The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How to Select For, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, Groups, and Organizations [Hardcover]

Cary Cherniss (Editor), Daniel Goleman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0787956902 | ISBN-13: 978-0787956905 | Edition: 1

How does emotional intelligence as a competency go beyond the individual to become something a group or entire organization can build and utilize collectively? Written primarily by members of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, founded by recognized EI experts Daniel Goleman and Cary Cherniss, this groundbreaking compendium examines the conceptual and strategic issues involved in defining, measuring and promoting emotional intelligence in organizations. The book's contributing authors share fifteen models that have been field-tested and empirically validated in existing organizations. They also detail twenty-two guidelines for promoting emotional intelligence and outline a variety of measurement strategies for assessing emotional and social competence in organizations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace is an engaging attempt to connect fundamental research on emotions and human performance to day-to-day workplace challenges. This is a volume that should be on the bookshelf of every HR professional." (Peter Salovey, professor and chairman, Department of Psychology, Yale University; coauthor of Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence; co-originator of the concept of emotional intelligence)

"If you want your organization to be the best that it can be in terms of human and business effectiveness, this is the book to read. But don't just read it; share it with your most thoughtful and respected colleagues! Spread the ideas and evidence to help grow the emotional competencies in your organizational network." (Douglas T. Hall, professor of organizational behavior and director, Executive Development Roundtable, Boston University School of Management)

"Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman have made major contributions to improving emotional intelligence in organizations. Read this book to enrich and deepen your knowledge about this important area of research and practice." (Clayton P. Alderfer, professor and director of Organizational Psychology, Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology)

"Provides an invaluable examination of the workplace." (Quality Progress, June 2002)

From the Inside Flap

Research during the last twenty-five years has consistently pointed to a set of competencies-some purely cognitive but most emotional-such as self-confidence, initiative, and teamwork as making a significant difference in the performance of individuals. These competencies represent what is called emotional intelligence and are predictive of superior performance in work roles. But how does emotional intelligence as a competency go beyond an individual's performance to become something a group or entire organization can build on and utilize collectively? The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace is written by two leaders in the emotional intelligence field, Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman, and a blue ribbon panel of contributors, most of whom are from the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. This indispensable resource takes emotional intelligence into the workplace, showing how to measure and promote these performance-enhancing abilities within organizations. The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace first examines emotional intelligence as a concept, exploring issues of its definition and measurement. It then explores human resource applications in more depth, revealing how organizations can increase emotional intelligence through use of standard human resource functions, such as hiring and performance management systems. Finally, the authors offer specific training and development interventions based on emotional intelligence theories, showing how to improve the individual competencies that are crucial to organizational success. The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace includes fifteen best-practice models that have been tested and empirically validated in existing organizations. The authors show specifically how these organizations have enhanced the social and emotional competencies of workers using one or more of the four dimensions of emotional intelligence: self-monitoring, self-management, social awareness, and social skills. They identify twenty-two guidelines-based on an exhaustive review of the literature concerning training and development, counseling, and behavior change-that managers and executives can use to promote emotional intelligence within their organizations. Cary Cherniss is professor of applied psychology at Rutgers University. Cherniss is a specialist in emotional intelligence, work stress and burnout, management training and development, planned organizational change, and career development.Daniel Goleman is the author of the New York Times best-seller Emotional Intelligence and Working with Emotional Intelligence. Goleman and Cherniss cochair the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Rutgers.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (June 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787956902
• ISBN-13: 978-0787956905
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

98 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valid Scientific Writing - misses detailed "How To" answers, October 16, 2001

By 

Patrick Merlevede (Eeklo, Vlaanderen (Belgium, Europe)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How to Select For, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, Groups, and Organizations (Hardcover)

After being disappointed by Cary Cherniss' book on "promoting" emotional intelligence, I was rather reluctant to spend money on this one, so I ordered a used copy through Amazon (very satisfactory: the copy I got was as good as new). I must say that I find my money well spent. In fact, the only reason why this book doesn't get 5 stars is that it's too scientific for practical application.

For instance, chapter 5 is correct to point out that most tests don't measure emotional intelligence, BUT emotional competence, and then goes on to warn us that a test as Bar-on's EQi test certainly has disadvantages, given it is a self-administered test (In my experience, self-administration of EQ-like tests is particularly dangerous for recruiting and other forms of evaluation). Of course, then the question becomes: BUT I want to test EQ in the context of work, how can I do this in a reliable fashion? You'll find the answer halfway chapter 6, which indicates that Behavior Event Interviews will do the trick (I agree with this, since that's what I experienced as well). Unfortunately, you won't find what kind of questions to ask during such an interview, let alone examples of how to do it.

Also, I was glad that the author of chapter 8 pointed out the same pitfalls of hiring senior executives I have been warning companies for. The suggestions that were outline come close to what we have been doing for several customers, but again the real, practical how to's are missing.

The chapters on training emotional intelligence in part three of the book were more useful than the book "Promoting E.I.", so there is no need at all to buy that other book anymore. Once again, these 4 chapters contain many of the messages one should have when working to develop EQ.

My critique: Except the scientific parts, I found that many of the more practical things this book covers, are "old messages" that can be found in works of Boyatzis, McClelland, Prochaska, Spencer and Spencer, ...

Conclusion? Buy this book if you need a solid scientific basis for your knowledge of emotional intelligence. As far as the how-to's are concerned, this book will serve very well as an outline and a checklist by which one can evaluate the quality of work delivered by a consultant - however, it's not enough to really go out there and "just do it". On the other hand, if you are a consultant recruiting or training for emotional intelligence, this is a MUST READ. Don't get caught not knowing what's in here!...

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Chapter on Training for Emotional Intelligence, August 15, 2008

By 

Suzanne Guthrie "Suzanne Guthrie, Bold New Di... (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How to Select For, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, Groups, and Organizations (Hardcover)

Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman have written a detailed and thoughtful book on The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace. While there is a tremendous amount of background data in the book, which can be somewhat overwhelming for light readers, chapter nine on Training For Emotional Intelligence provides a valuable model for implementing EI programs in workplaces. In essence, the authors outline a multi-step model for promoting EI (Emotional Intelligence) in work organizations including 1) Creating An Encouraging Environment, 2) Gauging Readiness, 3) Setting Clear Meaningful Goals, 4) Using Models of Desired Skills, 5) Encouraging Practice of New Skills & Feedback, 6) Preparing Learners For Set-backs, and 7) Building in Follow-Up Support. Having worked with both small and large organizations to promote emotional intelligence training, I wholeheartedly endorse the approach recommended in chapter nine by the authors. This book is well worth the time required to understand and digest the concepts.