Emotional Intelligence - Essay Example

Emotional Intelligence Table of Contents Introduction 3 2. Report detail 3 2 Task Theory reflection 3 2 1 Ability model 3 2 2 Mixed model 5 2.1.3 Trait model 5 2.1. 4 Distinction between the models 6 2.2 Task 2: Roles of emotional intelligence 6 2.2.1 Emotional intelligence and leading 6 2.2.2 Emotional intelligence and performance 7 2.2.3 Emotional intelligence and wellbeing 8 3. Conclusion and recommendation 9 Reference List 10 1. Introduction Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to observe, understand, control and appraise emotions according to different situations. EI is an important virtue in developing and enhancing ones socialising skills (Salovey and Mayer, 1989). The concept of EI gained popularity when the famous psychologist Daniel Goleman had launched his book, ‘Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ’, where a number of concepts relating to emotional intelligence has been discussed (Goleman, 2006). Emotional intelligence being a cognitive aspect is difficult to accurately predict and to measure. Intelligence, of any kind cannot be measured; however it can be assessed by asking different questions. Similarly in the case of EI as well, the most feasible way of measuring an individual’s emotional understanding capabilities is by asking different questions. Psychologists are often seen to follow this technique to understand and map the emotions of patients and understand exactly what kind of emotional problems they are undergoing. Different parameters are set and the responses provided by individuals are compared against the responses provided. It is then estimated whether the emotional intelligence quotient of individuals are high or low. Individuals must themselves be able to understand their emotions well so that they can accurately recognize the emotions of others (Schutte, et al., 1998). 2. Report detail 2.1 Task 1: Theory reflection 2.1.1 Ability model According to the studies conducted by Salovey and Mayer, emotional intelligence can be described as the sophisticated mental process whereby information regarding one’s own and others emotions are understood and meanings are derived. Emotional intelligence helps perceiving the feelings and thoughts of others and accordingly adapt with the people around. Understanding the emotions of others plays a significant role in the manner we behave and respond to them (Mayer, Caruso and Salovey, 1999). The ability model of emotional intelligence was proposed by Salovey and Mayer. They had developed an EI model describing the development of emotional intelligence from childhood to adulthood. The model is based on four branches. These are described as follows: Perception- Emotional intelligence requires an individual to perceive the emotions present in themselves and in others in a highly accurate way. Identification of emotions is seen to enhance and positively benefit the behavioural conduct of an individual. Perception involves understanding the body language, facial expressions, tone and manner of speaking so that adequate understanding can be generated in respect of emotions of others. Understanding the emotions of others is a highly cognitive process (Mayer and Salovey, 1993). Emotions facilitate thinking- Emotions are often seen to guide the thinking process of individuals. The manner in which a person thinks and behaves when he or she is happy is radically different from how they would behave or think when they are sad. The emotions individuals have influence their minds to think in a particular way. Emotions also facilitate focusing our thoughts on the important matters. The mind can accumulate information but it cannot decide by itself which information is important and which ones are not. Emotions play an important role in creating distinction between crucial and non-crucial information and accordingly channelize our cognitive processes. The changes in moods and emotions influence the thought process by making it either optimistic or pessimistic from time to time. Hence based on emotions, the same situation can be perceived either positively or negatively (George, 2000). Understanding and employing EI- Successful employment of EI arises when the reactions and actions of individuals are perfectly synchronized with the emotions of themselves and of others. Understanding different emotions therefore is utmost essential. For instance, an individual must be able to accurately understand that extreme sadness occurs when someone undergoes a loss of any kind. Majority emotions are easy to understand but confusions and misinterpretation often occur while dealing with complex and mixed emotions. It is also essential to understand the transitions of emotions such as from anger to regret (Picard, Vyzas and Healey, 2001). Emotional and intellectual growth- Emotional understanding often leads individuals in the direction of becoming open towards others feelings. Emotional understanding helps an individual to perceive who they can get along with in different situations. A high level of understanding of others emotions channelizes ones behaviour and makes his or her reactions more effective. This makes individuals to become more influential and convey information much more accurately. Over time as individuals develop deep understanding regarding others emotions, it becomes possible for them to gain control over their emotions and express only what is necessitated. Engaging and detaching from different emotions gets facilitated more easily (Bennis, 2003). 2.1.2 Mixed model The mixed model was proposed by Daniel Goleman. Goleman had pointed out that emotional intelligence gets constructed through five important elements, discussed as follows. Self-awareness- In order to understand how different emotions makes others feel and act, one should understand how emotions influences themselves first. This makes it possible for an individual to associate themselves easily with the emotions of others. Self awareness in respect of an individual’s emotions and how they impact their behavior, actions and speech is therefore essential. The reliance and accuracy of an individual’s gut feelings improve overtime as their self awareness regarding emotions improve (Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee, 2013). Self regulation- Not every emotion requires to be expressed. As the emotional intelligence levels of individuals enhance, it becomes possible to control disruptive emotions or redirect the same. Individuals must know how to control their emotions as the circumstances surrounding them change (Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee, 2013). Social skills- Emotional understanding facilitates an individual to behave in a more influential manner, thereby enhancing their socializing skills. Adequate management of relationships also gets facilitated (Brackett and Mayer, 2003). Empathy- Empathy refers to developing a deep attachment with others feelings. Empathy can be shown while decision making and while expressing ones thoughts. In order to develop a feeling of empathy and expressing the same, one must accurately understand the emotions and feelings of others (Wong and Law, 2002). Motivation- Emotional understanding facilitates increasing the level of motivation and makes it easier to communicate effectively (Boyatzis, Goleman and Rhee, 2000). 2.1.3 Trait model The trail model was developed by Petrides. He had stated that an individual’s emotional; intelligence gets developed through self perception (Petrides and Furnham, 2000). Those who can understand their own emotions well are in a state to develop high emotional intelligence and thereby enhance their cognitive abilities so that the emotions of others can easily be perceived. The emotional abilities of an individual also add to the enhancement of their emotional intelligence. The more number of emotions an individual can feel, express or control leads to the better perception of others (Ciarrochi, Chan and Caputi, 2000). 2.1. 4 Distinction between the models While the trail model states that emotional intelligence arises from understanding one’s own emotions well, the ability model states that emotional intelligence develops from the understanding of the emotions of others (Lopes, Salovey and Straus, 2003). The mixed model is a combination of both the ability and trait models. The mixed model is seen to be the most accepted and widely used model for studying emotional intelligence. The model incorporates studying the emotional capabilities possessed by an individual from two important perspectives (Law, Wong and Song, 2004). The model firstly incorporates understanding the emotional capabilities of an individual from the view point of their self efficacy. When self awareness regarding the emotional intelligence of an individual remains high, then it becomes possible for the individual to develop high understanding in respect of others as well (Matthews, Zeidner and Roberts, 2004). The trail model is considered to be less realistic as it gives little or no consideration to the manner in which an individual understands others. In order to develop a strong emotional intelligence both self and emotional thoughts of others are required to be considered effectively. Social understanding and channelizing ones behavior according to the emotional of others are important aspects of emotional intelligences (Barling, Slater and Kelloway, 2000). 2.2 Task 2: Roles of emotional intelligence 2.2.1 Emotional intelligence and leading Developing emotional understanding towards others is an important element in leadership. The attributes discussed under the mixed model of emotional intelligence is considered most suitable for analyzing how emotional intelligence influences leadership. In executing effective leadership, emotional intelligence contributes by increasing a leader’s abilities towards self understanding, self regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. When leaders understand their own emotions well, it becomes possible to recognize whether their emotions are synchronized with those present in the team (Druskat and Wolff, 2001). A leader must himself be able to develop strong emotions towards different aspects so that the same can be transmitted to others. When all members of the team develop similar emotional understanding, it becomes easier to work together. Self regulation which is a part of emotional intelligence is also a fundamental characteristic in leadership development. A leader should be able to effectively decide when and how to express different emotions. The way in which a leader expresses his or her emotions influences the minds of the members of his or her team. Hence leaders must know how to filter their emotions and express it in a manner such that positive impression can be created (Van Rooy and Viswesvaran, 2004). A leader must also be able to motivate others by understanding their emotional state. Individuals who are emotionally low in self esteem require greater motivation efforts than those whose self esteem remains high. A leader must be able to accurately predict from the communication styles of an individual, to what extent they are motivated and behave accordingly (Mayer, Roberts and Barsade, 2008). Empathy is also an important leadership quality which arises out of the presence of high emotional intelligence. Leaders possessing high emotional intelligence can put themselves in the shoes of others and perceive situations in a more empathetic manner. Empathetic abilities can be enhanced by observing the body language, behavior and the expressions of others. Leader must also try to establish open and free communication so that it is possible to understand the emotions of others easily. As leaders become more and more empathetic towards others, their socializing skills also enhance, facilitating better dissemination of leadership skills (Palmer, et al., 2001). 2.2.2 Emotional intelligence and performance When the emotional intelligence of individuals remains adequately high, it becomes possible for them to understand the needs of others more accurately. As a result it becomes possible to deliver team work more effectively. A high level of emotional intelligence enables effective communication (Ciarrochi, Deane and Anderson, 2002). Easier understanding gets developed between individuals, leading to higher levels of effectively in work. It also facilitates better interpretation of information as well. Emotional intelligence monitors ones behavior leading to better control. It facilitates individuals to understand which types of emotions need to be expressed and which ones should be neglected. As a result individuals can understand how and when they must exhibit different emotions. Emotional compatibility between different individuals advances the performances of the organization as a whole (Lam and Kirby, 2002). Emotional intelligence also plays an important role when managers are required to take important organizational decisions. Superiors must understand how employees and other interest groups are like to react due to the decisions taken. The reaction normally gets created out of the manner in which employees emotionally absorb the decisions. Superiors, whose emotional intelligence levels are high, can accurately predict what emotional impacts different decisions create. Accordingly they seek ways through which positive and acceptable reactions and emotions can be created. Emotional intelligence also leads to the development of strong extraversion quality, leading to better display of skills and abilities (Gardner and Stough, 2002). When employees depict a high level of emotional intelligence they are able to understand what managers expect from them. Emotional intelligence also facilitates the cognitive process of individuals to differentiate between which emotions must be given priority and should be expressed and which ones are to be ignored. For instance, an employee possessing strong emotional intelligence is able to neglect or ignore different situations, so that there are no conflicts and at the same time is also able to determine when to raise voice when there is injustice (Dawda and Hart, 2000). 2.2.3 Emotional intelligence and wellbeing Well being is deeply associated with emotional intelligence as it facilitates better judgment, knowledge management and development organizational cohesiveness. Emotional intelligence is considered to be an effective tool when administrators want to implement a change within the organization. Managers can effectively predict how the implementation of change can emotionally influence employees and their likely reactions. Accordingly measures are taken considering the wellbeing of all interest groups who are associated with the business (Slaski and Cartwright, 2002). Once managers understand the thought process of employees through the implementation of emotional intelligence, it becomes possible to influence them in a desired manner so that they accept different decisions and strategic policies which gets implemented within the organization. Organizational wellbeing also arises when employees remain highly satisfied with their job roles. Efficient managers exercise their emotional intelligence to interpret the type of job employees are comfortable performing and accordingly assign them with different responsibilities. This enhances employee satisfaction and thereby organizations are able to retain employees for longer durations. Emotional intelligence is particularly effective for developing synergy within an organization. Synergy refers to the achievement of a common result through synchronized efforts (Newsome, Day and Catano, 2000). 3. Conclusion and recommendation Emotional intelligence has evolved to play an important role in business from the organizational management point of view. Managers and human resource executives make use of emotional intelligence techniques to understand and manage employees better. Emotional intelligence facilitates in expressing and controlling our emotions according to the situations existing externally. Without emotional intelligence it becomes difficult to interpret, understand and respond to the emotions of others. It is an important quality for enhancing ones social skills. Emotional intelligence is largely inborn, however with the passage of time and as individuals are exposed to different experiences, their emotional intelligence matures and they are able to perceive and respond to different circumstances in a better way. The process of emotional intelligence generally consists of perceiving, reasoning, understanding and managing emotions. Accurate perception is the first step towards the development of emotional intelligence (Petrides, Frederickson and Furnham, 2004). Individuals who lack perception abilities often misunderstand the feelings and messages of others and react differently. Perceiving one’s own emotions accurately helps developing a better understanding of others feelings. Reasoning is the next crucial step in emotional intelligence development process whereby individuals cognitively sort their emotions and pay attention to and display only those emotions which are necessary. Post reasoning it becomes essential to understand the emotions so that it is possible to identify the situations which have triggered particular emotions. Emotions can be linked with a variety of feelings and situations. An individual may display anger for a variety of reasons such as dissatisfaction with the work of subordinates, conflict with superiors or due to some other personal or family issues. When it is perceived that an individual is displaying a particular emotion such as anger, others try to identify the source of anger by asking different questions or studying their expressions. Understanding emotions are vital to empathise with others. Understanding emotions and responding to them becomes often standardised. When individuals say particular sentences or mention particular words, individuals automatically associate it with particular emotions. Greeting of various kinds are the most common method of identifying emotions of individuals. 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