Recent studies of people who have improved their emotional intelligence reveal several key points about what works and what doesn’t. 13 Although some may seem obvious—even common sense—they are not common practice. The findings include the following: • Goals should build on one’s strengths, not on one’s weaknesses. • Goals must be a person’s own—not goals that someone else has imposed. • Plans should flexibly allow people to prepare for the future in different ways—a single “planning” method imposed by an organization will often prove counterproductive.
