Emotional Intelligence A Career Skills Activity

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What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is your ability to understand and manage your emotions. It's also your ability to identify the emotions of other people and respond appropriately.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

1. Self-Awareness

Your ability to identify and understand your own emotions. In addition, self-awareness requires you to understand how your emotions affect the people around you.

2. Self-Regulation

Your ability to appropriately express your emotions - knowing when, where, and how best to express what you're feeling.

3. Social Skills

Applying your understanding of your emotions and those of others to effectively interact and communicate with a wide range of people.

4. Empathy

Your ability to not only recognize and understand the emotions of others, but your ability to respond appropriately to those emotions. This is sometimes known as being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

5. Motivation

Your ability to pursue your passions to fulfill inner needs and goals. This type of motivation comes from the inside (AKA intrinsic motivation), not from external sources such as money, fame, wealth, etc.

Improve your skills in each of these areas by learning more:

The 5 Elements

Of the five elements of emotional intelligence, which is your strongest and which is your weakest?

What habits, attitudes, or actions will you practice to improve in your weakest element?

Never react emotionally to criticism. Analyze yourself to determine whether it is justified. If it is, correct yourself. Otherwise, go on about your business. -Norman Vincent Peale

How emotionally intelligent are you?

Take the test

Do you feel that the results of your emotional intelligence survey were accurate? Why or why not?

How well can you identify the emotions of others?

Take the test

Did you find it difficult to identify the emotions of others? Why or why not?

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. ~Margaret J. Wheatley

Think about it

You are a hiring manager conducting two interviews.

The first candidate is very friendly, outgoing, inquisitive, and talkative. They answer the questions, but admit they do not have some of the technical skills you are looking for. They add that they are willing and ready to learn and give examples of when they've demonstrated that.

The second candidate answers the questions by focusing on their training and the skills needed for the job. They are very matter-of-fact. They appear to meet all the technical requirements of the job. They do not ask any questions or offer additional information that tells you more about who they are.

Which candidate would you hire and why? Share your decision and rationale with a family member and ask them who they would have selected and why.