Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the general term for a field of study that is relevant to us all, because it relates to important skills we use every day.  These skills - that determine how well you know and manage yourself, how well you deal with all that happens to you, and how well you deal with others - are now emerging as the single most important determinant in your success. 

As someone who has spent over 20 years in business and leadership positions, and 6 years working very closely with business leaders and entrepreneurs,  I am convinced that building your awareness and mastery of the EI realms, will be some of the most valuable personal and professional development  you may ever do!  

So, please enjoy browsing the information I have put together here.  And should you want to learn more about EI, or arrange for a complementary coaching session, don't hesitate to contact me directly.  Enjoy!

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence (IE) is a term that refers to all the non-IQ areas of human intelligence. "[The] social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action". 

In a business setting these personal, social, managerial and leadership skills form the core of what separates star performers from the rest of the pack.  Often called people skills, street smarts, common sense, savvy, etc. this wide array of skills are emerging as the most important competencies in business. 

Why is EI so important?

Because years of solid academic research*, now support the very intuitive truth that mastery of these personal and interpersonal skills are the single biggest factor contributing to an individual's success. 

How do you measure EI and what does it tell you?

Using a simple but powerful assessment tool (called the EQI), it is now possible to measure an individual's total EI and a wide variety of content subscales including their levels of; self-regard, assertiveness, self-awareness, independence, self-actualization, empathy, interpersonal relationships, reality testing, flexibility, problem solving, stress tolerance, impulse and several general mood indicators.  This information can then be used to target coaching and development to raise their effectiveness in the areas that will contribute the most to their success.

Who else has experience with this.

There is a wealth of research (see the links under "How can I learn more" below) that documents the link between high levels of success and high levels of competencies in the key areas of EI.  Organizations who have already found great value in developing EI include: American Express, SC Johnson, the US Navy, the US Air Force, and Met Life.

Give me a specific example how this might work.

Research on more than 40,000 people have shown that the most successful senior manager score very high on self-regard, happiness, interpersonal relationships, reality testing and self-actualization.  Thus if you are a manager who wants to excel, and the EQI assessment tool indicates that your self-regard and reality testing scores are normal or sub-normal, a coaching program can be customized to help you significantly increase your competency in this area. 

How can I get my EI skill assessed?

The EQI assessment tool can be completed in less than 30 minutes, the answer sheet is then returned to the coach who processes the results.  The results are then returned  to the client. 

Coach and client then arrange a 30-40 minute phoned-based coaching session to debrief the report, and outline a strategy to further develop the most relevant EI skills.

How much does it cost?

The EQI assessment (using the most widely used professional tool, the Bar-On EQI), processing, and one 30-40 minute debrief and coaching session is all included for $300.  

Supplementary professional coaching, to really deepen the learning and speed a client's development of a superior EI skill-set, can be arranged for $500 per month.  This includes four coaching sessions ( with an experienced and certified executive coach) of a minimum thirty minutes duration.  

Beware of imitations and poor substitutes.

A word of caution - there are many non-certified practitioners jumping on the EI bandwagon, who use a variety of simplistic and unsupported instruments.  Make sure you are dealing with a certified administrator who uses one of the standard, and widely normed, assessment tools.

* How can I learn more? 

There is a wealth of information available on Emotional Intelligence.  For general information on emotional intelligence visit the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence at: www.eiconsortium.org.  

To view a copy of a paper on Emotional Intelligence and Why it Matters, by Dr. Cary Cherniss of Rutgers University, click on the following link: Emotional Intelligence 

As to reference reading I can recommend: The EQ Edge by Stein and Book, and Working with  Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman.