I’ve been blogging away about emotional intelligence for project managers since November of 2005.  I am still discovering and posting a lot of new and great information.  However, if you are new to emotional intelligence, you may prefer to start with an overview and introduction to the topic before you launch into a mid-stream discussion.

So, with a nod to Scott Sehlhorst over at Tyner Blaine for his use of the phrase ‘Foundation Series’, here is my own Foundation Series for applying emotional intelligence to project management.

Foundation Series #1:  Intro to The Project Managers Guide to Emotional Intelligence

• Exactly what are Emotions? – Here is a quick overview of Six Families of Emotions which represent virtually all emotions.
• What is Emotional Intelligence? – This post explores in general what Emotional Intelligence is.
• Importance of Emotional Intelligence to PMs – This is one of many posts that explores why Emotional Intelligence or EQ is important to Project Managers.
• A Framework for Applying Emotional Intelligence to Project Management – This post explains the evolution of the emotional intelligence framework I use for project managers.  It evolved from the Daniel Goleman framework.

FOUNDATIONS #2:  Self-Awareness is the First Building Block PMs Need to Understand

• Applied EQ #14:  You Must Be Present to Win – Self Awareness starts with understanding what is going on with us in the present moment.
• Applied EQ #9:  Conducting a Physical Inventory to become Aware of Your Feelings
  Sometimes you have to get physical to become aware of your feelings.
• Applied EQ #10:  Face it, Your Emotions Show on Your Face
  Faces reveal our emotions, even for poker players.

FOUNDATIONS #3 Self-Management is the Second Building Block PMs need to Understand

• Applied EQ #15: Introducing Self-Management
  This provides a little background on what emotional self management is all about.
• Applied EQ #18: Self-Management Includes Self-Control
  Self-control is about being in control of our emotions.
• Applied EQ #20: Project Managers need to Avoid Emotional Breakdowns
  Emotional Breakdowns are when we “lose it”.

FOUNDATIONS #4 Social Awareness is the Third Building Block of EQ for PMs; it’s about reading others accurately.

• Applied EQ #32: An Introduction to Social Awareness
  This post provides a brief description of Social Awareness.
• Applied EQ #34: Project Managers and Empathy
  This post is about Project Managers and the use of Empathy. This is in contrast to the “Just Do It” approach which lacks empathy.
• Applied EQ #35: Empathetic Listening Skills for Project Managers
  This post provides a step by step approach for listening with Empathy. While not easy, the payoff is big for those who can begin to master empathetic listening.

FOUNDATIONS #5 Relationship Management is the Fourth Building Block of EQ for PMs.  How we deal with others is the key to the success of our projects.

• Introduction to Relationship Management
  This post talks about relationship management and why it is important to project managers.
• What the Experts say about Relationship Management
  This post shows the evolution of Daniel Goleman’s framework for Relationship Management.

FOUNDATIONS #6 Team Leadership is the Fifth and final Building Block of EQ for PMs.

• Which is more important, People or Results?  This post talks about how many project managers (like me) find it easier to focus on results and not people.
• To Understand Project Conflict, Start with the Feelings  This post is a starting point for the discussion on using emotions to harness the energy behind conflict.
• Applied EQ #50: Managing Conflict using Emotional Intelligence – A more detailed look at conflict resolution using emotional intelligence.