EI: Self Awareness & Self-Management: Seminar

Differing approaches to emotional intelligence (EI) are presented in David Caruso’s and Peter Salovey’s book The Emotionally Intelligent Manager and Dan Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence. Caruso and Salovey focus on EI skills while Goleman emphasizes EI competencies. While both approaches share fundamental concepts, Goleman's work derives from Salovey's original research but presents it through the lens of competencies rather than skills.

Goleman’s text begins by acknowledging the seminal work by Peter Salovey and John Mayer first published in a psychology journal. Goleman details the neurological basis for emotional reactions, describing how the amygdala (emotion center) and cerebral cortex (thinking center) interact. He stresses that the interactions of these two parts of the mind, representing the heart and the head, are the core of emotional intelligence. The key to emotional intelligence is widening the gap between emotional impulse and action through techniques like breathing, taking breaks, mindfulness practices, and using calming phrases to engage the rational brain before responding.

Goleman’s four domains of emotional intelligence are organized around two dimensions: a self vs. others focus, and a thinking vs. action orientation. The four domains are Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. This session addresses the first two domains.

Self-Awareness is the ability to tune into our feelings, thoughts, and actions to identify our emotions and direct our actions. Individuals with high levels of self-awareness tend to excel in all areas of Emotional Intelligence. Self-Awareness involves:

• Understanding one's emotions, thoughts, and feelings
• Recognizing that attention creates your reality (perception)
• Diagnosing your current emotional state
• Creating space between impulse and action

​​​​​​​Self-Management is the ability to regulate and control your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors:

1. Balance - maintaining focus on the problem despite emotional distractions
2. Adaptability - adopting a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset
3. Achievement orientation - persisting toward goals despite challenges
4. Positive outlook - maintaining optimism and creative problem-solving