Every methodology benefits from further reading. We begin our reading series with a book by one of Google’s early engineers, who brought together computer engineering and emotional intelligence.
Search Inside Yourself offers an approach to developing mindfulness and emotional intelligence at work and in everyday life. Chade-Meng Tan initially taught self-awareness practices to Google employees. The book then made the ideas behind that internal training available to a wider audience.
Three stages of the programme
- Attention training.
- Self-knowledge and self-mastery.
- Developing useful mental habits.
One of the author’s central ideas is that peace and happiness in the world begin with inner peace. Developing emotional intelligence helps us understand ourselves, sustain our attention and build relationships. The book connects these skills with productivity, leadership and wellbeing.
Five components of emotional intelligence
- Self-awareness — understanding your internal state, resources, preferences and intuition.
- Self-regulation — managing your emotional responses.
- Self-motivation — an emotional drive towards a goal. A personally meaningful goal can make the pursuit itself rewarding.
- Empathy — understanding and accepting other people’s feelings and needs. It grows when we consider their perspective and recognise what we have in common.
- Social skills — working with others towards a shared goal through compassionate leadership, constructive influence and attentive communication.
Further reading
Search Inside Yourself — official programme website