The focus of corporations show signs of a shift from Cognitive Intelligence to Emotional Intelligence.
FOR years, corporate fortune cookies read 'Have qualifications, will succeed!' and no one had reason to challenge the notion.
Most companies were content to place high value and emphasis on cognitive intelligence and academic qualifications, in their hiring practices. And then, along came Daniel Goleman. In his book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Goleman claimed that people endowed with emotional skill are likely to succeed more, than those blessed with a high IQ. In 1998, based on Competency Research in over 200 companies and organizations worldwide, Goleman suggested that individuals could be successful if they can restrain negative feelings like self-doubt and focus on positive feelings like confidence.
Goleman went on to say that success can be attributed to one-third technical skill and cognitive ability and two-thirds emotional competence. A decade after the book was published, the focus of corporations show signs of a shift from Cognitive Intelligence to Emotional Intelligence. In fact, proponents of it now believe Emotional Intelligence is vital for career success.
Simply put, Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to recognise the meanings of emotion and their relationships and to reason and problemsolve on the basis of them. Emotional Intelligence (EI), is measured by, an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ).
Highly valued EI competencies include but are not limited to empathy, intuition, creativity, flexibility, resilience, stress management, leadership, integrity, authenticity, intrapersonal skills and interpersonal skills.
The need of the hour
In addition to demonstrations of their cognitive capabilities, the pressure to perform has called for today's employers, leaders and managers to possess a high EQ. While high EQ levels in employees no doubt boost a company's performance, it also must be pointed out that different jobs require different types of EQ. For example a successful sales team today will be called on to consist of a group of people, who are both perceptive enough to read other people's moods, and optimistic enough to uphold their own. A real life example is the sales team of Met Life Insurance. Salesmen at Met Life who scored high on optimism in an EQ test sold 37 percent more policies in two years than their more pessimistic counterparts. A professional sports person, on the other hand, will be called on to develop his/her emotional skills of self-motivation and perseverance.
As different as these characteristics are, they all fall under the umbrella of EQ. The essential premise of EQ is to be aware of, control and manage one's own emotions and those of other people. There are five domains of EQ that have been identified and they include: Knowing your emotions, Managing your emotions, Motivating yourself, Recognising and understanding other people's emotions and Managing relationships.
A hiring tool
Companies that have invested in growing the EQ of their management and employees focus on improving each of the above domains. There are several ways in which organizations can promote EI and use it to impact performance.
Using EQ as a hiring tool is one of the most widely used practices.
If you are an HR manager who is about hire a new employee, you will do well to remember that if IQ tells you what a person can do, EQ will tell you what a person will not do. Willingness is an integral characteristic that creates a motivational environment.
Companies now recognise that an employee's willingness holds the key to getting work done.
Listen to what a HR manager had to say about a recent hire gone wrong.
"We took great trouble to find the 'right' person for us. But we forgot the main thing. We got 'the brains on the books', so to speak, but we didn't get 'the heart'. We didn't get the emotional commitment we needed. We were mesmerised, I guess, by the technical and intellectual capabilities of the new hire that we just naturally assumed that the productivity would flow as a result. It did for awhile, but then everything started falling apart."
Dr Reuven Baron, a Clinical Psychologist/ developer has used the five domains of EQ and has produced an EQ-i (Emotional Quotient-Inventory) test that has been designed and validated around the world. Dr Baron's EQ-i composition scale is used today by HR managers to assess and grade, prospective employees.
Companies often focused their selection criteria and training programmes on hard skills (e.g., technical expertise, industry knowledge, education). Some engage in assessing or developing personality traits. However, very few companies test for or invest in developing competencies like stress management, assertiveness, empathy, and political/ social acumen. Those who have chosen to engage the power of EQ in the selection process or invest in developing EQ in their staff have discovered to their delight that it has a direct impact on their bottom line.
The author is a Doha-based psychologist who has worked with corporates on maximising staff productivity and boosting morale.
By Nadira Amarasinghe
© Qatar Today 2009
