Since the appearance in 1995 of the well-known best-seller "EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE" by Daniel Goleman, this concept has enjoyed the general favor of various written media, most of them scientific. The fundamental idea of the book is that it conceives Emotional Intelligence (EI) as the key factor for a successful adaptation in the different contingencies of life and that EI "is ultimately a set of meta-abilities that can be learned"
"… EI is a meta ability that lies latent in the subject, therefore it is not something directly observable unless the answer occurs, or not, when a certain situation arrives"
The idea of the EI had precursors that with their contributions allowed to elaborate a very current concept; among them, Thornike (1920), who defined it as "the ability to understand and direct men and women, girls and boys, and to act wisely in human relations"
In 1983 Gardnes, H. Publishes FRAMS OF MIND: THE THEORY OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES; in the text he reformulates the concept of intelligence and elaborates that of Multiple Intelligence, with which he introduces the idea of two types of intelligences referring to the social and emotional competence of individuals: Interpersonal Intelligence and Intrapersonal Intelligence and defines them as follows shape:
Interpersonal Intelligence: "Interpersonal Intelligence is built on the basis of a nuclear capacity to feel distinctions among others: in particular, contrasts in their moods, temperament, motivations and intentions: In more advanced ways, this intelligence enables a skilled adult read the intentions and wishes of others; although they have been hidden… ”
Intrapersonal Intelligence: It is “the knowledge of the internal aspects of a person: access to one's emotional life, to one's own range of feelings, the ability to discriminate between emotions and finally give them a name and resort to them as a means to interpret and guide their own behavior ”.
These ideas are taken up by Goleman (1996) and elaborates the thesis that Interpersonal Intelligence is "the ability to discern and respond appropriately to the moods, temperaments, motivations and desires of other people" and considers that Intrapersonal Intelligence is "The ability to establish contact with one's feelings, discern between them and take advantage of this knowledge to guide our behavior"
At the same time, some scholars begin to question the term intelligence quotient (IQ) used to assess a person's intelligence based on academic degrees, ability within a specific science, general cultural training; indicator that is responsible for only 20% of true intelligence, the ability to function successfully; the preponderance of measuring the IQ did not allow giving answers to questions related to the problem of why some people with a high IQ are outdone by others with a lower IQ, other things being equal and in conflict situations; For this reason, an essential aspect of human beings was left aside: emotions, skills that allow us to "know and manage our own feelings, interpret or confront the feelings of others,feel satisfied and be effective in life while creating mental habits that promote our own productivity
Undoubtedly these premises lead to the theoretical elaboration of what comes to be defined as IE, whose multiplicity of concepts does not mean a differentiation of ideas; They all have common elements.
Psychologists Saloverey and Mayer, (1990) from Harvard and New Hampshire universities respectively; They define it as “a type of social intelligence that includes the ability to monitor and understand one's own emotions and those of others, discriminate between them, and use information to guide one's thoughts and actions. A subset of social intelligence that includes the ability to control one's feelings and emotions; as well as those of others, to discern this information among themselves to guide our thinking and our actions ”.
Other authors use the concept to refer to that human dimension; but the one who developed it the most was the journalist and writer Daniel Goleman in whose text EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (1995) he writes: “I use the term emotion to refer to a characteristic feeling and thoughts, to psychological and biological states and to a variety of tendencies to act. There are hundreds of emotions, along with their combinations, variables, mutations, and nuances. Indeed, there are more subtleties in emotion than we can name. "
Later, Goleman points out in a new book, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS (1998): "The term Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to recognize our own feelings and those of others, motivate us and manage emotions well, in ourselves and in our relationships ”
Taking into account the previous considerations, we could say that EI is an ability that the individual has or can develop to create positive results in his relationships with himself and with others; It is related to the way in which we identify, use, understand and manage our emotions, so that "it represents a highly significant leap in the areas of understanding human behavior…"
It can be added that "EI is about feeling, understanding, controlling and modifying one's own and other's moods"
It is a concept related to the differentiation of responses that individuals can offer in certain situations; it is “a skill that allows us to know and manage our own feelings, interpret or confront the feelings of others; feel satisfied and be effective in life, while creating mental habits that promote our own productivity "
Meta-abilities, as Saloverey and Mayer (1990) call them, can be categorized into five competences, dimensions or attitudes that will be decisive in our relationship with others and with ourselves; and on which individual attitudes can be identified.
The dimensions that emerge from EI are five and are classified into two areas:
INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE: (Internal, self-recognition).
It is the capacity of the individual to be able to understand and identify their emotions, in addition to knowing how they subjectively move around their emotions. The following dimensions correspond to it:
- Self-awareness: Ability to recognize what is happening in our body and what we are doing. It involves recognizing our own states of mind.
The emotional skills that depend on self-awareness are:
- Emotional awareness: Identify your own emotions and the effects they may have. Correct self-assessment: Know your own strengths and limitations. Self-confidence: Strong sense of self worth and ability.
- Self-regulation: Refers to managing your own moods, impulses and resources, knowing how to recover from emotional tensions and controlling our feelings and adapting them to circumstances.
It is made up of five emotional attitudes:
- Self- control: Keep harmful tensions and emotions under control. Reliability: Maintain standards of honesty and integrity. Scrupulosity: Accept responsibility for individual performance. Adaptability: Flexibility to react to changes. Innovation: Openness and willingness to innovative ideas and approaches.
- Motivation: Referred to the emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate the fulfillment of the established goals. Motivation is made up of four emotional attitudes:
- Eagerness for success: Interest oriented to improve or respond to a standard of excellence. Commitment: Align with the objectives of a group or organization. Initiative: Willingness to react and take advantage of opportunities. Optimism: Persistence to meet goals; despite barriers and setbacks that may arise.
INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE. (External, relationship):
It refers to the ability of the individual to understand the emotions of other people and act accordingly. It is in correspondence with the following emotions:
- Empathy: It is the ability to be aware of and capture the feelings, needs and interests of others and from their perspective; knowing what they want or what they need and cultivating affinity with a wide diversity of people.
In empathy, five emotional attitudes stand out:
- Understand others: Perceive the feelings and perspectives of others and take an interest in their concerns. Help others to develop: Realize the possibilities of development of others, reinforce their skills and stimulate their capacity. Service orientation: To anticipate, recognize and satisfy the needs of others. Take advantage of diversity: Develop opportunities through diverse people. Political awareness: Interpret the social, political and emotional currents of the group and the power of the relationships between its members.
- Social skills: Involves expertise to induce desired responses in others.
It comprises eight emotional capacities:
- Influence: Devise effective persuasion tactics. Communication: Practice good listening and create convincing messages. Conflict management: Know how to negotiate and resolve disagreements that arise within a group. Leadership: Ability to inspire and guide individuals or groups. Change catalyst: Initiating or managing new situations. Establish links: Nurture and reinforce interpersonal relationships. Collaboration and cooperation: Work with others to achieve shared goals. Team skills: Being able to create synergy for the persuasion of collective goals.
Rio (2003) summarizes the idea of dimensions in the following way:
- SELF-KNOWLEDGE:
People with emotional awareness are:
- Those who know what emotions they experience and why. Those who perceive links between their feelings and what they think, do and say. Those who recognize what effect these feelings have on their performance. Those who know and are guided by their values and goals..
People with accurate self-assessment are:
- Those who know their strengths and weaknesses. Reflective people who learn from experience. Those who are open to sincere and well-intentioned criticism, new perspectives, constant learning and self-development. Those who are able to show a sense of humor and perspective about themselves.
People with self-confidence are:
- The ones that are sure of themselves; Those who can express opinions that arouse rejection and take risks for what they consider correct have. Those who are determined; that they can make firm decisions despite uncertainties and pressures.
- SELF-REGULATION:
People who have self-control:
- They are the ones who handle impulsive feelings and disturbing emotions well. The ones who stay composed, positive and unflappable even in difficult times. The ones who think clearly and do not lose concentration when put under pressure.
People with reliability:
- They act ethically and are above all reproach. They inspire confidence by being trustworthy and authentic. They admit their own mistakes and confront others with their unethical acts. They defend positions that respond to their principles, even if they are not accepted.
Scrupulous people:
- They follow through on commitments and promises; they take responsibility for meeting goals; they are organized and careful at work.
People with adaptability:
- They handle themselves with ease in the face of multiple demands, changing priorities, or rapid changes. They adapt their reactions and tactics to changing circumstances. They are flexible in their view of the facts.
Innovative people:
- They seek new ideas from many different sources, they find original solutions to problems, they generate new ideas, they adopt novel perspectives and they take risks.
- MOTIVATION:
People with a desire to succeed are:
- Those who are results-oriented, eager to achieve objectives or requirements. Set difficult goals and accept calculated risks. They seek information to reduce uncertainty and find ways to perform better. They learn to improve their performance.
People with commitment are:
- Those who are willing to make sacrifices to achieve a general objective. They find a sense of being useful in the general mission. They use the group's core values to make decisions and clarify their alternatives. They actively seek opportunities to fulfill the group's mission.
People with initiative:
- They are willing to seize any opportunity. They go after the goal beyond what is required or expected of them. They dispense with the bureaucracy and enforce the rules when necessary to do the job. They mobilize others through entrepreneurship and unusual efforts..
People with optimism:
- They persist in going after the goal despite obstacles and setbacks. They do not operate out of fear of failure, but out of hope of success. They consider that setbacks are due to circumstances. They are manageable rather than making personal failures.
- EMPATHY:
The people who understand the others are:
- Those who are attentive to emotional clues and know how to listen. Those who show sensitivity to and understand others' points of view. Those who provide help based on understanding the needs and feelings of others.
People who help others develop:
- They recognize and reward virtues, achievements, and progress. They offer constructive criticism and identify the points the other needs to improve. They advise, provide timely advice, and assign tasks that strengthen and encourage the skills of the other.
Service-oriented people are:
- Those who understand the needs of customers and match them to services or products suitable to them. They look for ways to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. They offer good assistance. They understand the customer's point of view and act as trusted advisers.
People who take advantage of diversity are:
- Those who respect people of diverse backgrounds and get along with everyone. Understand diverse views and are sensitive to group differences. They see in diversity an opportunity to create an environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. to prejudice and intolerance.
People with a political conscience:
- They know how to accurately read key power relationships. They detect crucial networks. They understand the forces that shape the visions and actions of customers or competitors. They accurately read the external reality and the reality of the organization.
- SOCIAL SKILLS:
People with influence:
- They are adept at convincing people. They tailor their presentations to please listeners. They use complex strategies, such as indirect influence, to achieve consensus and support. They resort to dramatic performances to clearly establish their point of view.
People with communication:
- They are effective in sharing, recording emotional clues to fine-tune their message. They deal directly with difficult issues. They can listen, seek mutual understanding, and willingly share information. They foster open communication and are just as receptive to bad news as they are good.
People who handle conflict:
- They handle tense situations and difficult people with diplomacy and tact. They detect potential conflicts, expose disagreements and help reduce them. They encourage debate and frank discussion. They orchestrate solutions that benefit everyone.
People with leadership:
- They articulate and spark enthusiasm for a shared vision and mission. They lead the way when necessary, whatever their position. They guide the performance of others, making them take responsibility. They lead by example.
The catalysts of change are:
- Those who recognize the need to effect change and remove obstacles; Those who challenge the status quo to recognize the need for change; They are champions of change and recruit others to effect change; They serve as role models for the change expected of others.
The people who create ties are:
- Those who cultivate and maintain extensive informal work networks. Those who seek relationships that benefit all parties involved. Those who build affective bonds and stay connected with others. Those who make and maintain personal friendships among co-workers.
People with collaboration and cooperation:
- They balance the accent placed on the task with the attention they give to personal relationships. Collaborate, sharing plans, information and resources. They promote a friendly and cooperative climate. They discover and nurture opportunities to collaborate.
People with team abilities:
- They are a model of team qualities: respect, collaboration and willingness to help. They drive all members towards active and enthusiastic participation. They strengthen team identity, esprit de corps and commitment. They protect the group and its reputation; they share the merits.
As can be deduced, EI is a psychological construct that is presented as an abstract theoretical variable that can explain phenomena of scientific interest that are not directly measurable; since these are observed differences in emotional competence between different subjects; Whose knowledge offers the possibility of knowing your emotional psychic system in a concrete, precise and simple way, while understanding your emotional behavior and that of the people around you.
The development of the aforementioned skills places EI in an updated and novel position with very specific applications, from the education of children, the world of the couple, to the level of business and social organizations.
At the organization level, EI provides important tools for the individual to function in a competitive, changing, demanding and globalized world. The fastest and highest individuals in their professional careers are those with the highest IE coefficient.
In modern times, the new way of doing business and competing; EI is of crucial importance; since the environment requires changes in management style; therefore, individuals must develop new attitudes to adapt and stand out as the fittest, the one who gathers technical skills and emotional intelligence. "Emotions determine (…) the level of performance that we are capable of in a state of emotional equilibrium or imbalance, as well as what types of relationships we will maintain with our subordinates (leadership), with our superiors (adaptability) or with our peers (work team up). Emotions determine how we respond, communicate, behave and function at work and / or in the company ”
The approach based on the traditional conception of intelligence shows its limitations; it neglects the importance of emotions, a fundamental component of the concept of intelligence; since it is closely related to the interpersonal management capacity, of social skills; everything related to the emotional aspect; through which we can get to know how to conduct social, family or work relationships, having a self-knowledge of our own emotions and using them to understand relationships with other people and with their environment and are consistent with the context of the situation, while continuing to recognize the emotions of others through empathy.
Keeping in mind the information that emotions provide us, allows us to modify our behaviors and thoughts in order to transform situations; this is of relevant importance in the workplace: “The key is to use emotions intelligently, which is precisely what we mean by emotional intelligence: deliberately make our emotions work for their own benefit, so that they help us control our behavior and our thoughts to obtain better results ”
Thus, the efficiency of emotions as a method of communication can be verified. Being clear about these particularities will allow us to explain and influence situations that may arise in organizations that lead to changes in the level of productivity and behavioral projection.
Bolívar (2001) asserts: “… the key to the success of the development of emotional intelligence in the company lies in personal development itself, in the effort of each of the subjects involved, at their own pace and from introspection, taking of conscience and the will for change and continuous improvement of each one of them. Because in order to develop emotional intelligence in the company, everyone (and especially senior management) must develop their own. "
Having knowledge of the importance of EI management is important because:
- It contributes to the strengthening of the organizational culture It helps to resolve conflicts to the extent that it allows:
- Handle tense situations and difficult people with diplomacy and tact. Detect potential conflicts, expose disagreements and help reduce them. Stimulate debate and frank discussion.
- Attenuates resistance to change Increases motivation Encourages real teamwork in order to design and develop common goals Develops empathy Improves work environment Strengthens leadership
Bearing in mind the increasing importance of EI development in organizations; It is necessary to stimulate it through training and the development of individuals through the following lines:
| § Evaluate work: Training should focus on the skills and attitudes that are most needed to excel in a given job or job. |
| § Evaluate the individual: A profile of the individual's strengths and weaknesses should be used in order to identify what needs to be improved. |
| § Communicate evaluations wisely: Information about a person's strengths and weaknesses carries an emotional charge. |
| § Measure disposition: Not all people are in the same degree of disposition. |
| § Motivate: People learn to the extent that they are motivated; for example, if you understand that a skill and attitude is important to doing your job well, and if you make that skill a personal goal of change. |
| § Make each person direct their change: When a person directs his learning program, adjusting it to his needs, circumstances and motivation, learning is more effective. |
| § Focus on clear and achievable goals: People need to know clearly what fitness and attitude is and what steps are necessary to improve it. |
| § Avoid relapse: Habits change slowly; relapses and slips do not have to be a sign of defeat. |
| § Provide constructive criticism of performance: Constant positive criticism encourages change and helps lead it. |
| § Encourage practice: lasting change requires constant practice, on and off the job. |
| § Seek support: Other like-minded people who are trying similar changes can offer crucial ongoing support. |
| § Providing role models: A highly efficient, high-charge person who is the epitome of fitness and attitude can be a role model in inspiring change. |
| § Encouragement: Change will be greater if the organization's environment supports change, values aptitude and attitude, and offers a safe atmosphere for experimentation. |
| § Underpinning change: People need recognition, to feel that their forces to change are important. |
| § Evaluate: Establish systems to evaluate development, to see if it has lasting effects. |
Source: Adapted from: Ríos, 2003
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES:
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TITLE: WHAT DO WE UNDERSTAND BY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ?.
AUTHOR: Lic. Julio A. Cabrera Rodríguez
Prof. Assistant. Management Techniques Group
Agrarian University of Havana [email protected]
- Sotillo, R. 2000. When psychological constructs escape from the scientific method: The case of emotional intelligence and its implications in validation and evaluation. www.capitalemocional.com. Excerpted March 27, 2003. Sotillo, R. 2000. When psychological constructs escape the scientific method: The case of emotional intelligence and its implications in validation and evaluation. www.capitalemocional.com. Retrieved March 27, 2003. Thornike, E. 1920. Intelligence and its uses. Quoted by Harper's Magazine (EU) 140, pp: 227-235 Gardner, H. 1983. Frames of mind: the theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York, Basic, BOOKS, pp: 40-42 Gardner, H. 1983. Frames of mind: the theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York, Basic, BOOKS, pp: 40-42 Goleman, H. 1998. Emotional Intelligence in the company. www.inteligenciaemocional.com.Excerpted on March 28, 2003 Díaz, E. And col. 2003. Emotional Intelligence in the organization. www.inteligenciaemocional.com. Retrieved March 28, 2003 Salovery, P. Y Mayer, JD 1990. The Intelligence. Intelligence (EU), 17, 433-442 Goleman, D. 1996. Emotional Intelligence. Barcelona, Kairós, p: 74 Goleman, H. 1998. Emotional Intelligence in the company. www.inteligenciaemocional.com. Excerpted on March 28, 2003 Pascal, B. 2003. Emotional Intelligence. www.inteligenciaemocional.com. Excerpted March 28, 2003 Cortese, A. 2003 What is emotional intelligence? www. sht.com.ar. Excerpted on March 28, 2003 Cortese, A. 2003. Emotional Intelligence in the company. www.sht.com.ar. Excerpted on March 28, 2003-04-07 Cortese, A. 2003. Emotional Intelligence in the company. www.sht.com.ar.Excerpted on March 28, 2003-04-07 Cortese, A. 2003. What is emotional intelligence? www.Inteligencia_emocional.org. Extracted March 28, 2003 Bolívar, C. 2001. How to develop emotional intelligence in the company. IE workshops. www.arearh.com. Retrieved on March 28, 2003
