“The capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves and for managing emotions well in ourselves and others."

This should be one of the definitions of Emotional Intelligence. In my opinion all that it means is intelligent way of using your emotions for the benefit of all - use it constructively than destructively.

Primarily, however, emotion is energy by itself. Emotions give life dimension to living beings. Emotions push you into activity. Emotions bring vividity to life. Emotions also bring quality to life. Emotions bring esthetic and quality to life.

Intelligence is Brain activity -- think activity; whereas emotion is heart activity -- feel activity. Intelligence is, therefore, structural (skeletal) whereas Emotion is flesh and blood (mass) in nature.

These are the days of IQs, EQs and SQs. IQ, EQ and SQ together, well balanced, gives meaning to life - organizational life not excluding.

Empathy, Sympathy, providing Space, Accommodation, Tolerance, Understanding are all expression of EQ for other which is very vital in group-work and group existance and therefore of relevance to Organizations.

Our Upanishads - therefore Bhagavadgeeta - have recognised this long back before modern management concepts recognised or realised this. Constrcutive use of emotions - balance, equanimity - is something which our shastras always taught. Our culture and social institutions had this ingrained into their daily core. It was something which was part of us, which we need to learn today.

In OD exercises this will become one of the important requirement which will make difference between success and failure.

Emotion, which is energy leading to performance, needs intelligent channelization.

Regards,

Anand