Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has become one of the most important indicators of future success in the workplace. Implement an emotional intelligence assessment program in your organization, and you’ll learn why!

10
dec

EQ is a Muscle You Can Grow

Posted by Decision Making, Emotional IntelligenceNo Comments

By: Lou Russell

Whether learning a new skill, belief set, or teaching others, there are behaviors and competencies involved. However, if your brain has entered the reptilian mode your brain is physically unable to grow anything. Access to memory is limited, and decision making and innovation are limited as well.

I had the privilege of talking with Dr. Izzy Justice about his book EPowerment. Although EQ has been discussed for years and is a powerful concept for leadership development, Dr. Justice has focused on the basics of Emotional Competency through his new book. His research shows that the less able to assess and regulate emotions, the less likely you are to grow any other competency. For example, you might learn how to create a great scope diagram (and many of you have in our project management workshops), but you don’t ever draw them due to the emotional stress of projects neutralizing your energy and triggering bad decisions, in this case thinking “…there’s NO time for something like THAT!” Imagine a day at your desk. You have a negative emotional experience (reptilian). No one has died, and it’s more than breaking a nail… somewhere in the middle. Dr. Justice’s research has shown that as the hormones flow and blood is rerouted in the body, you will have a FOUR HOUR EMOTIONAL HANGOVER. Think about it. Something happens and everything else you try to do for four hours is impacted. That happens to all of us, and frequently. Most of us have more than one of these a day and there goes the day. Dr. Justice uses a clear glass of water compared to a glass of tea – our thinking is clouded so our choices are unclear.

How do we get better at dealing with these negative triggers before they disable us? One way is through aging, but that’s a time-consuming solution. If it’s happened to us before, and we survived, we can take it again. Dr. Justice’s research indicates that we have 80 incidents during each year of our life that can grow our emotional resiliency. On average, we learn from. The steps to emotional growth are:

SELF AWARENESS – I recognize an emotion (before it gets too far), and I know what triggered it. I am aware of myself (through DISC, Workplace Motivators, coaching, etc.) to know why I react in this way and see it for what it is.

SELF REGULATION – Now that I’ve identified the emotion and trigger, I know ways to keep myself from dropping into the reptilian brain response. These techniques help me calm myself and keep my decision making on track.

EMPATHY – Once I’ve learned to be aware and regulate myself, I can help others.

So what? I am noticing my emotions more.  In my project management work, I am working with teams in similar ways. What are the triggers that take you out during the day? Why? What can you do to grow your awareness and regulation using the EQ Assessment developed by Dr. Justice? Until the brain is engaged, projects will not succeed. If you would like to try the EQ Assessment for free or would like to talk to me about getting your project team back to a full brain, contact Shawna.Moser@MoserIT.com.

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1
aug

Why is Emotional Intelligence so Important?

Posted by Emotional IntelligenceNo Comments

 

Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to identify and manage emotional information in oneself and others and focusing energy on required behaviors. Also known as “social intelligence,” the skills and competencies that comprise EI complement a person’s cognitive and technical skills.

What is it?

Emotional intelligence is an important part of a person’s ability to successfully cope with work demands. Because of our constantly changing environments, people often require more than just basic task competencies or technical know-how to be successful.

Those who possess a particular blend of skills and traits are more suitable for functioning and succeeding in various challenging roles. Emotional intelligence provides an important catalyst of social and cognitive functioning and helps a person become better at decision making, empathizing, leading, communicating, and being resilient.

Research shows that when people are emotionally intelligent and are aware of their feelings, they are better equipped to confront challenging issues and manage change. EQ service provider TalentSmart tested emotional intelligence as well as 33 other workplace skills, and found that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of greater performance – leading to 58 percent of success in all types of jobs.

Sources of Emotional Intelligence

We need to understand several aspects of the brain in order to understand the sources of emotional intelligence.

The emotional mind is located in the amygdala and feeds into the rational mind, guiding its operations. The rational mind, located in neocortex, refines and sometimes overrules the input of the emotional mind.

The amygdala and neocortex usually work in tandem, but when emotions are running high, the amygdala overtakes the rational mind. In highly emotional moments, the amygdala plays a crucial role in how a person reacts.

Categories of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence falls into five general categories:

  1. Self-awareness: Knowing what you’re feeling when you’re feeling it.
  2. Self-regulation: Using your emotions to serve you, instead of having them get in the way, and recovering well from emotional distress.
  3. Motivation: Delaying gratification to pursue important goals and persevering when faced with setbacks or frustrations.
  4. Empathy: Sensing what others are feeling and seeking other perspectives.
  5. Social skills: Interacting with others comfortably, cooperating, negotiating, persuading, and leading.

Promoting Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Research shows that people who show high levels of emotional intelligence are stronger leaders, better
Decision makers, foster better relationships, increase team efficiency, and are better equipped to confront challenging issues and manage change.

EQ has also been shown to be a more accurate predictor of success at work and in life than the more traditional IQ test. When bright people fail in the workplace, it’s usually caused by a lack of emotional intelligence. The good news is that these skills can be developed and improved.

Emotional intelligence training courses give participants strategies for developing each skill. Participants can learn effective strategies to confront issues, tackle problems, and manage change and stress with composure and clarity.

The Four Aspects of Emotional Intelligence

It’s important to be able to manage emotions by recognizing how thoughts and emotions are connected. Self-control can be improved by identifying physical cues that indicate one’s emotions may be taking over. Those who want to improve their emotional skills should learn how to use assertive communication to express their needs and feelings appropriately. There are four aspects of emotional intelligence that should be worked on when attempting to improve EQ skills:

  • Intrapersonal skills. The ability to recognize one’s emotions as they occur and the ability to exhibit self-control in emotional situations.
  • Interpersonal skills. The ability to recognize others’ emotions, have positive relationships and minimize unproductive conflict.
  • Adaptability skills. The ability to be flexible in changing conditions, manage stress productively and solve problems effectively.
  • Resilience skills. The ability to bounce back from setbacks, regain self-confidence and maintain a positive perspective in the face of negative events.

How to Improve It

So what can you do if you’re lacking in emotional intelligence? Luckily it can it’s a skill that can be improved with the proper training and practice. Watch our webinar that will show you how to train and develop emotional intelligence in individuals. The webinar, titled “Emotional Intelligence: How to Develop Skills for Success,” explores four vital components of intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and resilience, and also discusses strategies for continuous improvement. Watch Emotional Intelligence:  How to Develop Skills for Success.

This webinar is based on Emotional Intelligence: A Scientifically Proven Method for Developing the Skills of Success. This training program introduces the four essential aspects to honing this soft skill, and gives strategies for further development, helping people to confront issues, tackle problems, and manage change and stress with composure and clarity. Click here to learn more: Emotional Intelligence Customizable Course.

1
may

New Webinar! Emotional Intelligence: The New Science of Success

Posted by Emotional IntelligenceNo Comments

We are excited to announce a new webinar!

Event Date: 06/7/2017 (2:00 pm EDT- 3:00 pm EDT)

Does your Development Plan include the goal of increasing your Emotional Intelligence? Emotional Intelligence has been described as: “the new science of success”. Breakthroughs in Emotional Intelligence research show us why our moods and actions have enormous impact on our success in the workplace.

Join us for one-hour of free content on understanding our emotions, managing them to achieve our goals, understanding the emotional responses of others and using our emotional intelligence to build better workplace relationships.

Participants Will Learn

  • Beyond Maslow: six human needs to thrive at work
  • Three types of relational cultures in organizations
  • How different cultures affect health, happiness and productivity
  • The three core elements of a “Connection Culture”
  • Best practice language, attitudes and behaviors that connect

Save your seat!

Karl Mulle, M.A.C.P., is a corporate trainer, coach and keynote speaker, as well as a psychotherapist in private practice. He has over 31 years of experience in the design and delivery of energizing and fun programs on human effectiveness. His topics include: developing leaders, building healthy relationships, increasing emotional intelligence, managing diversity, developing communication and presentation skills, managing change, and building effective teams. Karl applies an experiential approach to learning, creatively designing sessions to maximize interaction and self-discovery. His client list includes: General Electric, Chevron, 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Citibank, Nielsen, Cigna, the FDA, and the United States Office of Personnel Management. Karl has traveled extensively throughout the United States (46 states) and European/Asian countries (31 countries), and has recently authored Emotional Intelligence Training. He has also co-authored the book: Put Emotional Intelligence to Work: EQuip Yourself for Success.

5
apr

Judging EQ – Should You?

Posted by Communication Styles, Emotional Intelligence, Personality StyleNo Comments

By Ed Hennessy

Over the last year I’ve begun to see a trend in articles and blogs with people stating that “so and so has a high EQ or low EQ” simply by what they’ve seen, heard, or read about that person. Do we want someone judging our overall level of EQ by observation of a limited aspect of our life?

A high EQ is not a guarantee of success just as a low EQ is not a guarantee of failure. Success comes from the Latin word succedere or succeed, which is defined by Merriam-Webster as “to do what you are trying to do: to achieve the correct or desired result”   We determine our success in life. Others may provide their input, opinion, or judgement but ultimately our view of success is our own. Success in life is impacted by many things and our emotional intelligence is one of them. However, we need to take a closer look at what we mean by EQ to understand the impact the unique emotional Intelligence profile within each of us has on our life.

The concept of Emotional Intelligence has been presented in various models for about the last 30 years. The model I use and refer to is the EQ-i 2.0® (Emotional Quotient Inventory).  The EQ-i 2.0® model is one of the rare few that is scientifically validated and recognized by the American Psychological Association. This model generates an overall EQ-i score based on our usage of 15 different skills of emotional intelligence contained within composite groups of Self Perception, Self Expression, Interpersonal Relationships, Decision Making, and Stress Management. The model also includes a Well Being score that is separately generated.

One figure in particular that seems to draw a reference to a perceived low EQ is Steve Jobs. Most EI assessments do generate an overall EQ score but what’s more important for us to understand is how someone uses the 15 different skills of emotional intelligence. Simply stating “so and so has a high EQ or low EQ” is not the most accurate way to discuss emotional intelligence. If Steve Jobs took an emotional intelligence assessment and allowed his overall score to be published we could then say whether it was high or low. However, it is a flawed assumption to say he had a high or low EQ without having his score to reference. What I have observed when most people state Steve Jobs had a low EQ comes from what they’ve seen, heard, or read about him and his interaction with others. This is only one aspect of our overall EQ and originates in the Interpersonal Relationship Composite.  As I mentioned earlier, there is much more to our emotional intelligence than interpersonal ability.

Emotional Intelligence is also about our Self Perception which is our inner confidence, our passionate pursuit of things that bring joy and meaning to our life, and our emotional self-awareness. The Self Expression composite is our ability to express ourselves both verbally and non-verbally in a socially acceptable way and includes our ability to navigate ourselves through life. The Decision Making composite gives us an understanding on how emotions impact our ability to solve problems, fosters our objectivity, and allows us to respond to situations in a timely manner. Lastly, the Stress Management composite creates our resilience and adaptability as well as generating our optimism towards the challenges life brings our way.  Looking at ourselves and the people around us we can observe actions and behaviors such as confidence or optimism but neither one, or even both working together should be considered our overall EQ.

To accurately view emotional intelligence in action we should view EQ as not being a singular construct such as an IQ score which is high or low but we should reflect on what specific emotional intelligence skills we are observing in action, at what level of usage, and with what resulting impact. Are we seeing a low usage of Interpersonal skill such as someone being self-centered, transactional, and insensitive? While Interpersonal ability is very important to success for most of us it is only one part of someone’s overall emotional intelligence profile and should not be the sole basis for saying someone has a low EQ. The more correct statement is that “so and so is demonstrating a low usage of interpersonal skill”. Most people would agree that Steve Jobs may have been one of the most driven and confident people in recent history as he demonstrated high levels of Self-Regard and Self- Actualization. His ability to be objective and understand the desires of the consumer for products that were yet in existence was unparalleled and this was aided by the skills of Reality Testing and Empathy. Did Steve Jobs always use empathy in his interactions with others? I think most would agree he did not. His ability to create a positive vision of the future that people bought into is still clearly seen today and contributing to this were high levels of optimism and emotional expression. While I’ve mentioned several individual EQ-i skills these actions and behaviors he demonstrated come from a combination all 15 EQ-i emotional intelligence skills in action.

Ultimately, this is not about Steve Jobs. Emotional Intelligence is a set of skills we all use that creates an impact in our lives and on the people around us. These skills are dynamic and our usage of them can be measured. If there is an area of your life where you would like more success or something about yourself you’ve considered working on then focusing on certain skills may be the opportunity for you to discover and realize greater potential. If we choose we can create an action plan based on leveraging our strengths as well as identifying opportunities for development. Personally, I am actively working on a greater use of Empathy and Interpersonal Relationships. My assessment showed I had a score consistent with the level where most people would be but I know being more understanding, appreciative, and compassionate will bring greater depth and success in my relationships. For others greater comfort expressing emotion, becoming more confident, being more positive, identifying and pursuing meaningful life goals, or generating an overall greater degree of happiness in life might be areas of opportunity.  Emotional Intelligence is something we all have and our usage of the 15 skills is unique to each of us. While we may see others using or not using these skills to a certain extent would we want someone judging our overall level of EQ by observation of a limited aspect of our life? I know when I see someone not at their best I am going to use Empathy to try and understand what they might be experiencing as I know it’s not their overall EQ I am seeing but simply one piece of a great work in progress like the rest of us.

This article was reprinted with permission from the author.

Ed and HRDQ-U are hosting a free webinar on May 18th a 2pm ET. Register here! 

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Ed Hennessy is a Master Trainer in Emotional Intelligence and CEO of Leadership Call, LLC the leading provider of EQ-I 2.0 & EQ 360 Emotional Intelligence Certification in North America. He leads EI based leadership and performance improvement programs with corporate clients and organizations as well as training & credentialing other professionals as experts in EI. He is a U.S. Army Veteran and served 9 years with several assignments leading elite aviation units. He also has 13+ years Executive Recruitment experience working nationally with Fortune 1000 companies for mid to senior level positions. In his community Ed is a speaker with the University of North Texas Professional Leader Program as well as a participant in the Tour De Cure.  He graduated from Norwich University, The Oldest Private Military College in the Nation.

21
mar

America’s Stress Epidemic

Posted by Conflict Management Strategies, Emotional Intelligence, Human Resource Training, Personality StyleNo Comments

By: Michael Lee Stallard

Stress is increasing today as the world economy becomes more competitive and the explosion of information overwhelms individuals. The effects are felt not just mentally, but throughout our nervous systems.

Human connection in the form of conversation and relational support provides psychological resources to cope with stress. Unfortunately, people have fewer confidants today as single-person households in America are at an all-time high of 28 percent, families have spread out, workplaces are lonelier, and both work hours and commutes are longer. Add to that the allure of media and smartphones, and you have a recipe for less time spent in meaningful face-to-face conversation, a state that contributes to greater anxiety, depression and addiction.

Hardwired to Connect

We are hardwired to connect. When our lives crowd out time connecting with others we dysfunction. As the neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman said in his TED Talk, connection is a superpower that makes people more productive, healthier and happier. To reverse these ominous trends we need to dial back our achieve-aholic tendencies to obsessively pursue wealth, power, and fame, and in place of it spend more time and energy connecting with others in supportive relationships.

Interestingly, Millennials are trying to do just that in response to seeing their Boomer parents’ struggles. When global marketing firm McCann Worldgroup surveyed 1,000 individuals in the U.S. between the ages of 16-30 years old in 2011, it found more than 90 percent of those surveyed rated “connection and community” as their greatest need. As the researchers put it, “to truly grasp the power of connection for this generation, we can look at how they wish to be remembered. It is not for their beauty, their power, or their influence, but simply for the quality of their human relationships and their ability to look after those around them.” Although Millennials long to connect, they are becoming increasingly frustrated in meeting that desire, in part because of addictions to smartphones and other media.

Connection in the Workplace

Employers can make a difference by recognizing that people are coming to work with a connection deficit. Organizations that have relationally toxic or indifferent cultures exacerbate the situation. In many workplaces, anyone who takes lunch away from his desk is labeled as a slacker. Companies that are hell-bent on growth at any cost are harming their employees and their own organization’s performance.

Wise leaders not only value task excellence, they value relationship excellence. Both are necessary for an organization to thrive. Employees who experience sufficient connection, 1) perform better cognitively and physically, 2) give greater discretionary effort, 3) are more aligned with organizational goals, 4) communicate more so that decision-makers have better information and that improves the quality of decision-making, and 5) engage in creative conversations that fuel innovation.  These five benefits add up to a powerful competitive advantage that comes from having a culture of connection in the workplace.

Leaders can create cultures of connection by communicating an inspiring vision that unites, valuing people as human beings rather than means to an end, and giving people a voice in decisions that affect them. In my latest book, Connection Culture; The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy and Understanding at Work, I recommend leaders focus on shaping the culture–the attitudes, uses of language, and behaviors of the people–to be one that promotes and enhances healthy and collaborative relationships.

Today, more than two-thirds of workers in America report they do not feel connected at work.  Changing workplace cultures in ways that boost connection will not only improve America’s productivity, it will also provide psychological resources to cope with the rising stress of modern life thereby improving the employee’s health, happiness and longevity.

This article was written originally posted here. It was reprinted with permission from the author.

Michael Lee Stallard and HRDQ-U are hosting a three-day webinar series April 19th, 20th, 21st at 12pm ET.Save your seat here!

headshotMichael Lee Stallard is president of E Pluribus Partners, and a speaker, teacher, and consultant on leadership, employee engagement, productivity, and innovation. He is the primary author of Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team’s Passion, Creativity and Productivity. Articles written by Michael or about his work have appeared in leadership periodicals worldwide. He has spoken or taught at many leading organizations, including General Electric, Google, Johnson & Johnson, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the NASA Johnson Space Center, Scotiabank, the U.S. Treasury Department, and the Yale-New Haven Hospital.

 

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