In my previous post, Dilberts and Dullberts – Who Will Get the Call Back?, I listed several attributes that will help one build strong professional networks. I had presented these attributes in the form of a self assessment tool.
Completing the tool will give you an idea of your effectiveness in building networks. I had mentioned in the post that those were behaviors that go deeper, that require a high degree of self awareness and that are based on one strong foundation – authenticity. In other words, those are behaviors that form the repertoire of your Emotional Intelligence. Because, as you know, IQ and work ethic are important but it is our emotional intelligence that determines our happiness and success with people, which is a basic ingredient of successful networking.
As an example, let’s consider the following item from my list:
I am comfortable with maintaining a conversation even with people I meet for the first time.
What has the above got to do with emotional intelligence? As it turns out, “loving to meet new people and displaying a natural tendency to ask lots of questions after you’ve been introduced to someone, arise out of a certain degree of empathy, one of the main components of emotional intelligence.” If you just were wondering why maintaining a conversation with someone you just met was so important, you know now!
If you go back and check every item I have listed in the assessment tool, you will see that they connect to one of the five aspects of emotional intelligence, as defined by Daniel Goleman in his book. The idea of Emotional Intelligence has been there for a very long time, made commonplace knowledge by the book of the same title and popular by its simple, truthful appeal and impact on personal success. However, how many of us can list the components of emotional intelligence clearly?
In a nutshell here they are, as defined by Goleman:
- Self-Awareness,
- Self-Regulation,
- Motivation,
- Social skills and
- Empathy
That said, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you can tell how emotionally intelligent you are? I recently read a brilliant article on hufftingtonpost.com, which lists 14 signs of a person with high emotional intelligence. It not only lists the 14 signs, but also explains them – so if you don’t have it, you know how to develop it. See how many you hit!
You can find the article here: How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? Here’s How To Tell.
On a related note, increasingly in corporate life, I find that half the time is wasted in “Ego Management” – of self and others and hopefully more and more awareness about emotional intelligence will change that. Something I intend to touch upon soon, in a later blog.
KNR
Certified Personal Transformation Coach
&
Certified Master Spirit Life Coach
What's my North? 
Leave a comment