Hi
Friends,
Check
out my article in Parsi Times Newspaper dated 16th March 2013, discussing the importance of Emotional Quotient (EQ) in Career and Professional
Development titled “Don’t Be So Dhuh!”.
Article
Title: Importance of Emotional Quotient in Career and Professional Development (Title - Don’t Be So Dhuh!)
Article
Date: 16th March, 2013
Article
on: Parsi Times Newspaper
Article
Author: Farzad Minoo Damania
You can read the entire transcript of the
article below:
So we have all heard of Intelligence Quotient and how
it is calculated and how it is important. It is time to refresh our image of
what is important while applying and holding down a job or business and apply
the concept of Emotional Quotient to the equation. PT. Writer Farzad M. Damania
kick starts the conversation.
Since many years, there have been exciting debates and
discussions on whether Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is the best measure of
student’s abilities; or should we also look at Emotional Quotient (EQ) while
making a career decision.
Before going into discussion of EQ versus IQ, let me
briefly talk about these two terms.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) attempts to measure one’s
cognitive capacity and functioning, such as ability to learn, recall, think,
reason and apply. IQ is the score derived from one of several standardized
tests that assess intelligence. IQ measures concepts like logical reasoning,
verbal reasoning, spatial ability, and math skills. People with high IQ may be
able to grasp and learn certain subjects very easily and often have great
academic success.
Emotional Quotient (EQ) also referred as Emotional
Intelligence (EI) is the ability to perceive, identify, understand, express and
control emotions of oneself and of others. Thus, EQ addresses the emotional,
social and personal dimensions of intelligence, which are play an important
role in daily functioning of an individual. People with high EQ can often
better identify and control their own emotions, and easily identify emotional situations
in others to adjust their behavior accordingly. It has been observed that
people with high EQ are self-confident, assertive, decisive, self-aware,
enthusiastic, patient, meticulous and consistent.
So, is IQ the deciding factor of one’s success?
Suppose you hire two employees in your company with identical IQ levels. Do you
think they will perform equally well when they are put in an environment of
stress or ambiguity? They might respond differently depending on their abilities
to cope with their environment. Hence,
EQ also plays a significant role in the way an individual reacts to situations;
and thus plays an important role in success or failure of an individual.
Research shows that IQ peaks around the age of 17, and
wanes during old age. On the other hand, EQ rises through the age of 40’s and
then tapers a bit. High levels of EQ are associated with strong social skills.
Students need to develop the EQ skills which are important in their maturation
process. If you do not work on your EQ skills, then you might be left in a
situation where you have the intelligence to functionally work on a given task,
but do not have the emotional skills to successfully work, thus limiting your
true potential.
It has been observed that students with very high IQ
and high grades in their school sometimes fail to succeed in their work
environment or in their relationships, due to lack of necessary EQ skills. So
can we work on our EQ skills or can EQ be improved? Yes we can definitely work
on them.
Here are few pointers that can help you.
Reduce Stress: You
should be able to recognize and spot your stress triggers. Identify your stress
response and discover methods to deal with them.
Understand Others: The
best way to understand other people’s feelings is to be observant and curious.
Do not make any judgments or jump to any conclusions. Put yourself in that
person’s shoes and try to understand the person’s feelings.
Be open-minded: A
narrow mind is generally an indicator of low EQ. Being open to ideas, opinions and thoughts of
others can help.
Know Thyself: Once
you know yourself, you can recognize your emotions and how they affect your
behavior and thought process. Being self-aware can help you handle yourself in
an efficient way.
Be a good communicator: You
need to work on your verbal as well as non-verbal communication. Often, what
you say is less important than how you say it. Also, non verbal communication in
form of gestures, posture, pitch, and eye contact matter in effective
communication.
Think Logically: Be
more analytical in your approach. Rational thinking can help tremendously in
improving your EQ. Before making a decision, make sure you have taken into
account all possibilities.
For overall development and success of an individual, both
the intelligences are important, inter-connected and inter-dependent.
For all your
career queries, reach out to me on farzad.damania@gmail.com or 9833971773.
Your feedback is
highly appreciated.
Best
Regards,
Farzad
Minoo Damania
Career
Counsellor & Corporate Trainer
Career
Nurturer
Email: farzad.damania@gmail.com
Mob: 9833971773
