CPD CORNER
The real skill for the job – Emotional Intelligence By Patricia Gleason RVN, Professional Standards Committee
In the last edition of this column, we introduced the Notification Review Group (NRG). The NRG is an extremely positive step forward for our profession and the veterinary industry in New Zealand, but it may also raise some unnecessary worries for veterinary nurses. As we continue to grow and improve our profession, we need to keep a strong focus on developing ourselves both as professional practitioners and as people who contribute to a workplace. I used to be a veterinary nurse educator and had a lot of dealings with veterinary practices and their staff as hosts of workplacements and employees of graduates. When discussing what veterinary practices are looking for in their veterinary nurses, the first things mentioned have nothing to do with theoretical knowledge or clinical skills. At the top of every employer’s list of what they want and need in their staff are the personal attributes – attitude, professionalism, communication skills and an ability to work as part of a team. A key driver of these personal attributes is Emotional Intelligence (EI).
After a career in biodiversity conservation, Patricia completed her Dip VN (Distinction) at Massey University and worked at veterinary clinics in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato before becoming a vet nurse educator. She is a founding member of the AVPRC and Chair of its Professional Standards Committee. She now works in a learning and development role coaching staff and teams in the education sector.
6 March 2018
What is EI? The term emotional intelligence was created by two researchers, Peter Salavoy and John Mayer (not the pop singer). In the mid-1990s, American psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman popularised the term and explained it as, “the capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships” (Goleman, 1999, p. 317). Simply put, Emotional Intelligence is a way of being smart that is fundamental to achieving success in the workplace (Cherniss, 1999). At the core of EI is being aware that emotions drive our behaviour – our actions and reactions – so they impact everyone around us. Stress or pressure multiply the effect of emotions, and these impacts can be either positive or negative. Since the initial work on EI in the 1990s,
hundreds of research-based articles have been written on aspects of EI, professional development courses, frameworks and competency sets have been developed, and core EI competencies have been identified (which range from five to ten depending on the author). The EI competencies are commonly grouped according to four dimensions, as detailed by Stamp (2012): • Self-awareness - the ability to be aware of your emotions, including how and when they are expressed; • Self-management - the ability to use your emotional self-awareness to manage your emotions; • Social awareness - the ability to sense what other people might be thinking and feeling; • Relationship management - the ability to use the awareness of emotions of self and others and to have more effective interactions. Why is EI important? Emotions are contagious. Our ability to influence each other’s moods is innate and research has shown that contagion of positive emotions among a group results in less conflict, improved cooperation and improved task performance (Barsade, 2002). Research has also shown that EI is the strongest predictor of workplace performance, whereas IQ and formal job training account very little for the difference between exceptional and ordinary performers (Stamp, 2012). The good news is EI is an area of individual competence that can be developed and strengthened. To influence others’ emotional state in a positive and effective way, we have to navigate emotional undercurrents (Coleman, 1999). The more people work in less controlled or new/changing environments, (which is the daily norm in a veterinary clinic!), the more ability to read human emotions and energies is required for individuals and teams to thrive