Emotional Intelligence has become vital to the business world. With research continuing to prove the importance of EQ, and it’s greater earning potential compared to IQ, many companies have chosen to train or screen for emotionally intelligent employees.
But the mismatch occurs when we assume an employee has a high EQ because they are nice. EQ is more than just being a nice person, and although everyone should strive to be kind to others, a polite person shouldn’t be mistaken for someone with high emotional intelligence, as it goes much further than that.
So What Does it Mean To Be Emotionally Intelligent?
There are two major categories that breakdown EQ into measurable and influential qualities. There is Emotional Intelligence (obviously), and then there is Behavioral Intelligence. These two components combined is what comprises a truly, holistically emotionally intelligent person. Measuring emotional intelligence alone leaves out the behavioral aspects of what ultimately drives success.
Think of it this way, a person can have an incredibly high IQ, in fact, a person could be the most intelligent person in the whole world, but if we solely measure their intelligence quotient by their brain power, and not what their actions are, we don’t get the full picture. IQ means nothing without the behavior which drives an individual to utilize their IQ. They could use up all of their intelligence sitting at home playing video games, in a crumb-infested couch and never accomplish anything. The people who are recognized for their high intelligence quotient are those who utilize their IQ to achieve greatness. Think Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, or Bill Gates. Yet, there are many other people who are on the highest IQ lists that weren’t known for their intelligence. This is because your IQ means nothing without actions and utility.
The same is true for EQ. From an organizational or business perspective, simply hiring the polite person doesn’t mean they are going to be able to utilize their “niceness” into actions like influencing and motivating. This is why TRACOM’s EQ assessments measure both emotional intelligence and also behavioral intelligence.
What is the Difference Between Emotional Intelligence and Behavioral Intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to perceive and understand one’s own emotions and the emotions of others through gaining insight into oneself. A few components that make up emotional intelligence include:
- Emotion Awareness – awareness of one’s own emotions and their impact on outward behavior
- Self-insight – the accuracy of one’s awareness of personal strengths and limitations. Includes openness to feedback and self-development
- Emotion Perception – the ability to perceive and understand emotions others are expressing
Behavioral intelligence on the other hand is the ability to recognize the impact that emotions have on one’s own behavior and the behavior of others and use this awareness to manage and influence personal behavior and relationships. A few components that comprise behavioral intelligence include:
- Self-control – the ability to control emotions and impulsive urges. It is an indicator of ability to stay composed and focused
- Stress Management – the ability to withstand pressure and regulate reactions to stress
- Motivating Others – the ability to motivate and guide others toward a vision or goal
To view the other components of the Behavioral EQ Model click here.
Through extensive research over many years, TRACOM has taken the most practical and useful elements of what we know as EQ and combined them in to the Behavioral EQ Model. TRACOM uses various components in the model to measure different qualities of Behavioral and Emotional Intelligence. This is because we can be strong and weak in different areas of Behavioral EQ.
While one might measure particularly high in listening and building relationships, one might fall short in conscientiousness and stress-management. The model breaks down “EQ” into various core competencies and measures us, allowing us to learn the areas of “EQ” where we fall short.
Being Nice Just Isn’t Enough
Assuming an employee is ready to tackle a high-profile account or work with a treasured client because they appear to be nice could be a mistake. By developing our employees Behavioral EQ and giving them a full understanding of what areas they are strong and what they are lacking, they can leverage their strengths, and be aware of their areas of needed development.
