Defining Emotional Intelligence (EI)

What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence (EI) is a learned ability to think constructively and behave wisely.

What is an emotionally intelligent organization?
Emotionally intelligent organizations build healthy people and create work environments that foster cooperation, effective relationships, and increased levels of productivity.

How do you teach people emotional intelligence?
You teach emotional intelligence in a helping relationship that encourages each person to explore, identify, understand, learn, and apply emotional intelligence skills daily.

What are the most important emotional intelligence skills in an organizational setting?
Our research has identified the most important emotional intelligence skills as being:

  1. Assertion
    Direct, honest, and clear communication,
  2. Empathy
    The ability to accept differences in others, and understand things from the other person's point of view,
  3. Decision Making
    Solving problems collaboratively, quickly, and effectively,
  4. Time Management
    Learning self-management skills to get things done on time,
  5. Commitment Ethic
    Being responsible and staying with it until it is successfully completed,
  6. Self Esteem
    Feeling positive about yourself and your ability to succeed, and
  7. Stress Management
    Learning how to manage and constructively express strong emotions.

In addition, reducing the effects of problematic behaviors of aggression, deference, and change are positive outcomes of EITRI training.

Can you teach these skills in a class?
You can begin to help people learn about emotional intelligence in a class, and you do it best by building a relationship that helps the person learn and apply these skills in a personally meaningful way. We call this process coaching.

If we do this, how will I know it works?
You will see improvement at the bottom line in terms of increased productivity, better morale, improved service, and healthier people. We can measure this improvement so you can see your return of investment.