Everyone has been there – you are tired, and work seems a bit like drudgery. Maybe you’ve gone further – you’ve started to check out. Worse yet, perhaps you feel like you have one foot out the door.
If you feel less than fully engaged at work, you are not alone. A recent study by Gallup found that for the first time in a decade, employee engagement has dropped. The increase – from 36% to 34% – means that 66% of workers are not fully engaged at work. In addition, 16% of respondents reported being actively disengaged in their work and workplace.
Interestingly, a key factor in career success isn’t intelligence, it is emotional intelligence (EQ) – how aware you are of your emotions and those of others, and how well you manage emotions. In fact, it is estimated that IQ only contributes 25% to career success, while EQ contributes up to 75% of why careers are either “derailed” or succeed. If that is true, you might want to consider these 3 questions regarding your engagement at work and how you think about your EQ:
- If I spend about 1/3 of my available hours in work-related activities, how will I make work a great experience?
- If 66% of the workforce is disengaged, how will I engage?
- If only 25% of career success is based upon IQ, how will I grow the other 75%?
EQ, it turns out, is a significant factor in career success. Look for a future post to learn more about emotional intelligence!