniel Goleman's framework of Emotional Competence comprises four main cornerstones, with a subset of 18 competencies:

Understanding Yourself

Emotional Self-Awareness, Self-Confidence, Accurate Self-Assessment

Managing Yourself

Self-Control, Transparency, Adaptability, Achievement Orientation, Initiative, Optimism

Understanding Others

Empathy, Organizational Awareness, Service Orientation

Managing Others

Developing Others, Inspirational Leadership, Influence, Change Catalyst, Conflict Management, Teamwork and Collaboration

Why is Emotional Intelligence Important?

Increasing your emotional intelligence can enhance your ability to be more effective, both in your personal life and in your career. Numerous studies of organizations and government agencies worldwide, undertaken by dozens of experts, conclude that emotional intelligence is the barometer of excellence in virtually any job, from entry level to executive. Emotional Intelligence (or EQ as it is often referred to), is synergistic with IQ. Top performers have both. As Dr. David Caruso states in EQ Today, it is "very important to understand that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head—it is the unique intersection of both."

Most of what we do in our professional and personal lives entails dealing with other people. Emotional Intelligence is the key to handling these relationships in an effective and harmonious manner. An important component of emotional intelligence is self-management. Emotions like anger, anxiety or frustrations, prevent us from staying focused and thinking clearly.

How many people do you know who have been fired because of lack of technical skills or low I.Q.? Probably not many. Discounting lay-offs due to business imperatives, more employees are fired because of reasons related to lack of emotional intelligence than to deficits in IQ or poor technical skills. A study by the Centre for Creative Leadership, for example, showed the top two reasons that managers are derailed in their career are inability to adapt and failure to maintain collaborative working relationships, both of which are EI competencies.

Increasingly employers are listing "soft" skills, as a hiring requirement for jobs of all kind. And this is not just jobs that traditionally require soft skills, such as jobs in customer service or sales, but even jobs in high tech. Reams of pages have been written on the importance of emotional intelligence as a success determinant, both for individuals and organizations - ultimately, it boils down to one important reason: it makes us better human beings.

Some case studies: (Source Hay Group)

Leadership: A study of 15 global companies attributes 85-90% of leadership success to emotional intelligence.

Sales: A study of 44 Fortune 500 firms shows that salespeople with high emotional intelligence produce twice the revenue of average performers.

Computer Programmers: Programmers in the top 10% of EI competency can develop effective software three times as fast as those lower in EI.

All Jobs: Emotional competence has been shown to be twice as important as cognitive abilities for star performers in all jobs, in every field.

The good news is that you can increase your emotional intelligence. The first step involves an understanding of where you are at in terms of your emotional intelligence - being able to understand how others see you. Without this self-awareness, you have virtually no chance of improving your self-management - of understanding the impact that you have on others and improving how you manage your relationships - all key components of emotional intelligence. By raising our EQ, we are able to be more effective in every area of our lives.

What are some of the characteristics of persons who are emotionally intelligent?

They can identify their feelings correctly and understand the impact that their emotions have on their behavior.
They know their "trigger" points and have an appropriate response plan.
They are good at making decisions, taking into account their intuition.
They can manage their emotions and are not immobilized by worry, disappointment, doubt, fear or embarrassment and are not hijacked by anger.
They stay composed, unruffled and maintain a positive attitude even in trying moments.
They have tenacity in the pursuit of their goals and will not give in to obstacles.
They are good at understanding others' feelings and motivation and show that they care for others.
They are comfortable talking about feelings.
They are savvy in managing their relationships with others.
They are capable of reading the organization's ethos or to take the pulse of a group.
They know their strengths and areas for development.
They believe in their own capabilities. They are not rigid and can adapt to changing circumstances.
They have empathy.
They can effectively handle difficult people and stressful situations. They build trust in their relationships with others.
They don't shy away from challenging goals. They take calculated risks. They are ethical and their behavior is beyond reproach.
They are the kind of people others want to have on their team.

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