While general mental ability (IQ) is an important component in predicting performance, it is only ONE
element in an often complicated formula. Over the last 10 years, there has been an increasing focus on
Emotional Intelligence / Emotional Quotient (EI / EQ) in concert with general mental ability in assessing and
predicting job performance. EI is defined as a personality trait or willingness to perceive, understand,
regulate, and express emotions within the self as well as others. There are 6 core areas of emotional
intelligence we measure in predicting performance:
• Recognition of Emotion in the Self – being in touch with one’s own feelings and describing them
in words
• Regulation of Emotion in the Self – being able to control one’s own emotions, particularly in
challenging scenarios
• Recognition of Emotion in Others – being in touch with others’ nonverbal cues
• Regulation of Emotion in Others – being able to manage others’ emotional states
• Nonverbal Emotional Expression – communicating one’s feelings to others through nonverbal
expression
• Empathy – understanding others’ emotions by relating them to one’s own experience
While many don’t ascribe a title to it, we’ve all worked with people that have a “low” EI. It seems as if they
just don’t “get it” and have trouble seeing relatively obvious signs of irritation, dissatisfaction, resentment, or
have difficulty in keeping their emotions under control. Even with a superior IQ, one’s lack of EI often leads
to alienation with co-workers, customers, vendors, and maladaptive behaviors.
With four generations in the workplace, multi cultural environments, global markets, and the increasing
requirement to be adaptable, it is no secret why the focus on EI has come center stage.
The challenge with EI, IQ, and other predictive performance measures is how they are weighted respective to
the company’s environment, role and job responsibilities. Jobs in the “hard sciences” may require a heavier
weighting on IQ while jobs in general management, human resources, and operations may require a higher
weighting on EQ. External factors also play a critical role in determining how you might weight the
importance of IQ, EI, or other measures. These external factors may include: the maturity of the
business/industry, corporate culture, market pressures, or business life cycle.
As with IQ, most individuals are born with a general emotional intelligence, however, we believe that most
of the EI constructs are learned capabilities. The way in which we were brought up, schooling, peer
influences, chosen field of study, work experiences, etc. all play a role in the development of EI. We believe
that anyone can improve their EI, within reasonable parameters, to become more adaptable in dealing with
the realities of today’s quickly changing landscape. For more information on objectively assessing EQ you
can email shart@flvcp.com .
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