illustration by Gallo
iM
a G
es/Getty iM
a G
es
‘IQ will get
you through
school and
university,
but EQ
gets you
through
life’
EQ,while80%oflow
performershavea low
EQ.Simplyput,your
emotionalintelligence
reallymatters.HowcanI
developmyeQ?
Weallcomeacrossdifficult
situationsthatcause
discomfort,stress,sadness
andunhappiness.People
witha highEQcanhandle
conflictsbetterthanthose
withpoorintrapersonal
andinterpersonalskills.
TodevelopyourEQ
skills,youneedto
noticeemotionwhile
it’shappeningandpay
attentiontothefollowing:SenSeS
Emotionsareexpressed
physicallyandare
reflectedinyourbody.
Forexample,certain
behaviourslikeclenched
fistsorgrittedteetharesignalsthatyou’re
probablyangry.thoughtSandBeliefS
Emotionsareexpressed
asthoughts.It’snormal
forcertainthought
patternstoonlybe
presentwhenyou’re
upset.Forexample,when
peoplesay,‘Thingswill
nevergetbetter,ever
again!’whenthey’re
upset,butdon’tsaythe
oppositewhenthey’re
feelinggreat.youRactionS
Emotionschangeyour
behaviours.Learnto
recognisethewayyou
actwhileupset.Noticing
thatyou’resuddenly
raisingyourvoiceor
startingtospeakover
othersmightbeclues
you’reupset.youRtRiggeRS
Triggersaresituations,
people,places,feelings,
thoughtsorobjectsthat
getyoutothinkorfeel
somethingyouwouldn’t
otherwisehavethought
orfelt.Triggerscanstart
negativeemotions,which
leadtoyoubecoming
upsetwithoutyour
consciousawareness.
Identifyyourtriggersby
watchingforthethings
thatsetyouoffandthen
writethemdown.focuSonyouR
StRengthS
Alwaysidentify
yourpositive,strong
characteristics.hoW WIll EQ gIvE mE thE EdgE
ovEr co-WorkErs Who
havEn’t dEvElopEd thEIrs?
The benefits are endless. By being more empathetic and
understanding of others, we create a connection with
them, and this is the easiest way to motivate colleagues.
Balance in the core areas of empathy, active listening and
being emotionally aware of one’s own state of equilibrium
will help you identify with people in the workplace,
anticipate their needs and lead with a greater range
of emotional capacity. Which, in turn, improves your
negotiation skills, makes you more resilient to change and
gives you more job satisfaction.wItH tHe growtH of tecHnology, can
a HIgHer eQ make me IndIspensable?
As technology drives us further away from creating more
personal connections with people, having a high EQ can
prove essential in the job market. The more disconnected
we feel, the more alienated and alone we become. This is
obviously not great for anyone’s state of mind. The most
important element, however, is that relationships and
connections create business deals and sales. If you can relate
to people and understand them, you’ll know how to connect
with them – an element that technology can’t replace.How wIll eQ Help me keep track of
my career goals and stay focused?
Different studies have shown that a high level of emotional
intelligence helps us to achieve and maintain our goals
more effectively. Research on managers and employees
in larger companies who were tested on their IQ and EQ
levels showed that some successful managers had lower
IQs than their employees, but had far higher EQs. This
shows that EQ is more important than IQ when working
with other people.
If you’re aware of your own emotions and can do
consistent self-checks into what you’re feeling regularly, you
can put measures in place to put yourself back on track. This
can look like many things, whether it be taking time out
to recharge or writing your goals and identifying obstacles
you faced in the past, and how you interpreted them.How can eQ Help me In busIness?
EQ has been identified as one of the strongest indicators
of success in business. A study by Johnson & Johnson
showed that the highest performers in the workforce were
also those that displayed a higher emotional intelligence.
And according to Talent Smart, an EQ appraisal company,
90% of high performers in the workplace possess a high<
top tipS foR
impRoving eQ
In a competitive
workplace, developing
your EQ skills is vital to
your professional success.
Here are some tips on how
to go about improving it.›› Utilise an assertive style
of communicating.
›› Respond instead of
reacting to conflict.
›› Utilise active
listening skills.
›› Be motivated.
›› Practise ways
to maintain a
positive attitude.
›› Practise self-awareness.
›› Take critique well.
›› Empathise with others.
›› Utilise leadership skills.
›› Be approachable
and sociable.
EQ skills may come more
easily to naturally
empathetic people, but
anyone can develop them.
Andrea affirms that less
empathetic people just
have to practise being
more self-aware and
conscious of how they
interact with others. ‘It’s
important to note that
emotional intelligence
can evolve over time, as
long as you have the desire
to increase it you can.
Every person, challenge
or situation faced is
a prime learning
opportunity to test your
EQ.Itjusttakespractise!’
<andRea
kelleRman
Educational
psychologist
B.A. H.Ed, B.A Hons, Psych,
M.Ed Psych, Dipl. Adv.
Hyp, Neurofeedback
Practitioner (ISNR and
BCIA), (PSO115207 and
SAMMF791953)
<Jenna diaS
Registered
counsellor
B.A. Psych, B.A Hons Psych.
Dip. H. R. Man. Professional
Registered Counsellor,
ISNR Registered
Neurofeedback Practitioner
(PRC0011800)For more information,
visit eq-advantedge.co.za,
call 031-266-8563
or email info3@
eq-advantedge.co.zaInside Info EssEntials