Emotional Intelligence training in Lausanne · canton of VaudEmotional Intelligence: An Overrated Predictor?
Emotional intelligence is presented sometimes as the decisive managerial skill, sometimes as a catch-all concept. What do studies actually measure?
What the Meta-Analyses Say
Dana Joseph and Daniel Newman (2010, Journal of Applied Psychology) show that emotional intelligence is associated with performance, but that the link weakens considerably once cognitive intelligence and personality traits are controlled for. Its unique contribution exists, but it is more modest than commonly claimed.
The Measurement Problem
Self-report questionnaires and ability tests do not measure the same thing and correlate only weakly with one another. Ernest O'Boyle and his colleagues (2011, Journal of Organizational Behavior) show that the results depend largely on the instrument chosen.
Where the Link Is Most Plausible
The associations are clearer in roles with high interpersonal demands — service, care, frontline management — than in technical roles. Context therefore shapes the usefulness of the concept. (our executive and employee training programmes)
What This Means for Training
Promising that emotional intelligence training will transform performance is not supported by the data. Working on observable behaviours — recognising an emotion during an interview, adjusting a response — has greater support.
A Practical Implication That Can Be Tested in Lausanne
In a workshop, have participants re-enact a difficult interview and code the responses: paraphrasing, naming the emotion, or evasion. Progress is measured through these behaviours, not through a questionnaire score. This is the method we apply with teams in Lausanne. To go further: explore the Emotional Intelligence training in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud, or browse our executive and employee training programmes in Switzerland.
In pictures: Emotional Intelligence in Lausanne
- emotional intelligence
- Lausanne
- research
- training lausanne