Tune up your EQ

Anthony Mersino asked 3 great questions in his comments on Sarah Fister Gale’s Beyond The Hype Article. It’s a must read if you want to understand the connection between EQ and successful projects.

Anthony’s questions were:

1.How do we determine where people are? (what is the current level of EQ)
2.Based on where they are, how do we determine their EQ potential?
3.What are the strengths and weaknesses of the tools (training, coaching,books)?

In his Beyond The Hype 3 of 3 post Anthony answers question 3 in an entertaining way with interesting graphics. I recommend his post. It certainly got me thinking. I’ll tackle my thoughts on each of the three tools one post at a time, starting with my perspective on training. In the sixth and final post in the series, I’ll make some general observations and throw in one or two bonus suggestions. For a quick read, you can scan the main bullet points in the table below. If you want to read in more detail, the text is below the table.

Learning,not training
I feel comfortable when we talk about “training” a person in the area of technical skills, for example when you teach me Microsoft Projects software. However, I feel uncomfortable using the term “training” in an EQ setting. When we set out to improve our EQ we are in the business of changing our habits and behaviour for the better. This is in the realm of social and emotional LEARNING. If we are serious about this, I feel that there should be a focus on learning. As a result, I call the programmes that I offer LEARNING PROGRAMMES.

Principal pros and cons of Learning Programmes:
Often Learning Programmes are perceived as a cost effective option, because a large number of staff can receive the Learning Programme at the same time. However, one must be very careful, because if an organisation commissions a Learning Programme as a one off event it is unlikely to get a good return on its investment. To avoid this pitfall, Learning Programmes should be supported by follow up, in the form of coaching, follow on assessments to track progress. A well designed programme that includes Learning Programmes and effective follow up will yield better returns.

The Learning Programme can certainly help learners to understand core EQ concepts like self awareness. Armed with this knowledge, they can explore ways to improve their EQ. A well designed programme should give learners the chance to practice new behaviours so that, over time, they will increase their EQ.

One disadvantage is that diferent participants may have different learning styles and learning paces. When programme designers fail to be flexible in their methods, they fall into the trap of producing generic programmes. If the programme doesn’t meet pressing concerns and needs, it’s clear that it won’t be perceived as valuable. If a programme doesn’t actively involve learners, they may “switch off.”

Learners can also benefit from feedback from the factilitator (not trainer) and from their fellow learners. Group interaction is perceived as a benefit by many people as learning can be facilitated by discussion and debate and the real world of EQ is all about being able to relate effectively to other people.

However, I believe that the learning really starts when the Learning Programme is over and learners practice their new behaviours in real life.

So, in summary, I am a fan of EQ Learning Programmes, so I don’t use the term “training.” A Learning Programme can yield benefits and its disadvantages can be lessened when the best features of coaching, books and other methods are added to this approach. I’ll talk about the other methods in the rest of this series.

I have gained a lot from my dialogue with Anthony. Look out for his upcoming post, where he promises to reveal how HE successfully increased his emotional intelligence.

What is the best method you’ve used to increase your EQ?

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