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Emotional Intelligence
What is it and how is it
applied within the
company?
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Emotional intelligence (EI): What is it?
EI within the company
EI on the net
How to develop Emotional Intelligence
© Barcelona Activa SAU SPM, 1998-2009
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Emotional Intelligence
What is it and how is it applied within the company?
Emotional intelligence (EI): What is it?
In 1990, Peter Salovey from Harvard University and John Mayer from New Hampshire
University, used this term for the first time to refer to the ability to control and regulate one's own
feelings and those of another person and use them as a guide for thought and action.
Emotional intelligence can be identified, therefore, in a wide range of skills and features of
personality, such as empathy, expression and understanding of one's own feelings and those of
others, independence, ability to adapt, friendliness, ability to solve problems in an interpersonal
way, social skills, persistence, cordiality, kindness and respect.
However, it was Daniel Goleman who made emotional intelligence popular with his books,
“Emotional Intelligence” and “Working with Emotional Intelligence”.
After distinguishing between hard skills –those that are typical of technical knowledge- and soft
skills –those that are typical of the previously mentioned emotions and behaviour within society-,
Daniel Goleman presents emotional intelligence as a synonym for character, personality or soft
skills, which translate into demonstrated behaviour, both at the level of thoughts and
physiological reactions and observable conduct, learned or which can be learned, which make
the management of human relations easier.
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Emotional Intelligence
What is it and how is it applied within the company?
EI within the company
There are many different applications of emotional intelligence within the company. Many
experts believe that elements such as EI play a fundamental role within the modern world
because of the new way of doing business. The reason behind this lies in the fact that as
organizations operate in increasingly competitive and dynamic markets, they tend to reduce
staff, and modify the types of management, in order to meet the needs of globalization.
In this dynamic environment, companies look for people who are not only prepared technically
to carry out the daily work of the company, but who are also adaptable, empathetic, kind,
decisive, etc. In other words, the ability of the employee to use the skills that are typical of
emotional intelligence is valued.
Similarly, people who are in charge of other employees, have no other option but to boost their
own emotional and social skills in order to empathise with their work staff, and be able to
transmit this by sending out messages - basic information for the functioning of the company - to
their teams in the most effective and efficient way possible.
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03.
Emotional Intelligence
What is it and how is it applied within the company?
EI on the net
José A. Lacoste, manager of Soydigital.com, states that “in order to achieve success on the
internet today, it is not enough to have a high intelligence quotient (IQ) and broad technical
knowledge. The changes of the 21st Century involve a predominance of the emotional quotient
(EQ), a new concept that includes self-knowledge and self-control, zeal and persistence, the
ability to self-motivate and to achieve results, among many other concepts”.
Emotional intelligence is a way of interacting within the environment which highly values feelings
and embraces skills such as impulse control, self-conscience, motivation, enthusiasm,
persistence, empathy, mental agility, etc., which form features of character such as selfdiscipline, compassion or altruism. These features become essential for adequate and creative
social adaptation.
According to the same author, applying EI on the Net would translate into the following actions:
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Generate the feeling of controlling and mastering the web space, the development itself
and the provided contents, transmitting the chances of success of the services/products
offered, both from the website itself and by emails.
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Bear in mind that discovering something, is a positive and pleasant experience for the
user, and therefore, we should always provide something new, a new vision of
something that already exists, or a way of interacting/trying out the service being offered.
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Demonstrate a clear desire and ability to achieve the objectives of the website and to act
accordingly. Such skills go together with the feeling and ability of feeling competent, of
being effective.
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Have the ability to appropriately modulate and control the products/services offered.
Offer the feeling of internal control.
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Have the ability to communicate with the clients. This ability is based on the importance
of understanding them and of being understood by them. It is necessary to be able to put
oneself in the customer's position, in order to identify his or her needs, and to encourage
a more personal relationship (we need to humanise a channel which is completely
anonymous).
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Have the ability to communicate, to exchange ideas (both written and verbal), feelings
and concepts, with other people.
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Have the ability to harmonize one's own needs with those of the customers, taking into
account that each of them is looking for an advantage or benefit which must be
complementary.
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04.
Emotional Intelligence
What is it and how is it applied within the company?
How to develop Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage and control one's own feelings with the aim of
guiding conduct in the most effective way possible, to produce the best results.
The basic principle here is that positive emotions stimulate professional success, and negative
emotions restrict or hold people back.
The good news about emotional intelligence is that it can be learned and developed. This can
be achieved through:
Self-knowledge
Emotional intelligence starts from the thinking (belief based on values) that, by changing our
thoughts, it is possible to change feelings and emotions and, therefore, it is also possible to
change behaviours. A distinction needs to be made between rational values and beliefs (in
order to encourage them), and irrational ones (in order to rule them out). For example:
› Values: Perfection.
› Beliefs: I am not as perfect as a person if I don’t always do things very well.
› Attitude: Being critical and demanding with oneself and others.
› Behaviours: Our defensive reaction to criticism. Intolerance of other people’s mistakes.
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Self-control
In order to maintain self-control:
› Always have a positive attitude.
› Communicate often with others.
› Schedule activities effectively.
› Do not take on more than you can handle.
› Psychologically block out the thought that is causing stress.
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Assertiveness
Assertiveness is the conduct that enables a person to act based on his or her interests
or needs, to comfortably express feelings, to defend him or herself without inappropriate
stress, or to exercise his or her own rights without ignoring the rights of others.
An assertive person:
› Can openly disagree.
› Can say ‘no’ and accepts mistakes.
› Can control his or her emotions.
› Has self-respect and inspires self-respect in others.
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Emotional Intelligence
What is it and how is it applied within the company?
› Can ask for a favour if necessary.
› Appropriately expresses feelings, both positive and negative.
Strategies to make assertive answers more effective:
› Have a positive self-perception
› Plan messages
› Be polite
› Save apologies and excuses for times when they might be necessary
› Do not exclude others
› Never resort to threats or inappropriate gestures
› Accept defeat when necessary
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Empathy
Empathy is effective involvement and, generally, emotional involvement with, and
sharing of, another person’s reality.
Actions to increase empathy:
› Listen with interest (verbal and non-verbal communication).
› Analyse situations jointly.
› Value personal implications (“I understand that it must be complicated”).
› Avoid being taken in by the “Stockholm syndrome”.
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Emotional Intelligence
What is it and how is it applied within the company?
Written by the Barcelonanetactiva team from the following sources of information:
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“Inteligencia Emocional”. Daniel Goleman, Edición. Cairos
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“La Práctica de la Inteligencia Emocional”. Daniel Goleman. Edición Cairos
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“Ponga a Prueba su Inteligencia Emocional”. Robert Wood – Harry Tolley. Edición
Gestión 2000
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“Ser Asertivo”. Beverly Have. Edición Gestión 2000
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“El Análisis Transaccional”. J.M. Vergnaud. Serie Miniempresas. Edición Gestión 2000
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José Javier Velasco Bernal; “La inteligencia emocional” in Orientaeduc.com:
http://boj.pntic.mec.es/~lbarrioc/utilidades/intelemo.html
Last day accessed: 18/11/2009
© Barcelona Activa SAU SPM, 1998-2009 - Last Update: 24/11/2009
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