Mental health articles

what is emotional intelligence and examples Emotional intelligence refers to an assortment of noncognitive skills, abilities, and competencies that affect an individual’s ability to cope with environmental demands and pressures (Goleman, 1995; Robbins, 2001; Salovey & Mayer, 1990). It consists of five dimensions: • Self-awareness: exhibited by self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, and a selfdeprecating sense of humor. • Self-management: exhibited by trustworthiness and integrity, comfort with ambiguity, and openness to change. • Self-motivation: exhibited by a strong drive to achieve, optimism, and high organizational commitment. • Empathy: exhibited by expertise in building and retaining talent, cross-cultural sensitivity, and service to clients and customers. • Social skills: exhibited by the ability to lead change efforts, persuasiveness, and expertise in building and leading teams. (Robbins, 2001, pp. 332–333) Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of how an individual handles emotions (Cherniss & Goleman, 2001). Mental health professionals are uniquely qualified to assist in assessing emotional intelligence and in intervening to increase the emotional intelligence of members throughout an organization. The consultant
must remember, however, to do this in the context of the workplace and be
careful not to engage in psychotherapy. The emphasis should be on increasing an individual’s
skills and comfort with the preceding five areas, and in helping organizations
structure their policies and procedures in a manner that is conducive to
emotional health.
The Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i; Bar-On, 2002) is a popular instrument
for assessing emotional intelligence. Similar to an IQ test, the EQ-i gives
standard scores (mean = 100, standard deviation = 15) for a total Emotional Quotient (EQ), five composite scales, and 15 content subscales.
Consultants can look at an individual’s EQ scores to add incremental data to how an
individual will perform in certain situations. For example, an applicant with a very low Stress Management EQ may not be the best choice for the position of general manager in a fast-paced organization.

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