Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Elaborate the meaning of EI in Introduction.
• First write in brief numerous problems and challenges in civil services.
• Elaborate how application of EI can solve the present day problems and challenges.

Introduction

• Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to assess and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth (Mayer and Salovey, 1997).
• In simple words, emotional intelligence refers to attributes such as understanding one's feeling, empathy for others, and the regulation of emotions to enhance one's life.

Body

Significance of Emotional intelligence in civil services:-   

Civil services today work in an environment that is beset with numerous problems, challenges, and even contradictions such as-

• Fast changing social structure and values
• Increasing regional, economic and digital divide, rising population and unemployment
• Inadequacy of basic necessities like housing and drinking water and infrastructure and so on
• Increased awareness of the masses as well as existence of significant number of voiceless and marginalized poor.
• The administration itself is beset with many problems- political pressures, rampant corruption, obsolete and outdated methods, procedures and laws, Jack of avenues for growth, over centralization, self aggrandizement and so on.

Application of El helps in the following manner-

• It is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Administrators with EI have the ability to put themselves in someone else’s situation and develop greater interpersonal skills (crucial for good citizen centric administration).
• Increased capacity to handle - Changes in work; Pressures and stress; Conflicts
• Ability to see the long term effects of one's actions/ attitudes.
• Increased levels of commitment, trustworthiness and conscientiousness
• Being able to see things in a holistic manner
• Being able to bounce back from setbacks and maintain optimism
• Finding healthy ways to handle negative/ extreme feelings
• Having greater motivation- achievement drive, initiative, persistence, motivating others as well
• Better ability to communicate
• Enhanced group dynamics in terms of cooperation, collaboration and building bonds
• Enhanced leadership traits, including the knowledge about when and how to lead, when to follow
• Ability to use win-win mode for negotiations
• Ability to appreciate diversity and value for others
• Ability to perform multiple tasks due to better time and information management
• Greater focus
• Aware of but minimally concerned with and affected by office politics
• Not prone to aggression.
• Ability to be a change catalyst.

Conclusion

• To summarize emotional skills have gained foothold in the public services and are essential for good administrative practices and customer service.
• Numerous organizations in public and private sectors have used El and reported positive results. To name a few- US Air Force, US Navy, Johnson and Johnson, HPCL.