Part 2: How can companies create internship programmes that foster emotional intelligence?
In the first part of my blog, I talked about internships, what they offer to university graduates, and why I believe that Daniel Goleman’s concept of emotional intelligence is important to consider when developing internship programmes.
Emotional intelligence does not simply mean being an emotional person and is in fact completely different from expressing natural emotions like anger, happiness, sadness, or aggressiveness. It goes beyond that to describe the importance of developing emotional awareness about other people, which is an important skill that can strengthen an interns’ capability to fit into a team.
Emotional intelligence is not a natural talent that comes out of nowhere. It must be developed, honed and prioritised, and I believe it should be an integral part of internship programmes. When developing a programme for your interns, you can incorporate emotional intelligence in five key ways:
According to Maddy Malhotra, who wrote How to Build Self-Esteem and Be Confident: Overcome Fears, Break Habits, Be Successful and Happy, “Emotional health is more important than a fit body. Unknowingly most of us focus on the latter hence the lack of inner-happiness, peace, love and fulfilment.”
This means that we must encourage emotional intelligence before anything else, as it motivates us to perform better and develop ourselves while also remembering to put others first. It is the most important skill for interns to develop if they are to become valuable members of their companies.
Emotional Intelligence = Healthy Life + Happy Relationships + Productive Performance!
Jude Kanawati is Account Executive Intern at Cicero & Bernay Public Relations. An independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai and offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA region. | www.cbpr.me