Yes, emotional intelligence (EI) can be developed at work, but the gains are moderate on average and depend on what you mean by the term. EI covers several models and several ways of measuring them, so a score or label means different things depending on who produced it. This guide explains the concept, how it is assessed, what the strongest recent evidence says about training, and how to use emotional information in daily work, feedback, conflict and leadership without turning it into a tool for pressure or amateur diagnosis.
What “emotional intelligence” means in practice
Stéphane Côté’s 2014 review in the Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior defines EI as a set of abilities pertaining to emotions and emotional information (Côté, 2014). The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) describes it as social competence: monitoring your own and others’ emotions, distinguishing between them, and using that information to guide thinking and action (OPM, emotional intelligence tests guidance).
In a working day, that looks like noticing that a colleague’s shorter replies started after a deadline change, recognizing that your own irritation is shaping a comment before you make it, and choosing a response the situation actually calls for.
Côté’s review also sorts workplace findings into three models of how EI relates to work outcomes. They are not three definitions of EI; they are three questions about how the ability plays out at work.
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| Model | Core question | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Validity-generalization model | Does EI predict job outcomes across many kinds of work? | General predictive findings do not tell you how a skill will work in one specific job or for one specific person. |
| Situation-specific model | Does EI matter more in some roles or situations than others? | Work built on interpersonal success, such as team leadership or customer escalation, is where the skill is most likely to be visible. The effect is not uniform across roles. |
| Moderator model | Does the link depend on other factors? | Organizational context and individual dispositions can change the relationship, so the same skill may matter a lot in one team and little in another. |
How EI is measured, and why the method matters
EI assessments fall into two broad families that answer different questions. OPM’s guidance distinguishes performance-oriented ability tests from self-report questionnaires (OPM). Choosing the wrong one for the decision is the most common error.
| Approach | What it answers | Where it fits | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability-based (performance) test | How accurately a person identifies and uses emotional information | Where the goal is to measure ability. OPM notes such tests have been shown to contribute to job-performance prediction, particularly where maintaining positive interpersonal relations is important to success. | This is a qualified assessment consideration, not a general endorsement of EI testing in hiring. Results depend on the job and the specific test. |
| Self-report questionnaire | How a person perceives their own emotional competence or self-image | Development conversations and questions about self-perceived competence. | OPM notes it may not be the best method when the employer intends to measure ability. A self-rating is not objective ability. |
| Mixed competency model | A wider set of emotional and social workplace competencies | Team reflection and development frameworks. | Scores reflect the model’s chosen competencies. Compare results across tools only after checking what each one includes. |
Before you use any EI tool, check the following:
- The construct: is it measuring ability, self-perception, or a broader competency model?
- The decision it will inform: development, team reflection, or selection.
- Evidence for the relevant role, not only general validity claims.
- Who interprets the results and what follow-up is built in.
- Licensing and administration requirements, which vary by tool.
Can emotional intelligence be trained?
On average, yes, and with conditions. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis by Miriam Mehler and colleagues, published in BMC Psychology, pooled studies of workplace training in emotional competencies (Mehler et al., 2024). Its primary analysis covered 50 studies. A separate analysis of 27 controlled trials addressed efficacy. The reported figures are:
- Pre-to-post change, primary analysis of 50 studies: standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.44 (95% CI 0.29–0.59).
- Treatment group versus control group, controlled trials only (27 studies): SMD = 0.46 (95% CI 0.30–0.63).
- Effects persisted more than three months after training, according to the authors.
Read these as moderate average improvements in measured emotional competencies. They do not show that a particular course will improve every employee’s performance or an organization’s results. The authors also report high heterogeneity, meaning results vary widely between studies, and low methodological quality, and they call for more high-quality studies such as randomized controlled trials.
What makes the gains stick
The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations published a technical report in 1998 by Cary Cherniss, Daniel Goleman and colleagues (Consortium, 1998). Because it predates the 2024 review, use it for implementation principles rather than current effect sizes. Its central warning is that short-lived inspirational experiences and one-off claims are weak approaches. The authors write: “Only when the training is based on sound, empirically based methods will its promise be realized.”
The report’s recommendations translate into a practical sequence:
- Take ownership. Choose one or two competencies rather than the whole model, for example “summarize the other person’s point before responding in disagreements.”
- Set a specific goal. “In the next two team meetings, I will restate a colleague’s point before adding mine.”
- Break it into manageable steps you can practice on an ordinary day.
- Practice on the job, in real meetings and messages, not only in a workshop.
- Ask your supervisor to notice and reinforce the behavior, and tell them what they should look for.
- Check the climate. If raising concerns is punished, the skill will not transfer, however well it was taught.
- Evaluate at intervals: what changed, what did not, and what to adjust.
Using emotional information day to day
The following applications are practical examples drawn from the skill definitions above. They are not tested interventions from the sources.
Notice what you feel before you respond
When a message lands badly, name the emotion and the trigger in one sentence, such as “I feel dismissed because my estimate was ignored.” That gives you a choice about timing: reply now, or in twenty minutes after the first reaction has passed.
Choose a response rather than reacting
Self-regulation does not mean suppressing emotion. The goal is a response suited to the task and the relationship. A frustrated comment about a missed handoff can become a specific request: “I need the file by 3 p.m. to keep the review on track.”
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Check rather than assume
Silence, short replies, or a tense tone are single cues. They do not reveal a person’s full emotional state. Ask a clarifying question instead: “You’ve been quiet on this. Is the timeline or the scope the concern?”
Practice as a manager
Pick one behavior to practice, such as asking “what would make this easier to act on?” before giving direction. Invite feedback on it, and schedule a follow-up to review what changed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Feedback and conflict
Feedback and disagreement are where emotional information matters most, and where it is easiest to misuse. This sequence keeps the focus on observable work.
- Describe the specific behavior and its effect on the work, not the colleague’s inner state.
- Ask what the other person saw or intended before offering your interpretation.
- Make one request, with a time frame.
- Check the response, and adjust the pace if the person seems overwhelmed.
In conflict, name the feeling and the issue together: “This is frustrating, and I want to understand why the vendor invoice was delayed.” Then agree on the decision needed rather than on who is right. If one person is distressed beyond what the discussion can address, pause and schedule a follow-up. Money conversations such as pay reviews, budget cuts or expense disputes are common cases where these steps are tested, and where a calm, specific approach tends to protect both the outcome and the working relationship.
Where emotional intelligence stops
- It does not mean suppressing emotion. Naming and using emotional information is not the same as hiding it.
- It does not mean diagnosing colleagues. A skilled reading of a situation is a hypothesis to check, not a conclusion about someone’s mental health.
- It does not mean absorbing harmful conditions. Unsafe workloads, bullying, or unclear expectations are organizational problems. Emotional skill can help you respond to them, but it cannot fix them alone.
The World Health Organization’s 2022 guidance on training workers notes that mental health literacy and awareness training may improve trainees’ knowledge and attitudes, but the certainty of evidence is low or very low for several outcomes. Such training is not intended to make workers diagnose or treat mental disorders (WHO, 2022). If a colleague appears distressed, encourage them toward appropriate help, such as occupational health, HR, or a qualified professional, rather than attempting counseling yourself.
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