For centuries intelligence has been thought to be what separated humans from other animals. The ability to reason and continue to learn and better himself has been the standard that we measure all creatures against. However, in recent times the idea that emotion rather than intellect could be the fine line between man and significantly lower forms of life has become popular.
Getting in tune with one's more emotional side is huge right now. Businesses across the US have their employees take personality tests and EQ tests to see how they will fit with the other workers and to see how they will perform in certain situations. The emotional is becoming the most important thing leaving intellect behind. While having intellect in the real world is still needed, it no longer is the deciding factor for what makes humans human.
When it comes to hiring or promoting, today's employers are looking for more than just the intelligent, technically savvy employee or the person who knows multiple products offered by the company. A person's EQ is also being factored into the equation. .
The EQ has become a corporate buzzword used to describe a person's social interaction, leadership qualities, teamwork abilities, self-management and other emotional skills. There is a growing belief that single the most important factor to a person's success (whether at work or in life) is their emotional intelligence. It's not just a grade point average that counts! .
The best thing about EQ is both managers and workers can improve their EQ through training. This isn't a "quick fix" for team that is in need of repair; dedication is required, but EQ can be learned. Your staff can attend workshops, read books on the subject or internal training can be offered. There are even EQ tests available to measure your Emotional Intelligence Quotient, but unlike IQ tests there is no single, validated test available to measure EQ. .
While IQ defines how smart you are, EQ defines how well you use what smarts you have.