This training resource is written by Ann Cartwright, who is an experienced manager, facilitator and trainer. She has previously co‐written books on change, coaching and mentoring and currently runs her own consultancy. Her co‐author is Amanda Solloway, a fellow consultant who is also an experienced facilitator, NLP master practitioner and fully qualified coach.
The resource is presented in loose‐leaf folder format (it can also be acquired as a CD‐ROM) and aims to provide development activities for managers, employees, facilitators and those wishing to use practical exercises as part of their self‐study. The content is closely based on Daniel Goleman's theory of Emotional Intelligence (EI), with each major section providing activities which develop the skills associated with Goleman's concepts of self‐awareness, self‐management, social awareness and relationship management.
The introduction gives a brief overview of Goleman's EI theory and model, and includes a useful questionnaire and development plan. This is followed by a chapter which introduces core EI skills through the use of seven different activities. The first three of these work on communication skills, and provide simple exercises, which can be used to start a group talking or get them energised. These are followed by an introduction to the principles of feedback and an exercise on self‐talk. The final activities in the section cover “what pushes my buttons” and “recognising and using intuition”.
The next four chapters are themed around the different quadrants of Goleman's EI model, and follow the same activity‐based format throughout. Chapter 2 contains ten exercises concerned with self‐awareness. These range between group‐based activities and those, which are designed to lead into discussions or reflective sessions. In addition, some of the sessions may be useful in one‐to‐one coaching, although some experience will be needed to manage these as they might lead to some very personal revelations.
Chapter 3 contains seven activities focused on the area of self‐management. These cover several group tasks including working with intuition and the use of role models. The remaining exercises are best used on a one‐to‐one basis and include goal setting, dealing with change, self‐coaching and building self‐respect and esteem.
Chapter 4 is concerned with raising participants' social awareness through eleven exercises, some of which use neuro‐linguistic programming (NLP) techniques to achieve EI objectives. Many of the exercises involve exploration of issues such as valuing differences, recognising similarities and developing empathy. In particular, an exercise on organisational values should lead to an interesting discussion for groups. Other areas covered include classic NLP techniques such as pacing and leading, mirroring and putting yourself in someone else's shoes. However, an exercise based around the Myers Briggs Type Indicator is rather less effective as it seems to present extroverted behaviour as a favoured style.
Chapter 5 focuses on relationship management and covers problem solving, motivation and change through the use of eight different exercises. This is a well‐developed chapter, which presents a comprehensive range of problem‐solving techniques, a useful questionnaire on assertiveness, exercises on building relationships and a good starting point for discussion on what motivates others. Other activities include simple and straightforward ways to look at honesty, change and ground rules. The final exercise on how and why to set goals has a particularly effective explanation of SMART and other action planning tools.
Having provided tools to illustrate each of the quadrants of Goleman's model, the authors then conclude with exercises based around inspirational leadership. These focus on influencing and networking, and include two questionnaires which rate participants' leadership and influencing skills together with a good exercise on understanding the organisational vision. Additionally, an exercise on networking could be used either to introduce a group to each other or to practise the skills covered in the chapter.
The final chapter of the resource is intended to provide sample workshop outlines to help practitioners structure their EI sessions; however, this was missing in the review copy of the folder.
Although some of the exercises contained in this resource can be used by individuals or on a one‐to‐one basis, the majority do require an experienced trainer or facilitator to run them effectively. To help with this, all of the necessary handouts and timings are provided, along with detailed step‐by‐step instructions for each activity. Many of the exercises could also be used in a range of other training activities, from team building and leadership events through to training on change management, self‐awareness or relationship building.
However, the resource provides only a brief introduction to the thinking behind EI, and the exercises are largely designed to be used by those with little or no prior knowledge of EI principles. This means that, if a trainer intends to use these activities as the basis of a more detailed EI discussion, they may feel the need to read around the subject for the sake of their own credibility. However, this does not detract from the utility of this resource, which provides many easy‐to‐use, well‐written, practical activities, which are likely to prove useful additions to the toolkit of any trainer working in this field. As such, this resource is highly recommended.
