PARTICIPANT COMMENTS

It aids in reducing stress. I'm relying on my intuitive decisions and am more comfortable. I'm more open to other points-of-view. I see others' self-worth and my own. I'm gaining clarity on my life and our goals. It's a great chance for personal development and fostering network within the organization. Out of all the training courses I've taken, this has made a tremendous difference in my life. It is powerful.

It is a vital program for everybody to go through. You become a better performer with a better potential performance and better outcomes - it is the core of working together better. It's definitely worth the time and the follow-up. Follow-up is critical in reinforcing what we learned.

This organization, in its heritage and values, appreciates the whole person - I need to appreciate all the talents of people. This (program) fits to that in another dimension - as people. It fits with historic values and things we are building on today - another important piece. It makes the Corporate Genome more valuable. I see the interplay of skills. They are not redundant. I hope it is made available to others so my people can go through it . Through the Leading Edge Program, make it available so managers and work team leaders can attend.

When I was first introduced to EI, we talked about how it drove business - this is what we talked about at Harvard. We had many breakouts and late night talks and talks with CEO's and Christine Cummings (Greenspans' right hand), discussing how they recognize and utilize EI. In 2002, coming off of Primal Leadership, there was a lot to say around the works about EI. Different cultures were embracing it. We had concrete facts and how it drove better business behavior. It helped people who had issues if they had concrete facts to convince people. That is what they taught at Harvard. I did all the homework. What I did not get (at Harvard) was in depth tools that this (program) taught me. Primal Leadership talks about it. It doesn't teach you how to do it. It doesn't sit you in a busy office and hook you up (to the software). HBR readings didn't do it. You have to have a coach to help you. And you have to trust him. Get over the "soft" terms and get to what it does! The tools are taught in this program. This is a big deal for me. First, it's not about EI or tools, but, from the heart, about what makes a great day and what constitutes that, and take them all the way back to the tools. You have tough choices, but what makes a good day? Do you want to be grumpy? What made a great day great? Now bring that into this organization. If the CEO would let his guard down enough to have a great day, it would transform the organization. I wanted to see the tools, and you have it. I'm a self-made prophet of the Disney leadership style. I spent time with the grandfathers of Disney. I tested their theories and work in departments. Everything was reflective of what they are saying. I sent two team members down there. They don't have the Disney Institute, things are declining. They are backsliding. I can see us slip. I'm now looking for the next benchmark. Maybe we're the next benchmark.

The emotional side of leadership is equal to or more important than other skills. I've appreciated the focus on the emotional side of leadership and my own work experience. I think the importance of learning skills to address the emotional side of stress is critical to being the most effective leader you can be. Emotional issues are what gets in the way of performance more than you or I realize.

I think it was extremely beneficial from an emotional standpoint. We typically don't talk about this at work - it is very refreshing. I wouldn't have expected the organization to provide this internal look at ourselves. The fact they did shows they care about me as an individual. This is part of the organization's appeal - they look at us as people and they care about us. This program has benefited me a great deal - conflict, relationship, better information - definitely worthwhile. The Corporate Genome is repetitive but not a bad thing - it reinforces the importance. (This program) helps remind you of what is important. I feel good they invested in it, and it is great. It is amazing the role emotions play in the workforce. Thanks!! You should take this class. It could help the new leadership team.

It is very important for any leader or manager or director or VP. It makes you think more about what your role is as a leader. I used to always be the doer for everyone. I have good managers, and they should be able to do this. I can spend time on visioning. We got in this program because we are doers - sense of adding value - how much did I accomplish - hard to check them off when it is about motivating and encouraging people and listening. It is not about my accomplishment but my team's accomplishment. I have a different role. I am not the doer now. Now I motivate others to achieve.

We've had a few difficult years - downsizing, getting back to basics, being diligent, playing defense. We're entering a new phase of business - improvement in economy and growing into new areas. To get people to that new level, we have to inspire people and focus on the heart. We have to capture people's hearts and not just their hands. We have to move from "managing through crisis" to "leading to the future." We will get a lot of return if we do this. This is not a challenge to how management is doing. I'm simply saying that managing our own emotions and inspiring our employees is what we need to do to get to the next level. Our values statements have lots to believe in. We need to rekindle the emotion and passion that is in the values statements in an open and obvious (overt) way. We need to inspire people. This program is a great tool, for giving each leader the skills to do just that. It tells us scientifically why it is important to be aware of our emotions, manage them effectively, be aware of the emotions of our employees, and then lead them to a new future through inspiration and clear thinking.

I thought the science behind the training was interesting and lends credibility as to where this is important. Overall the skills are almost deceptively or sneakily easy and simple - like I know it, but putting it into practice takes skill development. You can give them the science - but practicing to be more competent - you have to give them the tools that work. That is where this workshop is exceptional. Even if you can use half of what you learned, you will benefit tremendously. Some of the skills are easy and quick, some require more deliberate practice and are not automatic and unconscious as (others). Success breeds success. Take advantage of the opportunity. It will make you a better person, and you will be a better leader.

I place a huge value on the (core) technique. I almost kick myself for not doing it more. It's really, really helpful. The music is incredibly helpful - both what you provided and other music. It's really relaxing - (I use it) on way to work and way home.

The biggest benefit is to become self-aware as opposed to self-absorbed. By that I mean you have to be able to read yourself and understand yourself more than to be super assertive, or stoic, or in control of situations or other people. Remember that you are in control of your emotions and you can't control the stimulus but can control how you process it. Enlightened awareness comes over you. I can be at the mercy of what comes at me or be in control of myself. This is a better internal kind of feeling.

I have a team person who is particularly sensitive. His/her emotions can come to surface in a meeting. You can see that s/he is feeling stress. This person is a project manager. I have recommended the program to this employee and s/he is enrolled. The program teaches you to get better at what you are doing and additional techniques to address that.

The program makes you self-aware about how your emotions can affect others and situations. Typically, showing negative emotions is not a positive thing in helping manage the situation. After describing the program to this person, s/he is excited about it. S/he said s/he had seen some positive changes in me and s/he was more relaxed in working with me. S/he asked me (about the changes). I told him/her I went through the program.

It is a course that every manager should go through to understand the effect emotions could have on how they manage. If it is someone who is contemplating going to the program, be careful to temper what you hear with understanding that emotions, in my opinion, are not a bad thing, keep this in your mind.

It has been the most valuable personal improvement tool I have ever learned. It is not a tool just for work - (it's a tool for) home too, at the store, anything you do. That is why it is valuable. I would recommend it to anybody. It would be nice to have this in high schools.

It, for me, has been a great way to learn about myself and how I work which is critical in my position. The better I am at it, the more effective I can be in leading and coaching others. It is an inward looking program which is different - to your core - what are your buttons. When I tell people about the program, (I tell them) we learned science and other stuff in school, but this is one area we don't learn about in school even though it is critical. This makes me worry about what my children are not learning in school. The challenge is overcoming a lifetime of not managing your emotions - coaching helps with this. The challenge is to continue to use it and make it your way of life.

We had a global account meeting. Our boss told us to bring a nugget to the meeting to share about how we could be a better global account manager. I told them about the Developing Emotional Competence program. I told them stories about how it has impacted me. We are the best of the best. This program is the way that we could increase our capabilities. They asked about examples of how it has helped me, and I shared examples with them. This program would help all of us as sales professionals. Some of them told (the boss) we should ask Byron to do it for our team. I told them we would perform better. We live in a work world where we jump from one thing to the next issue. The emotions that can come into play can keep us from being effective. The tools in the program are the ones to help build relationships and nurture sales people so it doesn't affect you like it used to. These tools can help us manage our stress and our jobs better. Emotions play a part in everything. Some things I was good at. But when you see the marked improvement and others notice it, I see I was not as good at it as I thought.

It is a worthwhile program because, overall, it seems to reduce stress and anxiety and put you in control of your emotions. It levels things out a bit. I didn't have big spikes of change, but it helped overall and gave me tools in my toolbox to manage stress.

It was worthwhile even if I have not been a great practitioner. The concentration of area around the heart was really worthwhile to get back to where you need to be.

It can help better prepare teams to deal with ambiguity that comes with the territory. They expect that all (others) around them have the same information they have which is not true. If they help others with this, it would be beneficial. For example, we have a sales VP leaving. Now all sales people are worried and are not doing squat. Personally, it has made me better to deal with inevitable problems. This makes for a healthy organization - especially when you tie to our new values - much less confusing.

Utilizing the tools and techniques results in clarity confidence, and cooperation, which in turn results in sound and timely business decisions and actions.

Comment from participant who missed the Impact Interview:

The impact of the program for me was really around the (core) technique and the "What am I feeling right now?" I do use the (core) technique as does my family. It has helped. It helps put things in perspective that are so obvious from afar, but not visible when sitting in the heat of the emotional moment. (Another concept that has helped is) your talk about people that live in the present being typically happier. I tend to "think ahead" to the destination (obviously I did not demonstrate that this morning) and miss some good things on the journey. The techniques have helped me be more aware of the present and value the moment. Also, the concept of "over care" has been very helpful. I am more aware of things that I don't have control over. Then I ask myself if I am over caring. When I allow myself to just "stop worrying," it is a relief. This turns my feeling of lacking control of the situation into control, since I can control how I deal with it.

Bottom line the techniques of the program have influenced my life. I am glad I had this experience. Thank you! Again, I apologize for missing our meeting.

Besides the concepts and great tools ... It only works if you live it. You have to create a discipline. It takes 30-60 days to get into a habit and make it a reflex action. If you can get it to this point, it works.

It is a wonderful set of tools. I appreciate the company making the investment in tools that are really profound. There is a clear benefit to work and family life. We stand for the whole person, and this is wonderful evidence of that value. I would like to see a poll of the people and which tools they would you like to have a refresher in. Make it (the refresher) a review and real application of tools. Get real business issues and use the tools to get some ideas.

This is the most significant program that changed the way I think about myself and how I want to be - the natural me and the one I want to be - to become the real me rather than the "organization" me. Do it. If you are serious about developing an individual, do it. It is life changing. It has radically changed the way I think. I see the benefit for me and the people (former "victims") that work with me.

Emotions and emotional reactions are real. We can't change that, we can change whether we build skills to deal with it more effectively. This course gives you those skills. (I would like to have) spaced repetition of reinforcement sessions.

There are definite areas we as leaders need to be better at. A leader has to assess and listen more often than telling people what to do. We need not to solve others' problems, but help develop them and then offer assistance, guidance and reinforcement (much as we do) through Intuitive Listening. In difficult situations, instead of wearing emotions on our sleeve and being a "bull in a china shop," we need to recognize how we are being read by others and the impact it has on people and how it can shut them down for fear of repercussions. People want to be appreciated for what they do and not just a "Thank you," but with foundation and reasoning behind it. They know when you are sincere. We need to do more of this and be less critical. Reinforcing the good gets the desired behavior next time.

It is a good course that teaches easy concepts to understand that are almost intuitive but that we don't tend to think about in a business environment. My recommendation - I would like to see it spread out more - could be shortened a little. The reason I have not used (one of the tools) is that it was crammed in with so many other tools. Three half-day sessions every six weeks with coaching could have a more long-term effect. The (core) technique is becoming a popular word in the company.

It is a set of tools, not commonly taught, that if used on a regular basis can be valuable. They are unique.

Thoughtful management of your emotions, EI, is as important as IQ. You may have IQ but can't get things done without EI and involvement.

It would be good for everyone to go through (this program). (Everyone) can find at least one technique to use. It will improve their productivity and effectiveness in a lot of areas.

It is a very personal program, and what happens helps the individual. Thereby it helps our organization. This program helps my work/life balance and enables me to handle the work mantra "do more with less."