Emotional intelligence (EI) can be described as “a person's ability to detect and manage emotional cues and information” (Baack, 2012), and it is comprised of five features: self-awareness, self-management, self-motivation, empathy, and social skills. Cognitive abilities are skills that allow people the capability to process information, reason, remember, and relate whereas non-cognitive abilities can include things like “persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and self-confidence” (Tough, 2013). EI by any definition is really a combination of cognitive and emotional abilities; “the essence of EI is the integration of the emotional centers of the brain and the cognitive centers…EI [is] a set of skills that involve processing information about emotion” (Singh, 2008). I employ emotional intelligence on a daily basis when interacting with strangers while out running errands. Having the wherewithal to discern another person’s mood or intention based on their non-verbal cues and their willingness to engage in conversation or interaction draws from the empathy, self-awareness, and social skills or EI.
Reference
Baack, D. (2012). Organizational behavior. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Singh, K. (2008). Emotional Intelligence & Work Place Effectiveness. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 44(2), 292-302. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=7&sid=ca80d469-58f7-4c85-9011-fc4fa9aeb36d%40sessionmgr4003&hid=4208&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=bsh&AN=35989510
Tough, P. (2013). Grit, character, and other non-cognitive skills. School Administrator, Number 6 Volume 70, p 28-33. Retrieved from http://aasa.org/content.aspx?id=28360