It's another Beautiful week!

Another Beautiful week for you to add value.

This week's EI Moments by a HR Professional.

DETECT INFLUENCERS

The MD concluded with these words, “Ayo, I have gone through their proposals, Their rates are similar."

Ayo replied, “The new Naicom rate policy gave a tight range for rates, which all insurance companies must abide with.”

“Okay. The three companies are okay, which do you suggest we go with?"

Ayo knew it will come to that. And he had thought it through. Among the three insurance sales agents, it was Victoria who had gone the extra mile.

During his wedding, she attended with her line manager. Presenting a gift from the company.

When the twins were born, she visited, with gifts.

During his marriage anniversary, she was among the first who sent a text. Not just to him, but also to the wife, wishing them a happy marriage anniverasay.

Promptly, he replied, “Sir, let’s go with Premium Insurance.”

The MD approved.

============================

It takes an organizational savvy person to spot decision influencers in an organization.

Sometimes it may be a secretary, a junior officer, an assistant manager, etc.

Just focusing on the organizational chart can be misleading.

Often there are informal channels of influence in an organization.

Organizational Awareness an EI competence under the Social Awareness Quadrant, is needed to detect influencers in an organization.

Victoria acted on this competence. Her efforts paid off.

EI Moments by a Human Resource Professional

Do have a Productive Week!

Stress on Stress

While preparing for work, Mike was worried about an upcoming downsizing.

On his way, a motorist insulted him, though he did not retaliate, underneath he boiled in anger.

During the weekly meeting, a colleague made a negative comment about the quality of his report.

He replied aggressively.

Feelings of anger have been building from home; the colleague’s comment was an excuse for an outlet—the wrong outlet.

============================

When stress mount on stress, they are not just adding up, like 3+3 = 6.

Rather it’s: 3x3 = 9.

Stress on stress isn’t just an addition, it’s a multiplication.

On a very hectic day, from home to work to home, it seems each moment will be the breaking point.

Yet somehow at the end of the day, you are back at home not in the hospital.

Actually, there are bruises.

The size of the bruises is dependent on how well you managed yourself during the day.

Self-control is an EI competence under the 2nd Quadrant of Emotional Intelligence - Self-management.

Do have a Productive week.

INFLUENCE BY LISTENING.

During a building project, a carpenter said this in pidgin english to the site engineer:

Before I got married, I changed girl friends quickly.

One day, an elderly man told me: “Just under four years, you have had four girlfriends. Check yourself.

He was sending a message to the Engineer.

Just within two months of been on site, five different carpenters had come and gone.

At least there was a concrete reason for one to go.

But the majority was due to the Engineer’s failure to exercise influence.

He wasn’t good at relationship management.

Academically he was sound, with an Msc. in civil engineering.

Technically, he was okay. He is experienced.

His listening ability was below average.

At first I taught it was just between him and the artisans.

As time progressed, I realized it was his achilles heel.

Some events made me draw this conclusion.

One of them was a phone call after the end of their contract. For twenty minutes he spoke.

At a point I wanted to clarify something, he just went on and on.

At a point I started speaking, hoping he will pause.

It didn’t work.

He just kept talking, till his airtime got finished.

He called back and just continued from where he stopped.

You see, empathy, especially the art of listening is a stepping stone to influence.

Poor listeners, aren’t skilled at winning people over.

For this Engineer to be good at influence, first he has to improve his listening ability.

Easier said than done.

I agree.

In my next post, I will share some listening tips I observed from a friend years ago.

#eimomentsbyahrprofessional#

It's another Beautiful week!

GREAT LISTENER.

A friend of mine, back in Lagos is a great listener I know in person.

When he gives you audience, you know someone is listening.

His excellent listening ability, have won him many good things. Including a wife of his dreams.

Here are some things anyone can learn from him, when it comes to the art of listening.

1. Make out time to Listen: When you bring issues to him, and he perceives it is going to be a long one, he politely reschedules.

Listening is an art, so you have to make out time to listen.

A colleague comes to you with an issue, and you are under a tight deadline.

Politely reschedule.

If you don’t, you will listen under pressure.

And when you listen under pressure, it shows.

You will not effectively practice the next tips exhibited by my friend, the great listener.

2. Tune in: It was said of the great psychologist Sigmund Freud:

“When he listens to you, it seems someone is peering into your soul.” (Paraphrased).

I never had Mr. Freud, listen to me.

Yet I get that feeling when my friend listens to me.

It seems as if, through his empathic piercing eyes, he already knows what I’m going to say, even before I say it.

He accomplishes this through:

a) Eye contact: Maintain good eye contact when listening. Without words it tells the speaker,” I’m here for you. Also, it helps you to see other things, which aren’t conveyed in words - non verbal communication.

b) Signs: While listening, exhibit signs to tell the speaker that you are listening. It can be with nods, throat sounds such as, mhmmm or words such as okay, fine, I’m with you, continue.

c) Questions: Timing is key. If it comes too early, you will come across as a detective, and your listening ability will loose its effectiveness.

d) Paraphrase: What you have been told, the issue at hand, briefly summarize it in your own words with at most five sentences.

Listening can increase subordinates and customers loyalty.

Thereby increasing employee and customer engagement, which leads to increased productivity.

Listening as a technique can improve your social awareness and relationship management skills.

These are two quadrants in emotional intelligence.

#eimomentsbyahrprofessional#

BUILDING A LOYAL TEAM

Some years ago. During a company training program. We were told to go around and tell each person, his strengths and weaknesses.

One of the management staff in the company told me my strength.

Then it took him a while on my weakness.

Finally he said, “Victor, you are too loyal to your departmental manager.”

Too loyal, I kept repeating to myself. What does it mean to be too loyal?

Afterwards, I told myself, "no matter what it means, my line manager deserves my loyalty."

Not just his job title, he earned it on the following three counts:

1) Adaptability: During my first week, I approached him on his management style.

In lay man’s parlance I told him about Douglas McGregor theory of motivation. Theory X and Y. And told him, "to get the best out of me, manage me like a Y."

He listened.

He didn’t argue.

Most importantly, he adapted.

He treated me like a Y.

And I kept my word. Going extra miles for him and the department.

2) Developing others: He played a key role in my professional development. He took me to my first ever Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) meeting. He encouraged me to become a certified associate of the institute.

3) Building Bonds: He brought me into his home, introduced me to his family. The first game of scrabble I had in this city was at his place.

When I got married, he was among the company’s representatives who travelled all the way to Delta for my white wedding.

Few months after my wedding, together with his wife and daughter, he took my wife and I out on a picnic. All expenses was paid by him.

Hence we see, he beautifully utilized the EI competencies of Adaptability (Under Self Control), Developing others (under Relationship Management), Building Bonds (Under Relationship Management).

Therefore, I gave him (in extension the company) not just my mind on the job, but also my heart.

That’s what fine exhibitions of EI competencies can do. It makes others go extra mile for you. They become too loyal.

It's a beautiful week.

This week's EI Moments by a HR Professional:

Influence versus Manipulation

Basically, influence arouses an appropriate emotion in the other person.

The appropriate emotion needed for the task at hand.

It can be: respect for authority, enthusiasm for a new project, calmness during a tight deadline, controlled anger over an injustice.

Empathy – sensing what another is feeling – is vital in exercising influence.

If you don’t understand your colleague, manager, subordinate, etc, how will you know how best to influence them to attain organizational goals?

Note, manipulating isn’t same with influencing.

Manipulating is Machiavellian.

Influence is an EI competence.

It is noble.

Organizational manipulators are after their personal interest.

Organizational influencers are primarily after the organization’s interest.

Manipulators worship those above them, and treat their subordinates with disdain or with fake sweetness.

Those adept at influence, highly regard those above them, and are humane to their subordinates.

Those good at manipulations thrive in organizations that are more power oriented.

Those good at the emotional competence of influence thrive in organizations that are achievement oriented.

According to Daniel Goleman, people good at influence:

Are skilled at winning people over.

Fine tune presentations to appeal to the listener.

Use complex strategies like indirect influence, to build consensus and support.

Orchestrate dramatic events to effectively make a point.

Do have a Productive week.

#eimomentsbyahrprofessional.

Flee or Freeze.

She slotted in her card, her transaction was declined, but her account was debited.

The POS attendant explained to her… she didn’t take it in well.

She froze.

The lady I saw smiling some minutes ago, panicked. Her once youthful face, aged within one minute.

“Madam,” I said, “No doubt =N= 12,000 is money, yet the invisible side effects of what you are putting yourself, won’t it cost you more than =N=12,000?”

Instead of an insult for not minding my own business, she started calming down.

I suggested she take some deep breaths. Smiling she complied halfheartedly.

During the fourth or so breath-in she received an alert on her phone. Her face naturally became radiant again, even before she opened her mouth, I knew.

Our emotional frequency during routine things is the same frequency we carry at work.

Flee or freeze isn’t the best approach to tasks.

First, tasks done under such emotional radar, doesn’t yield the best result.

Second, when such response becomes a habit, our immune system weakens.

With this, the person becomes an easy prey to germs and diseases.

Calmness is a better response.

An ancient writer rightly posited, that such calmness is life to the fleshly organism.

Anjinsan:
It's another Beautiful week!

GREAT LISTENER.

A friend of mine, back in Lagos is a great listener I know in person.

When he gives you audience, you know someone is listening.

His excellent listening ability, have won him many good things. Including a wife of his dreams.

Here are some things anyone can learn from him, when it comes to the art of listening.

1. Make out time to Listen: When you bring issues to him, and he perceives it is going to be a long one, he politely reschedules.

Listening is an art, so you have to make out time to listen.

A colleague comes to you with an issue, and you are under a tight deadline.

Politely reschedule.

If you don’t, you will listen under pressure.

And when you listen under pressure, it shows.

You will not effectively practice the next tips exhibited by my friend, the great listener.

2. Tune in: It was said of the great psychologist Sigmund Freud:

“When he listens to you, it seems someone is peering into your soul.” (Paraphrased).

I never had Mr. Freud, listen to me.

Yet I get that feeling when my friend listens to me.

It seems as if, through his empathic piercing eyes, he already knows what I’m going to say, even before I say it.

He accomplishes this through:

a) Eye contact: Maintain good eye contact when listening. Without words it tells the speaker,” I’m here for you. Also, it helps you to see other things, which aren’t conveyed in words - non verbal communication.

b) Signs: While listening, exhibit signs to tell the speaker that you are listening. It can be with nods, throat sounds such as, mhmmm or words such as okay, fine, I’m with you, continue.

c) Questions: Timing is key. If it comes too early, you will come across as a detective, and your listening ability will loose its effectiveness.

d) Paraphrase: What you have been told, the issue at hand, briefly summarize it in your own words with at most five sentences.

Listening can increase subordinates and customers loyalty.

Thereby increasing employee and customer engagement, which leads to increased productivity.

Listening as a technique can improve your social awareness and relationship management skills.

These are two quadrants in emotional intelligence.

#eimomentsbyahrprofessional#

Great value and lessons

Kudos OP Great write up

It's a beautiful week.

A beautiful week for you to add value as an Efficient Executive.

This week's EI letter:

INEVITABLE STRESS

In our work world, stress is inevitable.

From the cleaner to the MD. In fact, the higher one goes, the hotter it becomes.

The best we can do is manage it effectively. Manage it on and off work.

The MD, taking intermittent vacations to US, UK, or… that’s one of his coping strategy for managing the hectic work pace.

The manager hanging out with the boys every Friday, that’s one of his stress recovery process.

How about yours?

To thrive at work, you need a stress management technique.

Look at the information you are daily bombarded with. That’s enough stress on its own.

Open your email on a typical work day, and there are messages from everywhere and anywhere.

Most of them with the emergency acronym: ASAP.

You are on one thing, three or four more beckons your urgent attention.

Jumping from task to task without prior notice.

Aside from multiplying stress, exercises like these don’t teach the mind to focus.

Rather the mind is receiving a harmful training in distraction 101.

How much worse, when we jump to the less relevant stuff.

Example, mindlessly passing time on social media. Mindless scrolling through facebook, tiktok, etc makes the mind more inattentive.

The attention span gradually resembles that of a gold fish.

At work, this has contributed to poor listening ability, and poor performances.

To ascertain if this has also affected you, ask yourself, “Can I read a book for one straight hour without giving up, or my mind frequently going on and off?”

Don’t just answer verbally, practically carry out this exercise this evening or on a weekend?

Pick a subject that interests you.

Hardcopy.

Get some pebbles or cards.

Set your timer.

Anytime your mind wanders off the page, count with a pebble or card.

Don’t be amazed at the result.

#eimomentsbyahrprofessional

It's a Beautiful week.

This week's EI letter to an Efficient Executive:

Backed by Science

"Brume, your wife told me to come over and speak to you. Is it true that for five weeks now, you are still dazed?

Such that she has to persuade you to bath, shave, and eat. Is it true that all you do is curse your last employer or just stare at the ceiling? Brume are you going nuts?"

Blankly, Brume looked at Tobi his best friend. "Tobi I still can't believe it. I was just promoted. A month later, the sack letter.

They said, what's even that their reason again? But financially they are doing well. Abi na my village people?"

Tobi stood up, with his hands behind his back. "Brume my friend, I understand it would have made sense to you if the company is not doing well. Yet there is zero job guarantee even when a company is doing well."

"Tobi I was loyal, a team player, good certifications. I did my job well, very well. So why me?"

"Brume, you should be loyal to a company - yes. And don't expect returned loyalty. You should work as a team - yes. And develop yourself to work alone. To move on if need be.

"Brume, times are changing. All you have and did are good. In our father's days, that will keep you in a company till you choose to spend more time with your grand children."

"That's it Tobi. What changed?

"Technology, globalization, higher demands. We need qualities to enable us thrive, even survive in such times.

"Tobi, what qualities?"

"Qualities such as: foresight, adpatability, resilience.

" Oh! Tobi, you come again with this your emotional intelligence (EQ) stuff."

"Brume, these qualities are not the possesions of EQ. Some call it soft skills, character, personality, etc, depending on the backgroud of the individual.

"And Tobi our HR guy calls it: "Emotional Intelligence." Brume chipped in.

Tobi smiled, sat down and continued: "The main addition of EQ, is providing the scientific data. And effectively systematizing the applications of these qualities.

The data proves that successful people in any field have a high dose of emotional intelligence. Now, more persons in career and business are giving due attention to this. My friend, how about you? "


#eimomentsbyahrprofessional

It's a Beautiful Week.

A beautiful week for you to add value.

This week's EI Moments by a HR Professional is entitled:

INITIATIVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE.

“Sir, it isn’t fair. I came to this company before Tunde. And now we are at same level, receiving same salary. It isn’t just right.” Kola complained.

The Manager replied, “You have a point Kola. I will look into it. For now, I need a paint brush. Kindly go over to the paint shop across and get the price."

Glad that his manager will look into the issue, Kola stepped out. He returned after some minutes and said, “The man said I should ask you the type you want?”

“Oh! That’s right. I forgot to tell you the type. Please hold on.”

The manager reached out for the intercom, “Tunde, please I need a paint brush. Go to the shop across, and ask the price for one.”

Tunde returned after some minutes, “Sir, they have different categories of paint brushes.”

Bringing out a paper from his pocket, Tunde continued, “This paper contains the items under each of the categories and their prices.”

“Oh! That’s great Tunde, thanks.”

Tunde smiled, as he replied, “You welcome sir. I also took some pictures.”

“This will do Tunde. I will go through and make a choice. Thanks once more, you can return to your office.”

Kola was alone with the manager.

“So Kola, we can now address your complaint.”

“It has been addressed sir. Thanks for the lesson. I will work on my weakness. Please, permission to leave sir.”

The manager nodded and Kola returned to his office.
=============================

Tunde displayed the EI competence of initiative, under the Self-management quadrant.

Kola’s lack of initiative was one major factor that have kept him from handling weightier responsibilities.

Among other things, Initiative entails foresight.

It means acting before being forced to.

Acting to prevent danger or before others will catch up.

When an individual is always directed to do this or that during an assignment, such an individual lacks initiative, especially when working under a non-micromanager.

Do have a Productive week.

#eimomentsbyahrprofessional.

It's a Beautiful week.

A beautiful week to add value.

This week's AffEx Letter to a Smart Business Owner:

Separate Self from Business.

“I spent five million naira last month sponsoring Samuel’s trip to the U.S for his post graduate studies.

Two months ago I made the highest contribution towards our grandfather’s expensive burial.

Vincent, I have spent enough within three months. I can’t sponsor your law school.” Stephen said to his brother Vincent.

Vincent replied, “Yes brother I know you have tried. But you know others can’t help as much as you can. In fact they will tell me till they earn salary. And when the salary is received, they will say one or two other things and give what they can.

"For example Brother Michael said he borrowed money from his company to complete his house, thus when they take back the monthly loan repayment, the left over is not even enough to maintain his family’s standard of living.

"Sister Justina said she borrowed money to buy her latest car. At the end of the month, the bank takes back part of their principal and interest before giving her the left over. Which she says is not even enough for her personal upkeep.

"So you see brother, thank God you are the one into business o,”

“So because I’m into business does it mean I must crumble the business to satisfy everybody?” Stephen thought to himself.
l
Stephen doesn’t have to crumble the business.

All he has to do is separate himself from his business.

Pay himself a salary/commission based on revenue or profit. And when he has to draw from the business above his salary and expected commission for the month, be disciplined to record it as a loan.

Deductible from his salary and commission over a period of time.

Doing this over a period of time, he will realize that the millions in his bank account or the goods stores isn’t his, but his business.

Know Your Number - Grow Your Business.

Affordable Excellence Services.

Do have a Productive week.

It's a Beautiful Day

This week's letter to an Efficient Executive:

Achievement Driven Proprietor:

He always wore two piece smart simple linen. Usually white or sky blue colours.

He was the most visible school proprietor in that part of Lagos.

He was known as the Director. An embodiment of passion in making sure his school delivers the best.

Passion is what the *mixed model of emotional intelligence refers to as achievement competence.

This EQ competence falls under the 2nd quadrant – Self Management.

The Director’s achievement competence was admirable, but his self-control (another competence in same quadrant) was not.

May be he knew this, and sought for Headmasters/Principals to compensate for this Achilles heel.

As a student in the primary arm of the school, I still remember the face of our cool headed Head Master. Who usually cleaned up, after Director’s dramas.

As a teacher in the secondary arm, I observed the principal effectively took charge. Such that we saw less and less of the Director.

Persons with a high dose of the emotional competencies of: achievement, initiative, and influence are a blessing to any organization.

They are blessings, if they can only express these competencies appropriately.

And to do so appropriately, the competence of self-control should always guide these other competencies.

If not such individuals may regularly come across as brutal, uncaring, or manipulative.

Uncontrolled Power is a vice.

Controlled Power is a Virtue.

#EmotionalintelligenceMomentsbyaHRProfessional

Another week to add value.

This week's letter to an Efficient Executive:

FINEST FINANCE MANAGER

One of my ex-employers, had a finance manager who initially had no finance or related formal education.

Now this isn’t a small company. It’s a company that have formed service partnership with the likes of schlumberger and baker huges.

It’s company that have rendered engineering and manpower services to the likes of Shell, Agip, Transocean, Total, just to name a few.

The MD for reasons best known to him believed this staff can hold that position and deliver.

He believed that his experience and analytical skills was enough for him to perform cognitively well on the job.

And deliver he did. Year after year, back to back.

One thing I also observed during my years with the employer (which the MD may have also seen) is the staff’s fine interpersonal skills.

He handled a lot of calls and in-person meetings from employees, contractors, clients, regulatory bodies.

In all these, much more often than not, at the end of a conversation you know someone heard you. You felt heard.

At heart, he understood others. In person he is good at negotiating and resolving disagreements. I was privileged to observe this closely, our job roles crossed paths.

He also possessed a high dose of achievement (an EI competence under Self-management). Not just in meeting departmental goals, also in expanding his knowledge of corporate finance.

And as a Finance manager, he knew when to be firm. One of such episodes was letting his best technical staff off the job.

Why? Reoccurring insubordination. This was affecting the morale of his department. I will get into the details of this (even if you are the best tech guy, a company can still call it quits) on another post.

From this, we are reminded that the higher one climbs in a company the more he needs to practice EI social competencies.

The manager has enough foot soldiers who can handle the technicalities of a job.

So his work now becomes less technical, and well, well, more managerial as his title depicts.

#EImomentsbyaHRProfessional.

It's a Productive week.

A week for you to add value as an Efficient Executive.

This week's EI moments by a HR Professional:


Influence.

Basically, influence arouses an appropriate emotion in the other person.

The appropriate emotion needed for the task at hand. It can be:

respect for authority,

enthusiasm for a new project,

calmness during a tight deadline,

controlled anger over an injustice.

Empathy – sensing what another is feeling – is vital in exercising influence.

If you don’t understand your colleague, manager, subordinate, etc, how will you know how best to influence them in attaining the organization’s goals.

Note, manipulating isn’t same with influencing.

Manipulating is Machiavellian.

Influence is an EI competence, it is noble.

Organizational manipulators are after their personal interest.

Organizational influencers are primarily after the organization’s interest.

Manipulators worship those above them, and treat their subordinates with disdain or with fake sweetness.

Those adept at influence highly regard those above them, and are humane to their subordinates.

Those good at manipulations thrive in organizations that are more power oriented.

Those good at the emotional competence of influence thrive in organizations that are achievement oriented.

According to Daniel Goleman, people good at influence:

Are skilled at winning people over.

Fine tune presentations to appeal to the listener.

Use complex strategies like indirect influence, to build consensus and support.

Orchestrate dramatic events to effectively make a point.

#EImomentsbyaHRProfessional.

It's a Productive week.

A week for you to add value as an Efficient Executive.

This week's letter to You:

UTILIZE OPPORTUNITY.

“What fragrance do you use?” She asked the Doctor.

"Fragrance?" the Doctor replied, puzzled.

“Yes, Fragrance, you know perfumes."

“None," the Doctor said.

This was her second consultation with her new cardiologist. And she is deeply convinced the Doctor should be given the opportunity to benefit from her perfume brands.

And yes, he did benefit. His total purchase in two weeks was in higher five digits. The lady displayed initiative.

Initiative a competence under Self- Management. One distinguishing trait among those with this competence is this: they are ready, ever ready to utilize opportunities.

This lady saw her Cardiologist as a potential customer, and she acted on that opportunity.

The satisfaction isn’t mainly in the result, but not allowing that opportunity slip by.

How often do you allow opportunities slip by to make the life of your line manager easier?

How often do you allow opportunities slip by to grow the bottom line of your organization?

How often do you allow opportunities slip by to cut costs for the company?

How often do you allow opportunities slip by to add economic value to others?

How often?

#EIMomentsbyaHRProfessional

It's a Purposeful week.

Another week for you to add value as an Efficient Executive.

This week's EI Moment by a HR Professional:

A KEY INGREDIENT TO SUCCESS.

Hilary said, “Ken that’s it. That’s it. I am out.”

Gently, Ken looked at him, a smile on his lips.

“I am not joking this time around. I am done.”

Ken replied, “Off and on, you spent three years on this software. Before commencing, you did your market survey. You were absolutely certain it will fill a need in the market. You went without sleep, spending long nights, because you had a full time job-“

Hilary interrupted, “Yes, yes, yes, I do know I do know. And I never knew medical directors were so daft to understand the immense impact this software can have on the health sector.”

Ken asked, “How many medial directors?”

“Twenty one.”

Ken laughed. He laughed so hard that he had to bend over.

Hilary asked, “What’s funny?”

“Just twenty one medical directors rejected your product and you are giving up.”

“Ah ah, isn’t that enough. Such a masterpiece, should any of them even reject it by the way.”

“My dear Hill, you need a training in the art of persistence. Go learn from Bill Gates, who pitched Microsoft to 1,200 Investors. 900 said No. 300 showed some interest. Only 85 people actually did anything. 30 took a serious look. And 11 made him his first multi-million dollars."

Ken continued, "Yesterday, we were told: Have a good education, learn technical skills and you are certain of financial success.

"Today, we realize that success takes more than good certificates and technical expertise.

"We realize there is another kind of skill needed to survive, how much more to thrive.

"Today we know we need qualities such as resilience, optimism, initiative, adaptability, influence, etc.

"More and more persons at work are giving attention to such qualities. Hilary, when would you give it your systematic, consistent attention? When?"

#EIMomentsbyaHRProfessional

Anjinsan:
It's a beautiful week.

A beautiful week for you to add value as an Efficient Executive.

This week's EI letter:

INEVITABLE STRESS

In our work world, stress is inevitable.

From the cleaner to the MD. In fact, the higher one goes, the hotter it becomes.

The best we can do is manage it effectively. Manage it on and off work.

The MD, taking intermittent vacations to US, UK, or… that’s one of his coping strategy for managing the hectic work pace.

The manager hanging out with the boys every Friday, that’s one of his stress recovery process.

How about yours?

To thrive at work, you need a stress management technique.

Look at the information you are daily bombarded with. That’s enough stress on its own.

Open your email on a typical work day, and there are messages from everywhere and anywhere.

Most of them with the emergency acronym: ASAP.

You are on one thing, three or four more beckons your urgent attention.

Jumping from task to task without prior notice.

Aside from multiplying stress, exercises like these don’t teach the mind to focus.

Rather the mind is receiving a harmful training in distraction 101.

How much worse, when we jump to the less relevant stuff.

Example, mindlessly passing time on social media. Mindless scrolling through facebook, tiktok, etc makes the mind more inattentive.

The attention span gradually resembles that of a gold fish.

At work, this has contributed to poor listening ability, and poor performances.

To ascertain if this has also affected you, ask yourself, “Can I read a book for one straight hour without giving up, or my mind frequently going on and off?”

Don’t just answer verbally, practically carry out this exercise this evening or on a weekend?

Pick a subject that interests you.

Hardcopy.

Get some pebbles or cards.

Set your timer.

Anytime your mind wanders off the page, count with a pebble or card.

Don’t be amazed at the result.

#eimomentsbyahrprofessional

This one is haaarrrrd! . Because even without answering it, I hardly read more 10minutes sef. Sometimes, I delve into this meditation stuff, and suddenly I close the book, and that's all for the day.
Unfortunately, it has affected my prayer life .
Ooh, I need help! 😭

It's another meaningful week.

A week for you to add value.

This week's letter:

Smart Work

The biggest loan customer of the branch was bent on contesting the interest charge on her loan.

Her loan ran into hundreds of millions. The statements were printed, running into hundreds of pages.

The loan officer of the branch had his tabulating machine. He was bewildered with the enormous task. He said to himself, “The earlier I begin the better.”

In the branch was a young man in his early twenties. Barely six months with the bank.

After two days, of watching the loan officer slug it out without making good progress, he offered to do the calculations, using Ms. Excel.

The loan officer had his doubt, but finally allowed him.

What he accomplished in fifteen minutes was more than what the loan officer had accomplished in two days.

The loan officer cross checked the figure for accuracy, and it was 100% accurate. Gladly and willingly, he allowed him continue with the task.

The young man became a key figure in the interest charge contest between the customer’s auditors and the bank officials.

He was pulled out from the teller cubicle, into the loan department.
When it was shifted to the regional level, he was among the team selected by the regional manager to do the numbers at the regional level. And for days he reported at the regional office.

He was also present during the reconciliation session between the regional manager and the customer’s auditors.

In all it was exerting, yet exciting.

During a period of three weeks, he had to report at 7:30am and sometimes closed as late as 9:00pm.

Often, working through numbers with just an hour break in-between.

When it progressed to a Bank’s Executive Director’s office. He was also among the team that did the presentation.

On the day of the presentation at the ED’s level the presentations started by 9:00am and ended around 9:15pm. With just 30 minutes break in-between.

At the end of the day, the Bank’ was in the right. The young man loved working with numbers.

The regional manager was a goal getter, who never rests till she is through.

The team that worked on the facility contest from the regional office, especially the young man and regional manager had a high dose of the achievement competence.

I was that young man.

Do have a Productive Week.

It's a Productive week.

This week's letter to an Efficient Executive:

ROI ON TRAININGS

The new MD requested for all the training carried out in the company within three years.

The total training costs during the last three years amounted to =N= 172,000,000.

Next he requested to see the monetary return on investment for these trainings.

The Human Resource Director replied, “No one had ever requested for such in this industry. We don’t even know how to go about it.”

The MD replied, “Find a way. I need the monetary return on investment from these trainings.”

And they did find a way.

By hiring a consulting firm. Within three months the report was ready.

The company realized that most training did not justify its investment, especially training that were on soft skills.

There was a training retreat on the company’s line managers. It gulped =N= 35,000,000. And the estimated return on investment was =N= 7,000,000.

Before the training the line manager’s contribution was estimated at =N= 7,200,000. If anything the training had a negative impact on their output.

Whereas an in-house training that cost just =N= 520,000 had a returns on investment of =N= 1,530,000. Before the training it was =N=850,000/annum.

On getting these findings, the HR department digged further. As most training that had negative returns were those on soft skills.

They discovered that training for soft skills is different from training for technical or cognitive skills.

It may involve a class room or workshop. And for best results it doesn’t end there.

Other steps have to be taken after the classroom/workshop session.

#EIMomemtsbyaHRProfessional

It's a Productive week.

This week's EI Moment by a HR Professional:

A key Ingredient for Organizational Success. (Part 1)

Organizational success is an important issue in the administration of any business.

The sustainability of organizational success in the long run has also generated much needed research (Kocka, 1990; Scherer, 1990).

Organizations just like individuals fight for the right to determine their destiny.

The goal for an individual is to become successful, likewise organizations come into existence to attain and retain success.

Success for ten individuals can mean ten different things; Unlike individuals, Success for organizations are measured by five major success standards—Accounting, Operational, Market based, Survival, Economic Value (Carton, 2004).

These five measures may be applicable to global and large organizations.

Yet, accounting measurement—profitability—precisely is a thread which runs through all types of organizations—large, medium, or small (Smith, 1998).

While measures of organizational success have remained relatively stable over decades, same cannot be said for concepts contributing towards organizational success (Kilmann, 1984).

Over the decades, techniques or concepts such as human relations training, organizational culture, organizational fit, managerial functions, management by objective, decentralization, corporate strategy, have been claimed at one time or the other by management experts to be the holy grail of organizational success (Guillen, 1994; Cooke, 1999; Layout, 1987; 2005)

No doubt each of these techniques or approaches to organizational success had some gains, but it also had its limitations that made it a passing fad with time.

For example, the human relations approach of the 1940s had three major criticisms – manipulation, union related, environmentalist (Kaufman, 2000,2004, 2008; Korajczyk, 1961; Wren, 2005; Wren & Greenwood, 1998).

The human relation approach to organizational success though still studied in management textbooks, is no longer effective as a holy grail to organizational success.

Managerial functions such as planning, organization, control, leading are necessary, but not enough for an organization to succeed.

There are several cases of knowledgeable management executives who did not lead their organizations to success in the long run (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2005).

A not to be forgotten example in Nigeria is the banking crisis of 2008/2009, in which some bank’s managing directors lost their jobs, as a result of breaches in corporate governance (Egboro, 2016).


Extracted from Victor Nwaoseh's Msc Dissertation: Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Success.

It's a Productive week.

Another week for you to add value as an Efficient Executive.

This week's EI Moment by a HR Professional:

A KEY INGREDIENT TO ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS - PART 2

Organizational culture can positively influence organizational success, but it also has its limits.

Strong organizational cultures can be a spook in the wheel during mergers and acquisitions. This springs from a collision of value and beliefs (Johns & Saks, 2001).

Also, in a situation where organizational culture was already settled in an organization, any improvement of organizational culture would not give any further impact on employee performance.

When there is no further improvement in organizational culture, this inevitably stifles organizational success.

According to Boon and Biron (2016) it is wrong to assume that once a specific fit has been reached it stays so in the long run.

As noted by Gabriel (2014): “Almost all of the research on fit perceptions has been conducted at the between-person level of analysis, which implicitly ignores the possibility of substantive within-person changes.”

When a person-organization fit approach is used for organizational entry, it acts as a barrier to diversity.

When selection is done using the person-organization fit entry approach, organizations loose talents who would have added to the success of the organization.

It is no surprise then, that a large number of researchers on organizational success are beginning to consider organizational fit not as something static, rather as something that develops over time (Jansen & Kristof-Brown, 2006; Shipp & Jansen, 2011; Yu, 2009; 2013).

The same goes for several management techniques or concepts, focusing wholly on such concepts inevitably did not lead to organizational success in the long run.

Factors leading to organizational success must produce: quality decisions, as one management decision can contribute to or hinder organizational success (Gomez-Mejia, 2005) and ability to effectively engage the employee.


Extracted from Victor Nwaoseh's Msc Dissertation: Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Success.

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It's a Productive week.

This week's EI Moment by a HR Professional:

A KEY INGREDIENT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS. (Part 3)

Effective leaders — supervisors, managers, directors, and owner-managers — expect to obtain a high level of performance from their employees, themselves, and all other relevant stakeholders.

These high level of performance is intended to achieve organizational success (Baumruk, 2004; Richman, 2006).

Leaders and followers making up labour as a factor of production have emotions. Land, capital, machinery do not.

And emotions have the power to unbalance even those with high IQ. Stability can’t be attained during such emotional turbulence. The implementation of the latest management technique or concept notwithstanding.

In two popular bestsellers, psychologist Daniel Goleman drew on a wealth of research to argue that successful organizational leaders demonstrate emotional intelligence. (Goleman, 1995;1998).

Emotional intelligence has been around for some decades, popularized by Daniel Goleman in 1995 with his book Emotional intelligence.

There are three main models of emotional intelligence: Goleman, (1995), Mayer & Salovey (1998, Petrides & Furnham, (2007).

The model by Daniel Goleman outlines five emotional intelligence dimensions: self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, social awareness or empathy, and relationship management or social skills.

He includes a set of emotional competencies within each dimension of emotional intelligence, and suggests that emotional competencies are not innate talents, but rather learned capabilities that must be developed to achieve outstanding performance.

It was estimated that 80% of human success could be attributed to emotional intelligence, while the remaining 20% belong to intelligence quotient (Goleman, 1995).

Thus from his findings emotional intelligence of business leaders should be able to determine their ability to understand their competences, unleash their creativity, and engage their employees, hence achieving organizational success.


Extracted from my Msc Dissertation: Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Success.

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It's a Productive week.

This week's EI LETTER:

Intuitive Selection.

Three candidates remained. From these three, the HR Director will pick the next employee to join Hilcom Limited.

On the day of the final interview with the HR Director, each of the three candidates had a one on one session with him and three members of the company.

Each session was between thirty to sixty minutes. Finally all three candidates had lunch with the HR Director. The following day, he made his pick.

Stella, the HR manager, approached him the next day to explain the magic behind his selection.

Sometimes he selects the candidate with the highest paper qualifications. Sometimes it will be the second with the highest paper qualifications, this time around he selected the candidate with the least paper qualification and experience.

“Sir, I don’t get it? We were certain you will pick candidate A. We just included the other two for righteousness sake.

Even at that, candidate B would have been understandable, yet you went for candidate C.”

Smiling the HR Director replied, “Did Candidate C meet the minimum certification and experience?”

“Yes he did”

"So when they come to me, I don’t bother looking at their CVs. I look at salient features. During the one on one and group interaction with them, I engage their personalities. I determine how they fit into the group, our organizational culture. I seek for what drives them in life, in work."

Sandra replied, “How do you know all these? People can put up a front.”

“Very true. During my early years using this approach, picking the ideal candidate had a 40% probability. Now as the company can attest, it has risen to 85%.”

Sandra nodded in agreement.

“That’s where intuition comes in. And one’s intuitive ability in a field becomes better with distilled experience.”

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It's a Productive week.

This week's EI Moment:

Difficult to Bounce Back.

In a conversation with herself, Hilda said, “I hope this coach can help me. He came highly recommended. Gush! I’m in a mess again. Didn’t see this coming. Why has it always been this way with me?

In any area in my life, at a point I will be on the mountain, after some period I will be in the valley. And just rot in the valley.

During my 1st degree, up until my third year I was among the very few who had a first class. Then those two missing score in my fourth year affected my grades such that I slipped into a 2.1.

And I never recovered from that fall. In fact, looking back, I gave up on the first class quest after those missing scores.

Three months into my first job, it was established I was the best among the new entrants.

Until, my negligence cost the company a lucrative contract. I never recovered from that fall.

The HR department did their best to encourage me. I couldn’t forgive myself. I won’t blame them for letting me go after some 14 months.

Meanwhile marriage found me after that. Dayo was a great guy. During the first few years, our marriage seemed to have been made in heaven.

The twins, our bundle of joy arrived. After a while, we started having issues. Quarrels nearly every day. Till the day Dayo slapped me.

That was it, I picked my things and the twins and left the marriage.

Dayo apologized. I refused to return. For me the marriage was beyond repairs. The divorce was finalized last year. He has moved on, re-married. And here I am regretting why I acted hastily.

Allowing those online persons to put ideas into my head. Allowing others to interfere unnecessarily in my marriage, most times I even invited them into my marriage.

Then I got this great job offer. As usual the company was proud of their pick, yet inside of me, I had this premonition that this too won’t last. That another mistake is on its way.

Then it happened. I slipped during a presentation which gave our competitor the advantage.

Hmm, the Directors, said I should get over it. That next time I should be careful. Yet I can’t forgive myself.

The HR Manager did her best. Two months down the line, I told her: 'I haven’t really gotten over the issue.'

Then she set up an appointment with this coach. I hope he has a solution."

#EIMomentbyaHRProfessional.

SAME MESSAGE. DIFFERENT APPROACH.

The MD said, “I don’t know how you are going to handle this. Our scope in the riser and tubular contract with seagolf, was reduced by 70%. So about 80% of your current staff strength have to go.”

Afterwards the manager of the Riser department addressed his team. “May be you have heard the rumour. In fact it isn’t a rumour anymore. At the end of this month out of 80 of you only 16 will be working here. So the remaining 64 of you in fact, better start dusting your CV…."

The manager of the tubular department addressed his team, “It’s been great working with you. Together we have achieved…We did our best to renew the contract. Finally only 30% of the current scope was given to us. It will be a tough one to let even one single person go….among those who will have to exit, I will provide the details of companies who may need your services. Also feel free to use my name as one of your referees."

Which of these managers displayed empathy?

Which of these managers will be positively remembered among by his team?

Which of these managers will get the best from members of his team who remain?

#EIMomentsbyaHrProfessional

It's a Productive Week.

This week EI letter by a HR Professional:


OUT OF JOB.

Alex said, “You don’t look like one out of a job.”

Kelvin asked, “Really? People out of job, how do they look like?”

“Well, worried, anxious, sad, shaky, angry, even sick and depressed.”

Kelvin laughed. He laughed so hard, that he had to bend over.

“Why are you laughing?”

”Alex, I was there eleven years ago, when I lost my first job. It led me nowhere. A chapter in the book Smart with feelings set me straight. In fact the book as a whole showed me the folly in allowing negative emotions hijack my state of mind.”

“Smart with feelings you called it?”

“Yes.”

“How do I get a copy?”

Going through his phone, Kelvin replied “ Yes this is the contact: zero eight one fifty fifty eight three four seven.

Sending it to you via WhatsApp.”

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It's a Productive Week.

A week for you to add value as an Efficient Executive.

This week's EI Moment by a HR Professional:

THE MAN DIED.

That’s how he died,” Vivian said.

“Hmm,” uttered Sandra and Winifred.

Sipping from her glass of water, Vivian continued, “My husband said he had no reason to die, he was recuperating speedily. Then he lost his job, but the company was gracious enough to pay the medical bills. Yet his health took a downward curve.”

Winifred asked, “So what did the autopsy reveal?”

Vivian answered, “My sister, heart attack.”

“I thought you said he was recuperating fine,” said Sandra.

“She said he was, until he lost his job. Sandra are you with us?”
Winifred asked.

“Yes, I heard what Vivian said, but his medical bill was still covered by the company. He received a nice terminal benefit. I know the company he worked for, my brother-in-law works
there. Their severance allowance is one of the best in the industry. What I don’t get is how his
health curved downwards in just two weeks, leading to death.”

They heard the laughter of their husbands on the balcony. “I imagine the joke those senior boys are cracking. While we are here analyzing the mystery behind the death of one of their patients, they are busy laughing. I hope they aren’t gossiping, I meant to say discussing. You know, men don’t gossip, they discuss,” said Sandra.
….
“It was a puzzle for some doctors, but not for my John,” Vivian boosted. “You see, he understands there is a relationship between emotions and health.”

(Extracted from the Book: Smart with Feelings - The Stars.

#EIMomentsbyaHRProfessional.

“So bad John what happened to that patient,” said David. It was ten minutes since they
had their last laugh.

“Yes David, so bad. I feel for the family, the man would have lived if only he wanted to,” John said.

“How are you coping with the image it brought on the hospital?” James asked.

“Nothing major, though for the first week we noticed a drop in the number of patients.

I ascribed it to people having better health or no money to visit a Zenith,” John replied, with a smile.

“Everything is back to normal. We should be intentional about our feelings. The man died from
a heart attack because of overwhelming anxious thoughts.”

“He should have focused on the benefits, not all are fortunate to get such benefits. Some
of my colleagues who retired two years ago are yet to get their severance package.” David
said.

“Very true David, but not all have developed their minds to see things from your perspective. Shreds of evidence abound that habitual anger, anxiety, and depression are very
detrimental to health. Medical research attests to this. For one, anxiety quickly demoralizes
the whole body and lays it open to the entrance and growth of disease.” John said.

“I may have time to design another course. On how becoming smart with feelings can safeguard our health,” James said solemnly.
“Is anyone interested?”

“Yes,” replied David and John.

“Why are our ladies laughing so hard?” John asked as he looked through the window.

“I am sure they are gossiping,” David said.

“Let us find out,” said James.

He smiled, picked his glass of red wine, and took the lead back to his sitting room.

Strong, Pure and Happy thoughts build up the body in vigour and grace.—James Allen

(Extracted from my Book: Smart with Feelings – The Stars.)

It's a Productive Week.

This Week's EIMomentbyaHRProfessional:


MODELS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

There are different viewpoints regarding the exact meaning of Emotional Intelligence such that constructs also vary and researchers are constantly amending their own definitions. (Goleman (1998); Salovey and Mayer (2000), Petrides and Furnham (2007).

However, the common construct amongst various researchers in terms of terminology and operationalization are these three models:

a) Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence (AEI).

b) Mixed Model of Emotional Intelligence (MEI).

c) Trait Model of Emotional Intelligence (TEI).

2.3.1. Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence: Salovey and Mayer (2000) define Emotional Intelligence as "the ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to promote personal growth".

John D Mayer and Peter Salovey are the pioneers of the current emotional intelligence wave, which started in 1990.

They drew on research findings in the areas of: emotions, cognition, and psychotherapy, they concluded that some persons are more intelligent with their emotions than others (Salovey & Mayer, 1990).
Salovey and Mayer (2016) have consistently maintained that:

a) Emotional intelligence is an ability.

b) Ability is the best measurement of emotional intelligence.

The ability model views emotions as useful sources of information that help one make sense of, and navigate the social environment.

Ability model regard emotional intelligence as a pure form of mental ability and thus as pure intelligence. This ability is seen to manifest itself in certain adaptive behaviours that includes four types of abilities:

(i) Perceiving emotion: ability to detect and decipher emotion in faces.

(ii) Using emotion: ability to harness emotion to facilitate various cognitive activities.

(iii) Understanding emotion: ability to comprehend emotional language and to appreciate complicated relationship among emotions.

(iv) Managing emotion: ability to regulate emotions in ourselves and others.

2.3.2. Mixed Model of Emotional Intelligence: Goleman (1998), introduced Mixed Model of Emotional Intelligence. Daniel Goleman a psychologist and science writer, delved into the study of emotional intelligence after studying the works of Salovey and Mayer.

He conducted his own research and published his first book on the subject – Emotional Intelligence (1995) Followed by another book Working with emotional intelligence (1998).

His mixed model of emotional intelligence focuses on a wide range of competencies which drive among other things organizational success. Mixed models of emotional intelligence combine mental ability with personality characteristics such as optimism and well-being.

The model has five dimensions subsumed in his four major EI scales. (Barzii & Slaski 2003).

2.3.3. The Trait Model of Emotional Intelligence: Petrides and Furnham, (2007) proposed a conceptual distinction between the ability based model and a trait based model.

Trait emotional model is a constellation of emotion-related self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality.
In lay terms, trait model of emotional intelligence refers to an individual's self-perceptions of their emotional abilities which encompasses behavioural dispositions and self-perceived abilities.

Despite differences in models, all the models suggest that emotional intelligence represents an ability to validly reason with emotions and to use emotions to enhance thought.

Intelligence theorists posit that each of the models has a relationship with other related constructs like leadership and personality (Lock, 2005; Robert et al, 2001).

(Spooled from My M.sc dissertation entitled: Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Success)