Many of us are aware of IQ (Intelligence Quotient), an individual’s score when performing a series of tests designed to measure intellectual intelligence. Higher IQs indicate better cognitive abilities - these include the ability to learn and understand.
A logical assumption, therefore, is that people with higher IQs will be more successful at work and through life. This assumption has been proven incorrect – there is more to success than simply being ‘clever’.
EI - Emotional Intelligence, or sometimes EQ – Emotional Quotient, is a more modern concept and was only fully developed in the mid-1990s.
Emotional Intelligence is the measure of an individual’s abilities to recognise and manage their emotions, and the emotions of other people, both individually and in groups
There is no correlation between IQ and EI scores.
Emotional intelligence can only be measured by how an individual progresses through life – developing, meaningful relationships with others, their interpersonal skills and understanding and managing their own emotions, and personal skills.
Elements of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is split between our personal and interpersonal skills, these are sometimes also referred to as personal and social competencies. Within each of these are a range of skills which are the elements of emotional intelligence.
These skills include Personal skills like self-awareness, anger, self-management, self-control, dealing with criticism, and how we deal with critical people.
In the next installment we’ll begin to list a few of these skills and their definitions. Eventually we will look at how people deal with criticism and those who bring it.
