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Suppose I told you that having one skill could make a big difference in your future as an IT leader? This skill has nothing to do with technology or business strategy; it's all about your emotional intelligence: the ability to use, communicate and understand emotions, also known as "social radar."
Research shows that while IQ is a predictor of some 20% of job success, it's an individual's EQ, or emotional intelligence quotient, that is often directly responsible for up to 45% of success. Awareness of EQ is relatively new and has gained momentum since the 1995 publication of Daniel Goleman's book Emotional Intelligence. Goleman later partnered with Hay Group, a Philadelphia-based management consultancy, to develop the Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI), an assessment tool used in many corporate and environments (see the model below).
You might think of IQ as your personal operating software and EQ as the application that allows you to interface effectively with your user group of co-workers. Your personal operating system is coded with analytical and rational abilities (i.e., knowledge), while your EQ application is designed to most effectively apply that knowledge to changing life scenarios. Major organizations now recognize the importance of EQ in leadership: The U.S. Air Force and American Express have conducted studies demonstrating the link between high EQ and their star performers.
As an executive coach to senior IT professionals, I frequently get requests to help modify behavior that is stalling or derailing executive careers. When people consider their own EQ capabilities, they often raise the following concerns:
- How do I know what EQ skills to work on?
- How will higher EQ advance my career?
- How long will it take?
The third question can be the toughest to answer, because boosting EQ doesn't happen after a few feedback sessions or by attending a two-day seminar. These steps may heighten awareness but don't drive real behavioral change; a typical EQ coaching engagement takes six to 12 months and requires a high level of commitment.
After receiving the worst performance review of his eight-year career at his company, my client Joe (a pseudonym) came to me for coaching. I conducted an EQ 360 assessment, getting feedback about Joe from his boss and coworkers. It revealed how much stress Joe was under after implementing a critical system conversion in a tight time frame. During frequent outbursts, he openly criticized his team. For Joe to change this behavior, we focused on the skills in two of the ECI management quadrants -- particularly emotional self-control, conflict management and developing others.
Joe began walking twice a day for 10 minutes to lower his stress level, and we role-played in advance of important status meetings to practice his tone and choice of language when managing conflict. In his next performance review, team members reported that Joe was more approachable.
Another client, Alex, sought coaching after her boss told her, "You're a great manager but not a leader." Other comments from colleagues indicated that Alex was considered "smart but cynical" and "a dark cloud in the room." So we started working on developing her EQ skills in optimism, emotional self-awareness and inspirational leadership.
We know that EQ skills can be learned, and we know that senior IT managers often need development in three particular areas: emotional self-awareness, accurate self-assessment and inspirational leadership. In future columns, I'll talk about why EQ matters to your boss and how your EQ bears on the effectiveness of your team.
Angie O'Donnell is an executive coach at Insight Performance in Dedham, Mass. She can be reached at EQforIT@ciodecisions.com.
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