BrightSkills

"Good relationships and coping strategies are the key to our success in every area of human activity, from the initial bonding between parent and child to the ability of a manager to bring out the best in his or her employees"  - Steven J Stein & Howard E Book, The EQ Edge

For the last number of years, I have become increasingly curious about Emotional Intelligence - a management and business coach, I am interested primarilly in what it is and how it effects an individual's success in business and life.  I started reading up on the subject a number of years ago and in 2008, became accredited in Dr. Reuven Bar-On's Emotional Quotient profiling tool - BarOn EQi.

In this article, we will begin to explore the following 4 questions;

• What is Emotional Intelligence?
• Why is EI important to consider for Management & Leadership?
• How can I know what MY EI level is?
• How can I begin to develop my EI?

1. What is Emotional Intelligence?

The phrase 'Emotional Intelligence' was first coined and formally defined by John (Jack) Mayer of the University of New Hampshire and Peter Salovey of Yale University in 1990.  The concept and various forms including 'social intelligence' have been explored by many notable psychologists of the 20th century including Edward Thorndike, Albert Ellis, Howard Gardner and of course Reuven Bar-On - who developed what is now recognised as the most reliable and only scientifically valid form of EI testing - the BarOn EQi tool.

In his book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman defines EI as the "capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotional well in ourselves and our relationship".

For me, in simple terms, Emotional Intelligence is an individual's ability to connect with the underlying elements of communication and human interaction while maintaining a responsibility in one's own emotions and regard for self and others. 

'If emotional intelligence redefines what it means to be smart, then Reuven Bar-On is correct when he remarks that "it levels out the playing field for success.  It help saccount for htose cases where some high IQ individuals falter in life, while others with only modest IQ can do exceptionally well".' - The EQ Edge by Steven J Stein & Howard E Book

2. Why is EI important to consider for Management & Leadership?

In our recommended read for this month - The EQ Edge - Stein & Howard outline a great exercise on page 13/14 which really outlines the difference between IQ and EQ.  They recommed writing down the name of a mentor who has had a positive influence on your career and to list 6 attributes of that person.  Then, categorise these attributes by IQ categories i.e. "high intelligence, expert, strategist" and EQ categories i.e. "listens deeply, delivers feedback well, understands my needs, treats me with respect".  In doing this exercise, it starts to become plain that EQ is about the personal aspects of one's behaviour - with self and others - and at the very least as important as IQ in management and leadership.

EI is important for Management & Leadership because it inevitably affects how we interact on a daily basis with those around us - how we influence others to move forward - how we connect with our teams and our peers - how we achieve results - how we craft our success and our future success! 

When we consider great leaders, whether in business or not, we observe behaviours and characteristics that go beyond 'core job excellence' and 'technical superiority'.  Leaders with high levels of EI lead by example, understand the unique needs of each key relationship they engage in and are adept in nurturing these needs and individuals on a technical AND personal level in order to acheive the best results possible. 

Leaders with high and balanced levels of EI are superior at empowering their teams in developing the skills and behaviours necessary for success today AND tomorrow and do so in a way that enables the individual's personal growth all at the same time.

"Being led by a manger with high EI feels exciting, inspiring and rewarding - my contributions are acknowledged and I feel 'part' of the process.  I feel like I've got the space to learn along the way".

3. How can I know what MY Emotional Intelligence Level is?

There are lots of ways to develop your understanding of awareness of your own EI - probably the best way to start is by reading a book such as The EQ Edge by Steven J Stein & Howard E Book (see our recommended read this month) or Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman.

However, a more thorough and detailed analysis of one's current EI level can be measured through profiling.  At BrightSkills, our coaches are accredited and experienced to work with the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i®), the first scientifically developed and most validated measure of emotional intelligence in the world.  In Reuven BarOn's tool, you will be measured in the 5 realms of EI (Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Adaptability, Stress Management and General Mood) and also given indicators for your current level and abilities on the 15 sub-component scales.  This will give you invaluabel and accurate insight to your own EI level and will enable you to develop a personal action plan which will allow you to develop your strengths in each of the sub-component scales. 

It is more important to become balanced in one's EI than to necessarily be exceptionally high in any particular scale.  With balance comes consistency and reliability - we observe often that managers who even develop mid to low high range balance on the BarOn EQi scales achieve greater success with their teams and ultimately their businesses.

You can develop this awarness and engage in this profiling through 1:1 coaching or by attending a specific training programme.  Learn more about these coaching here and our training programmes here.  In particular, you may find 'Becoming a People Manager' or 'Understanding & Developing EQi' interesting programmes.

4. How can I begin to develop my EI?

Below are 5 practical tips which you will find useful when beginning to develop your Emotional Intelligence;

1. Observe how you interact with people - how do you generally engage with others?  How would you describe your management / leadership style?  Do you engage WITH others or are you the active and talkative one mostly?  Do you often have 'hunches' about how other people are / might react to situations which you end up right on?  Try to put yourself in their shoes and consider what their perception could be.  Seek to understand the world - it's greatness and it's challenges from their perspective and ask yourself "What's important to this person?"

2. Develop your coaching & questionning skills - begin to develop your ability to gather real information about where people are at and to connect on a personal level.  In developing your coaching and questionning skills, you will learn the talent of listenting, intutitive questionning, person centred curiousity and much much more.  Managers who demonstrate a coaching style are often noted as having high levels of EI by their subordinates and peers - why is this?  Because they demonstrate strength, responsibility and self awarnesss in many of the scales identified by BarOn - they walk the talk !

3. Get some feedback - ask the people who work for / with you to give you some feedback.  This can be as detailed and thorough or as simple and straightforward as you like.  Simply asking the people around you to list 6 attributes of you (which can be positive or negative) as a leader / professional can give you great insight. 

4. Examine how you react to stressful situations - Do you become upset every time there's a delay or something doesn't happen the way you want? Do you blame others or become angry at them, even when it's not their fault? The ability to stay calm and in control in difficult situations is highly valued - in the business world and outside it. Keep your emotions under control when things go wrong. (source for tip # 4 - http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm)

5. Compile a strengths & weaknesses self assessment - What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader / influencer / business owner etc.?  What can you begin to do to overcome / build on the weak points and maximise your strengths?

To learn more about how you can develop your Emotional Intelligence, contact us today!

Overview:

This programme focuses on developing the behaviours and mindsets of great people managers, with a view to getting the most out of the team and individuals.  A highly interactive, engaging and practically applied workshop, participants will walk away with ‘ready to apply’ models alongside ‘tried and tested’ theories for greater motivation, effectiveness, productivity and overall effectiveness.  Existing or ‘soon to be’ Team leads, Supervisors and Managers will benefit from attending this programme. 

Duration: 2 days

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this programme, learners will;

• Understand the core behaviours and mindsets of great leaders and managers
• Identify their preferred Leadership Style and demonstrate an ability to adapt and utilise all 4 styles appropriately
• Understand the concept of Emotional Intelligence can aid greater people management and leadership
• Become aware of their own EQi (through BarOn EQi profiling) including their personal strengths and blind spots as people managers – with developmental strategies in place
• Understand the importance of both TEAM and I and why these two are equally important
• Demonstrate an ability to engage in two way coaching conversations using the GROW model
• Demonstrate an ability to deliver feedback effectively, using the AID model
• Develop an awareness of the main personality and communication styles, strategising best practice communication and motivational techniques for each.
• Develop a personalised action plan ensuring fast and effective learning transfer following on from the training

At BrightSkills, we realise the importance of life balance and because of this, we're really enthusiastic about making the most of our spare time and our days off!  To help you get the most out of your weekends, we've listed our top 10 'things to do on a summer Saturday' below - hope you find them useful.  Enjoy!

1. Go for a walk on the beach - we dont have many months of the year when we can enjoy a balmy walk on the beach in Ireland.  Bring some sandals or maybe even your swimming gear (for the really adventurous of you!) and head to your favourite beaches!  Our favourites in Dublin are Donabate, Portmarnock and of course, Dollymount :) 

2. Go Rafting on the River Liffey! http://www.rafting.ie/Rafting.ie/The_Route.html

3. Have a BBQ & invite some friends - a great way to have a party and keep the house clean at the same time :)  Invite a bunch of your friends around for an impromptu BBQ the next sunny Saturday that arrives.  Lessen the hosting burden on yourself by asking people to bring something to bbq with them - this can be really great fun when you see what combinations of food people will put on a bbq - BBQ bananna anybody? (trust us - it's yummy with ice-cream and cinnamon!)

4. Go to the Zoo - especially great if you've got kids but fun for adults too, a day at Dublin Zoo is always fun.  http://www.dublinzoo.ie

5. Have a ramble around Dublin city - take a leisurely stroll around Dublin city centre.  Wander around St Stephens Green, have coffee in the Powerscourt Centre and finish up an afternoon with a cocktail in the Horseshoe Bar at The Shelbourne.

6. Visit Ferran Garcia Sevilla's exhibition at the Irish Museum of Modern Art which runs from June 10th to September 5th 2010 http://www.imma.ie/en/page_212198.htm

7. Go on the Sea Safari around Dublin Bay http://www.seasafari.ie/

8. Visit the National Leprechaun Museum - really made for kids but fun for adults too! http://www.leprechaunmuseum.ie/

9. Go see a live band / gig at your local pub / venue

10. Stay home, have a beer and read a book!

'The EQ Edge' Emotional Intelligence and Your Success

(Steven J. Stein & Howard E. Book)

Book Review by: Associate Coach Anthea Newburn of Awaken Coaching

This book is adapted from the technical manuals and includes a lot of research findings. That said this is an accessible book with plenty of practical examples and stories of EQ in play. As a result it is one of the books I often reference and I regularly use the exercises myself and with my clients. 

In the introduction, two reasons are given for the popularity of emotional intelligence. Firstly, Stein & Howard talk about how we are “excited and relieved” that this makes sense, that EQi feels right and why many who are not deemed academically intelligent become very successful.  Secondly, EQi provides a measurement and framework which makes EQ quantifiable and real, and thereby able to stand alongside IQ. 

The book is then broken down into seven parts; firstly explaining the “EQ Explosion”, with parts two to six each describing a realm (Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Adaptability, Stress Management and General Mood) with an individual chapter on each subscale and part seven completes by “Putting It All Together” describing star performers and EQ as an ability.  

Each chapter, covering the 15 subscales, provides a definition of the subscale, a real life example of the ability at play, important elements and exercises to enhance the ability. At the end of each chapter is a self-assessment and self-assignments – this is putting EQ into practice. Not only can you read the book but you can use the information and exercises to develop your EQ.  

I’ll leave you with the final words of the book;

"Remember- it’s never too late to make a change for the better"

You can view a free preview and other reviews of this book on Google Books HERE

So, it's that time of year again - 'Review Time'.  Most medium to large sized organisations are now working with various types of employee performance management systems, be they sophisticated frameworks or simple appraisal systems, which for most cases means a check back in with the performance goals and targets set back in January of this year (for most organisations - the beginning of the performance period).

As a leader in an organisation involved in performance management, it is important to engage fully in the process and to ensure that the right behaviours and practices are demonstrated.  Lean employee performance management will help you to;

• Deliver more on time - boost productivity
• Create a high performance culture (where underperformance / 'getting by' is outside the norm)
• Manage low performance out
• Improve employee morale and motivation
• Retain staff

For many managers however, this can be a tricky time;

• The world has moved on since January, are the items still valid?
• The person has not performed well, how can I give them the feedback they need?
• The goals we set were too vague and its difficult now to hold them accountable / measure their progress
• I have no time for mid year reviews!

So, managing the mid year review well is critical for business!  Engaging in meaningful conversations that allow a two way flow of information and assessment and acknowledge the personality can boost morale, motivation and staff productivity. 

On the flip side, managing the mid year review badly can result in employee discontent, a divided culture, lack of trust between teams and management and reduced output / productivity.

Here are our Top Ten Tips for Managers Preparing for Mid Year Reviews

1. Review the Goals / Targets Set - familiarise yourself again with the goals and targets set.  What was planned at the beginning of the review period?  Were the goals and targets measurable to begin with?  Did they follow a SMART goalsetting methodology (Specific - Measurable - Achievable - Realistic - Timely) or similar?  Specifically what outputs should you be expecting from this individual at this time?  Were the goals and targets set a blend of 'hard' and 'soft', in other words a mixture of behavioural and technical?

2. Establish Key Areas for Review - What are the key areas that need to be reviewed? What projects have been delivered on and what is in the pipeline?  Overall how has the individual performed? What KRA (key result areas) need to be addressed?  Where competencies have been prescribed for a role, how is this person performing against these?

3. Request a Self Assessment - The great thing about conducting self assessments is that as the manager, you gain insight and knowledge about where the individual sees their performance and rates themselves prior to the 1:1 conversation - this gives you great advantage in understanding their perspective and also, in preparing to deliver feedback that is meaningful to the person in question (be it good or bad feedback).  Ask the individual to submit a review of their performance during the period to date - encouraging them to review their overall performance, performance on specific projects and outputs planned, performance in core role competency areas (if they've been prescribed) etc. 

4. Measure Results To Date - Objectively, you now need to establish what has been delivered / completed and what has not.  To be fair, consider applying a percentage score to each KRA originally set.  Ensure that 'opinion' and 'gut' are not the determinants of this - performance should be based on observable outputs and behaviours and should be easy to quantify.  Where the KRA is a behaviour / attitudinal in nature, consider specific interactions observed or feedback received about the individual's behaviour.  Now ask yourself, are these behaviours and deliverables consistent from this person?  You will now start to gain a much clearer sense of how the individual is performing overall - 70% / 80% / 100% !

5. Identify Performance Gaps - Where gaps exist, specifically identify what is not being done (behaviour or output oriented).  Be specific, objective and measurable.  Avoid generalities such as "You need to improve communication skills" - this type of developmental feedback is useless and can cause confusion.  Switch it for measurable and observable guidance such as "In your phone conversations with clients, I'd like to see you explaining the features and advantages of the product in a clearer more specific way.  I'd also like to hear you asking for client feedback and suggestions when on the phone"

6. Plan for Delivering Feedback - Before meeting with the person, consider how you should deliver the feedback to them.  What is their personality and communication style? Where is the best place to meet with them?  What actions did you observe?  What impact did these actions have?  What are the desired next steps?  Remember to be specific and timely about delivering feedback and keep it focused on observable behaviour - not intuition or gut feeling!  We cover this and a lot more around feedback in our Delivering Hard Feedback and Coaching Skills courses

7. Construct a 1st Draft Development Plan - Although it's important that a development plan is constructed WITH the individual and that they ultimately own it themselves, consider some development activities that could assist this person in closing the gaps.  Have a list of interventions considered before the review meeting.  This could be traditional training, coaching, mentoring, reading a recommended book, working on a stretch project etc. - think outside the box!

8. Reset Goals & Targets- Before meeting with the individual, consider exactly what focus and shape the goals and targets for the rest of the review period will be.  Are there new goals / targets?  Will some original deliverable dates change?  Be clear about what success looks like for each goal so that it will be easy to review and measure in another 3 or 6 months!

9. Consult, Coach & Question - OK so now you're ready to actually host the review meeting!  In this meeting, apply coaching and questionning techniques in order to draw out the self assessment and avoid any shock surprises!  Achieve buy in from a two way conversation which equally acknowledges successes to date alongside areas for improvement.  Move away from 'telling' or 'directing' leadership style and move more into 'coaching' and 'consulting'.  We cover this in great detail on our Coaching Skills and Performance Management courses.

10. Empower & Enable - Listen to what the individual needs in order to feel prepared and competent to deliver during the next review period.  Support their development needs and goals.  Encourage them to own their performance plan by setting renewed goals and adding personal achievement targets for themselves. 

Coaching Skills - Programme Overview

This 1 day programme helps prepare internal coaches to take on the role of coach within their organisations.  Exploring all core skill areas alongside an understanding of the role coach as opposed to manager, trainer or mentor.  An interactive workshop, participants will be encouraged to practice their new skills through role play and feedback group exercises.

Programme Duration

1 day 9am – 5pm

"thought the presentation of the GROW model was very good as was the role play (although I usally hate that kind of thing!)  The workbook and recommended text was really useful too and I feel that I have really built up a good skillset to be able to take on the role of Mentor here - thanks!"

Programme Learning Objectives

Through participation in this programme, learners will;

• Understand the role of Coach as opposed to Manager, Trainer or Mentor within their organisations
• Identify what Coaching IS and IS NOT
• Identify their key strengths and possible blind spots as Coaches
• Understand the concept of  ‘Client Centred Coaching’ and demonstrate an ability to operate in this model
• Demonstrate an ability to apply the skill of smart Questionning while coaching – recognising agenda based questions and the benefits and appropriateness of each questionning type when coaching
• Understand the significance of listening in coaching and demonstrate an ability to listen Actively and Empathically
• Demonstrate an ability to apply the GROW Coaching Model when working with a client / colleague
• Develop a personal Coach action plan – focusing on their personal improvement plans and goals for setting up successful mentor relationships in the future

As we start a new year, why not make one resolution that will help you;

• Improve your knowledge and expertise
• Strike a better work / life balance
• Manage Stress

By taking just 1 hour out per week (even 10 - 15 mins a day) to read a relevant article which explores new perspectives and approaches, introduces new theories or develops industry awareness, you will greatly improve your general business acumen.  Applying this approach will also help you to minimise stress levels - taking time out in a quiet environment to do a solitary and relaxing activity such as reading generally reduces one's heart rate and often helps you get a 'breather' from the normal daily grind!

To help you get started, we'e loaded up 3 fresh new articles to our resources area for January;

• The Role of Curiousity in Learning - Read Article

• Find Creative Ways to Motivate Employees - Read Article

• Agile Learning - Thriving in thr New Normal - Read Article

As 2009 draws to a close and we welcome in a fresh new year, we at BrightSkills would like to take this opportunity to wish you and all those around you a successful, prosperous and happy new year.

Many of you will be making resolutions for the year ahead - starting or stopping behaviours, planning new trips and developments - so here is an interesting blog '10 Tips for Making New Years Resolutions You Might Actually Keep' - hope you find it useful!

Looking forward to sharing more useful hints, tips and perspectives with you all in 2010!

Eve

Our Feature - check us out here

We were very lucky recently to be selected and approached by Peter Cluskey, journalist for The Irish Times, to interview for the 'Under the Radar' article featured every week in the Friday business section.

The 'Under the Radar' article focuses on up and coming enterpreneurs in Ireland under the age of 30.

Our interview took place back in early September and boy was I nervous!  It was the first time I'd been interviewed by a big journalist but once we got going, I realised that it was just an open conversation about what it is that we do best so it wound up being easy!  In fact, I really enjoyed it :)

I'm really happy with the feature (apart from the horrible photo - yuck!) and hope that you a)enjoy it and b)find it useful in terms of validation and credibility for the BrightSkills brand and services.

Today The Irish Times, tomorrow Oprah ?!

Check out our feature here

It is with great excitement that I write this blog about our new leadership programme for entrepreneurs and business owners Business Success Camp - Peer Learning & Leadership!

The reason I'm excited about this programme is because it's been in the making for over a year now.  You can read about the course objectives and how it works here but let me tell you a little bit about my vision and dreams for this programme!

As a business owner myself and a savvy networker (if I do say so!!) I'm observing and working with micro enterprises every day - some of which are thriving and some who are just if barely surviving.  In my discussions with these entrepreneurs, I'm hearing the following comments again and again..

"I feel like I'm firefighting all the time, when will it end"

"I'm shattered, I'm working harder than ever before and am feeling overwhelmed at times"

"I've been made redundant and I want to set up my own business but amn't sure about what I need to be doing.  I dont really have a plan yet"

"What have they got that I haven't? They're thriving and I'm barely surviving at the moment"

It wasnt until I was out for dinner with a fellow colleague of Fingal County Enterprise Board (I'm network manager for Women In Business Network there!) and a mentoring client of mine that I realised what I could do to help these people....

Create a focused and practically applicable programme that gives entrepreneurs and business leaders a chance to exhale, recharge and re-strategise

So, I got to work on developing 2 day programme which will run in the opulent and beautifully relaxing venue of Dunboyne Castle Hotel.  Mobiles, laptops and Blackberry devices will be left at the door and participants will dive into an intense yet refreshingly rewarding programme which has three fundamental themes to it;

• Peer sharing, learning and support
• Business specific - outcome focused - development sessions
• Focus on real business issues for the group

There will be 3 facilitators throughout the 2 days - Eve Bulman, Roy Sherry and Sara Morrissey - watch out, full profiles are coming soon!

I've also been very conscious of cost because this is a programme for small business leaders and entrepreneurs so we've capped the cost (which includes lunch, parking, refreshments, course materials and books) at just €450 per person.

If you're interested in learning more or know somebody that might be interested, please spread the word!!!  You can even book online - or by phone or email too.

Upcoming dates are;

• Friday & Saturday October 9th & 10th
• Friday & Saturday November 6th & 7th

Looking forward to seeing you there!!