This month, I am pleased to present the first of a two-part series of articles by a guest writer, Mr Galba Bright, who was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa and migrated to England when very young. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Henley Management College, an Honours Law Degree from Warwick University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Research and Survey Methods from North London Polytechnic.
Mr Bright resides in Jamaica. He is the owner of Galba Bright & Associates, a company that operates the world’s first Caribbean-owned Emotional Intelligence website and blog.
The Information & Computer Technology Society of Trinidad & Tobago (ICTS) is hosting a Technology Session on Thursday 3rd May at 5pm. The address is the 2nd Floor, DFL Building, 10 Cipriani Boulevard, Port of Spain. The topics are Identity Management and Content Management. To register, please call Maylene Croney at 628 4010 ext. 2339 or email her at Maylene.croney@illuminatnm.com. See the ICTS website for more details http://www.icts.org.tt.
CRS is hiring! If you know of anyone with a couple of years working experience who would be interested in working as a Recruiter in our Energy Division, and is good at selling and communications, then ask them to contact me at editor@crsoilandgasjobs.com or click on Energy Recruiter Job to send their resume. Ideally, they should have some knowledge of engineering or other technical field.
Six Things You Must Know About Emotional Intelligence
by Galba Bright
There was a time when you needed to have a high IQ to succeed at work. Not any more.
Businesses are rushing to hire and promote people who have high levels of Emotional Intelligence (EQ). In this first article I provide the answers to six essential Emotional Intelligence. Read on and make your career soar.
Question1: What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Answer: Daniel Goleman, the world’s best known writer on Emotional Intelligence defines it as:
“The capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.”
Emotional Intelligence consists of four main building blocks.
Self-Awareness is about knowing what you are feeling in the moment and using this insight to guide your decision-making.
Self Management involves managing your emotions so that they help rather than hinder what you’re doing.
Social Awareness means sensing what other people are feeling and being able to understand their point of view.
Relationship Management, defines your effectiveness in guiding, motivating, leading and influencing others.
Question 2: What Impact Will My Emotional Intelligence Have On My Career?
Answer: If you have weaknesses in your Emotional Intelligence, you can seriously harm your career. A study of executives by the Center for Creative Leadership in the USA showed that 75% of the reasons why their careers were derailed could be traced to weaknesses in employees’ Emotional Intelligence.
The three main causes of career failure were poor interpersonal skills, not being a good team player and difficulties in handling change.
The 2007 book “Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose” by Rajendra Sisodia, David Wolfe and Jagdish N. Sheth showed that the companies that had more emotionally intelligent employees enjoyed greater profitability than those that didn’t.
The authors studied a range of industries and found that 90% of the top individual performers across industries had high Emotional Intelligence ratings compared with only 20% of the low performers.
Question 3: How Is My Emotional Intelligence Related To My IQ?
Answer: Your IQ, (Intelligence Quotient), describes your intellect. It is measured by tests such as GSAT, CXC and ‘A’ levels. They test your skills in dealing with numbers, words and your spatial awareness.
Emotional Intelligence refers to your ability to manage your emotions and to respond effectively to other people. A high intellect alone will rarely propel you to career success in the 21st Century. You need to respect your IQ and cultivate your EQ to achieve your goals.
Question 4: Is My Emotional Intelligence Fixed?
Answer: No, it is not. You can increase your Emotional Intelligence through practice, feedback and learning.
Question 5: How Can I Measure My Emotional Intelligence?
You could take a free quiz. You’ll get a good introduction to Emotional Intelligence as well as some insight into how you manage your emotions. A company called Queendom produces an online no-cost Emotional IQ Test. You can take it online at http://www.queendom.com/tests/index.htm.
My no-cost Tune up Your Emotional Intelligence Workbook contains a 20 Steps to Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. It is a paper and pencil quiz. You can download the workbook at http://tuneupyoureq.com.
If you want solid information to guide your career development and/or personal growth, you should take a professionally designed assessment. Some of the most popular online Emotional Intelligence Assessments include the EQ Map https://www.essisystems.com/nl1/eqmap_detail.html . It costs US $24.95. Or you might take the SEI Strengths Assessment http://www.6seconds.org/xcart/home.php/cart.php?mode=add. The price is US $15.00.
The Emotional Intelligence Appraisal https://www.talentsmart.com/products/surveys_flash.php?ID=43 will cost you US $34.95. It also includes an e-learning programme. You can also find other firms by using an Internet search engine.
Question 6: I Want To Improve My Emotional Intelligence What Should I Do?
Answer: There are several things that you can do. For example, keep a journal or diary to record and reflect on your experiences. You can boost your self awareness and self management by writing and reflecting.
Ask people that you trust to give you feedback on your behaviour. They can help you to identify and act on any blind spots that may have caused you difficulty in the past. You can also work with a coach to set goals for improving your Emotional Intelligence and receive ongoing support as you progress.
Your EQ is the new measure that determines how effective you will be at work. Improving your Emotional Intelligence is a very rewarding process. If you invest in yourself, remain patient and persevere, you can transform your career and your quality of life.
Download your no-cost Tune up Your Emotional Intelligence Workbook from http://tuneupyoureq.com and start increasing your Emotional Intelligence right away.
In the second part of this series, we will look at some Emotional Intelligence tips that will help you improve your time management skills.
Galba Bright is the Caribbean’s leading provider of Emotional Intelligence Learning Programmes and Knowledge Products.
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