Emotional Intelligence in the workplace Secretaries Forum Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Emotional Intelligence is Critical to Performance Daniel Goleman’s research showed that emotional competence is almost twice as important as pure cognitive abilities in distinguishing star performers from the average. In leadership positions, emotional competence accounts for virtually all the advantage. This finding is well supported by other research. Goleman’s EQ Research Research: Goleman analysed cognitive/technical and emotional competencies for 181 positions from 121 companies worldwide, representing a workforce of millions. Result: Competencies required for high performance: IQ and technical expertise: 33% Emotional competencies: 67% “When star performers are compared with average ones in senior leadership positions, nearly 90% of the difference in their profiles was attributable to emotional intelligence factors rather than cognitive abilities.” - Daniel Goleman Source: Daniel Goleman, Working with Emotional Intelligence, 1998 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 2

Five Components of Emotional Intelligence at Work Self-awareness The ability to recognise and understand your moods, emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others Self-confidence Realistic self assessment Self-regulation The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses or moods The propensity to suspend judgment – to think before acting Trustworthiness and integrity Comfort with ambiguity Openness to change Motivation A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status A propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence Strong drive to achieve Optimism, even in the face of failure Organisational commitment Social skill Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks Ability to find common ground and build rapport Effectiveness in leading change Persuasiveness Expertise in building and leading teams Empathy The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions Expertise in building and retaining talent Cross-cultural sensitivity Service to clients DefinitionHallmarks 3

4 Reflecting on Your Emotional Intelligence Self awareness Recognise your own emotions and their effect Know your strengths and limits Possess a strong sense of your worth and capabilities Self-regulation Keep disruptive emotions in check Maintain standards of honesty and integrity Take responsibility for personal performance Handle change flexibly Be comfortable with novel ideas, approaches and new information Motivation Strive to improve/meet standards of excellence Align with the goals of your group/organisation Be ready to act on opportunities Pursue goals persistently Handle relationships in a socially competent way Empathy Sense others’ feelings and perspectives; take active interest in their concerns Sense others’ development needs and bolster them Anticipate, recognise and meet a client’s needs Read the emotional currents and power in a group Social skills Listen openly and send convincing messages Use effective methods of engagement and persuasion Negotiate and resolve disagreements Inspire and guide individuals and groups Initiate and manage change Work with others toward a shared goal Create group synergy in pursuing collective goals Please rate your skills on each dimension. 1 = low, 5 = high

Building Emotional Intelligence – know your iceberg! ABOVE THE SURFACE visible, tip of the iceberg behaviour and actions, non-verbal cues, tone of voice, language, external presentation of self BELOW THE SURFACE invisible, underlying drivers of behaviour Thoughts and feelings, values and priorities, needs, and aspirations, judgements, assumptions LISTEN TO YOURSELF Own up Reflect Inquire LISTEN TO OTHERS Feedback – spoken and unspoken 5

Building Emotional Intelligence - practice regulating unconscious behaviour breathe… Engage your thinking brain pause Disengage the amygdala Create some space Make a choice Notice what you are feeling? think 6

Personal reflections What have I realised about my own emotional competence? What do I do well? What are my areas for growth? What are three things I can do from now to build self-awareness and self-regulation at work? 7

Team reflections What have I realised about the emotional intelligence of the team? What do we do well? What are our areas for growth? What are three things we can do collectively to build our emotional intelligence at work? 8