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=**Emotional Intelligence** =

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 * Defining Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Emotional Quotient (EQ)**


 * Emotional intelligence** or **EI** is the ability to perceive, express and manage emotion appropriately and effectively to enable people, persons or groups to function successfully. An **Emotional Quotient** or **EQ** is the term given to the behavioural model used to measure EI.

Developed in the 1970s and 1980s by psychologist Howard Gardner, Peter Salovey and John 'Jack' Mayer, EI is a fairly recent behavioural model that has provided a new way to understand and assess human behaviour. There is, in fact, growing recognition within organizations that EI is a relevant tool to developing people. EQ principles can be a valuable method to assess behaviour, management styles, attitudes, interprersonal skills and potential. For organizations, emotional intelligence has become a required competancy in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development and any role that involves person to person interaction.

Salovey and Mayer define EI as “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 actions” (1990). More specifically, EI refers to our ability to understand emotions and the part they play with respect to functioning and motivating behaviour. Salovey maintains emotions are adaptive and functional; crtitical in helping us organize our thinking and informing us where to pay attention.


 * Desirable qualities of professionals who work in jobs that require high inter and intrapersonal intelligence:**
 * 1) Emotional strength
 * 2) Emotional intelligence
 * 3) Emotional resilience
 * 4) Emotional regulation


 * Components of each quality:**
 * 1) **Emotional strength**: Empathetic perception of another's emotional state compassion and caring ability to experience loss and also to celebrate success.
 * 2) **Emotional intelligence**: Perception of emotions in others and self anticipation of normal emotional reactions recognition of aberrant emotions.Solovey and Mayer's conception of this involves 4 different domains: 1.Perceiving emotions
 * 3) Using emotions
 * 4) Understanding emotions
 * 5) Managing emotions
 * 6) **Emotional resilience**: Maintenance of emotional reserves tolerance of uncertainty or ambiguity capacity to de-escalate emotionally charged situations.
 * 7) **Emotional regulation**: Prioritizing the needs of others over self when appropriate conscientiousness and a sense of duty willingness to work diligently and postpone rewards.

Current methods to cultivating emotional development in training programs, based on current theories of emotional development. (In this regard, I am listing what has been used for training physicians).

Some empirical approaches include: ready availability of mental health services on university campuses and in some training programs, group therapy approaches, mindfulness-based stress reduction, problem-based learning with emphasis on communication, and the use of guided exposure to opera as an emotive medium (guarantee this is not a widespread practice!)

Daniel Goleman introduced another model of that focuses on competancies and skills that drive leadership. He describes four main constructs
 * 1) Self-awareness
 * 2) Self-management
 * 3) Social awareness
 * 4) Relationship management


 * Measuring Emotional Competency:**


 * List of references:**
 * 1) Murinson B, Agarwal A, Haythornwaite J. Cognitive expertise, emotional development and reflective capacity; Clinical skills for improved care. J of Pain.Vol 9 No 11:975-983, 2008.


 * Recommended reading:**
 * 1) Goleman, Daniel. Working with emotional intelligence. Bantam Books, ISBN 0-553-84023-1, 464 pages.


 * Additional resources:**
 * 1) Norman Doidge. The Brain That Changes Itself. Voking, published by the Penguin Group. New York, NY. 2007
 * 2) http://www.ihhp.com/what_is_eq.htm (Institute for Health and Human Potential)