You are hiring a front-line customer support position and the search committee is recommending a candidate for your consideration. This candidate has clearly the best technical skill-set, has an advanced degree and could step right into the job with very minimal training. There is something about the candidate, however, that troubles you. They have just retired as a Drill Sargent from the US Army and seems to be lacking in some key areas of emotional intelligence.

There are other less credentialed candidates, but they have a proven track record in successfully working in team environments. They have a potentially much longer learning curve if they are hired for the position.

Can you help "Sarge" develop emotional intelligence? Weigh the two candidates - if you take the chance on "Sarge", can you help by anything to help him develop EI characteristics that would be needed in this customer-facing position? Or would you hire one of the candidates with a higher emotional intelligence and focus on providing the technical training?

Now put yourself in Sarge's shoes. What you might do to help develop your own Emotional Intelligence?