In the imaginary firm of Haddaway & Daddle Ltd, a managerial opportunity has arisen that the directors would like to see filled by a member of the current staff. There are two main contenders for the post, George and Mildred, both of whom are keen on securing the promotion. George has been with the firm for almost ten years, while Mildred is a comparative rookie with only three years' service to her name. It looks like the experienced old head of George will give him the edge and he will be chosen to move upstairs into the new office, and pocket the pay rise that comes with it.

You would think so. But while George knows his job inside out, there are other factors that go against him in his push for promotion. He is terribly disorganised and has shown himself to lack assertiveness when faced with making awkward decisions. Mildred may not have the experience of George, but she has shown herself to be well organised and efficient, and she has demonstrated on several occasions that she is capable of asserting herself should the situation require a firm yes or no. In the end, these skills were telling and Mildred got the promotion.

Being a one-trick-pony like George does not stand you in good stead as prospective management material, no matter how experienced you are in that solitary trick. The range of skills required to be noticed by those who hold the key to your promotion are wide and varied, and good management material must demonstrate skills in many areas. For example, the worker who demonstrates good time management skills is likely also to possess good organisational skills, and a manager who is skilled in negotiation will probably have shown themselves to be quite assertive.

In the above example, the more experienced worker was passed over in favour of a less experienced colleague because, although on the surface George looked like the better option, the underlying skills that Mildred had demonstrated placed her in pole position. And emotional intelligence played a big part in those skills being recognised.

At its most basic, emotional intelligence is the way you interact with and understand those around you, although that is rather simplifying matters; to develop emotional intelligence requires a combination of skills.

The smooth running of any organisation depends to some extent on the relationships that exist between the individual persons who together make up the whole. But emotional intelligence is not merely about how colleagues interact with each other; it extends to every relationship within the organisation. This includes the relationships between supervisors and staff, staff and clients, and those who are not directly involved with the organisation, like suppliers, potential customers and even competitors.

The keystone to effective emotional intelligence, therefore, is excellent communication skills, and an ability to understand those around you. Communication is a two-way street, however, and so listening is as important as talking. This is particularly true in one area of communication that is essential if you are to develop good emotional intelligence skills, and that is the ability to empathise.

Often confused with sympathy, empathy is the ability to mentally identify with and therefore fully understand another person; to step into their shoes, so to speak. Empathy is a fundamental part of emotional intelligence as it allows a more balanced view to be taken, and this leads to a greater understanding between the parties involved. Obviously to empathise with someone requires the need to be a good listener and to refrain from being judgemental, even if you disagree with what is being said, for it is only by listening to the full account that you can begin to understand why that person holds those views. It is the building of relationships through listening and ensuring that the needs of others are met.

The ability to empathise is a useful skill to have in the more unpleasant situations you may come across, such as workplace disputes or when delivering news on sensitive issues, like a pay freeze or job cuts. The initial, sometimes hostile reaction by an employee in these situations can be dealt with more ably if the manager has built up his (or her) empathy skills and has a full understanding of the person.

While researching this article I came across the statement that emotional intelligence may prove to be a greater predictor of success than the more traditional intelligence quotient. I cannot say whether or not this is true, but emotional intelligence is playing an ever increasing role in the workplace. It is a very wide subject, but certainly one worth studying as those who promoted Mildred back at the start of this article used emotional intelligence to assist them in making what was clearly the correct decision.