APPENDIX I
Questions and Answers
| Q: | What is emotional intelligence? |
| A: | Emotional intelligence refers to an array of attributes and tools that enable us to deal with the pressures and demands of our environment. EI has been referred to as common sense or advanced common sense. Street smarts is another term that has been used in conjunction with EI. |
| Q: | Why should I learn more about emotional intelligence? |
| A: | The short, simple answer is to be more successful and fulfilled in your life. A great deal of testing in the workplace has shown that from 27 to 45 percent of success on the job is determined by our EI. Other results have shown that people who scored higher on EI tests reported higher satisfaction in their relationships with their partners. Since we use our emotions in all areas of our lives, it makes sense that increasing our capabilities in one area will positively impact all the others. |
| Q: | How do I find out how much emotional intelligence I have? |
| A: | The obvious and best way is to take the BarOn EQ-i assessment. However, if you don't wish to go this route, there are other ways. My experience with administering this instrument tells me that most people with a good sense of self-awareness have a fairly good idea of where their strengths and weaknesses are. Be aware of your reactions to the different chapters in the book. This will give you a good indication of your strengths and areas for growth. Ask an aware person who knows you well and will be honest in giving you feedback. |
| Q: | What if I find out that I have low emotional intelligence; won't that be difficult to accept? |
| A: | This fear is a common one and understandable. It is natural to want to score high in all areas. It is important if experiencing this fear to remember a few important things:
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| Q: | How long will it take me to increase my EI? |
| A: | This is a very difficult question to answer. It all depends on where you are now and how much time, effort, and perseverance you put into your improvement plan. Some theorists claim that it takes at least a year of continuous repetitive effort to change a behavior. Again, it depends on the individual and situation. |
| Q: | What do I need to do to increase my EI? |
| A: | You cannot increase your EI through reading about it. The reading is only for gathering information and increasing knowledge. To improve your EI, you need to practice new approaches with others consistently over a long period of time. There are techniques at the end of every chapter for increasing the particular attribute talked about in the chapter.
Improvements in many areas of EI will raise other areas, as many of the attributes are interconnected. For example, if your self-regard increases, other areas such as independence and stress tolerance will likely go up as well. Likewise, seeing positive changes in any of the areas is likely to give your self-regard a boost. |
| Q: | What is the relationship between IQ and EI? |
| A: | Research shows no correlation between the two. In other words, one cannot predict the other. Your chance of having high EI along with high IQ is just as great as your chance of having low EI with high IQ.
Of the research that has been done in the workplace, the average correlation between IQ and success is around 6 percent. The correlation between EI and success in the workplace is between 27 and 45 percent, depending on the industry. In other words, EI is a much greater predictor of success than IQ. |
| Q: | Is EI inherited or is it learned? |
| A: | There is no doubt that we are each born with different innate qualities. In addition, our environment—such as the modeling and teaching of our parents and encouragement we received growing up—contributes to our EI. However, we do know that everyone can improve their EI through effort, so that regardless of what you were born with you can increase it if you desire. |
| Q: | Does this mean if my EI is at a higher level, I don't need to have a high IQ? |
| A: | There are many people who are very successful who would not score extremely high on an IQ test. The ideal, of course, would be to have both a high IQ and EI. Having a high EI will allow you to take advantage of a high IQ. In many cases, having poor EI will result in any advantage from a high IQ being squandered. I'm sure you know of some genius who is not getting the most out of life due to lacking in some form of people skills. |
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