BY SASHA LALITE
Peter Salovey & John Mayer define Emotional Intelligence (EI) as "the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior."[1]
Emotional Intelligence (EI), otherwise known as EQ (the Emotional Quotient) is becoming more recognized as a key to both personal and professional success. Corporate and small businesses alike are now tapped into the Power of Emotional Intelligence and have integrated it into trainings and workshops to ensure leadership and teams understand the impact of how one’s emotional intelligence impacts mental health, job performance, productivity, and results. Regardless of who you are (a business owner, CEO, support analyst, or assistant) your EI impacts everyone you interact with on a daily basis.
How do you handle stressful situations? How do you get a team together to respond to a crisis? How do you address a co-worker who repeatedly shows up to work late everyday? How do you handle a demanding boss who screams at the drop of a dime and unable to effectively communicate with staff?
Emotional Intelligence impacts interactions. Our behavior impacts others whether you are leading a project or working as a support within a community or professional system. EI requires a certain level of wisdom, discernment, life experience, and maturity to assess any given situation or individual interaction and react appropriately. EI is an essential tool that offers a different perspective and lens so that one is able to effectively approach a situation. It is an “intangible” factor planted in our nature. It affects how we navigate social realms, manage behavior including our own, and make personal decisions to achieve positive results for others and ourselves. It is a foundation for critical skills.
Studies have shown that people with high Emotional Intelligence have greater mental health, job performance, and leadership skills. EI is not something that can be taught from a textbook. It requires unique attributes. If you are a business that measures for emotional intelligence upon hire, studies show that hiring a person with the higher EI is most beneficial to your organization.
Why reconsider Emotional Intelligence (EI)?
A) EI predicts performance, for you and others
B) EI speaks volumes for you and your company
C) EI welcomes change. Those with high EI are positive change agents
Studies have shown that high-performers have higher Emotional Intelligence. Leaders with higher EI boost subordinate job performance. All in all, high EI increases employee engagement, entrepreneur potential, happiness, and career success.
Organizations that invest in developing EI within their business and consider hiring high EI employees outperform competition. They create better leadership qualities and positivity within the workplace amongst leaders and coworkers.[2]
Daniel Goleman five core elements that define emotional intelligence include[3]:
1. Self-awareness: Be cognizant of your own emotions and not letting feelings overrule you. Understand your own strengths and weaknesses and continuously work on these so you can perform better.
2. Self-regulation: Think before you act and control emotions and impulses to avoid careless decisions (eg. anger, jealousy).
3. Empathy: Be open-minded, transparent, honest, and considerate. Be able to identify and understand the needs, wants and viewpoints of those around you without jumping to stereotypes or judgment.
4. Motivation: Choose long-term success over immediate results. Focus on high productivity, a good challenge, and effectiveness.
5. Social Skills: Exhibit strong social skills to be a better team player. Help others to develop and shine with less focus on only your success. Nurture and manage disputes, create positive interactions of cooperation in less than ideal situations, help to meet deadlines. These individuals are excellent communicators and masters at building/maintaining relationships. They can handle different personalities to find common ground in a civilized manner.
These days EI gets you further in life than just IQ. Consider it when implementing best practices.
Meta Viable Solutions offers such professional services to optimize your organization and move business and people towards success. If you wish to explore how we can add value and best practices to your business, schedule a free discovery consultation today.
Sasha Lalite, MPA, PMP brings unique, multi-disciplinary expertise to organizations. She has years experience improving organizations and programs, and attained diverse knowledge by working in various companies both national and global. She provides you with the practical tools, experience and best practices for you to succeed on both a personal and organizational level.
A dynamic and positive change agent, she drives businesses, people and teams to reach their optimal potential and successful outcomes.
#leadership #team #business #consulting #coaching #resourcing #organization #process #development #changemanagement #optimization #advisor #strategy #operations #businessmanagementconsulting #metaviablesolutions #performance #EI #EQ #emotionalintelligence #culture #businessculture
[1] “Emotional Intelligence.” Goleman, Daniel. 1996.
[2] “Emotional Intelligence: What It Is and What It Can Do For Your Company.” UNC Development. 2015.
[3] “Why You Need Emotional Intelligence to Succeed.” Bradberry, Terry. Success Magazine. 2016.
Comments