EQ@Work

Research shows a significant relationship between the emotional intelligence and job stress. As an individual's emotional intelligence increases, his ability to cope with stress increases as well. In other words, those who have higher emotional intelligence experience less stress.  In this week's EQ@Work Podcast episode, I explore how to navigate stress

They say life begins at 40.  From my experience, having turned 40 a few years ago – I won't say how many exactly, 40 is when you become comfortable in your own skin.  Comfortable enough to say no, and live life on your own terms, rather than the expectations of others or society. "No" – it's a small word that packs a lot of power. And it's not a word that has always come so easily for me...

Adaptability is an EQ competency that entails having the flexibility to handle change, balance multiple demands, and adapt to new situations with fresh ideas. An individual who is adaptable can meet challenges as they arise and adjust strategy or style based on what is needed most. Professionals with the ability to adapt to new and challenging environments have a clear advantage when it comes to g...

Optimism isn't blindly hoping for the best. In fact, being "optimistic" in a passive, naïve sense – without real effort – would only get us deeper into trouble. The type of optimism that will help us is this skill of optimism: intentionally practicing an optimistic mindset. This effortful optimism is about framing adversity in a healthy, realistic way and taking ownership of finding solutions – ex...

"Emotional Intelligence is a MUST HAVE skill!" So says my first ever guest on the EQ@Work Podcast, @Tessie Omulo. Emotional Intelligence is a learnable skill.  That means it doesn't really matter where you are right now - as long as you are willing to learn, and apply what you have learned, then EQ is a skill that you can develop. In this episode, I have a  vibrant conversation about EQ,...

If there is one thing we can be certain about, it is the fact that COVID has brought changes – at work, at home and even with our finances and we will have to adapt to them. We often fail to change as a result of the disguised benefits of staying the way we are (we do not admit this to ourselves.) We would rather stay in an uncomfortable known situation than change to a more comfortable, but uncer...

My brain is wired to pick up on rational data. I'm the kind of individual who walks into a room and notices that the chairs are not aligned, and that the pictures on the wall are not straight.  I can very easily miss out on emotional data.  I can very easily miss out on the tension that lies beneath the surface when the team is unhappy with a decision that I have made, or how a client ha...

 A lot of who we are unconsciously impacts the choices we make.  It never ceases to amaze me how the very things that my mother did that drove me crazy as a child, are the very things I find myself doing with my children. Why is that? Emotions are chemicals released in our brains in response to our perceptions about the world. Those perceptions were shaped as a result of my journey – a l...

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. Research shows that people with high EI have greater mental health, job performance, and leadership skills. So how can we practice EQ? Tune into this episode where I share 6 simple tips highlighted by Joshua Freedman, the CEO of Six Seconds - the largest global EQ network - that you can use to flex t...

We all kicked off 2020 with high expectations. The trending hashtag was #20plenty as professionals across the globe created their vision boards & set their new year's resolutions – mapping out how exactly to realise that 'plenty' Then along came COVID… How can EQ help us to maintain mental & emotional wellbeing?

I fell in love with EQ on a cold Tuesday morning in Johannesburg South Africa.... Up until then, we had been flirting - I was convinced EQ was something I needed to learn so that I could teach others, but I discovered that I needed it for me. I fell in love. Deeply, irrevocably & that moment changed my life forever.