Heart Leader

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

According to Wikipedia, Emotional Intelligence (EI) describes the ability, capacity, skill or, in the case of the trait EI model, a self-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups.

While EI has deep historical roots dating back to Darwin’s work, it has become more common in the business landscape over the past several years because now, more than ever, understanding the human condition and why we think, feel, and act the way we do has become an important piece to operating a successful business and creating a happy and productive corporate culture.

Thoughts, feelings, actions/behaviors, and results represent my view of the emotional intelligence continuum. What I mean by this is that thoughts lead to feelings, which then lead to actions/behaviors, and ultimately to results. This the step by step path that human beings take many times every day.

The thoughts and feelings we have cannot be controlled, but the actions/behaviors and results from those behaviors can. For example, imagine being at work and a co-worker speaks to you in a way that you find insulting. This immediately leads to anger and resentment, which causes you to fire back, file a complaint with HR or even worse, resort to physical action. The result is that you and your co-worker have become contentious at work and may even be penalized with disciplinary action.

Now what if just as our co-worker was speaking to you, a voice whispered in your ear that he/she had a chemotherapy treatment later in the day, and really had no awareness or ill intentions in the way he spoke to you? Do your actions/behaviors change because you have this information? You now have a heightened awareness of your co-worker and you may choose different actions/behaviors which produce more positive results. Thus, a change in your awareness made a huge difference in the outcome.

People are imperfect and as a result, they make missteps. Even if your emotional intelligence is high, you will experience low awareness from time to time resulting in actions/behaviors and results that fall below your expectations. It is key to understand when the EI bell goes off in your head as timing is a key component to relational success.

There are three areas of time discovery in EI. The first is before negative actions/behaviors occur. The second is during the episode where negative actions/behaviors take place. The final stage is the results.
The before stage requires a deep understanding of who and what triggers your negative actions/behaviors. Once you are aware of these defaults, you can watch for them and create a heightened sensitivity to their presence. When you see the first sign of their existence, you can use your awareness to sidestep the default that can derail your behavior.

The during stage requires you to become aware of your negative actions/behaviors while the event is in progress. Once that awareness is realized, you can adjust your actions/behaviors during the episode and then achieve the goal of positive behavioral results.

The after stage is the most painful stage because the damage has already been done. However, it is never too late to analyze the errors of your ways and ask for forgiveness. This is also an opportunity to learn a lesson in what trigger you missed so that you can better recognize it the next time.

Here are some tips and advice that human resource executives can implement to build emotional intelligence at their company:

•Encourage employees to always give the benefit of the doubt regarding the other persons’ (co-worker, customer, vendor etc.) behavior or attitude.
•Encourage employees to raise their awareness of what they say and do and how it affects the people they are saying and doing it to.
•Encourage employees to ask for forgiveness if and when their actions/behaviors are inappropriate.
•Ensure that employees understand what they did and how they missed being aware of their behavior before it created a negative result.
•Bring emotional intelligence experts into the workplace to train and work with the employees on improving their EI and thus their positive impact on their co-workers, clients, vendors, etc.
In the end, I believe EI boils down to giving the people we come in contact with the benefit of the doubt. We don’t know what the other person’s personal experiences or triggers are. Nor do we know what they are thinking or feeling. Thus, the more awareness and grace we can give to them, the greater our ability to control our actions/behaviors and the results. It comes to knowing thy self and being aware of what we say and do and how that affects the people we are saying and doing it to.

Thank you for reading my blog.

If you like what you read, please ask your friends and family to log on to http://www.heartleader.com and encourage them to sign up for my free weekly blog.

You can learn more about me on my web site at http://www.darylwizelman.com

My book, Heart Leader, can be purchased by clicking the link below.

http://www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/02877.htm

Daryl

When was the last time you took a written test that applied to your vocation and your ability to earn a living?  I am 44 years old and I haven’t taken a written test with any real meaning in many, many years.  I owned a mortgage banking company for almost 20 years and we were licensed by the Department of Real Estate (DRE).  The DRE required a license to conduct activities as a loan originator in the mortgage business.  All of us who worked originating loans at our mortgage company had a DRE license.  I earned my DRE license in 1990 and I hadn’t taken a meaningful test since.

As a result of the credit collapse and mortgage implosion of the past few years, the government has mandated that all mortgage loan originators take 2 new tests.  One is a state test and the other is a federal test.  I am very proud to say that I took and passed both tests.  I studied very hard and questioned my ability to pass these tests for weeks leading up to the test dates.  But that isn’t the point of this blog.  This blog is about challenging yourself to be successful at something that is outside of your comfort zone.

 Many of us concentrate our time and energy in areas where we have some level of aptitude.   For many of us years have gone by since we attempted to become proficient at something new.  I am not suggesting we try and become cardio-vascular surgeons.  I am suggesting we try a new activity, learn a new language, learn to play an instrument or begin a new hobby that is challenging physically and/or emotionally.  Is there something you have been thinking about trying but you haven’t for fear of failure?  Do you think it will be too difficult?

Action plan: Take the next 30 days to reflect on what you would like to do that you haven’t done before.  Something that would be interesting and challenging for you.  Take the following 30 days to chart your vision and action plans to move the vision into action.

In my case I was forced to face this daunting challenge.  I didn’t volunteer and I probably wouldn’t have volunteered.  It takes a lot of courage to begin something challenging that we aren’t good at.   I passed the tests and now I am reflecting on my next new challenge…

Thank you for reading my blog.

If you like what you read, please ask your friends and family to log on to http://www.heartleader.com and encourage them to sign up for my free weekly blog.

You can learn more about me on my web site at http://www.darylwizelman.com

My book, Heart Leader, can be purchased by clicking the link below.

http://www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/02877.htm

Daryl

From time to time there are new buzz words that enter into the language of business.  During this recession I have witnessed more and more companies and industries offering products and/or services for free in order to introduce their products or services to potential customers. I have been hearing the business community referring to this as “Freemium.”

In my case, I have offered to speak to groups such as Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and other groups for free or at a greatly reduced fee in order to help other people improve their lives and their careers.  While I don’t expect it, another great reward would be to earn future business form the organization I am speaking to or the individual attendees at the events.

What I have experienced is the following benefits flow from offering products/services for free;

1.   There is no expectation on the part of the “buyer” to buy anything.
2.   Serving with no expectations of getting anything in return.
3.   Adding value during a difficult economic period.
4.   Planting seeds for the future when economic conditions improve.

Questions to ask yourself:

1.   What service or product can we offer for free?
2.   Who are the best potential clients to offer our “freemium” services/products to?
3.   Are we making our approach to our customer with the mind set of giving without the expectation of getting anything in return?
4.   Can we make this a regular discipline that can be offered to a finite number of current or potential customers every week?

I hope this blog and the entries that will follow will inspire thought and action.