The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Career Guidance

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Career Guidance Erato Paraschaki, Director of International Development, IHD Accredited Coach Car. Cou. IT Final Conference, 17/10/2009

“People who possess high emotional intelligence are the people who truly succeed in work as well as play, building flourishing careers and lasting meaningful relationships” Daniel Goleman, 2002

What is Emotional Intelligence? “The capacity for recognizing our own emotions and those of others, for motivating ourselves and others, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and our relationships” Daniel Goleman, 1998 • Is the foundation of relationships • Provides the capacity and capability to change and grow

Why EI is important for career guidance ? Why do smart people fail? “Of the competencies that distinguish an outstanding executive from an average one, only a small percentage are cognitive or intellectual abilities” Source: Finkelstein, 2003

Why EI is important for career guidance ? • Hay Group studies revealed that: • More than 50% of employees lack the motivation to keep learning and improving • 4 in 10 people cannot work cooperatively • 70% of all change initiatives fail due to people issues – lack of teamwork, inability to deal with change, unwillingness to take initiative, etc. • Primary derailer of top executives: lack of impulse control

Why EI is important for career guidance ? • In Sales Roles: Study of 44 Fortune 500 firms shows that high-EI salespeople produce twice the revenue of average performers. • In Technical Roles: Programmers in the top 10% of EI competency can develop effective software three times as fast as those lower in EI. • In Leadership Roles: Study of 15 global companies attributes 85 -90% of leadership success to EI. At the highest leadership levels, EI accounts for virtually the entire advantage. • In All Roles: Emotional Competence is twice as important as cognitive abilities for star performers in all jobs, in every field.

The Essence of Emotional Intelligence • • Understanding Yourself Managing Yourself Understanding Others Managing Relationships

The EI Framework: How EI drives Performance Actions Awareness Self Others Self Awareness Social Awareness Self Management Relationship Management Positive impact on others

EI Competencies Framework by Daniel Goleman SELF-AWARENESS • Emotional self-awareness • Accurate self-assessment • Self-confidence SELF-MANAGEMENT • Emotional self-control • Trustworthiness • Conscientiousness • Adaptability • Achievement drive • Initiative SOCIAL AWARENESS • Empathy • Service orientation • Organizational awareness RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT • Developing Others • Influence • Communication • Conflict management • Visionary leadership • Catalyzing change • Building bonds • Teamwork and collaboration

Coaching is. . Your chance to effectively contribute to another person's development It is a resonant relationship where two parties exchange ideas and experiences The aim is to help the coachee achieve his/her personal goals (including professional etc)

Advantages of Coaching • • Help analyze the feedback received Pose the right questions Stress the positive aspects Help create a thinking framework towards personal development TOWARDS ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS

Skills for Coaching • • Active listening – Maintain eye contact – Avoid destructions – Pay attention to body language – Listen before making conclusions – Don't interrupt let the coachee conclude – Summarize Raise the right questions – Open questions to encourage participation – Close questions to get a specific answer and verify that you have understood correctly what has been said Support your ideas – Describe the situation how you see it – State your opinion and thoughts – Share experiences – Encourage the coachee to discuss his opinions, thoughts, experiences Achieve agreement

Key Competencies of Coaches • Empathy and Social Awareness – Sensitive to and caring for the “other” • Emotional Self-Awareness – Focusing and Managing Projection • Pattern Recognition

Mistakes Coaches Make • Not sufficiently tapping into positive attractors • Being drawn into the negative attractors too frequently or for too long • Providing too much delivery, not enough listening, observing missing what the other party is really saying • Using your own style to the detriment of dialogue

ALBA´s Methodology • Leadership and Career Potential Development Course focused on the Emotional Intelligence framework by Daniel Goleman • Model course LEAD created by Richard Boyatzis at Case Western Reserve University, the Weatherhead School of Business (ESADE, ALBA)

ALBA´s Methodology • Leadership & Career Potential Development Course – Self-Assessment tests (360 o feedback, Learning Style Inventory, etc) – Developing a Personal Vision set of questions – Individual Coaching Sessions – Deliver a Career/Life future Scenario, Learning Plan

Boyatzis’ theory of self-directed or intentional change The Ideal Self The Real Self Practicing being a Leader Experimenting as a Leader Trusting Relationships that help, support, and encourage each step in the process My Learning Agenda: building on strengths while reducing Gaps Strengths: where my Ideal Self and Real Self are Similar Gaps: where my Ideal Self and Real Self are Different © Richard E. Boyatzis, 2001.

The role of Career Office – Career Panels to provide: • descriptions of professions and their potential development • Industries constraints – Personalized action plan for each student • CV advising • Interviewing Skills development – Contact with the Job Market • Career Forum • Direct link with companies • Follow up with the companies