1 Rational response
Emotional intelligence (EI) is essentially a behavioural model. Roughly speaking, it represents your ability to observe, grasp, integrate, and manage your feelings and emotions (and those of others), and to respond to them rationally. Experts describe people as having emotional intelligence if they exhibit self-awareness and self-restraint alongside empathy – and if their emotions are subsequently influenced by thought, intelligence, contextual actions, and relationships.
2 A recruitment tool
You need to be aware of EI, as it’s more than just the latest HR trend. Companies increasingly use EI techniques to understand and assess behaviour, management style, mind-sets, interpersonal skills, and future potential. For both recruitment and development, EI is regarded as an extension of the measurement of an individual’s conventional intelligence, adding in factors such as behaviour and character traits as well as skills, practical experience, and academic achievement.
3 Am I bothered?
EI experts insist that everyone should be aware of their own EI quotient and strive to sharpen it. It’s useful to understand more about how EI is applied by employers, particularly if you work (or want to work) for larger organisations, often the first to try out new HR ideas. The good news though, is that EI theory is by and large common sense – sidestep the jargon and you’ll find much of interest.