\n\tI recently saw a great #emotionalintelligence post on LinkedIn by Daniel Abrahams that got me thinking. It was, simply:<\/p>\n
\n\tA high IQ will get you through school.<\/p>\n
\n\tA high EQ will get you through life.<\/p>\n
\n\tEmotional intelligence (EI) is most easily defined as the ability to identify and regulate one’s emotions and understand the emotions of others. In a professional situation, a high EQ (emotional quotient) helps you build relationships, reduce team stress, defuse conflict, and improve job satisfaction Why emotional intelligence makes you more successful – latrobe.edu.au<\/a>. So having high emotional intelligence can increase team productivity and staff retention, which is why Resourceful Pro seek to find individuals with a high EQ.<\/p>\n \n\tResourceful Pro invests heavily in understanding an individual\u2019s skills, including EQ. All shortlisted candidates are assessed against a suite of behavioural competencies. This behavioural assessment is a structured, scenario-based interview assessment designed to measure key competencies agreed to with the organisations we partner with during the briefing.<\/p>\n \n\tWe test executive’s behavioural competencies in areas such as:<\/p>\n \n\tThese competencies, developed in conjunction with organisational psychologists, explore cognitive (of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity, such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering) and non-cognitive (not connected with thinking or conscious mental processes) skills. They round out our analysis of a potential employees’ profile to ensure organisations make the right hire. Gone are the days of examining an executive’s technical and functional fit only. To secure the right individual for an important hire, a deep dive into their EQ is vital.<\/p>\n \n\tMore than twenty-five years ago, Daniel Goleman published his number one, multi-million copy international bestseller, “Emotional Intelligence”, describing how EI matters more than IQ. Harvard Business Review considered this “a revolutionary, paradigm-shattering idea”. Goleman discusses how our EI plays a critical role in thought, decision-making and individual success. To excel in the workplace, individuals need to display self-awareness, impulse control, persistence, motivation, empathy, and social deftness.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBy teaching people to tune in to their emotions with intelligence and to expand their circles of caring, we can transform organizations from the inside out and make a positive difference in our world\u201d. https:\/\/www.danielgoleman.info\/<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tSince its initial publication, our understanding of the brain architecture underlying emotion and rationality has evolved, and we now know how EI can be nurtured and strengthened thanks to things like neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to how the brain can change and is therefore adaptable because of experience. This can be functional change such as brain damage, or structural change due to learning. In addition, neuroplasticity enables the brain to reorganise pathways, create new connections and in some cases create new neurons.<\/p>\n \n\tIn 2020, Goleman published an article in HBR titled “What People (Still) Get Wrong About Emotional Intelligence”. In his summary, he states:<\/p>\n \n\t“Many people assume that having emotional intelligence means being \u201cnice.\u201d But this perception obscures some fundamental benefits to developing one\u2019s EI. For example, simply saying someone is nice can belie the fact that they\u2019re only nice to some people and not others. Or, if you think that being nice simply means being a pushover, you might not take advantage of the EI framework\u2019s capacity to teach you about productive conflict management. You might also fail to consider or check the dark side of your own EI \u2014 an ability to influence or manipulate someone without their interests in mind. By understanding how EI actually works, you can have powerful, productive conversations that build up your ability to influence and lead across all your relationships.” https:\/\/hbr.org\/2020\/12\/what-people-still-get-wrong-about-emotional-intelligence<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tIn the La Trobe article, drawing on the work of Goleman, they identify five pillars of EI:<\/p>\n \n\tHowever, as Goleman points out, apart from empathy, none of the above relate to being “nice”.<\/p>\n \n\tTherefore, it’s important to remember the nuances of things like empathy. Depending on the different parts of the brain there is the cognitive \u2013 I know how you think; the emotional \u2013 I know how you feel; and the empathetic concern \u2013 I care about you.<\/p>\n \n\tIf we think back to the concept of neuroplasticity, the nervous system can change its activity as a response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganising its structure, functions, or its connection. The benefits of this change of activity include:<\/p>\n\n
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