Joseph Ciarrochi - Applying Emotional Intelligence: A Practitioners Guide

Virginia Bayliss
Management and Workplace Programs Continuing Education Directorate, New South Wales Police, Sydney, Australia

Linda Bilich
School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Australia

John Blackledge
School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Australia

Richard E. Boyatzis
Department of Organizational Behavior and Psychology, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, USA

Marc A. Brackett
Department of Psychology, Yale University, USA

David R. Caruso
Department of Psychology, Yale University and EI Skills Group, USA

Joseph Ciarrochi
School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Australia

Nicole A. Katulak
Department of Psychology, Yale University, USA

Susan A. Kornacki
EI Skills Group, USA

John D. Mayer
Department of Social Psychology/Personality, University of New Hampshire, USA

Joseph Ciarrochi
John D. Mayer

Programs designed to promote social and emotional effectiveness are being tested all over the world, and there is growing evidence for their effectiveness.1 The central part of this book presents four fascinating interventions in emotional intelligence (EI), developed by some of the most innovative practitioners (and researchers as well, in most instances) side by side. We want you to get a clear sense of what is in the interventions, and how they are similar and different.

We did not want to create yet another EI theory book that describes ideas but provides little that is of direct use to the practitioner. All authors were encouraged to specify, in concrete terms, exactly what was done in their interventions. The book is intended to serve as a guide for future intervention research and for people who would like to engage in EI interventions and make a positive difference in peoples lives.

There are many, quite different, approaches to training, coaching, and educating people to improve their personalities in general and emotional intelligence in particular. We have selected four of what we regard as among the best in the area of EI. Some of these programs focus on EI as we would define it; others extend into the far broader terrain of overall personality development.

The four interventions are set up so that readers can appreciate them on their own terms, without evaluation. Then, in the final section of the book, we compare and contrast the interventions, and attempt to identify the key ingredients that are in each intervention; we also discuss personality change more generally. A brief description of the chapters follows.

In , Brackett and Katulak provide a detailed description of a school-based EI intervention. The approach is based on the EI-ability model of Mayer et al.2 The chapter provides powerful exercises that are designed to improve EI amongst both teachers and students. It also provides useful EI worksheets that help to structure the EI intervention. Finally, the chapter reports preliminary findings on the benefits of the school-based EI intervention for improving well-being, social skills, and grades.

, Boyatzis presents a broader program for developing personal and interpersonal skills in professionals, managers, and leaders. The program develops personal competencies such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management. Using intentional change theory, Boyatzis illustrates how to guide a person through five key life discoveries. The program helps people to clarify their values, and to develop a plan to put these values into play. People are shown how to develop competencies through practice and experiential feedback. The chapter presents longitudinal data suggesting that the Boyatzis EI program can have a long-term impact on peoples awareness and management skills.

In , Kornacki and Caruso describe ten ways to improve EI skills in the workplace. The chapter provides a coherent theoretical approach, based on the EI-ability model.2 It takes readers through a series of case studies to provide concrete illustrations of the EI skills in action. It provides readers with EI assessment and self-development exercises. The intervention is clearly articulated and taught in terms of an Emotional Blueprint, which provides a structured way for people to look at and improve on their emotional experience.

In , Ciarrochi, Blackledge, Bilich, and Bayliss describe a mindfulness-based approach to emotional intelligence training (MBEIT). Unlike other approaches, MBEIT does not teach emotion management skills. Instead, people are taught how to experience their emotions, fully and without defense, and to still do the things they value most. The program focuses on teaching people to let go of unhelpful emotion control strategies, to undermine the power of emotions and thoughts to act as barriers to effective action, and to discover personal values and develop a clear action plan for working toward those values. The program is designed to improve well-being, increase flexibility and effectiveness, and improve interpersonal relationships. The MBEIT approach has received substantial support in the clinical literature and is receiving increasing support within normal populations, in workplace and other settings.