You’ve never heard of Emotional Intelligence, where have you been?!
Whilst the term was mentioned as far back as 1964 in psychological treatises, it was only in 1995 that it became a business tool with the advent of the book Emotional Intelligence – why it can matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman.
Many people refer to it as EQ (emotional quotient), but what exactly is it?
The dictionary says it’s the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
In practical terms that means that you are conscious of your emotional state and make intelligent decisions about whether this is productive or not. Many people don’t even think about their emotions, they just assume that they have to live with them. This isn’t entirely true.
Here is an example:
You at work in the reception area talking to the receptionist when a colleague walks past you without acknowledging you at all. Do you:
- Think that they are snubbing you and react by feeling angry and decide to stop including them in your department updates.
- Wonder what has happened to them that has clearly caused them to be so upset that they are unaware of what’s happening around them, react with compassion and decide to buy them a coffee and offer a confidential shoulder to lean on.
You do have a choice, but most people respond with a knee-jerk reaction.
Take a look around your work environment, do you have people who sigh a lot? This is an indicator of depression. Most people who feel down tend to sit in a slumped position; this compresses the diaphragm and makes it almost impossible to take a deep breath. The lungs need oxygen so at some point the person will straighten up and take a deeper breath.
The change in position will immediately alter their state as most of us feel much better when we sit up straight with our heads up. Their subconscious then tells them that they aren’t feeling good and they collapse back into the slumped position – expelling all the air they’ve just breathed in – a big sigh!
All this is unconscious, but a typical demonstration of how people can change their state by being aware of themselves, their physicality and making decisions about how they want to feel, rather than just going with the flow.
It’s been said that Emotional Intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success. People who have a high EI or EQ have better mental health, higher job performance and enhanced their leadership skills.