Do we need Emotional Intelligence within the company?

Estimated Reading time: 3 minutes

There has been a lot of water under the bridge since Daniel Goleman published his book in 1995; Emotional Intelligence that introduced the notion for the first time that in order to be “successful” in life, having emotional intelligence was a predicting factor as opposed to intelligence in its stricter definition (abstract intelligence, numerical, verbal, spatial etc…).  But despite the water under the bridge, it seems that the ripples have not reached the desired numbers and that many companies and people have found themselves a spot on top of that bridge so as not to have to apply the 5 basic emotional competencies in their work or even in their lives.  And so we come across that many issues (of the problematic kind!!).

The first step is to know what the 5 basic emotional competencies consist of.  Let us apply them to a business to illustrate why they are so important.

1. Awareness of emotions themselves. This is the first fundamental step, so obvious that sometimes it is not even considered.  If we do not connect with what we feel and know how to “name” it, it becomes difficult to connect with others.  Without this self-awareness, without knowing what messages you tell yourself, you will not be aware of what you project to others.
2. Ability to control your emotions. If we have managed to carry out the first step well, it will be much easier to carry out this second one (though at times we need to train ourselves).  It is an essential aspect for when we need to work jointly with others.  We all know that person who loses their temper easily or takes out their bad mood on other people.  This completely disrupts the working atmosphere.  Each person must hold himself responsible for their own emotions and be able to express what they feel in a way that does not hurt others and make coexisting into a nightmare.
3. Ability to motívate oneself. Yes, one must motivate oneself.  It is all very well that somebody helps motivate and incentivize from the outside, but the only person in the world that can maintain that motivation is oneself.  If you are not motivated, nobody will be able to be so for you.  It is this simple.  If you do not like your job, it fails to motivate you, does not interest you, no amount of expert coaching will succeed in turning all of that around.  It is also important to know how to control the need for recognition as this is the way to obtain results in the medium to long term.  Within this category we also have the ability to “go with the flow” which deserves its very own chapter.
4. Awareness of the emotions of others. In addition to being aware of and controlling (not repressing) our own emotions, we must also be aware of those of others.  As science has proven, we are all equipped with some marvellous neurons that allow us to recognize and feel the emotions of others.  It is also because of this that emotions are “contagious”.  If we work with others it will also be necessary on more than one occasion, that we are able to perceive how they feel and empathise with them.  If we do not, at some point in time, we will face some kind of conflict without even knowing how or why.
5. Control in our relationships. If we actually manage to succeed in the previous competencies, our relationships can improve greatly.  When you speak to somebody else from “your centrepoint” maintaining self-control (remember, control is not repression!), connecting with the other person in a genuine manner, the relationship goes smoothly.  It remains a fact that in order for this to be possible, one has to be secure in oneself, be trusting of the other person, and even be prepared to reveal oneself.  The difference is astounding; it is the difference between connecting in a sly and false manner or to adopt an honest approach from the heart.   You can imagine difference in the impact and the outcome of that relationship.

Perhaps some of you are wondering if you are short of any of these emotionally intelligent competencies.  The good news is that they can be learned and trained.  Your colleagues and family  will be thankful for it.

How many of these emotional competencies do you have?