Emotional Competence: How Do You Rate?

 

By Richard G. Ensman, Jr

 

What’s more important than organizational skills in the workplace? According to some experts, the ability to manage your emotions and relationships

 

Talk about success in the workplace usually focuses on technical and organizational skills. But recently, another important ingredient has emerged: emotional competence.

 

This cluster of skills includes self-awareness, the management of emotions and relationships, and the ability to help others develop their skills. Many organizational experts say that emotional competence may be far more important to business success than any other factor.

 

Rate yourself

 

To find out how you rate on emotional competence, complete the following emotional quotient (EQ) survey.

 

Using the scale to the right, rate yourself on how often you exhibit the stated characteristics, putting the corresponding number in each blank to the left.

 

_____ 1. I foster a spirit of teamwork among the people around me.

_____ 2. I show empathy to others, especially when they come to me with problems.

_____ 3. I am aware of my personality traits and emotional tendencies that can affect my relationships with coworkers.

_____ 4. I can adapt quickly to new circumstances.

_____ 5. I regularly offer help and service to colleagues and subordinates.

_____ 6. Although I may feel anger on occasion, I have control over my impulses and emotions.

_____ 7. I communicate information and ideas thoroughly.

_____ 8. I understand what motivates my colleagues and subordinates, and I appeal to those motivators when I wish to influence these individuals.

_____ 9. During difficult situations, I encourage others to express their feelings and concerns.

_____ 10. I welcome questions from the people around me, and respond fully and competently.

_____ 11. I am willing to take the initiative on important projects.

_____ 12. I am quick to foster compromise and consensus when my work group is faced with disagreements.

_____ 13. I am sensitive to others’ fear of change, and I help others accept—and embrace—change in the workplace.

_____ 14. I maintain a sense of humility in my dealings with others.

 

What’s your score?

 

Tally your score, then read the explanation (see sidebar) to find out how you rate. Identify traits you can improve and resolve to build your competency in these areas. Increased attention to these skills will bring you, and the people around you, untold benefits in the years ahead.

 

EQ Survey Explanation

 

If you earned between 50 and 70 points, you probably exhibit a high degree of emotional competence. You’re a very positive influence on the people around you. A score of 30 to 49 means that you have learned — and display — many of the traits of an emotionally competent person, but you need to deepen those skills. A score below 30 suggests that you’re challenged to learn many of the components of emotional competence.

Vocabulary Focus

foster (v) [5fCstE] to encourage the development or growth of ideas or feelings

take the initiative (idiom) to start something new, such as a project or plan

consensus (n) [kEn5sensEs] a generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people

tally (v) [5tAli] to record or count a number of items

 

Specialized Terms

emotional quotient [EQ] (n) 情绪指数，相对于智力指数（智商） a measure of one’s intelligence in relation to feelings or moods, in comparison to one’s IQ, or intelligence quotient

subordinate (n) 部属；属下 a person who has a lower or less important position than you in an organization

情绪能力：你的程度如何？

吴四明  译

 

职场中，比组织能力更重要的是什么？根据某些专家的说法，是一种管理自身情绪及人际关系的能力

 

当人们论及成功的职场生涯时，通常都将焦点放在专业与组织能力上。然而，最近另一项重要因素逐渐浮现，那就是：情绪能力。

这些能力包括自我了解、情绪与人际关系的管理，以及激发他人能力的本事。许多组织学专家都指出，事业能否成功，情绪能力可能比其它因素都更重要。

 

给自己评分

要知道自己情绪能力高低，可以作以下这份情绪商数调查。

利用下面的量表，对你表现出所描述特征的频率进行评分，并将相对应的数字填在左边的空白处。

“5”—— 总是

“4”—— 通常

“3”—— 有时

“2”—— 很少

“1”—— 从不

 

情绪指数调查

_____  1. 我能让环绕在我周围的人培养出团队精神。  

_____  2. 我对别人表现出同情心，尤其是当他们有问题来找我的时候。

_____  3. 我很了解自己哪些个性特质和情绪倾向，足以影响与同事间的关系。 

_____  4. 我能迅速适应新的处境。

_____  5. 我会经常协助同事与属下。

_____  6. 虽然偶尔会觉得生气，我还是可以控制自己的冲动及情绪。

_____  7. 我会无一遗漏地传达讯息及想法。

_____  8. 我了解什么会诱发同事和部属采取行动。当我要影响这些人时，会采用这些诱因。

_____  9. 处境艰难时，我会鼓励他人表达他们的感觉及疑虑。

_____  10.我喜欢身边的人向我提出问题，且会详尽并适当地响应。

_____  11. 我愿意在重要企划案上采取主动。

_____  12.我的工作团队出现分歧时，我会尽快居中协调，达成共识。

_____  13. 若有人对改变感到恐惧，我很容易就会察觉到，也会帮助他们接受并乐于迎接职场中的变化。

_____  14. 与他人来往时，我能保持谦逊的态度。

 

你得了几分？

计算你的分数，然后对照边栏的说明以了解自己的评比。找出你可以改进的特点，并决心增强这几方面的能力。对这些技能多加关注，会在未来带给你及你身边的人许多不言而喻的好处。