Posts

Hands completing a jigsaw puzzle shaped like a human head

Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

/in /by

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what professional coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this Link.

Self-awareness is the basis of learning, development, and change. It is a foundation of emotional intelligence, and what allows us to build better relationships, achieve better results, with a higher level of well-being.

in his book Insight, Tasha Eurich tells us that 95% of people believe they are self-aware, but that in reality this number is much lower, on the order of 12% to 15%. The author understands self-awareness as “the willingness or ability to understand who we are, including aspects such as our values and patterns (internal self-awareness), and how others perceive us (external self-awareness).”

The process of developing self-awareness involves spaces for reflection, openness to introspection, but also a willingness to observe and listen to the perceptions of others, to request feedback.

In the coaching processes we verify that when we begin to explore with our clients their values, talents, passions, strengths, patterns, triggers, among others, they identify that it is not so simple and is even more challenging than what they would initially consider. That it is not as obvious as we might think to identify what moves us, makes us unique and differentiates us, nor to identify our behavioural patterns.

It is necessary to dedicate time and reflection to becoming aware of what distinguishes us, of our reaction patterns, of the beliefs and assumptions that live behind our actions. We all have blind spots, at the level of knowledge, emotions and reactions of which we are not aware, and which are difficult for us to access without feedback from others.

The coaching process provides the reflective and creative space, which we often do not have on a daily basis, of moments dedicated to connecting with who we are, what we want, why we want it and to explore action options that enhance better results and well-being.

When we connect with our purpose, with our values, with the essence of who we are and what we value, we access a source of energy and motivation that focuses our actions and supports us to develop the flexibility and resilience necessary to achieve our goals and well-being.

In the process of awareness we access and can leverage our internal resources, and from there also identify the external resources that we need.

The authors Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves, in their book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, They explore some strategies to develop personal self-awareness, including learning to identify emotions cognitively and physically, not to classify them as good or bad, not to ignore them, even when they make them uncomfortable, and to recognise them and let them go.

Other strategies identified are the periodic practice of journaling and obtaining feedback as a way of observing ourselves from a distance, identifying behavioural patterns and triggers in stressful situations.

The practice of periodic reflection or meditation are strategies to connect with our essence, with our values, and to do a regular mental and physical check-up, to maintain our mental health and prevent burnout situations.

In our interactions with others we can also develop our social self-awareness, through the practice of mindfulness, presence, active listening, and empathy.

From curiosity we can observe the other, or others from their world, ask and try to understand others from their life experience, beliefs, assumptions or culture.

A professional coach recognizes that self-awareness is the basis for his client to achieve his goals, and works with him from that basis in defining specific strategies for each case.

Self-awareness is also important in working with teams and in organisational development, in identifying interaction dynamics and behavioural patterns.

Personal and social self-awareness is a learning process, a search for personal mastery.

My favourite strategies are emotional checking and journaling, putting my reflections on paper or recording them, so I can return to them and observe them from a distance.

Dear reader, how do you make sure you develop your self-awareness? What are your favourite strategies?

Author: Fátima Ribeiro

The author is PCC (ICF Professional Certified Coach), Coach in professional development, leadership and teams processes, and member of ICF Panama.

A professional presenting ideas to a team beside a whiteboard

Advancing Women’s Leadership through Coaching

/in /by

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this Link.

Advancing Women’s Leadership through Coaching

The 12 habits that hinder female leadership

Leadership culture, organisational practices and individual behaviours are three dimensions identified as important in international studies to achieve change in the development of female leadership internationally.

In this article we focus on the individual behaviours, mentality and behaviours that distinguish executives who have progressed to leadership positions in organisations.

Some of the most distinctive behaviours and beliefs of these professionals are the ability to advocate for themselves, the development of support and influence networks at different levels of the organisation, taking risks and developing new competencies, and a high degree of self-confidence.

In the book “How Women Rise”, Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith identify the following 12 habits or behaviours that hinder the development of women in organisations:

  1. Reluctance to claim achievements.
  2. Expect others to spontaneously notice and reward your contributions.
  3. Overvaluation of experience.
  4. Just build, rather than build and leverage relationships.
  5. Do not recruit allies (peers, mentors and sponsors) from day one.
  6. Put work before your career.
  7. The trap of perfection.
  8. The desire to please.
  9. Minimization (in words and body language).
  10. Too much (too much emotion, words, information).
  11. Rumination.
  12. Let your radar distract you.

These habits frequently appear together. For example, the habit 1. reluctance to claim achievements often appears accompanied by 2. expecting others to spontaneously notice or praise and reward their contributions, leading to women not developing and assuming the importance of advocating for themselves.

Other behaviours that can be found together are habits 3. overvaluing experience, 6. putting work before your career and 7. the perfection trap, which together can limit the professional’s ability to take risks, open up to strategic projects and develop the competencies and skills necessary to progress in leadership roles.

To still refer to the behaviours 4. only build instead of building and leveraging relationships and 5. not enrolling allies from day one, which when given inhibit the development of support and influence networks at different levels of the organisation.

The behaviours 9. minimization, 10. too much and 12. letting your radar distract you, with absorption of too much information and/or decreased focus, hinder the development of influence in the organisation and for professionals to be perceived as having an executive presence.

In the coaching process, the coach supports the executive to:

  • Clarify your purpose and vision of the desired future.
  • Recognise your personal power and authenticity, your competencies, experiences and knowledge, that is, what you bring to the table.
  • Evaluate how you present and act in different situations, how you empathize and create rapport and relationships of trust, how you communicate with others, how you respond in crisis situations, what are the triggers that can arise and that must be taken care of.
  • Map your people of interest and identify potential allies, mentors and sponsors.
  • Define what value and impact you want to create, what new perspectives or emotional changes you can provide to enhance solutions in critical situations.

The coach accompanies the professional in her actions to:

  • Develop a learning and growth strategy with clear purpose and objectives.
  • Structure an active network of relationships and support.
  • Simultaneously manage work, career, and personal and family life.
  • Create greater impact and value in your communications and interactions.
  • Develop self-confidence and assume your personal power.

A professional coach supports the client in their development process, stimulating reflection and creativity, acting as a mirror for the client, encouraging the discovery and implementation of new lines of action. Sometimes, he supports the client with experimentation or role-playing techniques that allow him to visualize different perspectives, actions, and experiment in a safe environment, in a continuous process of reflection, action and learning.

Author: Fatima Ribeiro

The author is a PCC Coach, Coach in professional development, leadership and teams processes, and member of the Board of Directors of ICF Panama.

Professional Certified Coach, PCC, credential from the International Coaching Federation

Professional Certified Coach (PCC)

/in /by

I started my coaching journey in 2016. In January 2019 I received my ACC credential and this month I am pleased with myself. PCC credencial.

Thank you to everyone I met on this trip!

I am grateful to my mentors, ICF colleagues, clients, communities of practice, and all the fantastic people I have had the opportunity to meet and learn from. I carry you all in my heart!

My commitment is to continuous learning, to being a coach, co-creating value with my clients and people of interest, expanding results and well-being, and contributing from my possibilities to a world with more opportunities for everyone 😊!

 

 

A professional receiving recognition from their team during a presentation

Executive Presence: How to Influence and Make an Impact

/in /by

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this Link.

 

Developing executive presence is one of the objectives that professionals and executives most seek in coaching processes since it helps to have greater impact and influence.

In an increasingly complex, interconnected, and rapidly evolving world, with more virtual than in-person interactions, where many collaborators work in matrix structures and belong to multiple teams, where power structures change, developing a system mindset, understanding connections, reading context, and developing relationships is increasingly relevant.

Some of the strategies of current professionals to be able to successfully surf the waves of change are:

  • deploy active listening and be present in every interaction,
  • create greater value with and for your people of interest,
  • have greater impact in your communications and interventions,
  • develop a growth strategy with a clear purpose,
  • simultaneously manage work, career, and personal and family life,
  • structure an active network of allies, mentors and sponsors.

In a coaching process, it is important to clarify with the client their understanding of what it means for them to develop executive presence, supporting them to analyse and prioritise their objectives, define their measures of success, and focus their action plan on the 20% that allow 80% of the results.

In the process of self-knowledge and self-management, it is key to clarify the purpose, the client’s north, and establish with them the predisposition to change, to let go of what no longer serves them, in a relationship of benefit versus cost. In many cases the cost is letting go:

  • an attachment to past behaviours and success factors,
  • the idea of control,
  • making excuses – not remaining a victim of circumstances,
  • the excessive need to be “I”,
  • thoughts and emotions from the past, opening to create a new and more emotionally agile version of the “I”.

It is opening oneself to uncertainty, not knowing, having to develop new resources and different solutions, seeking the opportunity and gift of each unforeseen situation.

In the process of self-knowledge, the coach supports the client to:

  • recognise your personal power and authenticity, your competencies, experiences and knowledge, what you bring to the table;
  • to evaluate how he presents himself in different situations, how he empathizes and creates rapport and relationships of trust, how he responds to others and in crisis situations, what are the triggers that can arise and that must be taken care of;
  • and what is the value and impact you want to create, what new perspectives or emotional changes can you bring to enhance solutions in critical situations.

Achieving the intended results with well-being also requires the client to work on continuous feedback with their stakeholders. It is important to map your people of interest, who your key internal and external stakeholders are, expanding your sphere of influence and impact, defining what formal and informal power structures to take into account, and what value to create with and for each stakeholder.

A process of continuous feedback and alignment of expectations allows the client a more real knowledge of the evolution of the perceptions of their people of interest, preparing them for faster strategic action in situations of changes in the organisational or business context.

A professional coach supports his client in his development process, stimulating reflection and creativity: “what if…?”, “what would happen if…?”, “what else…?”; acting as a mirror for the client: “this is what I am hearing”, “this is what I am observing”; stimulating the discovery of new lines of action: that “haven’t you tried yet?” “How would you say it?”, “How would you do it?”, and in some cases also supporting the client with experimentation or role play techniques that allow them to visualize different perspectives and actions and try them in a safe environment, in a continuous process of reflection, action and learning.

Author: Fátima Ribeiro

The author is ACC (ICF Associated Certified Coach), Coach in professional development, leadership and teams processes, and member of the Board of Directors of ICF Panama.

A sequence of portraits with symbols representing thoughts and emotions

Saboteurs and wisdom

/in /by

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this Link.

 

The concept of intelligence has evolved over time. At the beginning of the 20th century, IQ was considered the main predictor of success. In the 80s we began to hear about the emotional quotient connected with emotional intelligence, that is, self-awareness and self-management, and knowledge of others and relationship management, as a differentiating element for a successful life, having an impact of about 80% on success.

Currently, with the growing complexity and uncertainty of the context, concepts such as collaborative intelligence are gaining importance, that is, the ability to co-create together a result that is greater than the sum of the parts.

We also talk about intelligence for change, closely connected with emotional agility, that is, the ability to navigate different emotions and take actions based on values and long-term objectives, with resilience, that is, the ability to face change and adversity, and with the concept of antifragility, which integrates the ability to not only face, but also thrive in uncertain and adverse situations.

 Other concepts are communication intelligence, a conscious and intentional way of adapting messages to the objectives and context, for greater influence, impact and creation of value, and the intelligence of connecting, which reflects the ability to ask questions, design ideas and approach conversations to influence and mobilise others in the pursuit of an objective.

The very concept of work has evolved from essentially manual work, associated with the beginning of industrialization, to more cognitive work, associated with the acquisition of knowledge and active learning strategies with the revolution associated with the Internet and knowledge economy, to more emotional work, connected with the development of empathy and compassion, with the connection to a purpose and values, which enhances the development of relationships, connections and alliances at a more systemic level.

In its entirety, we are talking about intelligence concepts closely connected to the development of soft skills, about work on our being and thinking, in the management of emotions, beliefs and thoughts, in actions connected with a purpose and values, that drive the development of our potential, with simultaneous impact on results and well-being.

In a coaching process, thinking and creativity are stimulated to develop the client’s potential, connecting being, thinking and doing. The objectives of the process and actions are defined from the future desired by the client, its purpose and visions.

When considering a systemic perspective in working with the client, the different levels of context, from interpersonal relationships to the global context, the different concepts of intelligence referred to above are often found in the client’s challenges and in coaching conversations.

Another concept of intelligence that can be in conversations is the concept of positive intelligence developed by Shirzad Chamine, author and professor at Stanford University Business School. Positive intelligence is defined by Shirzard as a measure of mental agility, indicating how quickly we can navigate from “negative” responses to “positive” responses to different challenges.

In her work Shriszad identifies our main saboteurs, who impact our thoughts, our “internal judge”, through the way we react to challenges.

Through self-awareness, self-compassion and reflection exercises, connected with the various senses, that help us recognise the emotions present, and navigate a mental space of curiosity and creativity, we can develop mental agility that allows us to identify the gift and opportunity of each situation, even in situations that appear painful and/or challenging.

Fátima Ribeiro

The author is a Coach in Professional Development, Leadership and Teams processes, ACC (ICF Associated Certified Coach), and member of the Board of Directors of ICF Panama.

A screen reflected in a professional's glasses

Agility and Coaching

/in /by

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this link.

 

How do we look at and understand the world around us?

Everything we perceive passes through our the mindset, mindset, which can be defined as a combination of attitudes, beliefs and values that influence our behaviours, daily actions and the way we learn. As mentioned in the study conducted by Ashley Buchanan Margaret L. Kern, our mindset subconsciously affects the way we think, act, and even how we perceive future possibilities. However, mental changes can be generated consciously and in appropriate contexts that could improve one’s own and collective well-being.

Psychologist C Dweek talks in her book “Mindset: the new psychology of success” about 2 types of mentalities. The fixed mindset in which people believe their abilities are innate and cannot change or improve, therefore they fear challenges, give up easily when there are obstacles, and see the success of others as a threat. On the other hand, in the growth mindset these people believe that they can develop their skills through practice and effort, enjoying challenges, seeing obstacles or failures as learning opportunities and successful people as sources of inspiration.

C Dweek explains that in his research he found organisations and managers with a growth mindset, in which employees say they feel more empowered, more committed and that the company values creativity, innovation and teamwork. In organisations with a fixed mindset, there is also talk of creativity and innovation, however, when something does not work as expected someone must pay the price.

There are frameworks or reference frameworks that encompass agile principles and practices that allow companies to increase creativity, innovation, adapting quickly and effectively to the demands of the VICA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world.

The success of implementing these frameworks: Lean-Agile, requires leaders to have a growth mindset, which some frameworks often call the Lean-Agile mindset. This type of mentality allows us to drive the necessary transformation of the organisation, improving culture and business agility.

Through coaching, leaders can be accompanied to evolve from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset that offers great potential to generate changes at an individual level that impact the entire system.

Through executive coaching, we can support the development of leaders with a mindset focused on agile principles or practices, exploring values and beliefs (BE), mental models and cognitive structures (THINK) and/or working on what is visible, at the level of practices, behaviours and perceptions (DO).

The work of coaching can be done from the outside (what is visible and perceived), from the behaviours and perceptions inward to obtain sustainable results, or from the inside (values and thought structures) outward, always in accordance with the coaching contract established between the parties.

The coaching methodology to use is the one that the leader and the organisation recognise as having the greatest value. The important thing is to support the leader to involve his collaborators and other interested parties, to listen to them and value all opinions, in a learning process that is not only individual but collective, and in the creation of an agile and customer-centred culture.

Coaching could become a key piece for the success in the evolution of agile organisations, accompanying leaders in the development of their agile teams, promoting a growth mindset throughout the organisation.

Through the systemic coaching approach, agile teams can be developed as a self-managed team, defining more clearly its purpose, the creation of value, obtaining sustainable results, decision making, work organisation and the way of relating between its members and with other teams in the company. In this way, coaching contributes to reinforcing and consolidating the cultural change necessary in agile organisations.

Authors:

Romina Leveau and Fatima Ribeiro

Professionals meeting in an informal workspace

The leadership revolution

/in /by

 

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this link.

 

The way we think about leadership must change. We think there is a “leadership crisis”, but in reality we do not know what the leadership of the future should be like.  The global study “Tomorrow’s Leadership and the necessary revolution in the development of today’s Leadership” sought to explore this question and summarize some findings.

This study published by Henley Business School, United Kingdom, led by Professor Peter Hawkins, researcher, author and developer of a systemic team coaching methodology, reflects on four key questions:

  1. How will the leadership needed in the organisations of tomorrow be different versus the leadership of today?
  2. What needs to be developed for the leadership of tomorrow?
  3. How appropriate is today’s best practice for developing tomorrow’s leadership?
  4. What else needs to be done?

Some of the main challenges that leaders consider will impact them in the next 20 years are:

  1. A relentless and accelerated transformation of organisations
  2. A technological and digital evolution
  3. Change in business models, disintermediation and “uberization”
  4. Fewer collaborators in organisations and increasing stakeholder complexity
  5. Globalization
  6. Climate change and
  7. The need to learn and adapt faster.

These challenges are interconnected, each driving and being driven by the others.

In a context of incessant transformation, change is no longer just an event, but a constant worldwide, impacting organisations at an accelerated pace, affecting not only the individual but also the organisation itself. The global trends identified are: changing demographics, change in the workforce and ways of working, political instability, economic unpredictability, market volatility, globalization, climate change and migration.

The impact of digitalization, robotics and outsourcing contribute to “hollowing out” the organisation. Tomorrow’s leaders will have fewer people to manage and a growing, diverse and complex number of groups and organisations with which they will need to partner to succeed. Leadership changes from vertical to horizontal, leading not only the organisation, but also creating partnerships and synergies with different interest groups to be successful. Developing alliances and working through networks is an essential leadership competency.

Thinking and being alert globally, understanding global trends and adapting agilely to the unexpected is another leadership competency. The learning capacity of leaders and organisations must consider the speed at which the environment is changing to prevent extinction.

The study identifies the following changes in leadership as necessary:

  1. From ‘leading my people’ to ‘orchestrating business ecosystems’
  2. From “heroic individual leaders” to “collective and collaborative leadership”
  3. Leadership driven by purpose and value creation for all stakeholders.
  4. From serial and fragmented innovation to working simultaneously in three time frames (today, tomorrow and the future).
  5. Embracing multiple individual diversity and also systemic diversity
  6. The leader must be a developer of others.
  7. Leadership must be able to maintain a high level of motivation in diverse generations of collaborators.
  8. The ethical maturity necessary to live in a transparent world.
  9. The importance of creating successful alliances and networks

The study highlights the need to evolve towards greater leadership maturity and ethical maturity, the importance of creating value for all stakeholders, developing greater awareness of the organisation’s diversity, and the importance of collective and collaborative leadership.

This change can be facilitated through systemic coaching, which brings the perspectives of different stakeholders to teams, supporting them to work connected with purpose and a vision of success, promoting the development of trust to increase the quality of engagement, the development of relationships, alliances and connections, and the co-creation of solutions that promote organisational learning.
Fatima Ribeiro

The author is ACC (ICF Associated Certified Coach), Coach in professional development, leadership and teams processes and member of the Board of Directors of ICF Panama.

A team taking part in a video meeting

Team Coaching: The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

/in /by

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this link.

 

The team, as a work unit, is today a critical element for the success of almost any organisational effort.  This is an assertion that very little can be questioned.

In the 2016 Deloitte Human Capital Trends study, the #1 concern among more than 7,000 companies (in more than 130 countries) was how to redesign the organisational structure for current conditions.  The bottom line was to move to what Deloitte calls a “network of teams.”  The pandemic has caused an amplification of this effect, making the effectiveness of work teams even more key to the success of the organisation.

This is why Team Coaching is an increasingly important modality in organisations to consistently and lastingly achieve a high level of performance, aligning teams around a collective purpose and objectives.

It is necessary for the whole to create more value than the sum of the parts, for each team member to take responsibility for their contribution (individual leadership), as well as for the functioning of the entire team (collective leadership). The team must be a learning team, where members, together, develop and adapt to the increasing speed of change and increasing complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity.

The Team Coach works with teams in real time, with a systemic perspective of the needs and challenges of stakeholders, to expand self-awareness, deepen capabilities and broaden abilities.  In this way, the levels of effectiveness, cohesion, learning and performance can be transformed.

Other intervention modalities at the team level include: Facilitation, Training, “Team Building”, and Consulting. We will explore these and how they differ from Team Coaching.  Each of these professional practices has value, and each is appropriate in certain circumstances. The important thing is to be clear at any given moment about what need we are trying to satisfy.

Team Facilitation: It serves to manage teamwork, in real time, in the implementation of a process or a tool, to achieve a goal.  The facilitator promotes dialogue and clarity. Generally it is for a short period and the focus should be on the team collaborating to obtain the intended result.

Team Training: It is learning through reading, classes or exercises.  The time is also short and increases knowledge in a specific area.  It is, in essence, acquisition of new knowledge or development of skills.

“Team Building”: It works through games, simulations and other experiences organized during special events.  It results in greater enthusiasm, cohesion, trust and respect among participants.  The duration is even shorter and so is its impact.

Team Consulting: Led by an expert in the field, focused on proposing solutions and recommendations for implementation.  The time is variable and is based on a work map that needs to be achieved to reach the desired goal.

Team Coaching: It is a medium to long-term process, in which the focus is on the team as a system, in which sustainable changes are promoted over time. The Coach works with the team in alliance, with regular interventions and/or work sessions.  The Coach challenges the team to observe and reflect on how they are operating, and how these interaction patterns are affecting their performance. The Coach helps the team meet the needs of its “stakeholders” or interested parties, and accompanies it to expand the common purpose and vision. In response, the team makes specific adjustments to increase its strengths and develop areas of opportunity for improvement, integrating lessons learned. Team Coaching is different from Group Coaching, due to its deeper and more systemic intervention with the team as a whole.

Team Coaching, with increasing use worldwide for the development of teams and organisations, is thus a collective learning process, with the potential to have a transformative impact at the individual, intrapersonal, performance and results levels, and relationships and connections with interested parties, in integration with the organisational and global environment.

 

Authors:

Alberto Navarro and Fatima Ribeiro

 

Illustration of a person between symbols of a brain and a heart

Emotional Intelligence as a Coaching Tool

/in /by

This article was originally published in the newspaper “La Estrella” and is part of a biweekly column from the ICF Panama Chapter to disseminate what Professional Coaching is. It seeks to inform, create more awareness and differentiate professional coaching, in which the Coach is governed by ethical principles and is continually improving his or her skills.

See the original article in this link.

 

In the coaching process, various concepts and tools are used to support the coachees, according to the approach of the process and the training and toolbox of the coaches.

The concept of emotional intelligence is one of the tools we can use.

Yuval Noah Harari, historian and philosopher, author of books such as “21 lessons for the 21st century,” considers emotional intelligence and mental balance as two essential skills for the rest of our lives.

Daniel Goleman, one of the pioneers of emotional intelligence, published an article in 1996 that is still considered essential reading in Harvard Business Review on leadership issues, called “What does a leader do?”

This article focuses the concept of an emotionally intelligent leader on five elements: self-awareness, self-discipline, motivation, empathy and social skill.

To the self-knowledge The main characteristics are associated with: self-confidence, a realistic self-evaluation and a self-critical sense of humor.

The main characteristics of the self-discipline They are reliability and integrity, being comfortable with ambiguity and openness to change.

Passion to meet objectives, optimism, even in situations of failure, and commitment to the organisation are the three main characteristics in motivation.

The ability to build and retain talent, sensitivity to different cultures and being focused on customer service are the characteristics of the empathy.

In the social skill The author refers to effectiveness in leadership of change, the power of persuasion and the ability to build and lead teams.

Looking at the characteristics described, these still constitute a valid model more than twenty years after its original expression. What changes is our mental map and the form or order of importance in different contexts.

The concept of emotional intelligence was developed more recently, with a very practical approach, by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves, who define two major competencies, personal and social. In the personal competence, it is important self-awareness -recognise one’s own emotions and tolerate discomfort- and self-management – tolerate uncertainty and pursue objectives, not needs. In the social competence, it is important social consciousness -recognise emotions in others, listen and observe- and relationship management -manage interactions successfully and strengthen connections.

Particularly, I consider the model, developed by Dr. Reuven Bar-On and Jonathan and Leight Bowman-Perks, to be quite useful as a tool in coaching, which considers factors of emotional intelligence, intrapersonal factors, connected to self-awareness and self-expression, factors interpersonal of social awareness and interaction, factors of stress management associated with emotional management and control, factors of adaptability and change management and factors general like self-motivation.

In coaching, these models can be worked on, for example, considering the areas or factors in which the coachee has opportunities for improvement, the areas in which they already function effectively, and the areas in which they have superior performance.

The concept of emotional intelligence significantly impacts behaviours and relationships and can thus be worked on using any of these theoretical frameworks. The most important thing in the coaching process is the use of methodologies appropriate to each client, the objectives of the process and the specific objectives of each session.

The coachee can use their own reflection and/or incorporate the perception of their stakeholders or people of interest, such as family, friends, co-workers, peers, bosses and members of their team, benefiting the coachee from a systemic perspective. Humility, courage and discipline with the process strongly impact the results.

The process in general is enriched when the coachee opens up to feedback from his or her stakeholders, in a positive circle of reflection, integration of learning, listening to suggestions for improvement, evaluation and action.

Fatima Ribeiro, ACC

The author is ACC (ICF Associated Certified Coach), Coach in professional development, leadership and teams processes and member of the Board of Directors of ICF Panama.

 

 

Poster for the From Crisis to Opportunity event on coaching culture

Coaching Culture in Organisations

/in /by

The study carried out by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Human Capital Institute (HCI) (2014) describes that: “with a better understanding of why the coaching is so important, in terms of developing the company’s workforce as a whole, ensuring competitive advantage through its people, the organisation can lay the foundation for a culture of coaching successful and lasting. As a result, the company can convey its commitment to the continuous development of its employees, helping to retain better talent and attract better candidates.”

The session plans to present the main stages of a coaching culture in organisations, provide data from my research in the scope of the study “Coaching, leadership and the development of soft skills in Panama”, supporting the company to identify what stage its organisation is in, what are the benefits of developing a coaching culture and what is expected at each stage and take away tools that can contribute to developing coaching in organisations.

In the structuring of the session, interactive dynamics are planned to identify the participants’ perceptions of their organisations, invite them to share their learning and what they could implement to develop a coaching culture in their organisations.

Join me on October 23 for the annual ICF Panama Chapter event, October 22-24. More information and registration at: https://www.icfpanama.org/evento-2020/page