Good emotional intelligence training doesn't stop at explaining what emotions are. It puts you in situations where you have to recognize and manage them, then tells you how you did. If the syllabus is all theory plus a personality quiz, you're paying to read, not to train.
In this guide, you'll see what worthwhile training should include, how the formats compare (in person, video, books, coaching, peer groups and simulators) and a checklist to help you pick yours.
Emotional intelligence in one minute
Psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer introduced the concept in 1990, and Daniel Goleman made it popular with his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence. Goleman's model, widely used in the business world, breaks it into five components:
- Self-awareness: knowing what you feel and why.
- Self-regulation: managing your emotions instead of letting them manage you.
- Motivation: keeping your drive when things get tough.
- Empathy: understanding what other people feel.
- Social skills: communicating, resolving conflict and working together.
The good news is that these are skills, so they can be trained. The less good news is that you train them like any other skill: by practicing.
What emotional intelligence training should include
Use this list to review any syllabus. If two or more points are missing, it falls short.
- Recognizing emotions, yours and other people's, with everyday examples.
- Concrete regulation techniques that go beyond "take a deep breath and count to ten."
- Empathy and assertiveness applied to real conversations: asking for things, saying no, giving feedback.
- Conflict and stress, because that's where theory gets put to the test.
- Practice with feedback: situations where you make decisions and see the consequences.
- Application at work: meetings, clients and your team, not just your personal life.
Red flag: if a course promises you'll master your emotions in a weekend, keep looking. Emotional intelligence is built through repetition, not a motivational high.
Emotional intelligence training formats compared
Each format gives you something different. This table sums up what to expect from each one.
| Format | Practice | Feedback | Flexibility | Cost | A good fit if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-person workshop | Group activities and role-play | From the trainer and the group | Low | Medium to high | You're motivated by learning with other people |
| Online video course | Little: reflection exercises | Usually none | High | Low to medium | You want a structured theoretical foundation |
| Books and free resources | Only if you organize it | None | Total | Low or free | You want to understand the concept before investing |
| One-on-one coaching | Based on your real situations | Highly personalized | Medium | High | You face a specific challenge, like a difficult team |
| Peer group or mentoring | Real conversations | From peers, variable | Medium | Low | You have people to practice with and the discipline to do it |
| Simulator or serious game | Decisions in realistic situations | Instant, in every exercise | High | Low per course | You want to practice at your own pace, without an audience at first |
Emotional intelligence has a factor that matters less for other skills: embarrassment. Getting it wrong in a role-play in front of coworkers can feel worse than the real situation. A simulator lets you fail in private, understand why and try again. What it can't do is replace real conversations with people who react in unpredictable ways.
Learning online: pros and cons
Pros
- You learn at your own pace, in short sessions that fit between meetings.
- You make mistakes without witnesses and can repeat as often as you like.
- It usually costs far less than a workshop or a coach.
- With a simulator, you practice in realistic situations and get feedback on the spot.
Cons
- It doesn't replace practicing with real people.
- It takes discipline: with no group or schedule, it's easy to drop halfway.
- If it's video only, you learn concepts, but habits are hard to change.
- It isn't therapy: if you're going through a rough time, what you need is a health professional.
How to choose based on your situation
- You want a complete foundation: look for a program that covers the intrapersonal side (you) and the interpersonal side (others).
- You react in the heat of the moment and regret it later: prioritize emotional regulation and techniques to bring the intensity down.
- Stress is winning the game: choose a course focused on stress management, with strategies for everyday life.
- You lead a team or deal with clients: focus on empathy, listening and feedback.
- You freeze when speaking in public: combine emotional regulation with presentation practice. Our guide to choosing a public speaking course explains how.
Checklist before you pay
- Does the syllabus cover recognizing, regulating and relating to others?
- Is there practice from the first module, not just at the end?
- Do you get specific feedback on what you do?
- Do the examples come from real work: meetings, conflicts, clients?
- Do you know how long access lasts, what it costs and whether there's a certificate?
- Does it give you time to apply what you learn between sessions?
Where Game Strategies fits in
In the health and wellbeing category, you'll find three games that cover these points, each with its own story:
- DEX (2 h): the complete foundation. You follow Dex, who wakes up with no memory, and work on the intrapersonal side (what you feel and how to manage it), the interpersonal side (empathy and assertiveness) and how to create safe environments, including when conflicts arise.
- S.O.S (90 min): managing emotions in a survival story at sea. You learn to recognize, understand and regulate what you feel, with techniques to adjust its intensity.
- Chai (95 min): stress management at a hotel bar. You analyze the stress you feel and practice strategies to handle it day to day.
If your challenge is connecting with others, Flora (80 min), in the communication category, focuses on empathy: what it is, how to connect and how to show it in your conversations.
They're all included in the Serious Games Catalog + Admin license: €299 per person per year (VAT included), with access to all 71 games in the catalog, nothing to install and on any device. Each course ends with a certificate of completion for LinkedIn. And if you're training your team, the admin dashboard lets you assign courses and track progress. The honest take: the game gives you a safe place to practice and feedback at every step, but emotional intelligence really takes hold in your real conversations.
Frequently asked questions
Can you learn emotional intelligence online?
Largely, yes: recognizing emotions, learning regulation techniques and practicing decisions in realistic situations. What makes it stick is applying it in your everyday conversations.
How long does emotional intelligence training take?
It depends on the format, from workshops lasting a few hours to programs that run for months. DEX takes two hours; add S.O.S and Chai and you get just over five hours of practice, spread out however you like.
Is emotional intelligence the same as stress management?
No. Stress management is part of self-regulation, which is one of the components of emotional intelligence. If stress is your main problem, start there.
Can a course replace therapy?
No. A course teaches you skills, but it doesn't treat mental health issues. If you're dealing with anxiety, persistent sadness or exhaustion, talk to a professional.