If you want to know how successful you are in communication, ask your interlocutors. They will tell you exactly whether you understand them correctly and whether they understand you.
Since practice has defeated the theory of IQ as the only measure in selecting staff, employers are seeking and well-paying emotionally and socially competent workers.
Written by: Tanja Pureta
www.poslovnaizvrsnost.hr
It became clear that something was not quite right when some young managers with an IQ far above 150 and excellent diplomas from prestigious faculties proved to be completely ineffective, even to the extent that they became a destructive element in the company. This was a serious warning to the theory that had been valid until recently, which considered that excellent professional knowledge and above-average intelligence were the only important factors for success in business, supported by psychologists who claimed that the intelligence test was the only thing to consider when selecting staff. Decades of entrenched opinion have been constantly debunked by practice, warning that people with great knowledge and intellectual abilities are not necessarily successful employees. If an employer hires a person with the best average grades in college, it does not mean that he or she will justify that trust with successful work. On the other hand, employees with somewhat weaker knowledge and intellectual capacity often shone with the quality of their work. It became increasingly clear that excellence in business requires something more than knowledge and intelligence, and that something is very important.
Over the past two decades, psychologists have conducted a series of studies aimed at discovering which characteristics are necessary for successful work. The results highlighted communication skills, adaptability, self-control, motivation for work, effectiveness in groups, effectiveness in organizing, leadership potential, and appropriate intellectual functioning, expertise, and experience. Of the seven categories, only one speaks to the importance of intellectual functioning, expertise, and experience. All others relate to various aspects of so-called emotional intelligence. It has become clear that emotional intelligence is the key to success in business. This type of intelligence essentially consists of the skill of self-management and the skill of successful collaboration with others. Both skills are important not only for business success but also for achieving life goals in general.
Know Yourself
The skill of self-management implies developed self-awareness, self-control, and motivation. People with developed self-awareness know themselves well, their strengths, beliefs, values, desires, and goals. It is surprising how poorly developed this skill is on average. Many live under the illusion that they know themselves well because they live in their own skin 24 hours a day, so they believe they do not need to spend additional time thinking about themselves. However, many of us have never seriously asked ourselves why we do the job we do, why we stay in a job that does not satisfy us without changing anything, what we would like to achieve in five years and what we need for that, what we would like to learn, what job we would truly enjoy… and many other similar questions that would help them know who they are and live in accordance with their true interests and values. If we only passively respond to the demands of our environment without being aware of how fulfilling that is for us, it is unlikely that we will be happy and satisfied in our work, but also in life in general. It is known that the best employees are those who do a job that truly fulfills them, who do not see it as a kind of compulsion. Employers want employees who realize themselves personally and professionally, not those who work mechanically. Therefore, developing self-awareness is of utmost interest to both the employer and the person who wants to live life to the fullest.
Fear Paralyzes
Self-control is the skill of controlling one’s own emotions and behavior. In order to successfully control emotions, we must first be able to recognize them and decipher what they want to tell us. When unpleasant feelings overwhelm us, it is important to recognize whether they were caused by our own unmet needs. It is also important to know how to stand up for ourselves and meet those needs. For example, when someone is constantly downcast because colleagues do not include them in teamwork, instead of withdrawing and becoming increasingly unhappy every day, they should recognize what is happening and openly discuss it with colleagues. It is good to ask them how they can help and highlight their skills that would benefit the team in collaborative work. Openly expressing anger or aggression is also not recommended as it often leads to mutual accusations and insults, which certainly does not contribute to a calm problem-solving atmosphere.
