Tuesday 19 March 2013

Importance of Emotional Quotient in Career and Professional Development - Article by Farzad Minoo Damania in Parsi Times


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
Mob: 9833971773

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