QUE : What is “emotional intelligence”? How can emotional intelligence be developed in a public servant?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, differentiate, and use one’s own and other people’s emotions and experiences to guide one’s thinking and actions.

            IQ (Intelligence Quotient) does not generally change with age or experience. However, this is not the case with emotional intelligence (EQ). Emotional abilities can be learned and taught.

• How can emotional intelligence be developed in a public servant?
  

• Yoga practice: A public servant can take the help of exercises like breath control to increase self-awareness or self-regulation.
  
•  Emotional literacy: A public servant needs to improve his emotional literacy. Because, a public servant cannot manage his emotional state properly. Then he cannot control his emotions.
  
•  Non-verbal communication: Public servants should learn to interpret non-verbal communication such as facial and body language.
  
•  Support: Coaching, encouragement and peer support can help in permanent change and positive development of emotional intelligence skills.
  
•  Experimental learning: Emotional and behavioral changes require a practical approach which can be learned mainly through experience outside the classroom, which is called experiential learning.
  
•  Learning transfer: It refers to how what is taught in training is used.
  
•  EI can be learned from the mistakes of the trainees through practice and feedback and using real-life examples.
  
•  In addition, EI develops in the individual based on the input given by others.
  
• Apart from this, emotional intelligence can be developed in a public servant or administrator through continuous improvement in social skills, emotional training, ability to channelize emotions, etc.
  
•  Moral code and code of conduct also play an important role in developing EI.
  

                     That is why a great philosopher said, “Control your emotions, so that your emotions do not rule you.” Keeping this matter in context, the importance of EI for a public servant can be understood. Its proper use will make the public servant proficient in administrative skills.