"It's a thing" is a series that highlights concepts that employers and managers use and sometimes evaluate employees with that they may not be aware.
Just a few years ago, Emotional Intelligence (EI) was a new topic. Today it seems that everyone is talking about it, yet I find that few people apply it to personal development. Having an understanding of EI is important because it is now a major measuring stick by which employees are measured. I have heard many managers say that a particular employee is not "too high" in EI. The ramifications for not increasing your EI is the difference in a job or no job at worst and the difference in a promotion or no promotion at best.
Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity of people to recognize their own feelings and the feelings of others, for motivating oneself, and managing their own emotions and in their relationships. EI is distinct from other intelligences and abilities and do not always correlate to each other. A person may have a high IQ, but be very low in EI.
There are several models of EI, but the most popular model comes from the work of Daniel Goleman. This model perceives EI as a mixed intelligence that includes cognitive ability and personality aspects which together determine workplace success.
Goleman's model of EI include five basic emotional and social competencies, each depending upon the other.
1. SELF-AWARENESS
Knowing what we are feeling in the moment and using that understanding to guide our decision making is the first basic competency of EI. As our higher brain function develops and matures, a person gains the ability to know, understand, and even predict their emotions. Through reasoning, people also gain the ability to choose emotional responses. Developing a good sense of self-confidence is an important step of emotional awareness.
2. SELF-REGULATION (SELF-MANAGEMENT)
"Handling our emotions" is the second important competency. Our emotions should facilitate rather than interfere with workplace tasks and relationships. Regulation of emotions includes steering around emotional land mines and toxic situations and recovering well when we do venture to close to deadly "emotional gamma rays." When emotions are well regulated, they help us make good decisions, accomplish tasks in an efficient and timely way, and enjoy good working relationships.
3. MOTIVATION
The third competency is using our preferred emotional tendencies to guide or facilitate the accomplishment of goals. This competency includes using our emotional preferences to move and guide us toward our goals. Our preferred emotions can also help us take initiative and strive to improve. Our preferred emotions can help us persevere in the face of setbacks and frustrations.
4. EMPATHY
The fourth competency is empathy. Empathy is sensing what people are feeling and being able to take their perspective. It is the awareness of other's feelings, needs, and concerns and taking a active interest in them. Empathy includes being sensitive to and helping others' development needs. In Stephen Covey's words, "seek first to understand, then to be understood".
5. SOCIAL SKILLS
Having and developing social skills is the fifth important competency. Social skills include influence, communication, conflict management, leadership, dealing with change, nurturing relationship, collaboration & cooperation, and working in teams. How a person handles their emotions in relationship to others and tasks determines a person's EQ.
Our IE determines our potential for learning the practical skills needed at work, at school, or in life. Our EI shows how much of the potential we have that translates into job capabilities. Being good at customer service is empathy in action. Trust is built upon being able to deal positively with emotional impulses. Being good at customer service and being trust worthy are competencies that will make the manager take notice.
Scoring high in EI means knowing your emotional makeup and tendencies and managing them well. It means using positive emotions to motivate yourself, being able to relate to others situations, and continually developing social skills.
"It's a thing" is a series that highlights concepts that employers and managers use and sometimes evaluate employees with that they may not be aware.
There are several models of EI, but the most popular model comes from the work of Daniel Goleman. This model perceives EI as a mixed intelligence that includes cognitive ability and personality aspects which together determine workplace success.
Goleman's model of EI include five basic emotional and social competencies, each depending upon the other.
1. SELF-AWARENESS
Knowing what we are feeling in the moment and using that understanding to guide our decision making is the first basic competency of EI. As our higher brain function develops and matures, a person gains the ability to know, understand, and even predict their emotions. Through reasoning, people also gain the ability to choose emotional responses. Developing a good sense of self-confidence is an important step of emotional awareness.
2. SELF-REGULATION (SELF-MANAGEMENT)
"Handling our emotions" is the second important competency. Our emotions should facilitate rather than interfere with workplace tasks and relationships. Regulation of emotions includes steering around emotional land mines and toxic situations and recovering well when we do venture to close to deadly "emotional gamma rays." When emotions are well regulated, they help us make good decisions, accomplish tasks in an efficient and timely way, and enjoy good working relationships.
3. MOTIVATION
The third competency is using our preferred emotional tendencies to guide or facilitate the accomplishment of goals. This competency includes using our emotional preferences to move and guide us toward our goals. Our preferred emotions can also help us take initiative and strive to improve. Our preferred emotions can help us persevere in the face of setbacks and frustrations.
4. EMPATHY
The fourth competency is empathy. Empathy is sensing what people are feeling and being able to take their perspective. It is the awareness of other's feelings, needs, and concerns and taking a active interest in them. Empathy includes being sensitive to and helping others' development needs. In Stephen Covey's words, "seek first to understand, then to be understood".
5. SOCIAL SKILLS
Having and developing social skills is the fifth important competency. Social skills include influence, communication, conflict management, leadership, dealing with change, nurturing relationship, collaboration & cooperation, and working in teams. How a person handles their emotions in relationship to others and tasks determines a person's EQ.
Our IE determines our potential for learning the practical skills needed at work, at school, or in life. Our EI shows how much of the potential we have that translates into job capabilities. Being good at customer service is empathy in action. Trust is built upon being able to deal positively with emotional impulses. Being good at customer service and being trust worthy are competencies that will make the manager take notice.
Scoring high in EI means knowing your emotional makeup and tendencies and managing them well. It means using positive emotions to motivate yourself, being able to relate to others situations, and continually developing social skills.
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