How Emotional Intelligence Could Be The Missing Link In Your Business

Dr Ilona Jerabek discusses the value of psychological testing and answers the question “What is Emotional Intelligence” and the role it plays in your business, not only as an attribute for you as a business owner, but in your staff. There were some surprising revelations that came to me during this interview – namely how much I should start to exercise my own emotions and ‘gut’ decisions and how that can improve my business. I hope some of this information is also an eye-opener for you as it was for me, especially when we discussed some of the stats. Why use Psych tests in recruitment? When interviewing people, even as a skilled interviewer you will miss things. Candidates are well trained when applying for jobs. Resume’s are often cookie cutter and embellish the truth a bit. Psychological Assessments however help reading between the lines and give a better overview of staff. They are also excellent for those staff who perhaps don’t interview too well, maybe because of cultural traits, but could be a real asset to your business. If your business is outsourcing, psychological assessments can still translate well even with cultural differences. We discuss how cultural differences can play a part in how we relate with each other. We both agreed that Jerry Seinfeld gives a clear cultural example that can come arise when a close talker crosses cultural boundaries. “Emotional Intelligence is the missing link that explains why some very smart people don’t always function well in society” Dr Ilona Jerabek Dr Ilona explains; Have you ever had a gut feeling? Most people try to suppress their gut feeling as they think it’s a little unreliable. However, every cell in our body stores memory – not just our minds. So as an example, when you’re making a stressful decision, your gut feeling is telling you something based on your experience in the past, or based on instincts – but either way it’s probably telling you something important. So here’s a big thing, are you rationalising away your emotional intelligence? I know I’m guilty of it, and even Ilona admits there have been occasions where she has done the same. I just recently wrote about listening to that small inner voice – which I suppose could also be called your gut feeling. So perhaps I’m not as emotionally retarded as my friends say So how important is Emotional Intelligence? Check out some of these stats relating to Emotional Intelligence (Note: These stats come from Ilona’s Emotional Intelligence Test page at Psychtests.com); 98% of those with high emotional intelligence (compared to 77% of those with low EIQ) enjoy learning new things. 82% of those with high emotional intelligence (compared to 43% of those with low EIQ) carefully think through decisions before moving forward. 82% of those with high emotional intelligence (compared to 38% of those with low EIQ) believe that they are useful to their company and know exactly how the organization benefits from their skills and strengths. 94% of those with high emotional intelligence (compared to 52% of those with low EIQ) continuously look for ways to improve their performance at work. 93% of those with high emotional intelligence (compared to 34% of those with low EIQ) have complete confidence in their abilities. In the face of major challenges, 81% of those with high emotional intelligence (compared to 23% of those with low EIQ) become even more determined to succeed. 46% of those with low emotional intelligence (compared to 8% of those with high EIQ) are not satisfied with their work unless someone else praises it. 39% of those with low emotional intelligence (compared to 2% of those with high EIQ) rely on others to “push” or motivate them. The last stat in the above list just blew me away. As someone who outsources a lot of work, I want staff who show initiative in their work and are self-motivated. It just highlighted to me the need for the EI testing in my own recruitment process. Here’s your Typical Business Tweet – just click it to share it on Twitter: “Most people make emotional business decisions, but they just don’t realise it” – Dr Ilona Jerabek via @typicalbusiness How You Can Develop Your Emotional Intelligence Watch Bridget Jones’ Diary (Just kidding). Be conscious and self aware of where you are personally with your own EI score. Recognise strengths and weaknesses Work and exercise your emotional intelligence in real world situations. Action Point Recognise that testing like this is an inexpensive exercise but even more importantly, recognise that not implementing testing like this could be costly. Tests are priced between $15 – $45 which could easily be used for your short list of candidates to help you split the difference between them. If you look at the cost to your company when changing staff, read this blog where I break down those numbers a bit further. It’s almost embarrassing that I haven’t been using these tests for every hire! You can find out more information from Dr Ilona Jerabek and about her company Psych Tests by visting Archprofile.com The post How Emotional Intelligence Could Be The Missing Link In Your Business appeared first on Typical Business.