Emotional Intelligence in "The Office"

Have you ever worked for someone who made you wonder, “How did he get to be a boss?" even if other employees value and proclaim his greatness?  You may not bear working with a bossy, strict, and controlling manager, but you may hide how you really feel about them to earn your keep. However, don’t worry since you are one among many who suffer the same way as you do.

The Office is an American comedy series, which is a parody of the daily events at a fictional paper company. A delusional manager called Michael Sott leads a team of average characters that we encounter in our work life.

The series depicts a working environment similar to many offices. It  holds people who are offbeat, often politically incorrect, and at times insensitive.

While some might criticize The Office as sarcastic and crude, it can't be denied that the show mirrors the real workplace enough that we can learn something important from the funny conversations.

Most offices lack a single element of the human psyche that causes  chaos which is Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Let us take a look at the emotional intelligence profiles of some of the key players of The Office to learn how they contribute.

If you ignore the stereotypical depiction of the HR representative as a corporate lackey whose only purpose is to wander the offices making sure everyone is following the rules, there is a valuable EQ lesson to be learned from Toby. Toby is far better at using his EQ when dealing with other people’s problems; he objectively approaches other people’s problems, even the outlandish acts of the branch manager Michael Scott. Nevertheless. When he is faced with a sticky situation, Toby’s emotions completely take control of his behavior; consequently, he loses the balancing effects of his reason and ends up behaving just as badly as the rest of his coworkers in the office.

“There is always  a distance between a boss and the employees. It is just nature’s rule. It is intimidation, mostly; it is the awareness that they are not me.” Mihael Scott

Watch any episode of The Office and closely observe Michael’s deficiencies in EQ. As the manager of the Scranton branch, he takes the advantage of the freedom by doing whatever he wants. His biggest problem is the lack of self-awareness, so even when he is trying to do right by his employees, his actions are distorted by his own self-interest, as well as his inability to self-manage, let alone his inability to manage the Scranton branch. He is a boss who is unaware when his own behavior is a problem; even when he recognizes his mistake, he still commits it.

“I am ready to face any challenges that might be foolish enough to face me.” Dwight Schrute

Dwight’s character is phenomenal. The first thing people notice in this assistant to the branch manager is that he is a kiss-up; he courts his boss ‘Michael’, seemingly indifferent to the irritation he causes to his coworkers and even to Michael.

Dwight actually sticks to his guns, but his lack of social awareness makes him unaware of the significance of his coworkers’ irritation. As a result, Dwight is a top-notch employee when it comes to working alone, but he is a complete failure in any task that requires cooperation.

It is estimated that his coworkers would both reject and disengage with him due to having a smart and eccentric character and due to his love of fiction series. How can a person like him making no effort to understand his colleagues earn their respect? Dwight is so lacking in social awareness that his attempt to connect with his co-workers is doomed to failure.

“Right now this is just a job. If I advance any higher in this company, then this would be my career. And well, if this were my career, I would have to throw myself in front of the train.” Jim Halpert

Jim is the one to whom everyone in the office naturally gravitates.  He  is social and top-notch at reading what other people think. While Jim's overall EQ is well above average, he is far from perfect.

Self-awareness poses the biggest challenge; Jim often does things he later regrets whenever he is hit by a wave of emotion. In addition, he struggles with guilt over his favorite office pastime- pulling pranks on Dwight.

Why would Jim feel remorse about mocking Dwight? Perhaps Jim isn’t completely aware about how messing with Dwight and his love to Pam is his sole source of sanity, and he can't come to terms with the fact that his current job will never get him what he wants, and he should have quit long ago.

“You know what they say about a car wreck where it is so awful; you can't look away? The Dundees are like a car wreck that you have to stare at because your boss is making you,” Pam Beesly

Pam holds the highest rate of EQ in the office. She is gentle, considerate, and socially skilled. However, her only weakness is that she lacks assertiveness. While her own passivity helps to work differences between her abrasive office mates, it holds her back on the personal and professional level.

Pam had a failed romantic relationship with Roy, who is one of her colleagues. It was clear that Roy had no respect for her during their three year engagement.

Pam has maintained this relationship, though she couldn't speak her mind to make sure her needs were met. In recent episodes, Pam has started taking more assertive steps with Roy and the others in the office. If she continues pursuing what suits her and tolerates the inevitable violent reactions from coworkers accustomed to bowling her over, she will fully embrace the power of emotional intelligence to achieve her dreams.