Understanding Emotional Intelligence

What Is Emotional Intelligence? The ability to identify, use, understand, and manage moods, feelings, and attitudes Paying attention to emotions allows you to use your feelings to enhance emotion Consists of two general abilities: Understanding emotions and predicting how others might feel Managing emotions

Your Turn Do you know anybody (including yourself) who is “book smart” but not very good with people? Do you know anyone who has serious problems managing time? What kinds of challenges do these people face? How would improving emotional awareness help?

Assessing Your Emotional Intelligence

Your Turn After completing the EI questionnaire, are there any areas that you would like to work on? If so, why do you identify these as areas for improvement? Give specifics. What could you do to improve in these areas?

Identifying Competencies Bar-On Model of Emotional Intelligence Intrapersonal skills How well you know and like yourself Interpersonal skills Forging relationships and getting along with other people Adaptability Ability to adjust your thinking and behavior when faced with new or unexpected situations Stress management General mood and effective performance Bar-On emphasizes the importance of optimism and happiness

Your Turn On the basis of what you have learned so far about EI and the competencies that are involved, choose three competencies you lack or need to improve. How can you improve in those areas?

How Emotions Affect Success Emotions are strongly tied to physical and psychological well being Strong EI links to college success: Emotionally intelligent students get higher grades Students who can’t manage emotions struggle academically Students who delay gratification tend to do better overall EI skills can be enhanced in a first year seminar

Your Turn Describe yourself as a successful person ten years after college. What kinds of skills will you have? Don’t just focus on your degree or job description; include the EI competencies that help explain why you have become successful.

How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence Developing EI is important toward getting the full benefit of college Some suggestions to improve Identify your strengths and weaknesses Set realistic goals Formulate a plan Check your progress on a regular basis

Your Turn Select an EI competency that you would like to improve. Choose a specific goal and formulate a plan for accomplishing it. What kinds of results do you hope to achieve? How will improving your EI in this area help you become a happier, more confident person?

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