Матеріал для читання "Емоційний інтелект"

READING

Emotional Intelligence

                 In a famous experiment, a group of four year-olds were left alone with candy and they were told that they could not eat any until the adult returned. Years later, when the children were grown-ups, the researchers did a follow-up to the experiment. It turned out that children who resisted the temptation became more successful later in life. Traditionally, psychologists described intelligence in terms of problem-solving and memory. This test shows the importance of another kind of intelligence, so-called emotional intelligence. IQ tests are only one way to see how successful someone may become in life. Social and emotional abilities seem even more important.

                  Emotional intelligence is a buzz word that is often heard. So, what does it really mean? The term ‘emotional intelligence’ was coined in 1990. Emotional intelligence has to do with knowing when to express emotions and knowing when to control them. Empathy is a particularly important part of emotional intelligence. This is basically the ability to recognise other people’s emotions.

                    It is necessary though to make a distinction between emotional intelligence and emotional competence. Let me illustrate this with an example. We already mentioned empathy as the ability to understand what someone else is feeling. Emotional competence would then mean transforming this into a skill. Empathy can actually be used to influence other people’s behaviour. Obviously we are talking about influence in a positive manner as opposed to manipulation.

                   Emotional intelligence is important for a successful performance at work but how can it be promoted? First and foremost, the competencies that are important are different from job to job, so it is essential to know what these are for your field. Self-awareness is here the core competence to develop. So employees should learn how their feelings and behaviour affect themselves and others. After that, look at the individual and try to find out if they have the necessary social skills for a particular job. Then, share this information with the individual and when doing so, try to be as clear as possible. Always conduct feedback in a constructive manner because then it is more likely to be taken on board. Another advantage of constructive criticism is that it minimizes defensiveness.

                   Hiring competent trainers is key. Good trainers have empathy and are genuinely caring. They should adopt a step-by-step approach because a change in behaviour is more likely to happen if it is manageable and achievable. Trainers should provide ongoing feedback and help develop the skill of self-reflection. If there is no follow-up training, then the whole process is likely not to be taken seriously.

 TASK I.  Look through the text and make questions to the underlined words.

TASK II. Read the text again. Are these statements True or False

1. A group of five year-olds took part in a famous experiment.
2. The researchers claim that children who didn`t eat sweets could succeed later in life.
3. This experiment shows that so-called emotional intelligence helps to make a success.
4. IQ defines the rate of a person`s communication skills  in life.
5. Emotional intelligence deals with expressing emotions and ways of control them.
6.  Empathy is a vital ability to recognise people`s emotions and feelings.
7.  It is important to know what emotional competencies are demanded for your job.
8. To improve emotional competency it`s useful to make self-awareness better.
9. A competent trainer helps you perform successfully at work in any case.

Answers to Task  I

1. What tests are only one way to see how successful someone may become in life? ( IQ)
2. What kind of word is tmotional intelligence? (Buzz)
3. When was the term ‘emotional intelligence’ coined ? (in 1990)
4. What competence would then mean transforming this into a skill? (Emotional)
5. What should trainers help to do with the skill of self-reflection ? (develop)

Answers to II

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. False