The Value of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

The term ‘emotional intelligence’ was first used by best-selling author Daniel Goleman. The idea behind the phrase was so compelling that his book of the same name remained on the New York Times best seller list for over a year.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

But why did his idea create such a buzz, and what made the sentiment so compelling? Employers and recruiters recognised that testing a candidate’s emotional intelligence (EI) level could help them decide on their suitability for a role, and EI has since become a key indicator during many recruitment procedures.

So what constitutes emotional intelligence?

Daniel Goleman named five specific character traits that define our levels of emotional intelligence:

  • Motivation: self-motivation to be more precise, rather than being motivated by money or other outside influences
  • Social skill: building rapport with people and engendering trust so that working relationships become stronger
  • Self awareness: understanding how our actions affect other people and the environment we are in, as well as the ability to put constructive criticism to good use
  • Empathy: an understanding and genuine compassion for others that also leads to trusting relationships
  • Self management: being able to identify how we are feeling, and control the way in which we communicate those feelings and emotions to others at work

He discovered that these traits, which are commonly seen in natural leaders, can also be learned.…

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A Brief Guide to Commodities Trading

Commodities are the raw materials that we use for sustaining lives. Some of the examples are energy and fuel, agricultural products, and metals. Metals, agricultural products, and energy are three classes of market commodities. These are the essential pillars of the global economy.

Trading commodities

Criteria that commodities need to fulfill

Commodities need to fulfill these three criteria:

  • Tradability: Tradable commodities needs to have values that can be used as production materials of other goods or servicers.

  • Deliverability: Can you physically deliver the commodities to the buyers?

  • Liquidity: Commodities’ liquidity offers you an opportunity to get in and out of an investment easily.

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Why Office Dress Codes Are Going Out Of Fashion

When you run a business with onsite staff, it is down to you to set the policy when it comes to how you expect people to present themselves at work. However, while office dress codes used to be pretty much expected by employees, more and more businesses, particularly in certain sectors, are abandoning the concept in favor of less restrictive dress policies.

Hip and fashionable business people

1. Dress Code Options

There used to be just a few options for your office dress code. You could have a formal business dress code, a business casual dress code (where men, for example, could wear a shirt without a tie but things like jeans, t-shirts and sneakers were not allowed), or no dress code at all.…

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Four Steps to a Great Business Credit

The path to great business credit for your company can be a complicated one without the right direction. There are a lot of facts and figures to consider, and vendors change their policies regularly. Below is a simple, four-step guide to how you go about gaining a business credit.

Business credit financing

1. Make it legal

The first step on your business credit journey is to make sure that you have all of the legal requirements in place. Your company must be a separate entity in the eyes of the law, with a separate address, phone number, tax ID, Employer Identification Number and so on.…

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From Company to Consumer: 3 Ways Corporations Are Giving Back for Social Change

In the past, many corporations tended to be self-focused; if we’re being realistic, most of them still are. However, some companies have begun to take a more serious look at the long-term impact their business practices have on social change and environmental damage.

corporate social responsibility

“Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) is a term that is now being used to describe their new business practices. The three kinds of CSR include environmental, philanthropic, and ethical labor practices. Implementing any of these strategies in your business is considered CSR and work wonders for company rapport and revenue.

For example, Sands Las Vegas Resort values sustainability as one of their top priorities.…

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Testing Isn’t Only for the Technical Team: The Tests Your Business Needs to Be Doing

Frequently, when we talk about testing, we are talking about tests done by a dedicated testing team. More recently, development have also had to think about developer testing.

User acceptance testing (UAT)

There are many different types of testing: development testing and automated testing such as unit testing, integration testing and regression testing; as well as manual testing performed by dedicated QA staff. One important type of testing that is frequently overlooked is business process testing, such as UAT.

What is UAT?

When you make a change in your ERP system, whether they are testing SAP ERP or Oracle EBS, you want to make sure it does what it is supposed to do.…

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Why Philanthropic Business is in Fashion

Ethical business is a hot topic these days, with consumers becoming more aware of the brands they are buying into, and what they stand for.

Many larger companies, and even start-ups are taking on a philanthropic approach to their operations by supporting charity, donating a portion of their profit to ongoing projects and becoming proactive within their community. Not only does this raise awareness for important causes, support local communities and fund various projects, it can change how the consumer perceives that particular brand. If they are recognised for acting as a morally responsible, ethical and charitable company then this can only be a good thing.…

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6 Common Spending Mistakes New Businesses May Make

Most of today’s small businesses experience failure during the first few years of their operation. Whether it’s a lack of planning at the beginning or some other pitfall, there are common mistakes you need to avoid in order to stay alive. You can boost your company’s chances by avoiding the six following mistakes.

Startup mistakes

1. Begin Your Business with a Huge Loan

The first two years of business is critical for small business owners. Since many fold at the beginning, you want to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your employees. Although you want to focus on efficiency and meeting deadlines, you also want to set a positive environment for your employees to work in.…

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Mis-sold a PPI Policy? Rush To Claim What’s Yours – It’s Your Money!

Sometimes the technicalities that take place within the banking sector are quite long winded and sometimes could be very tiring so that you lose interest in the whole thing. This also holds true when it comes to claiming on your insurance, such as getting mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) refund.

Getting mis-sold PPI refund

When you have a PPI policy, chances are, you’re not eligible to claim on, especially when you’re self-employed.  If that’s the case, you’re not alone.  In fact, there are at least two million people in the UK who have the same fate as yours: You’ve been mis-sold a PPI policy.  In other words, your PPI policy is useless in your circumstances.…

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Back to Basics – How Talking to Customers is Making a Comeback

It may sound obvious, but talking directly to a potential customer is one of the most effective ways to promote what you do. By talking directly, I don’t mean crafting a personalised email to a carefully curated mailing list. I’m talking about having a conversation face to face.

That’s where pop-up marketing comes in. You may have seen the pop up in its various, often trendy, guises – an unused shop front temporarily taken over by a restaurant, a corner of a public space dedicated to an art installation. It’s a promotional format that’s easily translatable to any and every type of business.…

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