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Emotional Intelligence and IQ… which one is more important?

Emotional Intelligence, Engagement / My Holland

EQ versus IQ in the workplace Every business out there is looking for the competitive edge. Every employer wants the best employees – the hardest working, the most reliable, the most co-operative colleagues. While this has usually been picked and determined by the IQ level of a person applying for a job (a measurement of cognitive ability), many businesses are starting to look at other qualities, and in particular EQ or emotional intelligence. What is the difference between the two and how can employers benefit from recruiting differently and thinking outside the box? Two psychology professors , John Mayer (University of New Hampshire) and Peter Salovey (Yale University), discovered the concept of EQ back in 1987 when they realised that good decision making and other employable skills depend on more than just the intellect of a person. This theory was explored further by Dan Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ (1995). He concludes that leaders use ‘people skills’ in the workplace to build relationships, respond effectively to the needs of others and are in tune with their own emotions. He defined EQ as the ability to recognize, understand, use and manage emotions in oneself and in others. And the good news for all of us? Unlike IQ, EQ can be taught, learnt and developed. So what qualities does somebody with a high EQ possess? Self awareness (intra-personal) – a knowledge and understanding of their personal strengths and weaknesses and in tune with their own emotions Empathy (inter-personal) – An understanding of others Self control (stress management) – Thinking before acting Optimism (mood) – an ability to see the ‘cup half full’ Adaptability – be grounded and realistic rather than a ‘dreamer’ The more of these qualities you possess, the higher your EQ and all of these qualities can be developed. While our personalities are unique to us as an individual, emotional intelligence is not. In the workplace, having a high EQ means making decisions based on the needs of yourself and others, playing by the rules but challenging yourself and making a success of your endeavours. While it does not necessarily mean that you will be a higher achiever, those with a high EQ will be easier to work with, more productive in a team and help with the overall mood of a workplace. In other words, many employers are starting to appreciate a higher EQ compared with a higher IQ to help their workplaces flourish.

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Stress and productivity. What is the link?

Engagement, Wellbeing / My Holland

Stress In The Workplace Can Affect Productivity Experts have long acknowledged that job stress plays an important role in employee performance. What happens when there is stress is that it reduces a worker’s ability to concentrate on multi-tasks, and all his energy is directed at the completion of those tasks. It has been established that there exists a level of stress, below which employees become unmotivated and above which, they tend to be overwhelmed. We all deal with stress. It’s is part of what we are and even, who we are. You might say it is a part of how we are wired. And yet, while stress gets us moving, it also directly affects our ability to be creative and productive. Interestingly, we sometimes cause self-inflicted stress by our own lack of organization and very poor management of our time. The $64 Million Dollar Question So, the big question you will need to ask yourself is … “Is stress helping me or hindering me in my job performance?” To help you understand stress and get to the right answer, here are five ways that show how stress impacts your productivity: Stress drains your energy. It is funny. Stress can give you that adrenaline burst to get you going however a project, but after that initial rush, it quickly drains you. Physically and emotionally, you find yourself exhausted. And when you do not get enough sleep because of your stress, your best job performance suffers. Stress clouds your focus. For the most part, stress makes it hard to focus on what is important. It runs you down until you end up doing just the urgent instead of your priorities. Stress wastes time. It is simple. With stress, you worry. Sometimes just worrying all day long when you could have done other productive things. Stress reduces creativity. When you are under stress, you would most likely “lock on” to the first solution that comes to mind, and that is it. End of discussion. End of thinking. In other words, your mind doesn’t open up and limit your ability to come up with new ideas. Stress affects your personality. It would not make you a Dr, Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but have you ever heard the expression … you do not seem to be yourself today? Sure, you have. It is when, because of your stress, you would be irritable and snap at everybody within your circle and may even start yelling like a banshee without thinking. So, there you go. Stress can get you jumping out of your seat right now. It will give you that light jerk your body needs to work on something. but consider the big picture. Down the road, stress can affect your productivity in such a negative way, it will put your job on the line

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True connections at work

Engagement, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Productivity / My Holland

Well-connected people with strong social relationships are healthier and happier. Close ties with family and friends provides us with support, self-worth and add meaning to our lives. Networking can help us feel as though we belong to something significant. So why then, does social media and an age of feeling constantly connected to hundreds of friends, sometimes leave us feeling lonely and isolated? The Internet era means that we can message friends in real time, see photos of a relative across the globe on Instagram and read your sister’s reaction to her favourite TV programme on Twitter, despite a physical distance between you. But technology doesn’t include the physical contact that benefits our well-being. While social media provides us with a network of social connections which has been shown to decrease mental illness as we get older, it is the quality of the social connections that are important. Humans are social beings, and this involves physical contact such as hugging, and seeing facial expressions face-to-face. Chris Peterson, one of the founders of positive psychology said “other people matter” but does the count of Facebook ‘friends’ or Twitter ‘followers’ equate to happiness? Take the example of Instagram star Essena O’Neill. The Australian had over 600k Instagram followers and carved her career via the social media site. She posted regular pictures for her followers to comment on. Recently she decided to quit social media and revealed some of the deceit and fakeness attached to her online world. Her social media connections were not friends and the world and career she had built was not making her happy. Taking action to strengthen our relationships and build meaningful connections is essential for happiness. Ways in which to work on the quality of your relationships, and not just the quantity include: Two-way support – giving and receiving Shared activities Openly talking about feelings Shared experiences – the good, the bad and the ugly While messaging online, sending a text message or talking over the phone means we can interact easily with friends and family, the quality of the interaction is important and investing in your relationships will help improve your health and wellbeing. Emails are often referred to as ‘single strand’ interactions, while face-to-face relationship involves a more complex interaction and body chemistry. Ways to boost this include a meal or drink with a friend, going to the cinema, shopping or a holiday to visit a friend who lives further away. Building more connections can include joining a networking group for your career, volunteering with a group, a new hobby or taking part in a protest. According the recent Emotional Needs Audit of the UK, by the Human Givens Institute, 24.1% of people did not feel emotionally connected to others, 34.8% did not feel connected to the wider community. Loneliness can make you unhappy, unhealthy and shorten your life, so take the time to invest in the people that are important to you.

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Engagement

Emotional Intelligence and IQ… which one is more important?

Stress and productivity. What is the link?

True connections at work

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