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Incompetent People Really Do Think They’re Competent

Incompetent People Really Do Think They’re CompetentUnfortunately, when it comes to Emotional Intelligence, the same is true for many individuals, managers, and leaders – they think they effectively demonstrate Emotional Intelligence in both the workplace and in their personal life … but they don’t.

Why is that? This phenomenon is explained by the Dunning-Kruger Effect which is a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability and this tends to occur because a lack of self-awareness prevents them from accurately assessing their own skills.

The concept of the Dunning-Kruger effect is based on a 1999 paper by two Cornell University psychologists (David Dunning and Justin Kruger) who assessed participants on their logic, grammar, and sense of humor. They found those who performed in the bottom quartile rated their skills far above average and the researchers attributed this tendency to a problem of metacognition – the ability to step back and objectively analyze one’s own thoughts, actions, or performance. “Those with limited knowledge in a domain suffer a dual burden: Not only do they reach mistaken conclusions and make regrettable errors, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it.”

When it comes to Emotional Intelligence, far too many individuals, managers, and leaders don’t:

Realize how their behavior affect others
Understand what sets off their negative emotional reactions
Listen to those who work with or for them
Express appreciation for work well done
Communicate openly and honestly
Encourage feedback on how they could improve
Recognize their negative biases or beliefs
Exhibit empathy
Adjust their style to better work with others
Acknowledge the stress in the lives of those who work with or for them
Create meaning and a sense of connection with others

Know an individual, manager, or leader like this? Would you like to help them better demonstrate Emotional Intelligence?

It first begins with a willingness on their part to accept constructive feedback from others and then a commitment to improve their Emotional Intelligence (and thereby improve their performance).

Our Genos Emotional Intelligence Workplace and Leadership assessments are designed to provide that feedback and our related EI training programs are designed to help them improve in the following six areas:

Self-Awareness is being aware of the way you feel and the impact your feelings can have on decisions, behavior, and performance. For leaders, it’s about being aware of the behavior they demonstrate, their strengths and limitations, and the impact they have on others.

Awareness of others is the skill of being able to perceive, understand, and acknowledge the way others feel. This skill helps us identify things that make people feel valued, listened to, cared for, consulted, and understood. It also helps us demonstrate empathy.

Authenticity is openly and effectively expressing oneself, honoring commitments, and encouraging this behavior in others. Individuals and leaders high in this skill are often described as genuine whereas those low in this skill are often described as untrustworthy.

Emotional reasoning is using the information in feelings (from oneself and others) when making decisions. When this type of emotional information is combined with facts and technical information, individuals and leaders make expansive, creative, and well-thought-out decisions.

Self-Management is managing one’s own mood and emotions, time and behavior, and continuously improving oneself. Individuals and leaders who possess this skill are often described as resilient and able to manage high work demand and stress rather than being temperamental at work.

Influence is positively influencing the way others feel through problem solving, feedback, and recognizing and supporting others’ work. It involves creating a positive working environment for others, helping others find effective ways of responding to upsetting events, and effectively helping people resolve issues that are affecting their performance.

If you want to learn more about our Emotional Intelligence assessments, click here or give me a call.