Emotional intelligence, a term coined in 1990 by Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer, refers to “a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.”1 The term became popular in 1995 when Daniel Goleman published his book on emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is critical in helping us navigate through life, whether in your relationship to yourself, connecting with others, succeeding at work, and so on.
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Domains of Emotional Intelligence
Olivier Serrat, in his book Knowledge Solutions, covers five domains that make up the framework of emotional intelligence. These domains are self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, social awareness, and social skills. According to Serrat’s book, these domains are characterized by the following attributes:2
Self-Awareness – if an individual is self-aware, they are able to name their emotions and understand what’s causing them. They can connect the dots between their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Self-aware individuals have insight into how their emotions impact their performance and they are aware of their goals and values. Being able to accurately assess your weaknesses and strengths, accept feedback, learn from their experiences, and possess confidence are all indicators of self-awareness.
Self-Regulation – Being able to regulate emotions is also key to emotional intelligence. Self-regulation means maintaining composure in difficult moments, being able to maintain focus under pressure, and managing feelings that are distressing or impulsive. Self-regulation also involves being trustworthy, adaptable, conscientious, and innovative.
Self-Motivation – Individuals who are self-motivated are driven toward achievement. Self-motivated individuals demonstrate commitment to a task. They take initiative by seizing opportunities, going beyond expectations, and demonstrating optimism by operating from a place of hope rather than fear.
Social-Awareness – Socially aware individuals are empathetic, meaning they pay attention to the emotions of others and are able to listen. They are sensitive to the perspectives of others. Attributes of social-awareness also include developing others, orientation to service, leveraging diversity, and political awareness.
Social Skills – Social skills include being able to attune to others for effective give and take, form mutually beneficial relationships, maintain personal relationships, and build rapport. Having effective social skills also means being able to cooperate and collaborate with others.
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Sarah Tronco, LCSW, now also provides online counseling in Pennsylvania, contact her to learn more.
References:
- https://www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com/history-of-eq/#:~:text=Peter%20Salovey%20and%20John%20D,guide%20one’s%20thinking%20and%20action%E2%80%9D.
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-0983-9_37
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