Emotional Intelligence and its Applications
Kartavya Desk Staff
Syllabus: Ethics: Emotional Intelligence
- •Source: IE, IE, IE*
Context: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is crucial in today’s interactions, especially for public servants who must navigate complex situations.
What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?
Emotional Intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as to perceive and influence the emotions of others effectively. It involves being self-aware of one’s emotional state, managing emotions in a constructive manner, empathizing with others, and using emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour.
EI was popularized by Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book titled “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.
Essence of emotional intelligence:
Aspect | Details
Emotion + Intelligence | Emotional Intelligence (EI) combines emotions and intelligence to enhance personal and professional effectiveness.
Key Building Constructs | EI comprises self-awareness, self-management, motivation, empathy, and social skills.
Self-Awareness | Involves understanding one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self, and being aware of habits that impact well-being.
Self-Management | Focuses on disciplining oneself to maintain consistency in actions, and manage time, habits, and emotions effectively.
Johari Window | A model by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham that enhances self-awareness through four windows: Open Self (known to self and others), Hidden Self (known to self, not to others), Blind Self (known to others, not to self), and Unknown Self (unknown to self and others).
|
| The Johari Window helps in emotional intelligence by providing a framework to enhance self-awareness and interpersonal communication. Through feedback and self-disclosure, individuals can expand their Open Self quadrant, reduce their Blind and Unknown Self areas, and increase mutual understanding in relationships.
Applications of Emotional Intelligence:
Application | Example
Personal Relationships | Understanding and managing emotions in conflicts with family members to foster healthier relationships.
Workplace Leadership | Empathizing with team members’ concerns to motivate them effectively, enhancing team productivity.
Stress Management | Using self-awareness and self-management techniques to cope with work pressure and reduce stress levels.
Decision Making | Considering emotions alongside logic when making decisions to ensure well-rounded and informed choices.
Customer Service | Recognizing and responding to customers’ emotions to provide better service and resolve issues more effectively.
Conflict Resolution | Using empathy and social skills to navigate and resolve conflicts peacefully and constructively.
Healthcare | Empathizing with patients’ emotions to provide compassionate care and improve patient outcomes.
Education | Helping students develop emotional awareness and social skills to enhance learning and classroom interactions.
Mains Link:
THE CASE
You have recently taken the responsibility of the officer in charge of a welfare scheme. One morning you were not in a good mood and even yelled at your subordinate who was not providing you with correct information related to the welfare scheme. The moment you came out of your chamber you saw a long queue of applicants. You asked your subordinate to consider those persons who have proper documents. All of a sudden you found a lady shouting at other staff as they were stopping her to meet you in person. You ignored it and returned to your chamber.
After a while, your subordinate came and reported about that old lady’s willingness to meet you, but you were in no mood to talk to her. You said, “I did not talk to my mother yesterday as it was Mother’s Day. I have so many things to do. Please handle yourself.”
However, the old woman suddenly comes inside your office and seeks to become a beneficiary. The woman is illiterate and does not have any documents to prove her eligibility for the scheme. You did not understand what to do. She said, “After seeing me, why do you turn your face? Would you have made the same gesture for your mother? You are bada sahab, but without emotion.”
Finally, you find that she is really poor and destitute with no one to care for her. Though she didn’t have any documents but dilemma is that giving her the benefits without the documents would be tantamount to bypassing the law.
Q1. What are the core issues in this case?
Q.2 Identify those areas where you are lacking officer-like qualities.
Q.3 Whether as an officer you have a low EQ or is it completely absent?