Week 3

This communication journal began by stating effective communication skills are increasingly becoming an essential component to both individual and organizational success. It also considered important components to effective interactive communications, such as creative insight, sensitivity, vision, shared meaning, integrity and the importance of culture. The first entry concluded with my belief that there is no single most important element. Rather, each are important and must coexist for effective communications.

The second entry continued the theme of effective communications, offering seven behaviors of effective multi-cultural managers (Deresky, 2013) and sought personal examples or role models of individuals others thought had these characteristics.  

This week, I discuss the importance of emotional intelligence in organizational leadership and decision making.

According to a 2014 Forbes magazine article, "emotional intelligence is the foundation for a host of critical skills—it impacts most everything you say and do each day. Emotional intelligence is the single biggest predictor of performance in the workplace and the strongest driver of leadership and personal excellence." The article continues, by stating "emotional intelligence is the 'something' in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results."

A 2010 article in The Harvard Business Review described a study of brain imaging. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan of managers reacting to fictional strategic and tactical management dilemmas, summarized their findings by stating "Of course, IQ-based reasoning is valuable in both strategic and tactical thinking—but it’s clear that managers integrate their brain processes as they become better strategists."

Individuals are emotional beings. Moreover, leaders, managers and individuals work in teams. Emotional intelligence is a capacity I am still learning, and makes sense to cultivate, given the benefits of improved personal, organizational and team performance.

I don’t believe individuals are born as rock star communicators, rather qualities (IQ and EQ) can be learned. I observe the corporate world valuing hard IQ skills, such as financial, project, marketing, or engineering disciplines, but not the same emphasis on softer EQ skills.

My desire is to communicate effectively. An understanding of effective attitudes, characteristics, individual styles, and techniques assist in this challenging effort.

References:

Bradberry, T. (2014). Emotional Intelligence - EQ. Retrieved 5/19/2015 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/01/09/emotional-intelligence/

Caceda, R. Gilkey, R. Kilts, C. (2010). When Emotional Reasoning Trumps IQ., Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2010/09/when-emotional-reasoning-trumps-iq