The Power of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence

Let’s Explore: What emotional intelligence (EI) is; What science says about it; How EI applies – to work & life; How can EI can be developed/enhanced; How EI leads to self-directed learning & self-leadership.

Emotional Intelligence Defined: The ability to perceive & express emotion, assimilate emotion in thought, understand & reason with emotion, & regulate emotion in oneself & others. It is social intelligence

How the EI Theory Works: Question:  “Why are some intellectually gifted (IQ) people not as successful as they could be?” IQ vs. EQ:  IQ – measure of intellectual, analytical, logical & rational abilities.  EQ – the measure of skills that enables us to make our way in life – personal, social & survival aspects of overall intelligence (common sense – “street smarts”).

EQ Theory (IQ & EQ linked) IQ IQ is not a predictor of success IQ relatively set – peaks at age 17 & remains constant through adulthood EQ Success is linked to EQ (EQ supports IQ) EQ not fixed – rises steadily in late teens through adulthood EQ can be learned – skill development to enhance & improve

4 Dimensions of EI: Self-awareness:  Deep understanding of one’s own emotions (strengths, weaknesses, values, motives). Self-management:  Control of one’s internal states, impulses, resources. Social awareness:  Understanding & sensitivity to feelings, thoughts, & situations of others (empathy). Relationship management:  Managing other people’s emotions.

EI Competencies (EQ) Self-awarenessSocial awareness Self- management Relationship management Self (personal competence) Other (social competence) Recognition of emotions Regulation of emotions

IntrapersonalInterpersonal Stress Management Adaptability General Mood Effective Performance BarOn Model of Emotional Intelligence

Building Blocks of EQ: Intra personal Realm:  “Know thyself” Self-awareness Assertiveness Independence Self regard Self-actualization Inter personal Realm:  “People Skills” Empathy Social responsibility Interpersonal relationships

Building Blocks … Adaptability Realm:  “Adapting to change” Reality testing Flexibility Problem-solving Stress Management Realm:  “Tolerate stress & control impulses” Stress tolerance Impulse control

Building Blocks … General Mood Realm: Optimism Happiness  If we develop our EQ we may help to enhance our IQ; it levels out the playing field for success.

Advantages of EI: Improved relationships Improved communications Better empathy skills Acting with integrity Respect from others Improved career prospects Manage change more confidently Fewer power games at home & work Feeling confident, positive & at peace with yourself Reduced stress levels Increased creativity Learning from mistakes Learning to enhance learning

What the Experts are Saying … Dwyer (2002) – emotional control & an understanding of feelings is critical in learning relationships. LePage-Lees (1997) links characteristics to emotional intelligence & a ‘higher level thinking ability’ – when emotional intelligence is encouraged, academic performance improves. Stein & Book (2000) – “You might be as sharp as a tack, but it you can’t portray what you know to other people, you’re in trouble. As creative & skillful as you might be, if you’re unaware of how you relate to others, if you behave disdainfully or angrily or impulsively, no one will stick around long enough to admire your skill & creativity.”

Experts … Cherniss, Goleman, Emmerling, Cowan & Adler (1998) tie enhanced EI directly to … “Self-directed learning”

Linking EI & Self-Directed Learning Self-directed Learning: “A process in which individuals take the initiative in designing learning experiences, diagnosing needs, locating resources, & evaluating learning (Knowles, 1975). EI supports self-directedness – a form of self- leadership (the process of influencing oneself to establish the self-direction & self-motivation needed to learn and/or perform a task).

Using EI for Self-Directed Learning … Take the initiative – relate to:  Self-awareness  Assertiveness  General Mood / Happiness Diagnose your learning needs – relate to:  Independence  Self regard  Interpersonal relationships (for feedback)  Social responsibility

Using EI for Self-Directed Learning … Formulate learning goals – relate to:  Reality testing  Flexibility  Problem-solving Identify human & material resources – relate to:  Assertiveness  Independence  Self regard  Interpersonal relationship

Using EI for Self-Directed Learning … Choose & implement a learning strategy – relate to:  Reality testing  Flexibility  Problem-solving  Stress tolerance  Optimism  Happiness Evaluate the learning outcomes – relate to:  Reality testing  Problem-solving  Social responsibility  Optimism

Improving Emotional Intelligence: Interpersonal skills courses Reading & learning about EI EQ testing –to understand your EI (self- awareness) Self-directed learning activities (e.g. The EI Advantage: Putting EI into Practice) Coaching Practice skills & networking with others Feedback (from peers, family, boss, patients)

Let’s sum it up … EI is social intelligence EI supports our IQ EI components: intrapersonal skills; interpersonal skills; stress management, adaptability; general mood  success EI can be learned; EI learning = life advantage EI supports self directed learning = prof. development Enhancing EI improves life balance, relationships & patients will be happy too!

“The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy – I mean that if you are happy you will be good.” -- Bertrand Russel

Rules for Life … 1.You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around. 2.You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. 3.There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial & experimentation. The ‘failed’ experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately ‘works’. 4.A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson. 5.Learning lessons do not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned. 6.‘There’ is no better than ‘here’. When your ‘there’ has become a ‘here’, you will simply obtain another ‘there’ that will, again, look better than ‘here’. 7.Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself. 8.What you make of life is up to you. You have the tools & resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours. 9.Your answers lie inside you. The answer to life’s questions lies inside you. All you need do is look, listen & trust. 10.You will forget all this. (Anonymous - Taken from The Emotional Intelligence Advantage – p.26-27)

For Additional Information See … Boyatzis, R. (in press). Unleashing the power of self-directed learning. In R. Sims (Ed.). Changing the way we manage change: the consultants speak. New York: Quorum Books. [On-line]. Available: directedlearning.htm. July 14, directedlearning.htm Brookfield, S. (1986). Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Cherniss, C. (2000). EI: what it is and why it matters. [On-line]. Available: July 14, Cherniss, C., Goleman, D., Emmerling, R, Cowan, K. & Adler, M. (1998). Bringing EI to the workplace. A technical report issued by The Consortium for Research on EI in Organizations (October 7). [On-line]. Available: July 14, Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. [On-Line]. Available: April 7, Dwyer, M. (2002). Training strategies for the twenty-first century: using recent research on learning to enhance training. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 39(4), pp Goleman, D. (1995). EI: why it can matter more than IQ. New York: Bantam Books. Goleman, D. (1998). Working with EI. New York: Bantam Books. LePage-Lees, P. (1997). Exploring patterns of achievement and intellectual development among academically successful women from disadvantaged backgrounds. Journal of College Student Development. 38(5), September-October, pp Mayor, J. Emotional Intelligence Information. [On-line]. Available: April 7, McBride, P., Maitland, S. (2002). EI Advantage: Putting Emotional Intelligence into Practice. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill. McShane, S. (2006). Canadian Organizational Behaviour, 6 th Ed. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Stein, S. & Book, H. (2000). The EQ edge: EI and your success. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited.