whitepaper - TalentSmart

Transcription

whitepaper
TRAINING ON A DIME
By Nick Tasler & Dr. Travis Bradberry
How to create an emotionally intelligent organization for $40/head
Recently, a government client approached TalentSmart’s consulting arm with a request to
rollout an emotional intelligence (EQ) training program for their mid-level management.
Initially, they wanted the red carpet treatment for their managers. However, when they
crunched the numbers, they discovered that their 2009 budget would provide them with
roughly half of the budgetary dollars necessary. While we both agreed that the
comprehensive Rolls Royce program, complete with extensive classroom training and oneon-one coaching sessions, would provide the greatest benefits to participants, the numbers
simply would not allow it.
While not all budgets are being slashed, this client is far from the only organization
caught in this Catch-22 situation. According to a recent survey by industry researcher,
Expertus, 48% of training managers in the U.S. expect their budgets to decrease in 2009.
The 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008 and the 2 million more projected for 2009 have created
extra emotional baggage in the workplace as employees panic about their job stability.
In this environment, the ability to understand and manage emotions is critical to weathering
the storm of tension and anxiety infiltrating the workplace. The need for developing
emotional intelligence skills in the workplace has never been greater. This marriage of
decreased budgets and increased need poses a troubling conundrum for the learning and
development community.
Cut Back on Cost, Not Quality
In short, reduced budgets are forcing cash-strapped organizations to cut out non-essential
luxuries such as external workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions, which can cost
upwards of $2,000 per participant (to say nothing of the cost of lunch, materials, and
travel). Yet these same organizations also know that letting EQ development fall by the
wayside could cost them later on. Therefore, many companies are scrapping the luxury
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models, and adopting a do-it-yourself approach to building more emotionally intelligent
organizations.
For some trainers, this simply means switching to programs of the minivan variety, in which
a larger number of learners are packed into one session and personally driven to a
higher EQ. Bringing the training in-house and conducting it in larger group sessions can
trim costs down to a much more manageable $200 per head. Of course, the trick to
pulling off a successful session is figuring out how to provide personalized feedback in a
group setting. It is not surprising then, that many trainers and consultants are turning to elearning and online assessments to achieve maximum individual impact for minimal group
cost. According to a December survey by Cegos UK, 73% of training departments plan to
incorporate e-learning into their professional development programs in 2009. Of those
companies already employing some of the latest and greatest in digital development
techniques, 36% intend to up their investment in e-learning in 2009.
There are two simple reasons why lower cost online assessment and e-learning is so
effective:
1. An online EQ test such as the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal® provides each
individual with an objective, numeric score that quantifies his or her current skill
level. Talking about a concept like emotional intelligence in generalized terms will
not necessarily engage the interest or attention of every learner. Furthermore,
even learners that find the topic itself engaging will not always benefit from
passive learning. An intellectual understanding of what it means to recognize and
understand emotions does not necessarily translate into increased self-awareness
or an improved ability to manage emotions. Yet, when a learner sees their own
score on their own test, the concept of emotional intelligence becomes much more
real and personally applicable. In short, it motivates them to improve.
2. The Emotional Intelligence Appraisal® provides more than just a score. Automated,
interactive e-learning fosters continued development beyond the classroom. As
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anyone with even a cursory understanding of skill development knows, a single
“a-ha” moment, or even a full day of guided development work rarely creates
lasting behavior change. Real change happens only when there is repetition and
practice of the new skill. Since even the briefest of in-class follow-up sessions eats
budget dollars, providing access to an online, ongoing learning tool offers a very
attractive no-cost, no-brainer alternative.
Developing effective curriculum in-house can be time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Many practitioners elect to incorporate one of the following elements into their program,
which saves time and provides proven methods for increasing employee EQ. For most,
the desired length of the training session dictates the choice of product more than the cost,
as the cost of each solution becomes negligible once you use it to run enough sessions:
1. The PowerPoint® - The right PowerPoint® presentation can be the flashy, highimpact backbone of your training session. TalentSmart’s Emotional Intelligence
PowerPoint® program brings EQ to life for your audience with 26 slides that
feature an overview of the benchmark EQ model, clips from Hollywood movies
and historical events that play right from your slides to showcase EQ in action,
summaries of the latest research making the business case for EQ, a leader’s
guide, and reproducible participant handouts. At just $250, you only need to use
the program a couple of times before it pays for itself. Since the materials are
reproducible, there’s no limit to the number of times you can use the Emotional
Intelligence PowerPoint® to lead 1-2 hour EQ sessions.
2. The Training Film – Like the PowerPoint®, the wrong training film can be a
disaster that turns your audience away from the topic you’re trying to teach. The
right training film is dynamic, entertaining, easily weaved into an extended
training session, and quite frankly, hard to come by. BRAINS! is a Telly Award
winning training film that excites, entertains, and engages your group as they
learn. Viewers discover practical strategies for building EQ that come to life right
before their
eyes.
With
a
specialized
leader’s guide, PowerPoint®
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presentation, reproducible participant materials, and detailed session agendas
ranging from 2-4 hours, BRAINS! is an ample, unlimited-use training program that’s
just $995.
3. The Full-Day and Multi-Day Training – Certification in a comprehensive training
program can provide you with 1-2 days of proven EQ training curriculum.
TalentSmart’s Discovering EQ and Developing EQ programs each provide a full
day of unique EQ curriculum that’s chock-full of powerful skill development
activities. Certification sessions are held regularly, and attending ensures you
leave with everything you need to run the world’s #1 emotional intelligence
training program. Certification prices start at just $3500 for each program, and
our master-certified instructors make sure you leave with the expertise required to
run countless sessions and achieve maximum return on your investment.
Developing EQ for $40/head
While the family truckster-style program is much more affordable than the Rolls edition,
even that is often out of reach for those under stricter conditions of forced frugality.
However, at $40 per participant, the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal® can take you a
long way toward the development of a more emotionally intelligent organization. Allow us
to unveil the Smart Car option. The use of online assessments with follow-up e-learning can
raise your employees’ EQ skills in an economic, yet effective fashion. No lunch costs. No
travel costs. No leaving your desk. You simply set the ball in motion by emailing the survey
invitations and let the automated system do the rest.
It is worth pointing out that low-cost does not mean low-quality. For only $40, the
Emotional Intelligence Appraisal® provides each learner with:

An assessment that provides a numerical score for each of the four core EQ skill
areas. These scores provide a concrete starting point on which to launch the
learner’s individual skill development process.
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An individualized feedback report, complete with 10 hours of straightforward,
self-guided, and highly interactive e-learning. The e-learning process is personally
geared to the individual’s unique score profile, and includes Hollywood movie clips
to liven up the experience and keep learners engaged, and that is no small
advantage. Research has shown that active, engaged learners retain three times
more knowledge than do learners in a lecture-style learning environment.

A proprietary Goal-Tracking System™, included with each survey, allows testtakers to set appropriate behavioral goals, and reminds them, by automated
email, to work on these goals daily, every other day, or weekly. This process takes
moments to set in motion and eliminates the need for constant vigilance by the
coach or trainer.
While it is true that times are tough, tightened budgets do not have to stifle the
development of new skills in your organization’s most valuable asset—its people.
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Want to know how your EQ is holding up? Or
maybe you want to introduce others to the
power of emotional intelligence? It’s trusted by
more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies.
About the authors:
Nick Tasler
As director of research & development for TalentSmart®, Nick Tasler oversees all of the
company's research worldwide. Tasler is the award-winning author of the internationally
acclaimed book The Impulse Factor: Why some of us play it safe and others risk it all. His work has
been covered by leading media outlets including U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, BBC
Radio, and the London Paper.
Dr. Travis Bradberry
Dr. Bradberry is an award-winning author and President and Cofounder of TalentSmart®. His
Emotional Intelligence Quick Book is an international best seller, available in 22 languages and in
more than 150 countries. His work has been covered by leading publications, including Newsweek,
Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company Inc., The Harvard Business Review, Newsday, and the Washington
Post.
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