R. Stevens

Emotional Intelligence in Business: EQ: The Essential Ingredient to Survive and Thrive as a Modern Workplace Leader

Emotional Intelligence in Business: EQ: The Essential Ingredient to Survive and Thrive as a Modern Workplace Leader aims to show the reader why developing emotional intelligence (EQ) is fundamental to both personal and professional growth, paying special attention to the role EQ skills play in successful leadership.

The book is split into five sections.

Human Emotions:

- Introduces what emotions are and the role they play in business.

EQ Models Every Business Leader Needs To Know:

- Provides an overview of three different EQ models: Ability, Mixed and Trait.

Introspection:

- Explores how to regulate emotions and draw on internal sources of motivation.

Extrospection:

- Explores how to recognise emotional cues in others and address them.

30-Day Emotional Intelligence Booster Programme:

- A four week workbook to help raise emotional awareness.

A number of ideas stood out for us as we read the book. Here are some of our favourites.

Staying alert to common fallacies

The role of emotions and logic in decision-making

The key here is in accepting that emotions and logic are both synonymous with decision-making. The trick is to find the right balance and be mindful of emotion-driven logic. Being alert to certain logical fallacies is one way to build a more balanced approach.

For example, when making sweeping generalisations we can fall into the trap of turning one specific truth into a larger unfounded viewpoint. If a female colleague has shown to have a greater capacity for multi-tasking then a male colleague, a false assumption could be made that all female staff in the company can juggle their work responsibilities better than their male counterparts.

Proactively tacking worry

Seligmans’ ABCDE model

Getting a grip on your emotions and putting yourself into a position of control is an important step in combating our impulse response to worry and anxiety. Dr. Martin Seligman - a leading voice in the positive psychology world - offers a useful model to follow.

A - Adversity

This is about describing the problem in as much detail as possible. What is the problem? Who is the problem? When did the problem arise? Where is the problem taking place? Using specific terms to accurately address these types of questions means you automatically create objective statements - providing a natural springboard for forming rational decisions.

B - Belief

Having identified the problem you need to recall the self-talk you typically use when you have experienced similar situations in the past. In other words, you are establishing what your usual belief pattern is. For instance, you may tell yourself when faced with the problem, “I can’t do this” or “I can’t cope with the pressure”.

C - Consequences

The point where you start acknowledging the impact of the problem based on your self talk. For example, if you say “I can’t cope with the pressure” did this serve to empower you or create feelings of more helplessness?

D - Disputation

This is where you identify whether or not your belief pattern is serving your best interests or not. If it proves to be the latter, this is your chance to dispute it. For example, if you said “I can’t cope with the pressure” - actively challenge this mindset by bringing to the forefront the multiple instances where you have managed to deal with pressure before.

E - Energisation

Recognising that you have been able to effectively deal with adverse situations will energise your ability to tackle the current problem in a more productive manner.

Recognising past factors in responses

Rathes’ BATHE technique

We often assume that the emotions attached to another person’s adverse response is based purely on the present situation, but often this is not the case and as a result we may not be well-informed enough to find a constructive path forward. Dr. Richard Rathe, of the University of Florida, developed a technique for digging deeper into the extent to which an issue is solely rooted in the present:

Background-Affects-Trouble-Handling-Empathy (BATHE).

By initiating a conversation about the background of the issue you can get a clear picture of when a problem first started to arise. You can then turn your attention to the affects this has had on them. This naturally leads to the other person disclosing the troubles they are currently facing. Having a clearer picture of the narrative gives you a better understanding of how to handle the situation best. Using empathy to reflect back the journey the other person has been on will often encourage them to be more open to solutions moving forward.

Being aware of your emotional clock

Golden Hours, Mid-Day Reboot, Wrap & Reflection

Our capacity for emotional recognition can be strongly influenced by the time of day. Being aware of the differences can offer us a deeper understanding of the strength and influence of our emotions during certain time periods.

Golden Hours (7am - 10am)

A good time to take your emotional temperature, as there are less external influences occupying your mind at this stage and you are more likely to recognise some of the core feelings you are currently dealing with. People often suggest this as a good time for reflective journaling - where the accuracy of how you really feel about something is sharpened from a night’s sleep. Starting the day with a positive mindset can also have a positive knock-on effect for the rest of the day.

Mid-Day Reboot (11am - 1pm)

This is when basic emotions start taking on a life of their own! If you were feeling tired before - this now transforms into crankiness etc. You are also more likely to be dealing with physical needs like hunger. In essence, the emotion that you now see play out is usually the more exaggerated cousin of the emotion you actually feel! But there is an opportunity here to observe how your adverse behavioural responses to situations may typically play out.

Wrap & Reflection (2pm - 5pm)

People may often make the mistake of waiting until they are tucked up in bed to reflect on the emotional state. The issue here is you are usually too tired by then to do this accurately. Instead, use this time period to make an active choice to evaluate how you felt at the beginning of the day and explore how certain actions since then may have changed or enhanced that feeling.

Your thoughts:

Have you read Emotional Intelligence in Business: EQ: The Essential Ingredient to Survive and Thrive as a Modern Workplace Leader already?

Do you think these ideas are useful?

Feel free to leave a comment below.