| In the business world, we are always looking for ways | | | | executives hire or promote managers who fail to |
| to gain advantage over the competition. For many | | | | connect with or motivate their employers? |
| years organizations thought that bright, intelligent people | | | | I spent 27 years hiring managers, who, in turn, hired |
| were the key to superior performance. But "book | | | | sales and administrative people. My own observation |
| smarts," in the form of high IQs or stellar GPAs, we | | | | indicates that a little dissatisfaction or unhappiness with |
| now know, don't always translate to equally exemplary | | | | the past and/or the current state is often a good thing. |
| job performance. The connection is limited at best. | | | | Managers and leaders who are always happy with |
| An intelligence quotient (IQ) is a measure of cognitive | | | | the current situation are not too motivated to change it. |
| capacity--one's ability to think and reason. IQ usually | | | | Many successful entrepreneurs and leaders are happy |
| does not change much after the age of 12 to 15. Many | | | | but dissatisfied with the current state. The |
| non-manual jobs require an above-average IQ; that is, | | | | dissatisfaction drives them to create change or make |
| they have "a high IQ threshold." But hiring people with | | | | something better. |
| high IQs is not a guarantee that they will perform well | | | | Another mood that impacts results is optimism--the |
| in the position. | | | | view of the world as a positive place and the future |
| The answer to why that is may rest in a conversation | | | | as bright and achievable. An optimistic mood is almost |
| that took place between two psychology professors, | | | | a necessary quality among leaders, as it imbues their |
| John Mayer and Peter Salovey, in 1987. Salovey, of | | | | language with hope and possibility for desired |
| Yale University, and Mayer, of the University of New | | | | outcomes. |
| Hampshire, were discussing a particular, bumbling | | | | Differentiating between the true optimist and pessimist |
| politician and poised the question: How could someone | | | | is easy, according to Joshua Freedman, author of The |
| so smart act so inexplicably dumb? They came to the | | | | Art of Leadership: How to Get Results with Emotional |
| conclusion that good decision-making requires more | | | | Intelligence. Freedman claims the optimist looks at an |
| than intellect or what we normally think of as IQ. Mayer | | | | unsettling state as temporary, isolated and changeable |
| and Salovey soon developed the concept of | | | | while the pessimist views it as permanent, pervasive |
| emotional intelligence (EQ). | | | | and immutable. Optimists see the possibility of change |
| Dan Goleman picked up on the theme in his 1995 | | | | and pessimists see the chains of the present. |
| best-selling book Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can | | | | The moods of a leader are important because moods |
| Matter More than IQ. One of the seminal studies of | | | | are contagious and move swiftly from person to |
| Goleman's book involved star performers at the | | | | person. A leaders' predominate mood often becomes |
| prestigious Bell Laboratories near Princeton University. | | | | the mood of the organization, which can determine |
| Managers were asked to identify the top performers | | | | long-term success or failure. |
| among the engineers and scientists that worked there. | | | | Optimism, anxiety, depression and confidence are |
| All of the engineers and scientists were presumed to | | | | long-lasting states of being that endure great time |
| have high IQs to perform their jobs, yet some | | | | spans. Emotions tend to be shorter lived and triggered |
| emerged as outstanding, while others were just | | | | by events. However, our mood often determines our |
| average. | | | | emotional response to an event. When we encounter |
| Goleman used standard IQ and personality tests on | | | | an event that requires emotional skills, our ability is |
| both groups and found no substantial cognitive | | | | either diminished or enhanced by our mood. |
| difference between the stars and the average | | | | Benchmarking and testing for EQ |
| workers. Based on this study, Goleman wrote in the | | | | The difference between a manager and a leader is |
| Harvard Business Review that academic talent was | | | | typically 90 percent EQ skills. Managers are often |
| not a good predictor of on-the-job productivity, nor | | | | appointed to their positions not because of their |
| was IQ. | | | | management skills but because of their knowledge and |
| After detailed interviews, the social scientist detected | | | | experience. Some mangers go on to become great |
| critical differences. The stars had built networks of key | | | | leaders, while others become only good managers-and |
| people. They used their strong interpersonal skills to | | | | some don't even do that. |
| create informal teams of competent people who they | | | | To use EQ as a hiring tool, many companies |
| could rely on when needed. The same interpersonal | | | | benchmark a position's top and bottom performers for |
| skills helped them build harmony among their | | | | emotional intelligence. The benchmarking process |
| co-workers and managers. Goleman saw this | | | | identifies traits that are present in top performers and |
| team-building skill as a requisite for superior | | | | absent in the bottom rank. Companies can then test |
| performance. | | | | potential candidates for those traits or EQ |
| Goleman's research led him to conclude that leaders | | | | competencies required by the job. |
| drive action by building relationships, recognizing their | | | | Two tests are available that effectively measure a |
| own emotions, responding to the needs of others and | | | | person's EQ. The MSCEIT, developed by Mayer, |
| by revealing their own mistakes. He termed these | | | | Salovey and David Caruso, was the first EQ test. A |
| traits emotional intelligence (EQ) and defined it generally | | | | more updated test was developed by Rueven Bar-On, |
| as the ability to recognize, understand, use and | | | | a psychologist who coined the term "emotional |
| manage emotions in oneself and in others. Unlike | | | | quotient." The Bar-On model (more widely used and |
| cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence can be | | | | validated than the MSCEIT) tests in five general areas: |
| taught and learned. | | | | Intra-Personal - ability to be aware of, manage, and |
| Key traits of emotional intelligence | | | | express emotions |
| People with high EQs tend to have five qualities or | | | | Inter-Personal - ability to initiate and maintain |
| competencies in common: | | | | relationships with others |
| Optimism--ability to anticipate the best possible | | | | Adaptability - ability to be flexible, solve problems |
| outcome of events or actions | | | | and be realistic |
| Self-Awareness--knowledge of current emotional | | | | Stress Management - ability to tolerate stress and |
| state, strengths and weaknesses | | | | control impulses |
| Empathy--understanding of others' points of view | | | | General Mood - happiness and optimism levels |
| and decision-making processes | | | | I like to approach the identification of EQ competencies |
| Impulse Control--ability to mitigate an urge to act | | | | essential to a job from both external and internal |
| (as in: think first and act later) | | | | viewpoints. The external approach requires a carefully |
| Reality Testing--ability to see things as they are, | | | | crafted, facilitated session where five to seven people |
| not as we want them to be | | | | in an organization are tapped for their insight into the |
| The more of the qualities and person possesses, and | | | | EQ competencies they believe are needed for |
| the more they use them, the higher EQ they typically | | | | superior job performance in a particular position. The |
| have. | | | | internal approach involves assessing superior |
| Moodiness and leadership | | | | performers currently on the job to see what |
| Do moody leaders make better leaders? The answer | | | | competencies dominate. Ideally, an organization should |
| is: it depends on the prevailing mood. Is the leader | | | | do both and combine the results, but often the job is |
| optimistic and happy, or pessimistic and depressed? | | | | new and has no incumbent to assess. In that case, an |
| Few people will give their full support to a gloomy, | | | | organization can rely on the external results alone. |
| cynical leader, at least for very long. Their negative | | | | The above approach allows for both applicants and |
| nature, not to mention lack of positive feedback, leads | | | | incumbents to be assessed and matched against |
| to high workplace turnover and may even cause | | | | benchmarks. The goal is to give a clear, quantifiable |
| some malcontents to sabotage an organization in | | | | picture of what drives performance in a particular job, |
| revenge. | | | | and also to identify opportunities to leverage strengths |
| Happiness-and the attractive aura it produces-is both | | | | and manage around individual weaknesses. |
| an emotion and a mood enhancer. The latest research | | | | Most organizations want, but do not have, superior |
| indicates that happy people enjoy life more and live | | | | performers. By learning more about EQ, mapping job |
| longer than unhappy people. No surprise, since content | | | | candidates to benchmarks and creating a more |
| people focus on the positive and surround themselves | | | | intentional hiring process your organization can happily |
| with like people - not to mention they are more willing | | | | be an exception. |
| to embrace change. The "mantle of happiness" is | | | | Vistage speaker Stephen Blakesley is Managing |
| thought to influence people simply because happiness | | | | Partner of GMS Talent L P, in Houston TX. He is the |
| attracts attention. Now we also know something else: | | | | author of The Target-The Secret to Superior |
| Happiness has an observable, positive impact on | | | | Performance, Strategic Hiring: Tomorrow's Benefits |
| productivity. | | | | Today, and a contributing author to Pfeiffer Annual |
| This might all sound obvious, and yet how often do | | | | Consulting Yearbook. |