Emotional Intelligence

Primarily this has been as a result of the research and published work of Daniel Goleman but also because the concept has seemed to echo what many managers and consultants have instinctively understood about success in the workplace. The most effective leaders and managers have seemed to have had 'something' that goes beyond the rational processes we use in planning, organising and managing people and organisations.

Goleman's definitions of emotional intelligence (1997) provides a broad basis from which the concept can be explored:

• Knowing what you are feeling and being able to handle those feelings without them swamping you
• Being able to motivate yourself to get jobs done, to be creative and to perform at your peak
• Sensing what other are feeling and handling relationships effectively.

This definition has provided a basis from which to explore the less concrete aspects of what makes an effective manager and to begin to identify the understanding, skills and experiences that make a person 'emotionally intelligent.

Understandably those organisations interested in personality assessment have spent a considerable amount of time investigating how emotional intelligence links in to personality traits and types. There has also been exploration of how emotional intelligence can be related to the organisational context in order to improve competency in the workplace.

A number of assessment instruments have been developed that relate to specific competencies which can be explored as part of leadership and management training. These include:

• Self awareness
• Emotional management
• Empathy
• Relationships
• Communication
• Personal style

Each of these competencies can be broken down into a wide range of areas that can be explored within a programme of management training. These can include the development of skills, for example, in:

• handling conflic
• listening
• networking
• effective teamworking
• handling emotional upsets
• etc.