"...success at work is 80% dependent on emotional intelligence and only 20% dependent on IQ, " HR magazine, November 1997.  Is Emotional Intelligence really more important than traditional IQ?

1.  In 1995 Time Magazine ran an article about Daniel Goleman’s book 'Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ'.  This catapulted the term Emotional Intelligence into the limelight and probably boosted the book’s sales figures.  Then, in 1998, Goleman’s second book 'Working With Emotional Intelligence' attracted the attention of the business world.  But what exactly is emotional intelligence?  And – perhaps more importantly - can it be measured?

2.  Emotional Intelligence (EQ) implies first being aware of emotions and then having the skills to see how these emotions can interact with traditional intelligence (IQ).  In order to function well, a person needs to have both IQ and EQ.  An academic paper written in 1993 by Mayer and Salovey suggests that an emotionally intelligent person is skilled in four areas:

• Identifying emotions
• Using emotions
• Understanding emotions
• Regulating emotions

3.  According to Goleman, people possessing a high level of emotional intelligence will show personal competence and social competence.  If we transfer these skills to the workplace, the benefits are obvious.  Workers possessing personal competence are aware of their own preferences and intuitions.  They regulate their impulses and have facilities to enable them to reach their goals.  If these same workers also possess social competence, then they are naturally more empathetic.  They are aware of the feelings of their fellow workers and understand their concerns.  Furthermore, their social skills allow them to induce desired responses in others.

4.  To date there have been very few studies published on the theories surrounding EQ so it is difficult to measure its importance in the workplace.  Another drawback has been highlighted by Goleman himself.  There is no reliable instrument which can measure emotional intelligence.

5.  Research, however, is growing in this direction.  The Hay Group is working on a way to measure emotional intelligence in terms of personal development.  Mayer and Salovney have published an EQ test which they claim can be effectively used in employee selection processes and the Emotional Intelligence Consortium has been set up to address some of the issues surrounding EQ.

6.  Whatever the future holds for emotional intelligence, the concept is undoubtedly a useful one for those of us interested in the role that our emotions play both on a personal level and at work.