Emotional Intelligence

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Emotional intelligence is the “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions to achieve positive results.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to read feelings and respond in an appropriate way.

When emotional intelligence (EQ) first appeared to the masses, it served as the missing link in a peculiar finding: people with average IQs outperform those with the highest IQs 70% of the time. This anomaly threw a massive wrench into the broadly held assumption that IQ was the sole source of success.

Decades of research now point to emotional intelligence as being the critical factor that sets star performers apart from the rest of the pack. The connection is so strong that 90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence.

For many people, emotions can be bewildering — they can be misread, affect judgment, trigger unexpected and perplexing behavior and sometimes completely overwhelm you. Emotionally intelligent people, however, are less challenged by feelings. Those with high emotional intelligence are able to recognize and express emotion, incorporate it into intellect and manage emotions in themselves and in others. In short, emotional intelligence is the ability to read feelings and respond in an appropriate way; how can you spot those with high emotional intelligence? Contact us to find out more

EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Emotions Defined:

An emotion is:

“A process, a particular kind of automatic appraisal, influenced by our evolutionary and personal past, in which we sense that something important to our welfare is occurring, and a set of psychological changes and emotional behaviors begins to deal with the situation.”

(Dr. Paul Ekman – Em Rev 2007, p13)

Mindfulness

There are eleven other definitions of mindfulness, mostly from cognitive psychologists, but also from a few Buddhiist mediators.

  1. “The clear and single – minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception” (Nyanaponika Thera, 1972; cited in Brown & Ryan, 2003)
  2. “ Keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality “ (Hanh, 1976; cited in Brown & Ryan, 2003)
  3. “ A way of paying attention that originated in Eastern meditation practices” (Baer, 2003)
  4. “To simply ‘drop in’ on the actuality of (one’s) lived experience and then to sustain it as best (one) can moment by moment with intentional open-hearted presence and suspension of judgement and distraction.” ( Kabat – Zinn, 2003)
  5. “Mindfulness captures a quality of consciousness that is characterized by quality and vividness of current experience and functioning and thus stands in contrast to the mindless, less awake states of habitual or automatic functioning that may be chronic for many individuals.” (Brown & Ryan, 2003)
  6. “Broadly conceptualized… a kind of non-elaborative, non judgmental, present centered awareness in which each taught, feeling or sensation that arises in the intentional field is acknowledged and accepted as it is” (kabat – Zinn, 1990, 1998; Shapiro & Schwartz, 1999, 2000; Teasdale, 1999; Segal, Williams & Teasdale, 1999; Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002; as cited in Bishop et al., 2004)
  7. “Psychological &  behavioral versions of meditation skills usually taught in Eastern spiritual practices…(usually focused on) observing, describing, participating, taking a non judgmental stance, focusing on one thing in the moment, being effective.” (Linehan, 1993; as cited in Hayes and Shenk, 2004)
  8. “Paying attention in a particular way : on purpose, in the present moment and non judgmentally” ( Kabat- Zinnn, 1994)
  9. “ A state of psychological freedom that occurs when attention remains quiet and limber, without attachment to any particular point of view” ( Martin, 1997)
  10. “A process of regulating attention in order to bring a quality of non elaborative awareness to current experience and a quality of relating to one’s experience within an orientation of curiosity, experiential openness and acceptance. We further see mindfulness as a process of gaining insight into the nature of one’s mind and the de-centered perspective.” (Safran & Seagal, 1990).”…On thoughts and feelings so that they can be experienced in terms of their subjectivity (versus their necessary validity) and transient nature (versus their permanence)” ( Bishop et al.,2004)
  11. “Bringing one’s complete attention to the present experience on a moment- to- moment basis (Marllatt & Kristeller, 1999)

“Seek first to understand, and then be understood”

Evaluating Truthfulness and Credibility

Truth and Lie definitions

Truth:

“A sincere attempt to provide accurate information”

Lie:

“Deliberately choosing to mislead someone without giving prior notification”

Paul Ekman