Emotional intelligence hit the headlines in 1995 with the publication of Daniel Goleman’s book of the same name. Since then it has become an accepted tool in the measurement, understanding and development of individuals and organisations.
Emotional intelligence, sometime referred to as EQ, concerns social intelligence, in particular the ability to understand and manage oneself and one’s relationships with other people. Goleman describes it in his book as ‘the ability to recognise and regulate emotions in ourselves and others’.
Goleman identifies four main categories of emotional intelligence:
self-awareness
self-management
social awareness
relationship management
It does not concern the cognitive intelligence measured in an IQ test.
The ability to manage ourselves and to understand others are key skills and for this reason specialists in emotional intelligence believe that an understanding of the subject is extremely important for the future success of an organisation.
The main premise is that as EQ can be measured and the results fed back to individuals. This will lead to a greater understanding of self and, with appropriate training, development can be undertaken to improve EQ.
For the organisation there are a number of interests in EQ. Do certain roles or jobs suit particular types of emotional intelligence and, if you can test for this, can this help you select the right individuals for the role? In addition, and on a bigger scale, does a general understanding of EQ by staff and its application, when combined with a training programme lead to improved performance?
The answer given is very much ‘yes’, because if you can understand yourself, motivate and handle relationships better then you must see an overall improvement in relationships and the organisation will therefore benefit.
Unfortunately, EQ is difficult to measure and quantify as it is based on subjective principles, and performance related outcomes are difficult to distinguish from other business operations. Some studies that have been done so far by Goleman and others to prove this hypothesis have not been to everyone’s satisfaction, so they cannot be regarded as conclusive.
The literature does not claim that EQ is the answer to all organisations’ ills. It is like any other organisational development tool and needs to be used to solve a particular problem. In addition, it must fit within an organisation’s culture and values. In certain cultures, particularly centralised command and control cultures, it may indeed be counter-productive.
How do you introduce emotional intelligence?
Goleman and Cary Cherniss, Chair of the Emotional Intelligence Consortium, identified four phases in the introduction of EQ:
1. Preparation
This includes assessing the organisation’s needs, assessment and feedback (with care) to individuals, providing learning opportunities and gauging the organisation’s readiness for EQ.
2. Training
Maximising self-directed learning, setting clear goals, providing opportunities for practice, enhancing insight and preventing relapse.
3. Transfer and Maintenance
Encouraging the use of skills on the job, supporting the culture and removing situation restraints.
4. Evaluation
Measure progress to date against agreed metrics.
It is worth noting that in the preparation stage before the work begins a final check is recommended to ensure that the conditions are favourable and staff are motivated to take part. If this is not the case then the project should be delayed. This may be disappointing, but it is better to delay than to proceed and find that the whole project is a disaster.
Another aspect that needs to be considered is the range of training and learner choice that is provided. Training in EQ requires much more individual choice and therefore greater resources to meet differing learner needs than most traditional training programmes.
If an organisation will benefit from an improvement in relationships, and in the understanding and management of individuals by themselves, then emotional intelligence is likely to be the answer.
However, it needs to be introduced to solve a real issue with top level sponsorship and the resources available to provide learner choice.
Finally, any programme needs time to introduce real changes.
[1] Daniel Goleman, Working with Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books, 1998).
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