Emotional intelligence is a person’s awareness of their emotions and the emotions of others, and how well they are able to control, express, and read them. People who are emotionally intelligent are able to control their interpersonal relationships with thoughtful consideration and rational insights.

Emotional intelligence is not simply whether or not someone is emotional, but rather how well they handle their interpersonal skills and the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is extremely important in the workplace to reduce conflict and create a more stable and effective workplace environment.

According to psychologists Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer, there are four levels included in emotional intelligence. These four levels are perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions, and managing emotions.^[1] Perception, reason, understanding, and management are all important skills that need to be considered when determining emotional intelligence. Being able to navigate these four levels is indicative of a person with high emotional intelligence. Oftentimes people think of intelligence and emotion as mutually exclusive skills; however, emotional intelligence is an extremely important form of intelligence that determines a person’s interpersonal skills, ability to work well with others, problem solve, and build relationships. Each of these skills are extremely effective and valuable in the workplace and help to foster a productive and engaged work environment.

The workday requires a large number of decisions that need to be made. Many of these decisions are emotionally charged in some way, with passion and opinions behind them. Employees with strong emotional intelligence are more likely to make rational and well-thought-out decisions. Emotional intelligence is an extremely desirable trait for new and tenured employees alike. Many companies ask behavioral based interview questions in order to assess emotional intelligence and make better informed hiring decisions. These companies understand the value of emotionally intelligent individuals and the positive impact they can have on a workforce. With international expansion and globalization becoming more and more relevant, emotional intelligence is more valuable than ever, allowing companies to better breech cultural differences and the complex ways in which other cultures express their emotions.

Although emotional intelligence can be explained and presented through training events, at the end of the day, it is up to each individual to grow and develop their own emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence cannot be taught in a classroom, but is instead developed through everyday life and interactions with others. Since each individual is responsible for their own emotional intelligence, making smart hiring choices and considering how an individual will affect team dynamics is essential to building a strong, emotionally intelligent team.