Emotional Intelligence

1
 Research Paper On
Emotional Intelligence

Written By: Asa Emmanuel

Email: asaemmanuel1011@gmail.com
Course: BGMT1327
Instructor: Melinda Rose
School: Lee College
Semester: Fall 2018

2
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................4

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE? ......................................................4

CHARACTERISTICS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE............................5

WHY IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IMPORTANT? ..............................7

Four areas of your life Emotional Intelligence can affect. .................................... 7

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE WORK PLACE. .............................8

ARE YOU EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT? ................................................10

CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................12

CITATIONS ...........................................................................................................13

3
Introduction
It is truly amazing how some people can be so tolerant when faced with difficult situations, deal

with difficult people or just be so cool, calm, and collected when under tremendous stress. Are

they heartless, numb, or just don’t care? Questions, witnesses may be asking themselves as they

watch these situations unravel. The professionalism, control, and confidence radiates as the

situation defuses. Some call it experience, training and, even skill, but, emotional intelligence is

all the above. Years of experience, extensive training and remarkable skills are required to be a

master at controlling ones emotions. On the job, at home, and in our daily lives, it is a necessary

ability that should be learned, unfortunately, that is not always the case during our daily

vocations. It’s a common misunderstanding that emotional intelligence should only be

concentrated on the negative, but, contrary to what most may think, it’s a tool that is used for

both negative and positive situations. It could be to cheer and encourage your son at a basketball

game when he misses a shot or provide constructive criticism to an employee. Either way,

emotional intelligence plays an important role in our daily lives. In this paper I will attempt to

shed some light on this very interesting subject and clarify some misconceptions.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as

well as the emotions of others. Though there is some disagreement among psychologists as to

what constitutes true emotional intelligence, it is generally said to include at least three

skills: emotional awareness, or the ability to identify and name one’s own emotions; the ability to

harness those emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving; and the

4
ability to manage emotions, which includes both regulating one’s own emotions when

necessary and cheering up or calming down other people.

There is currently no validated test or scale for emotional intelligence as there is for "g," the

general intelligence factor—a fact that has led some critics to claim the concept is either sketchy

or entirely non-existent. Despite this criticism, however, emotional intelligence (or “emotional

quotient,” as it’s sometimes known) has wide appeal among the general public, as well as in

certain industries.

Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence

In his book titled "Emotional Intelligence - Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" 1995, Daniel

Goleman, an American psychologist, developed a framework of five elements that define

emotional intelligence1:

1. Self-Awareness – People with high emotional intelligence are usually very self-aware . They

understand their emotions, and because of this, they don't let their feelings rule them. They're

confident – because they trust their intuition and don't let their emotions get out of control.

They're also willing to take an honest look at themselves. They know their strengths and

weaknesses, and they work on these areas so they can perform better. Many people believe

that this self-awareness is the most important part of emotional intelligence.

2. Self-Regulation – This is the ability to control emotions and impulses. People who self-

regulate typically don't allow themselves to become too angry or jealous, and they don't make

1
Daniel Goleman, Psychologist, developed five elements to define EQ.

5
 impulsive, careless decisions. They think before they act. Characteristics of self-regulation

are thoughtfulness, comfort with change, integrity , and the ability to say no.

3. Motivation – People with a high degree of emotional intelligence are usually motivated .

They're willing to defer immediate results for long-term success. They're highly productive,

love a challenge, and are very effective in whatever they do.

4. Empathy – This is perhaps the second-most important element of emotional

intelligence. Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand the wants, needs, and

viewpoints of those around you. People with empathy are good at recognizing the feelings of

others, even when those feelings may not be obvious. As a result, empathetic people are

usually excellent at managing relationships , listening , and relating to others. They avoid

stereotyping and judging too quickly, and they live their lives in a very open, honest way.

5. Social Skills – It's usually easy to talk to and like people with good social skills, another sign

of high emotional intelligence. Those with strong social skills are typically team players.

Rather than focus on their own success first, they help others develop and shine. They can

manage disputes, are excellent communicators, and are masters at building and maintaining

relationships.

A frequently asked question is, are people born with such traits and characteristics or are they

made through rigorous training? While it is true that mandatory training is required to refine

this skill, many people are naturally better at controlling their emotions than others.

6
Why is emotional intelligence important?
As we know, it’s not the smartest people that are the most successful or the most fulfilled in life.

You probably know people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially inept and

unsuccessful at work or in their personal relationships. Intellectual intelligence (IQ) isn’t enough

on its own to be successful in life. Yes, your IQ can help you get into college, but it’s your EQ

that will help you manage the stress and emotions when facing your final exams. Although it

isn’t widely realized, emotional intelligence affects us on a daily basis, in all facets of our life’s

structure. Below are a few of the key areas we are most affected.

Four areas of your life Emotional Intelligence can affect.

Emotional intelligence has an important impact on every part of your life. Here are four areas it

can affect2.

1) Your performance at work

Emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of the workplace, lead and

motivate others, and excel in your career. In fact, when it comes to gauging job candidates, many

companies now view emotional intelligence as being as important as technical ability and require

EQ testing before hiring.

2) Your physical health

If you’re unable to manage your stress levels, it can lead to serious health problems.

Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of

2
Mind tools content team explained four areas of your life EQ can affect.

7
heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. The first step to

improving emotional intelligence is to learn how to relieve stress.

3) Your mental health

Uncontrolled stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and

depression. If you are unable to understand and manage your emotions, you’ll also be open to

mood swings, while an inability to form strong relationships can leave you feeling lonely and

isolated.

4) Your relationships

By understanding your emotions and how to control them, you’re better able to express how you

feel and understand how others are feeling. This allows you to communicate more effectively

and forge stronger relationships, both at work and in your personal life.

Emotional Intelligence in the Work Place.

Scholars may have coined the term “emotional intelligence” in the early 1990s, but business

leaders quickly took the concept and made it their own.

According to emotional intelligence, or EQ, success is strongly influenced by personal qualities

such as perseverance, self-control and skill in getting along with others. Much has been written

about how to improve employees’ EQ, but hiring managers are likely to make better hiring

decisions when they look for people who already possess high EQ scores. In recent years, some

employers have even incorporated “emotional intelligence tests” into their application or

interview processes, on the theory that someone high in emotional intelligence would make a

better leader or coworker. But while some studies have found a link between emotional

8
intelligence and job performance, others have shown no correlation, and the lack of a

scientifically valid scale makes it difficult to truly measure or predict someone’s emotional

intelligence on the job.

Workers with high EQ are better able to work in teams, adjust to change and be flexible. No

matter how many degrees or other on-paper qualifications a person has, if he or she doesn’t have

certain emotional qualities, he or she is unlikely to succeed. As the workplace continues to

evolve, making room for new technologies and innovations, these qualities may become

increasingly important. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of hiring managers surveyed by Career

Builder in 2011 said they valued an employee’s EQ over their IQ. A further three-quarters (75%)

said they would be more likely to promote an employee with high emotional intelligence. More

than half (59%) said they wouldn’t hire a candidate with a high IQ and low EQ. Employers may

also use EQ as part of their assessment of which employees have leadership potential, or who is

next in line for a pay rise or promotion. Writing for Forbes in 2014, Travis Bradberry, author

of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, said that “Of all the people we’ve studied at work, we’ve found

that 90% of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence. On the flip side, just 20% of

bottom performers are high in emotional intelligence. You can be a top performer without

emotional intelligence, but the chances are slim.”3

3
Snippet from an article by Barry Chignell showing how high EQ workers go further in their careers.

9
Are you Emotionally Intelligent?
Many professionals believe, that this skill should be low on their priority list, if at all. However,

organizations are recognizing it’s importance and have started restructuring to make it

mandatory. Everyone knows it’s quite easy to “lose it” when coping with the stresses in our daily

lives. We all have different tolerance levels and no matter how learned you may be in emotional

intelligence, there is always room for improvement in some aspect of your life. Below are a few

recommendations to assist us with improving emotional intelligence in our lives.

1. Observe your feelings.

We easily lose touch with our emotions when we’re too busy worrying about what to do next and

what can be done better. Instead of really taking good care of our emotions, we choose to ignore

them most of the time. What we don’t realize is that suppressing our emotions only makes things

worse. The more we try to put our emotions behind, the more uncontrollable our emotions

become.

When we have an emotional reaction to something, it can be due to the fact that we’re having

some unsolved issues. So next time when you feel like having some negative emotions, calm

down and think about why you’re experiencing this. Take a deep breath and write down the

emotions you’re experiencing and the possible reasons.

When you have things written down, you can identify your emotions triggers and think of ways

to deal with each of them.

10
2. Practice responding, not reacting.

Reacting is an unconscious process where we behave in an unconscious way that expresses or

relieves an emotion. Responding is a conscious process that involves paying attention to your

feelings and deciding how to behave.

When you’re more aware of your emotional triggers, you can always think about the way to

behave in advance.

For example, if you know that you get angry easily and throw temper to colleagues when you’re

feeling very stressful at work, take note of that and think about what you can do next time when

you’re experiencing the same trigger. Maybe you can try to tell your colleagues that you need

some silent moments because you’re feeling stressful at the moment, or maybe you can get a few

minutes of alone time just to calm down yourself first.

3. Stay humble all the times.

When you always believe that you’re better than others, you’ll not see your own faults, and

you’ll likely to get emotional about things that don’t meet your expectation. Try to look at the

same thing from a different perspective. Instead of judging someone or something, put yourself

in someone else’s shoes and try to think or feel like them: would you do or feel the same too and

why? In this way, you’re likely to understand other people’s thoughts and emotions more; and

you’ll probably learn something new about how to deal with stuff in similar situations too. Be

humble enough to know you’re not better than anyone, and wise enough to know that you’re

different from the rest!

11
Conclusion
As you've probably determined, emotional intelligence can be a key to success in your life –

especially in your career. Being able to defuse a potentially dangerous situation or motivating a

discouraged friend, is a trait everyone should possess. High emotional intelligence may be a trait

that you’re born with but this doesn’t mean it can’t be cultivated. The ability to manage people

and relationships is very important in all leaders, so developing and using your emotional

intelligence can be a good way to show others the leader inside of you.

It’s never too late to learn anything, it just takes continuous observation and practice. So no

matter how old you are, you can still take up EQ and make the rest of your life better and

happier. When you find yourself confronted with a difficult social situation, you might have the

benefit of your innately high EQ to draw from but even if you’re EQ-challenged, you can learn

from life experiences to figure out what to do and, just as importantly, what not to do.

Tired of Your Day in Day out Life and Feel

12
Citations

“Emotional Intelligence.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,

www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/emotional-intelligence.

“Emotional Intelligence Developing Strong ‘People Skills.’” Groupthink - Decision Making

Skills Training from MindTools.com, Mind Tools,
www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm.

“What Is Emotional Intelligence and Why Is It so Important?” Talented Ladies Club, 11 Dec.
2016, www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/what-is-emotional-intelligence-and-why-is-it-so-
important/.

“The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace.” CIPHR, 6 Aug. 2018,

www.ciphr.com/features/emotional-intelligence/.

13