Raise Your EQ

Emotional intelligence greatly enhances workplace success and is increasingly valued by employers.

Raise Your EQ

Emotional intelligence greatly enhances workplace success and is increasingly valued by employers.

Why is this important?

By becoming more capable at perceiving and managing your own emotions—and taking others’ emotions into account as you interact with them—you can expect to increase your overall effectiveness and build more satisfying work relationships. And, you can expect to see these benefits flow over into your personal life.

High EQs and top performance
are highly correlated.

90%

of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence.*

*Data from TalentSmart, the organization behind “Emotional Intelligence 2.0,” which has conducted research with 500,000 people worldwide.

Out of 33 workplace skills, EQ is the “strongest predictor of performance, explaining a full 58% of success in all types of jobs.” *

*Travis Bradberry, “Emotional Intelligence,” in Forbes, January 9, 2014.

90%

of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence.*

*Data from TalentSmart, the organization behind “Emotional Intelligence 2.0,” has conducted research with 500,000 people worldwide.

Out of 33 workplace skills, EQ is the “strongest predictor of performance, explaining a full 58% of success in all types of jobs. ”*

*Travis Bradberry, “Emotional Intelligence,” in Forbes, January 9, 2014.

Learn more about my coaching
philosophy and process.

Learn more about my coaching philosophy and process.

Learn more about my coaching
philosophy and process.

EQ and related social skills are
increasingly valued in today’s job market.

CareerBuilder found in an employer survey* that 71% of respondents valued EQ over IQ. Why? Because employees with high emotional intelligence:

“Are more likely to stay calm under pressure.”

“Know how to resolve conflict effectively.”

“Are empathic to their team members and react accordingly.”

“Lead by example.”

“Tend to make more thoughtful business decisions.”

*Harris Interactive was commissioned by CareerBuilder to administer this 2011 survey of 2,662 US hiring managers.

Workplaces are increasingly team-based, placing a premium on good emotional and social skills.

Employees with strong social skills collaborate with others more efficiently and effectively, making them more valuable in a team-based environment.

To elicit maximum performance from a team, leaders need to cultivate a climate of trust and respect. This requires emotional adeptness.

Google has conducted groundbreaking research on what accounts for higher team performance.* After exploring many variables such as team composition and experience level, the company found that what best explained differences in performance was team culture and equal participation.

Team culture means how people treat each other. According to Google, a successful team culture depends on “psychological safety…a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.”*

*What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team,” The New York Times, 2/28/2016.

To elicit maximum performance from a team, leaders need to cultivate a climate of trust and respect. This requires emotional adeptness.

Google has conducted groundbreaking research on what accounts for higher team performance.* After exploring many variables such as team composition and experience level, the company found that what best explained differences in performance was team culture and equal participation.

Team culture means how people treat each other. According to Google, a successful team culture depends on “psychological safety…a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.”*

*What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team,” The New York Times, 2/28/2016.

Let’s worry less about AI and more about EI. Employers increasingly value “soft skills” linked to emotional intelligence—and unlike AI, EI is something you can personally take charge of, benefiting not only your career but your whole life.

FAQs on EQ

I like this straightforward definition by Dr. Charles Wolfe, a pioneer in the field: “Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage your own emotions, others’ emotions, and your emotional relationship with others.”

There are several instruments available to assess your EQ. I am certified to administer the Mayer Salovey Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT).* This highly validated test evaluates your emotional abilities by having you complete tasks and solve emotional problems. MSCEIT focuses on four skill sets to identify your specific strengths and areas for improvement:

  1. Perceiving emotions
  2. Using emotions
  3. Understanding emotions
  4. Managing emotions

*Dr. Jack Mayer (Professor of Psychology, University of New Hampshire), Dr. Peter Salovey (President, Yale University), and Dr. David Caruso (Research Affiliate, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence) are foremost researchers in the field of emotional intelligence.

Many wonder if EQ is a fixed trait like IQ, or a more malleable characteristic that can be improved.  The good news is that yes, with effort, you can significantly develop your EQ for the better. Emotional intelligence involves a set of skills that can be learned and honed through increased awareness and consistent practice.

Emotions mobilize us to deal with events. Sometimes, this process is automatic (e.g. a “fight or flight” response to a physical threat). But, you can also deliberately use emotions to facilitate the task at hand. For example, people are typically better at learning when they are in a positive mood. Conversely, when stress is high, learning is hard. So, if you want to learn something—or help others learn—cultivate a positive mood by thinking of things that make you happy, listening to upbeat music, or telling a joke.

As with any coaching process, we begin by expanding your self-knowledge. From there we set goals, formulate strategies and tactics, and work together as you practice more effective behaviors. These steps typically unfold over the course of 3 to 6 months:

  1. Insight: You will complete an online assessment instrument to gauge your emotional abilities. We will debrief the results, discussing your stronger abilities alongside opportunities for improvement.
  2. Vision: Based on the results of the assessment, you will determine where you want to focus to leverage your strengths and improve in areas of lesser ability. You will set specific goals for how you want to develop your emotional abilities.
  3. Change: We will create an action plan to move the needle toward your goals. Meeting regularly, we will review your progress to deepen learning, overcome obstacles, and ensure you are achieving your goals.

In addition to my coaching credentials, I have completed two levels of certification with the International Society for Emotional Intelligence. These certifications qualify me to administer the MSCEIT, a highly validated assessment instrument developed by Dr. Jack Mayer (Professor of Psychology, University of New Hampshire), Dr. Peter Salovey (President, Yale University), and Dr. David Caruso (Research Affiliate, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence). I have enormous respect for these pioneering researchers in the emotional intelligence field.

Exploratory calls are always complimentary.

Insight • Vision • Change

Ready to take your career to the next level and make some changes? If you would like to discuss how coaching with me can help, let’s connect.

Exploratory calls are always complimentary.

Insight • Vision • Change

Ready to take your career to the next level and make some changes? If you would like to discuss how coaching with me can help, let’s connect.