Emotional Intelligence for the Professional Exercise Physiologist
John Dargan, M.A., EPC
Department of Exercise Physiology
College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN 55811

In 1995, Daniel Goleman brought the term “emotional intelligence” to a wide audience with the publication of his book by the same name (1).  This initial work focused on the multiple unhealthy consequences that often occur when behaviors are governed by emotional immaturity.  Much of this work centered on children and adolescents and the challenges they face as they mature chronologically but do not develop the ability to control their emotions at the same pace.  Severe negative consequences such as lack of success in school, drug use, and violent behavior often come with an inability to deal with anger, jealousy or loneliness. 

Goleman brought this concept to the world of business in 1998 with a book entitled “Working with Emotional Intelligence” (2).  In this book he summarized his findings after observing many executives of major corporations with the intent of “determining which personal capabilities drove outstanding performance”.  His observations led him to conclude that intelligence (measured by IQ) and technical skills were “threshold capabilities” required by all managers, but it was emotional intelligence that determined how effective the individual was when leading a team. 

Additionally, he reported that the higher the rank of people within an organization, the more important emotional intelligence was in determining their effectiveness and their rate of progression within the organization.  In examining Goleman’s description of emotional intelligence and the characteristics most critical for success in the business world, it becomes obvious that these are the same characteristics critical to the success of any professional, including the professional exercise physiologist.

The characteristics of emotionally intelligent professionals can be categorized into those that are intrapersonal, within an individual, and interpersonal, relating to others.  The intrapersonal traits are self-awareness, self-regulation and self-motivation; the interpersonal traits are empathy and social interaction skills.  A significant deficit in any of these characteristics will impair an individual’s ability to maximize her effectiveness or earn recognition and promotion within an organization.

Self-awareness is more than knowing your level of professional knowledge and technical skill.  It also requires knowledge of your emotional reaction to a wide variety of situations and how your emotional reaction will affect coworkers or clients.  Self-awareness also requires acknowledgement of your personal values and aligning your behaviors to match your beliefs.  In addition, an individual with a high degree of self-awareness will have enough self-confidence that he is willing to ask for help and accept criticism without becoming defensive.

Self-regulation starts with an ability to not only control your emotions but to learn from your feelings and channel them into positive behaviors.  Self-regulation is also demonstrated in characteristics such as conscientiousness, adaptability, and initiative.  Each of these characteristics indicates an ability to work independently and see a project through to its completion in spite of challenges that could derail it.

Motivation has long been recognized as critical to success in any profession.  The top performers are not only motivated by tangible rewards from an outside source but are intrinsically motivated by a passion for their work and their ability to remain optimistic.  Self-motivated individuals are enthusiastic and energetic.  They set high performance standards with clearly defined outcomes and believe in, and work toward, their company’s mission and goals,

Each of these intrapersonal characteristics is essential to success in almost any endeavor, and all people display these characteristics to varying degrees throughout their careers.  An individual’s long-term success is, in part, due to how effective he is at applying these characteristics consistently over time.  In some careers, especially in highly technical fields, simply possessing these basic qualities may be enough to reach the highest levels.  However, in most situations these qualities alone are not enough to maximize an individual’s or organization’s success.  This is because much of the work that is accomplished is not done in isolation but rather is done by groups of people working towards a common goal. 

In a case such as this, the accomplishments are not achieved through technical skill and ability but rather through the combined effort of the team.  A single member of the team who is uncooperative can bring down the quality of the entire project.  Additionally, in any profession that requires close interaction with people, such as an exercise physiologist working in cardiac rehab or corporate fitness, the intrapersonal skills are just the starting point with interpersonal skills taking a more important role in determining success.

Empathy is the ability to see a situation from another person’s perspective and to understand her emotional as well as her intellectual response.  Goleman (2) points out that empathy doesn’t mean “giving in” to others or trying to please everybody in order to eliminate conflict, rather he asserts that empathy means thoughtfully considering an employee’s feeling as well as other factors in order to make the best decision for the organization. He also identifies three primary reasons that empathy is becoming more important in the workplace. 

First, the increasing use of teams in many organizations means that interpersonal dynamics will play a major role in the team’s efficiency and productivity.  The complexity of healthcare today requires teams of professionals in order to provide optimal patient care and produce the best outcomes.  A cardiac patient will likely have a family physician, cardiologist, nurse, dietician and exercise physiologist on his team.  It is critical for all members of the team to put the best interests of the patient first – which means recognizing the perspectives and challenges of other team members and working around challenges whenever possible.

A second factor increasing the importance of empathy in the workplace is the increasing trend toward globalization and multiculturalism.  In cities of all sizes across the nation there are more and more people from diverse places and cultures.  It is important that we try to understand the perspectives of individuals that may not fully accept the western medical model while still providing the best care possible.

The third reason given by Goleman for increasing use of empathetic skills by leaders is to retain talented and trained individuals.  Everybody wants to feel valued and recognized at work and this is especially true among highly educated professionals.  By taking coworkers’ or subordinates’ feelings, as well as opinions, into account, a manager can help set a positive tone that enhances workplace morale. 

The final factor that Goleman identifies as important in displaying emotional intelligence is social skill.  This covers a broad range of interactions including being able to share a common vision, influence or persuade others to take actions for the best interest of the organization, communicate effectively to build bonds for teamwork and collaboration.  The ability to manage change and conflict in the workplace also falls within the bounds of social skill as emotional intelligence.  Goleman sums up the multiple aspects by stating that socially skilled professionals have a knack for finding common ground with people of all kinds – a characteristic that would benefit exercise physiologists practicing in any area.

While most individuals have a naturally developed emotional intelligence based on past experience and practices, Goleman asserts that emotional intelligence can be developed.  This begins with an honest evaluation of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses followed by an effort control one’s own emotions while recognizing their impact on others.  Compassionate listening can help us tune in to how others are feeling and ways that might affect their workplace behavior or performance.  Mentoring from experienced, well-grounded professionals or managers has been shown to be effective in developing these traits in young professionals.

References

1.  Daniel Goleman; Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ; Bantam Books (1995)

2.  Daniel Goleman; Working with Emotional Intelligence;  Bantam Books (1998)