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Performance Fireworks!!

Special Report

Dear Friends,

After a summer sabbatical, we are returning to you with a format that I think you will find interesting and informative.  As a Performance Fireworks!! subscriber, you will receive a Special Report on a quarterly basis.  We hope that you will appreciate the decreased frequency and increased depth.  Our topics will be selected for their relevance to you as leaders, managers, and individual contributors.  We would appreciate your comments and feedback on our new format.  Please feel free to forward this report to a friend by clicking the link below.

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In partnership,

 

Rebecca Bradley

Partnership Coaching, Inc.

Emotional Intelligence In the Workplace

 

“The real voyage of discovery

consists not of finding

new lands, but of seeing

the territory with new eyes.”

-Marcel Proust

 

The concept of emotional intelligence became popular after the immense success of Daniel Goleman’s book in 1995, Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.

 

It was followed by a second best seller in 1998 by the same author, Working with Emotional Intelligence. The business community was rocked by the research that overwhelmingly showed that up to 90 percent of one’s performance effectiveness was due to emotional savvy rather than technological knowledge.

 

In the US where IQ and SAT scores have dominated thinking on who is likely to succeed, the evidence is now clearer that people skills are far more important when it comes to the bottom line. For many years it had been considered inappropriate to show or to have emotions in a work situation. An overwhelming amount of research shows that not only are emotions very much a part of the work experience, but to a large degree they set the course that a company follows.

 

Unlike IQ, which is set and unchangeable from childhood on, emotional intelligence can be developed, and in fact, usually does become greater with age and maturity. The importance of developing one’s emotional intelligence is essential to success in the workplace. Utilizing the power and energy of one’s emotions leads to high motivation, and improves problem-solving and decision-making.

 

Understanding emotions contributes toward building an emotionally intelligent organization.  An emotionally intelligent organization can be imagined where:

Ø      everyone communicates with understanding and respect,

Ø      where people set group goals and help others work toward them,

Ø      and where enthusiasm and confidence in the organization are widespread.

 

Emotional Intelligence describes abilities distinct from and complementary to academic intelligence, the purely cognitive capacities measured by IQ. In 1983 Howard Gardner, a Harvard psychologist, listed seven kinds of intelligence including knowing one’s inner world and social adeptness.

 

Peter Salovey of Yale and John Mayer of the University of New Hampshire coined the term “emotional intelligence” in 1990 and proposed a comprehensive theory. Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence in terms of being able to monitor and regulate one’s own and other’s feelings, and to use feelings to guide thought and action.

 

Goleman defines it as the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.

 

The fact that the term emotional intelligence encompasses so many abilities and competencies dilutes the impact of its meaning. Perhaps Hendrie Weisinger in his 1998 definition says it best: Quite simply, emotional intelligence is the intelligent use of emotions!  It is emotionally intelligent when you intentionally make emotions work for you by using them to help guide your behavior and thinking in ways that enhance your results.

 

Most people have trouble managing situations that are emotionally charged, especially when the emotions aroused are anger and anxiety. When this difficulty is accompanied by, or causes, poor communications skills, then people really do get into trouble. Those individuals who are able to handle their emotions, not just the expression or regulation of them, but who are also able to generate the kinds of emotions that are productive and efficient, are indeed emotionally intelligent.

 

Research into emotions has been greatly enhanced by brain-imaging technologies in the last decade. For the first time ever, scientists have been able to study the functioning of the brain on living subjects and to map out the parts of the brain responsible for thinking and feeling.

 

As thinking human beings, we value our rationality and cognitive powers that set us apart from the animal kingdom. The neo-cortex, the center for rational thinking and decision-making, is the newer part of the brain that is highly developed in humans. The emotional parts of the brain are located in the more ancient, central parts of the brain called the limbic system, including the amygdala, the center active during anger.

 

All emotions are in essence impulses to act. The very root of the word is from the Latin verb to move. That emotions lead to actions is obvious from watching animals or children. Only in civilized adults do we expect actions to be divorced from emotional reactions. But even as highly intelligent and civilized adults, we can never disengage our emotional brain¾  it is always there, sending emotional signals to act and react, even when there is no logic.

 

Most people believe that emotions are caused by events. They are in fact caused by our interpretations of events, sometimes so fleeting and fast as to be beneath the level of consciousness. Our pre-conscious, split-second thoughts give rise to automatic emotional reactions. We then have a choice as to how we behave, what we say, and how we handle a situation. The appropriateness of our actions and the effectiveness of our communications make up our emotional intelligence. A person who is highly-developed emotionally becomes sensitive to pre-conscious thoughts, questions their validity and appropriateness, and is able to directly influence feelings, thoughts and behaviors.

 

Social scientists have long been aware that IQ tests are inadequate for predicting success in life. IQ scores account for as little as 25% in predicting future success in college. In the work environment, technical savvy and knowledge may contribute as little as four to ten percent towards performance effectiveness.  Over ninety percent of effectiveness at work is attributed to one’s emotional intelligence. EQ, a term coined to express the measure of one’s emotional intelligence, has been proposed as the answer to why some people with average IQs end up more successful in life than some with brilliant IQ scores.

 

What is “EQ” and how do you measure it?

 

“It is easier to think and

act yourself into a new way of

feeling than it is to feel yourself into

a new way of thinking and acting.”

-William James

 

IQ is a measure of one’s cognitive abilities, and has been quantified and validated by scientists since the first decades of this century. IQ measures spatial and mathematical reasoning, verbal comprehension, information and memory.

 

To measure one’s emotional functioning is a more complicated task. First, one has to precisely define the components of emotional intelligence. Then, one has to design questions that can be scientifically validated as measuring what they set out to measure.

 

It is useful to look at Goleman’s five major factors of emotional intelligence. He summarizes emotional intelligence into the following components:

1.      Emotional self-awareness

2.      Managing one’s own emotions

3.      Using emotions to maximize intellectual processing and decision-making, including self-motivation

4.      Developing empathy

5.      The art of social relationships and managing emotions in others

 

In 1997, Dr. Reuven Bar-On developed the “E.Q.-I”, an “emotional intelligence inventory” published by Multi-Health Systems, Inc. It has been validated on over 4000 subjects in North America of diverse backgrounds.

 

Although they were so small as to be statistically insignificant, there were some gender differences. More specifically, women are more aware of their emotions, show more empathy, relate better interpersonally, and act more socially responsible than men. Men appear to have better self-regard, are more independent, solve problems better, are more flexible, and cope better with stress.

 

A look at what the “E.Q.-I” measures contributes to an understanding of the components of emotional intelligence.

1. Intrapersonal Components	3. Adaptability Components
A. Emotional Self-Awareness	A. Problem Solving
B. Assertiveness	B. Reality Testing
C. Self-Regard	C. Flexibility
D. Self-Actualization	4. Stress Management Components
E. Independence	A. Stress Tolerance
2. Interpersonal Components	B. Impulse Control
A. Empathy	5. General Mood Components
B. Interpersonal Relationships	A. Happiness
C. Social Responsibility	B. Optimism

 

How does one scientifically measure someone’s happiness? The E.Q.-I is a self-report test, as are other such tests designed to measure emotional intelligence. It is limited by the honesty, insight and awareness of the person taking the test. There is no way yet to accurately measure one’s emotional intelligence, and all tests purporting to do so are really measuring one’s self-perception. Nevertheless, such information can be useful in designing coaching programs and planning goals for personal and professional growth.

 

Other tests that propose to measure “E.Q.” are Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Competence Inventory, the Simmons Personal Survey, and Robert K. Cooper’s “EQ Map.” All allow an individual to chart strengths and vulnerabilities on emotional intelligence components.

 

Application: Why Learning the Skills of Emotional Intelligence is Crucial

When Daniel Goleman first talked about emotional intelligence he made a big point about how everyday we are assaulted by news in the media of someone gone berserk. People lose control of their emotions, go into a rage, and go on shooting sprees. Since 1995, we have been further shocked by several occurrences of school children killing other children. The evidence of emotional dysfunction and personal discomfort is apparent on every level from the school room to the board room of major corporations.

 

“Emotion hijacks meaning.”

-John Charles

 

There is a need to teach children and adults how to relate to others using emotional intelligence, how to develop one’s EQ, and how to apply the knowledge of emotional intelligence in the work place.

 

More than ever, one’s competency at work will be determined and evaluated on emotional intelligence. In today’s world of diminishing job security, one’s personal growth and development must include strengthening of emotional capacities in order to survive.

 

Although many authors have jumped on the current popularity of the concept, there are only a few books that are adept at providing steps to improve one’s E.Q. Three books stand out in their ability to teach the tools of emotional intelligence:

1.      Robert K. Cooper’s Executive EQ: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Organizations (1997),

2.      Hendrie Weisinger’s Emotional Intelligence at Work (1998),

3.      Seymour Epstein’s Constructive Thinking, the Key to Emotional Intelligence (1998).

 

Daniel Goleman makes a strong case for working with a coach to improve one’s E.Q. in a recent article in the Harvard Business Review. Indeed, emotional competencies would be difficult to learn from a book, and must be strengthened by working with another individual, preferably a professional familiar with the individual’s needs and environment.

 

Teaming, Group IQ and How it is Affected by EQ:

 

When emotions are acknowledged and guided constructively, they enhance intellectual performance. Robert Rosenthal, a Harvard expert on empathy, has shown that when people administering IQ tests treat their subjects warmly, the test scores are higher.

 

In meetings and in group settings where people come together to collaborate, there is a strong sense of a group IQ, the sum total of intellectual knowledge and skills in the room. The most important element in a group’s intelligence is not the average or highest IQ, but emotional intelligence. A single participant who is low in EQ can lower the collective IQ of the entire group. Robert Sternberg and Wendy Williams of Yale have studied this “group IQ.”

 

Thus, a group may be able to work smarter than its members’ collective intelligences would suggest, but it can also rapidly work dumber by not allowing people to share talents and by allowing destructive discontent, domineering, or infighting to degrade performance and stymie progress.

 

This has obvious impact on the effectiveness of teams and work groups. Today’s fast-changing work environments require more open and fluid work styles. Teaming, in order to be effective, requires people to have a high degree of both intellect and EQ. People need to be able to handle their own and other’s emotions in order to trust and team up for problem-solving and decision-making.
 

Emotional Intelligence Suggested Reading

 

Cooper, R.K. & Sawaf, A., Executive EQ: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership &     Organizations; Grosset/Putnam. 1997.

 

Epstein, Seymour, Ph.D., Constructive Thinking: The Key to Emotional Intelligence; Praeger Publishers; 1998.

 

Goleman, Daniel, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ; Bantam Books; 1995.

 

Goleman, Daniel, Working with Emotional Intelligence; Bantam Books; 1998.

 

Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P., The intelligence of emotional intelligence. Intelligence, 17, 433-442. 1993.

 

Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P., Emotional intelligence and the construction and regulation of feelings. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 4, 197-208. 1995.

 

Salovey, P. & Sluyter, D.J. (Eds.), Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence; Basic Books; 1997.

 

Segal, Jeanne, Ph.D., Raising Your Emotional Intelligence: A Practical Guide; Henry Holt and Company, Inc.; 1997

 

Seligman, Martin E.P., Ph.D., Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life; Pocket Books; 1990.

 

Steiner, Claude, Ph.D., Achieving Emotional Literacy: A Personal Program to Increase Your Emotional Intelligence; Simon & Schuster; 1997.

 

Weisinger, Hendrie, Ph.D.,  Emotional Intelligence at Work; San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1998.

 

 

“EQ” Internet Resources

 

Emotional Competence Inventory, Emotional Intelligence Services:  http://www.EISGlobal.com

 

Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations: http://www.eiconsortium.org 

 

Simmons Personal Survey:

http://www.eqhelp.com

 

EQ Map, Q-Metrics:

http://www.qmetricseq.com

 

 

 

Contact Us:

Rebecca Bradley, is a Master Certified Coach (International Coach Federation), Consultant, Trainer, and Speaker, She partners with individuals, teams, and organizations to grow capacity to do more, create more, enjoy more, and be more of what you want. Rebecca can be reached by e-mail at rebeccabradley@partnershipcoaching.com or by phone at 770-565-9560. We also invite you to visit our web site www.partnershipcoaching.com.

Copyright 2007 Rebecca Bradley
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