What is emotional intelligence? How to develop? - Bloggers Croops

  Although this is a development that may not be liked by parents who were especially proud of their children's high IQ test scores in ...

 

Although this is a development that may not be liked by parents who were especially proud of their children's high IQ test scores in the 90s, according to psychology and education experts, today emotional intelligence is seriously shaking the throne of analytical intelligence, also known as IQ. Learning skills; How about taking a closer look at emotional intelligence, which directly affects social relationships, humorous perspective, leadership & entrepreneurial abilities, and best of all, grows and develops throughout life like a tree?

What is this emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, a concept first put forward by Wayne Payne's doctoral thesis titled "A study of emotions: The Development of Emotional Intelligence" in 1985, is, in the roughest terms, a person's ability to recognize himself and his emotions. It is a type of intelligence that includes management/direction skills in the most positive way. Although it is known that 50% of emotional intelligence is transmitted through genetic codes, it is possible to compare the remaining 50% to a "muscle" that can be developed throughout life. In other words, when we exercise a muscle in your body regularly, that muscle becomes stronger over time; If it gains flexibility and resilience, we can say that the same equation applies to emotional intelligence.

Can emotional intelligence really be improved?

“Yes!” to this question without hesitation. We can say that because emotional intelligence means that a person can manage his intuitive existence. This is exactly why numerical data is not very important and emotional intelligence cannot be documented with exact scores as in IQ tests. Although emotional intelligence, which has a versatile and fluid structure, seems resistant to development, it is never as rigid as it seems. Here are the shortest ways to improve emotional intelligence:

Put your feelings on the table

Let's say you receive an extremely negative or dismissive email from your manager / teammate. Or you had a serious argument with your spouse about the financial situation at home and you think you were treated unfairly. In such situations, press the “pause” button to react based on your own intuition, not the reaction created by the situation, and explore your true feelings. When you do this exercise regularly, over time you will realize that you have built a system that works perfectly. Even emotional intelligence guru Prof. Daniel Goleman states that detecting and analyzing the emotions behind one's actions and expressing one's emotions clearly are the most obvious signs of an advanced emotional intelligence.

Don't care about other people's opinions

One of the most important elements that make up emotional intelligence is undoubtedly the ability to empathize. Therefore, in order to be mature enough to guess what other people think and from what perspective they evaluate events, ask them their opinions and try to be a good observer. The way to become a good observer and improve our empathy ability is to increase our awareness of ourselves. What comes with this awareness is very important in taking ourselves one step further. Factors that can be considered the cornerstones of empathy, such as strong communication skills and environmental awareness, are the muscles that can be strengthened after this awareness. “Staying in the Moment, Spontaneity Workshop” with Sena TaşkapılıoğluAt this point, it appears as an effective and entertaining workshop where all these muscles are exercised at the same time.

Be critical and confront criticism

At the same time, the fundamental question of philosophy is "Why?" Asking the question and having a curious and critical attitude towards the situations you encounter in life will also enable you to process information by "extracting it from the depths". At the same time, confronting the critical questions and discourses that others will direct towards you can be an important step towards improving your cognitive flexibility.

Put experiential learning at the center

Experiential learning is actually a summary of the general concept of emotional intelligence. In other words, according to experiential learning, learning is a lifelong process and requires conflict resolution rather than remaining static. Experiential learning also cares about one's adaptation to the world and society and the synergistic effect between individuals. That's why it will be extremely useful to benefit from experiential learning methods in the development of emotional intelligence. At this point, you can apply the cycle of transforming experience into knowledge that David Colb mentions in his "Experiential Learning Theory". At the end of the circular cycle consisting of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experience, the person both learns actively and analyzes how to evaluate and apply what he has learned.“Playful Game Learning Workshop” is great to experience this whole cycle. During the workshop, we play games and talk about the process together through these experiences.

Attend training and workshops

Participating in training and workshops given by trainers who are experts in emotional intelligence development will both clear your questions about the subject and enable you to get more productive results by interacting with other people participating in the training. The “Emotional Intelligence and Power in Business Life” workshop given by Aydan Bayır, one of the few trainers specialized in positive psychology in Turkey, is a wonderful example of these trainings. In this workshop, which explains what emotional intelligence is, its biological basis and scientific benefits, you will work on recognizing your own and others' emotions, establishing empathic relationships and managing emotions, and you will leave the workshop with a deep insight into both your own inner world and your behavior.