A641.3.3.RB - Working with EI: Getting Results

Dr. Goleman describes the four dimensions of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skill.  Develop a reflection blog that focuses on the four EI dimensions. Discuss how each of these applies to you, your strengths, areas that you need to develop, and how the dimensions have helped or hindered you in your performance and/or career.

            Dr. Goleman brings to light several facets of Emotional Intelligence (EI) that help guide individuals to understanding their core concepts. More importantly, in other videos he helps shape EI's focus into identifying and associating with compassion. One of the largest problems our society has with EI interactions is removing ourselves from our own sphere of influence and pay particular attention to those around us. This broadened view of our operating environment allows people to cue into several facets that would otherwise go unnoticed. Without this transformation, the very nature that makes us human will start to retrograde and be causative to secondary and tertiary effects that could be drastic in nature.

            Self-awareness is the very essence I was describing about how we are lacking in most modern day cultures. The social media boom has sort of lured us away from direct interaction which is hugely important for everyone's maturity in the EI realm. Failing to live in the here and now removes us from reality in a sense which also disconnects us from EI. Without being hyper vigilant towards developing our own set of EI skills is what's causing the myriad of leadership failures that the masses must endure. Being a victim of Sacrifice Syndrome personally, I have now learned that self-reflection is the only way I can balance my own internal compass so I'm not only leading myself in the correct direction, but for those who must work for me as well.

            Without having an attuned sense of self-awareness, then the dimension of self-management won't even be identifiable. I know that for me personally I have a very big mouth, for which has never really benefitted me. For this reason alone my mother always described me as being a verbal thinker for which is very true. As the older and more self-aware I become I have sensed the urge to speak up in circumstances for which I should just listen. I have read many times about the smartest are those who listen the most and only speak when they behold something that "needs" to be said. As for my case in the past, unfortunately I felt as though I always had something that needed to be spoken.

            As Dr. Goleman (2012) stated in his video, "compassion is empathy in action." If one doesn't possess the ability to identify their own shortcomings with EI nor be able to control them/focus them in a meaningful manner, then how will they be able to process the necessary response when dealing with an empathetic situation? It wasn't all too long ago that I was leading a team of very competent older professionals, and ran into a situation for which I displayed a very poor application of EI unknowingly. This all played out because I didn't understand what made a certain individual tick, and soon realized how I ostracized him from the team. It took several one on one sessions before I could re-establish my credibility as his team lead because of this failure. I certainly learned a hard fact of being more attune to my subordinates, and especially when dealing with topics for which individuals are very compassionate about.

References

Goleman, D. (2012). Daniel Goleman introduces emotional intelligence [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://erau.instructure.com/courses/87426/discussion_topics/1327593?module_item_id=4764917

Kenneth S. Rhee, (2008) "The beat and rhythm of competency development over two years", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 27 Issue: 1, pp.146-160, https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710810840811

Richard E. Boyatzis, (2009) "Competencies as a behavioral approach to emotional intelligence", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 28 Issue: 9, pp.749-770, https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710910987647