BrightSkills

Delivering Feedback using AID Model

We work with managers at all levels in a very broad range of industries and business sizes.  We’ve found across the board that feedback delivery skills and techniques are at a low.  Our observations are that there is a lack of action to deliver timely feedback, in most cases both positive and negative.  When explored, most managers identify that the reason for this is a) confidence b) lack of technique or ‘how to’ and to a much lesser extent c) lack of motivation that delivering the feedback will change anything “what’s the point, I’ve done it before and nothing changed”. 

OK, so we can help you with the above which is good news right?  We help managers to develop their skills and confidence in this area every day.  The benefits of delivering feedback to our team workers – both individually and collectively – are;

• Strong morale
• Clear sense of the ‘right’ behaviour and attitude
• Boosts personal accountability and responsibility
• Creates an environment where continuous development and improvement is the norm – boosting high performance culture
• Allows individuals to clearly understand their strengths and areas for improvement

When we work with clients be it in 1:1 coaching or through training workshops and development programmes, we always use the AID model for delivering feedback.  AID provides a useful tool for managers to structure their conversation and dialogue around in order to ensure that they are constructively managing how they deliver the feedback – so that their team workers are clear and capable of taking the right action or next step.  So, what is AID I hear you say?

Introduction to AID Model for Feedback Delivery

A                Action

Manager specifically defines the observable action that the team worker has taken which is either positive or negative.  Very importantly and as highlighted here, the action must be observable – in other words, it must be based on actions / behaviours that can be defined and that have been observed by others.

Correct use of AID – “Over the last two weeks, you’ve signed in for work late on 6 occasions”

Incorrect use of AID – “You’re building a track record for lateness now, you’re constantly late these days”

I                  Impact

Here the manager must explain the impact of the action not only for the individuals involved but for the greater ecology i.e. self – team – organisation – industry reputation etc.

Correct use of AID – “the impact of this is that many tasks cannot be started until your team is complete – therefore there is a delay in work production for the overall group – directly connected to your lateness”

Incorrect use of AID – “the impact of this is that everyone is feeling frustrated and is fed up”

D                Do

Lastly, this where the manager outlines the behaviour that they would like to see continuing / changed for the future.

Correct use of AID – “From now, I expect to see your timesheet without any lateness and if you think you are going to be late, I expect you to call me directly at least 30 minutes before you’re due in”

Incorrect use of AID – “So don’t let it happen again”

 

This is just a short introduction to the model, the real challenge comes when we are engaging in a dialogue of feedback delivery – we often need to engage coaching and listening skills to really influence behavioural change.

If you’d like to find out more about AID or if you’d like to talk to us, please contact us at info@brightskills.ie or by phone 01-8531400.  We’re always happy to chat and share our wisdom over a cup of coffee!

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Being a manager can be tough at times.  In the current climate, managers are often stretched to perform at their best - minimising costs, reducing headcount, maximising revenue... while increasing productivity and building team morale!

At BrightSkills, we work with managers from all industries and of all sizes - from small business right through to global enterprises and corporations.  We're continuously curious and passionate about management skills and styles - 'What are they doing to achieve those results?'

In this blog, we've outlined our Top 5 Tips for Better Management - based on our experiences and observations working with management teams over the last 10 years;

1. Lead -v- Manage

It's important to understand the difference between leading and managing.  There are hundreds if not thousands of definitions of the two.  In our book;

• "leadership is the skill of moving forward towards a vision, communicating that vision to others and inspiring others to move forwards alongside you" - Eve Bulman
• "management is the combined skill of understanding the strategy and organisational goals while implementing the operational measures necessary to achieve these goals" - Eve Bulman

In the current climate, there is a need for strong management skills on the ground to keep operations moving as efficiently as possible.

2. Listen & Ask

Some managers become masters at assigning work and/or delegating tasks.  Great managers devote time on a daily basis to Listening to their team members.  They Ask questions to gain more insight into operations on the ground and they devote time and energy to understanding the challenges, frustrations and general feelings of their team.  Managers who Listen and Ask don't get surprises and are always best positioned to communicate messages to the team because they understand the team's personality and mood at any given time.

3. Adapt Your Style

Every manager has a preferred management style - whether that is Directing, Collaborative, Democratic or Coaching , great people management depends on the individual's ability to adapt their style to the needs of the employee - not their preferred style.  Remember, people, don't want to be treated equally, they want to be treated individually!

Adapting your style to the preferences and needs of others will enable you as a manager, to get the most out of every team member.  We work on this skill and knowledge in depth on our Insights for Leaders programme.  Contact us for more details.

4. All Feedback is Good Feedback

Running a tight ship means keeping people operating at their optimum levels.  Great managers know that acknowledging both good and poor performance is key in achieving this.

Strong people managers don't shy away from dealing with difficult situations and delivering hard feedback to team members.  They do so in a caring but professional way.  Great people managers also recognise the importance of positive feedback and always recognise a job well done.

At BrightSkills we use the AID model for delivering feedback to individuals and teams - this is a tried and tested model for successful feedback delivery.

5. Smart Capacity Planning

Our job as managers is to empower our teams to do the best job possible.  To do this, we must ensure that our teams are operating in an environment where they CAN perform well.  Smart capacity planning and team time management is essential here.

We recommend that managers develop weekly and monthly capacity plans for their teams.  This will allow them to assign and monitor workload realistically and will also create an objective foundation on which they can negotiate with stakeholders and senior management.  We cover smar capacity planning in detail on our 'Team Time' and 'New Manager' training programmes.

If you found this blog useful, please leave a comment / thought below!

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One of the things which I love most is planning for a new year.  The idea of a 'clean sheet' with unlimited possibilities and potential is really exciting for me.  Having worked in both medium, large and giant organisations in the past, I've learned a thing or two about planning.  One of the biggest learnings for me so far in this regard is the importance of it.  As Roy Keane said during the turbulent upset of Saipan 2002 "Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail".  Even now as a small business owner, I still engage the discipline of yearly planning, goal setting and measurement and it has not failed me yet.  Here are our top tips for 2011 Planning;

Tip # 1 Get some specific time

In order to get into the correct state of mind for planning, it's important that you make time for this.  Ideally, create an environment that is uninterrupted and away from the daily job.  It is a great idea to have an 'away' day or afternoon with some key team members / business supports.  Consider using a hotel venue or maybe your living room!  The quiet uninterrupted space will allow you to think outside the box and be creative in your thinking - two essential elements for successful and innovative strategy.

Tip # 2 Start at the top - Big Picture

If you are part of a larger organisation, ensure that you are familiar and connected with what the greater goals and plans for the business are.  This is crucial if you are going to deliver meaningful and relevant work in your area next year.  If you are a small business, reconnect with why the business was set up initially, where you want the business to be 5 years from now etc.

Tip #3 Daydream

Don't be afraid to 'wish' for things in business.  A useful question to ask yourself (and your colleagues if they are involved) is this;

• If we knew that we couldn't fail and we had all the resources necessary, what would we be doing next year? 
• How would we be doing it?
• Why would we be doing it?

It's amazing the amount of great stuff that can flow from the above question when you remove the fear of failure.  Once you and your team have identified all the things that you really want to do, the next step is to go back to the perceived 'reality' and identify ways to overcome the barriers that exist in holding you back from just doing it!

Facilitated Brainstorming is another useful techniques for exploring goals for next year.  We have a number of trained and experienced facilitators who are available to run these sessions for you.  For more information contact us on info@brightskills.ie

Tip #4 Write it Down & Get Specific

Once you have begun to identify what you want to be doing during 2011 and why, put pen to paper and begin to add measurements which you can use as a means of monitoring success throughout the year.  Create a table which includes the following headings and work smartly on filling in all the information for each goal / work area;

a) Activity (in other words, what exactly does this relate to)

b) Desired Goal / Achievable (try as much as possible to assign a value for measurement to this i.e. increase sales by 20%, reduce costs by 15%, invoice €50k etc.)

c) How

d) Resources Needed (people, finance etc.)

e) Completed By (ensure there is a date for completion for each goal)

Tip #5 Break it down Quarterly & Monthly (Chunking Down)

Now that you have an overview of what you want to achieve in 2011, break down the goals and planned activity by Quarter (Q1 = Jan, Feb, March etc.) and then by month.  Assign goals and tasks for each area quarterly and then monthly.  This is known as 'chunking down' - it will ensure a steady pace throughout the year and will enable you to identify stumbling blocks, under performance and general problems early next year in order to overcome and still achieve your plans by year end.

Tip #6 Be Flexible

All great plans should be flexible.  Be prepared to adapt and flex as the new year comes and unforseen events take place.  However, regular reviews of your plan will allow tweaking and rearranging where necessary in order to still achieve the goals by year end.

Tip #7 Hold Yourself Accountable

Take responsibility for the goals and plans made and hold yourself accountable throughout the year.

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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 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 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 End / 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. 

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Insights Discovery is a psychometric profiling tool based on the psychology of Dr. Carl Jung.  At BrightSkills, we have brought over 3,000 people through the system to date in our Insights Discovery one day development programme and through 1:1 coaching.  Participants of Insights will complete a special online evaluator on foot of which a 23 page personal Insights profile will be generated.  This is used to provide greater self awareness and aid personal and professional development.  The following is a taster quiz which will help you begin to self identify your 'Insights colour preferences' and of others around you.

Insights Taster Test

Answer the following questions to reveal your 'Insights Colour Preference' explained below.  Choose one answer for each question.

Question One

Which of the following best describes your general approach in life?

a) Goal oriented, Fast & Driving.  Competitive and Challenging. 

b) Creative, Positive, optimistic and fun loving. 

c) Reflective, quiet in your approach.  Driven by the needs of others.

d) Enjoys an orderly and structured approach.  Organised and logical.

Question Two

How would you best describe your approach to a new project or task?

a) Driven by targets set, will delegate tasks and assume a position of leadership.

b) Brainstorm for ideas prefering to work in team situations.  Visionary and big picture focus.

c) Concerned that everybody is involved and knows their role in the project.  Happy to take instruction.

d) Begin working on the project plan and budget right away.  Seek clarification and further detail.

Question Three

How would others describe your communication style?

a) Direct, Bold and Challenging.  At times overbearing.

b) Informal and friendly, open and approachable.  Can get side tracked easily.

c) Quiet and respectful of others.  Slow in responding, will think before talking.  Can be seen as cautious.

d) Formal, logical and precise in your communication.  Can be viewed by others as detatched and overly analytical.

Question Four

How would you describe your leadership style?

a) Natural leader.  Gets the job done.  In control.  

b) Involved. A motivating inspirer.

c) Supportive of others. Shows concern for people over task.

d) Responsible. Great attention to detail. Prioritises task first.

Question Five

Which statement do you idenifty with most?

a) Be brief, be bright, be gone

b) Think outside the box and believe that things will work out

c) Life is about the relationships you build

d) If you're going to do it, do it right

Your Answers...

Mostly 'A's....If you answered mostly As this indicates that you may have a preference for Fiery Red Energy. Fiery Reds value achievement, power, recognition and status. On a good day they may be driving, motivating, determined and strong willed. On a bad day they may be perceived as controlling and intolerant. Their work desk may hold executive toys and a name plaque!

Mostly 'B's....If you answered mostly Bs this indicates that you may have a preference for Sunshine Yellow. Sunshine Yellows value being included,having the space to be creative and a friendly relaxed environment. On a good day they may be sociable, enthusiastic, dynamic and expressive. On a bad day they may be perceived as frantic unorganised and sometimes indiscreet. Their work desk may be untidy and filled with photos of staff nights out.

Mostly 'C's...If you answered mostly Cs this indicates that you may have a preference for Earth Green Energy. Earth Greens value relationships, harmony and quiet recogntion. On a good day they may be good listeners, loyal, supportive and hard working for the good of the team. On a bad day they may be pereived as slow to respond and stuborn. Their work desk may be organised, homely with family photos or sentimental gifts.

Mostly 'D's...If you answered mostly Ds this indicates that you may have a preference for Cool Blue Energy. Cool Blue values order, structure, routine and information. On a good day they may be analytical, objective, impartial and exact. One a bad day they may be perceived as detached and unable to move forward without all the detail they require. Their work desk may be clean, orderly and without personal objects.

If you found this interesting and would like more information about Insights and Insights Training and Coaching, contact us on 01 8531400 or info@brightskills.ie

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Insights Discovery is a dynamic development tool which can be used on a one-to-one or team level.  Essentially, Insights is a psychometric profiling system built on the psychology of Carl Jung and comparible in some ways to the more commonly known tools MBTI and JTI.  As licensed practitioners of Insights, we have worked with over 3,000 people in businesses of all sizes. 

Insights is Different!  Probably the best thing about Insights is how it is built and presented.  Insights uses a clever colour coding system and keeps language and theories simple and straightforward. The benefit of this being that individuals and teams alike quickly begin to create common language for behaviours and attitudes and achieve a high level of self awareness along with awareness of others in a very short time frame. Observing the impact of Insights is often instant yet durable, creating lasting change.

Insights can help improve literallly hundreds of development needs but most often, we work with clients in the following areas;

• Communication Skill Development
• Sales Technique
• New Team Formation
• Team Performance
• Leadership & Management Style & Skills
• Self Development
• Understanding Others & Strategies for Better Relationships

Learn more about the Insights Personal Profile HERE and learn about the one day Insights training programme HERE

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Overview:

This 1 day workshop has been developed to support professionals at all levels to develop their organisational, time planning and workload management skills.  This programme offers both reflective personal habit reviews alongside specific skill development sessions.  In particular, managers, specialists and individuals managing multi projects and responsibilities will find this course beneficial.

Duration: 1 day

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this programme, learners will;

• Idenfiy their strengths, blind spots and habits as time managers and workload planners
• Understand the habits and pracitces which create good and poor productivity
• Understand the 4 quadrants of time and task management & prioritisation
• Identifying which quadrant they currently operate from (overall) and understand the impact of excess time in Q1
• Understand the importance of capacity planning and delegation
• Develop a capacity plan for them and their teams
• Demonstrate an ability to delegate tasks efficiently using the traffic light delegation method
• Understand the importance of diary management and demonstrate an ability to diary map at least two weeks ahead

For more information, contact us on 01 8531400 or info@brightskills.ie

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• Do you use daily 'To Do' lists at work / at home?
• Do you regularly / always work from these 'To Do' lists?
• Do you sometimes find yourself working on tasks which don't reap rewards / go unnoticed?
• Do you ever look back on a day and think 'I feel like I got nothing done!'?
• Do you often have great intentions to work on important stuff with lots of lead in time but find yourself suckered into other stuff so end up doing the big things 'last minute' ?

If you've answered YES to any of the above questions, you may need some help prioritising your workload and home life in order to achieve more.  Below, I've outined my 5 Golden Rules for Prioritisation, hopefully you'll find them useful - please share your thoughts, ideas, experience and feedback with us!!

 

5 Golden Rules for Prioritisation

 

1.   Understand what IMPORTANT tasks are for you - as opposed to URGENT tasks....

Things which are important are of higher value and meaning for you, in your roles and in your life.  Important tasks and activities contribute towards bringing you closer to your goal.

Things which are urgent are time sensitive and need to be done NOW.  Not everything which is urgent is important - so avoid treating it that way!

2.   Don't work from To-Do Lists....

People who work from to do lists are often super busy and active but at the same time, often find themselves constantly engaged in last minute, 'urgent' activity.  To do lists that are created daily are guided by other people's 'important things'...... their boss' priorities, their partner's immediate needs, their colleagues need for help etc.  The problem with daily to do lists is that they prioritise all activities as being equal, they begin with the assumption that everything needs to be done in equal or pretty equal timeframes.  Unless a to-do list is inspired firstly by a higher thinking model such as the 4 Quadrants model which incorporates the essential concept of 'Important' -v- 'Urgent' .You can see examples of the 4 Quadrants here

3.     Practice saying NO.....

It's not as easy as you imagine but saying YES can get you into trouble at times - overworked, stressed, frustrated...

Here are some ways to say no without saying no!

• I'm happy to help you with that but I firstly need to prioritise this piece of work, could you come back to me later?
• Would it work for you if we asked X to do this as I am under pressure today to get this done and it's really important for me and the business?
• I'm busy with this priority right now so can I ask you how urgent this is and what's driving that urgency?  Can it wait?
• I'm actually wondering about the importance of this task for me, I'm considering not doing it and wonder what impact that would have for us?

4.   Get Feedback from your Boss / Team / Friend / Spouse...

Get feedback from others about what they consider to be the highest priorities for you and/or your team/family.  It can be interesting to hear another person's perspective and can sometimes help you to see the wood for the trees!

5.   Review your priorities regularly...

Every week or month, check back in with your goals and how they translate into actions and priorities on a weekly / monthly / daily basis. 

Remember - everything that's worth doing brings you closer to your goals whether on a personal, interpersonal or professional level !

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"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!

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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

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