Title: Emotional Intelligence at Work: A Personal Operating System for Career Success

Author: Richard M. Contino

Genre: Nonfiction / Business

 

Emotional Intelligence at Work – A Personal Operating System for Career Success by Richard M. Contino focuses on developing one’s business emotional intelligence to be successful at work. Despite the belief that the business world is driven by rational decision-making, emotions are often at play behind the scenes, many times negatively impacting the employees and the whole business. By recognizing patterns and destructive types of behavior in the workplace, both in oneself and in others, one can learn how to overcome failure and unfortunate tendencies and thrive in a better work environment.

Emotions drive much of our choices in life, for good or for ill. Business is not exempt, and despite the ideal that businesses should be run in a manner without emotion getting in the way, that is simply not the case. This book clearly and effectively dismantles several negative emotion scenarios in the workplace, why they may be happening, and how to deal with fixing or changing the problem behavior. The author uses hypothetical examples in every case to easily demonstrate how a problem behavior may occur and what can be done about it. Contino’s examples, concise language, and short chapters make for an easy read that gives the reader a lot to ponder and put into practice.

The target audience for Emotional Intelligence at Work may be business-minded people or people who generally work in business, but this book offers many useful day-to-day applications that are appropriate for a general audience. Several can benefit from knowing how to better approach difficult people, how to avoid negative self-talk, or how to improve one’s confidence when speaking in a group. There is something in this book for nearly everyone, as it covers a broad variety of topics; therefore, Contino’s book is highly relevant, timeless, and ubiquitous.

At just under 50 thousand words, Emotional Intelligence at Work is a relatively fast read, which is probably important to someone who is busy in the business world. The author doesn’t waste words or drag down the points he makes by repeating himself, unless it is for emphasis, and he keeps the reader engaged by writing in a practical, light manner that is interesting.

Contino balances the tone between being encouraging and realistic. For example, he does not condone negative work behaviors, yet when it comes to oneself, he tells the reader to give themselves a break. He keeps the focus on pointing out problem behaviors and how business emotional intelligence can solve many of those issues.

There are several subheadings throughout each chapter, which is confusing, at times, to follow, but overall, the book is well organized.

Emotional Intelligence at Work presents a commonsense approach to dealing with problem behaviors in the workplace. Contino’s book gives practical advice for many social situations that transcend the business world and therefore gives his book a broad audience. Many would benefit from reading Emotional Intelligence at Work because it gives concise, effective, and helpful advice regarding business emotional intelligence, yet its target audience in business will find this book’s tools have the capacity to transform an unhealthy work environment into a thriving, positive place.

 

 

 

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