| Buzzwords for Success: Emotional Intelligence | | Print | |
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Over the past ten years, ever since Daniel Goleman's breakthrough research, the subject of emotional intelligence (EI or Eq) has been on the forefront of organizational psychology. Salovey and Mayer coined the term emotional intelligence in 1990 and defined it as "a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and action." 1 In one study, the team found that when a group of people saw an upsetting film, those who scored high on emotional clarity (which is the ability to identify and give a name to a mood that is being experienced) recovered more quickly. In another study, individuals who scored higher in the ability to perceive accurately, understand, and appraise others' emotions were better able to respond flexibly to changes in their social environments and build supportive social networks (Cherniss 2000). EI expert David Wechsler defined intelligence as "the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment." This is a much more comprehensive view of intelligence, whereas through history, psychologists have focused on the cognitive aspects of intelligence. We're finding now, however, that empathy, the ability to manage one's emotions and an optimistic attitude contribute to the chances of success at least as much as intellect. The impact of an individual's emotional intelligence in the workplace can't be overstated. Rapport-building interpersonal communication, the management of emotions and the demonstration of rational thinking are all highly sought-after attributes, particularly in today's competitive global marketplace. Leaders, in particular, who lack these social skills generally have a difficult time rallying the troops and managing effectively. One of the key factors I have found in working in the area of emotional intelligence with my clients and students is the ability to both demonstrate and earn respect. Many leaders whom I have mentored believe that they are entitled to and deserve respect because of their position, experience and/or social prominence. This sense of entitlement, however, works only to their detriment. Exhibiting low emotional intelligence, some leaders who feel they are not receiving the respect they deserve, begin to demand it, thereby effectively stunting any chance for positive rapport-building in their own organizations. One can argue that this scenario may be more a function of ego than emotional intelligence, but I believe the two are closely intermingled. A healthy ego is defined as "appropriate pride in oneself; self-esteem."³ The key word here is "appropriate." When egos become inflated, it could be due to any myriad factors, ranging from an overcompensation of low self-esteem to any number of personality disorders. My work in the area of self-esteem has shown that, as a society, we are suffering from low self-esteem in pandemic proportions. Because self-esteem is a fundamental component of emotional intelligence and that the ability to show respect to others is a sign of EI, we might all seize every opportunity to show respect to one another and validate each other on a regular basis. Certainly a win-win proposition in my book. If you're curious about your own emotional intelligence, there are a number of free online assessments available (albeit I cannot attest to the scientific validity of each one). However, two sites that seem to offer fairly legitimate assessments are www.psychtests.com and www.discoveryhealth.com.² For those in need of professional, validated instruments, I recommend the Bar-On's EQ-I, the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS) and the Emotional Competence Inventory. These assessments are frequently employed by organizational psychologists to determine EI among employees. Prudently administered and interpreted, these types of assessments can assist employers to identify individuals with inherent leadership abilities and, on the flip side, those who may have a propensity for emotional and/or behavioral issues. Given the fact that every company is a living, human entity (no organization can exist without the presence of human resources), it makes sense to take emotional intelligence into serious consideration and to integrate EI training and development into your company's organizational development initiatives. |