emotional intelligence assignments

25 emotional intelligence activities for happy and productive teams

Working together to create a happy and thriving workplace starts by improving emotional intelligence. When groups are better aligned and equipped with clear communication skills, teams feel valued and supported. The benefits of observing and working with our emotions are huge and result in less conflict and a better understanding of one another.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of emotional intelligence for groups and explore 25 emotional intelligence activities to help build our skills, creating a more positive work environment.

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Self-improvement efforts and exploring ways to become more emotionally intelligent are at an all-time high. I thought it was just me who geeked out on Daniel Goleman, but according to this a rticle , 94% of Millennials were working on some form of self-improvement. Self-awareness, effective communication and empathy skills are all valuable character traits we can actually develop and improve.

Burnout, miscommunication, and workplace conflicts can impact employee happiness, even affecting turnover. This can be avoided by having better conversations and collaborating to constructively resolve issues as they arise. By understanding ourselves and others better, we become more resilient to challenges and feel more emotionally connected with our team. 

In this guide, we’ll primarily focus on developing skills in the context of a work environment, these relationship skills, and emotional intelligence activities can also be applied to our personal lives as well. Together we’ll look at:

What is Emotional Intelligence?

• Why is Emotional Intelligence important in the workplace?

How to Build Emotional Intelligence for Teams

Activities to improve self-awareness, activities for better self-management, exercises to build empathy, exercises to improve our communication skills.

• Emotional Intelligence games for better Group Dynamics

So what is Emotional Intelligence? 

Like you, I was curious to research how we could understand our own emotional intelligence to build better relationships. Understanding our basic emotions helps social awareness, and objectively identify emotions before acting. I read Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ , considered to be a key text on the topic. Goleman is seen as the founder of Emotional Intelligence, however, the term itself was defined by Salovey and Mayer as:

“the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.” Salovey & Mayer

Goleman goes a little further in his definition, and outlines the skills of emotional intelligence as being able:

• to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations
• to control impulse and delay gratification 
• to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; 
• to empathize 
• to hope 

The first three abilities: motivation, self-regulation and the self-imposed delay of gratification come under emotional self-management, which can aid us in achieving our goals, whether it be building a business, writing a blog post, or running a marathon.

My favorite definition is the simplest. The Cambridge dictionary defines emotional intelligence as: “the ability to understand the way people feel and react and to use this skill to make good judgments and to avoid or solve problems.” Emotional Intelligence is a set of skills that can, in most people, be improved.

Improvement in emotional intelligence could be by adapting the way you communicate, considering how your point will be heard. An example of this is understanding the difference between assertiveness and aggression when setting firm boundaries.

Why is Emotional Intelligence important in the workplace? 

Work is an emotional subject. It has the power to affect our mood positively or negatively and impacts our health and relationships. Organizations that expect emotions to be left at the office door can create an unhealthy separation between being human and being productive. Undervaluing empathic employees in this way means missing out on beneficial soft skills that produce higher productivity, connection, and trust within teams.

Recently, more businesses are championing qualities like openness and active communication, recognizing that these skills are an asset to business productivity. A great leader sees the value in aligning people to work towards a common goal. They approach this by cultivating an emotionally inclusive work environment, resulting in a less stressed and more productive team.

Caring for our teams isn’t a tick-box exercise of fruit bowls, desk yoga, and “Wellness Wednesdays” – although I wouldn’t say no to desk yoga. We take active involvement in improving communication by understanding our emotions and how they affect our actions.

Finding better ways to communicate with our colleagues will result in meaningful contributions to our team and a thriving workplace. Similarly, if we can recognize areas for growth and align with our personal motivations, we are more likely to fulfill our career goals. 

Goleman’s book was written in 1995, and points out that,

“Almost three out of four executives see EI as a “must-have” skill for the workplace in the future as the automatizing of routine tasks bumps up against the impossibility of creating effective AI for activities that require emotional skill” Daniel Goleman

That future he speaks of is very much here, and developing emotional intelligence in the workplace is a necessity for a productive and healthy team. 

The context of the emotional intelligence group activities outlined in this article is to develop our emotional quotient to guide us in taking a personal commitment to work better as part of a team. We focus on specific areas of your team’s development, which are based on Goleman’s Five Categories of Emotional Intelligence to improve team cohesion:

• Self-awareness (knowing one’s emotions)
• Self-management (managing feelings, including how to stay motivated!)
• Empathy (identifying, understanding and empathizing with others)
• Communication (identifying blockers, listening, expressing feelings and thoughts proactively)
• Group Dynamics (team dynamics, organizational vision, roles and responsibilities, build team norms)

When choosing group activities focused on building a team’s emotional intelligence, it’s important to have a facilitator who understands them. The facilitator should also have the fundamental skills related to group cohesion and be able to spot any conflicts, or issues prior to running the activity. Not everyone will feel ready to contribute, which the facilitator and group must respect. 

It’s important to develop creative ways for the team to achieve their goals of understanding different emotions and developing emotional intelligence. If they are working on improving communication and emotional connection, you could select listening activities to help deliver their purpose. Identifying any risk levels in regard to self-disclosure is essential to creating a space of trust that means everyone can develop their own emotional intelligence.

Setting boundaries at the start of a workshop is vital to keep the conversation contained within that space. Emotional intelligence exercises explore deep aspects of people’s lives, especially in identifying and sharing so many emotions. Participants need to feel safe to share without judgment in a group setting. 

So, why do we have emotions and how do we become more self-aware?

Here comes the science. The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for identifying emotions based on our body’s physical sensations. Then it stores these as memories so that when our body experiences similar sensitivities in the future, the amygdala recognizes it as an emotion. It lives in a very primal part of our brain, vital for our evolutionary existence. 

Emotional intelligence starts by knowing and recognizing your own feelings. Emotions may not always feel positive, but they do serve a positive purpose. They are our mind and body’s way of communicating to try to push us to take positive, helpful action in response to something that has happened, is happening or could happen. Simply put, emotions are impulses to act.

The following emotional intelligence activities help teams identify and understand emotions, with greater context and nuance. There is also a workshop template with an Action Plan and Presentation specifically designed to improve self-awareness. These exercises will help people communicate their emotions, and practice self-awareness within their team, allowing for much better understanding and group cohesiveness.

Weather Check-In

Who you are, when i feel, the feeling wheel, i used to think…but now i think….

Checking in with ourselves and communicating our feelings to our teams is the first step to becoming self-aware. The way we feel emotions differs from person to person and understanding this can not only help develop self-awareness but also build empathy for how others are feeling.

As an example, Gill Hasson asks in her book Emotional Intelligence Pocketbook, Little Exercises for an Intuitive Life .  “When someone says ‘I’m happy ’ – what sort of ‘happy’ are you?” The word happy has a bouncy, uplifting feeling for some people. For others, happiness might mean feeling calm with zero stress, or a zen-like feeling.

The exercise, Weather Check-In uses the weather as a metaphor to describe our feelings. This way, our emotions become relatable, and people can be more honest about their feelings within a safe container. You may want to use this exercise at the beginning and end of a workshop to compare any changes.

Weather Check-in   #zoom   #virtual   #opening   #listening and awareness   #self-awareness   #teambuilding   Each person describes how they are feeling in terms of a weather system.    

Knowing ourselves is a multi-faceted process, and we have different ways to describe ourselves, varying from day-to-day, who we are with, and what we are doing. Our emotions and moods are changeable. Our personalities may differ or even mirror the people we are surrounded by. So, “Who Are You?” can have a spectrum of answers.

Who You Are is a creative approach to self-discovery where we create personal fanzines or narratives and collages that reflect our personality in response to the question “Who Are You?” The exercise starts with a paired meditation, taking it in turns, with one person asking “Who Are You?” and the partner giving a different response each time. Our variety of answers helps the participants to create a collage or mini-zine expressing their personal narratives. 

It’s okay that we have a spectrum of answers, this exercise helps us accept that we are multi-dimensional people. We can become more self-aware of how we act in different situations with different people and understand better why that might be.

Who you are   #identity   #emotions   The activity is aimed to create personal fanzines, a collage method for auto-narrative and self-discovery.

When we can recognize our feelings, we can register what our responses to these emotions might typically be. As we identify that emotions are impulses to act, we can consider how our inner feelings cause us to react or to take certain actions, and if these are similar to how others act.

In this activity, everyone begins by checking in with their own emotions. The facilitator may tie this in with another exercise, such as a meditation, or emotional vocabulary task to help aid the participants in better identifying their inner state. One person shares how they are feeling, and then calls someone’s name. The second person shares what they do to express that feeling, or what actions they might take. 

The goal is to listen and become aware of how we are feeling. We can understand ourselves and see how we might act when we feel that way. Do other people react to feelings in the same way we might?

"When I feel…"   #zoom   #virtual   #teambuilding   #listening and awareness   #self-awareness   #opening   #closing   People take turns sharing how they feel and stating what they do when they feel the way someone else is feeling. 

By developing our emotional vocabulary we can check in with ourselves and can better pinpoint the right words to express different feelings. American psychologist Robert Plutchik , mapped eight primary emotions: anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, anticipation, trust, and joy. These emotions were believed to be imperative to keeping our early ancestors alive.

Using the Feeling Wheel created by Plutchik, you can use this exercise to explore your own emotions with deeper nuance and improve your emotional intelligence. The visual guide allows us to group similar emotions together, and discuss the differences. In this activity, we check in with ourselves and share how we feel with each other using the wheel and adding any relevant context.

The simplicity of this exercise allows for easy modifications, for example, creating scenarios and characters to imagine what human emotions would be felt. A group may create a dictionary of different feelings going far beyond the five basic emotions. Variations of the emotions can be used, for example, the universal human needs used in nonviolent communication workshops.

The Feeling Wheel   #emotional intelligence   #self-awareness   #icebreaker   #team building   #remote-friendly   By growing our emotional vocabulary, we can better identify our emotions, and check in with ourselves. Doing so can help bring a level of self-awareness, and a better understanding of others.

Part of improving our self-awareness is that we recognize that our feelings can be mutable. For example, we receive a short, bluntly worded email and this snippet of information causes us to feel anxious. Later, with more clarity, we’re given more context that the person was just in a rush, so we no longer feel anxious.

In this exercise, the participants are asked to complete two sentences: “I used to think…” and “Now I think…” This might be a private consideration, or the group could share their thoughts, collating them together on a whiteboard.

We identify that feelings and opinions can change with more knowledge and social context. By looking at the world through another’s eyes, our thoughts may change as a result of these learnings. The exercise works well as a reflective self-awareness activity after working to empathize and communicate with others.

I used to think…But now I think…   #teampedia   #review   #debriefing   #team   A simple but effective closing activity that could lead to identify the learning point or outcomes for participants and measure the change in their behavior, mindset or opinion regarding the subject.

Once we have identified our own emotions, our next step is to recognize how we might react and if that is the most appropriate and useful action. Handling feelings is an important part of self-management, and by mastering this skill, we are able to pick ourselves up when life throws us a curveball.

You may be familiar with Parkinson’s Law? It’s the saying that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. Procrastination has definitely crept up on me when I’ve sat down to complete a task. An important essay is due and suddenly it seems very important to clean my apartment first! Nowadays, I’m better equipped with self-motivation, my favorite technique being the Pomodoro technique , and using the Plan Your Pomodoro exercise .

The following collection of emotional intelligence activities encourages teams to build self-motivation and learn to better manage their own emotions. Self-motivation is essential in the workplace for achieving the goals and tasks we’ve set out to accomplish. By overcoming procrastination we can hone our ability to focus and get into the “flow” state that creates the right environment for us to work effectively. 

Leadership Pizza

Letter to myself, everyday hassles, object meditation, plan your pomodoro.

A goal-setting exercise can work really well as a tool to improve our self-management and our motivation. Firstly, we can reflect on our current qualities by doing a self-assessment, and then identify areas of improvement, along with a timescale of when we want to see a difference.

Leadership Pizza is a tried and tested exercise that can be adapted and molded to suit leaders and team members anywhere within the company structure. Firstly, like a blank canvas, participants can identify skills, qualities, and characteristics they find important in being an effective part of the group. They can then assess their ability in that area, and create goals to become more emotionally intelligent members.

Leadership Pizza   #leadership   #team   #remote-friendly   This leadership development activity offers a self-assessment framework for people to first identify what skills, attributes and attitudes they find important for effective leadership, and then assess their own development and initiate goal setting.

Writing is often a very cathartic process to understand our own emotions and consider perspectives that allow us to see things more clearly. From a goal-setting perspective, writing our ambitions down in detail can help cement the ideas and serve as a visual cue. Forbes has an article on the neuroscience behind this.

‘Manifestation’ is having its moment and whilst that might be a good place to start, goals without taking action rarely materialize. A Letter to Myself exercise works similarly, team members can focus on key actions they’d like their future selves to take, and their motivations behind these goals. The facilitator might suggest prompts such as:

• What will I achieve by X date?
• What will I do tomorrow, next week, next month?
• How do I feel now about my work/job/team? And how do I want my future self to feel?
• Don’t forget…
• I want to change… because

Goleman mentions in his book on Emotional Intelligence, “People with greater certainty about their feelings are better pilots of their lives, having a surer sense of how they really feel about personal decisions from whom to marry, to what job to take.”

Letter to Myself   #hyperisland   #action   #remote-friendly   Often done at the end of a workshop or program, the purpose of this exercise is to support participants in applying their insights and learnings, by writing a letter and sending it to their future selves. They can define key actions that they would like their future self to take, and express their reasons why change needs to happen.

We often have built-in responses to stressful situations that we repeatedly do and on occasions, regret. Our knee-jerk reactions can also cause friction with others and can create conflict with our team members. By identifying and challenging how we respond, we can adapt better to future situations.

Everyday Hassles is an activity that reframes our approach to inconvenient situations. Things that might crop up in everyday life, such as being stuck in a traffic jam, can cause us to feel negative about the disruption to our plan. By thinking of alternative, more positive solutions, the group can change their mindset towards everyday annoyances, seeing them as opportunities.

The key takeaway from the exercise is that teams can see how they can control their emotional reactions, take ownership over their responses and better manage stress.

Everyday Hassles   #issue resolution   #issue analysis   #stress management   #thiagi   It is a great activity to show participants that it is plausible to change our automatic behaviours and reactions to annoying situations.

Meditation exercises are useful emotional intelligence tools to help us manage our own temperament. The great thing about meditation is that it can be done almost anywhere – with our eyes open or closed. The important part is to notice how we feel emotionally, mentally and physically. Like a car has its MOT, we can use meditation in a similar way for ourselves.

We make meditation accessible by checking in with how we are feeling and using an object as a vessel to visualize letting go of what doesn’t serve us right now. It’s useful to allow the team the option to fully let their emotions go, and leave their body, or that they can ‘collect’ them again from the object later on. It’s useful to recognize that although emotions can feel negative, we can choose to view them as potential impulses to act. 

Allow the participants to choose which emotions they wish to take into the workshop. Most will pick positive emotions, such as feeling energized or relaxed, but some might take a shard of anger or sadness to address that ‘negative’ emotion within the meeting. 

Object Meditation   #icebreaker   #meditation   #emotional intelligence   #managing emotions   #check-in   #self-awareness   A focused meditation to become present and aware. We accept our feelings, leaving behind what we doesn’t serve us right now. A ideal way to open a workshop or team meeting.

If you have the concentration of a goldfish, it might be worth exploring some self-management strategies like the Pomodoro technique. Francesco Cirillo developed this simple and effective method involving setting a timer for 25 minutes to focus on a task, and then taking a 5-minute break. Every 25 minutes is called a Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) because he used a tomato-shaped timer to measure his time slots. After 4 Pomodoros, we take a longer break.

This planning exercise is centered around this technique to plan our day ahead into smaller, more manageable chunks. The facilitator can explain the Pomodoro technique, and emphasize its successes. We start the task by creating a to-do list and breaking it down into Pomodoros which we share with the group. We can reflect on how optimistic we may have been with our to-do list and share any wins and struggles. 

Emotional intelligence skills help us become flexible enough to find different ways to arrive at our goals and having the sense to break a task into smaller, manageable pieces. By repeating this process, we become more responsible and have a better ability to focus on the task at hand. The results are deeper concentration and improved self-control.

Plan Your Pomodoro   #self-management   #emotional intelligence   #productivity   #time management   Using the Pomodoro technique, this is an exercise to prepare your day by breaking it down into digestible chunks. Say goodbye to procrastination!

Empathy is the ability to recognize emotions in others, and the awareness of differences in the intensity of how people feel, process and act on emotions. Edward Diener, a psychologist, created a scale to record how intensely people experience and react to emotions. Just as we don’t all recognize color in the same way, we all experience and react to emotions differently. 

Interestingly, he found that we feel more content when we are able to pick up on subtle social signals that indicate what others feel and need. When we work together as an emotionally intelligent team and understand that every emotion has value and significance, we are happier and more fulfilled. Teams need to productively build trust and understanding to support and rely on others.

Heard, Seen, Respected

Strength building exercise, i’ll take that fear, paired walk, simple ethnography.

Building our empathic skills starts with listening, understanding and respecting people’s stories. We create empathy by putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes and feeling how they might feel in a certain situation.

In this exercise, we can practice deep listening and empathy by working in pairs. One person is invited to tell a story of a time when they didn’t feel heard, seen or respected. The other person’s job is to listen deeply, and not try to fix or judge the situation. At the end of the storytelling, each person reflects on how they felt from their perspective, whether they were listening or speaking.

Active listening exercises help us build empathy, and create a safe space for conversation allowing people to feel heard and understood. We create an environment where we respect one another without judgment, and by relating to how they might feel.

Heard, Seen, Respected (HSR)   #issue analysis   #empathy   #communication   #liberating structures   #remote-friendly   You can foster the empathetic capacity of participants to “walk in the shoes” of others. Many situations do not have immediate answers or clear resolutions. Recognizing these situations and responding with empathy can improve the “cultural climate” and build trust among group members. HSR helps individuals learn to respond in ways that do not overpromise or overcontrol. It helps members of a group notice unwanted patterns and work together on shifting to more productive interactions. Participants experience the practice of more compassion and the benefits it engenders.

An empathic environment is a space where people feel safe and confident to speak up and share. By building up others, we support their wins, celebrate their successes and create a positive place for our teams to thrive.

This strength-building exercise encourages a participant to share their experience of a time when they felt they had achieved something good. The rest of the team listens to the story and takes turns to share two or three strengths they must have used to achieve their goal. All strengths are noted down, and the storyteller may take this strength and share it aloud, for example, “I am determined”.

The outcome is that teams can share their appreciation of others by highlighting their strengths and building their self-esteem. It builds trust within groups and shows the power of good storytelling to build empathy and assurance.

Strength Building exercise   #team   #appreciation   #self esteem   #remote-friendly   People develop confidence and self esteem as they discover that their achievements and skills are valuable. This is an exercise for team building and for increasing self esteem and mutual trust.

Vulnerability and trust go hand in hand and can be developed between teams and partners over time. It can be challenging to feel safe enough to be open with other people, but by showing support, and listening to others without judgment, we can encourage a safe space.

I’ll Take that Fear is an exercise that helps people share their fears and doubts, and reframe them, whilst being heard and supported by others. The group starts by taking a moment to think of a great friend, mentor or supporter they have in their lives, they then re-name themselves with their own name first, and then the name of the person they have in mind, for example, “Carrin-Lisa”.

When that person shares a fear or doubt, a second team member offers “I’ll take that fear”, and asks “What would Lisa say?” encouraging the person to reframe their doubt, by considering someone else’s perspective. It’s a great way to encourage teams to listen and to think of their doubts differently.

I'll take that fear   #trust   #courage   #fear   #authenticity   #psychological safety   #remote-friendly   #zoom   #online   #empathy   #feedback   #perspectives   #problem solving   #coaching   People share a fear, it is received by another, and then they are asked to share the advice that a trusted mentor or friend would give them.

When managing our emotions, heading outside for a solo walk can work wonders for letting off steam, or taking some time to step away from a situation. Being outside allows us to refresh and connect with nature. Meeting a friend and walking side-by-side can help us communicate and express our ideas and thoughts much more freely, with more casual eye contact than if we were sitting opposite each other in a café.

The paired walk is a simple and effective way to connect with another person, and its benefits are multiple: increasing trust, empathy and communication – all whilst energizing our bodies and refreshing our minds. This exercise involves pairing up, ideally with someone they don’t know as well, and taking a walk outside for an allotted amount of time.

You might suggest a topic for participants to discuss, such as gratitude, and share what they are grateful for. Or it’s often best to just let the conversation flow naturally allowing as little or as much detail, as an informal everyday conversation out in nature. Maybe you’ll take your next meeting outside? Or conduct a 1-1 that way?

Paired walk   #issue resolution   #outdoor   #team   #active listening   #hybrid-friendly   Inviting a paired walk is surprisingly effective in its simplicity. Going for a walk together increases trust and can help prepare the terrain for conflict resolution, while acting as an energizer at the same time. Make it hybrid-friendly by pairing a person in the room to one joining online!

The best way I can describe Ethnography is to imagine yourself being Louis Theroux for the day. Ethnographers observe people, and immerse themselves within that group’s local setting- be it a community or workplace, perhaps recording the experience on film, and following up with interviews.  

This exercise, Simple Ethnography suggests that a small group of people, our ‘ethnographers’, immerse themselves in a local setting, where our people with local experience go about their usual business. It’s best to frame the context by asking what is the problem we hope to solve in this exercise. The ethnographers first observe and record what they experience, either in notebooks or if consent is given, on camera. 

Afterward, a reflective interview can happen, by asking the people what they might have been thinking or feeling as they engaged in certain activities or routines. The group can finish the exercise with an emotional intelligence assessment or a story of their findings. You might use this in a workplace setting to shadow how top performers go about their day and learn from the experience; or by working alongside front-line workers to better identify team members’ strengths.

Simple Ethnography   #innovation   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   You can enable participants to find novel approaches to challenges by immersing themselves in the activities of the people with local experience—often their colleagues on the front line or anyone who uses their product or service. You open the door to change and innovation by helping participants explore what people actually do and feel in creating, delivering, or using their offering. Their observations and experience can spur rapid performance improvements and expedite prototype development. The combined observations may make it easy to spot important patterns.

Improving our communication skills allows us to be better understood, and to better understand others. Communication and the way in which we connect are said to be the key to personal and career success . We all have different ways of feeling and expressing emotions, and the same goes with communication styles. 

At SessionLab, we are a 100% remote team, and we primarily work asynchronously on Slack, using written communication. This method of communication works so well because everyone can consider their response and reply in their own time. 

Identifying everyone’s preferred ways to communicate is vital to great teamwork. This might mean having important conversations face-to-face creating a space for eye contact and body language; and by running day-to-day tasks asynchronously. Consider how the tone of voice, body language, and environment contribute to how information is received. Effective communication starts with choosing the right format for conversations so that people can feel safe and communicate openly. 

This set of emotional intelligence activities is designed to boost communication skills and they will help your team have better conversations too!

Back-Turned Feedback

Roses, buds and thorns, from silence to vibrance, open questions, seven words.

Speaking about someone behind their back damages trust, creating a loss of credibility and confidence. Plus, no one likes the town gossip! Feedback, both positive and negative, should be delivered constructively, and openly. Discussing both sides of the story helps make amends, and creates a flourishing space for the team to thrive.

In this exercise, teams do speak about someone behind their back, but that person is present in the room, and the things being discussed are positive and constructive. One person sits with their back to the room, and the others speak about them in the third person, noting their strengths and what they appreciate about them; and then what they would like more from this person.

This open method of giving feedback is essential to keep the team’s efforts on track and to learn to accept criticism. Everyone has the opportunity to be transparent about their strengths and weaknesses, and to feel supported by their fellow team members.

Back-turned Feedback   #hyperisland   #skills   #feedback   Regular, effective feedback is one of the most important ingredients in building constructive relationships and thriving teams. Openness creates trust and trust creates more openness. Feedback exercises aim to support groups to build trust and openness and for individuals to gain self-awareness and insight. Feedback exercises should always be led with thoughtfulness and high awareness of group dynamics.

Goleman notes that criticism is one of the most important tasks a manager has but is also one of the most ignored. An interactive method of delivering feedback is by giving people the space to reflect on their own performance and share with the team. They may already be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and may have a plan for where they might have gone off track.

Harry Levinson, a psychoanalyst suggests being very specific with critique, sharing what has been done well and where improvement can be made. Roses, Buds and Thorns is an exercise that gives each individual a structure for creating their own reflections. It is a simple way of sharing how tasks have gone using:

• Roses: our successes and strengths
• Buds: areas for development
• Thorns: challenges

Roses, Buds and Thorns   #communication   #motivation   #strengths   #weaknesses   #discussion   #dialouge   #honesty   #teambuilding   #quick   Roses, buds, and thorns is a quick and simple team exercise that can be performed at the start of a group meeting. The idea is to evaluate a project, team task, or even your day by having each team member come up with a Rose (positive highlight), Thorn (struggle or challenge), and Bud (opportunity for improvement). The goal of this activity is to open up discussion among team members and acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of others. This can allow you to put measures in place to do more of what’s going well, and fix what needs fixing. As well, this activity inspires creativity and debate within teams. Discussing Buds can encourage new, creative ideas to come to the fore. Finally, the activity allows you to gain insight from all members of the team as communication and honesty are important for every group!

Sometimes groups aren’t as forthcoming with communicating their thoughts. It is important to be mindful that not everyone feels safe or encouraged to share their feelings. Keep in mind that there isn’t anything wrong with silence, not every pause needs to be filled with words, and we can reframe silence as reflectiveness and thoughtfulness.

This technique is useful for groups that are quieter or less assertive. The goal of the workshop is to build participation by allowing space for conversation. A facilitator’s role is to reframe any silence as reflection, or as a consideration of others.

By using storytelling as a tool to discuss similar situations of silence, the facilitator can encourage participants to open up, and what their positive outcomes may have been. When participants do speak, give positive praise and encouragement.

From Silence to Vibrance   #managing difficulties   #group development   #online   #engagement   #team dynamics   Sometimes a number of people are silent and there is not necessarily a dominant person in the group. This often happens in cultures where being assertive is not valued.

Asking open questions can be an easier way to gain a better understanding of someone, and to open up further conversation. Pairing this with active listening makes for stronger communication.

This exercise works to develop both our listening skills and ways to think about how we form and ask questions. It works well with 12 or fewer people, and the aim is for the group to find out something unknown from the volunteer using open questions that start with:

Practicing open questions helps participants be more mindful of the questions they pose in everyday conversations and invites the other person to open up more. It also signals that they really are interested in what is being said.

Open Questions – Role Play   #communication   #skills   #active listening   An extract from Rudyard Kipling’s poem in “The Elephant’s Child” literally OPENS up  opportunities to practice a key skill as part of a communication skills course as well  as allied skills in active listening and observation.

Are you familiar with the phrase, It’s not what you say, but how you say it?

According to a study at UCLA , our words make up only 7% of the impact of what we say. Tone of voice makes up 38% of expressing our emotions and feelings, and gestures count for a huge 55%. This means that 93% of how a person is really feeling isn’t in the actual words themselves. 

‘ Seven Words ‘, explores the effect of tone of voice on what we say. A volunteer chooses a seven-word sentence about themselves. The first time they say the sentence, stress or emphasis is put on the first word. The rest of the group discuss the possible interpretation of the sentence. Next, the exercise is repeated by putting an emphasis on a different word, and the team discusses what the sentence might mean to them now. It can be modified to choose different sentence lengths and doesn’t have to be exactly seven words.

Recognizing the differences in context and meaning by the simple variation in intonation can make an interesting reflection. The goal of this exercise is to understand and reflect on how we speak. Meaning and emotion are carried across in our voices, and awareness of this will help develop emotional intelligence skills.

Seven Words   #thiagi   #communication   #skills   #remote-friendly   Ever heard the cliché, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it”? The Seven Words jolt dramatically demonstrates this principle. You demonstrate how the meaning of a sentence changes as you emphasize different words. Later, you invite pairs of participants to explore this concept.

Emotional Intelligence Games for better Group Dynamics

In high-performing teams, most people will cultivate positive ways to deal with negative emotions. These groups value clear and open communication and react positively when presented with an opportunity to build their emotional intelligence skills. 

Those employees who take the opportunity to improve their E.I. might be your star players and future leaders. They make work a dream as they create strong relationships with others. If they encounter a hurdle at work, they have an already established network of people to go to for help and are appreciative of their team. They are also available to support when needed.

Some people may not be as aware of their emotions and are less able to get to grips with them, perhaps even bottling things up, or avoiding situations. These issues can be changed if they are open to exploring ways to improve emotional intelligence and seeing the potential benefits.

Noticing and working with differences can be part of creating the right team atmosphere to build a stronger group identity. These emotional intelligence activities help participants understand the role they each play in a group discussion and will help them better handle relationships, solve problems and collaborate more effectively.

Map Participation Styles

The thing from the future, nine dimensions team building activity, sit – stand – disappear, myer-briggs team reflection.

Working together in groups involves a balance of how people actively participate in meetings, workshops and in day-to-day communication at work. Goleman noted that surprisingly, in group situations, those who are overly eager to take part were a drag on the group by being too controlling or domineering. Equally, those who did not participate brought the group down. So learning to balance our styles is important in group dynamics.

The Map Participation Styles exercise uses a visual to aid self-reflection for participants to identify their participation style. They can see where they lie on the X-axis between being shy or being loud. And on the Y-axis, if they need to think in order to talk, or if they think by speaking aloud. 

The exercise helps groups understand the team’s participation styles so that they can adjust their behavior. It helps create balance and opportunities for all voices to be heard.

Map Participation Styles   #teamwork   #psychological safety   #empathy   #self-awareness   #ice breaker   #culture design   #remote-friendly   In most meetings, 20% of participants do 80% of the talking. Unfortunately, remote meetings amplify this lousy behavior. Some people like to talk to think, while others need to think before they talk. Some people are shy and quiet, while others are more vocal and outspoken. This activity helps assess participation style and adjust behaviors.

Working on a creative project together can be a fun way to harness team dynamics. By focusing our efforts on a lighter approach to building emotional intelligence, we can see the benefits in a more organic way.

The exercise is an inclusive storytelling activity where the team travels to the future and are presented with a variety of objects. It works well with 12 or fewer people, with each person choosing an object and spending 10 minutes modifying the design to create an artifact from the future. Taking it in turns, each member of the team presents their object to the group with a story behind its use and purpose. The stories help to create a mutual understanding of the object together.

This activity can be modified to design a specific object relevant to the team’s industry or even relate it to an emotional need. They can also form a group at the end to develop an object together based on what has been created so far. It’s a great way of prototyping and aligning in a joint vision.

The Thing from the Future   #imagination   #storymaking   #idea generation   #issue analysis   Help a group to time-travel and tap their imagination by fictional objects. With tangible objects and the stories your participants make up w/ them you’ll get so much richer inputs and context to inform joint visioning / strategizing: The future doesn’t look that far away when you can pick it off the shelf.

Aligning our own self-awareness with that of our team is paramount to building Emotional Intelligence. By honestly reflecting on what skills we excel at, and seeing which areas we may need to develop, we can be transparent with our team members and work together to create a stronger group.

The Nine Dimensions activity guides us to rate our abilities in nine aspects important to our work environment and how we relate to others. Participants choose colored dots to mark how well they are doing in each area.

The exercise is followed by a team discussion, to discover how everyone feels about the skills, and if we are all in the agreement or not. It works to identify where people may need support, and where others might excel. This awareness can help build better skills in both individual and group emotional intelligence.

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity   #ice breaker   #teambuilding   #team   #remote-friendly   9 Dimensions is a powerful activity designed to build relationships and trust among team members. There are 2 variations of this icebreaker. The first version is for teams who want to get to know each other better. The second version is for teams who want to explore how they are working together as a team.

An energetic icebreaker to work together as a team is an effective way to connect when working virtually. At SessionLab, we are all scattered across Europe and we tried this exercise out with some silly music.

Sit, Stand Disappear is a virtual game in Zoom. Everyone adjusts their screen so that they only see 3 people in a row. In each row, the goal is to work in sync to have one person sitting, one standing, and one out of the frame in their row. As each person will have a different view in Zoom, the game will work by making it very difficult to complete!

In a debrief, jointly discuss the dynamics of the group, did you work together by observing others? Did one person take the lead and direct the rest of the team? What were your thoughts and feelings throughout the game?

Sit – Stand – Disappear   #remote-friendly   #opening   #zoom   #energizer   #large group   #ericamarxcoaching   As a virtual game in Zoom, have people narrow their screen so they only see 3 people in a row. Each person will simultaneously try to have one person sitting, one standing , and one out of the frame in their row.

An interesting way to explore team dynamics could be by using a Personality test such as the Myer-Briggs model. The group can use the test as a jumping-off point to discuss if they identify with that personality type and if they agree or disagree with them.

The exercise works by first of all giving people time to complete the test, and then see for themselves if they agree with the underlying motivations of their character type. Each person then shares with the group points they consider to ring true, and which points don’t. Our group can then feedback on their thoughts.

The point of this exercise is to start with our own self-awareness, and equally that of our team, so that we can recognize certain behaviors, inclinations and motives in the unit.

Myers-Briggs Team Reflection   #team   #hyperisland   A workshop to explore personal traits and interpersonal relations using the Myers-Briggs personalities model. Use this tool to go deeper with your team to understand more about yourselves and each other on personal and professional levels.

What are your thoughts?

I hope you’ve come away from this article inspired to use emotional intelligence activities to make your team happier and more productive. The rewards of recognizing our emotions before we take action are huge, and our team can greatly benefit from how we manage our feelings when working together.

Improving your team’s emotional intelligence helps to improve empathy and better our communication skills resulting in a tighter support system with less conflict. I’ve created a workshop template designed to develop your team’s self-awareness to build their emotional intelligence skills.

Are there any exercises you have tried out? Do any of the activities motivate you to develop emotional intelligence skills within your facilitation practice? Let us know of any successes in building emotional intelligence within yourself, and within your team in the comments below.

Can I just say thank you very much for the fantastic detail and resources in this article?

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Emotional Intelligence

4 key skills for building your emotional intelligence, your emotional intelligence elevates with self-awareness..

Posted April 5, 2024 | Reviewed by Tyler Woods

• Emotional intelligence is a crucial aspect of success, wellness, and happiness.
• Recognizing and understanding emotions in ourselves and others can help to improve relationships.
• There are four key skills for building your emotional intelligence.

“It is very important to understand that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head—it is the unique intersection of both.” -David Caruso

Emotional intelligence has changed our understanding of intelligence remarkably. While so many people see emotions as something secondary to logic and reason, the research is clear that both IQ ( intelligence quotient ) and EQ (emotional quotient) play unique roles in our overall success, wellness, and happiness in life. Studies suggest that while IQ may predict academic and technical success, persons with higher EQ tend to have better mental health, stronger social connections, and greater resilience in facing life’s challenges. Our emotions are extraordinary marvels intertwined with all other areas of wellness.

Emotional intelligence (often abbreviated to EI or EQ) was first coined by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer in the early 1990s and later popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence.

It is helpful to think about emotional intelligence as having a personal component, what you see and what you do, as well as having a social component, what you see in the world and what you do in the world. Psychologists group these skills into four domains: self-awareness, self-regulation , social awareness, and relationship management .

The reality is that all four domains are connected. For example, effective relationship management often relies on strong social awareness, just as successful self-regulation is dependent on self-awareness. At the core of emotional intelligence is our ability to perceive, understand, use, and manage emotions on a personal and social level. When we cultivate a healthy relationship with our own emotions, we become better equipped to navigate the complexities of our relationships with others.

The four key skills for building your EQ:

1. Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence. It is a critical aspect of how we see ourselves and how we behave. Self-awareness is being able to perceive and label our emotions at any given time and understand the impact our moods have on our thoughts and on others.

Self-awareness requires us to be present and be the observer of our emotions, which can be hard when so many of us are on autopilot and busy multitasking our lives away. So often, we feel as though our feelings and behaviors are a mystery, yet often, there may be noticeable patterns if we pause long enough to pay attention .

Are you able to accurately identify and understand your emotions?

2. Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is all about what we personally do to make sure that we are operating from a place of a regulated nervous system . It is the ability to control and redirect our emotions, anticipating consequences before acting on impulse. Our power ultimately lies in learning how to work with our emotions, responding to them rather than reacting, and finding healthy and productive ways of managing and expressing them.

Are you able to manage your emotions and behaviors in a productive way?

3. Social Awareness

Social awareness is the ability to read the room, sense and understand the emotional needs of others, show empathy, and see things from other people’s perspectives. Being socially aware requires many skills used simultaneously. We need to be mindful of the context of the situation, body language , tones, and verbal and non-verbal cues, all while being present at the moment, managing our own emotions, and anticipating our own scripts for responding. Being attuned to the emotions of others is key to building connections. When we get it right, the other person feels so heard, seen, and validated that the relationship is instantly strengthened.

Are you able to perceive and understand the emotions and behaviors of others?

4. Relationship Management

Relationship management is the ability to apply our emotional understanding of the three other domains, taking our own emotions, the emotions of others, and the context into account to manage relationships effectively. The capacity to be in relationships and in the community is a fundamental skill. We must learn how to interact with people in a “well way.” For example, we must learn how to listen to really hear and understand, communicate clearly, work in collaboration , inspire and positively influence others, and talk about difficult topics.

Are you able to build and maintain positive relationships with others?

Emotions are a miraculous part of the lived experience, and our relationship with them is a vital component of our wellness. Nurturing a healthy relationship with our emotions is not only essential for our mental and emotional well-being but also crucial for fostering positive and meaningful relationships with others. These are all skills that we can all learn that will serve us well in our personal and professional lives.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Dell.

Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, Ed.D. , is a resiliency and wellness scholar and speaker, author of Calm Within the Storm and Stress Wisely , and award-winning instructor and adjunct professor at Trent University.

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Understanding what emotional intelligence looks like and the steps needed to improve it could light a path to a more emotionally adept world.

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Examples Of Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions while acknowledging and engaging with the emotions of others (Goleman, 1996).

Emotional intelligence comprises a set of skills, including empathy , problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and the capacity to regulate our own emotions. 

It plays a significant role in the contemporary world and is a better predictor of success, quality of relationships, and life satisfaction than intellectual intelligence (IQ) (Koubova and Buchko, 2013). 

In addition, research suggests that people with a higher emotional quotient (EQ) are more innovative and perform better in both academic and work environments (MacCann et al., 2020; Krén and Séllei, 2021). 

Emotional Intelligence in Everyday Life

Every day, we experience various emotions that drive us to feel or behave a certain way. 

We feel before we think, and this is an adaptive mechanism designed to respond quickly to stimuli in the environment. However, our minds also evolved in a way that allows us to reflect on and regulate our emotions so that they do not control our actions (Goleman, 2001). 

The ‘pause before you act’ is an example of how we can prevent temporary emotions from overriding us.

Thinking before lashing out at someone because we feel stressed or carefully evaluating a situation before attributing one’s fault are some of the little efforts we can take to separate our emotions from our thoughts and behaviors.

Taking other people’s perspectives before judging or labeling them also facilitates the expression of empathetic behaviors, making people feel more comfortable about sharing their experiences. This, in turn, helps create deeper connections with others in the longer term.

Apologizing for our own mistakes and practicing forgiveness are also simple actions that can reinforce healthy relationships that are based on reciprocal respect. By setting aside unhelpful emotions, including pride and resentment, it is possible to prioritize our relationship over our ego.

Emotional Intelligence in Education

In education, EI is regarded as an important skill for students to develop, both for their academic performance and future careers. 

Although factors such as IQ and conscientiousness are the stronger predictors of academic achievement, several studies also found a positive correlation with EI, with evidence of incremental validity over other variables (MacCann et al., 2020).

Different explanations have been provided on what factors may account for this association. 

First, students with higher EI could be better able to manage challenging emotions related to academic performance, including anxiety , boredom, and disappointment.

In addition, greater EI may promote the formation of more positive relationships with peers, teachers, and family, resulting in an enriched supportive system around the student.

Furthermore, EI might help students perform better in humanistic subjects requiring correct understanding and expression of emotions, such as arts and literature. 

As EI is becoming an increasingly important component of students’ curricula, there is a growing demand for teachers to implement behaviors informed by EI principles in classrooms (Mortiboys, 2013).

This means promoting collaboration between students, creating opportunities for reflection and metacognition, and encouraging assertive communication to meet students’ needs and values.

Emotional Intelligence in Relationships

Since EI also includes the ability to understand and empathize with the emotions of others, it is crucial for developing strong and good-quality relationships. 

In a research study, EI was positively related to higher scores on empathetic perspective-taking and self-monitoring in social situations, meaning that people with higher EI were better able to understand social contexts and adjust their self-presentation accordingly (Schutte et al., 2001). 

In addition, EI predicted the level of cooperation and affection in romantic relationships. In couples where one partner had high EI, they demonstrated overall better relationship satisfaction. 

The possible underlying reasons are that EI can help lead more productive conversations, allowing for better intimacy in relationships. At the same time, it is a useful tool for managing conflicts constructively, understanding others’ negative emotions, and being more open to negotiation (Schutte et al., 2001). 

Some practical behaviors that can help build emotionally intelligent relationships are taking care and developing strategies to support each other, practicing transparent communication without making assumptions to be able to attune to others’ feelings, and using changes in circumstances as an opportunity to redefine and revitalize our relationships (Zeidner, Matthews and Roberts, 2012).

Emotional Intelligence at Work

EI in the workplace has been associated with a greater likelihood of professional growth, both for the individual and for companies. 

A boost in overall productivity at work has been observed in employees that are emotionally intelligent and seem to be more committed to their careers and organization (Miao, Humphrey, and Qian, 2017). 

In addition, the interpersonal aspects of EI can facilitate work interactions by allowing a greater degree of openness to other people’s perspectives, which can, in turn, enhance the success of leadership (Fianko, Jnr, and Dzogbewu, 2020).

For example, practicing active listening during meetings and showing appreciation for the initiatives of others can foster trust and cooperation between co-workers.

As companies now tend to rely more on effective teamwork, the ability to clearly communicate tasks and objectives also plays a pivotal role (Krén and Séllei, 2021). Being aware of our communication skills as well as the listener’s level of comprehension can prevent misunderstandings and uncertainty about the most effective course of action. 

In addition, the ability of leaders to communicate the purpose and values of an organization can help develop a collective sense of goals, generating greater enthusiasm and commitment.

Being open to and providing constructive feedback while avoiding criticism is also an important element for professional development in employees, who can work on becoming a better version of themselves without feeling demotivated.

This can be promoted by clearly identifying areas of improvement while providing new learning opportunities and rewarding excellent work (Chernis et al., 1998).

Examples of low emotional intelligence 

Low EI is characterized by the inability to perceive emotions accurately and maintain meaningful social interactions (Goleman, 1996)

There are various ways in which this can manifest. People with low EI may struggle to listen to others’ perspectives and have difficulty acknowledging their own mistakes, with the risk of provoking argumentative conversations. 

They may also have little insight into how their emotions drive inappropriate behaviors, failing to understand when something they say is insensitive or tending to blame others for their problems.

Low EI may also present with frequent emotional outbursts or changes in mood , which reflects a reduced ability to control emotions.

Finally, people with low EI may have a very limited social circle due to reduced empathy and connectedness in relationships and difficulty maintaining an equal balance between give and take. 

Components of Emotional Intelligence

According to Daniel Goleman’s model, first outlined in his book Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ (1996), there are four main competencies of emotional intelligence (Figure 1).

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to accurately assess our own emotions, including their origin and the external events that trigger them. It provides a useful tool for decision-making, allowing us to base our actions on true facts rather than impulsive reactions. 

It also encompasses awareness about our own capabilities – strengths and weaknesses – knowing how our emotions are brought up by specific circumstances.

This consequently leads to better self-confidence as we have the power to choose emotional responses that are more appropriate to the context. 

Self-Management

Self-management is the capacity to regulate emotions and impulses in a productive way and to be resilient in the face of changing circumstances. 

People with strong self-regulation skills tend to be better able to act with integrity and in line with their own values when making decisions (trustworthiness), and they take responsibility for their own actions (conscientiousness).

In addition, they engage in realistic efforts to improve their performance, trying to take the initiative to maximize their chances of success. 

Social Awareness

Social awareness entails the ability to empathize with others’ emotions, even when these are not expressed explicitly, and to comprehend the social contexts and group dynamics they occur in.

Through empathy, it is possible to create a strong emotional bond with others, showing sensitivity to their feelings and responding in ways that validate them.

Social awareness also allows an understanding of the forces and power dynamics present in relationships and influences a person’s emotions.

Relationship Management 

Relationship management is the ability to inspire, influence, and motivate others while managing hostile situations with diplomacy and strategy. 

It involves practicing active listening toward others’ needs and maintaining open and clear communication to develop strong and positive relationships.

It also includes the capacity to deal with conflict and maintain leadership skills when motivating a group to work towards a common goal.

The model, therefore, distinguishes between awareness (recognition of emotions) and management (regulation of emotions) applied to the self and others . 

Figure 1. Readapted from Singh et al., 2022

How can emotional intelligence be increased?

Despite EI being correlated with personality traits, there is also evidence of it being a skill that can be improved with time and as our social interactions evolve (Nelis et al., 2009; Serrat, 2017). 

Below are some ways in which emotional intelligence can be increased:

Develop emotional awareness

• Acknowledging, identifying, and naming our feelings can increase emotional awareness. 
• A simple way to do this is by exploring our emotional reactions to life events with curiosity to validate feelings rather than avoiding them. 
• Practicing mindfulness is also a proven method of gaining perspective on our feelings. 
• Once we gain self-awareness, we also become more resilient to challenges, as we are better able not to feel overcome by adversity.

Practice active listening

• Practicing attentive listening to attune to other people’s feelings can help develop empathy. 
• While talking to others, it is important to avoid interrupting them or relating the conversation to ourselves, noticing the signals that indicate how the other person is feeling. 
• This can increase our ability to understand their emotional needs and identify ways to offer help. 

Assertive communication

• Assertive communication, which involves clearly expressing our perspectives, desires, and needs, can enhance our relationship with others as they can better understand our point of view. 
• To increase assertiveness, we can try and identify which emotions are more difficult for us to share and rehearse ways to express them.

Acknowledge others’ emotions

• When dealing with personal or job-related conflicts, it is important to acknowledge first the emotions that the counterpart is expressing. 
• This can help reduce stress levels and gives space to resolve the problem more objectively. 

Reframe the situation

• The second step is trying to reframe a problematic situation in a positive way, suggesting possible ways to help or finding a compromise to move toward conflict resolution.
• Setting concrete goals to promote emotionally intelligent behaviors in everyday life may involve being more present for others and engaging in more meaningful conversations. 
• To track our progress, we can ask our close ones for feedback and constantly identify areas of improvement.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is emotional intelligence important.

Possessing strong EI skills can have an overall positive impact on our life. It brings better awareness of our own feelings, allowing us to handle challenging situations with greater control and flexibility.

In addition, it helps create deeper connections with other people, strengthening the social support system around us and improving our mental well-being. People with high EI also seem to report better work-life balance as they can reconcile their roles in different aspects of their life.

When is emotional intelligence important?

EI is particularly important when dealing with everyday stressful situations. Preventing the escalation of negative emotions allows the introduction of more positive emotional states, protecting our general mental health and well-being. 

EI also plays a pivotal role in our ability to make objective decisions. Through EI skills, it is possible to be aware of superfluous emotions that can negatively influence the decision-making process and disregard them to enhance our ability to reach the final outcome. 

Finally, through greater emotional awareness, we can understand more clearly what our goals are and identify the motivations to accomplish them.

How does emotional intelligence make a good leader?

EI has proven to be a significant predictor of effective leadership and trust development in leader-employee interactions. 

Leaders with high EI can integrate the view of others when developing strategic plans directed towards a common goal and are committed to fostering a sense of purpose in their employees (Kennedy, Campis, and Leclerc, 2020). 

In addition, they prioritize the developmental needs of others, providing opportunities for professional development and reinforcing learning behaviors.

In general, with leadership tasks in an organization involving more complex and collaborative work, practicing relationship management skills becomes increasingly important.

Cherniss, C., Goleman, D., Emmerling, R., Cowan, K., & Adler, M. (1998). Bringing emotional intelligence to the workplace.  New Brunswick, NJ: Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, Rutgers University , 1-34.

Fianko, S. K., Jnr, S. A. J. S. A., & Dzogbewu, T. C. (2020). Does the interpersonal dimension of Goleman’s emotional intelligence model predict effective leadership?.  African Journal of Business and Economic Research ,  15 (4), 221.

Goleman, D. (1996). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ . Bloomsbury Publishing.

Goleman, D. (2001). An EI-based theory of performance.  The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and organizations ,  1 (1), 27-44.

Kennedy, K., Campis, S., & Leclerc, L. (2020). Human-Centered Leadership: Creating Change From the Inside Out.  Nurse Leader ,  18 (3), 227-231.

Koubova, V., & Buchko, A. A. (2013). Life‐work balance: Emotional intelligence as a crucial component of achieving both personal life and work performance.  Management Research Review .

Krén, H., & Séllei, B. (2021). The role of emotional intelligence in organizational performance.  Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences ,  29 (1), 1-9.

MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E., Double, K. S., Bucich, M., & Minbashian, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence predicts academic performance: A meta-analysis.  Psychological bulletin ,  146 (2), 150.

Miao, C., Humphrey, R. H., & Qian, S. (2017). A meta‐analysis of emotional intelligence and work attitudes.  Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology ,  90 (2), 177-202.

Mortiboys, A. (2013).  Teaching with emotional intelligence: A step-by-step guide for higher and further education professionals . Routledge.

Nelis, D., Quoidbach, J., Mikolajczak, M., & Hansenne, M. (2009). Increasing emotional intelligence:(How) is it possible?.  Personality and individual differences ,  47 (1), 36-41.

Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Bobik, C., Coston, T. D., Greeson, C., Jedlicka, C., Rhodes, E. & Wendorf, G. (2001). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations.  The Journal of social psychology ,  141 (4), 523-536.

Serrat, O. (2017). Understanding and developing emotional intelligence. In  Knowledge solutions  (pp. 329-339). Springer, Singapore.

Singh, A., Prabhakar, R., & Kiran, J. S. (2022). Emotional Intelligence: A Literature Review Of Its Concept, Models, And Measures.  Journal of Positive School Psychology ,  6 (10), 2254-2275.

Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., & Roberts, R. D. (2012).  What we know about emotional intelligence: How it affects learning, work, relationships, and our mental health . MIT press.

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Utilizing Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to Become More Emotionally Intelligent

Emotional intelligence , sometimes referred to as emotional quotient (EQ), refers to a person's ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions . The term was coined by psychologists in the 1990s and spread quickly among psychologists and beyond.

Emotional intelligence is critical for interpersonal communication, not only in personal relationships but also in the business world. This article delves into what emotional intelligence is and how you can harness its power in the workplace.

Emotional Intelligence, Defined

According to psychologists Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer, leading researchers on the topic, emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand emotions in oneself and others. In turn, this emotional understanding helps us make decisions , solve problems, and communicate with others.

Psychologists used to view emotions and intelligence as being in opposition to one another. In recent decades, however, researchers exploring emotion psychology have become increasingly interested in cognition and affect.

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Why EQ Is Important for Success

Emotion psychology and the concept of emotional intelligence gained interest with the 1995 publication of Daniel Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ." Goleman argues that emotional intelligence is a critical predictor of success in life. Emotional competencies, he argued, play a particularly important role in the workplace.

The concept quickly attracted the attention of human resource managers and business leaders. Researchers have suggested that emotional intelligence influences how well employees interact with their colleagues, manage stress, and navigate conflict. It also affects overall performance on the job. Other studies have linked emotional intelligence with job satisfaction.

Employees with higher scores on measures of EQ also tend to be rated higher on measures of interpersonal functioning, leadership abilities, and stress management.

Goleman suggested that, although traditional intelligence was associated with leadership success, it alone was not enough. People who are successful at work aren't just smart; they also have a high EQ.

But emotional intelligence is not just for CEOs and senior managers. It's important at every level of a person's career, from college students looking for internships to seasoned employees hoping to take on leadership roles. If you want to succeed in the workplace and move up the career ladder, emotional intelligence is critical.

Why EQ Matters in the Workplace

Why is emotional intelligence such a valued workplace skill? In a survey of hiring managers, almost 75% of respondents suggested that they valued an employee's EQ more than their IQ.

Emotional intelligence is widely recognized as a valuable skill that helps improve communication, management, problem-solving, and relationships within the workplace. It is also a skill that researchers believe can be improved with training and practice.

Make better decisions and solve problems

Keep cool under pressure

Resolve conflicts

Have greater empathy

Listen, reflect, and respond to constructive criticism

Play the role of the victim or avoid taking responsibility for errors

Have passive or aggressive communication styles

Refuse to work as a team  

Are overly critical of others or dismiss others' opinions

Although emotional skills come naturally to some people, anyone can improve their ability to understand and reason. This can be particularly helpful in the workplace, where relationships and business decisions often on interpersonal understanding, teamwork, and communication.

Factors such as upbringing and personality tend to play a large role in the development of emotional intelligence, but you can improve yours with effort and practice.

One 2011 study found that participants who trained in key emotional competencies showed lasting improvements in emotional intelligence. They also experienced improvements in physical and mental well-being, better social relationships, and lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels.  

If you are interested in improving your emotional intelligence skills to benefit your workplace performance, take steps to improve your skills in the five categories of emotional intelligence: Self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation.

Become More Self-Aware

One of the first steps toward using emotional intelligence skills in the workplace is to practice recognizing your own emotions. Self-awareness involves being aware of different aspects of yourself, including your emotions and feelings. It is one of the foundational components of emotional intelligence . To recognize your emotions and understand their causes, you need to first be self-aware .

• Pay attention to how you are feeling . How do these emotions influence how you respond? Do the things you are feeling have an impact on the decisions you make or how you interact with others? As you reflect on these questions, you may find that you become much more aware of your own emotions and the role that they play in your daily life.
• Take stock of emotional strengths and weaknesses . How well do you communicate with others? Do you find yourself experiencing impatience, anger, or annoyance often? What are some ways you can deal with these feelings effectively? Recognizing weaknesses allows you to look for ways to deal with them.
• Remember that emotions are fleeting . A co-worker might irritate you or your boss might give you a frustrating task to complete. Before you react, remember that these things are temporary. Making rash decisions based on intense emotions can be detrimental to your long-term goals and success.

Practice Self-Regulation

Goleman identified self-regulation as a critical part of emotional intelligence. Being aware of your emotions is an important first step, but you also need to be able to manage your feelings.

People who possess good self-regulation are able to adapt well to changing situations. They don't bottle things up; they wait for appropriate ways to express their emotions rather than reacting impulsively.

To improve your self-regulation skills in the workplace:

• Find techniques to release workplace stress . Having hobbies outside of work is a great place to start. Physical exercise is also a healthy way to release stress.
• Keep your cool . Accept the fact that you cannot control everything. Look for helpful ways to respond that don't add fuel to the fire.
• Think before making decisions . Emotions can overwhelm you in the heat of the moment. You can make a calmer, more rational choice if you give yourself time to consider all of the possibilities.

Improve Social Skills

Research on emotion psychology suggests that people with high EQs also have strong social skills. Because they are adept at recognizing other people's emotions, they are able to respond appropriately to the situation. Social skills are also highly valued in the workplace because they lead to better communication and a more positive company culture.

Employees and leaders with great social skills are able to build rapport with colleagues and communicate their ideas effectively. People with good social skills are not only great team players, but they are also able to take on leadership roles when needed. To boost your social skills:

• Listen to what others have to say . This doesn't mean just passively listening to other people talk. Active listening involves showing attention, asking questions, and providing feedback. Whether you are a manager or a team member, active listening can show that you are passionate about work projects and willing to work with others to help the group reach its goals.
• Pay attention to nonverbal communication . The signals that people send through their body language can convey a lot about what they really think.
• Hone your persuasion skills . Being able to carry influence in the workplace and convince team members and supervisors to listen to your ideas can go a long way in advancing your career.
• Avoid office drama . Do your best to stay out of the petty office politics that sometimes take over the workplace, but be aware that conflicts are not always avoidable. Focus on listening to what others have to say and look for ways to solve problems and minimize tensions.

Become More Empathetic

Emotionally intelligent people are good at stepping into another person's shoes and understanding how they feel. Empathy is more than just recognizing how others are feeling. It also involves how you respond to these emotions.

In the workplace, empathy allows you to understand the different dynamics between colleagues and supervisors. It also allows you to recognize who holds power and how it influences the behaviors, feelings, and interactions that flow from such relationships.

• See things from the other person's point of view . It can be challenging at times, especially if you feel like the other person is wrong. But rather than let disagreements build up into major conflicts, spend time looking at the situation from another's perspective. It can be a great first step toward finding a middle ground between two opposing points of view.
• Pay attention to how you respond to others . Do you let them have a chance to share their ideas? Do you acknowledge their input, even if you disagree? Letting others know that their efforts have merit often helps everyone feel more willing to compromise.

Work on Your Motivation

Another key component of emotional intelligence is intrinsic motivation. People who have strong EQ tend to be more motivated to achieve goals for their own sake. Rather than seeking external rewards, they want to do things because they find them fulfilling and they are passionate about what they do.

Money, status, and acclaim are great, but people who are highly successful in the workplace are usually motivated by something more than that. They are passionate about what they do. They have a commitment to their work, they love taking on new challenges, and their enthusiasm can seem contagious. They don't give up in the face of obstacles and they are able to inspire others to work hard and persist in order to achieve goals.

• Focus on what you love about your work . There are probably things about your job that you love and things that you hate.Try focusing on the aspects of your job that you enjoy , such as the feeling of accomplishment you get when you complete a big project, or helping your clients progress toward their own goals. Identify those components of your job and take inspiration from them.
• Try to maintain a positive attitude . Notice how optimistic people in the workplace tend to inspire and motivate others. Adopting this kind of attitude can help you feel more positively about your work.

A Word From Verywell

Emotional intelligence plays an important role not only in well-being but also in your success in the workplace. Fortunately, there are a number of lessons you can take from emotion psychology that will allow you to improve your EQ and foster greater emotional competencies to improve your work performance and career success.

Extremera N, Mérida-López S, Sánchez-Álvarez N, Quintana-Orts C. How does emotional intelligence make one feel better at work? The mediational role of work engagement . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . 2018;15(9):1909. doi:10.3390/ijerph15091909

Beenen G, Pichler S, Livingston B, Riggio R. The good manager: development and validation of the managerial interpersonal skills scale . Front Psychol . 2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631390

Career Builder. " Seventy-One Percent of Employers Say They Value Emotional Intelligence Over IQ ."

Kotsou I, Nelis D, Grégoire J, Mikolajczak M. Emotional plasticity: Conditions and effects of improving emotional competence in adulthood . J Appl Psychol. 2011;96(4):827-39. doi:10.1037/a0023047

Brackett MA, Rivers SE, Salovey P. Emotional intelligence: Implications for personal, social, academic, and workplace success . Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2011;5(1):880103. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00334.x

Goleman D. Emotional Intelligence . Bantam 10th anniversary hardcover ed. Bantam Books; 2006.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Emotional Intelligence Measures: A Systematic Review

Lluna maría bru-luna.

1 Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, Universitat de València, 46010 Valencia, Spain; [email protected]

Manuel Martí-Vilar

César merino-soto.

2 Psychology Research Institute, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Lima 15102, Peru

José L. Cervera-Santiago

3 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, San Miguel 15088, Peru; ep.ude.vfnu@arevrecj

Associated Data

Not applicable.

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, express, understand, and manage emotions. Current research indicates that it may protect against the emotional burden experienced in certain professions. This article aims to provide an updated systematic review of existing instruments to assess EI in professionals, focusing on the description of their characteristics as well as their psychometric properties (reliability and validity). A literature search was conducted in Web of Science (WoS). A total of 2761 items met the eligibility criteria, from which a total of 40 different instruments were extracted and analysed. Most were based on three main models (i.e., skill-based, trait-based, and mixed), which differ in the way they conceptualize and measure EI. All have been shown to have advantages and disadvantages inherent to the type of tool. The instruments reported in the largest number of studies are Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), Schutte Self Report-Inventory (SSRI), Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test 2.0 (MSCEIT 2.0), Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS), Wong and Law’s Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). The main measure of the estimated reliability has been internal consistency, and the construction of EI measures was predominantly based on linear modelling or classical test theory. The study has limitations: we only searched a single database, the impossibility of estimating inter-rater reliability, and non-compliance with some items required by PRISMA.

1. Introduction

1.1. emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence (EI) was first described and conceptualized by Salovey and Mayer [ 1 ] as an ability-based construct analogous to general intelligence. They argued that individuals with a high level of EI had certain skills related to the evaluation and regulation of emotions and that consequently they were able to regulate emotions in themselves and in others in order to achieve a variety of adaptive outcomes. This construct has received increasing attention from both the scientific community and the general public due to its theoretical and practical implications for daily life. The same authors defined EI as “the ability to carry out accurate reasoning about emotions and the ability to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought” [ 2 ] (p. 511). This definition suggests that EI is far from being conceptualized as a one-dimensional attribute and that a multidimensional operationalization would be theoretically coherent.

1.2. Conceptualizations of Emotional Intelligence

However, over the past three decades, different ways of conceptualizing EI have emerged, which are mainly summarized in three models: ability, trait, and mixed. These models have influenced the construction of measuring instruments. In the ability model, developed by Mayer and Salovey, EI is seen as a form of innate intelligence made up of several capacities that influence how people understand and manage their own emotions and those of others. These emotion processing skills are: (1) perception, evaluation and expression of emotions, (2) emotional facilitation of thought, (3) understanding and analysis of emotions, and (4) reflective regulation of emotions [ 3 , 4 ]. Consistent with this conceptualization, the measures were designed as performance tests. Subsequently, the model proposed by Petrides and Furnham [ 5 ], the trait model, was developed. This model defines EI as a trait; that is, as a persistent behaviour pattern over time (as opposed to skill, which increases with time and training), and it is associated with dispositional tendencies, personality traits or self-efficacy beliefs. It is composed of fifteen personality dimensions, grouped under four factors: well-being, self-control, emotionality and sociability [ 6 ]. The last of the three main models of conceptualization of EI is the mixed one. It is made up of two large branches that consider this construct a mixture of traits, competencies and abilities. According to the first one, developed by Bar-On [ 7 ], EI is a set of non-cognitive abilities and competences that influence the ability to be successful in coping with environmental demands and pressures, and it is composed of five key components: intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, adaptation skills, stress management skills and general mood. The second one, proposed by Goleman [ 8 ], also conceptualizes EI as a mixed model that shares certain aspects with the Bar-On model. It is made up of the following elements: recognition of one’s own emotions, management of emotions, self-motivation, recognition of emotions in others, and management of relationships. These emotional and social competencies would contribute to managerial performance and leadership.

1.3. Importance of Emotional Intelligence

To date, the importance that academics attach to the study of EI has been recognized by the literature in many areas, such as the workplace. For example, in professions where working with people is needed, burnout syndrome is common. It is a syndrome that is expressed by an increase in emotional exhaustion and indifference, as well as by a decrease in professional effectiveness [ 9 ]. To date, numerous studies have shown that EI can help change employee attitudes and behaviours in jobs involving emotional demands by increasing job satisfaction and reducing job stress [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Likewise, on the one hand, it has been found that certain psychological variables, including EI and social competence, are related to less psychological distress. On the other hand, the acquisition of emotional and social skills can serve to develop resilience, which is a protective variable against psychological distress [ 14 ].

1.4. Types of Measures

With the challenge of choosing the conceptual model of EI also appears the challenge of choosing the appropriate measures to estimate it. For this reason, part of the work developed in the field of EI has focused on the creation of objective instruments to evaluate aspects associated with this construct. Most of them have been created around the main conceptualization models described in the previous paragraphs. Ability-based tools indicate people’s ability to understand emotions and how they work. These types of tests require participants to solve problems that are related to emotions and that contain answers deemed correct or incorrect (e.g., participants see several faces and respond by indicating the degree to which a specific emotion is present in the face). These instruments are maximal capacity tests and, unlike trait tests, they are not designed to predict typical behaviour. Ability EI instruments are usually employed in situations where a good theoretical understanding of emotions is required [ 15 ].

Trait-based instruments are generally composed of self-reported measures and are often developed as scales where there are no correct or incorrect answers, but the individual responds by choosing the item which relates more or less to their behaviour (e.g., “Understanding the needs and desires of others is not a problem for me”). They tend to measure typical behaviour, so they tend to provide a good prediction of actual behaviours in various situations [ 5 ]. Trait EI is a good predictor of effective coping styles when facing everyday stressors, both in adults and children, so these instruments are often used in situations characterized by stressors such as educational and employment contexts [ 15 ].

Questionnaires based on the EI mixed conceptualization often measure a combination of traits, social skills, competencies, and personality measures through self-reported modality (e.g., “When I am angry with others, I can tell them”). Some measures typically take 360-degree forms of assessment too (i.e., a self-report along with reports from supervisors, colleagues and subordinates). They are generally used in work environments, since they are often designed to predict and improve workplace performance and are often focused on emotional competencies that correlate with professional success. Despite the different ways of conceptualizing EI, there are some conceptual similarities between most instruments: they are hierarchical (i.e., they produce a total EI score along with scores on the different dimensions) and they have several conceptual overlaps that often include emotional perception, emotional regulation, and adaptive use of emotions [ 15 ].

1.5. Relevance of the Study

The proliferation of EI measures has received a lot of attention. However, this has not been the case in studies that synthesize their psychometric qualities, as well as those that describe their strengths and limitations. Therefore, there is a lack of studies that collect, with a wide review coverage, the instruments developed in recent years. The few reviews that can be found [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ] are limited to describing both the most popular measures (e.g., Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test [MSCEIT], Emotional Quotient Inventory [EQ-i], Trait Meta-Mood Scale [TMMS], Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire [TEIQue], or Schutte Self-Report Inventory [SSRI]) and those validated only in English, producing an apparent “Tower of Babel” effect (i.e., the over-representation of studies in one language and the under-representation in others) [ 20 ]. This is a problem that is not only more common than is believed, but it is also persistent [ 21 ]. This effect produces a barrier for the complete knowledge of current EI measures, the breadth of their uses in different contexts, and their incorporation into substantive studies relevant to multicultural understanding. In summary, it reduces the commonality of efforts made in different contexts to identify common and communicable objectives [ 22 ], specifically around the study of EI.

Therefore, a systematic review allows us to establish a knowledge base that contributes by (a) guiding and developing research efforts, (b) assisting in professional practice when choosing the most appropriate model in possible practical scenarios, and (c) facilitating the design of subsequent systematic evaluative reviews and meta-analysis of relevant psychometric parameters (e.g., factorial loads, reliability coefficients, correlations, etc.). For this reason, the aim of this article is to provide an updated systematic review of the existing instruments that allow the evaluation of EI in professionals, focusing on the description of its characteristics, as well as on its psychometric properties (reliability and validity). This systematic review is characterized by having a wide coverage (i.e., studies published in languages other than English) and having as a framework a consensus of description and taxonomy of valid evidence (i.e., “Standards”) [ 23 ].

2. Materials and Methods

This work contains a systematic review of the scientific literature published to date that includes measurements of EI. For its preparation, the guidelines proposed in the PRISMA statement [ 24 ] ( Table A1 ) carrying out systematic reviews have been followed. Regarding the evaluation of the quality of the articles, since our study does not analyse the studies that employ the EI instruments but the instruments themselves, the assessment of the internal or external validity of the studies is not applicable to this research. However, an internationally proposed guide to the study of the validity of instruments, called “Standards”, has also been used [ 23 ]. It presents guidelines for the study of the composition, use, and interpretation of what a test aims to measure and proposes five sources of validity of evidence: content, response processes, internal structure, relationship with other variables and the consequences of testing. Likewise, a recently proposed registration protocol [ 25 ] for carrying out systematic reviews has also been followed based on the five validity sources of the “Standards”.

2.1. Information Sources

The bibliographic search was carried out in three phases: an initial search to obtain an overview of the current situation, a system that applies inclusion–exclusion criteria, and a manual search to evaluate the results obtained. The search was conducted in February 2021 in the Web of Science (WoS) database, including all articles published from 1900 to 2020 (inclusive). This database was selected to perform the search because (a) it is among the databases that allows for a more efficient and adequate search coverage [ 26 ]; (b) it provides a better quality of indexing and of bibliographic records in terms of accuracy, control and granularity of information compared to other databases [ 27 ]; (c) the results are highly correlated with those of other search engines (e.g., Embase, MEDLINE and Google Scholar) [ 26 ]; (d) it is controlled by a human team specialising in the selection of its content (i.e., it is not fully automated) [ 28 ]; and (e) it has experienced a constant increase in scientific publications [ 29 ].

2.2. Eligibility Criteria

Although no protocol was written or registered prior to the research, the inclusion and exclusion criteria for articles and instruments were previously defined. The search was conducted according to these criteria.

2.2.1. Inclusion Criteria

The inclusion criteria for the studies are made up of the following points: (a) published in peer-reviewed journals, (b) presented as full articles or short communications, (c) containing empirical and quantifiable results on psychometric properties (i.e., not only narrative descriptions), (d) containing cross-sectional or longitudinal designs, (e) written in any language (in order to collect as many instruments as possible, as well as to reduce the “Tower of Babel” effect) [ 20 ], and (f) published from 1900 to 2020 (to maximize the identification of EI measures).

As for the inclusion criteria of the instruments, they are made up of the following points: (a) instruments that measure EI, (b) articles that are the first creation study of the instrument, (c) instruments aimed at people over 18 years, (d) instruments that can be applied in the workplace.

2.2.2. Exclusion Criteria

On the other hand, research that presented at least one of the following exclusion criteria was discarded: (a) contains synthesis studies (i.e., systematic reviews or meta-analyses), instrument manuals or narrative articles of instrument characteristics, (b) contains only qualitative research designs, (c) published after 2020.

Instruments that presented at least one of the following exclusion criteria were discarded: (a) instruments that were validations of the original one, (b) instruments aimed at people under 18, (c) instruments to be used in areas specifically different from the workplace.

2.3. Search Strategy

All available methods to obtain empirical answers have been included so as to maximize the coverage of the results. The following terms were included: test, measure, questionnaire, scale and instrument. The combinations of terms used were: “emotional intelligence AND test”, “emotional intelligence AND measure”, “emotional intelligence AND questionnaire”, “emotional intelligence AND scale”, and “emotional intelligence AND instrument”. Only those article-type studies were selected.

In the selection process, the title, abstract and keywords of the studies identified in the search were reviewed with the aforementioned criteria. This was carried out by only one of the authors.

2.4. Data Collection

The data to be extracted from each of the instruments were also defined in advance, ensuring that the information was extracted in a uniform manner. The selected documents were then recorded in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to check for duplicate records.

Thus, the name of the instrument and its acronym, the language and country in which it was created, and its structural characteristics (i.e., type of measurement, number of items, dimensions and items of which they were composed, and theoretical model) were extracted together with relevant psychometric information (i.e., reliability and validity). This procedure was also carried out by the same author. Articles that used different versions of the original EI instrument were accepted, but the analysis was made only on their originals. Instruments whose original manuscript were inaccessible were discarded ( n = 10), but they are presented at the end of the results. All those articles that were duplicated or that had used measures aimed at people under 18 or for contexts specifically different from the professional area (e.g., school contexts, sports contexts, etc.) were eliminated. The search process and the number of selected and excluded results can be seen in Figure 1 . Regarding the ethical standards, no ethical approval or participant consent is required for this type of research (i.e., systematic review).

Flowchart according to PRISMA.

A total of 40 instruments were found ( Table 1 shows a synthesis of all of them). Below, a brief description of each one is presented, following which a division according to the theoretical model they use (i.e., ability-based model, trait-based model, mixed approach model, and others that do not correspond to any of them), and the psychometric properties of each one are explained.

Main characteristics of the included instruments.

TMMS: Trait Meta-Mood Scale, LOT: Life Orientation Test, CES-D: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; SSRI: Schutte Self-Report Inventory, BFP: Big Five Personality, TAS: Toronto Alexithymia Scale, ZDS: Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, BIS: Barratt Impulsiveness Scale; MEIS: Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale; MSCEIT: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, MSCEIT 2.0: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Revised Version, MSCEIT-YV: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Youth Version, MSCEIT-TC: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Chinese Version; PIEMO: Profile of Emotional Intelligence; WLEIS: Wong and Law’s Emotional Intelligence Scale, EQ-i: Emotional Quotient Inventory; WEIP-3: Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile-3, WEIP-S: Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile-Short Version, IRI: Interpersonal Reactivity Index, JABRI: Job Associate-Bisociate Review Index; MEIA: Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Assessment, JPI-R: Jackson Personality Inventory-Revised, MEIA-W: Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Assessment-Workplace, MEIA-W-R: Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Assessment-Workplace-Revised; EmIn: Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire; IIESS-R: Sojo and Steinkopf Emotional Intelligence Inventory-Revised Version; SREIS: Self-Rated Emotional Intelligence Scale; EISDI: Emotional Intelligence Self-Description Inventory; GEIS: Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale, SSI: Social Skills Inventory, EES: Emotion Empathy Scale, SWLS: Satisfaction with Life Scale, PANAS: Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, ASSET: An Organisational Stress Screening Tool; STEM: Situational Test of Emotion Management; OCEANIC-20: Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism Index Condensed 20-item version, STEM-B: Situational Test of Emotion Management-Brief Version; STEU: Situational Test of Emotional Understanding, STEU-B: Situational Test of Emotional Understanding-Brief Version; ESCQ: Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire; AVEI: Audiovisual Test of Emotional Intelligence; GERT: Geneva Emotion Recognition Test, GERT-S: Geneva Emotion Recognition Test-Short Version, GECo: Geneva Emotional Competence Test; TIE: Test of Emotional Intelligence, SIE-T: Emotional Intelligence Scale-Faces, NEO-FFI: NEO Five-Factor Inventory; EIQ-SP: Self-Perception of Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire; TEIFA: Three-Branch Emotional Intelligence Forced-Choice Assessment; TEIRA: Three-Brach Emotional Intelligence Rating Scale Assessment; NEAT: North Dakota Emotional Abilities Test, DANVA 2-AF: Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-Adult Faces; IIEP: Perceived Emotional Intelligence Inventory; MEIT: Mobile Emotional Intelligence Test; RAVEN: Raven’s Progressive Matrices; EIT: Emotional Intelligence Test; EQ-i: S: Emotional Quotient Inventory Short Version, EQ-i: 2.0: Emotional Quotient Inventory Revised Version, EQ-i: 360°: Emotional Quotient Inventory-360-degree version; EQ-i: YV: Emotional Quotient Inventory-Youth Version, EQ-i: YVS: Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Short Version; ECI 2.0: Emotional Competence Inventory 2.0, ECI-U: Emotional Competence Inventory University Version; EIQ: Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire; 16PF: Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, OPQ: Occupational Personality Questionnaire, BTR: Belbin Team Roles; EIA: Emotional Intelligence Appraisal; EIS: Emotional Intelligence Scale; USMEQ-I: USM Emotional Quotient Inventory; TEIQue: Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, TEIQue-SF: Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form, TEIQue-360°: Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-360-degree version, TEIQue-AF: Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Adolescent Form, TEIQue-CF: Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Child Form; REIS: Rotterdam Emotional Intelligence Scale, PEC: Profile of Emotional Competence.

3.1. Ability-Based Measures

The first category includes those instruments based on the ability-based model, mainly on that of Mayer and Salovey [ 4 ]. The first instrument created under this conceptualization is the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) [ 30 ], a self-report scale designed to assess people’s beliefs about their own emotional abilities. It measures three key aspects of perceived EI: attention to feelings, emotional clarity and repair of emotions. It presents a very good reliability [ 80 ] and convergent validity with various instruments, although the authors recommend the use of a later version of 30 items. It also presents a widely used 24-item version [ 31 ] that has been validated in many countries.

Three years later, the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (SSRI) test was developed [ 33 ]. This questionnaire is answered through a five-point Likert scale and is composed of one factor that is divided into three categories: appraisal and expression of emotion in the self and others, regulation of emotion in the self and others and utilization of emotions in solving problems. It shows excellent internal consistency. It presents negative correlations with instruments that measure alexithymia, depression and impulsivity among others, which confirms its convergent validity. There is a modified version [ 34 ] and an abbreviated version [ 35 ], and it has been translated into many languages.

The Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS) [ 37 ] is another tool developed by the authors that originally defined and conceptualized EI. The MEIS is a scale made up of 12 different tasks that contains 402 items and it has been translated into several languages. However, it has strong limitations such as its length and the low internal consistency offered by some of the tasks (e.g., “blends” and “progressions”; α = 0.49 and 0.51, respectively). These authors developed, years later, the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) [ 38 ]. The items developed for the MEIS served as the starting point for the MSCEIT. This measure is composed of a five-point Likert scale and multiple response items with correct and incorrect options, which comprise eight tasks. Each of the four dimensions is assessed through two tasks. It presents an adequate internal consistency. It currently has a revised version by the same authors, and another validated in a young population. In addition, it has been translated into many languages. This instrument has detractors. Its convergent validity has been questioned since no correlation has been found between the emotional perception scale of MSCEIT and other emotional perception tests [ 81 ]. As can be seen in Table 1 , the MSCEIT has two different approaches to construct the score (consensus score and expert score). In the case of EI, it is difficult to classify an answer as correct or incorrect, so if a person responds in a different way to the experts or the average, it might mean that they have low emotional capacity or present a different way of thinking [ 81 ].

In the same year, three more instruments based on this conceptualization were developed in different countries. The first one, the Profile of Emotional Intelligence (PIEMO) [ 40 ] is an inventory developed in Mexico. Their items consist of a statement that represents a paradigmatic behaviour trait of EI with true and false answers. It is composed of eight independent dimensions that together constitute a profile. Its internal consistency is excellent and its validity has been tested by a confirmatory factor analysis and expert consultations on the items.

The second instrument is Wong and Law’s Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) [ 41 ]. It was developed in China to measure EI in a brief way in leadership and management studies. It has an adequate internal consistency and has positive correlations with the TMMS and the EQ-i. Subsequent studies have shown its predictive validity in relation to life satisfaction, happiness or psychological well-being, and its criteria’s validity with respect to personal well-being. Measurement equivalence of scores in different ethnic and gender groups has also been tested [ 82 ]. It has been translated into a multitude of languages and it is currently one of the most widely used instruments.

The third instrument is the Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile-3 (WEIP-3) [ 43 ]. It is a scale designed in Australia as a self-report to measure the EI of people in work teams. It has very good internal consistency and presents correlations with several instruments that prove its convergent validity. The authors made a particularly interesting finding in their study. Teams that scored lower in the WEIP-3 performed at lower levels in their work than those with high EI. This instrument has a short version and has been translated into different languages.

The Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Assessment (MEIA) [ 45 ] was developed in the USA. The authors state that the test takes only 20 min. It has very good internal consistency. Its validity has been tested in different ways. Content validity was tested by independent experts who considered each element as representative of its target scale. Convergent validity was tested by significant correlations between the scores and personality tests. Finally, the lack of correlation between the MEIA and theoretically unrelated personality tests proved the divergent validity. It has a version for the work context.

The Sojo and Steinkopf Emotional Intelligence Inventory—Revised version (IIESS-R) [ 47 ] was developed in Venezuela to measure the three dimensions that compose it. It presents 34 phrases that describe the reactions of people with high EI, as well as contrary behaviours. It has excellent internal consistency and its content has been validated through expert judgment. It shows correlations with some scales of similar instruments and its internal structure has been tested by exploratory analysis and PCA.

In the original article of the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EmIn), created for the Russian population [ 46 ], its author proposes his own model of ability-based EI that differs in some aspects from that proposed by Mayer and Salovey. Accordingly, he designed a questionnaire to measure the participants’ beliefs about their emotional abilities under this model. It is composed of two dimensions answered using a 4-point Likert scale. Their scales have a good internal consistency, but their validity has not been tested beyond the factor analysis of its internal structure. Years later, this same author developed the Videotest of Emotion Recognition [ 59 ], an instrument that uses videos as stimuli. It was also designed in Russia to obtain precision indexes in the recognition of the types of emotions, as well as the sensitivity and intensity of the observed emotions. It has 15 scales that measure through a single item each of the emotions recorded by the instrument. Its internal consistency is good. It is correlated with MSCEIT and EmIn, which proves its convergent validity.

Another instrument based on the Mayer and Salovey model is the Self-Rated Emotional Intelligence Scale (SREIS) [ 49 ]. It was developed throughout three studies that used the MSCEIT as a comparison. The first one did not show a very high correlation between the scores of both tools. In the second one, only men’s MSCEIT scores correlated with perceived social competence after personality measures remained constant. Finally, in the third only MSCEIT predicted social competence, but only for males again. Internal consistency was also not consistent throughout the three studies, as the α yielded values were 0.84, 0.77, and 0.66, respectively. Its internal structure was tested by a confirmatory factor analysis and the content of each item was validated by the judgment of students familiar with the Mayer and Salovey model. It has been translated into several languages.

The Emotional Intelligence Self-Description Inventory (EISDI) [ 49 ] is also a short instrument, consisting of four dimensions designed to assess EI in the workplace. It has an excellent internal consistency. It presents correlations with instruments such as the WLEIS and the SREIS and a discriminant validity with the Big Five Personality. The same year, the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale (GEIS) [ 51 ] was developed in Greek to assess four basic dimensions of EI. Its internal consistency is very good, as well as its test–retest value. Its internal structure was verified by a PCA, and its convergent and divergent validity were tested by a series of studies with 12 different instruments.

MacCann and Roberts [ 51 ] developed two instruments to assess EI according to the ability-based model: the Situational Test of Emotion Management (STEM) and the Situational Test of Emotional Understanding (STEU). Both are made up of three dimensions and a similar number of items. The first one measures the management of emotions such as anger, sadness and fear, and it can be administered in two formats: multiple choice response and rate-the-extent (i.e., test takers rate the appropriateness, strength, or extent of each alternative, rather than selecting the correct alternative). The STEU presents a series of situations about context-reduced, personal-life context, and workplace-context, which provoke a main emotion that is the correct answer to be chosen by the participant among other incorrect ones. Both instruments have similar internal consistency for the multiple response format, while for the rate-the-extent format it is much higher. Both present criteria and convergent validity and have an abbreviated version.

The Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ) [ 53 ] is an instrument developed in Croatia that measures EI through three basic dimensions using a five-point Likert scale. The subscales have a reliability that varies between good an excellent, and they correlate with other EI and personality instruments. The ESCQ has been translated into several languages.

The Audiovisual Test of Emotional Intelligence (AVEI) [ 55 ] is an Israeli instrument aimed at educational settings related to care-centred professions. Their items are developed from primary and secondary emotions, both positive and negative. Each one consists of short videos generated by researchers with training in psychology and visual arts. People should choose the correct answer among 10 alternatives and it takes between 12 and 18 min to be completed. It requires computers equipped with audio. The internal consistency was calculated using ICC coefficients. It has content validations through expert consultations on the items and criteria since it correlates with measures traditionally related to EI.

The Geneva Emotion Recognition Test (GERT) [ 57 ] is a German test composed of 14 scales. The stimuli are, as in the AVEI, short image and audio videos recorded by five men and five women of different ages. Thus, people must choose which of the 14 emotions is being expressed by the actors, with the responses labelled as correct or incorrect. The reliability of the test is considered excellent, and the ecological and construct validity of the instrument has been tested.

The Test of Emotional Intelligence (TIE) [ 58 ] is developed in Poland. It consists of the same four dimensions as the MSCEIT. After providing participants with different emotional problems, they should indicate which emotion is most likely to occur or choose the most appropriate action. The score is based on expert judgment. It has a very good internal consistency. It has convergent validity since it correlates with the SSEIT and has construct since women scored higher than men.

The Self-Perception of Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ-SP) [ 60 ] is an instrument designed in Portugal and composed of the four dimensions belonging to the Mayer and Salovey’s ability-based model. Their scales have good internal consistency and are correlated with each other.

The Three-Branch Emotional Intelligence Rating Scale Assessment (TEIRA) [ 61 ] and the Three-Branch Emotional Intelligence Forced-Choice Assessment (TEIFA) [ 61 ] were developed in 2015. The first is made up of three scales and is answered by a six-point Likert scale. It presents internal consistency between good and excellent and convergent validity with STEU-B and STEM-B. On the other hand, TEIFA presents a format of forced choice in order to avoid the problem of social desirability in the rating scales. In this format, participants must choose among several positive statements and therefore they cannot simply rate themselves highly on everything (e.g., “Which one is more like you: I know why my emotions change or I manage my emotions well”). It consists of the same items and dimensions as the TEIRA. The study does not report the reliability of TEIFA, as the reliability of the forced-choice tests is artificially high. It presents convergent validity with the SSRI.

A year later, the North Dakota Emotional Abilities Test (NEAT) [ 62 ] was developed in the USA to assess the ability to perceive, understand and control emotions in the workplace. It contains items that describe scenarios of work environments, in which the person must rate the extent of certain emotions that the protagonist would experience in a certain situation. The internal consistency of its scales varies between good and excellent and its internal structure has been tested by a confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, the predictive validity of the instrument has also been tested.

The Inventory of Perceived Emotional Intelligence (IIEP) [ 63 ] was developed in Argentina. It measures different components of intrapersonal and interpersonal EI. This inventory is answered using a five-point Likert scale and it has reliable dimensions. Its content validity has been tested through consultations with judges to evaluate the items.

The last of the instruments in this category is the Emotional Intelligence Test (EIT) [ 65 ]. It was developed in Russia and has four dimensions that assess EI in the workplace. It has excellent internal consistency and convergent validity tested by correlations with the MSCEIT 2.0. No information regarding the items that compose it has been found.

3.2. Measures Based on the Mixed Model

The second category includes those instruments based on the mixed EI model, mainly the Bar-On model [ 7 ] and the Goleman model [ 8 ]. The first instrument of this model is the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) [ 7 ]. Its author was the first to define EI as a mixed concept between ability and personality trait. It is a self-report measure of behaviour that provides an estimate of EI and social intelligence. Their items are composed of short sentences that are answered using a five-point Likert scale. It takes about 30 min to complete, so other shorter versions have been developed, as well as a 360-degree version and a version for young people. It has been translated into more than 30 languages. It has an internal consistency between good and very good and its construct validity has been tested by correlations with other variables.

Emotional Competence Inventory 2.0 (ECI 2.0) [ 67 ], also called ESCI, is a widely used instrument. It was developed in the USA by another of the authors who conceptualized the mixed model of EI. It was designed in a 360-degree version to assess the emotional competencies of individuals and organizations. The internal consistency of others’ ratings is good, while that of oneself is questionable, and it shows positive correlations with constructs related to the work environment. It has a version for university students and has been translated into several languages.

The Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ) [ 68 ] is another tool designed to measure EI in the workplace. It has face, content, construct, and predictive validity, although the internal consistency of its scales varies between good and not very acceptable. Years later, the Emotional Intelligence Inventory [ 69 ] was developed in India. It was also designed to measure EI using a mixed concept in the workplace. It is made up of 10 dimensions, which have an internal consistency between acceptable and excellent. It has correlations with several related scales and with the number of promotions achieved and success in employment, which is proof of its predictive validity.

The Emotional Intelligence Appraisal (EIA) [ 70 ] is a set of surveys that measures EI in the workplace using the four main components of the Goleman model. Their items have been evaluated by experts. It has an internal consistency between very good and excellent. It has three versions: an online self-report, an online multi-rater report (which is combined with responses from co-workers), and another one that has anonymous ratings from several people to get an EI score for the whole team. The Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) [ 71 ] is another tool based on the Goleman model. It is composed of three dimensions and it has excellent internal consistency. The content of the items has been validated by expert evaluations.

The USM Emotional Quotient Inventory (USMEQ-i) [ 72 ] is a tool developed in Malaysia. It consists of a total of seven dimensions composed of 46 items. Seven of these items make up the “faking index items”, that measure the tendency of respondents to manifest social desirability and have a very good internal consistency ( α = 0.83). The reliability of the total instrument yields excellent values.

The Indigenous Scale of Emotional Intelligence [ 73 ] is a Pakistani instrument developed in the Urdu language. The final items were selected from an initial set after passing through the judgment of four experts based on the fidelity to the construct: clarity, redundancy, reliability, and compression. It has excellent internal consistency. Additionally, it presents construct validity (as women obtain higher scores than men) and correlations with the EQ-i.

Years later, the Mobile Emotional Intelligence Test (MEIT) was developed [ 64 ]. It is a Spanish instrument used to measure EI online in work contexts. It is made up of seven tasks (perceptive tasks and identification tasks) to assess the emotional perception of both others and oneself, respectively, face task, in which the most appropriate photograph related to the demanded emotion must be chosen, three comprehension tasks (composition, deduction and retrospective), and story task, in which participants must choose the best action to manage feelings in a given story. It presents excellent internal consistency and convergent validity.

3.3. Trait-Based Measures

This category is composed of trait-based instruments. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) [ 6 ] is the main instrument of this model. It is a tool widely used in many countries. It has excellent internal consistency and it shows significant correlations with the Big Five Personality. It has a short version, a 360-degree version, a version for children and another one for teenagers. It has been translated into many languages.

Years later, the Rotterdam Emotional Intelligence Scale (REIS) [ 75 ] was developed, the other instrument belonging to this category. It is a self-report instrument designed in Dutch. It has a very good internal consistency and it presents correlations with WEIS, TEIQue and PEC and its validity criterion has also been tested.

3.4. Measures Based on Other Models

Some instruments cannot be included within these categories since they have been conceptualized under different models. The first one is the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory [ 76 ], previously known as SUEIT. It is based on an original model. It was specifically designed for use in the workplace, but it does not measure EI per se, but rather the frequency with which people display a variety of emotionally intelligent behaviours in the workplace. It presents very good reliability and convergent and predictive validity. In addition, it has two reduced versions.

The Profile of Emotional Competence (PEC) [ 77 ] is based on the model of Mikolajczak [ 83 ], which replicates the four dimensions proposed by Mayer and Salovey but separates the identification from the expression of the emotions and distinguishes the intrapersonal aspect from the interpersonal aspect of each dimension. It contains two main scales, and has excellent internal consistency and convergent, divergent and criterion validity. The original one was developed in French, but it has been translated into several languages.

The last of the instruments identified is the Group-level Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire [ 79 ]. It was designed in the USA to assess EI in work groups under Ghuman’s theoretical model [ 79 ]. This model conceives EI as a two-component construct: group relationship capability (GRC) and group emotional capability (GEC). All of them have very good internal consistency.

Regarding the framework of the Standards, differences were found among them, resulting in an unequal distribution throughout the articles. The percentages of each type of validity can be seen in Table 2 .

Number of studies and percentages for each validity test.

The instruments whose original sources could not be retrieved are cited in Table 3 . The main reasons were that they were articles from books to which the authors did not have access, unpublished documents or documents with restricted access.

Information of the non-accessible instruments.

4. Discussion

The main aim of this study is to offer an updated systematic review of EI instruments in order to provide researchers and professionals with a list of tools that can be applied in the professional field with their characteristics, psychometric properties and versions, as well as a brief description of the instrument. For this purpose, a systematic review of the scientific literature on EI has been carried out using the WoS database through a search of all articles published between 1900 and the present.

The number of instruments developed has been increasing in recent years. In the 1990s barely any instruments were developed and their production was limited to approximately one per year and to practically one country (i.e., the USA). This may be due to the recent conceptualisation of EI, as well as to the difficulty that researchers found in constructing emotion-centred questions with objective criteria [ 15 ]. However, over the years, the production of instruments to measure EI has been increasing and, in addition, it has been extended to other geographical areas. This may be due to the importance that EI has reached over the years in multiple areas (e.g., health, organizational, educational, etc.). With the passage of time, and the introduction of new technologies, multimedia platforms have begun to be used to present stimuli to participants. Recent research in EI has determined that emotions are expressed and perceived through visual and auditory signals (i.e., the tone of voice and the dynamic movements of the face and body) [ 94 ]. Thus, a meta-analysis revealed that video-based tests tend to have a higher criterion-related validity than text-based stimuli [ 95 ].

Regarding the results, a total of 40 instruments produced from 1995 to 2020 have been located. The instruments registered in a greater number of studies, and that have been most used over the years are EQ-i, SSRI, MSCEIT 2.0, TMMS, WLEIS, and TEIQue. These tools have the largest number of versions (e.g., reduced or for different ages or contexts) and are the ones that have been validated in more languages. The most recent instruments hardly have translations apart from their original version, and they have been tested on very few occasions. Most of the articles have not been developed for a specific context.

On the other hand, as can be seen in the results, most of the instruments are grouped under the three main conceptual models described in the introduction (ability, trait and mixed). These models are vertebrated around the construct of EI. However, they present differences in the way of conceptualizing it and, therefore, also of measuring it. For example, the ability-based concept of EI is measured by maximum performance tests while trait-based EI is measured by self-report questionnaires. This may, in itself, lead to different outcomes, even if the underlying model used is the same [ 96 , 97 ].

The ability model, introduced by Mayer and Salovey, is composed of other hierarchically ordered abilities, in which the understanding and management dimensions involve higher-order cognitive processes (strategic), and are based on perception and facilitation, which involve instantaneous processing of emotional information (experiential) [ 4 ]. This model has received wide recognition and has served as a basis for the development of other models. However, it has been questioned through factor analysis that does not support a hierarchical model with an underlying global EI factor. Furthermore, emotional thought facilitation (second dimension) did not arise as a separate factor and was found to be empirically redundant with the other branches [ 96 ].

Intelligence and personality researchers have questioned the very existence of ability EI, and they suggest that it is nothing more than intelligence. This fact is supported by the high correlations found between ability-based EI and the intellectual quotient [ 15 , 96 ]. On the other hand, there is the possibility of falsifying the results by responding strategically for the purpose of social desirability. However, one of the advantages of the ability model is that, through the maximum performance tests, it is not possible to adulterate them. This is because participants must choose the answer they think is correct to get the highest possible score. Another advantage is that these types of instruments tend to be more attractive because they are made up of tests in which it is required to resolve problems, solve puzzles, perform comprehension tasks or choose images [ 15 ].

The Petrides and Furnham model [ 5 ] emerged as an alternative to the ability-based model and is related to dispositional tendencies, personality traits, or self-efficacy beliefs that are measured by self-report tests. The tools based on this model are not exempt from criticism. These instruments present a number of disadvantages, the most frequently cited are being vulnerability to counterfeiting and social desirability [ 96 ]. The participant can obtain a high EI profile by responding in a strategically and socially desirable way, especially when they are examined in work contexts by supervisors or in job interviews. People are not always good judges of their emotional abilities [ 98 ], and may tend to unintentionally underestimate or overestimate their EI. Another criticism of self-report tools is their ecological validity (i.e., external validity that analyses the test environment and determines how much it influences the results) [ 96 ].

On the contrary, the fact that such tools do not present correct or incorrect answers can be advantageous in certain cases. High EI trait scores are not necessarily adaptive or low maladaptive. That is, self-report tools give rise to emotional profiles that simply fit better and are more advantageous in some contexts than in others [ 97 ]. On the other hand, trait-based tools have demonstrated good incremental validity over cognitive intelligence and personality compared to ability-based EI tests [ 99 ]. Furthermore, they tend to have very good psychometric properties, have no questionable theoretical basis, and are moderately and significantly correlate with a large set of outcome variables [ 15 ].

One aspect observed in this systematic review is that the main measure of the estimated reliability in the analysed studies has been internal consistency. However, this estimate is not interchangeable with other measurement error estimates. This coefficient gives a photographic picture of the measurement error and does not include variability over time. There are other reliability indicators (e.g., stability or test–retest) that are more relevant for social intervention purposes [ 100 ], and that according to the estimation design, can differentiate into trait variability or state variability, that is, respectively stability and dependability [ 101 ]. It has been found that the use of stability measures as a reliability parameter is not frequent. In methodological and substantive contexts, reproducibility is essential for the advancement of knowledge. For this reason, it is necessary to identify measures that can be used as parameters to compare the results of different studies [ 102 ]. On the other hand, the standard coefficient of internal consistency has been coefficient α [ 103 ]. This measure has been questioned in relation to its apparent misinformed use of its restrictions [ 104 , 105 , 106 ], of which Cronbach himself highlighted its limited applications [ 104 ]. Other reliability measures have been recommended (e.g., ω) [ 107 ], and the reliability estimation practice in the creation of EI measurements needs to be updated. Usually, ω estimation is integrated into the modelling-based estimation, where SEM or IRT methodology is required to corroborate the internal structure of the score [ 108 , 109 , 110 ] and extract the parameters used to calculate reliability (i.e., factorial loads).

Another methodological aspect to highlight is that predominantly, the construction of EI measures was based on linear modelling or classical test theory. In contrast, the least used approach was item response theory (IRT), which provides other descriptive and evaluative parameters of the quality of the score measurement, such as the information function or the characteristic curves of the options, among others.

On the other hand, it is striking that some of the articles found prove the construct validity of their instruments by obtaining higher EI scores by women than men [ 56 , 58 , 73 ]. This has also been seen in the scientific literature and in research such as that of Fischer et al. [ 111 ], in which it was found that women tend to score higher in EI tests or empathy tests than men, especially, but not only, if it is measured through self-report. Additionally, striking is the study by Molero et al. [ 112 ], in which significant differences were observed among the various EI components between men and women. However, this is not the case in all the articles analysed in this study, nor in all the most current scientific literature. This fact has led to the development of different hypotheses about how far, why, and under what circumstances women could outperform men. There are several theories that have emerged around it. There is one that claims that these differences could be related to different modes of emotional processing in the brain [ 113 , 114 ]. Another theory points to possible differences in emotional perception that suggest that women are more accurate than men in this process when facial manifestations of emotion are subtle, but not when stimuli are highly expressive [ 115 ]. Additionally, another one points out that the expression of emotions is consistent with sex, which may be influenced by contextual factors, including the immediate social context and broader cultural contexts [ 116 ]. However, other variables such as age or years of experience in the position should also be taken into account. For example, the study by Miguel-Torres et al. [ 117 ] showed a better ability to feel, express, and understand emotional states in younger nurses, while the ability to regulate emotions was greater in those who had worked for more years. For this reason, nowadays firm conclusions cannot be drawn and it must be taken into account that the differences found are generally small. Thus, more research is needed on the differences that may exist between men and women in the processes of perception, expression and emotional management before establishing possible social implications of these findings.

4.1. Limitations

This study is not without limitations. Some are inherent in this type of studies, such as publication bias (i.e., the non-publication of studies with results that do not show significant differences) that could have resulted in a loss of articles that have not been published and that used instruments other than those found. In addition, instruments that could not be accessed from their original manuscript could not be included in the systematic review. On the other hand, despite the advantages of WoS, the fact that the search was conducted in a single database may lead to some loss of literature. Furthermore, the systematic review was restricted to peer-reviewed publications and thus different studies may be presented in other information sources, such as books or grey literature. Articles that were in the press and those that may have been published in the course of the compilation of this study have not been collected either. Additionally, the entire process of searching for references was carried out by only one investigator, so an estimate of inter-judge reliability cannot be made, as well as data extraction. There are many aspects of the PRISMA statement that, due to the purpose of our research, our study does not include (visible as NA in Table A1 ). However, it is necessary to develop a protocol for recording the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the primary studies to prevent bias (e.g., bias in the selection process). There are also some methodological aspects to be improved, such as the lack of methods used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies, the preparation or synthesis of the data, or the certainty in the body of evidence of a result. In future research it is necessary to take into account and develop these aspects in order to improve the replicability and methodological validity of the study, and to facilitate the transparency of the research process. In contrast to the above, one of the strengths of this study was to minimize the presence of biases that could alter the results. To minimize language bias, articles submitted in any language were searched for and accepted to avoid over-presentation of studies in one language, and under-presentation in others [ 20 ]. In addition, this study takes into account and exposes five sources of evidence of validity of the instruments through the Standards: content, response processes, internal structure, relationship with other variables and the consequences of testing. Other aspects to be improved in the future include performing the same search in other databases such as EBSCO and Scopus to obtain possible articles not covered in WoS. A manual search for additional articles would also be useful, for example, in the references of other articles or in the grey literature.

4.2. Practical Implication

The relationship between EI and personal development has been of great interest in psychological research over time [ 8 ]. A good study of the instruments that measure constructs such as EI can be of great help both in the field of prevention and psychological intervention in social settings. The revision of EI instruments is intended to contribute to facilitating work in the general population in a way that the development of EI is promoted and antisocial behaviours are reduced. In addition, since it correlates with variables that serve as protectors against psychological distress, this work also contributes to improving, in some cases, the general level of health.

Through this systematic review, we can see the great effort that has been made by researchers not only to improve existing EI measurement instruments, but also in the construction of new instruments that help professionals in the educational, business and health fields, as well as the general population. However, given the rapid changes that society is experiencing, partly due to the effects of modernization and technology, there is a demand to go beyond measurement. For example, from educational and business institutions and from family and community organizations it is necessary to promote activities, support and commitment towards actions oriented to EI under the consideration that this construct can be improved at any age and that it increases with experience.

5. Conclusions

From the results obtained in this study, numerous instruments have been found that can be used to measure EI in professionals. Over the years, the production of instruments to measure EI has been increasing and, moreover, has spread to other geographical areas. The most recent instruments have hardly been translated beyond their original version and have been tested very rarely. In order for future research to benefit from these new instruments, a greater number of uses in larger samples and in other contexts would be desirable.

In addition, most of the instruments are grouped under the three main conceptual models described in the introduction (ability, trait and mixed). Each model has a number of advantages and disadvantages. In the ability model it is not possible to adulterate the results by strategic responses and they tend to be more attractive tests; however, factor analyses do not support a hierarchical model with an underlying global EI factor. The trait-based model, on the other hand, employs measures that have no right or wrong answers, so they result in emotional profiles that are more advantageous in some contexts than others, and they tend to have very good psychometric properties. However, they are susceptible to falsification and social desirability.

On the other hand, it is necessary to identify measures that can be used as parameters to compare the results of different studies. In addition, the standard coefficient of internal consistency has been the α coefficient, which has been questioned in relation to its apparent misinformed use of its restrictions. It would be advisable to use other reliability measures and to update the reliability estimation practice in the creation of EI measures.

Finally, some of the articles found test the construct validity of their instruments by obtaining higher EI scores from women than from men. Different hypotheses have been developed about to what extent, why and under what circumstances women would outperform men; differences may be related to different modes of emotional processing in the brain or possible differences in emotional perception or to the influence of contextual factors. However, it would be interesting to further investigate the differences that may exist between men and women or to take into account other factors such as age or number of years of experience before establishing possible practical implications.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the casual helpers for their aid with information processing and searching.

PRISMA 2020 checklist.

NA = Not applicable.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, L.M.B.-L. and M.M.-V.; methodology, L.M.B.-L.; validation, L.M.B.-L.; formal analysis, L.M.B.-L.; investigation, L.M.B.-L.; data curation, L.M.B.-L.; writing—original draft preparation, L.M.B.-L.; writing—review and editing, L.M.B.-L., M.M.-V., C.M.-S. and J.L.C.-S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Modeling Emotional Intelligence for Students

Michele snoke.

• June 14, 2021

Educators are most interested in students’ intellect and providing appropriate instruction to meet the individual student needs in a classroom. Teachers are also paying close attention to how students react to challenges with assignments and with social situations. Many times, students have a high aptitude for learning but a lower emotional ability to get along with peers or attack a challenge with developmentally appropriate actions. When teachers observe a student’s problem-solving ability, the student’s emotional quotient (EQ) is typically the explanation for why a student reacts in a certain manner. The EQ for a student is actually a measurement of the student’s emotional intelligence (EI).

What is Emotional Intelligence?

The ability to handle personal emotions and the emotions of others in a smart manner is emotional intelligence (EI). Developing emotional intelligence is important for students as it will help them learn and think effectively in the classroom while managing personal emotional challenges and conflicts that may arise with other classmates. There are five factors that make up emotional intelligence : self -awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence Skills

The first skill of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. The child must understand the situation that is causing a specific emotion that is usually uncomfortable. As self-regulation sets in, the child will begin to determine how to react to the emotions they are feeling. Self-awareness of emotions can greatly impact the way the child’s reaction – these two skills are healthy in developing an early emotional intelligence.

The third skill in emotional intelligence development is self-motivation. Self-motivation cannot be taught, and it may look different in children. While practicing the importance of accomplishing a goal can be uncomfortable work, it builds self-motivation in children.

Furthermore, empathy is crucial for students to learn how to deal and accept the feelings of others. Developing a skill in recognizing others emotions can help a child navigate personal relationships with other children and ultimately develop appropriate social skills.

Each of the five skills making up emotional intelligence is important independent of one another, but when working all together a child’s emotional intelligence is healthy.

How Teachers can Model EI in the Classroom

Modeling instruction is an effective method for teachers to guide students through new concepts and skills. While students watch a teacher demonstrate a concept step by step, students mimic the teacher’s actions to achieve an understanding of the concept being taught. Students also watch teachers’ actions in social situations inside and outside of the classroom between students and other teachers.

The teacher plays an important role in modeling healthy emotional intelligence in the classroom. Teachers can institute daily morning meetings with students to provide the opportunity for those in the class to share and discuss emotional situations that may be occurring in the classroom. These meetings are a time for the class to build a sense of community, where trust is built between the teacher and students and among the students as a class.

Another method of modeling healthy EI is to guide students with journal writing. Writing tasks for students can help develop self-awareness with their emotions. The topics could involve emotional challenges that require students to determine a solution that would effectively meet the proposed challenge.

Classroom jobs provide an emphasis on students’ responsibility. The teacher identifies the jobs and demonstrates the proper way to handle the classroom duties, allowing the class community to run effectively. Student jobs create a level of reliability among students in the class. For example, if a student were to be absent for the day, the other students would have to use problem-solving skills to fill the position for the day.

When teachers model and allow creatively in the classroom , it helps develop an understanding of flexibility in life. Creativity with assignments is a great place to start. For example, during a morning meeting, teachers can begin the day by creating a class situation that students must invent a creative solution for. Teachers can lead the students into a discussion and have the class hear the many options developed by the students. There are many times in a classroom when a teacher must shift gears quickly and the students must also be ready for a change in schedule, and these opportunities rely upon creative thinking among all individuals in the class.

Teachers can model the following seven tools with students to encourage strong emotional intelligence. The first is the importance of eye contact. Achieving eye contact develops a person’s authentic personality and strength communication skills between two people. Another great exercise for students is to practice how a person’s face looks when expressing a specific emotion. It is important for students to understand how someone else perceives the look on a person’s face. The reaction a student makes with their face and their body’s posture develops the ability to read one another’s body language .

Body language tells people how a person is feeling. When reading someone’s facial reaction or body language, it allows students to determine the emotion felt by the person. Moreover, teachers are always reminding students to listen during instruction. In addition to this instruction, it is important that teachers help students understand the tone of a person’s voice and how listening and reacting to the different tone will help with understanding the appropriate emotional reaction by a student.

Students are constantly watching the emotional reactions a teacher displays to the various situations that occur during the school day. The teacher’s emotional reactions may be mimicked during a situation between students. The eyes and ears of students are focused on the teacher at all times.

How Administrators can Model EI Outside of the Classroom

Administrators carry the responsibility of creating a school culture that fosters a positive environment for academic growth and safe social behaviors for all students and teachers. It is also the goal of the administrator to create an emotionally balanced atmosphere for the teachers.

Administrators must manage emotions of teachers effectively to solve daily problems. Leaders that are self-aware of others’ emotions can navigate various situations that arise in a school and lessen stress levels throughout the school environment.

School administrators are emotional coaches for both students and teachers. The administrator can use the following five strategies to improve emotional intelligence:

• Focus on the reaction or response to a specific event. The response selected will determine the outcome. Responses should be made with discipline and intent, not reactive or impulsive.
• The level of empathy expressed by a leader is extremely important. The school’s faculty must have confidence in the leader’s communication skills and how the leader connects with the faculty.
• School leaders must be able to determine the difference between a teacher’s opinion and feelings.
• Administrators must be aware of triggers that insert emotions into decisions before taking time to consider the best course of action.
• An effective school leader balances patience and persistence. The leader must be attuned with the feelings of others before making decisions that will affect others.

An effective understanding of emotional intelligence for an administrator and teacher will build trust and create a school culture that will allow teachers to instruct students effectively and develop students’ positive emotional intelligence.

• #EmotionalIntelligence

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• Emotional Intelligence Assignment

In 1 990, John Mayer and Peter Salvoes did groundbreaking search on emotional intelligence, pointing to the importance of knowing yourself as well as understanding others. In 1 995, Daniel Coleman introduced the important Of CEQ in the workplace, noting that IQ is a less powerful predictor of outstanding leadership than CEQ. Introduction: Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage your emotions in positive and constructive ways. It’s about recognizing your own emotional state and the emotional states of others.

Emotional intelligence is also about engaging with others in ways that draw people to you. For long, it has believed that success at the workplace depends on your level of intelligence or intelligence quotient (IQ) as reflected in your academic achievements, exams passed, marks obtained, etc. But how bright are you outside the classroom, this is termed as emotional intelligence (CEQ), which is a different way of being smart. Emotional intelligence is what gives a person a competitive edge.

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Even in certain renowned business establishments, where everyone is trained to be smart, the most valued and the productive managers are those who have strong traits of emotional intelligence and are to necessarily those with the high IQ Being endowed with great intellectual abilities, you may become a brilliant fiscal analysis, but a highly developed emotional intelligence is what will make you a candidate for a CEO. Emotional traits are most likely to ensure that you attain dizzy heights in your business.

The lack of emotional intelligence explains why people who, despite having a high ‘Q, have been such utter failures and disastrous in their personal and professional lives and the persons with more IQ and less CEQ yields the stereotype of a person who is critical, condescending, inhibited and uncomfortable with others. And persons with high CEQ are balanced, outgoing, committed to other people. They are comfortable with themselves and with others. It is often said that a high IQ may assure you a top position, but it may not make you a top person.

If you are applying for a job, you are likely to be assessed in terms of these abilities, though no one will tell you so explicitly. Whatever the job, understanding how to cultivate these abilities is essential for a successful career. If you are working in a small organization or are self- employed, your ability to perform at your peak may depend to a large extent n your having these abilities, though you were definitely not taught these at school or college. According to Coleman emotional intelligence defines as the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in us and in our relationships”. “Salvoes and Mayer defined emotional intelligence in terms of being able to monitor and regulate one’s own and othersњ feelings, and to use feelings to guide thought and action. The three dimensions of emotional intelligence are C Emotional Competency: It constitutes the capacity to spend skillfully to the emotional stimuli elicited by various situations, having self-esteem and optimism, communication, tackling emotional upsets etc. Emotional competency is the key factor for every business man. Without the emotional competency he is not able to communicate with the people around him and he will not be happy with his work. In the sense he will be a failure. N Emotional Maturity: It constitutes evaluating emotions of one-self and others. It is the balancing state of heart and mind.

This is another key factor of emotional intelligence which will lead to the success in his career and also in is life. The key thing in emotional maturity is to praise other’s point of view so that the relationship will increased and even they listen to your ideas which will lead to the success in business. For example, if you are having a good relationship between the people who are all working with you, then your networking is increased which is one of the quality to increase your Emotional Intelligence. Even it depends on how you behave with the people who are all working with you.

Some of the important aspects Of emotional maturity are: L] Self-Awareness: Many managers are not able to recognize heir feelings and are inclined to deny them. Knowing oneњs own emotional strength and weaknesses is a big thing. One who knows their strength and weaknesses will become good managers for them, even they can manage others. CLC Developing others: Developing others in the sense encouraging their participation, appreciating others point of view and involving them actively in a project are signs of an emotional intelligence manager. Delaying Gratification: Delaying gratification in the sense gain time to judge whether what is about to be said or done. A manager must have loads of audience and must not allow emotions to get the upper hand. Delaying gratification is a good thing to attain success in personal and professional life. 0 Adaptability and flexibility: Knowing how and when to take the lead and when to follow are both essential emotional skills. The manager must know when he must be aggressive and when he must be passive.

Managers should have control on his negative tendencies like jealousy, manipulation and the feeling of self-grandeur. Emotional Sensitivity: constitutes understanding threshold of emotional arousal. It also constitutes the harmony and comfort with the others and eating others feel comfortable in the company. It also involves being honest in interpersonal dealings. The managers may seek to evolve the following in their personality: 0 Understanding threshold of emotional arousal: The managers should be in a position to respond to stimuli of low intensity.

Equally important is the ability to be aware of the relationship between feelings and actions. C] Empathy: Empathy is the ability to sense how other people feel. It is the ability to share and accept another persons]s feelings. It is necessary to be able to distinguish between what others do or say, and oneјs win personal reactions and judgments. C Improving inter-personal relations: Positive inter-personal relations are a sigh of success.

The key to good inter-personal relations is to believe in the basic elements of trust, confidence and reliance. A manager with low inter-personal skills will experience considerable Stress and anxiety and exhibit lack of trust in others. L] Communicability of Emotions: A cheerful managers communicates a message of confidence and self-respect. Expressions of negative feeling by a manager communicate a message of pessimism, bitterness, suspicion and inferiority. Without these dimensions of emotional intelligence a person cannot become successful.

If one of these dimensions is less then there will be no balancing state of mind and heart. In the sense, he might think more in his mind. These dimensions play a vital role in a person’s day-to-day life. These dimensions will motivate an individual to recognize truthfully, interpret honestly and handle tactfully the dynamics Of human behavior. A framework of Emotional Competencies: Self (personal competence) Self-Awareness Recognition C] Emotional awareness Self- Other (social competence) Social Awareness D C]

Selfsameness Service Orientation Organizational Awareness Accuse rate Assessment Self-confidence Self-Management C] ј D 0 њ C] Self-Control Trustworthiness Conscientiousness Adaptability Achievement Drive Initiative Relationship Manager Developing Others Influence Communication Conflict Management Leadership Change Catalyst Building Bonds Teamwork and Collaboration Urge lotion The self-Awareness: This refers to understanding feelings and accurate selfsameness and contains three competencies related to workplace 0 Emotional Self-Awareness: This reflects the importance of recognizing one’s win feelings and how they affect one’s performance.

This is important because, if he feels that his job is not very much interesting then he is not able to do the job properly and it will affect the performance of the organization and also it will affect his performance. For example, if a person feels that the organization where he is working now is not good, they are not motivating the employees, etc. , So he doses[alt give more importance, he will look forward to change the organization which is not good for the organization. C] Accurate Self-Assessment: Self-Awareness is to realizing one’s win strength and weaknesses.

Accurate self-assessment was the hallmark of superior performance. Every individual with accurate self-assessment assessment competence are aware of their abilities and limitations, seek out feedback and learn from their mistakes and they know in which area they have to improve. CLC Self-Confidence: The people who are having high Self- confidence will always be successful. If the managers, supervisors, executives were having low Self-confidence then he won’t be successful in life. Self- confidence must be there in every individual.

It is very much important for an organization as well as for an individual. For example, a person with low self- confidence I. E. A person who is not believing himself cannot be successful and the performance of the organization will decrease, it means the profitability of the organization is less. The Self-Management: This refers to managing internal states, impulses, and resources and has six competencies relating to workplace performance C Emotional Self-Control: It refers to control the stress and feelings. Selection is important for every individual to become a successful person.

If selection s low then he won’t be a successful person, he cannot manage the working pressure. For example, if a person is not performing well in the organization, as a team leader you just cannot blame him. Instead Of blaming you need to motivate him so that he can improve his performance. Controlling emotions is very big thing. One who controls his emotions will be highly focused. D Trustworthiness: It means letting others know one’s values and principles, intentions and feelings, and acting in ways that are consistent with them. Trustworthiness is a moral value considered to be a virtue.

A trustworthy arson is someone in whom you can place your trust and rest assured that the trust will not be betrayed. A person can prove their trustworthiness by fulfilling an assigned responsibility and as an extension of that, not to let down expectations. The responsibility can be either material, such as delivering a mail package on time, or it can be non-material such as keeping an important secret by themselves. A trustworthy person is someone that you can tell your worries and secrets to and know they won’t repeat them without your permission.

In general, in order for trust to be earned, worth and integrity must be proven over time. D Conscientiousness: It includes being careful, self-disciplined, and scrupulous in attending to responsibilities. Anything that we are aware of at a given moment forms part of our consciousness, making conscious experience at once the most familiar and most mysterious aspect of our lives. C Adaptability: It is adopted by the superior performers. Adaptability is a feature of a system or of a process. This word has been put to use as a specialized term in different disciplines and in business operations.

According to Andresen and Ground adaptability in the field of organizational management can in general be seen as an ability to change something or oneself to fit to occurring changes. With respect to business and manufacturing systems and processes adaptability has come to be seen increasingly as an important factor for their efficiency and economic success. In contrast, adaptability and efficiency are held to be in opposition to each other in biological and ecological systems, requiring a trade-off, since both are important factors in the success of such systems.

L] Achievement orientation: This will drive the success of the entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs an achieve success only by improving their performance continuously. Achievement orientation is almost universally identified as one of the two most important predictors of success in complex, sophisticated organizations. Other terms that are often used for this competency include results ћћorientation,CA ћћtaking initiative,AD and ћћentrepreneurship. CA 0 Achievement Orientation Checklist Sets challenging goals for self and others: ћћChallenging goals is a term consistently tossed around. But what is a ћћchallenging goal? T[l’s not just doing the job more cheaply, faster, better. The operational definition is that a truly challenging goal is one where the goal-setter recognizes that thereњs only a fifty-fifty chance of achieving the target. A challenging goal is a real stretch. Takes sustained action in the face of obstacles or adversity: We all encounter obstacles. A person with a high drive for results or achievement orientation will keep getting back up even after life has knocked her down a couple of times. Does more than asked: Going beyond the call of duty is one of the leading indicators of a high degree of achievement orientation.

The person with a throng results-focus looks for opportunities to do extra work to help others and to make a project move along more quickly. Looks for places where problems might arise and fixes them. Achievement orientation doesn’t mean merely solving problems. It means actively looking for places where problems might arise and taking action before the problems occur. Actively seeks out interesting projects to work on when the current assignment is completed: Even in the midst of a challenging and demanding assignment, the individual with a high achievement orientation actively scouts out the next assignment.

C] Initiative: it means taking the advantage of opportunities before they are visible to anyone else. By taking initiative it tells that a person is proactive. It means that taking anticipatory action to avoid problems before they happen. Taking initiative is a quality of leadership. Not only taking initiative is important, but we have to work very hard to achieve goal. After taking initiative if you don]t work then there is no use, it will not help the organization to achieve its goals.

The social Awareness: This refers to reading people and groups accurately and encompasses three competence related to performance Empathy: It ivies the awareness of others emotions, concerns, and needs. To show empathy is to identify with another’s feelings. It is to emotionally put yourself in the place of another. The ability to empathic is directly dependent on your ability to feel your own feelings and identify them. F you have never felt a certain feeling, it will be hard for you to understand how another person is feeling. This holds equally true for pleasure and pain.

If, for example, you have never put your hand in a flame, you will not know the pain of fire. Similarly, if you have never felt rebellious or defiant, you will to understand those feelings. Reading about a feeling and intellectually knowing about it is very different than actually experiencing it. Among those with an equal level of innate emotional intelligence, the person who has actually experienced the widest range and variety of feelings, the great depths of depression and the heights of fulfillment, for example, is the one who is most able to empathic with the greatest number of people from all walks of life.

On the other hand, when we say that someone “can’t relate” to other people, it is likely because they haven’t experienced, acknowledged or accepted many feelings of their own. Once you have felt discriminated against, for example, it is much easier to relate with someone else who has been discriminated against. Our innate emotional intelligence gives us the ability to quickly recall those instances and form associations when we encounter discrimination again. We then can use the “reliving” of those emotions to guide our thinking and actions.

This is one of the ways nature slowly evolves towards a higher level of survival. For this process to work, the first step is that we must be able to experience our own emotions. Next, we need to become aware of what we are actually feeling to acknowledge, identify, and accept our feelings. Only then can we empathic with others. That is one reason it is important to work on your own emotional awareness and sensitivity– in other words, to be “in touch with” your feelings and to help children stay in touch With their feelings. Empathy begins with awareness of another person’s feelings.

It would be easier to be aware of other people’s emotions if they would simply tell us how they felt. But since most people do not, we must resort to asking questions, reading teen the lines, guessing, and trying to interpret non-verbal cues. Emotionally expressive people are easiest to read because their eyes and faces are constantly letting us know how they are feeling. 0 Service: The ability to identify clients or customer’s often-unstated needs and concerns and then match them to products or services. This can be distinguished from star sales performers from average ones.

D Organizational awareness: The abilities to read the current emotions and political realities in groups. The one who knows the organization’s mission and functions, and how its social, lattice, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them, this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization. The relationship management: This refers to inducing desirable responses in others. D C] Developing others: Developing involves sensing people’s developmental needs and bolstering their abilities.

Influence: The most effective people sense others’ reactions and fine-tune their own responses to move interaction in the best direction. Communication: Creating an atmosphere of openness with clear lines of immunization is a key factor in organizational success. The people with good communication means their interaction with the people is good and they listen to others and share the information fully. C] Conflict management: Effective conflict management and negotiation are important to long-term, symbiotic business relationships, such as those between manufacturers and retailers.

Thomas and Killing identified a conflict-handling grid comprised of five conflict management styles based on two dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness. Assertiveness is the motivation of an individual to achieve is/her own goals, objectives, and outcomes, while cooperativeness assesses the willingness to allow or help the other party to achieve its goals or outcomes. Any of the five conflict resolution styles might be appropriate based on the circumstances of the situation and the personalities of the individuals involved. Avoiding Conflict Resolution Style: The avoiding style is low on both assertiveness and cooperativeness.

In other words, the manager is not very cooperative in helping the other individuals to achieve their goals, but neither is he/she aggressively pursuing his/her own preferred outcomes in the tuition. The original problem, conflict, or situation is never directly addressed or resolved. However, avoiding behavior might be appropriate when the issue is perceived by the manager to be trivial. It might also be an appropriate approach to use when there is no chance of winning or when disruption would be very costly. Competing Conflict Resolution Style: The competing style of resolving conflict is also known as the win-lose approach.

A manager using this style, characterized by high assertiveness and low cooperativeness, seeks to reach his/her own preferred outcomes at the expense of other individuals. This approach may be appropriate when quick, decisive action is needed, such as during emergencies. It can also be used to confront unpopular actions, such as urgent cost cutting. Accommodating Conflict Resolution Style: This style reflects a high degree of cooperativeness. It has also been labeled as obliging. A manager using this style subjugates his/her own goals, objectives, and desired outcomes to allow other individuals to achieve their goals and outcomes.

This behavior is appropriate when people realize that they are in the wrong or when an issue is more important to one side than the other. This conflict resolution style is important for preserving future relations between the parties. 0 Compromising Conflict Resolution Style: This style is characterized by moderate levels of both assertiveness and cooperativeness. Compromise can also be referred to as bargaining or trading. It generally produces suboptimal results. This behavior can be used when the goals of both sides are of equal importance, when both sides have equal power, or when it is necessary to find a temporary, timely solution.

It should not be used when there is a complex problem requiring a problem-solving approach. C] Collaborating Conflict Resolution Style: This approach, high on both assertiveness and cooperativeness, is often described as the win-win scenario. Both sides creatively work towards achieving the goals and desired outcomes of all parties involved. The collaboration style is appropriate when the concerns are complex and a creative or novel synthesis of ideas is required. The downside of this approach is that the process of collaborating mandates sincere effort by all parties involved and it may require a lot of time to reach a consensus.

Visionary leadership: A leader should have a vision so that people working round you will be inspired to work together towards common goal. By having a good leader, people who are all working under you will get motivated and work for the success of the organization. If the leader is not effective then the people working under you will be De-motivated and they lose interest to do the job. Change catalyst: A change in the catalyst which was done by the leader will make people to work more effectively so that they can achieve their goals very effectively.

Focused strategies, clear communication and solid support systems are helping many companies successfully transition to their new nominative reality. These transitions require: A well articulated vision and business goals, An analysis of the required changes (what they are, the barriers, risks and rewards), A effective implementation plan that engages employees and Open communication about the change. Catalysts facilitates strategy formulation, change plan inning and Change implementation within your company.

You will achieve your required business results and experience a smooth transition. You can also establish a continually innovative mind set throughout your organization. C Building bonds: The fields like engineering computer science, technology etc, in which networking is very crucial for success. Networking is important for the success of the organization. ј Collaboration and team work: The collaboration and team work competence has taken on increased importance in the last decade with the trend toward team-based work in many organizations.

Team work is important for the betterment Of the company. If you work as a team then anything can be achieved. For example, in ICC world cup 2011 team India worked as a team which made them to bring the world cup for India, which was happened earlier in the year 1 984 under the captaincy of Kappa Dive. Collaboration is an act executed by an organization, company or group of people to reach a common goal, which typically takes place on a larger scale than teamwork.

Effective collaboration and teamwork require communication technology, definition of responsibilities and an encouraging culture. Teamwork and collaboration are most effective when team members are expressive and open to positive competition. Teamwork Increases Productivity CLC Teamwork requires each team member to work together while allowing their individual interests to become a subordinate concern. As a result, team members focus on the goal t hand and contribute their knowledge, resources and skills to reaching the goal.

Teams work together toward a common goal, which eliminates an independent mindset that may not be in sync with additional staff members. A team environment facilitates the accomplishment of one goal (winning a championship, for example) increasing productivity and efficiency.

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What is Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions , and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they’re feeling, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people.

For leaders, having emotional intelligence is essential for success . After all, who is more likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at his team when he’s under stress, or a leader who stay in control, and calmly assesses the situation.

According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize EI, there are five main elements of emotional intelligence:

• Self-awareness.
• Self-regulation.
• Motivation .
• Social skills.

2. Self-regulation

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control.

3. Motivation

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else’s situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.

5. Social skills

Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They’re just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they’re expert at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project.

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Daniel goleman’s 5 key ingredients for emotional intelligence training.

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The key ingredients of “successful EQ training” all share something in common: They help ... [+] participants practice.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is difficult to train. As Annie McKee writes for the Harvard Business Review, “EQ is difficult to develop because it is linked to psychological development and neurological pathways created over an entire lifetime. It takes a lot of effort to change long-standing habits of human interaction.”

The good news is that companies have been training EQ for decades. And the research shows not only that EQ training is effective, but also how to make it effective. As EQ expert, Dr. Daniel Goleman explains in his latest book Optimal , “A host of strong studies were done…If a training program is well designed and implemented effectively, adults can increase their EQ and maintain those increases as time goes on.”

In the chapter of Optimal entitled “EQ Training That Works,” Goleman shares a range of powerful studies:

• Medical residents saw patient satisfaction increase after EQ training.
• Pharmaceutical reps who received EQ training outperformed those who didn’t in sales revenue .
• Midlevel managers saw improved job satisfaction, decreased stress, and improved general health after EQ training.

But simply offering EQ training isn’t enough. You need to approach training in a way that helps your learners change their behavior. To do so, Goleman recommends five key ingredients.

The Five Ingredients of Successful EQ Training

After decades of studying the most successful EQ training programs, Goleman observed five critical ingredients:

• Highly motivated participants. The best EQ training programs actively increase and sustain engagement throughout the program. One example Goleman offers is of a program that employed weekly email nudges to increase and extend engagement. Each week, participants received two emails. The emails encouraged learners to practice a specific part of the course.
• Ten or more hours of training, spaced out over time, with periodic booster sessions. “The more hours of training, the better,” Goleman writes. By spreading training hours out over time, you can help make learning stick.
• Ongoing practice and reinforcement. Goleman points out that EQ is a behavioral skill. This means, that like basketball or golf, practice is the key to mastery. The more you practice, the more EQ will become engrained in your day-to-day approach.
• Social support. For executives and high-level leaders, Goleman recommends one-on-one coaching. As you scale, he recommends employing regular cohort-based meetings. These meetings serve as an opportunity to talk about on-the-job learning. At my company LEADx, for example, we create a space for social support with monthly group coaching sessions. We also use a text-based platform where leaders can message directly with an expert EQ coach. This enables leaders to ask questions, role play challenging scenarios, and seek out advice.
• Active modeling and support of key organizational leaders. The more top executives engage with and actively support EQ training, the more employees will value it. Goleman shares an example where an EQ coach delivers the same session at two different companies. The session is much more effective at one company than the other. The main difference? At one company, the CEO kicked off the session then left. At the other, the CEO kicked off the session then actively participated in it until the very end. The second training program, of course, was the effective one.

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“Not all training programs need to be alike, and not all need to incorporate every one of the five ingredients,” Goleman writes, “But the more ingredients they do incorporate, the more likely it is that they will work.”

Examples of Successful EQ Training

There is no one “right” way to train EQ. To inspire you, here are a few examples Goleman shares. Each is unique. All are successful.

• The “ideal self” approach at Case Western. Researcher Richard Boyatzis teaches EQ at Case Western’s MBA program. The program kicks off by asking participants what their “ideal self” would look like in five years. Then, participants take a 360 EQ assessment to get a strong sense of their strengths and areas for improvement. After that, participants connect the results of their 360 assessment to their ideal self. How can their strengths help them reach that ideal? How about areas for improvement? Finally, participants practice. Boyatzis has seen his students show exceptional emotional intelligence, even seven years after this program.
• Learning circles for leaders. A group of leaders in Chicago (pulled from a variety of businesses) met on a monthly basis. Each month, one person shared their biggest current challenge. After the presentation, other leaders were invited to share similar experiences. Then, other leaders were asked to offer advice. After two years, leaders showed significant improvements in EQ.
• Sessions by EQ competency. In a third example, Goleman broke training down into multiple sessions, one for each EQ competency. Participants learned about that competency and then were given daily exercises to practice. A meta-analysis (a study looking at many relevant studies) of Goleman’s approach shows that it works. It has helped improve EQ for a variety of audiences—from MBA students to managers, executives, and even cricket players.

The Takeaway: To Improve EQ, You Have to Build Habits

The key ingredients of “successful EQ training” all share something in common: They help participants practice. Practice is what makes learning stick. Practice is what it takes to shed yourself of a low EQ habit and replace it with a high EQ habit. So as you create or outsource your EQ training, ask yourself one question: “How will this help my learners practice?”

Kevin Kruse is the Founder + CEO of LEADx , an emotional intelligence training company. Kevin is also a New York Times NYT bestselling author of Great Leaders Have No Rules , 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management , and Employee Engagement 2.0 .

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Teaching Emotional Intelligence to Teens and Students

There is considerable evidence pointing to its positive role in helping students deal with stress, develop relationships, and handle the transitions facing them.

Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or a student yourself, you’ve probably become well aware of how it’s been popping up everywhere recently, in lessons, curricula, and even exams.

Here, we’ll look at the fascinating research on Emotional Intelligence for teens and students—why it matters, and how to develop it. Then we’ll dive into an in-depth look at some different ways that teachers and teens alike can take this knowledge and use it in practice.

In that vein, we’ll be outlining some lesson plans and have put together a few Powerpoints that will hopefully make teaching EI easy. Because yes, Emotional Intelligence can 100% be taught and learned.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Emotional Intelligence Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will not only enhance your ability to understand and work with your emotions but will also give you the tools to foster the emotional intelligence of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains

Is emotional intelligence important for teens, what do we know about ei and academic achievement, emotional intelligence: implications for students, emotional intelligence in the curriculum, 3 emotional intelligence lesson plans, what does ei mean for teachers, ei powerpoint (ppt) for teachers, can emotional intelligence be taught to adults, can emotional intelligence be learned, 3 ei questionnaires for students (pdf included), 5 emotional intelligence games, a take-home message.

In a handy little nutshell—yes. Just as it’s important for adults, the concepts of social and emotional functioning play a key role in adolescents and teenagers. Emotional Intelligence in teens covers their ability to use emotions effectively and productively in an adaptive way (Sekhri, 2017).

In fact, the concept has become of incredible interest not only pedagogically, but to everyone who’s realized that today’s teens are going to make up tomorrow’s workforce.

Let’s look at how Emotional Intelligence can play a role in students’ lives.

So, does it impact on how teens and students perform academically?

Some research does, in fact, suggest a relationship between Emotional Intelligence and academic achievement (Fallahzadeh, 2011). In one study of Education students at university, Self-Emotion Appraisal and Understanding of Emotion were revealed to have positive significant linkages with their academic performance on assessments (Mohzan et al., 2013).

Later studies support this finding, with Sanchez-Ruiz and colleagues (2014) finding that EI predicted academic performance better than established personality traits and cognitive ability for Cyprus university students.

These are findings that support the premises of Bar-On, developed of the EQ-i assessment, who has argued that “ academic performance appears to be facilitated by being able to set personal goals as well as to be sufficiently optimistic and self-motivated to accomplish them ” (Bar-On, 2005, p.14-15).

But what about teens specifically? Interestingly, there is also empirical evidence to suggest that teens with EI are better able to make the transition from high school to higher education (Parker et al., 2005).

Results of a study of 1,426 first-year students found significantly higher interpersonal, stress management, and adaptability skills among students who were academically successful in entering university. The authors’ conclusion was that EI has a large impact on students’ ability to deal with challenges such as developing new relationships and learning to live more independently, amongst other factors.

It is worth noting that while the studies above do provide evidence for some benefits of  EI skills for students, they don’t necessarily indicate an academic consensus. As with most areas in the field, much room for future research remains.

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So interpersonal and emotional management skills may play a pivotal part in helping students better handle the challenging aspects of academic life. But how can we help them develop these skills?

Fortunately for us, it’s not as hard as it may sound. There are several ways that teachers can support students in developing these skills, but we will outline two main ones.

Active Listening

Psychologist Bradley Busch, author of The Science of Learning recommends that teachers practice Active Listening .

Based on the argument that students’ mindsets, attitudes, and motivations are key to persistence and effort, Busch suggests actively listening to them is critical (Busch & Oakley, 2017). It’s a concept encouraged by other practitioners, such as EI Coach Anne Loehr, who recommends facilitating two-way, truly interactive dialogue with students by:

• focusing on both yourself and the student during dialogue;
• being aware of your non-verbal cues;
• validating that you have listened through appropriate responses; and
• maintaining awareness of the environment.

This approach can be particularly relevant when a teacher may want to deliver feedback and is very much in line with empirical research supporting the link between active listening and motivation (Stone et al., 2009).

Self Awareness Exercises

If you’ve read any of our other articles on Emotional Intelligence, you’ll already know that there’s ample scientific evidence of anxiety being triggered by negative self-talk (Kross et al., 2014).

Because self-awareness involves becoming attuned to our internal dialogue, exercises to help build self-awareness can be a first step toward challenging these irrational processes (Ciarrochi et al., 2002). Helping students develop self-awareness, therefore, is one means of helping them deal with challenges like exam stress or test anxiety.

Returning to Busch’s recommendations, this could involve getting students to  k eep a d iary . It’s one way to help improve their meta-cognition, by inviting them to notice patterns or trends in their thoughts and behavior (Tanner, 2012).

Stepping back for a moment, it’s easy to see that Emotional Intelligence for teens and students has become an incredibly popular topic. And one critical premise of recent years is the idea that EI should be infused into all areas of the curriculum, not dealt with in isolation (de Klerk & Le Roux, 2007).

This means that recent decades have seen a lot more focus on how we can integrate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives into curricula.

So, while we couldn’t possibly list all the different ways that schools have gone about revamping their curricula, one well-known example comes from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

If you haven’t already heard of RULER, it’s the name given to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s SEL approach. The aim of the program is to help schools blend EI principles into their curricula. Through teacher training, coaching support, and evidence-based resources, RULER is designed to inform classroom teaching all the way from preschool up to the high school level.

It’s one example of how schools and pedagogy are already very much on the bandwagon with the benefits of EI for teens and students. If you’re interested in learning more about the tools and skills that the approach imparts, you can visit their website .

Here are three examples that you can use.

We’ve tried to link them to the implications above, as well as cover some of the social skills that are so central to SEL.

1. Self Talk: How Thoughts Affect Feelings and Behavior

This lesson plan comes from the book Boost Emotional Intelligence in Students by Drs Elias and Tobias. It aims to assist students in Grades 5-9 to come to terms with the impact that our thoughts can have on our feelings and behavior. It does so by helping teens develop an awareness of when thoughts and self-talk may be having a negative or irrational influence on the way they act.

Part 1 : The teacher introduces the concept of self-talk . Discuss the idea that we often talk to ourselves about the way we feel, and that these internal dialogues often play a part in how we behave.

Part 2 : The Sharing Circle itself invites students to put up their hands if they sometimes talk to themselves.

Even if there are no volunteers, emphasize the fact that we do all have internal dialogue, despite not always being able to recognize it as such. Ask the students to think about whether their self-talk is kind (nice, positive) or critical (negative) and invite them to give some examples of what their self-talk might sound like when they are facing a tough situation.

Here an ice-breaker might help, if you describe a personal example, such as (Elias & Tobias, 2018):

“ This is going to work out well for me ,” and “ This is not going to go well .” or “ This is fun ,” and “ I hate this .”

Part 3: The third part is the skill introduction , during which the teacher will explain that self-talk is the way that we say things to ourselves mentally, and can often be about who we are or what we are capable of.

Describe that self-talk can have a strong impact on how we feel and behave and that this can vary based on whether our self-talk is negative or positive. Where we are able to turn negative self-talk positive, we can start to have control over how we feel. The authors even provide a text that you can adapt (Elias & Tobias, 2018, p.62):

“Your self-talk can tell you how you are feeling and how to react, even when you’re not aware of it. Sometimes those thoughts can become negative and harmful, so it’s important for us to be aware of them. That can be difficult because there are so many distractions in life, from homework to social media. We sometimes need quiet in our lives in order to tune in to our self-talk.”

Here, you can bring the discussion back around to the examples that they put forward in the sharing circle, and illustrate how vicious negative thought cycles can occur. This example from the authors may help (Elias & Tobias, 2018):

bad thing happens → we feel bad → we use negative self-talk → we feel worse → we react based on our negative feelings → more bad things happen

Acknowledge the reality that negative things do occur and that feeling bad about them is natural. Emphasize that it’s when we repeat these negative thoughts and allow them to take over, that situations can become worse.

This can be developed further through the use of examples and inviting students to give positive alternative self-talk alternatives. At the end of the lesson, emphasize again that the first step to challenging negative self-talk is to become aware of it.

Find the lesson in its full format  from MiddleWeb.com .

2. Facilitating Mindfulness

Mindfulness, meditation, and Emotional Intelligence have been linked numerous times in academic literature (Charoensukmongkol, 2014; Wang & Kong, 2014; Testa & Sangganjanavanich, 2016).

If you can’t see yourself motivating teenagers to meditate with you—let alone in a classroom setting—don’t worry. This Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lesson from Edutopia.org is more about helping teens and students facilitate mindfulness for the first time. As you work through it, you will hopefully be able to see that it has strong links with the concept of emotional perception (Mayer & Salovey, 2006).

Step 1 : Invite the students to form a circle of chairs . Get them to put their feet flat on the ground and open the session by starting a discussion about the benefits of mindfulness . It may help if you begin by pointing out that mindfulness is not limited to meditation, but has other advantages. Aukeem Ballard, the creator of the exercise, mentions using the following: “ It is not strictly meditation, but rather a practice in supporting your mind to take care of yourself .”

Step 2 : Encourage students to get on board with the activity, or offer them the chance to opt-out. If you are already familiar with your class of students, you may already have a good idea of how to get them to participate meaningfully.

Step 3 : Share the personal benefits that mindfulness practice has had for you . You may wish to relate a personal anecdote where a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction exercise or similar approach has helped you overcome negative emotions.

Step 4 : Outline and justify each step as you proceed . Start with asking your students to close their eyes and take three slow, deep breaths in and out. You can do this as a group and reflect together silently before you move on to asking them to reflect.

The subject of this reflection may vary. One idea is to start by asking your students to reflect on their current state. How they are feeling, and validate that feeling without any judgment. You may then want to move on to a specific theme that you have prepared for the rest of the lesson.

Step 5 : Each step involves balancing the time that you spend giving instructions with your students’ reflection time . Ballard uses this line as an example: “ Now we are going to hold that focus for a little while. We just focus on where our air is entering and exiting our body. ”

Step 6: Address only behaviors that are ‘unsafe’. You may choose to respond to giggling or messing around simply by reinforcing the mindfulness; reiterate the goal of the current stage in a calm and gentle way.

Step 7 : Reflect on the exercise and gather feedback. The idea behind this step is to make sense of the whole mindfulness exercise. Students may feel more comfortable talking to a classmate, while you can also let them know that direct feedback is welcome.

You can see the exercise in its entirety at Edutopia.org .

3. Social Communication Skill: Assertiveness

This exercise from NobelCoaching.com is designed to help an individual teen or student develop assertiveness. Nonetheless, it can be easily turned into a larger group activity if you ask students to work with a partner. This allows them to appropriately express how they feel while building their self-confidence and self-esteem .

If we return to the MSC Model for a second, this is related to the ability to manage relationships by attending to their socioemotional or interpersonal context.

Saying no to others can sometimes be difficult, but necessary. This exercise asks teens to start a dialogue that involves asking someone else for something—while expressing their feelings.

To start the exercise, create a ‘list of social challenges’, and construct a deck of cards from this. Each challenge should ideally reflect teen-relevant social situations and be tailored to their age. Each student will then pick out a card at random and carry out the challenge either over the next day or a few days—this will vary as per your schedules.

The exercise also lists some social challenge examples, including (NobelCoaching, 2018):

• Contacting your favorite shop’s customer service and requesting information about a product that you’re interested in;
• Finding out X new facts about a classmate; or
• Giving someone an honest compliment.

As a critical last step, open a dialogue with the student about how they felt as a result of the challenge. Ask them to think of different ways they could have expressed themselves, made their request, or asked a question. What were others’ reactions?

You can access the original excellent blog from Nobelcoaching.com , where it has been adapted in turn from the Speech Bubble SLP .

Based on what we’ve already looked at in this article, it’s clear that EI is becoming an increasingly important part of curricula.

It suggests a growing trend towards lessons and approaches that are either designed to teach or informed by Emotional Intelligence principles. If not both!

But what can teachers expect? Well, first, teachers now have lots more available resources than they did when the famous marshmallow experiment was brand new (Shoda et al., 1990). These resources and a strong understanding of what Emotional Intelligence involves mean that educators can now access and implement evidence-based strategies for:

• Classroom management;
• Feedback for collaborative classrooms (n.d.);
• Managing bullying (EI.Yale.edu, 2019);
• Supporting students with test anxiety;
• Fostering creativity; and

If you would like to start with an introduction to Emotional Intelligence and its concepts, we have put together some Powerpoints to help you.

Emotional Intelligence Training Program for At-Risk Youth in High School

If you are looking for some ideas for your own presentation, this EI Powerpoint from the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) may give you some good ideas.

This presentation provides an overview of EI and invites students to reflect on their own feelings and behavior.  EI training is broken down into three stages within this resource: Self Awareness, Emotion Management, and Relationship Building.

Access the presentation by the CCPA’s Shelley Skelton.

Emotional Intelligence can be taught to both adults and teens. EI is very often a critical part of many leadership development initiatives, and EI benefits in the workplace are very widely acknowledged (Ovans, 2015).

In fact, we’ve already put together some resources to help you explore this topic in more depth. If you’re interested in finding out how EI is developed, and how you can get started, here is a good place to start!

Emotional Intelligence is a difficult construct to understand and teach to others.

Common questions includes:

• What really is EI?
• How do scientists define it?
• Are these claims scientifically supported?

In this infographic we take a quick look at what EI represents.

Absolutely, Emotional Intelligence is as easy to learn as it is to teach. There are myriad ways to develop your Emotional Intelligence Skills, both at work and in daily life. and later in this article, we’ll introduce some EI games that aim to do just that.

Just like other skills, though, there’s no magic bullet for learning Emotional Intelligence skills. You can start by trying out different approaches, and once you’ve found something that works for you—practice is the key.

Below you will find three assessments that can be used with students, to assess their emotional intelligence.

1. The Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment

The Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessmen t is provided by the San Diego City College MESA (Mathematics and Engineering Science Achievement) Program.

Based on an EI Model developed by neuroscientist, and educator Paul Mohapel, it’s a forty-item self-report questionnaire that assesses four key areas. These are Emotional Awareness , Emotional Management , Social Emotional Awareness , and Relationship Management . Amongst his other noteworthy credentials, Paul Mohapel is also a certified facilitator in the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory.

For each domain, students can rate their own strengths for different statements on a 0-4 Likert scale, with 0 being ‘Never’, and 4 being ‘Always’. At the end of the emotional intelligence questionnaire , a total score for each domain allows the test-taker to assess their strengths and identify potential areas for improvement. Students are also able to reflect on their Emotional Intelligence strengths in practice through a few free-form questions underneath.

Here are some example sentences that students use to assess each domain:

1. Emotional Awareness

My feelings are clear to me at any given moment; I am able to stand apart from my thoughts and feelings and example them; and Even when I’m upset, I’m aware of what’s happening to me.

2. Emotional Management

I can accept critical comments from others without becoming angry; I control urges to overindulge in things that could damage my wellbeing; and I maintain my composure, even during stressful times.

3. Social-Emotional Awareness

I usually know when to speak and when to be silent; I am able to be supportive when giving bad news to others; and I care what happens to other people.

4. Relationship Management

I am able to show affection; I find it easy to share my deep feelings with others; and I am able to talk someone down even if they are very upset.

You can download an adapted version of the assessment here .

2. Global Emotional Intelligence Test: GlobaLeadership Foundation™

This 40-item questionnaire from the GlobaLeadership™ Foundation is based on Goleman’s (2002) Emotional Intelligence Competency Model—the 4-factor model. It’s super-simple to fill out, with only two response choices for each question. And like other EI tests , participants are encouraged to give their initial reaction rather than think too hard about how to answer.

Some example emotional intelligence questions and answers include (GlobaLeadershipFoundation.com, 2018):

• allow my emotions and moods to impact my behaviors
• keep my disruptive emotions and impulses under control.
• work hard to try and keep up with the demands
• smoothly handle multiple demands and shifting priorities.
• readjust the goals and/or expectations
• persist in seeking the goals despite what has happened.
• give customers what they ask for
• understand customers needs and match products/services.
• that everyone understands what I am saying
• that seeks mutual understanding and full information sharing.
• go along with the changes being driven by others
• recognize the need for changes and remove barriers.

In total, the average time needed to complete the test is about ten minutes.

Take the GlobaLeadership Foundation™ Emotional Intelligence free test .

3. Test Your Emotional Intelligence: Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley)

As you may know from some of our other articles, Perceiving Emotions is one of the four EI components proposed by Mayer and Salovey in their original model (2006). This was later developed into the Mayer, Salovey & Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test ( MSCEIT ) (MHS.com, 2018a).

This quiz by the Greater Good Science Center ( GGSC ) is about interpreting nonverbal cues, so to take the test, you simply read others’ emotions from photos of faces. Interestingly, it even covers the actual muscles that get to work when we’re expressing sadness, happiness, disgust, flirtatiousness, and more.

Take the test here .

It should be noted that while these may draw on evidence-based measures, they aren’t intended as formal assessments. They can, however, offer some insight into the general question types commonly used in professional instruments.

That is, some center on developing the 5 EI components popularized by Daniel Goleman, some on the 4-component MSC model, and some may take a more general approach.

First up, two group activities or games from the International Institute for Restorative Practices ( IIRP ). The first one looks at Managing Relationships , and the second is designed as a Self Awareness activity.

1. Managing Relationships: Turning Complaints into Requests (IIRP)

This relationship management game is focused on communicating our issues to those around us. It centers on the way we choose to express ourselves, and how this impacts on our likelihood of reaching a successful resolution through relationship management .

For the activity, participants list some issues that currently are bothering them—there’s no issue too big or small for this exercise. They then select one thing to discuss with the group, and everybody should have the opportunity to share their specific issue.

For example:

Person A’s issue may be – “ This room is a mess ”; and Person B’s issue could be – “ I’m still waiting for your report ”.

The facilitator discusses how the ways in which we communicate with other people often influences their willingness to help us solve our problems. Rather, we focus on the actual need, whether it’s for a tidy room or for someone to give us their report. Then instead of complaining, we make a request.

The main part of this exercise is going around the group and allowing participants to transform their issues from complaints into requests. For example:

Person A’s complaint becomes – “Could you help me with tidying up this room? ”; and Person B’s request would be – “ Would you please be able to give me your report? ”

2. Self Awareness: Emotions Faces (IIRP)

This game uses ‘Emotions Faces’, created by Adele Lynn, author of the book Quick Emotional Intelligence Activities for Busy Managers . If you prefer, you can create your own chart for this game. In this activity, the therapist or facilitator will hand out colored sticker dots to participants, who place them on the chart to identify their feelings.

This then is repeated across several days in order to look at how our feelings change over the period.

While the game itself is simple enough, the idea is to guide and encourage participants in discussing how our emotions at a certain time can influence the way we perceive events and other people.

This discussion should also cover how our feelings and moods can be ‘contagious’ to those around us.

In this amazing PDF , you can find the Emotional Intelligence game amongst many others. You can also download the ‘Emotions Faces’ chart itself in the Quick Emotional Intelligence  Activities for Busy Managers ebook.

You can find more books on emotional intelligence here .

3. My Colored Hat

The My Colored Hat exercise is quite a popular game and one you may already have come across in our article on How to Improve Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace . In case you haven’t yet bumped into it, this exercise is covered in depth in the blog post above, or you can find the original activity here .

In a nutshell, however, this goes as follows:

• The facilitator, teacher, or therapist makes (or buys!) some colored hats in 4-6 different colors, one for each participant;
• Assign a different emotion to each hat and tell everyone involved which stands for which;
• Each player then chooses the colored hat that best represents their current mood and wears it, as everyone gathers in a circle.

The idea behind the game is then revealed; it draws on the theory behind cognitive restructuring. The premise is that we can differentiate between and manage our emotions according to their usefulness and appropriateness.

Those with a negative emotion-colored hat acknowledge the negative feeling, then set it to the side. Those with a positive emotion-colored hat should be encouraged to express that emotion and describe it with the others, allowing themselves to appreciate the feeling.

When everybody has had a turn, we return to the negative emotion hats and confront the feeling that it represents. Essentially, we find an adaptive way of dealing with it. The key goal is to explore ways in which the negative emotion can be replaced with a positive one.

4. Eye Contact/No Eye Contact

On her blog, Creative Arts Psychotherapist Jude Treder-Wolff shares this brilliant game from training and consulting providers Lifestage . This is an improvisation-based exercise that has its scientific base in several empirical studies supporting the importance of eye contact in social interactions and empathy (Wesselmann et al., 2012; Montague et al., 2013).

The dual goals of the game are for participants to experience the effect of eye contact in silent interpersonal interactions, and its effect on our emotional states and connections (Treder-Wolff, 2014).

Stage One : The facilitator begins by asking the group participants to imagine that they are in a public and open area—such as an airport or gallery. Armed with sticky notes, they then walk around the area for 1-2 minutes, during which time they make zero eye contact with others.

They make notes of any emotions they become aware of during the time and post the notes at a certain point on the wall. This note-taking and posting exercise is repeated after the next two stages.

Stage Two : Participants repeat the 1-2 minute exercise, this time seeking eye contact with others, but then looking away instantly once it is established.

Stage Three : Participants carry out the exercise again, this time searching out eye contact and pairing up with the first person to respond in kind. They walk alongside that partner and both avoid eye contact with all others.

Lastly, the group reforms a circle and everybody looks down at their shoes. The facilitator can count to three, on which everyone will look up and actively seek out eye contact with someone else. If they do so successfully, they high five.

The game raises several discussion questions as a key part of the activity, which can be guided by the notes. Some of these questions are (Treder-Wolff, 2014):

What feelings are evoked by each stage? How does this apply to life in the real world, e.g. what is our emotional reaction to people who look away rather than make eye contact? What might it mean for client/student contact to make solid eye contact?

Find the full exercise, and more, here .

5. EQ for Success

Those of you after a more competitive type of Emotional Intelligence game may like EQ for Success , a card game from Play Therapy Supply that’s designed for ages 14 and up. That having been said, it’s also possible to play this game as a cooperative version.

EQ for Success is based on Goleman’s 5 factor model of EQ. Each player receives a card with a picture of a brain on it, and space for tokens to be placed on top. Participants then answer questions from five decks of cards, each of which stands for one of the five EQ components: Self Awareness , Emotions Management , Self-Motivation , Relationship Skills , and Empathy .

There’s also another deck with a slightly more educational component, too. When any card is picked by a player, another participant asks that person an EQ question, and the first player has to give possible answers. By winning tokens with correct answers, they can fill up the Brain Card, and the first person to do so completely wins the game.

If that’s too cut-throat for your liking, EQ for success can also be played cooperatively, where participants fill up two Brain Cards collaboratively.

You can buy EQ for Success at Play Therapy Supply .

17 Exercises To Develop Emotional Intelligence

These 17 Emotional Intelligence Exercises [PDF] will help others strengthen their relationships, lower stress, and enhance their wellbeing through improved EQ.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

In this article, we’ve considered the role of EI for teens, with a special look at how it impacts their lives as students.

Due to there being so much practitioner and academic interest in the area of teen and student EI, we can definitely expect a lot more to come in the near future. Lesson plans, empirical research, and pedagogical initiatives like the Yale RULER approach have already paved a solid path forward for those of us interested in helping our teens develop. It’s a promising area!

If you have already used any of the lesson plans or exercises that we’ve put together, we would love to hear about it. Please also feel free to share any experiences that you have had in teaching Emotional Intelligence in the comments below. Happy teaching!

For further reading:

• Is Emotional Intelligence Relevant for Kids? (Games, Cartoons + Toys)
• The Theories of Emotional Intelligence Explained

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Emotional Intelligence Exercises for free .

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I love specific exercises and quizzes here. It’s one of the first articles I’ve come across that provide actual activities for emotional intelligence growth. My goal is to increase empathy with my employees with their interactions with customers. I want them to be able to recognize the emotions of the customer, and address the customer’s emotional needs, and not just their functional needs. Many of the activities discussed are about recognizing emotions within one’s self. Do you have more activities for practicing active listening, recognizing emotions in others, and how to communicate and respond to emotional concerns with others (rather than simply ignoring them)?

Hi Tristan,

Thank you so much for your kind words and question. I’m not entirely sure what you’re looking for exactly, but we offer a 17 Positive Communication Exercises pack and a 17 Emotional Intelligence Exercises pack in our store. These seem like they would fit what you are looking for. If you are looking for a larger-scale resource, we also offer an Emotional Intelligence Masterclass which teaches you the ins and outs of EI.

I hope this helps!

Kind regards, -Caroline | Community Manager

I loved this and found it to be helpful as a high school teacher of Psychology and World History as well. Thanks so much!

Dear Cath, I really enjoyed reading your article. I wonder if it is okay to cite your suggested steps in one of my papers. If so, how can cite you? Regards, Ali

Hi Ali, Glad you enjoyed the post! Yes, feel free to cite us. You can do so using the APA style conventions (or whatever is preferred in your discipline). Nicole | Community Manager

Sure, as Nicole said, that would be fine!

thanks for the useful information it will be helpful for my research and too apply to my kids to improve EQ.

Thank you for this useful info! Could I use the Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment on students for my research or do I need permission from the SanDiego City College?

Great stuff Cath! Thank you.

You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed reading the article 🙂

Thank you. This is very useful. The Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment . I jsut need the scoring sheet and analysis. it just says let us discuss in the webinar. Where do I find it? Thnaks

Thank you Catherine for helping us with such a wonderful article. Regards, Ashish Gurav

Hi, Are there any books on Emotional Intelligence written for pre-teens/teens?

Hi Hamsig, Thanks for your super question, seems this is a pretty in-demand topic. For teens, I would suggest you look into some of the following: – Smile & Succeed for Teens: A Crash Course in Face-to-Face Communication, by Kirt Manecke. This is direct, cut-to-the-chase kind of reading that’s geared specifically at teenagers who want to enhance their interpersonal communication. – People Smarts for Teenagers: Becoming Emotionally Intelligent, by Carol Carter. Another practical option for teenagers that uses lots of relevant examples for easier applicability. – Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens, by Sheri Van Dijk. Here’s a book that includes tactical exercises in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help teens with emotional regulation, among other things. If you want to read more about DBT, I recommend this article: https://positivepsychology.com/dbt-dialectical-behavior-therapy/ For pre-teens/middle school, I’d consider these: – Amina’s Voice, by Hena Khan. Less of a how-to and more of an insightful novel, it’s good reading for ages 9 and over. – Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More by Mallika Chopra. In this book you will find loads of self-awareness activities for preteens and kids between 8-12. Hope that helps 🙂 Cath

My son (13) has massive struggles with EI! Thanks for the information just hope it will help him and me!

Hey Amanda, Thanks for sharing 🙂 With your proactive approach to learning more about EI, I’m sure you’ll both find some nice resources that work well for you. And you’ve definitely come to the right website for those 😉 Cath

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3 Emotional Intelligence Exercises (PDF)