Ever since the publication of psychologist Daniel Goleman’s first book on the topic in 1995, emotional intelligence (EQ) has become one of the hottest concepts in corporate America. When the Harvard Business Review published an article on EQ a few years ago, it attracted a higher percentage of readers than any other article published in the periodical in the last 40 years. The CEO of Johnson & Johnson was so impressed by the article that had copies sent to the 400 top executives in the company worldwide.

So, just what is emotional intelligence, and why is it important?

Kimberly Kniveton*, an expert on the subject, recently conducted a professional staff development seminar on EQ for Career Services at the University of Utah. She noted that emotional intelligence has as much to do with knowing when and how to express emotion as it does with controlling emotions.  It does not mean giving people free rein to “be emotional”; rather, it means managing emotions appropriately and effectively.

According to Kniveton:

“Emotional intelligence is consciously choosing thoughts, feelings, and actions to create optimal results in your relationships with yourself and others.”

Emotional Intelligence focuses on four areas:

1. Identifying emotions to recognize how you and those around you are feeling.
2. Using emotions to assist thought, make decisions and solve problems.
3. Understanding emotions and complex emotional ‘chains’.
4. Managing emotions in yourself and in others.

Displaying EQ in an Interview

Most employers want to see evidence of emotional competence in potential employees. There are generally five key areas that they may probe during the interview process:

• Self-Awareness – emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, self-confidence
• Self-Regulation – self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, innovative spirit
• Motivation – achievement drive, commitment, initiative, optimism
• Empathy – understanding and identifying with others, service orientation, leveraging diversity, political awareness
• Social Skills – communication and conflict-management skills; ability to inspire and guide others, initiate or manage change, build bonds, collaborate and cooperate, and create a team.

Early research by psychologist David McClelland at Harvard, among others, indicates that traditional tests of cognitive intelligence tell us little about what it takes to be successful in life. Emotional intelligence was conceptualized as competencies that may enable people to use emotions advantageously to achieve desired outcomes. Other pioneers and researchers in the field—including Daniel Goleman (author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ) have argued that, by itself, emotional intelligence probably is not a strong predictor of job performance; rather, it provides the bedrock for competencies that can predict professional capability. Goleman makes the distinction between emotional intelligence and emotional competence, which refers to the personal and social skills that lead to superior performance in the world of work. Emotional competencies are linked to and based on emotional intelligence. In research that Goleman conducted on executives, he indicates that 90 percent of leadership success is attributable to emotional intelligence. In contrast, unsuccessful executives consistently demonstrate two traits: rigidity and poor relationships, or the inability to adapt their style to changes in organizational culture or to listen and respond to feedback on how to improve the situation. Poor relationships were mentioned most often as a negative trait—that is, being too harshly critical, insensitive, or demanding to the extent of alienating colleagues and coworkers. Such deficiencies could not even save those executives who had high IQs and strong technical expertise; their lack of emotional competence held them back. Empathy is a particularly important aspect of emotional intelligence and researchers have known for years that it contributes to occupational success.

Workshops for jobseekers are just one of many benefits offered at Alumni Career Services. For more information about this and other aspects of the program, call Julie Swaner, Program Manager, at (801) 585-5036, or go to www.alumni.utah.edu/career/.

* Kimberly Kniveton, leadership coach and an organizational relationship consultant, is certified in the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment (SEI), which is a highly effective tool for measuring and improving emotional intelligence. Her Web site is www.ascentcoach.com