What is Emotional Intelligence...how is it useful to Project Managers?
This is a time of growing realism about emotional intelligence – especially concerning what it is and what it isn’t. Popular definitions of specific personality traits, such as self-awareness, optimism and confidence, have been accompanied by exaggerated claims about the importance of emotional intelligence.
Emotional intelligence is not personality traits but rather the ability to accurately perceive your own and others' emotions; to understand the signals that emotions send about relationships; and to manage your own and others' emotions. It is an awareness of your actions and feelings – and how they affect those around you.
Understanding emotions and their value leads to skills such as self-control, persistence and the ability to motivate oneself which have been shown to determine success more than a high IQ. Decisions that factor in emotions have proven to have better outcomes than those only using data and reasoning.
Of course, emotional intelligence isn't the only way to attain success. A strategist who can maximize profits may be able to hire and keep talented employees even if he or she doesn't have a strong personal connection with them. Increasing your emotional intelligence can, however, provide a secret weapon that can give you an edge by treating people intelligently with understanding, kindness and respect.
The first step in using emotional intelligence in project management is awareness. You may have noticed people who don't get angry in stressful situations and have the ability to look at a problem and calmly find a solution. They're excellent decision makers, and they know when to trust their intuition. Regardless of their strengths, however, they're usually willing to look at themselves honestly. They take criticism well, and they know when to use it to improve their performance. These people are emotionally intelligent.
Please join us at the February dinner meeting to see how understanding emotions can increase your effectiveness as a professional project manager. Register below.
Presenter: Mary Towne, PMP, MSW. Project Manager with Hewlett-Packard for 35 years.
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