Alicia has over 15 years of corporate experience and has been helping professionals, managers and executives identify and develop extraordinary powers they didn’t even know they had, for over 5 years.
To find out more view Alicia's full bio or visit Alicia's website www.keysteps.com.au January 1st, 2008
What does Emotional Intelligence have to do with Career Management?
By Dr Alicia Karwat, KeySteps Pty.Ltd.
If you are a specialist or have good technical skills and know-how, you have an opportunity for a great career but only if you are prepared to manage it with emotional intelligence (EQ).
Technical or specialist knowledge and skills, and intellectual ability are taken as givens in the work paradigm.
Have you ever wondered why some people with apparently the same technical skills, similar specialist knowledge, know-how and abilities as others are noticed at work and are progressing their careers while the others seem to hit a brick wall?
We read and hear that the past years have seen a steady shift of balance of power from employers to employees. We read and hear about the shortage of skills, shortage of talent and organizations placing talent management on their priority list. Many got to a conclusion that there were no career opportunities within their organisation and that the time was right to find another job. There are plenty of job advertisements and it seems like we can walk into many of these jobs. It looks great and certainly encouraging; it really looks like an employee market. And then something is not right, it seems that there is always someone else who “fitted the job requirements better”.
Can you recognise yourself in these situations?
You are smart but you cannot see any career opportunities in your organisation. You are smart but others are getting jobs for which you are a perfect candidate. You ask yourself the question “What am I doing wrong?”
To have a negotiation power at the current labour market you have to consciously and seriously manage your career, and this requires emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence and flexibility are becoming essential competencies for bright people who want to develop their careers. Technical or specialist knowledge and skills, and intellectual ability are taken as givens in the work paradigm.
So what is Emotional Intelligence?
EQ refers to personal qualities such as interpersonal skills, personal management, ability to provide and receive feedback, ability to take calculated risks, drive, energy, motivation, initiative, empathy, adaptability, persuasiveness, discipline and persistence.
Why is it so important?
Individuals alone are not capable of doing it all. We have to work with other people to achieve very competitive organisational goals and we have to achieve them in the increasingly shorter periods of time, and under pressure. To do that we have to cooperate and collaborate with diverse teams effectively and efficiently, as well as manage our emotions well and make good decisions. This is why having two candidates with similar technological know-how, employers choose the person with higher emotional intelligence. This is why emotionally intelligent people are more likely to be chosen for important projects and raise their profile in organisations.
Good news
is that emotional intelligence can be developed. So, increasingly, people who want to take charge of their careers are turning to career and personal coaches to work on their self-defeating and not useful behaviours and to replace them with effective and useful ones, as well as to develop strategies, plans and tactics how to manage their career in emotionally intelligent way.
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Jan 22, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I would agreee with the EQ statements above. One thing that can be very difficult is working with a boss with very low…or perceived to be low EQ. People with EQ need to be allowed to use their talents and this can sometimes be hampered by colleagues with little EQ….it is then that the EQ person moves on…to find somewhere that does appreciate their EQ skills/ attributes…
Feb 25, 2008 at 2:28 pm
It is difficult to deal with managers with low EQ especially if a manager is under significant stress. Their ability to use effectively their emotional intelligence as well as their cognitive ability may be significantly affected under stress. This is a challenge and this is why organisations need emotionally intelligent people to navigate through various emotions at work. Running away from a difficult situation may not always be the best solution.