The
PDC Messenger
is e-published eight times a year on months our flagship
PDC Post
does not appear. The
Messenger
provides useful information empowering professionals to advance in their careers.
There are lots of exciting things happening at the Professional Development Collaborative. We're especially proud of the quality of the training we provide to working and unemployed professionals. Our workshops are high quality and
affordable.
For example, this June 14, we're presenting for the first time
Developing Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for Personal and Career Success
, led by Kathr
yn McGlynn, a certified EQ Trainer.
Kathryn consented to being interviewed by the
PDC Messenger
for this issue.
PDC
:
Kathryn, you have a very impressive professional background including being an Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Development Trainer, an expert in NeuroLinguistic Programming, and you're also a Certified Hypnotist. How did you get into Emotional Intelligence training and, broadly speaking, what is it about and what are its benefits?
Kathryn
:
I received specialized training in developing EQ in 2007 through the National Guild of Hypnotists. I learned not only hypnotic techniques to help clients develop their EQ but also many NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) processes for clients to use on their own and out in the field, so to speak, and in their daily interactions with others, both personally and professionally. I'll be sharing a number of these simple, yet highly effective, NLP processes with workshop participants.
A simplified description of EQ would be that it is a person’s ability to recognize their own and others' emotions, to understand the powerful effect of those emotions, and to use that information to guide their thinking and behavior.
EQ has many benefits. People make better decisions by choosing their words and actions more wisely, which leads to less stress for themselves and others around them, and that leads to better communication and better outcomes.
PDC
:
Doesn't everyone naturally have emotional intelligence, and if so, can it be grown, or is it fixed throughout life? If it can be grown, how would this workshop help that process along?
Kathryn
:
I think we are all born with some level of Emotional Intelligence. Whether we cultivate it and develop it determines how well we utilize it.
Everyone who attends this EQ workshop will receive a self-assessment EQ test. There are various components of Emotional Intelligence which involve personal competence and relational competence. Participants will be able to identify the areas in which they have strengths, as well as the areas in which they can seek improvement. We will be doing individual as well as group exercises to raise awareness of new behavioral skills to use in each area. So no matter how good or bad one is at EQ initially, they can improve with time, tools, and practice.
PDC
:
How would developing emotional intelligence help a person personally, and in their career?
Kathryn
:
Employees are able to work more easily on a team when they have higher emotional intelligence. People with higher EQ communicate better with team members than people who may not be in tune with their emotional intelligence. They share ideas and are open to and respectful of others’ ideas. They are more likely to trust coworkers and value their ideas and input.
The way we react to differences or disagreements in personal relationships can create hostility or, with emotionally intelligent responses, we can initiate the building of safety and trust and greater intimacy with those closest to us.
PDC
:
Let's suppose you're working in a professional position and having trouble with your boss, or seeking to get a promotion. How would sharpening your EQ make a difference?
Kathryn
:
Before you react to something or someone who frustrates you, give yourself time to develop your thoughts and consider the consequences. In taking time to self-reflect, you’re able to communicate your developed idea in the most effective way possible. Someone low on the EQ scale may lack the social or communication skills to talk effectively about problems or concerns that affect them. You can ask them questions, which will help you better assess their thoughts, needs, and opinions.
PDC
:
Are there gender differences? In general do women have a better EQ score than men? Should men even care about their EQ and instead just focus on their marketable technical skills?
Kathryn
:
The research is mixed, with some studies suggesting women are, on average, better than men at some forms of empathy while other studies show that men do better than women when it comes to managing distressing emotions. I think men and women can both learn to cultivate their ability to learn new skills, stretching beyond their current comfort zones, and experimenting with different, updated responses as opposed to old, familiar, unhelpful patterns of reaction.
PDC
:
Many of our workshop participants are between jobs. How would improving their EQ make a difference in, for example, networking with others, or interviewing?
Kathryn
:
During the interview or networking event, gauge the listener's level of interest. If they look disengaged or perplexed by something you've said, engage them by asking questions and then listen deeply. For many years, I have asked my EQ clients, "Which is more important?" I'll hold up 2 pictures. One shows a caricature of someone with large ears. The other shows a caricature of someone with a large mouth. "Which is more important?"
PDC
:
Thank you Kathryn for sharing your knowledge about EQ with the
Messenger
. And for conducting your June 14th workshop on "Developing Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for Personal and Career Success." Can you recommend a book on this topic? Also, how could our readers get in contact with you to learn more about EQ?
Kathryn:
Thank you, Larry. I'm looking forward to helping folks expand their emotional
repertoire and become life-long experimenters of their infinite capacity for growth. There are any number of excellent books about EQ. Why not start with the now-famous book that brought EQ to the awareness of the public in 1995:
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
, by Daniel Goleman.
PDC Updates
Our flagship publication, the
PDC Post,
provided thoughtful and helpful articles about older workers in April.
The July 2019
Post
will be focused on groups and organizations that help people find work. If you've been helped by an organization to find work let us know. They deserve mentioning.
We’d also like to again
mention we welcome new writers
to our staff. Article authors are guaranteed an audience of over 4,000 professionals, and the opportunity to attend at no cost or low cost future PDC workshops.
By the way, we have some excellent workshops scheduled for May and June. Click on the links below to read more about their content. Also in this issue we offer a different perspective on today's "boom” economy by our editor, David Hugh Smith.
Larry Elle, President, Professional Development Collaborative
