Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you know a little something about Emotional Intelligence (EI). Therefore, you no doubt know that EI is important in the workforce and why, that everyone has emotions, how to recognize them in others, and that we, as humans, have certain emotions built in or “hard wired” into us. However, other ideas are now coming to the forefront about these built in emotions.

Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, gives us a set of EI Competencies. They are:

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness
• Social Skills

Importance of EI at Work: One source suggests that self-awareness forms the foundation of the other factors. An example is someone who is a bully, or obnoxious, or argumentative, and they are unaware of their behavior.  Therefore, none of the other factors will become tools that individual incorporates into his/her coping skills. The behavior will not change, and the office workforce will continue to experience disruption resulting in low morale and poor performance. If the leader is the individual with these types of behaviors and is unaware, crisis can ensue. EI at work remains important. Other ideas have a new spin.

When you hear the term self-directed work teams does a chill run up your spine while visions of chaos and anarchy dance in your head? Or do visions of freedom, doing things your way, and finally being heard give you a euphoric, light headed feeling? Or do you feel a mix of these feelings?  There are some who think that self-directed teams are the new kid on the block who just wants to flex his muscles and cause trouble. Self-directed teams have been playing in your neighbor’s back yard for years.