Are you emotionally intelligent enough?

Until fairly recent, most discussions on intelligence focused on aspects such as memory –the ability to recall information, problem solving and ability to process ideas, grasp concepts and manage in a variety of forms. These kinds of intelligence are broadly measured by Intelligent Quotient (IQ) tests and are the so-called cognitive intelligence.

However, current research has identified many other kinds of intelligence beyond the IQ, and emotional intelligence (EI) has gained significance especially since the 1980s. In an article for the Harvard Business Review, Daniel Goleman asserted that whilst cognitive intelligence and purely technical skills are threshold capabilities (entry level skills), emotional intelligence is the unique sine qua non for above average effectiveness and performance (Goleman 1998).

What makes emotional intelligence much more superior in determining an employee’s effectiveness and performances? The answer seems intuitively simple: emotionally intelligent or matured employees are more aware and in control of their emotions and those of the people around them! As a result, they are likely to:

·         Be more productive and successful

·         Feel less stressed

·         Have better relationship with their customers, colleagues and bosses

·         Take less time off due to sickness

·         Feel more satisfied with their work

Another reason lies in the sequence of the evolutionary process of the brain and its parts. In the brain’s evolution, the:

·         Emotional parts evolved long before the thinking part of the brain

·         Emotional memory is much more associative and imprecise

·         Emotional responses are processed faster than higher order thinking

·         Emotional responses override higher order thinking

How does EI contribute to superior performance? The researchers tell a persuasive story about the link between a company’s success and emotional intelligence of its staff.  It is only by looking at the component parts of EI critically do we see how it influences an employee’s behavior.  These are:

·         Self-awareness – ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, mood and drives, as well as their effects on you

·         Self-regulation – ability to control and redirects disruptive impulses. The propensity to suspend judgment – to think before judgment

·         Motivation – a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence

·         Empathy – the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people

·         Social Skills – ability to find common grounds and build rapport

These components work together; people who are Self-aware recognize their emotional tendencies and understand their triggers. They are therefore able to recognize situations likely to lead them in to disruptive impulses in their behaviors or actions. They would then use the Self-regulation to either remove themselves from that situation or to control the disruptive impulse. The Motivation, the drive to achieve beyond all expectations, provides the motive for developing self-awareness and regulating oneself in the first place.

The first three components of EI are all self-management skills. The last two, Empathy and Social Skill, concern a person’s ability to manage relationships with others.  Empathy, the most recognizable of all of the components is the ability to thoughtfully consider others feelings – along with other factors – in the process of making decision. Social Skill is not as simple as it sounds. It is not just a matter of friendliness, but friendliness with a purpose. It is about moving people in a direction you desire for the benefit of all.

High emotional intelligent managers are able to control their emotions in the face of disruptive or angry customer behavior seeking thoughtful resolution and avoiding possible loss of customers and revenue.

  And just as important, research indicates that people can develop emotional intelligence if they take the right approach. One thing is certain, emotional intelligence increases with age /maturity. Yet, even with maturity, some people still need training to enhance their emotional intelligence. For training on emotional intelligence and any other attitudinal issue to be successful, it has to focus largely on the neurotransmitters of the brain’s limbic systems, which governs feelings, impulses and drives. Research indicates that the limbic system learns best through motivation, extended practice, and feedback, which is different from the neocortex, which grasps concepts and logic through reading or experimentation.

A person who may want to improve his/her empathy will need to find the sources of motivation. This may be through self-discovery – becoming aware that he lacks empathy and that it interferes with his ability to read people’s reaction and see their perspectives. To receive regular and consistent feedback,  he may ask a trusted colleague to shadow him for part of his day observing how he deals with people especially those with different opinion. He may also ask his colleagues to remind him if they find him not listening to them, talking over them and remind him of his quest to gain more empathy. He will need to continue to use his work and family situations to practice listening, hearing and considering the opinions of others of different perspectives.  The feedback from the trusted colleague when shadowing him and other colleagues when dealing with him will provide continual re-enforcement.

Developing EI will not happen without concerted effort and a sincere desire. A brief seminar won’t help nor will a how to manual.  It is much harder to internalize any of the EI components as a natural response to people than to become adept at regression analysis. But, it can be done. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”. If your goal is to become a star performer, then you have little option but to develop high emotional intelligence.