Emotion Scientists

The title, “Why it’s Imperative We All Learn to Become ‘Emotion Scientists’” caught my attention this weekend and has such strong connections to the work we do every day and the work of the Vision of a Graduate. “When we consult with corporations, they tell us they’re searching for employees who persevere with a task, who take personal responsibility for their work, who can get along with others and function as members of a team. Not technical abilities or specialized knowledge— they’re looking first for emotional attributes. A colleague from the RAND Corporation told me that technology advances so rapidly today that companies don’t hire workers for their current skills— firms are looking for people who are flexible, who can present new ideas, inspire cooperation in groups, manage and lead teams, and so on. We may acquire some of those skills by osmosis—by watching and emulating others who possess them. But for the most part they must be taught. And they are best learned in communities. Emotion skills are both personal and mutual. They can be used privately, but their best application is throughout a community, so that a network emerges to reinforce its own influence. I have seen this happen— these skills are being deployed in thousands of schools all over the world, with dramatic results.”