I received The Non Obvious Guide to Emotional Intelligence by Kerry Goyette from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This book told some amazing pop culture reference examples, trying and succeeding to get some buy in by introducing ways that emotional intelligence works in examples of familiar people. However, the other thing this book does extremely well is force a buzzword into an explanation that could be called "doing your job." It made me question at one point, how are none of these people already fired? Are their parents in charge of the company? Are we actually talking about members of congress? I felt that this book crammed vague references to scientific studies and an amazing buzz word into areas that didn't need them, and didn't help. In an overcrowded self-help for leadership market, go find a different book. If you are hired to do a job, you should actually complete the job.

This was a really timely read for me - having some issues in the workplace that I can't seem to get to the bottom of. It's like all the pieces of the jigsaw are there, just not fitting together in the way that they should. I feel that this book has given some insight into these difficulties and there are a few strategies that I can try. They may not work but any ideas are welcome. 

There is a little bit of brain science, but it is very manageable for those of us (me included) who struggle with mapping brain areas and the biology behind psychology. 

The most interesting part of the book is the derailers, those personality traits that can be damaging for an individual or a team. I can definitely see where my derailers come from and also the derailers for those around me. It is very interesting. 

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an advance reading copy. I would give this book 7/10 stars. 

**Set to autopublish on blog tomorrow at 16.40 GMT**

How do you read and respond in situations that are unknown, uncomfortable, or out of your area of expertise? How do you come to an agreement without compromising your values and ethics? And how do you consider the needs of others while promoting your agenda?

You start by reading the people in the room with you.

Goyette explores three areas where it is key to understand the emotions, background assumptions, and other factors present: decision-making, activity, and relationships.

This book felt as though it was designed for a team workshop. I'd take it on a team retreat and work through it, asking for agreement and observations, disagreements and challenges from team members. Worth considering - might be revolutionary for a dysfunctional team IF the leader was willing to be empathic and open to sharing and receiving the emotional observations of others. (The problem with a low EQ team often stems form a leader with low EQ - who is thus unwilling to be criticized or receive input without completely redefining it from his/her POV.)

I recommend it.

A complimentary copy from netgalley - many thanks

As someone who has just been upgrade at work into a junior management role, I found this insightful and will be made much use of by myself.

By the use of anecdotes, the author illustrates beautifully situations that are common in the workplace

A must read

An informative and interesting book. This book contains some great information and is easy to read. A good book for anyone in a leadership role.

This ARC from NetGalley came at a perfect time as I’ve been taking classes in Human Resources and leadership.

A must have book, especially for anyone in a senior role or looking to move into management. A lot of people seem to misunderstand what it means to be emotionally intelligent, managers especially. The author easily describes situations that can happen at any workplace and describe what the problem is - like problems with a people pleasing manager or micromanager. If you’ve worked long enough, you probably have come across these types of managers, but I’ve always wondered how they could really do better.

A great resource for an insightful look at EQ.

The Non-obvious Guide to Emotional Intelligence is one of those books that is informative, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s a light easy read with a few aha! moments peppered in. The author focuses on emotional intelligence as it relates to decision-making, agility (in leadership) and relationships. It takes an EQ cubed approach looking at the self, the relationship and the environment. Since emotionally intelligent individuals typically earn more, advance quicker and navigate professional and personal relationships more successfully, I highly recommend this book. This is a practical and insightful guide to building more effective relationships, creating more productive environments and becoming a more purposeful leader.