How does an EQ assessment measure emotional intelligence?
There are many ways to measure emotional intelligence and an EQ assessment is one of the most reliable.
Think for a second about measurements. How do we measure distances? I can look down my street and use my eyes to estimate distances pretty accurately. Are you good at “eyeballing” distances? Another way is I can use the odometer on my car or a pedometer that I wear on my body. The car odometer is good for measuring miles, the pedometer is good for measuring meters, miles or feet. If I want to be accurate I’ll use a GPS or my smartphone app to measure the distance. Any of these will work, but some are more accurate and reliable than others.
How do you measure emotional intelligence? One option is you can answer questions in a well-designed quiz and get a rough idea where you stand. You could also survey other people who know you well. They could give their observations about your EQ (we call this 360 feedback). A third option is to use a scientifically validated instrument which gives reliable results regardless of your language or culture. All of these are options for EQ assessment. The results you get could vary a lot!
How Comes after Why
How you measure EQ depends a lot on why you want to measure it. If you’re just curious, a free survey is probably good enough. Head over to Youtube and in less than 3 minutes you can get a rough idea of your EQ from our video quiz.
Are you in a company or organization and want to improve your EQ?
Maybe you’re considering some training or coaching to improve your work skills or leadership. You’ll probably want a scientifically valid self-test and maybe a 360 from the people in your immediate network.
The advantage of a 360 or multi-rater tool is you get the views of other people, not just the individual in question. If someone doesn’t have a lot of self-awareness or has low social skills but thinks they are highly self-aware or has pretty good social skills (which is very common), sometimes they will pay attention when a 360 shows that people around them rate them low in these areas.
For EQ assessment Leadskill uses the TTI Success Insights Emotional Quotient (EQ3) tool which measures five dimensions of emotional intelligence, namely self-awareness, self regulation, motivation, social awareness and social regulation. The assessment tool is scientifically validated, has robust research backing it and has cross-cultural reliability.
Getting Leaders to Lead with Emotional Intelligence
Measuring EQ by itself is a valuable pursuit. However, most organizations and leaders want more than accurate measurement or EQ assessment. Leaders need actionable advice and coaching, not just an accurate reading of their EQ. How do they get that and work on growing emotional intelligence throughout the culture?
A good start is to use the TriMetrixEQ assessment teamed up with the Acumen Capacity Index and strong leadership coaching. TriMetrixEQ combines the EQ3 survey with TTISI’s industry benchmark DISC tool and Motivation Insights survey to get an in-depth 3D view of the leader.
Not only do you see their EQ but you also gain insights and coaching points for behavior style and driving forces. The science of acumen looks deeply into thinking patterns, emotional biases and value patterns so that leaders see both their strengths and their blind spots.
One of our coaching clients said, “It’s like your coach had x-ray vision! I didn’t think it was possible to see things with that much clarity.”
We offer both individual and 360 assessment options and can customize a solution that fits your needs. Get in touch with us for a free initiation consultation!