Open Forum

The Mediator as Conductor PT5. EQ

Emotional Intelligence

The effective negotiator or mediator must take into account not only the economic, political and physical aspects of the process, but also the emotional tenor of  themselves as well as that of all of the parties.[1]

The 1970s and 1980s heralded a ‘New Age’ that rebelled at the post World War II rationality and hard work ethic in favour of spirituality, autonomy and psychology. This generated a plethora of books on self-help, get rich quick schemes, and business success theories and ideas. A notable success was Daniel Goleman’s concepts contained in his 1985 book Emotional Intelligence. Goleman, an astute observer with an inquiring mind, promoted the idea that humans were controlled by their emotions, often swamping rational thinking and behaviour. Those people who could control their emotions possessed ‘emotional intelligence’(EQ) and were more successful in life and in business. Moreover, by following his model, EQ could be enhanced, and those who displayed lower EQ, could learn (and be taught) how to become more emotionally intelligent. Successful business leaders and entrepreneurs were considered to have high EQ and courses in EQ became, and often, still are, mandatory for those seeking advancement or promotion.

[1] Edward J. Kelly  and Natalija Kaminskiene. 2016.  Importance of emotional intelligence in negotiation and mediation. International Comparative Jurisprudence 2 (2016) 55-60. http://dx.doi.Org/10.1016/j.icj.2016.07.001

 Download full article.....