Post-Training Coaching

The findings of the post-training coaching sessions are consistent with those of other Developing Emotional Competence Programs facilitated for other organizations. The coaching sessions revealed that participants were using the techniques in a wide variety of situations to help them achieve a wide variety of purposes. Some of those situations are listed in below.

• To make better decisions
• To be calmer and clearer
• To eliminate procrastination
• To improve/manage relationships
• To appreciate others
• To get to win-win situations
• To be more motivated
• To gain cooperation, respect and demonstrate caring
• To stop blame
• To talk openly and honestly
• To stop frustration
• To examine a project plan
• To resolve conflicts
• To improve own attitude and others
• To understand others
• To manage emotional reactiveness
• To eliminate emotional drain
• To handle unrealistic, threatening situations
• To make choices on how one responds to situations (vs. react)
• To handle fear
• To see the bigger picture
• To be more positive
• To focus on job details

1. Whether or not the leader of the team attended the training (knows the tools and concepts) and demonstrated Emotional Intelligence leadership behaviors.
2. When examining the data shown in the Figure 1 - Average Percent Improvement in Personal Goals by Team, there is a marked difference in the improvements experienced by the team whose leader attended the training and demonstrated EI leadership behaviors (Team 1), and the two teams whose leaders did not participate in the program (Teams 2 and 3).
   Team 1 - 36% average improvement
   Team 2 - 21% average improvement
   Team 3 - 8% average improvement.
3. Whether or not the leader is using and reinforcing the use of the tools within his/her team.
4. The reason or motivation for participating in the program.
5. Individual perception/difficulty with some terminology in the program.

• changing long-term negative, non-productive relationships into positive, cooperative, productive relationships.
• resolving conflict more quickly and efficiently.
• handling multiple projects effectively.
• getting more work done themselves.
• prioritizing to meet deadlines.
• experiencing less anxiety when faced with challenging tasks.
• achieving a greater comfort level in conversation with superiors.
• building stronger relationships with their departments and other departments.
• experiencing greater motivation on the job.
• feeling more energized to get through their day.
• facing difficult situations and challenges as opposed to avoiding them.
• transforming frustrating situations into productive opportunities.
• achieving key milestones both professionally and personally.
• using the techniques to solve performance problems of their people.
• making more effective (efficient + caring), intuitive decisions.
• changing their own and other people's attitude for the better.
• getting more cooperation from people.
• improving their health.

• I had an opportunity with a VP regarding a status report for a foreign market place. We've not had as good success here (as other areas). The VP reacted negatively. My intent was to get him/her to respond - to address the issue. I would have been very negative and attacking before the program. I used the Freeze-Frame® technique and listened to the voice mail. I left a courteous and stern voice mail. The VP came back and apologized, saying his/her people needed to take responsibility. I asked the VP three times what I could have done differently or better so as not to upset him/her, and s/he had no answer. I don't want him/her to be upset, but I have to hold him/her accountable for his/her people too. I was not bothered and worried about his/her opinion.

• Less frustration reduces an element of despair and depression. I had my blood pressure taken this week. I had expected it to go up, but the top number was the same and the bottom number had gone down. I am curious. I am going to watch it further.
• I'm a lot less stressed than before. I use the Freeze-Frame technique to get back to sleep. I still wake up thinking about work. But I don't stay awake for hours and then be dead tired going to work... This is probably the biggest benefit.

• (I have examples) using the Heart Mapping® techniques for better, faster deliverables. Meetings start and end on time. Intuitive listening creates efficiencies. Last week in a training exercise, I was on a team that was very focused. We scored higher than any other team because I used the Freeze-Frame technique and intuitive listening, and did not allow emotions to get in the way.
• I have seen some improvement. I was good at it. When using the tools like Intuitive listening or the Freeze-Frame technique or the Heart Mapping technique, I can be here more in the moment instead of having 100 things going on in my head. I have been able to improve productivity in a much shorter period of time.

• In working with a colleague, we used the Heart Mapping tool on how to work better as a team. We identified all the touch points to work better with our global projects. We came up with a new tool/checklist to use as an early warning system. The impact of using the tool was that we get better buy-in awareness.
• Through Intuitive Listening, I am helping others create alternatives instead of digging their heels in to defend their ideas. For example, I was asked to help resolve a problem in a team. A project had stalled, and there were different groups here and outside of the U.S. blaming each other for lack of progress. In the meeting I was asked to become involved. In explaining the situation to me in the meeting, this person's explanation made no sense to me. I didn't blame him/her for my lack of understanding or embarrass him/her. With the Freeze-Frame technique I was more careful about how I reacted. Later I spoke to people one-on-one outside of the meeting environment. I jumped in and listened to various points-of-view, using Intuitive Listening. I then played back to everybody what I thought I heard them say and suggested the steps needed to move forward. Later two people came forward independently and thanked me for moving the project forward. Note that I knew nothing about the project, and was asked only two days ago to try to get it moving. I got people energized and working together to achieve their team's goals. Before the class, there would have been a temptation to try to solve the problem then and there in the meeting, by telling the guy he didn't make sense and that he was the problem. Instead I recognized that the meeting environment wasn't the ideal forum to get to the bottom of the problem. I wasn't going to alienate the working relationships. People would have dug into their trenches, and the project would have stalled until it got to the senior management level to fix it. Organizationally, we saved time and money. I like being able to be helpful. I like being able to manage to get things done. I feel like I am adding value.

• Before getting a new job with this team, I was having a challenge with staying motivated. In my old position, I felt unappreciated and felt like leaving the company. Then I was asked to join this team. When I came the team went through your training with my team of six people. My whole team is using these tools on the team. The result is that we listen to each other. We feel appreciated. Get more done. We start and end meetings on time. We get more creative solutions to problems. Work is fun for me, and I look forward to coming to work every day.

• I work with certain people the most. With (one person) it is working. I am able to influence him and influence my team, including my boss, to explain what I think is needed. For example in a conference call, a customer was selling a solution. Before I wouldn't have spoken up when I disagree, but I said I had a question about how something was going to be presented. My boss then said s/he agreed with me. The boss then presented a new solution. I didn't think that would work either so I again raised an objection by saying I was confused. (Before I would have disagreed more forcefully and created defensiveness in the other people.) My boss saw my point-of-view and said, "Let's change it." In other words, I had influenced him to change his mind on his own idea. The Freeze-Frame technique and Intuitive Listening are helping me learn how people think. They help me hear what others are not saying as much as what they are saying. They are helping me speak up in ways that bring people into alignment instead of fighting for different points-of-view.
• The biggest example is working with a VP on warehousing strategy. This is my responsibility. But officers think I am jaded in my thinking because I want measurement and analysis. One of the officers should take the lead in putting together a more comprehensive strategy. This started in December. I was frustrated initially. S/he and I have differences of opinions. Once I understood the EI tools, I've been very much calmer about the process and have stepped back, thinking there must be a reason why they chose this officer. I will look better if I work with him/her; not fight him/her. The officers will feel accountability because (ideas are) coming from one of their peers instead of me. This has worked out tremendously. I have a new outlook on getting things done. This reduces stress - that feeling of having to drive things to get them done. I let someone else drive it.

• On another project with a lot of players - last year I was driving it and excluded people from being really engaged. Now I carefully included them, and it definitely has built greater teamwork. I have listened to them more carefully and communicated greater appreciation for their contributions.
• This is really big. We are still forming. We started the team with guiding principles helping us cooperate and trust each other. This is extremely important - one value we have gotten.