Emotional Intelligence

This module teaches Level Three Listening ??? deep, values-focused listening that goes beyond downloading and factual listening ??? using the "Platinum Rule" of reflecting back what matters most to a speaker. Participants first check their own level of presence, then learn the three levels of listening (Downloading, Factual Listening, Deep Listening) and the behaviors that signal Level Three. They practice through paired exercises: a Two Minute Reflection, where one partner shares a recent challenge and the other reflects back a summary, what mattered most, and the values it revealed; and a Peak Experience exercise, where partners share a proud or fulfilling work moment and the listener identifies the values it illustrates. Discussion afterward connects this reflective listening technique to giving feedback and holding themselves and direct reports accountable.

This module opens an emotional intelligence workshop by grounding participants in Daniel Goleman's four-quadrant EQ model ??? self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management ??? and connecting it to their own DISC/Birds behavioral profile. Participants prepare by taking a DISC assessment and watching Goleman's explanation of emotional intelligence, then in-session they practice building rapport through a structured partner exercise covering personal activities, principles, and challenges, and are introduced to a related model framing these same four EQ quadrants as Introspection, Self-Governance, Intercultural Literacy, and Social Architecting.

This module builds self-awareness as the foundation of emotional intelligence. Participants work through a personal inventory of behaviors that trigger emotionally intense reactions (e.g., passive-aggression, criticizing, victim mentality, manipulation), then isolate one trigger to examine the thought process behind their reaction and draft an alternative thought that would reduce its pull. Partners share and discuss their answers to surface patterns. The core insight the module drives toward: your reaction to a trigger is itself the trigger, since people tend to mirror the behavior that set them off ??? so the work is managing yourself first, not managing others.

This module builds self-governance skills for navigating change: adaptability, emotional regulation, and impulse control. Participants map their personal support network using Natasha Josefowitz's three types of support (a shoulder to cry on, a brain to pick, a kick in the pants), rank the factors that make them feel safe and confident at work, and use the DISC framework (Eagle, Parrot, Owl, Dove) to understand how different people respond to and need to be communicated with during organizational change. Exercises include individual reflection, live polling, and small-group discussion to identify personal support gaps and DISC-based strategies for managing change for themselves and colleagues.

This module explores how social identity shapes self-perception, leadership presence, and team interactions. Participants watch a video on cultural competence and emotional intelligence, then use the Social Identity Wheel to map which identities they think about most and least, and which most strongly shape how they see themselves and how others see them. Through an anonymous "Who's in the Room" survey and small group discussion, participants surface the range of identities present in the room and reflect on how their own identities influence how they show up as leaders and team members.

No exercises in this module.

This module builds intercultural literacy through the lens of listening: empathy and active listening, cultural sensitivity and awareness of biases, and openness to different perspectives and communication styles. Participants examine three levels of listening???downloading, factual listening, and deep listening???and then practice deep listening in pairs through a "Peak Experience" exercise, where one partner shares a personal work story of pride or fulfillment while the other listens for and reflects back the underlying values.

This module explores social identity and its role in building psychologically safe, inclusive teams. Participants watch a video on cultural competence and emotional intelligence, then use the Social Identity Wheel to examine which of their identities they think about most and least, and how those identities shape self-perception and how others perceive them. Through the "Who's in the Room?" exercise, an anonymous group survey, and small-group breakout discussions, participants reflect on their own identities and discuss how those identities influence their behavior and leadership style.

This closing module wraps up the Emotional Intelligence program by revisiting its core threads: building connections through shared professional focus and personal interests, and developing self-awareness, self-management, intercultural literacy, and social architecture. Participants reflect through open discussion on one thing they realized about themselves and one thing they realized about someone else, then commit to how they'll apply these tools with colleagues in their everyday work.