Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence (EI), as defined by Daniel Goleman, is “a learned capability based on emotional intelligence that results in outstanding performance at work” (Goleman, 1998). In order to say one is a well rounded, emotionally competent person they must demonstrate an underlying ability in EI fundamentals; social awareness and relationship management are especially important. Emotional intelligence is the ability to detect emotion, engage emotionally in thought, use emotion to further one’s thinking, and managing one’s emotions (Mayer & Salovey). The more emotionally intelligent you are, the more likely you will successfully navigate your professional environment. Cognition and affect capture how emotions have an effect on the human thought process, the decision making process, and task performance. The evolution of models of intelligence was a shift in the consideration of intelligence rooted in analytical and abstract thought processes; instead of only focusing on the traditional analytical aspects, intelligence would manifest creatively and practically, through everyday life (Goleman 1998). Emotional intelligence became popular after a book with a catchy headline came out and caught the attention of the media and the general public. While not entirely focused on the empirical evidence available at the time, the book was written more for the general public and suggested that “Emotional intelligence is as powerful and at times more powerful than IQ” in predicting success in life; an idea I’m certain would be embraced by a lot of people (Goleman 1998). Listed here are the competencies evaluated Recognition Regulation Self (Personal Competence) Self-Awareness Other (Social Competence) Social Awareness - Emotional self-awareness - Accurate self-assessment - Self-confidence - Empathy - Service orientation - Organizational awareness Relationship Management Self-Management - Self-control - Trustworthiness - Conscientiousness - Adaptability - Achievement drive - Initiative - Developing others - Influence - Communication - Conflict management - Leadership - Change catalyst - Building bonds - Teamwork & collaboration (Goleman 1998) The framework of EI is 20 personal and social competencies broken down into 4 groups that cover self awareness, social awareness, self management, and relationship management. Using the 20 competencies listed, 600 professionals were surveyed asking them to personally identify the degree to which they believed they embodied those competencies. Those same professionals were then rated by their colleagues and thus groups formed: self awareness, self management, and social awareness, along with relationship management (Goleman, 1998). The ability model argues that emotional intelligence is much like any other form of intelligence and can be measured by one's ability to assess emotion. In a series of questions a person would be asked to rate the answers from best to worse or perhaps those questions are either better or worse and so based on that participants demonstrate their emotional intelligence. Mixed models pair the ability concept with personality traits and competencies like optimism and self esteem. These models are based on self reporting though and do not use performance metrics. The ability to detect emotion, engage emotionally in thought, use emotion to further one’s thinking, and managing one’s emotions are the four mental abilities according to Salovey (Mayer & Salovey). It is being able to draw connections between instances and the emotions they generate; understanding the emotions one might experience during certain situations. Leaders who demonstrated “critical mass strengths” in the EI competencies outperform leaders with weaker EI competencies. The relationship between EI strengths and performance of the department appears to be due to the climate created by the leader. An environment that harbors strong communication, provides flexibility, gives more responsibility, and clear performance standards corresponds with better outcomes (Goleman, 1998). Emotional intelligence is something we must practice regularly to maintain. Performance in many areas of our lives depend on emotional intelligence and the data strongly supports a keen understanding of emotions in ourselves and others as a skill necessary for successful outcomes (Goleman 1998). I was not aware of this field of study prior to having read this article and truthfully it is a topic I find to be critical to our societal wellbeing. I find that patience is one skill I can work on personally. While I effortlessly navigate the vast majority of my social interactions and personal engagements, there are some instances that I respond in a less than ideal manner. It is something I have become more aware of since reading these articles regarding emotional intelligence. More should be done to promote emotional intelligence as a whole as it is fundamental to personal development. References Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., & Salovey, P. (2011). Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Personal, Social, Academic, and Workplace Success. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(1), 88–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00334.x Cherniss, C., & Goleman, D. (Eds.). (2001). Chapter Three. In The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace (1st ed., pp. x–xx). Jossey-Bass.
