Emotions have long been overlooked in the workplace, with the focus on hiring and developing people based on intelligence, knowledge and technical skills.

Intelligence is important to success, but now many businesses realise that emotions play a significant role too. After all, organisations are made up of people and relationships - not just spreadsheets, computers and flow charts.

Emotional intelligence means understanding emotions and expressing them effectively and appropriately. This embodies:

You can find out more about the SMART model in The SMART approach to EQ.

The emotionally intelligent worker is more motivated, the emotionally intelligent manager is a better leader, and the emotionally intelligent seller makes more sales. EI has been statistically linked to performance, with studies showing people who are emotionally intelligent are high achievers. Find out more in Linking EI to Performance.

By focusing on emotional intelligence in your workplace, you will see improvements in communication, interpersonal interactions and initiative. The result is a team with strong leadership, where members listen to each other and handle change effectively.

If you would like to learn about the rise of EI in the workplace go to A Short History of Emotional Intelligence.