THE CASE FOR C SQUARES ® TEAM BUILDING
The average intelligence quotient (IQ) in the U.S. has risen 24 points since 1918. Meanwhile, between the 1970’s and late 1980’s, young people six to sixteen years of age showed a steady decline in their emotional quotient (EQ). Observations during the same period have been made similarly worldwide. Emotional Intelligence has been defined as the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotion in ourselves and in our primary relationships. It describes abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence, the purely cognitive capacities measured by IQ.
Intelligence and Emotions
- Five hundred corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations have independently concluded that Emotional Intelligence is critical to excellence in almost any job.*
- A 1997 American Society for Training and Development study found that 80% of companies are promoting Emotional Intelligence in their employees – through training, development, performance evaluations and hiring practices.*
- Human factors are increasingly important in the home, schools, and the workplace, as the pace of change and the knowledge explosion accelerates.
- Several decades of research studies identify team building, adapting to change, being a change catalyst, and leveraging diversity as critically important in today’s fast-paced, high-tech environment.
- The days of life-long careers and meritocracy are fading. Today, internal qualities and soft skills such as resilience, initiative, optimism, and adaptability are increasingly required for success.
- A national survey of employers revealed that, for entry-level workers, specific skills are less important than the ability to learn on the job. Next in importance were: listening and oral communication; adaptability and creative responses to setbacks and obstacles; personal management, confidence, motivation, initiative, and pride in one’s accomplishments.
- A similar study of corporations’ requirements for incoming MBAs identified the three most desired capabilities as communication skills, interpersonal skills, and initiative.
- Harvard Business School identified empathy, perspective taking, rapport and cooperation as the most desirable qualities in their applicants.
- The 12 top job capabilities are all based on self-mastery, initiative, trustworthiness, self-confidence, and achievement drive.
- Key relationship skills are: empathy, political awareness, leveraging diversity, team capabilities, and leadership. Daniel Goleman states, "Emotional intelligence counts more than IQ or expertise for determining who excels at a job – any job – and that for outstanding leadership it counts for almost everything. The business case is compelling: Companies that leverage this advantage add measurably to their bottom line." These are skills which can be taught.
* Cited in Working With Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goleman
| "Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple." - Charles Mingus |