What Is Your Level of Emotional Intelligence?

Take the Quiz to Get Some Insight!

Developing a better understanding of your management and communication style is essential in today’s workplace. Take this Emotional Intelligence Assessment to see where you stand.

INSTRUCTIONS: The following survey was designed to assess your emotional intelligence. There are no right or wrong answers to the statements. Circle your answer by using the rating scale provided. After evaluating each of the survey statements, complete the scoring guide.

1. I am usually aware — from moment to moment — of my

feelings as they change…………………………….………….1 2 3 4 5

2. I think before I act………………………………………..……1 2 3 4 5

3. I bounce back quickly from life’s setbacks………….………..1 2 3 4 5

4. I can pick up subtle social cues that indicate others’ needs

or wants…………………………………………………..…….1 2 3 4 5

5. I’m very good at handling myself in social situations….……..1 2 3 4 5

6. When people share their problems with me, I’m good at

putting myself in their shoes……………………..………..….1 2 3 4 5

7. When I’m in a bad mood, I make a strong effort to get out

of it……………………………………………………………1 2 3 4 5

8. I can find common ground and build rapport with people from

all walks of life………..………………………………………..1 2 3 4 5

Understanding Your Score

Self-Awareness (items 1 and 7)

1. If your score is 4, this might indicate you are low in self-awareness.
2. If your score is between 5 and 7, this might indicate you are moderate in self-awareness.
3. If your score is 8 or higher, this might indicate you are high in self-awareness.

Self-Management (items 2 and 3)

1. If your score is 4, this might indicate you are low in self-management.
2. If your score is between 5 and 7, this might indicate you are moderate in self-management.
3. If your score is 8 or higher, this might indicate you are high in self-management.

Social Awareness (or Empathy) (items 4 and 6)

1. If your score is 4, this might indicate you are low in empathy.

2. If your score is between 5 and 7, this might indicate you are moderate in empathy.

3. If your score is 8 or higher, this might indicate you are high in empathy.

Relationship Management (or Social Skills) (items 5 and 8)

1. If your score is 4, this might indicate you are low in social skills.

2. If your score is between 5 and 7, this might indicate you are moderate in social skills.

3. If your score is 8 or higher, this might indicate you are high in social skills.

Interpreting the Result

Emotional intelligence is the ability to monitor your and others’ feelings and to use this information to guide your thinking and actions. Extensive research shows that higher levels of EI are positively related to many important outcomes at work such as improved leadership and management skills. EI can be understood best by looking at its sub-components.

· Self-Awareness — The ability to read and understand your own emotions and moods.

· Self-Management — The ability to control your emotions, and to behave reliably.

· Social Awareness (Empathy) — The ability to read other people’s emotions and to understand their perspective.

· Relationship Management (Social Skills) — The ability to develop meaningful interpersonal relationships and to communicate clearly with others.

Action Steps

If any of your scores are in the low or moderate ranges, you should do two things. First, you should fully understand the definition related to that score. It is very important that you develop an accurate assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. Self-understanding is the first step in self-improvement. The second step is to seek out resources that will help you to improve in this area. A great place to start is at www.danielgoleman.info/topics/emotional-intelligence/. (Daniel Goleman is an author and consultant who popularized the concept of emotional intelligence.) You will find many, many more resources on-line as well. Among these resources are lengthier assessments which will help give a more accurate view of your position on these scales.

If your scores are uniformly in the high range, this suggests you have strong EI skills. If so, you need to continue to work on developing these skills. You need to continue to manage your emotions every time difficulty arises. You need to develop and nurture every new interpersonal relationship. And, you need to be disciplined as each new task presents itself. So, high scores are not a reason to relax.

Survey Caveat

Remember your score on this self-assessment, while useful for self-understanding, should not be over-interpreted. First, every person is complex and it is impossible to fully capture your uniqueness in a short self-assessment. Second, you may well find your emotional intelligence may change over time, or you may come to understand what your EI actually is only later in life. Third, if you are seriously concerned about any of these results, you might want to talk to a professional counselor at your school or elsewhere.

Source: Based on D. Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

(New York: Bantam, 1995).

These surveys and feedback are part of a McGraw-Hill textbook by Angelo Kinicki and Brian Williams. “Management: A Practical Introduction 8e,” McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 by McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Previous edition © 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education, including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.