- “The ability to identify emotions is a great ally for professionals but few take advantage of it. Now is the time to incorporate it at the company and individual levels”. – Daniel Goleman
Emotional intelligence is a brilliant ally in professionals’ performance, but they are not taking advantage of it. I believe it is now time to sign up and incorporate it both at the company and individual levels. Therefore, I welcome you to sit back, get a cup of coffee and learn more about the importance of emotional intelligence in this article.
For many years, leading firms in the world have been implementing internal training programmes, covering some of these skills for managers and a few professionals; but it is still very difficult to find a programme that trains professionals in all aspects of emotional intelligence and accompanies them over time.
Emotional intelligence is a concept that dates back to 1990. While we associate it with Daniel Goleman and his famous book, we cannot forget it was based on the work of Peter Salovey and John Mayer – the true forefathers of the concept. The basic premise is the idea that human intelligence must be expanded beyond cognitive and intellectual elements to incorporate the management of one’s own emotional world, and that of other people.
Over the past two decades, many authors have explored this idea in depth without coming to a consensus around the concept of all the skills it includes. However, they likely agree that someone with well-developed emotional intelligence will be capable of identifying, expressing, assigning meaning to, communicating, and adaptively managing their emotions.
EI is defined as our “capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and our relationships.” It is a significant force behind professional success. People with high EI are thought to be able to understand and express themselves, “understand others and relate with them, and cope with daily demands” better than those with a lower EI.
EI in professional development is of primary importance for several reasons. EI has been found to be as important, if not more so, than IQ for academic and job performance; EI is essential in leadership; many tasks required of professionals entail EI competencies (e.g., negotiation, mediation, etc.); and EI skills may improve the mental health crisis among professionals fields.
Greater rates of EI lead to increased happiness, life satisfaction and well-being rates; and therefore, are thought to decrease professional burnout. Unlike IQ, which does not change significantly over a lifetime, and is only thought to account for about twenty-five percent of overall success, EI evolves and increases with one’s desire to learn and grow. EI skills can also be taught and developed.
The time for EI training in the professional field is ripe because the scientific understanding of emotion, and emotional and social intelligence, has arrived. The academic literature in neuroscience and psychology offers several key insights that could boost performance in the professional field.
There is a large and growing body of empirical literature linking EI to several key performance and well-being outcomes. A recent meta-analysis of eighteen studies reported correlations in the 0.30 range between EI scores and assessments of verbal and spatial intelligence. EI has also been found to be positively associated with psychological health, and reduce stress levels.
Also in 2011 meta-analysis focused on the impact of individual EI on workplace performance. Seventy-five studies, which included a total of eighty-seven independent samples and 12,882 participants, met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The overall results showed a moderately strong correlation between individual EI and workplace performance (r = 0.28).
The Psychology of Emotion
There have been several attempts and efforts made to neatly define emotion in the traditional sense developed slowly as scientists were met with the reality that each emotion involves a complex set of responses. Emotions involve a wide array of physiological and psychological responses, and can vary by the situation in terms of expression, intensity and length.
Though scientists still deliberate on a final definition with new approaches to research and new discoveries, we know a lot already. For example, we know emotions are a state of feeling and they involve different components, such as cognitive processes, behaviour, physiological, and psychological, and depending on the academic discipline, the particular component of the emotion will be the focus.
Goleman’s classic bestseller, ‘Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ’, defined emotion as: “The instant plans for handling life that evolution has instilled in us”. He highlights the fact that emotions are simply impulses to act or move. He also points out that the very root of the word emotion is move, and suggests that emotion, in its basic sense, means to move into action. Each emotion triggers a physiological and cognitive reaction that leads to movement.
Additionally, each emotion serves a particular purpose and prepares the body for a very different kind of response. Emotions involve an array of physiological and social responses known as biological signatures. For instance, as described by Goleman, anger increases blood flow through the body down to the extremities, allowing us to respond to outside stimuli by making a grasping fist to strike.
Each emotion leads to a complex physiological and cognitive reaction that serves a unique purpose related to some goal. Emotions allow us to act quickly without having to reason, serving an important survival function.
What emotional skills can a professional develop, and what advantages would this offer?
What does this mean for professionals? Imagine a heated debate between two professionals, say, lawyers from the same firm about how to approach a new client’s case. After an intense ten-minute discussion, one of the lawyers starts to nod and smile. The other lawyer, noticing the softer demeanour of his or her colleague, then starts to feel more compassionate and collaborative, resulting in a change in the approach to the issue. The positive body language in this example altered a tense interpersonal situation. An emotional response can change the environment, and therefore alter the potential subsequent emotions that surface.
Self-awareness
This skill is part of learning how to be a good professional in any field of choice and involves identifying the emotions you feel, naming them, and recognising the message that they convey. To develop it, you have to learn how to pause, to become aware of how you feel and the reasons for that emotion.
This is not easy, because today’s world lets you quickly escape the most unpleasant emotions through a cell phone screen. Professionals who realise the importance of emotional intelligence and are aware of their emotions will be capable of receiving and learning from the constructive criticism of their co-workers and customers, and will not react with anger when they feel guilty, or with sadness and resignation when they feel disappointed. A lack of awareness of emotions is the cause of many communication conflicts within offices, which has a negative effect on the corporate environment.
Emotional expression
If you can recognise the emotions you feel, the next step is to be consistent in expressing them, both verbally and physically. To do so, you have to keep in mind that more than 90% of communication is non-verbal. You convey messages through your body, gestures and voice. Therefore, it will be very strange if your body does not go along with your words. Professionals with this skill will convey more confidence and credibility, both in the eyes of their team and from the customer’s perspective.
Self-regulation
This skill is very important because, if you wish to learn how to be a good professional in any field of choice, there will be times when you are aware of what is happening, yet it may not be appropriate or beneficial to express your emotions. In these situations, the skill of self-regulation will allow you to moderate yourself control and/or redirect your emotions. For professionals, this will allow them to express themselves calmly in difficult situations, and enable them to think about and anticipate the information being presented without denying it. And, of course, it will also allow them to celebrate their successes with happiness, not just relief.
Empathy
This is one of the best-known skills for professionals, and is usually defined as the ability to understand others and put yourself in their shoes. However, it is a skill not enough professionals actually develop. An internal dialogue, being in a rush and thinking ahead interfere with empathy, hindering the professionals’ ability to establish a connection with their team and customers, resulting in a loss of very valuable information. Professionals with a degree of empathy establish better connections, and are more aware of needs, concerns and priorities. This allows them to make better decisions.
Social skills
Companies and or firms ‘skills for professional’ training programmes tend to start by offering professionals training in this skill, without covering those discussed above. As a result, such training fails to achieve the desired results. The ‘how to be a good professional of your field of choice’ tool kit of social skills includes assertive communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, and overcoming social anxiety. You can recognise professionals who have worked on this skill because they build a team and work well with others.
Self-motivation
The last of these six skills are essential for every professional. It allows them to take advantage of their emotions to reach goals, to draw support from their strengths to overcome complicated situations and continue learning. Professionals with this skill will be more resilient and optimistic when faced with adversity.
And what advantages will firms gain by having professionals who understand the importance of emotional intelligence? They will see the teamwork that is better and more productive; their professionals will not lack creativity and spontaneity; customers will feel more connected; and no more energy will be wasted on hiding defects, weaknesses, and useless conflicts. Over the long term, all of this will create a climate of increased trust, with all its attendant benefits.
Conclusion
With knowledge of brain structure, autonomic nervous system function, how emotions arise in the brain, brain optimisation, and the importance of emotion regulation, professionals are empowered to improve how they work with each other and how they serve clients. To enhance the neuro-capacity for emotion regulation, professionals can embrace regular exercise and plan to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
To increase focus, professionals can learn and practise meditation. To minimise the stress response and improve awareness, professionals can employ a mindfulness practice. Science shows that these recommendations can improve professionals’ emotion regulation, well-being and performance.
References
- Daniel Goleman, Working with Emotional Intelligence 317 (1998).
- Ernest H O’Boyle, Jr. et al., The Relation Between Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis, 32 J. Organizational Behav. 788, 797 (2011).
- Hui-Hua Zhang & Hui Wang, A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Individual Emotional Intelligence and Workplace Performance, 43 Acta Psychologicia Sinica 188, 195 (2011).
- Kimberly Leary et al., Negotiating with Emotion, Harv. Bus. Rev. 100 (2013), https:// perma.cc/BQ29-6JH9; Kihwan Kim et al., The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Negotiation Outcomes and the Mediating Effect of Rapport: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach, 30 Negotiation J. 49, 55, 63 (2014).
- Marisa Méndez, Director of Psycholawgy.es and Associate Professor at IE Law School
- Nicholas Clarke, Emotional Intelligence and Learning in Teams, 22 J. Workplace Learning 125, 125–45 (2010).
- Warren Bennis, Foreword to The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How to Select For, Measure, and improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, Groups, and Organizations, at xi (Cary Cherniss & Daniel Goleman eds., 2001).
- Lazar et al., Meditation Experience is Associated with Increased Cortical Thickness, Neuroreport 1893, 1895 (2005).
The writer is a Ph.D. candidate; CEPA, CFIP, ATA MIPA, ChMC, AMCFE, Researcher; and Accountant for Serviceships Ghana Ltd. & Cape Logistics Ltd.
Contact: 0246390969 – Email: [email protected]
