Understanding Emotional Intelligence{EQ} and it’s techniques.

Writing is our way of living and today’s topic is a very interesting one. It forms a major space of our lives. Name it: Offices, market places,  churches , restaurants, even in clubs. We come in contact and interact with people and there is need for us to master art of emotional intelligence for things to go smoothly.

What then is Emotional Intelligence {EQ}? : During the years, EQ has been defined in various ways all pointing to same direction anyways. For the purpose of this article, we will look at just one of it’s definitions.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It simply means the ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving, regulating your own emotions and cheering up or calming down other people’s.

Many people rate emotional intelligence {EQ} higher than one’s intelligence {IQ}, they feel it’s more important. As individuals our success and the success of the profession today depend on our ability to read other people’s signals and react appropriately to them.

Therefore, each one of us must develop the mature emotional intelligence skills required to better understand, empathize and negotiate with other people — particularly as the economy has become more global. Otherwise, success will elude us in our lives and careers.
“Your EQ is the level of your ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them,” says Howard Gardner, the influential Harvard theorist. Five major categories of emotional intelligence skills are recognized by researchers in this area.
Before I delve in on the five techniques of emotional intelligence, in summary we must all develop the mature emotional intelligence skills required to better understand, empathize and negotiate with people to make the world a better place.

Understanding the Five Techniques Of Emotional  Intelligence {EQ}

1.    
       1. Self-awareness:  The ability to recognize an emotion as it “happens” is the key to                     your EQ. It’s cancer, early detection is key. To develop this your feelings must be                     turned on because if you can evaluate your emotions, you can handle them. Self-                     awareness are  is made up of two major elements which are: 

           Emotional   Awareness. Your ability to recognize your own emotions and                     their  effects.

           Self- Confidence.  Sureness  about your self-worth and capabilities.

2. Self-regulation: With emotions we often have little or no control when we experience it. How we can have a say on how long an emotion would by suing some techniques to alleviate negative emotions like depression, angel or anxiety. A few of these techniques include recasting a situation in a more positive light, taking a long walk and meditation or prayer. Self-regulation involves:

          Self-control. Managing disruptive impulse

          Trustworthiness.  Maintaining standards of honesty and integrity.

                      Conscientiousness. Taking responsibility for your own performance.

                      Adaptability. Handling change with flexibility.

                      Innovation. Being open to new ideas.

               
3. Motivation: Words are powerful.  To motivate yourself you need to constantly speak and remind yourself with clear goals and positive attitudes. But sometimes there is a balance between positive and negative attitude. But with effort and practice you can learn how to shift the balance by thinking more positives. If you catch negative thoughts as they occur, you can reframe them in more positive terms — which will help you achieve your goals. Motivation is made up of:

                         Achievement drive.  Your constant striving to improve or to meet a                                            standard of excellence.

                         Commitment. Aligning with the goals of the group or organization.

                         Initiative. Readying yourself to act on opportunities.

                         Optimism. Pursuing goals persistently despite obstacles and setbacks.

4. Empathy: The ability to recognize how people feel is important to success in  your life and career. The more skillful you are at discerning the feelings behind others’ signals the better you can control the signals you send them.

                         Service orientation. Anticipating, recognizing and meeting clients’ needs.

                         Developing others. Sensing what others need to progress and bolstering their                           abilities.

                         Leveraging diversity. Cultivating opportunities through diverse people.

                         Political awareness. Reading a group’s emotional currents and power                                         relationships.

                         Understanding others. Discerning the feelings behind the needs and wants of                           others.   

  5.Social skills. The development of good interpersonal skills is tantamount to success in your life and career. In today’s always-connected world, everyone has immediate access to technical knowledge. Thus, “people skills” are even  more important now because you must possess a high EQ to better understand, empathize and negotiate with others in a global economy. Among the most useful skills are

            

                            Influence. Wielding effective persuasion tactics.

                            Communication. Sending clear messages.

                            Leadership. Inspiring and guiding groups and people.

                            Change catalyst. Initiating or managing change.

                            Conflict management. Understanding, negotiating and resolving                                                disagreements.

                            Building bonds. Nurturing instrumental relationships.

                            Collaboration and cooperation. Working with others toward shared goals.

                           Team capabilities. Creating group synergy in pursuing collective goals.

What factors are at play when people of high IQ fail and those of modest IQ succeed?

How well you do in your life and career is determined by both. IQ alone is not enough; EQ also matters. In fact, psychologists generally agree that among the ingredients for success, IQ counts for roughly 10% (at best 25%); the rest depends on everything else — including EQ.
A study of Harvard graduates in business, law, medicine and teaching showed a negative or zero correlation between an IQ indicator (entrance exam scores) and subsequent career success. Three examples illustrate the importance of emotional competencies.

I hope these help someone in his/her journey in learning and perfecting the art emotional intelligence. Subsequently, we will discuss the four traits of emotional intelligence and how they affect our lives.