EQ Business Training

Vision & Mission

Our vision is to support a more peaceful and productive world by contributing to a critical mass of people who recognize the power of self awareness and empathy.

 

“Can I skip my session and we just keep doing Play To Evolve* for the rest of the day?” ~ Bob Kadrie, Creative Director, Red Pill Now (software company) after 90 minutes of Play to Evolve

*Bob is talking about the Play to Evolve card game.

How do we do it?

We will accomplish this by helping organizations develop a more collaborative, productive, and enjoyable culture by offering trainings designed to increase emotional intelligence (EQ) and interpersonal skills in all areas of life, including the workplace.

We develop and lead workshops which combine several EQ modalities including Nonviolent Communication (NVC), the “A Practical EmPath” system tools, Authentic Relating Games, Circling, meditation, and other mind/body awareness exercises. We offer general workshops as well as a customized curriculum built in response to the client’s specific needs. 

Are you a potential client?

Our key clients are schools, corporate and nonprofit organizations, and other entities who understand the value of EQ. We work with individuals, leadership teams, human resources, sales, support, and the entire workforce. 

Testimonials

Ryon Day

Cannot say how much this stuff has improved my life, Scotter. I have a lot of difficulty keeping in the NVC ‘mode’ because so much of my day to day

Suza Kanon

this was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the day. intense & somewhat emotionally exhausting, but extremely worth it imho. much appreciation to everyone that came & opened up to

Marisa Santangelo

I’ve played Play to Evolve with my teenage sons and in adult small groups with great results. The game provides a supportive environment to learn how to clearly express emotions,

David Cole

My wife and I got a lot out of the workshop. It really enhanced what we learned from the book. NVC does not solve all of my communication “issues”, but

Jon De Montreville

For me NVC with Scott was an amazing breakthrough in communication as well as an eye opening view of the unconditional love Scott has for so many. I found myself

Anja from Netherlands

Dear Scott, I would really like to thank you for the nice and humoristic animations you created. The cartoons are helping me to understand the concept of nonviolent communication in

Peter James Craig

When I arrived at the first meeting, I immediately felt connected to the open, safe space he provided at his place. I really enjoyed practicing NVC with a group of

Chris Galusha

I have been working actively on improving my communication since my divorce a year ago. This class was a real boost to improving my communication with my daughters, friends, and

Jayne

Thanks for helping me with “NVC goggles”. I am seeing the world more clearly thru lenses of empathy and compassion. It’s so great to start liberating yourself and the way

Bob Kadrie

“Can I skip my session and we just keep doing Play To Evolve for the rest of the day?” ~ Bob Kadrie, Creative Director, Red Pill Now after 90 minutes

Melissa Richardson

Learning about Non-Violent Communication from Scott has helped me become more aware of how I speak and interact with others. As a teacher, the students and I have benefited from

Dr. Cynthia Schade

Communication skills that I have been introduced to thru Scott Howard Swain are helping me transform my business from a resentful, high-turnover office to one where people are having fun

Angie Epley

I’m so glad I signed up for this workshop. First, it prompted me to read the book which I’d been meaning to do for some time but never got around

Jackie Sy

I participated in Scotter’s NVC class last year (January-March 2010) and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in communicating with anyone else. Much of the information was

Magnifique

When I was initiated and learned my first lesson of tantra meditation, I took an oath of non violence. NVC resonated with me immediately like my spiritual path did. The

Sparrow

You’re one of the biggest proponents of open, honest communication that I know. And an amazingly respectful person, in every way that I’ve seen. And experienced in multiple types of

Niki Acosta

When I first heard about NVC, I was skeptical, however coming from a relationship where the communication was destructive, I decided to give it a shot. During the sessions, I

Ava Thomas

When I first met Scott, I was inspired by the way he communicated with and interacted with everyone around him, and my personal interactions with him conveyed a depth of

Randy Carnes

First, I would like to thank Scott for the opportunity to take part in this course. Over the years, I had come to see myself as a good communicator. This

Jeremy Connors

Not at all what I expected. The structure was so much more free-flow than I prepared myself for. And I personally think that the result of that was yes, at

What value will we bring to your firm?

Our "the "A Practical EmPath" system" trainings encourage a holistic shift to a more collaborative, productive, enjoyable company culture. This leads to decreased employee turnover, increased efficiency, improved client, student, patient, and vendor relationships, improved company sustainability, and increased profit margins. 

What is Emotional Intelligence?

"EQ" or "e-mo-tion-al in-tel-li-gence"

noun - The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

"Emotional intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success"

Emotional Intelligence Chart

Intent of the training

It is ClearSay's intent to train key groups at your company in Emotional Intelligence Tools; methods of communication designed to increase emotional intelligence (EQ/Ei), which will result in:

  • Shift in attitudes from negative to more positive.
  • Shift of moods from apathetic to more empathetic.
  • Fostering an atmosphere where more personal responsibility is encouraged, enjoyed, and accepted.
  • Increased individual and company-wide efficiency.
  • Smoother lateral and upward transitions within the organization.
  • Decreased employee turn-over. 

Which leads to improved client / student / patient / vendor relationships, improved company sustainability, and increased profit margins.

Evidence the "A Practical EmPath"* system works

*Based on Scott Howard Swain's book, A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind.

Before we get into "how," let's look at concrete examples of EQ/Ei training contributing to the bottom line. The full list, along with sources, is in the Resources section at the back of this Proposal. Here is the condensed list:

(1) The US Air Force found that the most successful recruiters scored significantly higher in the Ei competencies of assertiveness, empathy, happiness, and emotional self-awareness. The Air Force also found that by using Ei to select recruiters, they increased their ability to predict successful recruiters by nearly three-fold. The immediate gain was savings of $3 million annually.

(2) Experienced partners in a multinational consulting firm were assessed on Ei competencies. Partners who scored above the median on 9 or more of the 20 competencies delivered $1.2 million more profit from their accounts; a 139% incremental gain.

(3) In jobs of medium complexity, a top performer is 12 times more productive than those at the bottom and 85% more productive than an average performer. In the most complex jobs, a top performer is 127% more productive than an average performer. Competency research in 200 companies worldwide suggests that 1/3 of this difference is due to technical and cognitive ability while 2/3 is due to emotional competence. In top leadership positions, over 4/5 of the difference is due to emotional competence.

(4) At L'Oreal, per year, salespeople selected for emotional competence sold $91,370 more than others, for a net revenue increase of $2,558,360. Salespeople selected for emotional competence also had 63% less turnover during the first year.

(5) In a national insurance company, agents who were weak in Ei competencies sold policies with an average premium of $54,000. Those who were stronger in Ei sold policies worth $114,000.

(6) In a large beverage firm, using standard methods to hire division presidents, 50% left within two years. When they started selecting based on emotional competencies, only 6% left in two years.

(7) Research by the Center for Creative Leadership has found that the primary causes of derailment in executives involve deficits in emotional competence. The three primary ones are difficulty in handling change, not being able to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.

(8) After supervisors in a manufacturing plant received training in emotional competencies such as how to listen better and help employees resolve problems on their own, lost-time accidents were reduced by 50%, formal grievances were reduced from an average of 15 per year to 3 per year, and the plant exceeded productivity goals by $250,000.

(9) The ability to handle stress was linked to success as store managers in a retail chain. The most successful managers were those best able to handle stress. Success was based on net profits, sales per square foot, sales per employee, and per dollar inventory investment.

Every the "A Practical EmPath" system training is unique. Prior to the class, ClearSay proposes to

  • Meet with your company's leadership to gain a deep-as-possible understanding of specific and company-wide challenges and goals.
  • Meet with appropriate personnel to learn company culture and subculture of the department(s) being trained.
  • Interview each individual attendee in order to more accurately tailor the training to the attendees' strengths and roles in the company.
  • Optional: Administer Emotional Intelligence (general Ei and practical Ei) test to all attendees (optional). Note: if company leadership chooses to opt for these tests, one will be given before the class and one after, and a comparison provided to each individual attendee and company leadership, showing progress for each person, as well as group progress.

Who will benefit?

Specific areas at your company where these tools will be most useful include:

 
  • Managers.
  • Teams.
  • Employees in transition.
  • Human resources.
  • Customer service.
  • Sales.
  • Health care-related services.

What will be learned?

Each attendee will gain:

  • Improved Self-understanding. Learn to identify and understand your own value-needs and motives.
  • Speak uncomfortable truths more effectively. Learn to speak uncomfortable truths in ways that get through and facilitate value-based connections, creating a habit of "authentic and responsible compassionate honesty" that is less likely to trigger a defensive response, is more efficient, builds trust, and is more sustainable.
  • Increased responsibility and power. Learn to rephrase dodging of responsibility [power loss] into claiming of responsibility [power gain]. Example: Using "I choose to" or "I intend to" or "I want to" or "I will" instead of "I have to" or "I should" or "I might".
  • Shift can't into can. Learn to rephrase negatives into positives, asking for what you want rather than what you don't want, increasing clarity and increasing probability of success. Less excuses and more taking responsibility.
  • Focused empowered listening. Getting to the root by learning to identify and understand the value-needs of others.

These practices lead to a virtuous circle of increased responsibility and power for all parties, which, of course, as mentioned in the Intent of Training section, leads to greater company sustainability and increased profit margins.

How does the training work?

ClearSay provides a flexible structure and emphasizes interactivity based on the idea that learning works best when students enjoy themselves, exercise curiosity, see practical benefits to increased Emotional intelligence (EQ), are presented with clear expectations, and are encouraged to give and receive feedback throughout the process.

Our curriculum uses a multi-pronged approach. We find that people integrate new concepts best when a methodology is introduced from a combination of different perspectives and modalities. Of course, everyone is different in which perspectives and modalities they prefer. For example:

    abstract to concrete

    Abstraction. Some tend to think in the abstract (general, idealistic, mediated) while others prefer concrete (specific, pragmatic, direct).

    Learning modalities. Some are more visually oriented, while others are more auditory or kinesthetic. We have found that providing a mix of these ways of training provides enough distinct "angles of view" so students can easily form a clear picture and integrate Emotional Intelligence Tools into their daily lives.

    Movement. We will also incorporate a minor amount of easy movements into the training, to help anchor lessons from a "body learning" (kinesthetic) perspective.

    Learning modalities

    Throughout the training, attendees will be asked to get into groups of 2, 3, 4, etc., depending on the exercise and group size, and given verbal exercises. Finally, some repetition will be used to ensure critical points are understood.

    Integrity. While most of the lessons and exercises will be focused on students using Emotional Intelligence Tools in their roles in your organization, it will quickly become apparent that these tools apply easily to all kinds of relationships, including friendship, romantic love, and parenting. Recognition of this practical value and integrity will increase attendee motivation to practice Emotional Intelligence Tools long after the class is over. 

    Measurable results. [optional] Students will be given an EQ test before and after the training to help determine progress and show measurable results. Clear goals will be communicated at the beginning of the class and "checked off" as the training progresses. Note regarding the EQ test: a test will be given before the class and after, and a comparison provided to each individual attendee and to company leadership, showing progress for each person, as well as group progress.

    What does it cost?

    Our curriculum easily adapts to any timeline or class size from 1 to 100*. 

    *Please note:

    • Fee assumes you provide venue for training.
    • Class outside Austin adds travel and lodging expenses.
    • Refresher and advanced training available for a discount for graduates of this course.
    • Discounts available for some groups.
    • Longer training periods available upon request.
    EQ training pricing

    Resources

    If you are looking for activities that balance well between being fun, engaging, and educational, back in 2015 I created a physical card game we play at almost every meetup. The game, Play to Evolve, has evolved over the 5+ years of playtesting every week and sometimes twice a week. AND there is an Android mobile app version of the game you can find on the Google Play Store as "NVC Play to Evolve"! Oh and part of the free web app and Android app is a game called "Mime-It" that is much like charades but with feelings & needs. A great way to get more familiar with your feelings and needs. Also, within these apps are searchable feelings and needs lists. Finally, I created an a.i. called EmpathyBot you can speak to in order to refine your speaking of empathy and/or increase the bot's knowledge.

    Details and links here: https://clearsay.net/play-to-evolve

    References and Sources

    A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind by Scott Howard Swain
    Nonviolent Communication, A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg, PhD
    Empathy Factor by Marie R. Miyashiro and Jerry Colonna
    Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, PhD
    Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny
    The Tao of Negotiation by Joel Edelman and Mary Beth Crane
    The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), EQ-360 and EQ-i: YV were developed to assess the Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence. The EQ-i test is designed to measure a number of constructs related to Emotional Intelligence. (Bar-On, 2006). Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations.
    Bachman, J., StEin, S., Campbell, K., & Sitarenios, G. (2000). Emotional intelligence in the collection of debt. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 8(3), 176-182.
    Boyatzis, R. E. (1999). From a presentation to the Linkage Conference on Emotional Intelligence, Chicago, IL.
    Boyatzis, R. (1982). The competent manager: A model for effective performance. NY: John Wiley & Sons.
    Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam.
    Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group (1997).
    Hunter, J. E., Schmidt, F. L., & Judiesch, M. K. (1990). Individual Differences in Output Variability as a Function of Job Complexity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 28-42.
    Lusch, R. F., & Serpkeuci, R. (1990). Personal differences, job tension, job outcomes, and store performance: A study of retail managers. Journal of Marketing.
    McClelland, D. C. (1999). Identifying competencies with behavioral-event interviews. Psych Science, 9(5), 331.
    Pesuric, A., & Byham, W. (1996, July). The new look in behavior modeling. Training and Development, 25-33.
    Porras, J. I., & Anderson, B. (1981). Improving managerial effectiveness through modeling-based training. Organizational Dynamics, 9, 60-77.
    Richman, L. S. (1994, May 16). How to get ahead in America. Fortune, 46-54.
    Seligman, M. E. P. (1990). Learned optimism. New York: Knopf.
    Spencer, L. M., Jr. , & Spencer, S. (1993). Competence at work: Models for superior performance. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
    Spencer, L. M. J., McClelland, D. C., & Kelner, S. (1997). Competency assessment methods: History and state of the art. Boston: Hay/McBer.
    Walter V. Clarke Associates. (1996). Activity vector analysis: Some applications to the concept of emotional intelligence. Pittsburgh, PA: Walter V. Clarke Associates.

    Sixteen Examples of How Emotional Intelligence Contributes to the Bottom Line

    (1) The US Air Force used EQ-I to select recruiters (the Air Force's front-line HR personnel) and found that the most successful recruiters scored significantly higher in the emotional intelligence competencies of Assertiveness, Empathy, Happiness, and Emotional Self Awareness. The Air Force also found that by using emotional intelligence to select recruiters, they increased their ability to predict successful recruiters by nearly three-fold. The immediate gain was a saving of $3 million annually. These gains resulted in the Government Accounting Office submitting a report to Congress, which led to a request that the Secretary of Defense order all branches of the armed forces to adopt this procedure in recruitment and selection. (The GAO report is titled, "Military Recruiting: The Department of Defense Could Improve Its Recruiter Selection and Incentive Systems," submitted to Congress January 30, 1998. Richard Handley and Reuven Bar-On provided this information.)

    (2) Experienced partners in a multinational consulting firm were assessed on the EI competencies plus three others. Partners who scored above the median on 9 or more of the 20 competencies delivered $1.2 million more profit from their accounts than did other partners - a 139 percent incremental gain (Boyatzis, 1999).

    (3) In jobs of medium complexity (sales clerks, mechanics), a top performer is 12 times more productive than those at the bottom and 85 percent more productive than an average performer. In the most complex jobs (insurance salespeople, account managers), a top performer is 127 percent more productive than an average performer (Hunter, Schmidt, & Judiesch, 1990). Competency research in over 200 companies and organizations worldwide suggests that about one-third of this difference is due to technical skill and cognitive ability while two-thirds is due to emotional competence (Goleman, 1998). (In top leadership positions, over four-fifths of the difference is due to emotional competence.)

    (4) At L'Oreal, sales agents selected on the basis of certain emotional competencies significantly outsold salespeople selected using the company's old selection procedure. On an annual basis, salespeople selected on the basis of emotional competence sold $91,370 more than other salespeople did, for a net revenue increase of $2,558,360. Salespeople selected on the basis of emotional competence also had 63% less turnover during the first year than those selected in the typical way (Spencer & Spencer, 1993; Spencer, McClelland, & Kelner, 1997).

    (5) In a national insurance company, insurance sales agents who were weak in emotional competencies such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies with an average premium of $54,000. Those who were very strong in at least 5 of 8 key emotional competencies sold policies worth $114,000 (Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group, 1997).

    (6) In a large beverage firm, using standard methods to hire division presidents, 50% left within two years, mostly because of poor performance. When they started selecting based on emotional competencies such as initiative, self-confidence, and leadership, only 6% left in two years. Furthermore, the executives selected based on emotional competence were far more likely to perform in the top third based on salary bonuses for performance of the divisions they led: 87% were in the top third. In addition, division leaders with these competencies outperformed their targets by 15 to 20 percent. Those who lacked them under-performed by almost 20% (McClelland, 1999).

    (7) Research by the Center for Creative Leadership has found that the primary causes of derailment in executives involve deficits in emotional competence. The three primary ones are difficulty in handling change, not bEing able to work well in a team, and poor interpersonal relations.

    (8) After supervisors in a manufacturing plant recEived training in emotional competencies such as how to listen better and help employees resolve problems on their own, lost-time accidents were reduced by 50 percent, formal grievances were reduced from an average of 15 per year to 3 per year, and the plant exceeded productivity goals by $250,000 (Pesuric & Byham, 1996). In another manufacturing plant where supervisors recEived similar training, production increased 17 percent. There was no such increase in production for a group of matched supervisors who were not trained (Porras & Anderson, 1981).

    (9) Another emotional competence, the ability to handle stress, was linked to success as a store manager in a retail chain. The most successful store managers were those best able to handle stress. Success was based on net profits, sales per square foot, sales per employee, and per dollar inventory investment (Lusch & Serpkeuci, 1990).

    (10) Optimism is another emotional competence that leads to increased productivity. New salesmen at Met Life who scored high on a test of "learned optimism" sold 37 percent more life insurance in their first two years than pessimists (Seligman, 1990).

    (11) A study of 130 executives found that how well people handled their own emotions determined how much people around them preferred to deal with them (Walter V. Clarke Associates, 1997).

    (12) For sales reps at a computer company, those hired based on their emotional competence were 90% more likely to finish their training than those hired on other criteria (Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group, 1997).

    (13) At a national furniture retailer, sales people hired based on emotional competence had half the dropout rate during their first year (Hay/McBer Research and Innovation Group, 1997).

    (14) For 515 senior executives analyzed by the search firm Egon Zehnder International, those who were primarily strong in emotional intelligence were more likely to succeed than those who were strongest in Either relevant previous experience or IQ. In other words, emotional intelligence was a better predictor of success than Either relevant previous experience or high IQ. More specifically, the executive was high in emotional intelligence in 74 percent of the successes and only in 24 percent of the failures. The study included executives in Latin America, Germany, and Japan, and the results were almost identical in all three cultures.

    (15) Financial advisors at American Express whose managers completed the Emotional Competence training program were compared to an equal number whose managers had not. During the year following training, the advisors of trained managers grew their businesses by 18.1% compared to 16.2% for those whose managers were untrained.

    (16) The most successful debt collectors in a large collection agency had an average goal attainment of 163% over a three-month period. They were compared with a group of collectors who achieved an average of only 80% over the same time period. The most successful collectors scored significantly higher in the emotional intelligence competencies of self-actualization, independence, and optimism. (Self-actualization refers to a well-developed, inner knowledge of one's own goals and a sense of pride in one's work.) (Bachman, 2000).