Don’t force it!

Last time we talked about why the smartest kids in the class aren’t always the most successful. (Not surprisingly, it’s because they have EQ skill deficits!) Then we discussed the first of seven secrets to bringing a winning EQ program to your client company, as it appeared in an article I wrote for Chief Learning Officer Magazine. Did you miss that blog post? Here’s the link. It’s short. Take a look. Now let’s talk about the second secret. Make it voluntary/Win Their Hearts. People, particularly those drawn to be leaders, value autonomy. As a result, getting forced into some company sponsored development program can be an instant turnoff. So it’s up to learning and development professionals, and coaches like you, to make the idea of developing EQ so exciting and compelling that people will be eager to engage in it. Does that sound like a tall order? It isn’t, really.…

Seven Secrets of an Emotional Intelligence Coach

Ever wonder why some of the smartest kids in your class didn’t turn out to be the most successful later on? It’s because intellect isn’t enough. Many otherwise smart people lack emotional intelligence (EQ), the skill set people need to access their own best performance, and to interact successfully with others. Leaders can’t do everything themselves. They need others to get things done. In fact, the essential skill of a good leader is the ability to leverage the talents and energies of other people in order to multiply their effectiveness and productivity for the company. But people who have not developed their EQ skills are often their own worst enemies when it comes to getting things done through others, and are usually baffled by their lack of success. They sometimes feel that there is an invisible barrier between them and their goals that they just can’t seem to understand or…

EQ in Four Questions

David Caruso, Ph.D., one of the founding fathers of research and practice with regard to Emotional Intelligence, once commented about the plethora of EQ models and assessment tools: “Emotional intelligence is sort of a Rorschach, it means whatever you want it to mean.”  Got a favorite theory? Call it EQ and make sales, because EQ is hot! But those of us who want to help clients achieve sustainable behavior change know that our methods need to have a strong scientific foundation for our work. Otherwise, our efforts become pretty much trial and error. Clients shouldn’t have to pay for expertise without foundation. There are three models of EQ which, in my opinion, have made serious efforts to build adequate theory, which has then been tested by rigorous and extensive research. I usually write about the model measured by the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0, which defines EQ as a set of…