Emotional Intelligence

What the official syllabus says

Main Written Examination, Paper VI: General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude). The following broad areas will be covered:

• Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

Topics in detail

Concepts

• Emotion: feeling, physical change and action tendency; basic emotions
• Emotional intelligence (EI): the ability to recognise, understand, use and manage one’s own and others’ emotions
• EI compared with IQ; EI as learnable
• Term developed by Peter Salovey and John Mayer (1990); popularised by Daniel Goleman (1995)

Models of emotional intelligence

• Ability model (Mayer and Salovey): perceiving emotions, using emotions to aid thought, understanding emotions, managing emotions
• Goleman’s model: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills
• Mixed model of Reuven Bar-On (emotional-social intelligence)
• Four domains often used: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management

Components in detail

• Self-awareness: knowing one’s emotions, strengths and limits; self-confidence
• Self-regulation: controlling impulses, anger and stress; adaptability; trustworthiness
• Motivation: drive to achieve, commitment, optimism
• Empathy: understanding others’ feelings; service orientation; cultural sensitivity
• Social skills: communication, influence, conflict management, teamwork, leadership

Utilities

• Better decisions under pressure; less impulsive action
• Managing stress and avoiding burn-out
• Healthier relations at work; cohesion in teams
• Ethical behaviour: recognising when emotion or bias is clouding judgement

Application in administration and governance

• Handling angry citizens, grievances and public hearings
• Crisis and disaster management: calm leadership, reassurance, quick decisions
• Law and order situations: protests, communal tension, negotiation
• Managing subordinates: motivation, feedback, resolving conflict
• Working with elected representatives, media and civil society
• Sensitivity towards vulnerable groups in welfare delivery
• Policy design that takes account of how people feel and behave
• Transformational and transactional leadership; leading by example

Emotional intelligence and ethics

• Emotions as a source of moral insight (sympathy, guilt, indignation at injustice)
• Emotions as a risk: anger, fear, favouritism and prejudice distorting judgement
• Balancing reason and emotion: the head and the heart in decisions
• Moral courage: managing fear in order to do the right thing

Emotional intelligence in the workplace

• Emotional labour: displaying calm and courtesy in front-line public service
• Handling criticism, failure and pressure from superiors
• Workplace stress, long hours and work-life balance in field postings
• Building a respectful and inclusive office; preventing harassment
• Leadership styles: emotionally intelligent leadership and its effect on teams

Developing emotional intelligence

• Reflection, journaling, feedback from others
• Mindfulness, meditation, yoga and stress management
• Training in communication and soft skills for public servants
• Limits and misuse: emotional manipulation, suppression of emotion

Overlaps

Emotional intelligence links Attitude with Aptitude and Foundational Values for Civil Service, and is tested in many case studies.