Most people know what IQ Intelligence Quotient is, but few know about EQ Emotional Quotient/Intelligence. Where IQ is the measurement of the brains ability to think, problem solve and memory;  EQ Emotional Quotient/Intelligence is the measurement of an individual to understand others; how they think, feel and their personal concerns in addition to understand oneself and communicate such with others. Contributor Michael Marshall, PhD – www.AskTheBusinessDoctor.com

There are some tests developed and easily available that can measure EQ Emotional Intelligence. Having higher EQ Emotional Intelligence is important for effective leadership and executives, management and supervisory staff, customer service, sales and marketing staff, HR Human. Resources staff and others in businesses of all sizes and in all markets and industries. Higher EQ Emotional Intelligence helps individuals to communicate better, promote team effort and problem solve with individuals when needed and promote team effort.

It also helps to foster and grow good customer relationships. I personally remember early in my business career, knowing of senior management and leadership lacking EQ Emotional Intelligence.  They struggled having good professional relationships with staff, employees and customers.  Their communication skills were not adequate and they could not understand others’ feelings, thinking and personal concerns.

They were not liked by others and others disliked working with them.  So many struggles happened daily with many people having poor feelings to each other.  This caused so many issues and problems.  There was a lack of team effort and business progress was hindered.

I remember the HR Human Resources Director and the President/CEO coordinating some of these senior management staff to attend special sensitivity training and other special trainings what was called back then in a not so nice way ‘Charm Schools’.

This was supposed to be kept quiet and confidential but of course everyone knew. I remember how many of the employees, staff, fellow management and customers commented about why such is not pre-screened before promoting or hiring people into management levels or positions that interact with others, internally or externally.

Back then there was a lack of attention and importance to such abilities and there were not many tests to use to help screen and measure such abilities. Today, EQ Emotional Intelligence is now viewed as important for leadership, management, supervisory, customer service, marketing, sales and HR Human Resources and others. Today, EQ Emotional Intelligence tests are easily available and more often utilized for prescreening.

EQ Emotional Intelligence is now commonly viewed as important for businesses to survive and grow. Some studies indicated that about 60% of the larger global companies have EQ Emotional Intelligence in their employment prescreening tests and process. Studies indicate that those individuals struggling in business;  owner, management or staff, employee tend to score low in EQ Emotional Intelligence and for the reverse, individuals doing well and more successful in business tend to score high in EQ Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is a fundamental ability for healthy and affective interpersonal relationships and interpersonal communications. Research and studies indicate that Emotional Intelligence is a learned behavior and ability early in life and Not genetic. With the assistance from a professional advisor in the EQ Emotional Intelligence field businesses can utilize Emotional Intelligence in prescreening of employment and also possibly in training to enhance skills of staff that are interacting with others, internally and externally.

It is great for business management and leaders to study this subject and read the many articles on the internet, numerous books, business journals and magazines that are now available on the subject of EQ Emotional Intelligence. This will make you conversational and aware but Not a professional that can be affective and produce desired positive results in business:  Similar to anyone reading a few medical and health books and thinking they can be as knowledgeable as trained medical doctors and medical specialists.

Just like the old saying about lawyers or attorneys representing themselves in a court of law due to personal problems; “a lawyer or attorney that represents himself personally in a court of law has a fool for a client”. Businesses can find such professional advisors on the internet to have conversations with and check references and also can contact some professional associations dedicated to this subject.

Utilising such professional advisors is a cost effective approach. I recommend that all businesses have a professional advisor on EQ Emotional Intelligence to assist in finding creative ways to help ‘grow and improve the business’. Similar for people to stay healthy visiting yearly, a medical doctor for a physical, a dentist for teeth and an optician to check our eyes and sight;  businesses to stay healthy and grow need to do the same except with utilising specialised professional advisors.  This is cost affective. This can be utilised by all businesses of all sizes and in all markets, to help ‘grow and improve the business’.