EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: EQ HELPS WHEN IQ RUNS OUT

In my day-to-day interaction with business owners, executives, teams and people in general, one thing is clear. There is a direct correlation between a high emotional intelligence (EQ) and personal and professional success. A high IQ may get you hired, but a low EQ gets you fired.

EQ is such an important factor in business – and in life. However, unlike IQ, EQ can be learned and improved over time. Therefore, it deserves significant airtime, focus and attention.

This is the first in a 5-part series on emotional intelligence. Here, I will share some of the learnings and tools from my EQ workshop and assessment reports.

But first let’s set the scene…

What exactly is emotional intelligence?

Your EQ is about emotions – your awareness of their existence, how you perceive them, and how they influence your thoughts and actions. It’s also how you regulate your emotions to promote personal growth within yourself and in your relationships with others.

EQ is a way of recognising, understanding, and choosing how we think and feel. It determines the majority of our daily actions. EQ shapes our interactions with others and our understanding of ourselves. Furthermore, it defines how and what we learn and allows us to set priorities.

Although EQ can be easily learned and acquired, the topic is never covered at school or in the tertiary education system. Businesses therefore need to take the responsibility of encouraging and guiding appropriate behaviour that leads to high EQ. Although it appears to be yet another burden on the resources of a business, the benefits of having employees with high EQ are numerous.

High EQ in the workplace increases:

• Employer / Employee Relations
• Performance / Productivity
• Attention to task / Focus
• Motivation / Satisfaction
• Confidence / Self esteem
• Problem Solving / Creativity
• Leadership, Influence and Team Performance
• Collaboration
• Work Culture / Values
• Interpersonal Connection
• Initiative and Commitment

High EQ in the workplace decreases:

• Negativity and Stress
• Levels of Bias and Mistrust
• Absenteeism by 70%
• Staff Turnover by up to 94%
• Burnout
• Aggression and Hostility Issues
• Safety issues and on the job accidents
• Disengaged Workers

There are two competencies to master in order to improve your EQ: awareness and management. Both relate to the ability to recognise, understand and manage your personal emotions, and then recognise, empathise and relate to the emotions of others.

Over the next 4 weeks, we will deal with the 4 pillars of EQ:

• Self-awareness and recognition
• Self-management and regulation
• Social awareness and recognition
• Social management and influence

Anyone within a leadership position, or with ambitions to achieve a leadership role would do well to focus more on their EQ than their technical or intellectual abilities. Feel free to share this series with your colleagues and friends, or contact me if you’d like me to facilitate a fun and inspiring EQ workshop at your workplace.