Purpose
Recent research indicates that behavioral skills are the most important of the EQ skills. The competency-based models measure a variety of skills, some behavioral and some not. Therefore, the new emphasis is on understanding and developing a much smaller number of high-impact behavioral skills.
Behavioral EQ skills are the best predictors of job performance and success. They are better for training and development because they’re a manageable set of skills. We distinguish between Emotional Intelligence skills (such as emotion awareness, recognition, and understanding), and Behavioral Intelligence skills which you practice to directly influence others. We outline their impacts on job performance and provide granular tools to measure them. We build strategies to implement best BEQ practices in the workplace.
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to perceive and understand one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. One has insight into oneself and awareness and empathy for others. In the domain of Self, it includes emotion awareness, self-insight, and self-confidence skills. In the domain of others, it includes emotion perception, empathy, openness, and listening skills.
Behavioral Intelligence is the ability to recognize the impact that emotions have on one’s own behavior and the behavior of others. One uses awareness to manage personal behavior and relationships. In the domain of Self, it includes self-control, stress management, conscientiousness, and optimism skills. In the domain of others, it includes demonstrated ability at building relationships, influencing others, motivating others, flexibility, and innovativeness.
While emotional intelligence is necessary, it is rarely sufficient. For example, delivering difficult news with good behavioral intelligence will go a lot farther than delivering excellent news with poor behavioral intelligence. This is true both with performance reviews to direct reports and business reviews to higher executive management.