Emotional Intelligence

Effective self-management requires an awareness of our emotional and rational

responses, or a strong degree of emotional intelligence, commonly referred to as EQ.

Emotional intelligence has five components:

■ Self-awareness—emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, self-confidence, ability to

recognize emotions and their effects on you and others.
■ Self-regulation—self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, innovation,
bility to manage disruptive emotions and impulses.
■ Motivation—zeal, achievement drive, commitment, initiative, optimism, and the ability to
remain persistent in the face of adversity.
■ Empathy—understanding others, service orientation, developing others, leveraging
diversity, political awareness, the ability to read and respond to others’ feelings.
■ Social skills—interacting smoothly, managing interpersonal relationships, handling
emotional responses to others, influence, communication, the ability to build bonds with
others.

Benefits of EQ

1. EQ helps us to understand our levels of key emotional responses such as self-control,

zeal, and persistence, and the ability to use our emotions, feelings, and moods and
those
of others to adapt and navigate in society.
2. EQ allows us to develop an awareness of our feelings and emotions and use them in
appropriate ways.
3. EQ affects our ability to use emotions in relating to others at work and in our personal
lives.
4. EQ is critical to your ability to relate to others and make decisions about our life and
work.
5. An enhanced EQ is also a positive factor in being able to work cross-culturally.

Strategies for Increasing EQ

1. Be candid—assess yourself realistically. Think of situations when you’ve been at
your best—and your worst. What can you do to acknowledge your weaknesses and
work on them? How can you place yourself in activities that play to and help fos-
ter your strengths?
2. Ask for feedback. At the conclusion of a class or work project, ask a classmate,
teammate, or supervisor to let you know what you did well, and what you can
improve.
3. Be self-confident. Know your abilities. Stretch—but don’t overstretch by taking on
tasks for which you lack the necessary skills.
4. Don’t overreact when things don’t go your way. Objectively look at the situation,
gather the facts, and determine rationally the best way to approach the situation or
present a solution.
5. Take time to choose an appropriate course of action. Don’t react impulsively.
6. Accept and develop skill in coping with ambiguity and change. These are hallmarks
of most successful organizations and managers today.
7. Be motivated by a strong internal desire to achieve for the sake of achievement,
not (just) for material success.
8. Track your progress. Always be aware of the results you are seeking; don’t simply
focus on the task itself.
9. Consider others in all of your decisions. “No man is an island.” Understand others
and take their needs into account when you make decisions.
10. Take time for people. Some of the best managers are known for “walking around”
on a regular basis. Take time out from studies or work to develop rapport with
your classmates or colleagues. Time spent cultivating friendships with others at
school or work is time well spent.