Emotional Intelligence 1.1
(Monday)
Context:
Life necessitates continual interaction with other individuals. Whether in your personal or professional life, the quality of your relationships and interactions with others directly influences your happiness and success.
Studies reveal that employees who exhibit difficult behaviors, regardless of their intelligence or talent, are more prone to being fired or laid off compared to those who can cooperate and collaborate effectively with their colleagues.
Research conducted by OfficeTeam, a staffing agency and division of Robert Half, demonstrates that nearly 95% of HR managers and 99% of workers concur that possessing strong emotional intelligence is crucial.
What it is: Emotional intelligence is characterized as the ability to recognize, regulate, and articulate one's emotions, as well as manage interpersonal relationships with discernment and empathy.
At MindSage, we simplify it to this: being aware of your own emotions and their underlying reasons at any given moment, and being aware of the emotions others might be experiencing and their underlying reasons at any given moment.
Why it’s important: Life revolves around interactions. Having a comprehension of our own emotions and their underlying reasons, particularly in our dealings with others, grants us the advantage of thinking logically rather than being driven solely by emotions.
In all relationships and interactions, whether in the workplace or in personal life, the ability to understand the emotions of others and their underlying reasons provides us with the greatest opportunity to address individuals and situations in a constructive and effective manner.
Emotional intelligence stands out as one of the most sought-after qualities employers look for when making hiring decisions.
What does Harvard Business School know about Emotional Intelligence?
“When managers first started hearing about the concept of emotional intelligence in the 1990s, scales fell from their eyes.
The basic message, that effectiveness in organizations is at least as much about EQ as IQ, resonated deeply; it was something that people knew in their guts but that had never before been so well articulated.
Most important, the idea held the potential for positive change. Instead of being stuck with the hand they’d been dealt, people could take steps to enhance their emotional intelligence and make themselves more effective in their work and personal lives.”
-Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups by Vanessa Urch Druskat and Steven B. Wolff, Harvard Business Journal
Primer Questions
Have you heard of the term ‘Emotional Intelligence”?
What do you think it means or invovles?
Do you think it’s important to be emotionally intelligent? Why or why not?
Write down your answers and observations in your journal.
“
The only way to change someone's mind is to connect with them from the heart.
”
- Rasheed Ogunlaru.
The role of emotions.
Have you ever found yourself saying or doing something to someone that you immediately regretted? What led you to act in that manner initially?
Frequently, our reactions are driven by emotions, without proper consideration, and that is where the issue lies.
When we react without thoughtful deliberation, the outcomes often fall short of our desires or expectations.
In what other ways can emotions affect us, particularly in terms of our capacity to learn?
Watch the video.
Questions for discussion:
Why is emotional Intelligence (or EI) important:
In order to learn?
In a group setting?
With your family and friends?
At work?
Write your answers to the questions in your journal.
Use of emotional intelligence in everyday life.
1. Create a list of a profession or job that requires a person to control their emotions in order to stay calm and accomplish their task.
2. Try to remember a time you made a decision when you were emotional, only to realize later that it wasn’t such a good decision.
Emotions can interfere with our thought process:
Emotions can prevent us from making good decisions or thinking clearly, or logically.
• Emotions can interfere with our ability to concentrate and learn.
• EI allows you to identify and control your emotions – no matter what’s going on in your life.
Once I am able to easily identify what I’m feeling and why, then what?
Identifying the emotions involved in any situation, both yours and that of others is just the first step. What we do with that knowledge can either hinder or contribute to our success in the workplace and life.
Metacognitive Goals
From now until Wednesday, try to be very aware of what you’re feeling throughout each day. Identify how and when your emotions change around different people or different situations.
Notice if you tend to react based on emotions. When someone says something negative, or confrontational, do you speak without thinking? How do you feel when someone is pressuring you or challenging your viewpoint?
Take this week to be very aware of if, when, and how your emotions change.
Thought of the day.
Emotions can get in the way or get you on the way. -Mavis Mazhura