What emotional intelligence myths do you need to stop believing as a case manager?

It is really important to let go of stereotypes around being soft and fuzzy all the time. The most highly emotionally intelligent people in the world know how to be direct and transparent.

I was always told to slow down, be emotionally mature and “calm down” And it always pinched & Impacted my confidence! “I will always be like this”, I thought. When I got into coaching, I learnt this concept of “Mood Meter” from a Tony Robbin’s event. Just by observing and writing for a week, it led to a huge change. I was able to integrate my high energy with presence in a very unique way and it has made a huge impact to my business and my life! Simple stuff. Write your mood every day!

We are never born with EI. Emotional Intelligence is relational, demands an iterative I/thou interaction. This means we learn and grow from interacting with others. I received my PhD in clinical psychology from UTAustin. Additionally, I worked with HH Dalai Lama XIV in resettling Tibetans in 21 cluster sites in the United States. I am well aware of what it takes to connect, receive feedback and care about others in different situations and different cultures.

One thing I have found is Keeping things to yourself by thinking that you are not Emotionally Intelligent probably do more damage than being yourself and expressing easily. EI is a learning process and you become better every time you try it. Still sometimes I decide to be the first case…

It is helpful to focus to Growth Mindset than stay in the Fixed Mindset. EI is a constant area of growth and development and it is a part of personal development.

I feel like I really made rapid progress in my EI when I became aware of my tone, body language, and emotional state during confrontation or disagreement. I find that I can deliver a very forceful and direct message with a calm demeanor and tone of voice and people are generally able to accept it just fine. It’s the loss of control over emotion that provokes resistance and escalation, not the message, in my opinion. Which makes perfect sense. We are wired to be wary of physical threat from each other, so if we avoid sending non verbal cues of threat, we can stick to the cognitive topic and stay out of limbic system reactivity.

It is about being real and being in the moment where there is reasonable openness and awareness without letting your own triggers influence

True EI involves authenticity, assertiveness, and a balanced approach to emotions. It means understanding and respecting others' emotions while also standing up for yourself when necessary. Handling conflict constructively and addressing negative emotions in a healthy manner are crucial aspects of EI. It's about building strong relationships and effective communication while staying true to your own needs and boundaries.

EI is about being nice and kind to others. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. When working with others you do need to have empathy and to be able to understand the situation the client is in and being able to address it in a professional manner. We all need to take criticism in our profession and we need to implement our coping mechanisms to not let criticism get the best of us. We need to be professional and boundaries need to be implemented as this is what helps us to utilize core competencies in the clients we do help.

As a therapist we learn how to build our EI - a lot goes into elevating your emotional intelligence to be able to sit with others distress and actively listen and effective hold non judgmental space. However, we can all start by challenging narratives that EI is about being nice - this also comes with beliefs such as EI is optional, a weakness, sensitivity is bad etc. Again, we all have mirror neurons in the brain so we are meant to be emotionally intelligent and our ancestors survival also depended on it. We need to see EI as what it really is - a tool that helps both parties grow and do better work as well as build human connections.

EI is part of your intelligence that one needs to develop and grow with constant efforts, learning. It really is a journey for competitive advantage for all.

While personality traits can influence how someone naturally responds to emotions, EI is something that can be developed and applied by individuals regardless of their personality type. In fact, having a high degree of EI can help people of different personality types work effectively together by enhancing their ability to communicate, empathize, and resolve conflicts. It's about using your personality traits as tools to navigate social and emotional situations rather than being limited by them. Being flexible and adaptable in one's emotional responses is a key aspect of EI, which can lead to more positive and productive interactions with others.

Extroverts and introverts and those in-between can show extraordinary emotional intelligence skills. EI refers to how well you interact with others. It is relational and can definitely be learned. It has nothing to do with personality. I would rephrase the last sentence in this myth. Instead of saying: "EI is about being flexible and adaptable, not rigid and fixed," I'd say: there is a wide range of EI similar to the bell curve. Some individuals are high on the scale and others less so.

I would think that personality could influence adaptability.Having said that, Emotional Intelligence is definitely a skill. So someone with rigid personality traits may find it slightly more challenging to learn emotional intelligence than some others. But when there is clarity of outcome (how emotional intelligence will help me), the skill building becomes a fun journey

EI is helpful in the area of influencing, right decision making, betterment of your own mental well being. This leads to better collaboration and win win for all.

I’d think that Emotional Intelligence is for being intelligent emotionally- to know yourself better and as a result, improve any kind of relationship too. And emotions surface in anything that we do. So by being more self-aware, other skills such as decision making, strategic thinking or just about anything else gets fine tuned too

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is indeed valuable not only for interpersonal relationships but also for enhancing professional performance, decision-making, leadership, stress management, and overall work satisfaction.

EI is not only relevant for interpersonal relationships; it is very much relevant for 'intrapersonal' relationship, which is nothing but the relationship you have with yourself. Everything starts with self and then only with others. A person with good EI has a good connection with his own self, which is the foremost step to enhance EI further.

EI can be measured using the Emotional Quotient assessments - and my point is that these will highlight that EI or EQ is helpful to you for way more than just relationships. Besides what don’t we do in life that doesn’t require interaction with other humans? At some level this is relevant to almost everything. One example: understanding psychology and how people feel (ie empathizing with them, using your EI/EQ) helps even in non service based jobs like marketing. And learning how to maneuver workplace conflict, barriers or advocacy all are much more effective with the use of our EI/EQ.

EI can vary as people vary. People are all from different cultures with unique set of upbringing, values, experiences and exposure and therefore patience and openness is required to develop this.

Well, EI is the ability to be aware and responsive to cues and expectations from others in your environment. Yet, when you suggest that EI needs to be adjusted for different settings, scenarios, and audiences, you have taken the humanness out of the EI concept. It isn't like a guage that toggles back and forth according to the setting, audience, etc. It is a sensitive empathic feature that individuals develop to a greater or lesser extent.

Emotional intelligence is often defined and bound by culture. Different cultures have different practices and ways to demonstrate EI. There might also be differences in what kinds of intelligence are factored into EI for that culture.

It is a core basic and important skill and a learning for al your life. EI and IQ are complimentary. You need the wisdom, knowledge and the know-how to excel in any area.

Emotional intelligence goes beyond personal relationships; it's a guiding light in the professional landscape. Case managers who possess it excel in building profound connections with clients, delving into their needs, and adeptly navigating the turbulent waters of human interaction. It's not about suppressing emotions but acknowledging, understanding, and managing them, creating a harmonious coexistence where emotions are allies rather than adversaries. Contrary to the misconception that emotional intelligence implies weakness, it signifies strength and resilience. It empowers case managers to confront adversity with unwavering fortitude, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.

I find this post to be inherently flawed. Thanks AI! As yet, there is no empirically defined construct called Emotional Intelligence. While there is some interesting early work going on in this field - worthy of our attention, we presently do not have a clear definition nor an ability to measure EI. So conversations about “myths” is premature at best. It’s an example of pop psychology getting ahead of science. It often requires decades of peer reviewed research to establish these constructs. So let’s be careful!

Emotional intelligence allows for compassionate leadership, however a common myth is that this requires removing or even taking on work for a struggling staff member. At times of course, this may be needed. However, it is much more rewarding and meaningful for the staff and leader to work together to find a workable solution. If you imagine the often critiqued comparison to raising children: We can’t ride the bike for them. We need to support them to develop their skills to empower them to do so independently. Emotional intelligence is key to both supporting and empowering team members with compassion and belief in the staff that they actually can do it !

Here are a few tips for developing your EI: Become more aware of your own emotions and how they affect your behavior. Learn to regulate your emotions and express them appropriately. Listen actively and empathetically to others. Adapt your communication style to different situations and people. Be open to feedback and be willing to learn from your mistakes. EI is not innate and fixed. EI is a set of skills that can be learned and developed through practice, feedback, and reflection. EI is not all about being nice. EI is about being authentic and assertive, and being able to recognize and respect the emotions of others, but also to stand up for your own needs and boundaries.

EI is an area of interests an development. There were so many things I was doing wrong and as my awareness keep increasing, I am getting better and better