ABSTRACT
Because most IT professionals are introverts, IT geek communication requires energy and concentration to convert thoughts into words. Communication is also an emotional process. People not only hear what is said and interpret body language, they also associate feelings to the conversation, feelings that impact their understanding. Communicating with emotional intelligence means connecting with people at a level that enables transition of meaning and understanding from one person to another person or group of people. Dr. Sanford Berman wrote in Words, Meanings, and People (Berman, 2001) that meanings are in people, not in words. Th e goal is to ensure that the meaning the sender intends for the message is the meaning the receiver interprets from the message. Because words have diff erent connotations to diff erent people, because people interpret nonverbal signals diff erently, and because the political din in organizations is deafening, the communications process is plagued by complexity and errors.
