Importance of Emotional Intelligence: For HR Managers and Employees
While the term Emotional Intelligence has become a buzzword in organizational circles since the 1990s, sociologists and behavioural scientists argue that it not an entirely new phenomenon. Researchers such as Charles Darwin have written extensively about the human being’s innate capacity to identify, experience and understand emotional states; their own as well as that of others .
A more formal definition of the term was presented by David Goleman, who quantified this so far subjective concept as “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically” .
There are several reasons as to why Emotional Quotient (EQ) is being considered as a crucial personality trait to look for in potential recruits. The foremost rationale is that organizations are essentially made up of people and in the long-run, only those organizations are able to survive cut-throat competition where employees work as a cohesive unit towards mutually beneficial goals. To this end, developing empathy and understanding for team members, managing feelings of impatience and anger that are a norm in high-pressure situations and being considerate towards a fellow employee who may be struggling with personal problems, all go a long way in creating a harmonious organizational culture .
When it comes to HR Managers, having Emotional Intelligence becomes even more important than for a Line Manager (such as Director Information Technology) whose work involves less interaction with other people. This is because not only are HR Managers – like other employees – Emotional Quotient (EQ) required to regulate their own emotions and behaviours, but they are also expected to listen to the grievances of the workforce and minimize conflicts . Therefore, developing Emotional Quotient (EQ) becomes more imperative for HR personnel, whose job by definition is coordinating, managing and handling other people on a day-to-day basis.
Training for Emotional Intelligence
Given the increased emphasis that employers are placing on Emotional Intelligence when considering candidates for recruitment or promotion, most organizations have instituted formal Emotional Intelligence Development Programs. While initially the focus of Emotional Intelligence was only on emotional self-awareness, greater importance is being placed these days on how to control and regulate emotions so as to prevent the occurrence of negative behaviours as a result. Consequently, these programs primarily comprise of real-life simulation situations in which groups of employees are placed are then instructed to behave as they would if it were a real-life business situation they encounter regularly .
Furthermore, role-play activities in which employees interchange roles with their supervisors are also considered to be one of the most effective methods for developing empathy by creating scenarios in which each employee is made to see the other’s perspective.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ) or Positive Intelligence?
David Goleman in his 2005 book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than I was the first to present the concept of positive intelligence, which he described as “an indicator of how much mastery you have developed over your own mind”. He identified certain ‘saboteurs’ (negative factors) that employees should overcome in order to increase their efficiency .
I believe that a combination of all three factors is essential for both employees and supervisors to perform their jobs effectively.
For instance, if I am the Finance Manager, then having accounting, economic and financial knowledge (Intelligence Quotient), as well as being able to manage my departmental employees if the company is going through a crisis (Emotional Quotient) while preventing myself from viewing the situation negatively (Positive Intelligence) will all contribute towards determining my performance and efficiency.
References
Achor, S. (2012). Positive Intelligence. Harvard Business Review , 1-4.
Côté, S. (2006). Emotional Intelligence, Cognitive Intelligence, and Job Performance. Administrative Science Quarterly , 1-28.
Dufner, M. (2012). Positive Intelligence Illusions: On the Relation Between Intellectual Self-Enhancement and Psychological Adjustment. Journal of Personality , 537–572.
Warwick, J. (2004). Emotional intelligence is? Journal of Personality and Individual Differences , 1091–1100.
