Lighthouse News

Why should your firm invest training dollars in a program designed to increase emotional competencies for your staff?

Psychologists understand that the traditional IQ test does not measure all of the factors of an effective, successful, happily productive person. “Book learning” is not the only, nor the most important, measure of intelligence.

Many of the factors psychologists found to be important in making people successful in their business and personal lives are included in the terms emotional intelligence or emotional competence. The more aware we are of our own emotions, the more control we have over them. The more we empathize with the emotions of coworkers, the more harmonious and productive we are.

It certainly seems that emotional intelligence is an important aspect of many business roles. But, business people have one dominant question: how does it affect the bottom line? Can putting employees in touch with their emotions actually make them more productive?

Here’s the missing link. Over two hundred studies from various countries agree that emotional competence accounts for 65 – 80% of the difference between top performing and average performing employees. You may not be able to see, touch, or taste Emotional Intelligence, but the results of it are quite tangible.

When L’Oreal used emotional intelligence as a selection criterion for hiring sales representatives, they discovered that emotionally intelligent people outsold their colleagues by an average of $91,370 a year.

The United States Air Force saved three million dollars by using emotional intelligence screening to select recruiters. The General Accounting Office reported an annual savings of $3,000,000 per year on a $10,000 investment in screening.

Emotional competencies can be learned. With a good training program in emotional intelligence, a firm can maximize the potential of the employees it already has, top to bottom.

For any business that would like to see increases in productivity and efficiency; more effective sales people; more creative teams and more responsive leadership, it is vital to invest in a good emotional intelligence training program.

– Douglas A. Lundrigan, MBA
www.lighthouse4business.com