Are You Emotionally Intelligent?

I first read about emotional intelligence (EI) around the late 1990s, when Daniel Goleman, in his first book Emotional Intelligence, introduced the concept of how the brain can regulate our emotions in order to deal with people effectively. Since then, I have come across books linking the significance of emotional intelligence in the workplace and in our relationships with others.

How important is emotional intelligence? Numerous research indicate that it is a strong predictor of success particularly in the workplace. For instance, as of September 2008, at least there were 57 consulting firms that used EI as their model, 90 organizations specialized in EI training or assessment, 30 offered certification programs, and 5 "universities" offered EI courses (see www.eq.org).

You are emotionally intelligent if you have the following characteristics, based from the Four-Branch Model of IE (see Mayer, et al.):

Accuracy in emotional perception. People with emotional intelligence have the ability to perceive emotion in children and adult faces, voices, and postures. Hence, people with EI can correctly identify emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, and fear in others just by observation. They can also identify fake emotions.

Use of emotion to facilitate thought. Individuals with emotional intelligence use their emotions to come up with good decisions. They also know what emotion is appropriate at a given time. For example, a parent who is confronted with a child having a temper tantrum knows how to respond emotionally, compared to a parent who is frustrated and may use destructive strategies to manage a child in this state. In short, emotionally intelligent people use emotion to "think through" solutions.

Understanding emotion. This refers to the awareness of one's own and other's feelings and being able to react or respond appropriately. This ability links emotion perception and emotion regulation. For instance, in a business situation where negotiation and solving problems can create a stressful situation, an emotionally intelligent person understands the real emotion behind the actions of others and therefore is able to offer solutions proactively.

Managing emotion. People with emotional intelligence are able to regulate and manage their emotions. As such, they reframe their perceptions of situations. Hence, when a conflict arises in the workplace, emotionally intelligent individuals are able to exert considerable emotional self-control. This is sometimes referred to as "grace under pressure".

If you want to find out your EQ (emotional quotient or intelligence), click here.

Should you have questions or comments, write them down in the section "Comments" below this article.

References:

Joseph, D. L., & Newman, D. A. (2010). Emotional intelligence: An integrative meta-analysis and cascading model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 54-78.

Mayer, J.D., Roberts, R. D., & Barsade, H. G. (2008). Human abilities: Emotional intelligence. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 507-536.


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