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The Ultimate Guide to the Essential Social Skills in Business

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1 year ago

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Effective communication and strong relationships are essential for success in the workplace. One factor that can greatly influence these qualities is emotional intelligence, often abbreviated as EQ. EQ refers to the ability to identify, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Research has shown that individuals with high levels of EQ are better equipped to handle stress, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively with others (Chamorro-Premuzic & Sanger, 2016).

Research has consistently shown that emotional intelligence (EQ) is an important predictor of job performance and success in the workplace. EQ is comprised of a set of skills that allow individuals to recognize, understand, and regulate their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. In addition, individuals with high EQ are better able to communicate effectively, build relationships, and navigate complex social situations. As a result, they are often viewed as effective leaders and collaborators, and are more likely to achieve their personal and professional goals.

In fact, a number of studies have demonstrated the significant impact that EQ has on job performance and success. For example, one study of 85 upper-level managers found that those with higher EQ scores were rated as more effective leaders by their subordinates (Law, Wong, & Song, 2004). Another study of 151 employees found that those with higher EQ were more likely to be promoted within their organization over a five-year period (Carmeli, Brueller, & Dutton, 2009). These findings highlight the importance of EQ in the workplace and suggest that developing these skills can lead to significant benefits for both individuals and organizations.

According to a study conducted by TalentSmart, a leading provider of EQ assessments, EQ is responsible for 58% of success in all job types (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). In contrast, IQ only accounts for about 4% of success in the workplace. This suggests that EQ is a crucial skill set for individuals in any professional field. Fortunately, EQ is a skill that can be developed and honed over time with practice and awareness.

There are several key components of EQ that are particularly important for success in the workplace. These include: 

Self-Regulation: This refers to your capacity to recognize and control your emotions. Sometimes treating them when they arise may be necessary. Understanding how to manage your anger is essential. However, it can also cover how to control the feelings you’ll experience.

Self-Awareness: This implies recognizing and understanding your own feelings. Do noisy places make you nervous? Do other people talking over you make you angry? Knowing these truths about yourself shows that you are working on your self-awareness. Being conscious of yourself is necessary for this phase, which can be more complex than it sounds.

Socialization: This category focuses on your capacity to manage social interactions and direct relationships. It doesn’t entail dominating others but knowing how to work with others to achieve your goals. This could entail presenting your ideas to coworkers, leading a team, or resolving a personal disagreement.

Motivation: Strong motivators include external forces like money, status, or suffering. Internal motivation, however, plays a significant role in Goleman’s concept. By doing so, you demonstrate your ability to control your cause and initiate or continue initiatives of your own volition rather than in response to external demands.

Empathy: It’s equally critical to be sensitive to others’ feelings. This may entail learning to identify different emotional states in individuals — for example, can you tell the difference between someone at ease and someone anxious? — but it also requires comprehension of how other people may react to their current situation. Empathy is one of the essential traits in business and business leadership.

A thought leader in this space, Michael Ventura has built a career advising organizations on the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace. In his book, Applied Empathy, Ventura highlights the value of empathy in business and provides strategies for developing and applying this skill set. With two decades of experience as a leader, facilitator, and educator, Ventura’s work has made impact in with prestigious institutions such as Princeton University and the United Nations as well as corporate clients such as Google and Nike.

Through his work, Ventura advises leaders to focus on the development of EQ in order to help individuals improve their communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, ultimately leading to greater success in the workplace. Experts like Ventura continue to support the growing body of research on the value of EQ in business, and the evidence that organizations who invest in the EQ of their teams help to create a more empathetic and successful professional environment.

And it’s worth noting that EQ isn’t just important for individual success in the workplace, but also for overall organizational success. A study by the Center for Creative Leadership found that EQ was a better predictor of success than IQ or technical skills in the workplace, and that teams with higher levels of EQ tend to be more effective and productive (Boyatzis, Goleman, & Rhee, 1999). By cultivating a culture of empathy and emotional intelligence, organizations can improve their overall performance and create a more positive work environment for their employees.

In conclusion, emotional intelligence is a crucial component of success in the workplace, and individuals and organizations alike should prioritize the development of these skills. The ones that do not only develop a leading edge in their category, but also become a meaningful place to work for their teams. And in today’s rapidly changing talent landscape, the retention of highly capable, emotionally intelligent leaders is one of the greatest keys to unlocking success.

References:

Boyatzis, R. E., Goleman, D., & Rhee, K. S. (1999). Clustering competence in emotional intelligence: Insights from the emotional competence inventory (ECI). In R. Bar-On & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), Handbook of emotional intelligence (pp. 343-362). Jossey-Bass.

Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional intelligence 2.0. TalentSmart.

Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Sanger, M. N. (2016). Does employee happiness matter? Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 3(2), 168-191.

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Business

Interview with Jason Ho, CEO of Teklium: A Vision for the Future of Technology

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5 days ago

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October 16, 2024

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Photo courtesy of Teklium 

By Mj Toledo

There is a wealth of experience behind Teklium, and it is embodied in its chief executive officer (CEO), Jason Ho. His educational foundation was laid at National Chiao Tung University and Pennsylvania State University, where he developed his skills in electrical engineering. With over 400 patents to his name, he has played a key role in advancing semiconductor technologies and artificial intelligence (AI).

From leading custom chip design for the F35 Fighter Jet to innovating at Teklium, Ho’s work has been adopted by major corporations worldwide. In this interview, he shares his vision for the future of technology and how Teklium’s developments fit into this broader landscape.

Q: Hi, Jason. For those who may not be familiar with Teklium, could you tell us more about your company?

Jason Ho: Certainly. Teklium is a technology company focused on improving AI and semiconductor technologies. Our mission is to create self improving AI systems and hardware that can tackle various technological challenges and shape the future of multiple industries.

Q: You hold over 400 international patents, with one of your most notable innovations being hydrogen battery technology. What inspired you to promote this sustainable transportation solution?

Jason Ho: I’ve always been deeply interested in finding sustainable energy solutions, especially in transportation. Traditional lithiumion batteries have clear limitations, both in terms of performance and their environmental impact due to resource mining. Hydrogen batteries present a promising alternative, offering both environmental benefits and faster refueling times, which could make electric vehicles more practical and appealing.

Q: What drove you to focus on hydrogen battery technology specifically?

Jason Ho: My collaboration with Mark Bayliss, President of Visual Link, played a significant role. Mark introduced the concept of a closed loop hydrogen system, and our joint efforts resulted in the development of a hydrogen battery technology that we believe can provide a clean and safer alternative to lithiumion batteries. This inspired me to continue refining the technology, working with Visual Link to bring it to market.

Q: How do you see your company’s hydrogen battery technology impacting the electric vehicle industry in the next decade?

Jason Ho: I’ve thought about this a lot. Our hydrogen battery technology has the potential to revolutionize the electric vehicle industry by offering a more efficient and sustainable energy source. The ability to refuel quickly, combined with the technology’s adaptability to a wide range of temperatures, could make electric vehicles far more practical and attractive to consumers in the long term.

Q: Can you explain the significance and potential impact of Teklium’s closed loop hydrogen energy system on global energy consumption?

Jason Ho: The closed loop hydrogen energy system is groundbreaking because it enables onsite hydrogen generation through water electrolysis, eliminating the need for external supply chains. This drastically lowers energy consumption and minimizes environmental impact by recycling water in a continuous loop. The system offers an environmentally friendly solution for industries beyond transportation, including energy storage and telecommunications.

Q: What challenges do you foresee in scaling up hydrogen battery production, and how does Teklium plan to address them?

Jason Ho: Scaling up hydrogen battery production comes with significant challenges, including the development of necessary infrastructure, reducing production costs, and ensuring safety standards. At Teklium, we plan to address these obstacles by partnering with industry leaders to build the required infrastructure and by investing in research to lower costs. We’re also committed to implementing rigorous safety protocols to ensure the technology performs reliably.

Q: How does Teklium’s strategy for AI infrastructure differ from traditional approaches?

Jason Ho: At Teklium, we’re taking a different approach by exploring ways to develop advanced materials and technologies that could improve the performance and efficiency of AI infrastructure. We’re focused on moving beyond traditional silicon based systems and envision a future where we can create three dimensional chip structures that significantly reduce data movement and energy consumption. By integrating memory and processing capabilities, we believe we can revolutionize AI workloads.

Q: Teklium has ambitious plans for extending Moore’s Law. Can you elaborate on how these plans could transform the semiconductor industry?

Jason Ho: Siliconbased chips are nearing their physical limits, so we’re exploring technologies that could allow us to scale transistor density both vertically and horizontally. By adopting these new approaches, we aim to significantly increase chip performance and, in doing so, challenge the traditional expectations of Moore’s Law. We also envision a future where chips are reusable and can be reprogrammed over decades, which could reshape the semiconductor industry’s business model in terms of sustainability and efficiency.

Q: What environmental benefits could Teklium’s technologies bring, particularly in reducing carbon emissions and resource consumption?

Jason Ho: Our innovations could have a profound impact on the environment. We’re committed to developing technologies that reduce resource consumption and minimize waste. By creating more efficient manufacturing processes and extending the lifespan of chips, we hope to significantly reduce electronic waste. Our work on AI infrastructure could also cut energy consumption in data centers by as much as 60%, which would translate into substantial reductions in carbon emissions. And, of course, our hydrogen battery technology offers a clean energy storage solution that could accelerate the adoption of renewable energy sources.

Q: Aside from electric vehicles, what are some other exciting applications of Teklium’s hydrogen battery technology?

Jason Ho: While electric vehicles are an obvious application, there are so many more exciting possibilities. Our hydrogen batteries could serve as large scale energy storage solutions, balancing grid loads and supporting renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. They could also power remote cell towers and data centers in areas where traditional power sources are unreliable. In aerospace, these batteries could enable long range drones and even electric aircraft. The potential applications in disaster relief and military operations, where portable and reliable energy is critical, are also very exciting.

Q: How does your collaboration with companies like Nantero and Visual Link advance Teklium’s technological developments?

Jason Ho: Our collaboration with Nantero is allowing us to explore advanced memory architectures, while our partnership with Visual Link offers crucial insights into practical applications and market needs. Visual Link also helps us navigate regulatory challenges, ensuring our innovations are commercially viable and compliant with industry standards.

Q: Teklium is involved in the concept of AI City in partnership with West Virginia Data Center Group. Can you tell us more about the vision for this project?

Jason Ho: AI City is an ambitious concept that we’re working on with the West Virginia Data Center Group to turn into reality. The idea is to create an intelligent infrastructure that incorporates cutting edge technologies in AI and data centers, optimizing everything from energy usage to communication networks. We envision a city that can learn and adapt to the needs of its residents, reducing inefficiencies and improving quality of life. It’s still in the planning stages, but we’re confident it can become a reality in the near future.

Q: What are your long term goals for Teklium, and how do you see your inventions influencing future generations?

Jason Ho: My long term vision for Teklium is to become a leader in sustainable technology solutions. We aim to continue pushing the boundaries of AI, semiconductor technology, and energy solutions. I want our innovations to inspire future generations to tackle global challenges like climate change and resource scarcity. Ultimately, I hope Teklium’s work contributes to a more connected and sustainable world.

While Teklium’s advancements may take time to fully realize, they open up exciting possibilities for addressing critical challenges like energy consumption and sustainability. Under Jason Ho’s leadership, Teklium is poised to make a significant impact on the future of technology and the environment.

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