Webinar Places Emotional Intelligence Under the Spotlight

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Client Development Manager at Independent Counselling and Advisory Services (ICAS) Ms Charity Molefe delivered a presentation on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as part of the UKZN-ICAS Topic Talks 2021 to promote staff wellness.

Molefe, who hold qualifications in social work and counselling psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand and Unisa, examined the hallmarks of EQ, its potential effect on workplace performance and ways to enhance one’s EQ.

She cited psychologist Dr Daniel Goleman who identified the five elements that make up EQ:

•    Self-awareness

•    Self-regulation

•    Motivation

•    Empathy

•    Social skills

Molefe outlined a number of ways to enhance one’s EQ, including listening actively, self-reflection, journaling and knowing when to walk away.

She advised staff on the best ways to handle conflict (including choosing one’s battles wisely) and strongly advocated for breaks during the day, vacation leave (even though many are working from home) and practicing mindfulness. ‘Be present - take a bath or shower and let it be your alone time,’ she said.

She also recommended that mobile phones are put away during dinner or while watching TV to ensure one is able to relax fully, and invited the audience to do a quick quiz to gauge their EQ: www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ei-quiz.htm

The session was well-received by participants whose questions included, ‘how do you let go?’ and ‘how do you handle conflict?’

UKZN’s Mrs Busisiwe Ramabodu highlighted the importance of the series of discussions hosted by the Human Resources Division (HRD) in conjunction with the University’s wellbeing partner, ICAS.

Ramabodu emphasised the importance of EQ for how staff relate to one another as colleagues, especially during this time when they are working remotely. ‘Although the remote work environment comes with a lot of advantages, it also comes with a lot of disadvantages. If we were having this session in a physical environment, we’d spend about 15 minutes just mingling and meeting each other,’ she said. ‘How you understand yourself, how you respond to things and how you relate to your colleagues are all part of emotional intelligence.’

HRD’s Dr Gulshan Sugreen thanked everyone who contributed to the informative session and welcomed feedback from participants.

Words: Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer

Image: Supplied