MSLD 641 Module 3- Working with EI: Getting Results!

While having the ability to complete tasks is critical, it’s the social aspects that help drive organizations to success (Boyatzis, 2012).. Emotional intelligence (EI), or the way we handle ourselves and our relationships is often seen as the foundation to building and understanding relationships (Goleman, 2012). In this week’s video, Goleman (2012) describes the four dimensions of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skills (Goleman, 2012).

Although I mostly provide general information and resources to students, EI plays an important role in student advisement and help make decision-making more effective. Occasionally, we have students that come to my office for assistance after struggling with academic, work, or personal reasons. Simply telling them to, “retake the class” or “fill these papers out” could result in miscommunication or feelings of discomfort: which could potentially worsen the situation the student is already going through as well as the overall relationship. To avoid these issues, it is important for leaders to thinking critically: which includes thinking about our choices as well as how these choices align how other people think.

Of all the four dimensions Goleman mentioned, my strongest is without a doubt social awareness. Social awareness, as he explains is the ability to understand and respond to the need of others (Goleman, 2012). The key here is empathy: where we sync and relate with one another. While it might mostly be because I previously and currently attend the same university I work for, I can easily sync with the student and respond accordingly. When it comes to a student failing and needing to retake a class for example, I can easily relate to my own personal experience. This is where self-awareness and self-management comes to play: as I start to pick up and understand the emotions that occurred in the past. As I gather all the information, I can then approach the situation.

With EI, I personally believe that there’s more value added to our actions because we are recognizing our people as individuals rather than objects. In my previous example, we’re not only helping the student retake the class, but we also provide emotional support: we understand how they feel and bring out positivity. When I usually approach this situation, I usually ensure that the situation is nothing ones should be deeply ashamed or embarrassed about. We basically let our students know that it can happen to anyone as an array of things can interfere in our lives. We try to empower and motivate our students by providing them the information and other counseling needs. In the end, we hope for the students to have a sense that we care about them: which can help build stronger relationships. With stronger relationships, advising becomes easier and could also boost the campus’s overall reputation.

References:

Boyatzis, R. (2012). Dr. Richard Boyatzis- Resonant Leadership- UNC Kenan-Flager [Video file]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxjNu6kSpKc&feature=youtu.be&list=PLC5BF495EE698766F

Goleman, D. (2012). Daniel Goleman Introduces Emotional Intelligence [Video file]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7m9eNoB3NU