Studies show introducing an EQ program at your business affects the bottom line positively (http://www.eiconsortium.org ). People learn to: – Make better decisions – Communicate and work together more effectively – Develop tolerance and appreciation for multiculture and diversity – Manage constructive discontent – Cope better and experience less stress – Manage themselves and others better – Become more productive and change-proficient – Increase leadership skills – Accommodate to both introverts and extraverts – Become aware of mimetic changes – Reach others with communication and learning styles different than their own – Use solution-focused problem-solving, not emotion-focused
A recent study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology showed that “friendly” workers were more productive. “Friendly” was defined as the ability to read the nonverbal cues of others. This is EQ in action!
What’s a good way to introduce new material like this?
PHASE I Start with a basic program such as The EQ Foundation Course. It gives facts, information and new terminology in a clear, direct manner.
EXAMPLE: Emotional Intelligence starts with self awareness. Optimism is the facilitator of all the EQ competencies.
PHASE II Then in group teleconference (The EQ Learning Lab) participants learn to take it to the next level. This can also be done in person, of course. We ask questions which require them to apply what they’ve learned and think independently, forming new conclusions, or generating new options. This is all part of developing your Emotional Intelligence. This is EQ alive!
EXAMPLE: Given that Emotional Intelligence starts with self-awareness, how likely is someone with a low EQ to be able to judge the level of their own EQ or someone else’s? If men test (on average) significantly lower than women in Social Responsibility, but significantly higher than women in Stress Tolerance, how can you motivate a team consisting of both men and women to accept a volunteer project to help the community? If the first rule of communication is to assume you’ve been misunderstood, what’s a good way to give instructions to a subordinate?
PHASE III The next step is to ask the team to put their Emotional Intelligence to use in a creative project that’s hands-on.
EXAMPLE: Write a poem or haiku and set it to background music Create a photo display, mural or collage on the EQ competencies Design an exercise that facilitates team conflict resolution . Have a ‘moot court’ on accommodating to introverts and extraverts
Giving an assessment such as the EQ-Map ( http://www.essisystems.com/associates/ clickthru.cgi?id=susandunn ) before and after is one way to measure progress. Another way is to check in with group feelings; it’s emotional intelligence after all! How do they now feel about themselves, their work and their colleagues? What feels different and why?
Why the team approach? Studies show the bottom line is positively affected when the overall Emotional Intelligence increases, not just that of one person. (Reuven Bar-on, Ph.D.)
Susan Dunn, MA Clinical Psychology, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Individual and executive coaching, EQ programs for businesses, risk management programs, distance learning, global affiliations. We offer The EQ Foundation Course and The EQ Learning Lab. Mailto:sdunn@ susandunn.cc for free ezine. Put “EQ at Work” for subject line. Call 210-496-0678 for immediate attention. We design solutions to your problems.
Susan Dunn, MA, Marketing Coach,
http://www.webstrategies.cc. Marketing consultation,
implementation, website review, SEO optimization, article
writing and submission, help with ebooks and other
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