Psychologists have evolved different perspectives and definitions of emotions. In simple language, an emotion can be considered to be the reaction of our body and brain to events, things, people and situations that have some significance to us. The nature of signficance determines the type of emotion that you will experience e.g. if the event is threatening then the emotion is fear, if it is something harmful that you wish to destroy then the emotion is anger, if it is something that you don't like then it is disgust, if it is something interesting then the emotion is curiosity, etc. There are different types of emotions, and the experience of an emotion comprises of thoughts and feelings that are typical of the emotion and may include bodily response such as trembling, rapid heartbeat/breathing, sweating, etc. ) and behavioral reaction in the form of some action and/or verbal/non-verbal response.

Enthusiasm, expectation, hope, determination, curiosity, eagerness, concern, doubt, anxiety, impatience, caution, fear , panic, indifference, irritation, disgust, annoyance, anger, rage, regret, guilt, remorse, awkwardness, embarrassment, shame, surprise, amazement, bewilderment, shock, appreciation, admiration, pride, reverence, relief, satisfaction, joy, elation, euphoria, disappointment, dismay, dejection, sadness etc.

Emotions are important because emotions drive our behavior. Behavior is what we say, what we do, how we say and how we do it. Behavior is governed by thoughts, feelings and on the habits of thoughts and feelings. Our behavior, or lack of it, has direct impact on the outcome of a situation.

While it may not be desirable to always control our behavior, we certainly want to be more thoughtful, reasonable, goal-oriented and deliberate in using our behavior to solve problems and take important decisions in critical day-to-day situations with the right balance of reason and emotion. Emotions and reason, more often than not, arise from past experiences, affecting the way we analyse our present problems.

Paying attention to our emotions and thoughts in a systematic way will help us gain knowledge about the manner in which our thoughts and emotions interplay in the way we define and solve problems in achieving our goals. Then, by systematic intervention we can drive this interplay to get the outcomes that we desire, by defining the problem and solution more objectively.

There are many defintions of Emotional intelligence. A more popular one defines it as the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions, label them appropriately and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.

At growEQ, we use a slightly different definition that has enabled us to create a model that can be practically implemented to cultivate and enhance one's emotional intelligence with every experience. Our definition of Emotional intelligence goes as follows "It is the ability to notice and identify feelings, to know thoughts, yours and those of others, and to use this knowledge to act and react in a manner that helps you to achieve your own goals and mutual goals with others".

The basis of our definition is the fact that thoughts and feelings are intricately related in a way that drives our actions and reactions. It's desirable that this thought-feeling-behavior link takes us closer to our goals, and not away from them. Therefore, when faced with failure in the present, or it’s likelihood in the future, with respect to achievement of any goal, it is helpful to notice and examine your actions/reactions, in terms of your thoughts, feelings and consequent behavior and its impact on goal-achievement. The only way you can influence the goal, in the present or in the future, is through your behavior which flows from your thoughts and/or feelings, and which are the only things that you can directly control. E.I skills enable you to notice, examine and change thoughts and feelings in a way which moves you towards, rather than away from goals. It also takes into consideration the fact that the acheivement of a goal that has any signficance will require co-operation of others and hence your co-operation in achievement of their goals also becomes important. Hence the emphasis on achievement of "mutual goals".

Emotional quotient means "a measure of emotional intelligence". While the benefits of E.I. are not disputed, the fact remains that there is no universal agreement of what the term emotional intelligence should include and what it should not. Hence, there is no universally accepted measure of emotional intelligence. However, it is generally accepted that the term "improving one's emotional quotient" means "improving one's emotional intelligence"

There are many benefits of emotional intelligence. Firstly, you are better able to set and achieve goals for your self as you are able to identify disempowering thoughts and feelings and change them to work with more resourceful ones.

Secondly, you are better able to manage the stress arising when emerging outcomes deviate from goals. With emotional intelligence you know the link between the stress, and your thoughts and feelings. You are also able to know stressful thoughts and notice difficult feelings as they occur inside you. You are equipped to change such thoughts and feelings to those that are more comfortable to work with.

Thirdly, EI brings more awareness and objectivity so that you are able to take the actual reality of a situation and see it from various standpoints different from yours. This creates more choices of how you want to deal with the situation. Thus, you take better decisions when grasping and solving problems, and if decisions do go wrong, then you are in a position to learn from the consequences of your decisions and take your share in the ownership of the consequences. With more ownership, you are less likely to blame others for negative consequences. With greater objectivity comes greater awareness of the thoughts and feelings of others so that you are more likely to come out with solutions that are acceptable and agreeable to others. This coupled with greater ownership of consequences gives you greater credibilty with others who are therefore likely to trust you more, creating stronger, mutually beneficial relationships.

Thus, emotional intelligence enables better goal-achievement & stress management, better decision-making and problem-solving, personal effectiveness and better relationships

Emotionally intelligent individuals have six distinct abilities: empathy, assertiveness, goal-orientation, self-awareness, self-alignment and impulse control.

Empathy is the ability to know the thoughts and feelings of others. It is manifested in your communication with others as you try to seek and know their point of view, their feelings, their goals, whats important to them and in how you communicate your understanding about all this to them. The important point in empathy is that your response to other people's communication should make them feel expressed and understood. Thus empathy has two components: understanding and communication of understanding.

EI requires assertiveness - the ability to express your own thoughts, views, ideas, feelings, opinions and goals without violating the rights of others. This involves being able to protect your own rights and the ability to say No.

Goal-orientation involves setting goals and working towards acheiveing them with others without undermining their goals.

Self-awareness is the ability to accurately identify your feelings and know the thoughts that produce these feelings. Self-awareness also involves knowing how your thoughts and feelings affect your actions and reactions and the impact of such actions and reactions on the world outside you and the results that you get back from it.

Self-alignment is the ability which enables emotionally intelligent people to question their own thoughts and perceptions when required, and to be able to produce and use thoughts that lead to goal-oriented behavior.

Impulse control is the ability to prevent or delay an impulse, drive or tendency to act or react without thinking.

Empathy, assertiveness, goal-orientation and impulse control are clubbed together under what are known as Interpersonal skills whereas self-awareness and self-alignment are part of intrapersonal skills. Lack of intrapersonal skills can hurt a person with good interpersonal skils when he is faced with entirely new, overwhelmingly different type of situations. Similarly lack of interpersonal skills can make a person quite self-centred and removed from external realities of social and physical world.

In our training programs you learn about emotional intelligence and the techniques that you can use, on a day-to-day basis, to develop your emotional intelligence.

In these programs you also undergo our proprietory assessment process, the result of which will help you know your current level of emotional intelligence.

Our training workshops will help you know, understand and experience different facets of empathy, assertiveness, goal-orientation, self-awareness, self-alignment and impulse control. At growEQ, we have pioneered a unique, iterative, 6-step methodology that we call as RD-DNIP in which you can use day-to-day events as learning experiences to develop self-awareness and self-alignment in order to become more empathic and assertive. Our workshops will expose and orient you to the entire RD-DNIP cycle in a gradual step-by-step manner.

Consider these situations: selling to achieve targets, serving the customer to delight and earn loyalty, managing a tough channel partner or vendor or contractor, dealing with a difficult sub-ordinate or boss or peer, managing conflict within a team or between teams/departments, managing a performance appraisal with sensitivity and clarity, keeping life balance ... all of these situations involve emotions. In all cases the quality and even quantity of effort will be determined by the emotions of the persons involved. Even the manner in which the person deals with the success or failure of his efforts, and hence his learning, will inolve emotions in a significant manner.

An emotionally intelligent employee is more objective, rational and pro-active. He is able to know, understand, resolve and channelise emotions balancing them with practical logic. He is clear about his own thoughts, feelings and goals which makes him able to take goal-oriented decisions and actions, and hence he is able to take responsiblity for the same.

Thus, by training employees in the right techniques for developing their emotional intelligence, the organisation is investing in the most precious resource by putting in place a very important process. The resource is emotions of each employee and the process is of managing these emotions by the employee himself.

Lesser attrition rate due to increased employee satisfaction
More productivity due to better stress management
Better implementation of policies, plans, strategies and processes as employees are more open, proactive and better tuned to learn and to adapt
Better co-ordination between and within departments and teams
Life balance among employees
Stronger partnerships with customers, vendors, suppliers, contractors and other stakeholders.
Healthy leadership pipeline.