Floricane

Or maybe that's part of being the father of a two-year-old.

Thea loves to pet and hug Rilo, our Bernese Mountain Beagle; Rilo loves to avoid Thea.

One day last month, Thea was trying to pet the dog, and was growing frustrated because Rilo kept moving away from her. The harder she tried, the more frustrated she became.

Soon enough, she was hitting Rilo. Not for the first time that day, either.

As we emerge from recession, survey the landscape and plan for the future, it is important to recognize the demands that have been placed on leaders and managers in our organizations. Managing through two-plus years of economic whitewater is just part of the equation – the long-term implications of the ongoing social and economic transformation have yet to be fully revealed.

The Hay Group, the global leader in organizational and leadership assessments, reports, “intelligence and experience are not enough” for managers and leaders during this time.

“Leaders need to make full use of their emotional and social intelligence competencies if they are to implement the changes required to deliver organizational survival and keep key employees onboard and engaged.

It starts at the top. But ensuring that strategic change is embedded throughout an organization requires consistency in leadership behavior at all levels."

For more than 40 years, the Hay Group has worked with companies around the world to assess leaders and support leadership development. The Hay Group partners with Fortune Magazine to identify the “World’s Most Admired Companies” and with Business Week to determine which companies develop the best leaders – and how they do it.

The secret, in most cases, is simple: The best companies in the world hire and groom people with strong social and emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is what distinguishes highly effective leaders and average ones. It helps managers and professionals get a clear view of how their behaviors influences those around them, and how to strengthen their behaviors to increase their effectiveness in the workplace. It helps organizations by creating a shared language and method of evaluating leadership performance, and to build a platform to improve performance, innovation and collaboration across the business.

Corporations, nonprofits and government agencies use the Hay Group’s emotional and social competency inventory (ESCI) to:

• Measure emotional intelligence in leaders and professionals
• Raise awareness through powerful feedback
• Focus coaching and development on crucial capabilities
• Bring out the best in individuals and teams

Drawing on the work of Richard Boyatzis and Daniel Goleman, and research at Hay Group, the ESCI is a 360º tool, avoiding the distortion of self-assessment questionnaires. It describes 12 competencies that differentiate outstanding from average performers.

Floricane is certified to deliver ESCI and a variety of other organizational assessments, and to provide training and coaching to individuals and teams. Contact us to find out more about how increasing leadership effectiveness in your organization can make a difference.

Emotional intelligence (EI) – having the ability to identify and manage your emotions, and the emotions of other individuals and groups – has been a critical tool for many businesses looking to improve leadership, team effectiveness and organizational culture.

A relatively new company in Richmond believes that emotional intelligence can be of value outside of the business world, as well.

In middle schools, for instance.

Kelly Lewis, a former business leader at Capital One, founded Bounce with the belief that helping young people on the cusp of adolescence develop a stronger understanding of their self and tools to better manage their emotional responses could be transformational – for the kids, for their schools and for their communities.