Types of emotional intelligence are increasingly recognized as critical to workplace performance. While IQ reflects problem-solving capacity, EQ captures how individuals perceive, regulate, and apply emotions that directly shape leadership, teamwork, and adaptability in modern organizations.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capacity to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and others. It predicts how people handle conflict, build relationships, and adapt under pressure. Unlike IQ, which remains relatively fixed, EQ can be measured, developed, and applied across multiple workplace contexts.

The 3 Main Models of Emotional Intelligence

Researchers have developed different models to explain emotional intelligence. Each highlights unique aspects of how emotions influence behavior, from problem-solving ability to personality traits and workplace competencies. HR leaders can choose models based on their evaluation or development goals.

Groups EI into clusters: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management

Other Influential Models:

• Bar-On EQ-i Model – Measures emotional and social functioning, widely used in applied psychology and workplace assessments.
• Group/Team EI Models – Explore how collective EI affects team performance, cohesion, and conflict resolution.
• Self-Development Models – Focus on reflection and mindfulness practices to strengthen emotional awareness and resilience over time.

The 15 EQ Skills You’ll See in the Workplace

Emotional intelligence manifests through specific, observable skills that shape daily behavior. Grouped into four domains, these skills guide how employees think, respond, and collaborate, making them central to leadership, teamwork, and organizational adaptability.

Self-Awareness

• Emotional self-awareness – Recognizing one’s own emotions as they arise.
• Accurate self-assessment – Understanding personal strengths and areas for growth.
• Self-confidence – Trusting in one’s abilities while remaining realistic.

Together, self-awareness skills allow employees to notice emotions, evaluate capabilities, and communicate with authenticity. For example, a project manager who recognizes frustration, admits limits, and speaks with confidence can lead a team transparently and avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Self-Management

• Emotional self-control – Regulating emotional reactions in stressful moments.
• Adaptability – Adjusting thoughts and behavior when circumstances change.
• Achievement orientation – Striving to exceed defined goals and standards.
• Initiative – Acting proactively to address challenges or opportunities.

When combined, these self-management skills create resilience. A customer support professional who stays calm with an upset client, adapts messaging to new feedback, and suggests improvements demonstrates composure, drive, and proactive engagement under pressure.

Social Awareness

• Empathy – Recognizing and considering others’ emotions.
• Organizational awareness – Understanding workplace culture, networks, and dynamics.
• Service orientation – Anticipating and meeting the needs of colleagues or customers.

Applied together, social awareness skills strengthen relationships. For example, a manager who notices a colleague’s stress, recognizes cultural tensions between teams, and anticipates client needs demonstrates empathy, insight, and responsiveness that build trust across groups.

Relationship Management

• Influence – Persuading others through clear communication and reasoning.
• Conflict management – Addressing disagreements constructively to maintain harmony.
• Teamwork and collaboration – Building cooperative, trusting relationships with peers.
• Inspirational leadership – Motivating and guiding teams toward shared goals.

Relationship management brings social impact to life. For instance a team leader who wins stakeholder support, resolves disputes fairly, collaborates across functions, and inspires optimism ensures smoother workflows, stronger morale, and collective success in demanding environments.

2-Minute EQ Self-Check (Free)

Rate yourself on each statement from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree):

1. I can recognize my emotions as they arise.
2. I stay calm under stress.
3. I adapt quickly to new situations.
4. I understand how others feel without them telling me.
5. I resolve conflicts without escalating tension.
6. I motivate myself to reach long-term goals.
7. I listen actively in conversations.
8. I adjust my communication style to suit others.
9. I maintain focus when facing setbacks.
10. I inspire confidence in teammates.

Scoring:

• 40–50 → High EQ: Strong emotional awareness and regulation.
• 25–39 → Moderate EQ: Consistent skills, but room for growth.
• 10–24 → Low EQ: Consider targeted development and feedback.

For a validated assessment with deeper insights, try PMaps’ Emotional Intelligence Test

How to Improve Each Type/Skill of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence can be nurtured through structured habits and workplace practices. HR leaders can encourage these skills by embedding them into training, coaching, and performance management frameworks across the organization.

Self-Awareness

Developing self-awareness helps employees recognize emotional triggers and align actions with organizational values. HR can promote reflective practices that improve clarity and workplace decision-making.

• Encourage journaling – Ask employees to track moods and triggers; this helps identify emotional patterns affecting work performance.
• Build feedback loops – Implement peer or manager feedback sessions to help individuals discover blind spots and gain perspective.
• Train mindful reflection – Offer short workshops on pausing and labeling emotions to build accountability and emotional vocabulary.

Self-Management

Strong self-management allows employees to handle stress and maintain focus under pressure. HR can strengthen these skills through structured stress management and productivity programs.

• Introduce micro-breaks – Encourage breathing techniques during stressful days to restore focus before high-stakes meetings or calls.
• Promote response discipline – Coach teams on pausing before replying to emails or discussions, fostering thoughtful communication.
• Support goal planning – Use performance reviews to help employees set achievable milestones, improving focus and self-regulation.

Social Awareness

Social awareness enables empathy and adaptability, critical for teamwork and customer-facing roles. HR leaders can cultivate these skills by embedding practices into team interactions and training.

• Train active listening – Include role-play exercises where employees summarize what others say to confirm understanding.
• Develop observation workshops – Teach employees to read body language and tone during meetings.
• Foster perspective-taking – Organize team discussions where employees must argue from another’s viewpoint to build empathy.

Relationship Management

Relationship management supports collaboration, conflict resolution, and leadership. HR can enhance these skills by shaping communication culture and leadership development programs.

• Standardize feedback frameworks – Use structured, respectful feedback models to encourage growth while maintaining trust.
• Facilitate conflict training – Run simulations where employees practice resolving disputes calmly to prevent escalation.
• Model motivational leadership – Encourage managers to celebrate achievements and use positive reinforcement to inspire teams.

EI at Work: Where Each Model Fits

Emotional intelligence is applied differently depending on the workplace objective. Each model offers distinct strengths, allowing HR leaders to match the right tool to hiring, coaching, leadership development, or team effectiveness initiatives.

Screening and Selection

Ability and trait models are especially useful in recruitment. They highlight candidates’ adaptability, stress tolerance, and collaboration potential — qualities often overlooked by cognitive or technical assessments.

Coaching and Development

Mixed and Bar-On models provide rich insights for training and growth. They pinpoint specific competencies like empathy or self-regulation, guiding individualized development plans for employees at all levels.

Leadership Effectiveness

360-degree feedback tools are widely used for leadership evaluation. They reveal how leaders influence, inspire, and manage relationships, helping organizations shape succession pipelines and strengthen executive coaching outcomes.

Team Performance

Group and team EI models capture the collective dynamics of emotional intelligence. They help teams resolve conflict, build trust, and maintain resilience in fast-changing or high-pressure environments.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence influences every layer of organizational success from recruitment to leadership and teamwork. By applying the right EQ models and assessments, HR leaders can make fairer, more informed people decisions. If you’d like to explore how PMaps’ Emotional Intelligence Test can support your hiring or development goals, reach our team at assessment@pmaps.in or connect directly at 8591320212.