When it comes to happiness and success, EIQ matters as much as IQ. Learn how you can boost your emotional intelligence to manage changes productively and achieve your goals.
One would think that being “emotionally intelligent” was always seen as a plus but actually, an initial theory of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and a way to measure it have about 30 years only.
Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso (2000) define emotional intelligence as “the ability to perceive and express emotion, assimilate emotion in thought, understand and reason with emotion, and regulate emotion in the self and others” (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2000, p. 396; see also Mayer & Salovey, 1997). Self and others! And rightly so, because whether we wish for it or not, we are imbued with social interactions and emotions are a part of our human condition. We make an impact on the environment and other people, as much as the other way around, so we best know how to deal with it most optimally.
An adult's optimal development is, in fact, influenced by the competencies of emotional awareness, expression and experience. For instance, Emotional Intelligence argues that people can develop a set of skills to improve accurate appraisals and expression of emotion, in themselves and others, and use this information to reason and problem-solve. Consequently, effective emotional self-regulation is what enables people to reach positive mental health and use feelings to achieve the best life they can aspire to.
If only we had been taught in school how to recognize, identify, label, express and use our emotions, the same way as we do any language (our precious nouns, adjectives, metaphors, punctuation, accentuation, and so on) so we can better express and connect with others. You see, emotional intelligence will not only help you make a better choice of words or make a better point at work, it will bring you greater agency overall so your emotions do not control you, but rather you choose to act on them, if, how and when.
What it means to be intelligent?
In addition to perceiving emotions, it's about understanding the information they bring about, manage it, and use it in making decisions. It's about enabling emotional self-control, motivation and resilience, the kind of knowledge which will also help you recognize other people's emotions and better manage relationships.
Daniel Goleman (1995) popularized the EI concept in his book “Emotional Intelligence - Why It Can Matter More than IQ”. He claims that a higher Emotional Intelligence is one of the best predictors of success in the workplace and life, not your IQ, redefining what it means to be smart. Despite 26 years have passed, this is widely accepted as truth and spread throughout the business world.
Look at some of the statistics on Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ) at work:
98% of those with high EIQ (compared to 77% of those with low EIQ) enjoy learning new things.
82% of those with high EIQ (compared to 43% of those with low EIQ) carefully think through decisions before moving forward.
82% of those with high EIQ (compared to 38% of those with low EIQ) believe that they are useful to their company and know exactly how the organization benefits from their skills and strengths.
94% of those with high EIQ (compared to 52% of those with low EIQ) continuously look for ways to improve their performance at work.
93% of those with high EIQ (compared to 34% of those with low EIQ) have complete confidence in their abilities.
In the face of major challenges, 81% of those with high EIQ (compared to 23% of those with low EIQ) become even more determined to succeed.
46% of those with low EIQ (compared to 8% of those with high EIQ) are not satisfied with their work unless someone else praises it.
39% of those with low EIQ (compared to 2% of those with high EIQ) rely on others to "push" or motivate them.
(Source: PsychTests, 2012)
This gives little room for doubting the impact of emotions in our work lives and the ability to problem-solve, decision-making, manage conflict, not to mention our resilience, self-esteem, positive mindset and self-motivation.
Why is Emotional Intelligence significant in managing changes and transitions?
Throughout life, we all go through stressful changes we have to manage and succeed. Yet, simultaneously, an array of emotions and feelings will arise in different intensities, and the turmoil will affect our ability to reason, problem-solve and decision-making if not addressed. The urgent question is, then, how much do we know about emotions to enable us to recognize them before reacting impulsively? It is known that Life Changes and Transitions can represent an opportunity for psychological growth or the risk of psychological declines such as stress, anxiety, depression – (all the previous variations of basic emotions) - plus, cognitive impairments, poor cognitive performance and emotional distress. Find out more about stress in our article “How is Stress Working Out for You?” and "Can We really Sit Through Changes?" Therefore, we argue emotional literacy is the first step in developing emotional intelligence for effective decision-making during changes and transitions.
Emotional Intelligence can develop in adulthood. Yet, there is no Emotional Intelligence without Emotional Literacy. Understanding the importance of and improving one’s emotional literacy is critical for managing changes in the workplace or personal life! The Emotional Awareness skill is one competency of Emotional Intelligence that helps boost self-confidence, self-esteem, social and emotional development and encourages high emotional self-management over impulse reactions. Developing emotional literacy aids an adult’s mental health and well-being, as both are inextricably linked.
Ready to increase your self-knowledge with Emotional Intelligence Quotient Score?
believe-IN endeavours to put you in control of your life! We offer Psychometric Tests to assess Emotional Intelligence Quotient and support individuals in a 1:1 person-centred Intervention Programmes. But also, our Learning Events are backed up by psychometric assessments before designing the training contents for high effectiveness of the learning experience.
Would you like to assess your current Emotional Intelligence Score? We have two tests for you, Check out a Report Sample, that will be sent by e-mail in a pdf format and online.
MEIQ - HR - R2 (Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Quotient - Human Resources Version - 2nd Revision) - Sample Report, click here.
MEIQ - R9 (Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Quotient - 9th Revision) - Sample Report, click here.
Curious to know what's your score in EIQ? You can order the psychometric test from us. Contact us, hello@believein.uk. We are happy to provide you with all the details.
All our psychometric tests provided by Arch Profile and approved for educational and psychological testing by the American Psychological Association (APA) serve to increase your self-knowledge and find the root cause of difficulties and growth opportunities.
We believe that by fostering new skills and personal development for effective decision-making and planning, during changes, we encourage our clients, and your teams, to achieve their full potential.
If you have been looking for a solution that enables change and prevents stress, contact believe-IN. We have a personalised solution to your corporate challenges.
Can you imagine a safe human space that assists you in managing change towards growth to reach your full potential? We work with both individuals and organisations, online, in English, Portuguese and Spanish, worldwide. The first step is for you to arrange your free initial 30-min consultation appointment and find out how we can support you. Go to www.believein.uk/bookings or email us at hello@believein.uk
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