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Building Emotional Intelligence in Organizations

“Emotional intelligence” (EI) has evolved rapidly over the past twenty years, and is now represented by a large array of competing models, tests, and supporting materials. Rather than create accessibility, this has led to a remarkable degree of misunderstanding, confusion and skepticism regarding the application of EI in the work place. Yet the potential exists in many business settings for it to provide significant impact in individual, team, and organizational performance.

In collaboration with the consulting firm Strategies in Play, we are developing a fresh approach to the introduction and use of EI for our respective clients.  This has allowed them to develop a better appreciation of EI and how “emotionally intelligent organizations” have a distinct advantage in hiring and developing leaders and teams.

Why Emotional Intelligence?
From a high level perspective, there are some fundamental reasons why organizations may be interested in EI.  Dozens of studies by many researchers have demonstrated the value of EI in business settings.   Some of these research studies indicate that those employees with high EI:
• are 3 times to 127 times more productive
• stay in their company longer
• exhibit more team-like behaviors
• have lower problem behaviors
• have higher quality of relationships

Traditionally considered a hindrance to effective business functioning, emotion is now understood to be at the core of good decision making, employee motivation, visionary leadership, effective problem resolution, successful change management, and many of the other processes and practices used by business in day-to-day functioning.  Emotional competencies are at least as important as technical ones. 

Discovering a Path to Understanding:  A Multidimensional Approach
Hence, in the quest to help leaders and their organizations enhance their understanding and appreciation of EI, we have begun to use a multi-dimensional approach that blends two of the best and most practical EI methods and tools:

The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT):  Drs. Jack Mayer (University of New Hampshire) and Peter Salovey (Yale University) are two of the early EI pioneers and have created, along with David Caruso, an ability model comprised of four key emotional abilities:

The ability to identify emotions
To recognize how you and others feel

The ability to use emotions to facilitate thought
To generate emotion, and to reason, think and create with this emotion

The ability to understand emotions
To understand people’s emotions and what causes emotions

The ability to manage emotions
To harness the power of your emotions toward effective decisions

The BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i):  Dr. Reuven BarOn is one of the world’s foremost EI researchers regarding how EI can help identify and predict successful corporate leaders.  The EQ-I is comprised of five Scales:

Intrapersonal Scales
Self-Regard:  To accurately perceive, understand and accept oneself
Emotional Self Awareness:  To be aware of and understand one’s emotions
Assertiveness:  To constructively express one’s emotions and oneself
Independence: To be self-reliant & free of emotional dependency on others
Self-Actualization:  To strive to achieve personal goals and actualize one’s potential

Interpersonal Scales
Empathy: To be aware of and understand how others feel
Social Responsibility: To identify with one’s social group and cooperate with others
Interpersonal Relationship: To establish mutually satisfying relationships and relate well with others

Stress Management Scales
Stress Tolerance: To effectively and constructively manage emotions
Impulse Control:  To effectively and constructively control emotions

Adaptability Scales
Reality Testing: To objectively validate one’s feelings and thinking with external reality
Flexibility:  To adapt and adjust one’s feelings and thinking to new situations
Problem Solving: To effectively solve problems of a personal and interpersonal nature

General Mood Scales
Optimism:  To be positive and look at the brighter side of life
Happiness:  To feel content with oneself, others, and life in general

 

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