Apparent in many aspects of human interaction is the notion of “survival of the fittest.” In business, government, science, and even personal relationships, the competition for that which is scarce drives humans to find an “edge” over their adversaries. A good indicator of success in the past has been the level of one’s intelligence. It was assumed that the relationship between one’s IQ and one’s success would be positively correlated. In other words, “smarter” individuals were bound to triumph over those less intelligent.
EQ or Emotional Quotient is a measure of your ability to notice and then manage your interior and exterior perceptions of your feelings and then control your reactions. Your mood will always control your ability to resolve problems making this an important skill to develop and use. Using a well-developed EQ will help you manage your emotions. And developing a higher EQ can be done quite easily.
Emotional Quotient (EQ) is a way to measure how a person recognizes emotions in him or her and others, and manages these emotional states to work better as a group or team. Emotional intelligence is measured using 5-major components.
- Self-awareness – the ability to know one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives, values and goals and recognize their impact on others while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
- Self-regulation – involves controlling or redirecting one’s disruptive emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
- Social skills – managing relationships to move people in the desired direction
- Empathy – considering other people’s feelings especially when making decisions and
- Motivation – being driven to achieve for the sake of achievement.
Two models of testing: Goleman model (see abow) and TEIQue.
IQ or Intelligence Quotient is a measure of intelligence. A way to rate this for any individual is by taking an IQ test. An IQ test measures different types of abilities: verbal, memory, mathematical, spatial, and reasoning. This test has a preset standard based on a representative group of the population. The majority of people rank in at about 90-110. Generally, IQ tests actually test general intelligence. Many experts feel IQ tests are a measure of an individual’s problem solving ability and not an actual measure of general intelligence.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is a value that indicates a person’s ability to learn, understand, and apply information and skills in a meaningful way. The major difference between EQ and IQ is what part of a person’s mental abilities they measure: understanding emotion or understanding information.
IQ tests are used as an indicator of logical reasoning ability and technical intelligence. A high IQ is often a prerequisite for rising to the top ranks of business today. It is necessary, but it is not adequate to predict executive competence and corporate success. By itself, a high IQ does not guarantee that you will stand out and rise above everyone else.
Well-known modern IQ tests include Raven’s Progressive Matrices, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Stanford-Binet, Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children.
Correlations between EQ and IQ
There is a great deal of disagreement about any potential link between these two quotients; it is not clear if one indicates or has an impact on the other. Emotional intelligence is often more difficult to measure than IQ, and the methods used are fairly different, so it’s not easy to compare them on equal terms. There are also many individuals with very high IQs who seem to be limited in terms of social skills and emotional recognition. Such examples suggest that they are different aspects of the human mind and should be considered separately.
How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence
The good news is that emotional intelligence CAN be taught and developed. Many books and tests are available to help you determine your current EI, and identify where you may need to do some work. You can also use these tips:
- Observe how you react to people. Do you rush to judgment before you know all of the facts? Do you stereotype? Look honestly at how you think and interact with other people. Try to put yourself in their place, and be more open and accepting of their perspectives and needs.
- Look at your work environment. Do you seek attention for your accomplishments? Humility can be a wonderful quality, and it doesn’t mean that you’re shy or lack self-confidence. When you practice humility, you say that you know what you did, and you can be quietly confident about it. Give others a chance to shine – put the focus on them, and don’t worry too much about getting praise for yourself.
- Do a self-evaluation. What are your weaknesses? Are you willing to accept that you’re not perfect and that you could work on some areas to make yourself a better person? Have the courage to look at yourself honestly – it can change your life.
- Examine how you react to stressful situations. Do you become upset every time there’s a delay or something doesn’t happen the way you want? Do you blame others or become angry at them, even when it’s not their fault? The ability to stay calm and in control in difficult situations is highly valued – in the business world and outside it. Keep your emotions under control when things go wrong.
- Take responsibility for your actions. If you hurt someone’s feelings, apologize directly – don’t ignore what you did or avoid the person. People are usually more willing to forgive and forget if you make an honest attempt to make things right.
- Examine how your actions will affect others – before you take those actions. If your decision will impact others, put yourself in their place. How will they feel if you do this? Would you want that experience? If you must take the action, how can you help others deal with the effects?