You have probably heard the term “emotional intelligence” (also known as EQ), but wondered what exactly does it mean?  You may have also wondered why you should care about it, particularly in the workplace where we should be controlling our emotions and acting in a professional, rational manner.  It turns out that, whether we realize it or not, many of us are already familiar with the concept of EQ, and there are multiple reasons why we should care about it, especially in the workplace. 

EQ, simply defined, is the ability to recognize, manage, and apply the power of our emotions. In our EQ workshop at Being Your Best, we use TTI’s  Emotional Quotient assessment which divides EQ into five categories:  self-awareness, self- regulation, social awareness, social regulation, and motivation. These measure our ability to recognize how our emotions impact our own moods, clarity, and how our emotions impact others.  It also measures our internal drive to reach our goals. The good news is, EQ is like a muscle, and we can work to grow it!  When we are aware of our challenges, we can learn how to become stronger in those areas.