Patrick was selected as the head project director in his company. As soon as he began the project, he felt overwhelmed and started procrastination. In the end, his company assigned the project to other person to be in charge, and Patrick was demoted to a lower position for his counter-productivity to the corporate. The reason Patrick failed to complete his assignment was due to his low EQ; he displayed inability to self-analyse, and failed to determine whether he was capable of completing the project. When in a stressful situation, he chose to escape from the problems; and reacted hastily without considering the consequence.
What is EQ
Emotional intelligence (EQ) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate your emotions. There are five categories which are:
- Self-awareness – the ability to recognize your true feelings, self-worth and capabilities
- Self-regulation – the ability to manage impulses, adapt negative emotions (such as anger or anxiety) and taking responsibility of your actions
- Motivation – the drive to improve and readying yourself for opportunities
- Empathy – the ability to understand how other people feel
- Social skills – the development of interpersonal skills such as communication, influence, leadership, teamwork and conflict management
The Importance of EQ at workplace
EQ is a vital factor for enhanced cooperation and teamwork. Your ability to work together is influenced by your emotions, how you communicate with each other, and your ability to manage interpersonal conflicts. These competencies are at a premium in today’s job market. The higher up your leadership ladder, the more important all aspects of EQ become, often determining who to be passed over and who to be promoted.
The characteristics of low EQ often show up by your tendencies of blaming others, proclaiming statement such as “it was his/her responsibilities.” Low EQ workers often procrastinate and lack maturity composure. Those who are isolated or unable to manage change or conflict, can be toxic to the entire organization.
Improve Emotional Intelligence
Increasing emotional intelligence can be done by anyone throughout life. The reward is evident in lower stress, higher career achievement and greater satisfaction in all relationship. In a study by national insurance company, sales agents who are weak in emotional competencies sell policies with an average premium of RM200000, while agents who score high in a majority of emotional competencies sell policies worth an average of RM420000.
