What do you think?
Rate this book
Working with Emotional Intelligence
Goleman reveals the skills that distinguish star performers in every field, from entry-level jobs to top executive positions.
Daniel Goleman's bestselling Emotional Intelligence revolutionized the way we think about personal excellence. Now he brings his insight into the workplace, in a book sure to change the shape of business for decades to come.
In Working with Emotional Intelligence, Goleman reveals the skills that distinguish star performers in every field, from entry-level jobs to top executive positions. He shows that the single most important factor is not IQ, advanced degrees, or technical expertise, but the quality Goleman calls emotional intelligence. Self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-control; commitment and integrity; the ability to communicate and influence, to initiate and accept change--these competencies are at a premium in today's job market. The higher up the leadership ladder you go, the more vital these skills become, often influencing who is hired or fired, passed over or promoted. As Goleman shows, we all possess the potential to improve our emotional intelligence--at any stage in our career. He provides guidelines for cultivating these capabilities--and also explains why corporate training must change if it is to be effective.
Daniel Goleman's bestselling Emotional Intelligence revolutionized the way we think about personal excellence. Now he brings his insight into the workplace, in a book sure to change the shape of business for decades to come.
In Working with Emotional Intelligence, Goleman reveals the skills that distinguish star performers in every field, from entry-level jobs to top executive positions. He shows that the single most important factor is not IQ, advanced degrees, or technical expertise, but the quality Goleman calls emotional intelligence. Self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-control; commitment and integrity; the ability to communicate and influence, to initiate and accept change--these competencies are at a premium in today's job market. The higher up the leadership ladder you go, the more vital these skills become, often influencing who is hired or fired, passed over or promoted. As Goleman shows, we all possess the potential to improve our emotional intelligence--at any stage in our career. He provides guidelines for cultivating these capabilities--and also explains why corporate training must change if it is to be effective.
400 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
1535 people are currently reading
12713 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Goleman
387 books5,418 followersAuthor of Emotional Intelligence and psychologist Daniel Goleman has transformed the way the world educates children, relates to family and friends, and conducts business. The Wall Street Journal ranked him one of the 10 most influential business thinkers.
Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence was on The New York Times best sellers list for a year-and-a-half. Named one of the 25 "Most Influential Business Management Books" by TIME, it has been translated into 40 languages. The Harvard Business Review called emotional intelligence (EI) “a revolutionary, paradigm-shattering idea.”
Goleman’s new book, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, argues that attention — a fundamental mental ability for success — has come under siege. Leadership that gets results demands a triple focus: on our inner world so we can manage ourselves; on others, for our relationships; and on the outer forces that shape our organizations and society itself.
His more recent books include The Brain and Emotional Intelligence, and Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence - Selected Writings.
Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence was on The New York Times best sellers list for a year-and-a-half. Named one of the 25 "Most Influential Business Management Books" by TIME, it has been translated into 40 languages. The Harvard Business Review called emotional intelligence (EI) “a revolutionary, paradigm-shattering idea.”
Goleman’s new book, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, argues that attention — a fundamental mental ability for success — has come under siege. Leadership that gets results demands a triple focus: on our inner world so we can manage ourselves; on others, for our relationships; and on the outer forces that shape our organizations and society itself.
His more recent books include The Brain and Emotional Intelligence, and Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence - Selected Writings.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
September 9, 2021
Interpersonal skills are especially important in Information Technology, because purely technical skills are easily outsourced. Although many aspects of IT are based online, real business is still mostly done "IRL" (in real life); where face-to-face conversations and other social skills are much more important.
A local entrepreneur recommended this book for its insights into the "soft" personal skills that become more important as they become rarer in the digital world.
I didn't find a lot of practical information here. I don't disagree with Goleman's studies or analysis, but I rate non-fiction books based on the measurable value I get out of them, and I found his below average. The best non-fiction books are those that leave me with a long to-do list of improvements I can start on right away; this mostly confirmed that I need to continue developing my social skills. Although I didn't learn anything life-altering, it does present a powerful case for how important interpersonal skills are to success.
According to Goleman,
Why EI is more important than IQ
- IQ only accounts for 25% of your career success, at most.
- "Soft" skills matter even more in "hard" (technical) fields than other fields, because they make you stand out even more.
- Emotional competencies are twice as important as technical/cognitive competencies.
- The higher up or more advanced the job, the less important technical skills become, and the more important the interpersonal/emotional skills become.
- At the highest levels of leadership, 90% of the skills required are emotional.
- IQ is genetic, and doesn't change much after your teens, but EI is learned and can be improved throughout life.
- Technical skills can be taught relatively easily in the classroom, but emotional skills must be obtained more difficultly through life experiences.
Goleman fills the book with statistical data, firsthand reports, and dozens of examples of individuals and companies. He also includes several comparisons of people who began with similar skills and backgrounds, but one person developed their emotional competencies while the other focused on technical skills. Fast-forward a few decades, and those who concentrated on the emotional skills were more successful.
Most of the book deals with EI at the individual level, but the later chapters talk about organizational intelligence. He suggests ways to train employees by focusing on honesty, openness, communication, and teamwork. Rather than each individual trying to be a star, they should instead help everyone else be a star.
The 5 basic emotional and social competencies
Self-awareness: Knowing what we are feeling in the moment, and using those preferences to guide our decision making; having a realistic assessment of our own abilities and a well grounded sense of self confidence.
Self-regulation: Having control over our emotions so that they facilitate rather then interfere with the task in hand; being conscientious and delaying gratification to pursue goals; recovering well from emotional distress.
Motivation: Using our deepest preferences to move and guide us towards our goals, to help us take initiative and strive to improve, and to persevere in the face of setbacks and frustrations.
Empathy: Sensing what people are feeling, being able to take their perspective, and cultivating rapport and attunement with a broad diversity of people.
Social skills: Handling emotions in relationships well and accurately reading social situations and networks; interacting smoothly; using these skills to persuade and lead, negotiate and settle disputes, for cooperation and teamwork.
Notes
Take time out to do nothing and reflect on your values and passions.
Having skills isn't enough; you must believe in them to promote yourself.
Train yourself to withstand "amygdala hijacks": when your brain responds to an emotional event by going into crisis mode, which halts complex thought and triggers knee-jerk responses.
Balance the competencies. For example, too much self-control limits innovation.
The most rewarding parts of work are the creative challenge and stimulation, and the chance to keep learning.
Find your "flow": the state of mind where you're so engaged that you get lost in your work, enjoy the challenge, do your best work, and have fun.
Set your goals so high that you only hit 50% of them.
Declarative knowledge (knowing a concept and its technical details) isn't as valuable as procedural knowledge (being able to put the concept and details into action).
A local entrepreneur recommended this book for its insights into the "soft" personal skills that become more important as they become rarer in the digital world.
I didn't find a lot of practical information here. I don't disagree with Goleman's studies or analysis, but I rate non-fiction books based on the measurable value I get out of them, and I found his below average. The best non-fiction books are those that leave me with a long to-do list of improvements I can start on right away; this mostly confirmed that I need to continue developing my social skills. Although I didn't learn anything life-altering, it does present a powerful case for how important interpersonal skills are to success.
According to Goleman,
"Emotional Intelligence" refers to your capacity to recognize your own feelings and those of others, for motivating yourself, and for managing emotions well in yourself and in your relationships. It describes abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence, the purely cognitive capabilities measured by IQ. Many people who are book smart but lack emotional intelligence end up working for people who have lower IQs than they but who excel in emotional intelligence skills."
Why EI is more important than IQ
- IQ only accounts for 25% of your career success, at most.
- "Soft" skills matter even more in "hard" (technical) fields than other fields, because they make you stand out even more.
- Emotional competencies are twice as important as technical/cognitive competencies.
- The higher up or more advanced the job, the less important technical skills become, and the more important the interpersonal/emotional skills become.
- At the highest levels of leadership, 90% of the skills required are emotional.
- IQ is genetic, and doesn't change much after your teens, but EI is learned and can be improved throughout life.
- Technical skills can be taught relatively easily in the classroom, but emotional skills must be obtained more difficultly through life experiences.
Goleman fills the book with statistical data, firsthand reports, and dozens of examples of individuals and companies. He also includes several comparisons of people who began with similar skills and backgrounds, but one person developed their emotional competencies while the other focused on technical skills. Fast-forward a few decades, and those who concentrated on the emotional skills were more successful.
Most of the book deals with EI at the individual level, but the later chapters talk about organizational intelligence. He suggests ways to train employees by focusing on honesty, openness, communication, and teamwork. Rather than each individual trying to be a star, they should instead help everyone else be a star.
The 5 basic emotional and social competencies
Self-awareness: Knowing what we are feeling in the moment, and using those preferences to guide our decision making; having a realistic assessment of our own abilities and a well grounded sense of self confidence.
Self-regulation: Having control over our emotions so that they facilitate rather then interfere with the task in hand; being conscientious and delaying gratification to pursue goals; recovering well from emotional distress.
Motivation: Using our deepest preferences to move and guide us towards our goals, to help us take initiative and strive to improve, and to persevere in the face of setbacks and frustrations.
Empathy: Sensing what people are feeling, being able to take their perspective, and cultivating rapport and attunement with a broad diversity of people.
Social skills: Handling emotions in relationships well and accurately reading social situations and networks; interacting smoothly; using these skills to persuade and lead, negotiate and settle disputes, for cooperation and teamwork.
Notes
Take time out to do nothing and reflect on your values and passions.
Having skills isn't enough; you must believe in them to promote yourself.
Train yourself to withstand "amygdala hijacks": when your brain responds to an emotional event by going into crisis mode, which halts complex thought and triggers knee-jerk responses.
Balance the competencies. For example, too much self-control limits innovation.
The most rewarding parts of work are the creative challenge and stimulation, and the chance to keep learning.
Find your "flow": the state of mind where you're so engaged that you get lost in your work, enjoy the challenge, do your best work, and have fun.
Set your goals so high that you only hit 50% of them.
Declarative knowledge (knowing a concept and its technical details) isn't as valuable as procedural knowledge (being able to put the concept and details into action).
December 12, 2013
I was forced to read this book for class and it was extremely underwhelming. It is as if the writer is trying to sell you on his idea by bashing you over the head with endless examples that prove his point. Save yourself a whole lot of time and monotony and read this one sentence, which sums up the whole book: Business professionals are most effective when they employ empathy, social skills, and a positive attitude, all of which are more important than IQ or expertise. There. You read the book. Now if you want some studies and numbers to back this up, open to any page and randomly point your finger at a sentence and you'll likely find an anecdotal story or statistic. Some of these are entertaining while others are not. The book has some good points, but overall it bored me so much I was glad when it ended.
August 15, 2012
Because I was working in a testosterone filled hierarchy at the time I read this, it was like being handed a big, secret, club.
My coworkers generally didn't know what hit them - using Goleman's analytic framework allowed me to maneuver project teams into win-win outcomes.
Teaches you how to recognize impediments, how to understand what drives the other party's position (or at least how to figure out what that is), and best of all, how to use that knowledge.
GREAT read for anyone who regularly negotiates.
My coworkers generally didn't know what hit them - using Goleman's analytic framework allowed me to maneuver project teams into win-win outcomes.
Teaches you how to recognize impediments, how to understand what drives the other party's position (or at least how to figure out what that is), and best of all, how to use that knowledge.
GREAT read for anyone who regularly negotiates.
July 26, 2018
What should I say about this book? Absolutely fabulous delivers what it said. The book develops a conscience in the readers to achieve something greater. As it suggests it is a really groundbreaking book that redefines what it means to be smart.
April 15, 2017
Read this twice now. No real strategies, just continuous examples of how useful it would be to have high "EQ"
April 27, 2012
This book discusses a rather important issue, but it is really, really badly written. I was especially underimpressed by it against the backdrop of the recently read "Thinking, fast and slow" by Daniel Kahneman.
The book is EXTREMELY long-winded. Long after it made its (perfectly convincing) point, it goes on and on piling one example on top of another in the style of chain letters, for further persuasion value adding a bunch of meaningless numbers: such and such billions of dollars of financial loss, so and so raise in the profits. Why would I care?
The book is simply not interesting enough, and lacks cohesion. I probably wouldn't have thought so, wouldn't it be for "Thinking: fast and slow": I probably would have attributed my inability to become engaged by the book to my own lack of focus and attention.
The book keeps quoting people from a firm called Hay/McBer where quotes are not called for - author could have stated the same obvious observation as coming from himself just as well. One wonders where that comes from - until one discovers that the author happens to work for Hay/McBer. Self-advertisement in a book pertaining to present scientific findings? Hm...
The book is at times so badly edited, as to be simply unintelligible. See, for example, the end of page 25 and the beginning of page 28. I just couldn't figure this out, and I read it a bunch of times.
And finally, the book makes some rather strong claims, that seem to be in contradiction to both the common sense and the scientific consensus. For example, it claims that intuition is all the rage, and we must all get attuned to our intuition. That in opposition to Daniel's Kahneman's book, which claims (with much more conviction) that intuition may, indeed, be useful (and correct) when it is a manifestation of a deep and prolonged experience, and can be spectacularly wrong when it is not (no forewarning is coming from Goleman). This makes the book outright dangerous for those who might take it's advice at face value (provided they make it through the whole book, which, I must admit, I didn't).
The book is EXTREMELY long-winded. Long after it made its (perfectly convincing) point, it goes on and on piling one example on top of another in the style of chain letters, for further persuasion value adding a bunch of meaningless numbers: such and such billions of dollars of financial loss, so and so raise in the profits. Why would I care?
The book is simply not interesting enough, and lacks cohesion. I probably wouldn't have thought so, wouldn't it be for "Thinking: fast and slow": I probably would have attributed my inability to become engaged by the book to my own lack of focus and attention.
The book keeps quoting people from a firm called Hay/McBer where quotes are not called for - author could have stated the same obvious observation as coming from himself just as well. One wonders where that comes from - until one discovers that the author happens to work for Hay/McBer. Self-advertisement in a book pertaining to present scientific findings? Hm...
The book is at times so badly edited, as to be simply unintelligible. See, for example, the end of page 25 and the beginning of page 28. I just couldn't figure this out, and I read it a bunch of times.
And finally, the book makes some rather strong claims, that seem to be in contradiction to both the common sense and the scientific consensus. For example, it claims that intuition is all the rage, and we must all get attuned to our intuition. That in opposition to Daniel's Kahneman's book, which claims (with much more conviction) that intuition may, indeed, be useful (and correct) when it is a manifestation of a deep and prolonged experience, and can be spectacularly wrong when it is not (no forewarning is coming from Goleman). This makes the book outright dangerous for those who might take it's advice at face value (provided they make it through the whole book, which, I must admit, I didn't).
September 13, 2017
First printed nearly 20 years ago, this book's content can deliver around 50% relevance now I guess, given the mushroom-ing of "emotional intelligence" and other buzzwords that come with it for the last two decades. We heard too much of them nowadays that the first half can be a freaking long and tiring read with many info we probably grow tired of hearing. Though I believe many ideas here are original, they're no longer new, even horribly lack update for recent developments, considering that many extensively increase research in this topic nowadays.
Goleman did a thorough job in breaking down each competency involved with EQ - each accompanied by a quick anecdote. He had a lot of anecdotes in fact - nearly 40 pages of them summarized styled similarly to a reference section of a typical academic report - but I doubt I remember much of it, coz each was elaborated too swiftly and bear much resemblance to each other. So I'll assume this first half will better serve as a reference if you want a summary of what constitutes the whole term EQ, rather than how you would go about developing it. However I think the first step to understand something fully is to learn categorically what's in it.
The second half is more interesting in how companies (again 20 years ago, not nowadays) trained their workers and their lack thereof in assessing the training outcomes. The author presented a syllabus of sorts to better the training and its assessment. To be honest I don't think it'll help me feasibly in a foreseeable future given that I'm an employee and have nothing to do with how to conduct or evaluate a training. It just emphasizes that I should read more up-to-date book to see if there are any improvements for the deficiency that was mentioned here.
Goleman was lauded as a pioneer in proving the importance of EQ in organizations methodologically, academically and anecdotally. This book successfully illustrates just that.
Goleman did a thorough job in breaking down each competency involved with EQ - each accompanied by a quick anecdote. He had a lot of anecdotes in fact - nearly 40 pages of them summarized styled similarly to a reference section of a typical academic report - but I doubt I remember much of it, coz each was elaborated too swiftly and bear much resemblance to each other. So I'll assume this first half will better serve as a reference if you want a summary of what constitutes the whole term EQ, rather than how you would go about developing it. However I think the first step to understand something fully is to learn categorically what's in it.
The second half is more interesting in how companies (again 20 years ago, not nowadays) trained their workers and their lack thereof in assessing the training outcomes. The author presented a syllabus of sorts to better the training and its assessment. To be honest I don't think it'll help me feasibly in a foreseeable future given that I'm an employee and have nothing to do with how to conduct or evaluate a training. It just emphasizes that I should read more up-to-date book to see if there are any improvements for the deficiency that was mentioned here.
Goleman was lauded as a pioneer in proving the importance of EQ in organizations methodologically, academically and anecdotally. This book successfully illustrates just that.
August 27, 2008
Working with Emotional Intelligence is a must read for anyone who wants to move up the corporate ladder. Today's business atmosphere is changing rapidly, and anyone without emotional intelligence will likely find moving upward in their company very difficult.
February 12, 2013
No real rocket science here... Getting ahead may actually count more on your emotional IQ (see items below) than it does on your intellectual IQ. I'd only suggest reading one Goleman book. I suspect they all rehash the same thoughts.
Part 2 – Personal Competence (12 specific job capabilities)
Chapter 4 – Self-awareness
• Emotional awareness
• Accurate self-assessment
• Self-confidence
Chapter 5 – Self-regulation
• Self-control
• Trustworthiness
• Conscientiousness
• Adaptability
• Innovation
Chapter 6 – Motivation
• Achievement drive
• Commitment
• Initiative
• Optimism
Part 3 – Social Competence (13 key relationship skills)
Chapter 7 – Empathy
• Understanding others
• Service orientation
• Developing others
• Leveraging diversity
• Political awareness
Chapters 8 & 9 – Social Skills
• Influence
• Communication
• Conflict management
• Leadership
• Change catalyst
• Building bonds
• Collaboration and cooperation
• Team capabilities
Part 2 – Personal Competence (12 specific job capabilities)
Chapter 4 – Self-awareness
• Emotional awareness
• Accurate self-assessment
• Self-confidence
Chapter 5 – Self-regulation
• Self-control
• Trustworthiness
• Conscientiousness
• Adaptability
• Innovation
Chapter 6 – Motivation
• Achievement drive
• Commitment
• Initiative
• Optimism
Part 3 – Social Competence (13 key relationship skills)
Chapter 7 – Empathy
• Understanding others
• Service orientation
• Developing others
• Leveraging diversity
• Political awareness
Chapters 8 & 9 – Social Skills
• Influence
• Communication
• Conflict management
• Leadership
• Change catalyst
• Building bonds
• Collaboration and cooperation
• Team capabilities
January 5, 2015
A very BORING book, I couldn't even complete it
In this book Daniel Goleman is explaining how Emotion Quotient (EQ) matters more than Intelligence Quotient (IQ) , then he started to explain the Emotional Competence Model that is composed of 1- Self Awareness 2- Self regulation 3- Motivation 4- Empathy 5- Social Skills besides demonstrating examples from real life on how each of these capacities matters. sometimes you will feel lost reading this book due to the HUGE amount of useless anecdotes and the feeling that you are not reading a book but a set of collected articles. Also, The book has lots of unconnected titles, is not so much focused and superficial in many areas.
In this book Daniel Goleman is explaining how Emotion Quotient (EQ) matters more than Intelligence Quotient (IQ) , then he started to explain the Emotional Competence Model that is composed of 1- Self Awareness 2- Self regulation 3- Motivation 4- Empathy 5- Social Skills besides demonstrating examples from real life on how each of these capacities matters. sometimes you will feel lost reading this book due to the HUGE amount of useless anecdotes and the feeling that you are not reading a book but a set of collected articles. Also, The book has lots of unconnected titles, is not so much focused and superficial in many areas.
September 29, 2024
Out dated hier en daar, maar niettemin een intressant boek. Op t einde wat herhalingen
February 15, 2020
The book applies lessons from Emotional Intelligence to the workplace exclusively
As your career advances, interpersonal skills matter more than cognitive skills
Organization can optimize its performance by improving its collective emotional intelligence
There are twenty-five emotional competencies grouped into five categories
Three of which are personal competencies, while two are social competencies
The first personal competency category is Self-Awareness
The second is Self-Regulation, or controlling impulses that, in turn, influence one’s dependability, flexibility, and receptivity to new ideas
The final personal category is Motivation
The first social competency category is Empathy, or an awareness of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns
The other social category is Social skills, which essentially determine one’s ability to elicit cooperative responses and behaviors from others
Self-Mastery– twelve personal competencies
Gut feelings arise from a deep, primordial area of the brain called the amygdala. This reservoir of emotional information can guide the individual in judgment-making
Self-awareness encompasses three personal competencies: emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence
The brain’s working memory executes complex thought, long-term planning, reasoning, and comprehension. When individuals experience stress, the emotional centers of the brain tend to override the working memory, resulting in feelings such as anxiety, panic, or rage
Self-regulation requires the emotional and executive brain centers to operate jointly, vital for appropriately managing impulses and adverse circumstances. It is central to five personal competencies: self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, and innovation
The most powerful motivators are internal, not external
Exciting or enjoyable work inspires people to do their best, but enjoyment derives from a state of mind called flow, not from the work itself
Flow occurs when a task engages all of the individual’s skills – or even requires learning new ones – and it is the ultimate motivator
Three personal competencies that most outstanding performers exhibit depend on motivation: achievement drive, commitment, and initiative/optimism (twin competencies)
People gravitate to what gives them meaning, to what engages their commitment, talent, energy and skill. That can mean changing jobs to get a better fit with what matters to us
People Skills– thirteen emotional competencies that fall into the social categories of empathy and social skills
Understanding others, service orientation, leveraging diversity, and political awareness are four important social competencies that build upon basic empathy
The classic mistake is assuming that if someone has a special expertise, it necessarily means they also have the ability to lead
The most effective leaders and performers in the workplace use empathy, or emotional radar, to gauge the reactions of others, and then, artfully respond in a manner that steers the interaction toward the desired outcome
Such social skills are fundamental to five social competencies: influence, communication, conflict management, leadership, and change catalyst
The four social competencies that typify star performers – building bonds, collaboration, cooperation, and team capabilities – rely on skills in social coordination
Team performance can far surpass the sum of each member’s talents when the relationships among members create a synergy that maximizes everyone’s potential. This occurs when there is a high degree of social coordination
The Emotionally Intelligent Organization promotes honest, respectful dialogue between team members
Emotion management is another emotional competency at the organizational level
Building trust and a spirit of cooperation in the workplace discourages power struggles in favor of collaborative efforts
Moods are catching, so try to spread a good one. Understand what affects your mood
Emotional strength enhances decision making
Your feelings add dimension to your choices
Keep a journal of behaviors you want to change, so you can analyze them later for clues about what sets off your ingrained emotional patterns
You must cultivate the space for emotional awareness, tune into it and explore it to get to know it. That requires downtime for quiet contemplation of your emotional reactions
Focus on one realistic goal at a time. To measure your progress, develop a plan that includes feedback
As your career advances, interpersonal skills matter more than cognitive skills
Organization can optimize its performance by improving its collective emotional intelligence
There are twenty-five emotional competencies grouped into five categories
Three of which are personal competencies, while two are social competencies
The first personal competency category is Self-Awareness
The second is Self-Regulation, or controlling impulses that, in turn, influence one’s dependability, flexibility, and receptivity to new ideas
The final personal category is Motivation
The first social competency category is Empathy, or an awareness of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns
The other social category is Social skills, which essentially determine one’s ability to elicit cooperative responses and behaviors from others
Self-Mastery– twelve personal competencies
Gut feelings arise from a deep, primordial area of the brain called the amygdala. This reservoir of emotional information can guide the individual in judgment-making
Self-awareness encompasses three personal competencies: emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence
The brain’s working memory executes complex thought, long-term planning, reasoning, and comprehension. When individuals experience stress, the emotional centers of the brain tend to override the working memory, resulting in feelings such as anxiety, panic, or rage
Self-regulation requires the emotional and executive brain centers to operate jointly, vital for appropriately managing impulses and adverse circumstances. It is central to five personal competencies: self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, and innovation
The most powerful motivators are internal, not external
Exciting or enjoyable work inspires people to do their best, but enjoyment derives from a state of mind called flow, not from the work itself
Flow occurs when a task engages all of the individual’s skills – or even requires learning new ones – and it is the ultimate motivator
Three personal competencies that most outstanding performers exhibit depend on motivation: achievement drive, commitment, and initiative/optimism (twin competencies)
People gravitate to what gives them meaning, to what engages their commitment, talent, energy and skill. That can mean changing jobs to get a better fit with what matters to us
People Skills– thirteen emotional competencies that fall into the social categories of empathy and social skills
Understanding others, service orientation, leveraging diversity, and political awareness are four important social competencies that build upon basic empathy
The classic mistake is assuming that if someone has a special expertise, it necessarily means they also have the ability to lead
The most effective leaders and performers in the workplace use empathy, or emotional radar, to gauge the reactions of others, and then, artfully respond in a manner that steers the interaction toward the desired outcome
Such social skills are fundamental to five social competencies: influence, communication, conflict management, leadership, and change catalyst
The four social competencies that typify star performers – building bonds, collaboration, cooperation, and team capabilities – rely on skills in social coordination
Team performance can far surpass the sum of each member’s talents when the relationships among members create a synergy that maximizes everyone’s potential. This occurs when there is a high degree of social coordination
The Emotionally Intelligent Organization promotes honest, respectful dialogue between team members
Emotion management is another emotional competency at the organizational level
Building trust and a spirit of cooperation in the workplace discourages power struggles in favor of collaborative efforts
Moods are catching, so try to spread a good one. Understand what affects your mood
Emotional strength enhances decision making
Your feelings add dimension to your choices
Keep a journal of behaviors you want to change, so you can analyze them later for clues about what sets off your ingrained emotional patterns
You must cultivate the space for emotional awareness, tune into it and explore it to get to know it. That requires downtime for quiet contemplation of your emotional reactions
Focus on one realistic goal at a time. To measure your progress, develop a plan that includes feedback
January 25, 2024
Not bad, un po' pesantuccio e ripetitivo in alcuni tratti.
Un paio di capitoli brillano per fluidità e interesse (la gestione della rabbia nei rapporti di coppia, la riforma scolastica tra gli altri), ma nel complesso resta un buon trattato sull'intelligenza emotiva.
Un paio di capitoli brillano per fluidità e interesse (la gestione della rabbia nei rapporti di coppia, la riforma scolastica tra gli altri), ma nel complesso resta un buon trattato sull'intelligenza emotiva.
May 3, 2008
The author, Goleman, explains how competencies of emotional intelligence (EI) can be applied to work life. Referred to as “the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships,” EI can be traced to 1983 when Howard Gardner proposed a model for “multiple intelligence.” Of Gardners seven, he included verbal and math, but he also had two that characterize and are consistent with Goleman’s book: 1) knowing one’s inner world and 2) social adeptness. Two other psychologists strengthened a comprehensive theory on EI in 1990 by defining it in terms of being able to monitor and regulate feelings, both one’s own and others’, to guide thought and action. The two main categories have five basic emotional and social competencies between them:
I. Personal Competencies that determine how we manage ourselves
a. Self-Awareness- knowing one’s internal state, preference, resources, and intuitions (including emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence)
b. Self-Regulation- managing one’s internal states, impulses, and resources (including self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, innovation)
c. Motivation- emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate reaching goals (including achievement drive, commitment, initiative, optimism)
II. Social Competencies that determine how we handle relationships
a. Empathy- awareness of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns (including understanding others, developing others, service orientation, leveraging diversity, political awareness)
b. Social Skills- adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others (including influence, communication, conflict management, leadership, change catalyst, building bonds, collaboration & cooperation, team capabilities)
The book does a good job of emphasizing that at work, emotional incompetence can reduce everyone’s performance. Our work, and our careers, are only half dependent on technical skills. IQ may be as small as a third of what is really necessary: softer skills of EI. The electronic age with email and mobile connections, does not give people in work environments what they really need; they are desperate for a connection, for empathy, and for open communication. As an engineer/planner, EI competencies can help me interact with those outside my discipline and get things done more efficiently, because of the higher level of understanding that comes with the relationships. As a project manager, this is extremely important, especially when motivating a team is important. Developing competencies in each of the five areas, or being able to tap the full-spectrum of EI, allows project managers to perform in the top third of performance. Organizations, like the Corps, that are going through significant change, are those who need EI.
(I have cut out much of my review because this website limits us to 10000 characters, and I had 12000...oh well)
In summary, this is a book I hold up and believe is very good, on par with another good one by Covey, Seven Habits. The EI competencies shed light on some of the weaknesses I identified in taking the LLQ assessment during the PA program. I like how Goleman points out that these new understandings of the brain’s workings are important and need to be part of training. Although I hoped the book would have more information on techniques to implement or make these changes in myself. At least the book helps us understand what training is a waste- one being that people will change when they’re ready. The book helped me see where improvements at the Corps are needed. I liked when Goleman said, “Systems theory tells us that in an environment of turbulent change and competition, the entity that can take in information most widely, learn from It most thoroughly, and respond most nimbly, creatively, and flexibly will be the most adaptive.” This book fits well with the current events of the Corps and our Nation. I agree with him that having these competencies as skills will help each of us at the Corps survive with our humanity and sanity intact. As work changes, these human skills can help us improve ourselves and the capacity for pleasure, even joy, in the work we are doing in the Planning Branch and the rest of the district, even Corps-wide.
I. Personal Competencies that determine how we manage ourselves
a. Self-Awareness- knowing one’s internal state, preference, resources, and intuitions (including emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence)
b. Self-Regulation- managing one’s internal states, impulses, and resources (including self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, innovation)
c. Motivation- emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate reaching goals (including achievement drive, commitment, initiative, optimism)
II. Social Competencies that determine how we handle relationships
a. Empathy- awareness of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns (including understanding others, developing others, service orientation, leveraging diversity, political awareness)
b. Social Skills- adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others (including influence, communication, conflict management, leadership, change catalyst, building bonds, collaboration & cooperation, team capabilities)
The book does a good job of emphasizing that at work, emotional incompetence can reduce everyone’s performance. Our work, and our careers, are only half dependent on technical skills. IQ may be as small as a third of what is really necessary: softer skills of EI. The electronic age with email and mobile connections, does not give people in work environments what they really need; they are desperate for a connection, for empathy, and for open communication. As an engineer/planner, EI competencies can help me interact with those outside my discipline and get things done more efficiently, because of the higher level of understanding that comes with the relationships. As a project manager, this is extremely important, especially when motivating a team is important. Developing competencies in each of the five areas, or being able to tap the full-spectrum of EI, allows project managers to perform in the top third of performance. Organizations, like the Corps, that are going through significant change, are those who need EI.
(I have cut out much of my review because this website limits us to 10000 characters, and I had 12000...oh well)
In summary, this is a book I hold up and believe is very good, on par with another good one by Covey, Seven Habits. The EI competencies shed light on some of the weaknesses I identified in taking the LLQ assessment during the PA program. I like how Goleman points out that these new understandings of the brain’s workings are important and need to be part of training. Although I hoped the book would have more information on techniques to implement or make these changes in myself. At least the book helps us understand what training is a waste- one being that people will change when they’re ready. The book helped me see where improvements at the Corps are needed. I liked when Goleman said, “Systems theory tells us that in an environment of turbulent change and competition, the entity that can take in information most widely, learn from It most thoroughly, and respond most nimbly, creatively, and flexibly will be the most adaptive.” This book fits well with the current events of the Corps and our Nation. I agree with him that having these competencies as skills will help each of us at the Corps survive with our humanity and sanity intact. As work changes, these human skills can help us improve ourselves and the capacity for pleasure, even joy, in the work we are doing in the Planning Branch and the rest of the district, even Corps-wide.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2012
notes recently found on a book read a while back!
I have been reading non-fiction, Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Coleman. It seems that everyone I mention this to says he same thing.....There is a lot of emotional in the work place, but not very much intelligence! This is not a self help book, but one that explains what emotional intelligence is and how companies are beginning to realize that their bussiness can be effected by the emotions of their workers. My favorite quote is "The ultimae act of personal responsibility at work may be in taking control of our own state of mind. Moods exert a powerful pull on thought, memory, and perception. When we are angry, we more readily remember incidents that support our ire, our thoughts become preoccpied with the object of our anger, and irritability so skews our world view that an otherwise benign comment might so strike us hostile. Resisting this despotic quality of moods is essential to our ability to work productively." Many companies are now providing training in emotional intelligence. I wonder if it will ever be available in state government!
Reading this over, I think I need to take a vacation, lighten up a little, get out the hammock and dive into my fiction stack!.
I have been reading non-fiction, Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Coleman. It seems that everyone I mention this to says he same thing.....There is a lot of emotional in the work place, but not very much intelligence! This is not a self help book, but one that explains what emotional intelligence is and how companies are beginning to realize that their bussiness can be effected by the emotions of their workers. My favorite quote is "The ultimae act of personal responsibility at work may be in taking control of our own state of mind. Moods exert a powerful pull on thought, memory, and perception. When we are angry, we more readily remember incidents that support our ire, our thoughts become preoccpied with the object of our anger, and irritability so skews our world view that an otherwise benign comment might so strike us hostile. Resisting this despotic quality of moods is essential to our ability to work productively." Many companies are now providing training in emotional intelligence. I wonder if it will ever be available in state government!
Reading this over, I think I need to take a vacation, lighten up a little, get out the hammock and dive into my fiction stack!.
December 14, 2023
Unless you encompass ZERO emotional intelligence this book will nearly steal the intelligence from you. All of the points made by the writer can be acquired in the first 30 pages, honestly probably even half of that. If you make it past 30 pages then you will find yourself in a groundhogs day loop of the author repeatedly telling you the same thing over and over and over again. Quite a disappointment that entirely lacked any personal growth to be had. It gives no insight on how to practice to better yourself at these tasks other than to basically be more aware.
It was interesting to learn how many workshops are entirely pointless and the actual dollar amount companies waste on some of the workshops/programs. Some of the company stories were entertaining but proved the same point each time; IQ doesn't mean much, you may be the smartest but if you don't have social skills then your advancement will be a failure and/or futile. One good perk was that I got to practice my speed reading skills.
It was interesting to learn how many workshops are entirely pointless and the actual dollar amount companies waste on some of the workshops/programs. Some of the company stories were entertaining but proved the same point each time; IQ doesn't mean much, you may be the smartest but if you don't have social skills then your advancement will be a failure and/or futile. One good perk was that I got to practice my speed reading skills.
December 12, 2024
Next level: emotional intelligence
Team work
“emotional intelligence is a crucial factor for both individual and organizational success, helping people manage emotions, build strong relationships, and navigate stress effectively. Fostering emotional competencies like self-awareness, empathy, and social skills can significantly improve collaboration, leadership, and performance. And investing in emotional intelligence training and creating a culture of emotional awareness not only boosts employee retention but also drives innovation, problem-solving, and resilience in the face of challenges.”
Team work
“emotional intelligence is a crucial factor for both individual and organizational success, helping people manage emotions, build strong relationships, and navigate stress effectively. Fostering emotional competencies like self-awareness, empathy, and social skills can significantly improve collaboration, leadership, and performance. And investing in emotional intelligence training and creating a culture of emotional awareness not only boosts employee retention but also drives innovation, problem-solving, and resilience in the face of challenges.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2020
Not as good as the first. The organization of the book is a bit frustrating, with no clear direction of where Goleman is headed.
The first book definitely had a greater impact on me. The last 75 pages or so seemed to drone on about the same topics, with little new insights.
The typical reader could do without reading this book if they've already read the first.
The first book definitely had a greater impact on me. The last 75 pages or so seemed to drone on about the same topics, with little new insights.
The typical reader could do without reading this book if they've already read the first.
April 14, 2019
Como siempre muy agudo. Me quedaria con dos resumenes del libro:
1) la inteligencia emocional es una condicion indespensable del liderazgo. Sin ella una persona puede contar con la mejor formacion del mundo, con una mente incisiva y analitica y con un caudal inagotable de ideas inteligentes, pero aun asi no sera un gran lider.
2) nunca se ha conseguido nada estraordinario sin entusiasmo
1) la inteligencia emocional es una condicion indespensable del liderazgo. Sin ella una persona puede contar con la mejor formacion del mundo, con una mente incisiva y analitica y con un caudal inagotable de ideas inteligentes, pero aun asi no sera un gran lider.
2) nunca se ha conseguido nada estraordinario sin entusiasmo
May 1, 2024
A very good book presenting many aspects that confirm that emotional intelligence must go hand in hand with technical skills. Lots of examples, but the value depends on the reader's position. A good book for sellers and negotiators.
August 5, 2013
Пока - лучшая книга Гоулмана, из известных мне :)
Мега-рецензия на неё и всякие дополнительные вкусности - в моем блоге: http://s-kalinin.blogspot.ru/2013/07/...
Мега-рецензия на неё и всякие дополнительные вкусности - в моем блоге: http://s-kalinin.blogspot.ru/2013/07/...
January 10, 2018
Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998) by Daniel Goleman is the sequel to the hit self-help book Emotional Intelligence first published in 1995, and the book is also a prime example of “professional nepotism” and “self-prohibited research.”
Another alumnus of Harvard we far too often see on the bookshelves for no better reason than they attended Harvard, Daniel Goleman begins the book with an acknowledgments section which basically sets out an extended thanks to those he will later primarily use to quote as the main support for his thesis and ideas. As a result, the very experts he uses to support his claims of emotional intelligence are in fact his close friends and fellow colleagues from Harvard, which questions the very validity of his findings and claims in the book. If this were a PhD thesis, it would be rejected immediately. But it’s not. It’s a self-help book published to make profits for the publishing company.
A few examples of the “professional nepotism” mentioned earlier, Goleman writes of Richard Boyatzis: “A colleague of David McClelland, and a good friend since our graduate school days at Harvard” (p ix). Goleman writes of David McClelland: “another main taproot of the thinking reflected here is my late friend David C. McClelland, formerly my professor at Harvard University” (p ix).
Another interesting note: Richard Boyatzis was “a past president at Hay/McBer.” This might not mean anything on its own but Goleman adds about the company often cited on every other page or so throughout the 330-page book:
“I was helped by many friends at the Boston office of Hay/McBer (the company David [McClelland] founded with David Berlew, a trusted advisor)” (p ix). So, David McClelland, co-founder of Hay/McBer, is also good friends with the author Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis.
Goleman goes on to cite many associates from Hay/McBer throughout the book as experts to support his claims on “emotional intelligence”:
“Lyle Spencer Jr., director of research and technology worldwide and cofounder of what is now Hay/McBer, the consulting firm McClelland started” (p 19); “Ruth Jacobs, a senior consultant at Hay/McBer in Boston” (p 21); “So I again commissioned Hay/McBer to reanalyze their database” (p 33); “McClelland protégé, Lyle Spencer Jr., director of research and technology worldwide at Hay/McBer in Boston” (p 36); and, “Mary Fontaine of Hay/McBer” (p 38). The research cited and quoted gets to the point when you see the name Hay/McBer so often throughout the book you quickly realize the research is not extensive but cursory at best.
Daniel Goleman even openly confesses he needed his data and facts checked and rechecked. So, who does he get to help double-check his research? Does he get an independent, unbiased company to audit his findings (as most professionals would)? No. Here’s Goleman in his own words: “To make sure my findings weren’t a fluke, I turned to Hay/McBer and commissioned them to do an independent study” (p 31). That’s right. Daniel Goleman used his friends and fellow Harvard graduates and colleagues to help check his all-important data and research.
As you read Working with Emotional Intelligence, the educated mind begins noticing the trend of “professional nepotism” and “self-prohibited research,” which calls in to question the very research which is supposed to convince the educated reader the ideas of “emotional intelligence” from the 1990s are legitimate and trustworthy.
In addition (because that’s not all), Daniel Goleman further confesses that his company is also in alliance with Hay/McBer: “I’m delighted to be working together with him [Richard Boyatzis] in my new venture, Emotional Intelligence Services, in an alliance with Hay/McBer” (p ix).
What’s also interesting to note is that the Hay Group* (the company that owns Hay/McBer) takes credit for doing the initial research for this particular book: “In 1999, Daniel Goleman published Working With Emotional Intelligence with research conducted by the Hay Group” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_Group).
*Note: “Hay Group is a global management consulting firm that works with leaders to transform strategy into reality. [They] develop talent, organize people to be more effective and motivate them to perform at their best. [Their] focus is on making change happen and helping people and organizations realize their potential.” (link: http://www.haygroup.com/us/about)
You can also read more about Hay/McBer at the following website (which at the time of this review the site looks to be outdated and forgotten from the age of the 1990s) here: http://www.humandimension.org/haymcbe...
Moving forward, Goleman further confesses that “professional nepotism” is vital for the success of “emotional intelligence” to even work. Lyle Spencer Jr., a former student of McClelland and director at Hay/McBer, boldly states:
“But these stars spent lots of time with [their clients], wooing them, going out drinking, telling them about new technologies and product possibilities that would improve their clients’ products—so they didn’t just keep the account steady, but made more sales. What mattered was relationship building, sensing the client’s hot buttons and enthusiasms and knowing how to play to them” (p 37).
By any intelligent indication from the above passage, “emotional intelligence” has nothing to do with the success of the “star performers” with their clients, but the fact that “wining and dining,” a now archaic form of doing business which remains for those who prefer to bribe clients with “money under the table.” Furthermore, the success of the star performers has more to do with “professional nepotism” and hours outside the office getting drunk and going to strip clubs and spending large amounts of money on clients, which has now become highly illegal in many countries around the world, including China, Vietnam and Japan.
Goleman even cites an example on “favoritism” and how detrimental it can be to business:
“Brought in to head a privately owned airline in a small Latin American country, he found the business a quagmire. The falling revenues were due to a legacy of cronyism and favoritism: The main sales agent for the airline was a close friend of the owner, and his contract was far more favorable than his competitors’, though his agency was weak in sales” (p 68).
Oh, the irony is rich, isn’t it? To learn more about “cronyism and favoritism” in Harvard University and Harvard Business School, you can read What They Teach You at Harvard Business School: My Two Years Inside the Cauldron of Capitalism (2008) by Philip Delves Broughton, another alumnus of Harvard.
Probably the most alarming piece of information is the indirect mention and explanation on how governments and the elites keep the “working class” people running in circles and running the usual rat race. Here’s Goleman explaining how the mental process works:
“The prefrontal area is the site of ‘working memory,’ the capacity to pay attention and keep in mind whatever information is salient. Working memory is vital for comprehension and understanding, planning and decision making, reasoning and learning.
“When the mind is calm, working memory functions at its best. But when there is an emergency, the brain shifts into a self-protective mode, stealing resources from working memory and shunting them to other brain sites in order to keep the senses hyperalert—a mental stance tailored to survival.
“During the emergency, the brain falls back on simple, highly familiar routines and responses and puts aside complex thought, creative insight, and long-term planning. The focus is the urgent present—or the crisis of the day” (p 74).
In sum, by keeping the “working class” people (basically the working majority) on a mental high alert created by subsistence living (paying people the least amount possible to survive and not thrive), the people will be too mentally exhausted to do anything other than to handle the problems of the day at hand: which would usually include paying bills or dealing with relationship and/or job issues.
Later in the book, Goleman does mention some “secrets of success” and they are: “rapport, empathy, persuasion, cooperation, and consensus building” (p 229), and the secrets of “emotional competence” included are “astute political awareness, the ability to make arguments with emotional impact, and high levels of interpersonal influence” (p 259).
Nevertheless, there does remain some useful tips, most likely repeated from the first book, that provide the usual and mundane characteristics of successful managers (p 40-41):
• Self-control: The successful stayed composed under stress
• Conscientiousness: The successful took responsibility by admitting their mistakes and failures
• Trustworthiness: The successes had high integrity
• Social skills: The successes were empathic and sensitive
• Building bonds and leveraging diversity: The successes were more appreciative of diversity
One of the single greatest insights in this book is probably the one that disrupts Goleman’s “emotional intelligence” logic and research the most, and it is “Systems Theory,” explained thus:
“Systems theory tells us that in an environment of turbulent change and competition, the entity that can take in information most widely, learn from it most thoroughly, and respond most nimbly, creatively, and flexibly will be the most adaptive” (p 298).
Furthermore, what’s truly interesting to note about all this research done by Goleman and/or the Hay Group is that it all boils down to “Gut Feelings” (p 50):
“When it comes to decisions like these, our gut feelings—our deepest sense of what feels right and what is “off”—provide critical information that we must not ignore, lest we regret our choices.”
In conclusion, regarding a recommendation for Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998) by Daniel Goleman, I’m going to have to trust my “gut” on this one and advise you to go ahead and skip this book. Goleman’s sequel to Emotional Intelligence (1995) doesn’t offer anything new, nor anything enlightening, and the whole book with its “self-prohibited research” and its blatant and open admission of “professional nepotism” just feels, in the words of Goleman, “off.”
The book is “off” because its dated (published in 1998), it’s no longer valid in the real working world, it offers limited research (other than Harvard friends helping Harvard friends—which goes against the very principles of scholarly research), and it offers very little new light or new research (since the 1990s) on the twenty-first century work-life relationship.
Let’s face it: people have changed since 1998 and this book should be officially retired from the bookshelves. Go ahead and skip this book.
Another alumnus of Harvard we far too often see on the bookshelves for no better reason than they attended Harvard, Daniel Goleman begins the book with an acknowledgments section which basically sets out an extended thanks to those he will later primarily use to quote as the main support for his thesis and ideas. As a result, the very experts he uses to support his claims of emotional intelligence are in fact his close friends and fellow colleagues from Harvard, which questions the very validity of his findings and claims in the book. If this were a PhD thesis, it would be rejected immediately. But it’s not. It’s a self-help book published to make profits for the publishing company.
A few examples of the “professional nepotism” mentioned earlier, Goleman writes of Richard Boyatzis: “A colleague of David McClelland, and a good friend since our graduate school days at Harvard” (p ix). Goleman writes of David McClelland: “another main taproot of the thinking reflected here is my late friend David C. McClelland, formerly my professor at Harvard University” (p ix).
Another interesting note: Richard Boyatzis was “a past president at Hay/McBer.” This might not mean anything on its own but Goleman adds about the company often cited on every other page or so throughout the 330-page book:
“I was helped by many friends at the Boston office of Hay/McBer (the company David [McClelland] founded with David Berlew, a trusted advisor)” (p ix). So, David McClelland, co-founder of Hay/McBer, is also good friends with the author Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis.
Goleman goes on to cite many associates from Hay/McBer throughout the book as experts to support his claims on “emotional intelligence”:
“Lyle Spencer Jr., director of research and technology worldwide and cofounder of what is now Hay/McBer, the consulting firm McClelland started” (p 19); “Ruth Jacobs, a senior consultant at Hay/McBer in Boston” (p 21); “So I again commissioned Hay/McBer to reanalyze their database” (p 33); “McClelland protégé, Lyle Spencer Jr., director of research and technology worldwide at Hay/McBer in Boston” (p 36); and, “Mary Fontaine of Hay/McBer” (p 38). The research cited and quoted gets to the point when you see the name Hay/McBer so often throughout the book you quickly realize the research is not extensive but cursory at best.
Daniel Goleman even openly confesses he needed his data and facts checked and rechecked. So, who does he get to help double-check his research? Does he get an independent, unbiased company to audit his findings (as most professionals would)? No. Here’s Goleman in his own words: “To make sure my findings weren’t a fluke, I turned to Hay/McBer and commissioned them to do an independent study” (p 31). That’s right. Daniel Goleman used his friends and fellow Harvard graduates and colleagues to help check his all-important data and research.
As you read Working with Emotional Intelligence, the educated mind begins noticing the trend of “professional nepotism” and “self-prohibited research,” which calls in to question the very research which is supposed to convince the educated reader the ideas of “emotional intelligence” from the 1990s are legitimate and trustworthy.
In addition (because that’s not all), Daniel Goleman further confesses that his company is also in alliance with Hay/McBer: “I’m delighted to be working together with him [Richard Boyatzis] in my new venture, Emotional Intelligence Services, in an alliance with Hay/McBer” (p ix).
What’s also interesting to note is that the Hay Group* (the company that owns Hay/McBer) takes credit for doing the initial research for this particular book: “In 1999, Daniel Goleman published Working With Emotional Intelligence with research conducted by the Hay Group” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_Group).
*Note: “Hay Group is a global management consulting firm that works with leaders to transform strategy into reality. [They] develop talent, organize people to be more effective and motivate them to perform at their best. [Their] focus is on making change happen and helping people and organizations realize their potential.” (link: http://www.haygroup.com/us/about)
You can also read more about Hay/McBer at the following website (which at the time of this review the site looks to be outdated and forgotten from the age of the 1990s) here: http://www.humandimension.org/haymcbe...
Moving forward, Goleman further confesses that “professional nepotism” is vital for the success of “emotional intelligence” to even work. Lyle Spencer Jr., a former student of McClelland and director at Hay/McBer, boldly states:
“But these stars spent lots of time with [their clients], wooing them, going out drinking, telling them about new technologies and product possibilities that would improve their clients’ products—so they didn’t just keep the account steady, but made more sales. What mattered was relationship building, sensing the client’s hot buttons and enthusiasms and knowing how to play to them” (p 37).
By any intelligent indication from the above passage, “emotional intelligence” has nothing to do with the success of the “star performers” with their clients, but the fact that “wining and dining,” a now archaic form of doing business which remains for those who prefer to bribe clients with “money under the table.” Furthermore, the success of the star performers has more to do with “professional nepotism” and hours outside the office getting drunk and going to strip clubs and spending large amounts of money on clients, which has now become highly illegal in many countries around the world, including China, Vietnam and Japan.
Goleman even cites an example on “favoritism” and how detrimental it can be to business:
“Brought in to head a privately owned airline in a small Latin American country, he found the business a quagmire. The falling revenues were due to a legacy of cronyism and favoritism: The main sales agent for the airline was a close friend of the owner, and his contract was far more favorable than his competitors’, though his agency was weak in sales” (p 68).
Oh, the irony is rich, isn’t it? To learn more about “cronyism and favoritism” in Harvard University and Harvard Business School, you can read What They Teach You at Harvard Business School: My Two Years Inside the Cauldron of Capitalism (2008) by Philip Delves Broughton, another alumnus of Harvard.
Probably the most alarming piece of information is the indirect mention and explanation on how governments and the elites keep the “working class” people running in circles and running the usual rat race. Here’s Goleman explaining how the mental process works:
“The prefrontal area is the site of ‘working memory,’ the capacity to pay attention and keep in mind whatever information is salient. Working memory is vital for comprehension and understanding, planning and decision making, reasoning and learning.
“When the mind is calm, working memory functions at its best. But when there is an emergency, the brain shifts into a self-protective mode, stealing resources from working memory and shunting them to other brain sites in order to keep the senses hyperalert—a mental stance tailored to survival.
“During the emergency, the brain falls back on simple, highly familiar routines and responses and puts aside complex thought, creative insight, and long-term planning. The focus is the urgent present—or the crisis of the day” (p 74).
In sum, by keeping the “working class” people (basically the working majority) on a mental high alert created by subsistence living (paying people the least amount possible to survive and not thrive), the people will be too mentally exhausted to do anything other than to handle the problems of the day at hand: which would usually include paying bills or dealing with relationship and/or job issues.
Later in the book, Goleman does mention some “secrets of success” and they are: “rapport, empathy, persuasion, cooperation, and consensus building” (p 229), and the secrets of “emotional competence” included are “astute political awareness, the ability to make arguments with emotional impact, and high levels of interpersonal influence” (p 259).
Nevertheless, there does remain some useful tips, most likely repeated from the first book, that provide the usual and mundane characteristics of successful managers (p 40-41):
• Self-control: The successful stayed composed under stress
• Conscientiousness: The successful took responsibility by admitting their mistakes and failures
• Trustworthiness: The successes had high integrity
• Social skills: The successes were empathic and sensitive
• Building bonds and leveraging diversity: The successes were more appreciative of diversity
One of the single greatest insights in this book is probably the one that disrupts Goleman’s “emotional intelligence” logic and research the most, and it is “Systems Theory,” explained thus:
“Systems theory tells us that in an environment of turbulent change and competition, the entity that can take in information most widely, learn from it most thoroughly, and respond most nimbly, creatively, and flexibly will be the most adaptive” (p 298).
Furthermore, what’s truly interesting to note about all this research done by Goleman and/or the Hay Group is that it all boils down to “Gut Feelings” (p 50):
“When it comes to decisions like these, our gut feelings—our deepest sense of what feels right and what is “off”—provide critical information that we must not ignore, lest we regret our choices.”
In conclusion, regarding a recommendation for Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998) by Daniel Goleman, I’m going to have to trust my “gut” on this one and advise you to go ahead and skip this book. Goleman’s sequel to Emotional Intelligence (1995) doesn’t offer anything new, nor anything enlightening, and the whole book with its “self-prohibited research” and its blatant and open admission of “professional nepotism” just feels, in the words of Goleman, “off.”
The book is “off” because its dated (published in 1998), it’s no longer valid in the real working world, it offers limited research (other than Harvard friends helping Harvard friends—which goes against the very principles of scholarly research), and it offers very little new light or new research (since the 1990s) on the twenty-first century work-life relationship.
Let’s face it: people have changed since 1998 and this book should be officially retired from the bookshelves. Go ahead and skip this book.
November 8, 2019
Interesting topic brought with number of insightful stories and advises about different aspects of developing emotional intelligence in business environment. A little hard to read it as usual book, since number of points are repeated on different complexity levels in different chapters. Once you accept it more like an student's book where every chapter is story on and that it is OK to read it in the order you want (unfortunately,I manage to understand it only when I read the almost complete book), it is valuable book to come back to every time you need to refresh your knowledge about EI and it's different elements.
April 28, 2021
Хорошее продолжение основной книги «Емоційний інтелект», которое раскрывает практические примеры и особенности важности и применения ЕІ. Но примеров и кейсов настолько много, что трудно запомнить хотя бы каждый ��ятый. Подобную книгу надо всегда хранить на полке, чтобы в случае необходимости достать, найти нужный тебе кейс и перечитать его. Поэтому 4, слишком много информации
August 5, 2022
Quite heavy in the sense of studies/examples. Overall decent read going over everything emotional intelligence. Just feel like it could have portrayed the same message and lessons within a bit more of a compressed style.
September 17, 2022
I was between a 3 and a 4. I ended giving a 3 because i think this book could have been better with half of the content. I think it is a very interesting book nevertheless and I would still recommend it
July 18, 2017
Lots of really great ideas on how to cultivate emotional intelligence within the workplace-- for all levels.
January 24, 2019
Great book on how to use emotional intelligence to evolve in your career and to improve your relationship with your colleagues.
December 27, 2022
Me gusta.
Coincido en que la inteligencia emocional es muy importante dentro de la organización.
Es un enfoque sencillo y común.
Coincido en que la inteligencia emocional es muy importante dentro de la organización.
Es un enfoque sencillo y común.
June 21, 2025
Emotional intelligence is very important
Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews