Why it is important to have emotional intelligence in the workplace
Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important To Have In The Workplace
MGMT 201
11/21/2013
Introduction
There are many different characteristics a person needs to possess in order to be an effective leader and to be an asset to a company. Besides having a high IQ a leader must be able to evaluate a business environment, manage tasks efficiently, promote strategic thinking and innovation, and manage change. All the traits just mentioned are extremely important, although, recent studies have showed one of the more important characteristics a leader must possess in order to be effective is emotional intelligence.
What is Emotional Intelligence? Imagine if everyone in the workplace was not able to determine when their co-workers were having a bad day, whether they were feeling sad, angry, stressed out, or just having a bad day. It is essential that people are able to express their emotions in a healthy and positive way, but it is extremely important that people are able to determine when other people are emotional and be empathetic to their needs. Emotional intelligence is the concept of being able to recognize, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers believe that emotional intelligence can be learned, but others believe it is something people are born with. Furthermore, some researchers believe that possessing emotional intelligence is somewhat more important than having a high IQ. John Mayer and Peter Salovey have been the top researchers in emotional intelligence for the last twenty years. They define emotional intelligence as, “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide ones thinking and actions” (Cherry). Mayer and Salovey breaks down emotional intelligence into four different categories: perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions, and managing
MGMT 201
11/21/2013
Introduction
There are many different characteristics a person needs to possess in order to be an effective leader and to be an asset to a company. Besides having a high IQ a leader must be able to evaluate a business environment, manage tasks efficiently, promote strategic thinking and innovation, and manage change. All the traits just mentioned are extremely important, although, recent studies have showed one of the more important characteristics a leader must possess in order to be effective is emotional intelligence.
What is Emotional Intelligence? Imagine if everyone in the workplace was not able to determine when their co-workers were having a bad day, whether they were feeling sad, angry, stressed out, or just having a bad day. It is essential that people are able to express their emotions in a healthy and positive way, but it is extremely important that people are able to determine when other people are emotional and be empathetic to their needs. Emotional intelligence is the concept of being able to recognize, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers believe that emotional intelligence can be learned, but others believe it is something people are born with. Furthermore, some researchers believe that possessing emotional intelligence is somewhat more important than having a high IQ. John Mayer and Peter Salovey have been the top researchers in emotional intelligence for the last twenty years. They define emotional intelligence as, “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide ones thinking and actions” (Cherry). Mayer and Salovey breaks down emotional intelligence into four different categories: perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions, and managing
Cited: Cherniss, Cary. "Bringing Emotional Intelligence to the Workplace: A Technical Report Issued by the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations." EI Consortium, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . Cherry, Kendra. "What Is Emotional Intelligence?" About.com Psychology. About.com, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . Fletcher, Sara. "5 Reasons Why Emotional Intelligence Is Critical for Leaders." Lead Change Group Blog Posts RSS. Lead Change Group, 30 May 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. . Novick, Ari. "The Importance of Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace." Examiner.com. N.p., 21 Sept. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . Poskey, Mike. "The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: Why It Matters More than Personality." The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace. ZERORISK HR, Inc., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .