Emotional Intelligence:Better Decision Making

Presented by: Mick LavinMBA, Dip. Executive Coaching

Emotional Intelligence

Know thyselfSocrates (ca. 400 BC)

What is Emotional Intelligence?

• Simply: the awareness and understanding of emotions

• How does this help us?– Being aware of our emotional state gives us

options to consider our responses– Understanding emotions in others helps us know

what may be happening in the other person

What are Emotions?

• Typically they are a response to events of concern, triggering physiological and psychological changes in the person that motivate behaviour.

• How are you feeling?– Happy, Sad, Angry, Frustrated, Satisfied, Shocked,

Thoughtful, Surprised, Fearful, …

The Thinking Mind

Triggers:Thoughts / Feelings / Behaviours

Emotion Trumps Judgement

• Rotman school of management research suggests that people that are Emotionally Intelligent are protected from biases based on their ability to recognise where their emotions originate – a frustrating drive to work for example.

Why is it important that we understand Emotional Intelligence?

• A 2008 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research showed that emotional intelligence could play a role in decision-making by helping people realize their emotions can sway the choices they make.

What does it all mean?

• Our emotional state plays a huge part in our ability to make decisions

• We suffer from bias• We have trouble making sound decisions when

stress hormones are released into our system

• And we are never really sure the decisions we make are good decisions?

Understanding!

• Let’s find out a little more about how Emotional Intelligence can help us out!

Who defined Emotional Intelligence?

• Three main schools of thought:– Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso: MSCEIT – ability based

model (Personality)– Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis: (ESCI) – ability

and trait model (Personality & Cognitive)– Reuven Bar-On: EQ-I – ability based model

(Personality)

Goleman’s Definition

• Daniel Goleman defines EI as 12 (or 19) competencies in four distinct areas of ability:

Self-awareness• Emotional self-awareness

Social awareness• Empathy• Organizational awareness

Self-management• Emotional self-control• Achievement orientation• Positive outlook• Adaptability

Relationship management• Influence• Coach and mentor• Conflict management• Inspirational leadership• Teamwork

Recognising your Mood State:Self-awareness

• What frame of mind are you in?– Happy?– Sad?– Confident?– Confused?– Frustrated?– Angry?

• What bias will you bring to the negotiation?

Managing your Mood State:Self-management

• Am I happy, sad, anxious, angry, engaged, disengaged, etc.?

• Self-management competencies• Emotional self-control• Achievement orientation• Positive outlook• Adaptability

How can Emotion Intelligence effectively assist in Decision Making?

• By helping us to better understand our triggers and manage automatic reactions

• By enabling us to STOP and choose a ‘response’• By helping us better assess our mood state and

recognise this in others• By enabling us to respond to new opportunities• By helping us stay optimistic

Nutrition, Mood, and Emotions

• Blood sugar levels impact your ability to manage your mood

• Eating the right foods, in the right way, at the right time can help us in better managing our Emotional Intelligence

Tips! Making Better Decisions

• Sleep• Caffeine• Meditate• Reflect / Journal• Understanding physiological/bodily signs• Understanding Emotional states within yourself• Understanding Emotional states within others• Understanding your values

Better Decisions• We make better decisions when we act on information

from our feelings, our instincts, and our intuition, as well as on information coming from our rational intellect. It is our emotional brains, after all, that allows us to access memory and assign weight or preference to the choices we face at work and in our personal lives. It is our Emotional Intelligence that guides us in controlling or accessing emotions when we must adapt to change, get along with others, or deal with stress. Performance and leadership in any organizational setting are both influenced by EQ

• Source: The Science Behind Emotional Intelligence, Emily A. Sterrett, Ph.D. 2014, HRD Press, Inc.