 Emotional
Intelligence - Part 1
By Cheryl Bakke Martin of Inspirations Unlimited
Have you ever wondered what qualities, skills and/or behaviours allow an individual to
create success for themselves in work and in life? Perhaps you’ve posed the questions
to yourself: “How can I become more successful? How can I create the life that I
really want?” Ironically, those who are more educated - who have high intellectual
capacity - are not necessarily those who have realized success in life. Researchers
recently exploring this concept have identified a set of non-cognitive abilities that
directly contribute to our ability to succeed in the work we pursue, to remain resilient
under stress, and to maintain mutually satisfying relationships. This concept is known as
Emotional Intelligence, made popular by Daniel Goldman who has now written several books
on the subject. While statistics vary from one researcher to another, there is agreement
that the degree of success we experience in life is much more highly influenced by our
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) rather than our IQ. This is very encouraging given that our IQ
tends to peak at age 17, while our EQ continues to increase as we develop as an individual
and it rises to it’s peak in the decade of our forties.
Emotional Intelligence is made up of short-term, dynamic skills that
can be brought into play as the situation warrants. The individual building blocks of
emotional intelligence can be improved by means of training, coaching and experience.
Therefore, with attention and focus we can strengthen these non-cognitive abilities, and
create the conditions that support a higher degree of success, satisfaction, and
fulfilment.
In the recent book, “The Millionaire Mind” by Thomas Stanley,
a survey was taken of 733 multi-millionaires throughout the U.S. When asked to rate the
factors that were most responsible for their success, the top five (out of 30) were: 1)
being honest with all people; 2) being well disciplined; 3) getting along with people; 4)
having a supportive spouse; 5)working harder than most people. All five are reflections of
emotional intelligence. (1)
An alternate perspective is shown in research done by the Centre for
Creative Leadership which found that the primary causes of derailment in executives
involve deficits in emotional competence. The three primary ones are difficulty in
handling change, not being able to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.
(2)
Several other studies indicate that very promising results have been
experienced by individuals and companies who undertake training in emotional competencies.
Some examples of the results achieved: loss in time where accidents reduced by 50%, formal
employee grievances reduced from 15% to 3%, and one manufacturing plant experienced
production increases of 17%, exceeding productivity goals by $250,000.(3)
The statistics are numerous and increasing as new research is
undertaken. Suffice to say, that whether we are an employee or an independent business
person, we can dramatically and positively influence our chances of success. Our ability
to set and achieve personal and professional goals may be succeeded by consciously
improving our emotional competence through learning and application of these skills.
So, what exactly are these emotional competencies? One EQ assessment
developed by Reuven Bar-On defines these competencies through a model of 5 areas and 15
subsections. They are:
•Intrapersonal: Your ability to know and manage
yourself. Subsections: self-awareness, assertiveness, self-regard, self-actualization.
•Interpersonal: Your ability to interact and get
along with others. Subsections: empathy, social responsibility, interpersonal
relationships.
•Adaptability: Your ability to be flexible and
realistic. Subsections: reality testing, flexibility, problem solving.
•Stress Management: Your ability to tolerate
stress and control impulses. Subsections: stress tolerance, impulse control.
•General Mood. Subsections: optimism, happiness.
There are powerful links between emotional intelligence and a greater,
more satisfying, well-rounded definition of success that embraces the workplace, marriage
and relationships, social popularity, and physical well-being.4 The more emotional and
social sense you have, the easier it is to go efficiently and productively about your life
- to succeed on your own terms. In the following issues in this series we will explore
each of these areas and look at ways to improve our emotional intelligence and experience
the kind of success we each hope for.
1,4: The EQ Edge, S.J. Stein & H.E. Book, 2000 - 2, 3: The Business
Case for Emotional Intelligence, C. Cherniss, Rutgers University
Cheryl Bakke Martin, owner of Inspirations Unlimited, is
a personal coach, speaker & facilitator. If you are in a place where you want to take
your business to the next level & would like consult with a coach, Cheryl invites you
to a free consultation. 403.948.1078 - www.inspirations.ab.ca |
