| We’ve all had people like this working for us, | | | | Comparisons |
| or with us. People who couldn’t communicate | | | | Turns people off vs. Turns people on |
| their knowledge in a way that was effective, | | | | Self-centered vs. Helpful |
| engaging, informative and interesting. What a waste | | | | Disliked vs. Liked |
| of talent! | | | | Example |
| Do we have an obligation to make what we say | | | | Alistair droned on, turning the presentation into a |
| interesting? No, but if we want people to listen to us, | | | | pedantic ego-trip, showing off how much he knew. |
| we must! | | | | He argued points that were strictly academic to the |
| Do we have an obligation to make our knowledge | | | | poor people trying to understand the theory of |
| accessible and informative to others? No, but what | | | | Emotional Intelligence and use it in real time. The HR |
| use is it if we don’t? | | | | Director watched the participants eyes glaze over |
| Did you ever work with someone who knew their | | | | and knew she had just wasted the |
| stuff but turned you off so completely you | | | | company’s valuable time and money, and |
| didn’t want to stick around to get the | | | | probably turned the employees off to the idea of |
| valuable information or assistance you needed? In | | | | Emotional Intelligence as well. |
| fact you avoided them and so did other colleagues | | | | Graciella, on the other hand, was a coach who was |
| and customers? | | | | clearly erudite and really knew her stuff. She was |
| Do you have someone working for you now who is | | | | able to engage the group and excite them about the |
| just so academic about things, even though you | | | | practical possibilities of applying emotional intelligence |
| know they’re an expert, you can’t | | | | to their work culture. They hung on her every word |
| ever get’ anything that’s useful in | | | | -- and most of her words were one-syllable! The HR |
| real time? | | | | Director knew they would leave the meeting with a |
| Or maybe you know someone who simply bores you | | | | clear understanding of the major points, and |
| to tears, droning on and on, making you hunt through | | | | enthusiasm for applying what they’d learned. |
| a bog of verbiage for what you need. This is the | | | | Key Point |
| person who, when you ask what time it is, tells you | | | | It's okay to know a lot, in fact it's a good thing and |
| how to build a watch. Way more than you needed, | | | | makes you a valuable employee, partner, and person, |
| or wanted, and such a waste of your valuable time. | | | | but only if you use it in conjunction with your |
| Definitions | | | | Emotional Intelligence. If you are arrogant about it, or |
| Pedantic - Boringly scholarly or academic; narrowly, | | | | unable to express your valuable knowledge in a way |
| stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned, as in | | | | that engages other people, it won't matter what you |
| showy or vainglorious. | | | | know. No one will be listening. (EQ matters more than |
| Erudite - Possessing or displaying extensive | | | | IQ.) |
| knowledge acquired chiefly from books; profound, | | | | It’s okay to know a lot. It’s not okay |
| recondite (difficult for others to understand or | | | | to be a know-it-all. |
| comprehend) or bookish learning; to gain knowledge | | | | Benefits |
| or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or | | | | Better communication and teamwork. |
| experience | | | | |