Discover how your company can benefit by measuring behavioral quotient, a concept championed by revenue-scaling business strategist Mary Grothe.

It’s long been thought that the left brain handles logic and the right brain emotion. But recent research indicates that it’s a bit more complicated than that.

The same holds true for business. An employee’s analytical side, measured by intelligence quotient (IQ), and creative side, measured by emotional quotient (EQ), vie for control of the thoughts they have every day—and more importantly, the actions they take.

To measure and account for this tug-of-war, a third component, behavioral quotient (BQ), needs to be considered. So says Mary Grothe, who coined the term and is the founder and CEO of House of Revenue, a Denver-based company that works with CEOs to build processes and plans to scale revenue. Her team uses BQ to help employers establish benchmarks, find the right employees, and maximize sales for their business.

However, to understand how Grothe’s concept of BQ can help you and your business, you first need to fully understand the terms themselves.

IQ, EQ, and BQ

Intelligence Quotient
You’ve undoubtedly heard of IQ, or intelligence quotient, which has been the intelligence standard-bearer for decades. When it comes to business, it all comes back to how well an employee grasps everything about their company and industry.

• Do they know your products and services inside and out—to the extent that they can anticipate clients’ questions or pain points?
• Is your company’s mission like a mantra to them?
• Are they an expert on your market, constantly keeping up on the latest trends?
• Do they know your competition’s products and philosophy?

If the answer is yes, then their business IQ is likely strong. As a result, clients will see them as credible and trustworthy.

Emotional Quotient
In contrast, one’s emotional quotient, or EQ, is about emotions, as the name indicates. The importance of EQ (sometimes called emotional intelligence or EI) has been emphasized more in business in recent years, and for good reason. By being both emotionally self-aware and cognizant of others’ emotions, such employees are experts at reading the room. As a result, they:

• Show that they can put themselves in their clients’ shoes
• Tend to be good listeners
• Know when it’s proper to be assertive or give space
• Know when to ask questions and when to listen

Emotional quotient is arguably the unsung hero in business. If an employee has strong EQ, they’re more likely to establish strong, personal, long-lasting relationships with clients.

Behavioral Quotient
BQ, or behavioral quotient, combines IQ and EQ but, more importantly, is where all the work is done. With behavioral quotient, it all comes down to mindset. According to Grothe, the dominoes positively or negatively fall from there in a cause-and-effect relationship:

How you think. » How you feel. » How you act. » How you perform.

1. How you think: How do you process the facts and information presented to you?
2. How you feel: Do you feel good or bad about that information?
3. How you act: Do you react positively or negatively based on how you feel?
4. How you perform: Can you get the job done based on your actions?

Why BQ can make or break a business

An obvious question may be, “If an employee has a high IQ and a high EQ, aren’t they optimized for success?” Not necessarily. An employee can have through-the-roof IQ and EQ but still may not reach their full potential if their BQ isn’t amped up. That’s why BQ is so vital. When it comes to behavioral quotient, a positive mindset and stellar work ethic are the ultimate drivers of success—when an employee consciously decides to give it their all every day, optimal performance will follow.

As Grothe states, “A rep with high BQ can make lemonade out of lemons all day long. The filter through which they see information is all positive to them. They have a high ‘figure-it-out’ factor. They just always get it done. Even when obstacles are in their way, they get creative. They’re risk-takers and problem-solvers.” In contrast, low-BQ people will perceive similar situations as problems, dwell on them, and allow this mindset to drag them down, so they have a more difficult time finding solutions and envisioning what is possible.

How to maximize your team’s BQ

As you know, every decision you make for your business should be methodical and intentional, and getting a glimpse into your team is no different. The best part? Based on what you discover about their BQ, you can lead them to a higher, happier, and more productive BQ quotient.

To start the process, set a benchmark to ascertain their mindset. Ask them a series of questions: Do they think they’re set up for success? Are they optimistic about the company and its products? Do they think the workload and/or expectations are reasonable? Do they think they can reach their goals? Do they envision a bright future for themselves and the company?

Then dig into their feelings with questions such as: How motivated are they? Are they confident in themselves and their work? Do they feel like part of a team? Also observe your employees’ actions to determine how self-motivated they are. You want to get a sense of how much effort they put into things like planning, organizing, and prioritizing, and whether they’re inspired to hit the ground running in the morning and go the extra mile to get the job done. Finally, find out about how they feel about their performance: if they meet their goals and if their performance tends to be consistently high or low (or variable).

By implementing these four principles of BQ and benchmarking the results, you can cull very meaningful information about your team, analyze it, and determine what steps you can take to positively impact them and make your workforce the best it can be.

Take Action

Ask questions about how your team thinks, feels, acts, and performs, focusing on their role, tasks, environment, and mindset. Then use what you find to foster strong BQ.

For more info, visit marygroethe.com or houseofrevenue.com