New poll: Stress can limit emotional intelligence and workplace success
Canadian workers take notice: stress is causing professional problems on
the promotional front
TORONTO, July 23 /CNW/ – Career advancement is a priority for many. But
according to a new poll sponsored by Multi-Health Systems (MHS) Inc., stress
has a detrimental impact on our emotional intelligence (EI) and this can spell
professional problems for working Canadians.
A strong emotional intelligence can help build positive relationships
with colleagues and improve performance – the ideal formula for workplace
success. But if stress prevents us from being aware of and controlling our
emotions, getting along with others, adapting to change, and maintaining a
positive mood, then our EI, and thereby our career, is going to suffer. In
fact, it has been scientifically demonstrated that emotional intelligence can
actually be more important in predicting success in the workplace than IQ
(cognitive intelligence).(1)
The poll results demonstrate that more than half of working Canadians
(58 per cent) are not familiar with emotional intelligence and its impact on
their professional success, and 56 per cent are not familiar with the negative
effect stress has on their emotional intelligence.
Canadians from all walks of working life are feeling stressed
Overall, 41 per cent of working Canadians – be them blue collar, service
or professional workers – say they frequently experience stress in the
workplace (as a result of work or personal experiences).
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And more than half say stress is putting them to the test - not just
physically, but psychologically and behaviourally too:
- Physically: 53 per cent of working Canadians say they experience
headaches, clenched jaws, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea,
increased perspiration, and fatigue or insomnia due to stress
- Psychologically: 55 per cent of working Canadians experience anxiety,
irritability with co-workers, defensiveness, anger, mood swings, and
feelings of helplessness or of being trapped
- Behaviourally: 52 per cent say stress in the workplace makes them
impatient, procrastinate, quick to argue, withdraw or isolate
themselves from others, neglect responsibility, and perform poorly
Then 30 per cent say stress has prevented them from being recognized for
their contribution at work and 22 per cent say it has prevented them from
being moved up in their organization or company. This may be due to:
- 56 per cent of Canadian workers saying stress negatively
affects their productivity in the workplace
- 52 per cent saying stress negatively affects their
relationship with co-workers
- 51 per cent saying stress negatively affects their workplace
decision-making
>>
“The good news is, you can learn or improve your emotional skills at any
time in your life – even in the presence of stress,” says Dr. Steven Stein,
president and CEO of Multi-Health Systems, Inc. “Unlike IQ, a person’s EI is
not set in stone. If individuals monitor and interpret their emotions and the
emotions of others, then apply that knowledge to better succeed in dealing
with the world around them, they have a better chance of experiencing
workplace success.”
A study conducted in 2002 demonstrates that managers who had higher
levels of emotional intelligence reported less subjective stress and
demonstrated better management performance. It also suggests that EI may play
an important role in mitigating the impact of stress.(2)
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How to move the meter on your emotional intelligence
Multi-Health Systems publishes The Bar-On Emotional Quotient inventory
(EQ-i) that measures 15 factors regarded as the building blocks of emotional
intelligence. They are:
- Intra-personal skills such as emotional-self awareness,
assertiveness, self-regard, self-actualization and independence
- Inter-personal skills such as empathy, interpersonal relationships
and social responsibility
- Stress management skills such as stress tolerance and impulse control
- Adaptability such as problem-solving, reality testing and flexibility
- General mood such as happiness and optimism.
>>
“By pinpointing these underlying skill sets, individuals can work to
improve their performance both in their personal and professional lives,” says
Dr. Stein. “In fact, EI training might be a means of reducing stress, thus
helping to fuel workplace success.”
Multi-Health Systems, Inc.
MHS is the publisher of the Bar-On EQ-i, which is the world’s first
comprehensive and scientific measure of emotional intelligence. MHS is also
the publisher of The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)
which is the only ability-based test available to assess an individual’s
capacity to recognize emotions displayed by others, and The Benchmark of
Organizational Emotional Intelligence (BOEI) which measures the level of
emotional intelligence of an organization as a whole, as well as its
departments, teams or divisions.
Leger Marketing surveyed 1,729 working adult Canadians aged 18 and over.
The national survey was conducted online between May 25 – 30, 2007 with a
confidence level of +/- 2.4%, 19 times out of 20.
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(1) Cote, S. & Miners, C.T.H. (2006). Emotional intelligence, cognitive
intelligence, and job performance. Administrative Science Quarterly,
51(1), 1-28.
(2) Slaski, M., & Cartwright, S. (2002). Emotional intelligence training
and its implications for stress, health and performance. Stress and
Health, 18: 63-68
>>
For further information: Jennifer Casey, Environics Communications Inc.,
(416) 969-2724, jcasey@environicspr.com; Francesca Dipasquale, Multi-Health
Systems Inc., (416) 492-2627, ext. 285, francesca.dipasquale@mhs.com
