Your ROI from an EQuus Clinic
By: Sabrina, Senior OWLS Facilitator
Studies show the bottom line profit of any organization and the overall effectiveness of any agency or group is determined by the members abilities to first know themselves (EI) and then be able to work together effectively in harmony (SI). Individuals with EI and SI are better able to make quick and effective decisions when faced with complex issues while maintaining good relationships with their colleagues and subordinates. They are also better able to create and sustain cooperation and collaboration amongst individuals who are divided.
What are Emotional and Social Intelligence?
For a brief history: http://psychology.berkeley.edu/faculty/profiles/jkihlstrom.html
The books: Howard Gardner published in 1983, Frames of Mind; Daniel Goleman published in 1995, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ and in 2006, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships; Karl Albrecht published in 2005, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success. Dr. Goleman’s definition of EI currently has four dimensions: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. Dr. Albrecht’s definition of SI has five dimensions: situational awareness, presence, authenticity, clarity and empathy.
What prepared me to lead EQuus Clinics?
I completed a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Reed College in Portland,
I completed my Master’s in Applied Behavioral Science at Leadership Institute of Seattle from 1993 to 1995. As I look at my transcript, the first year was focused on the courses of Family of Origin Theory and Practice where I was expected to learn to know myself. This curriculum could be described as developing the skills of Emotional Intelligence as defined by Goleman (intra-personal awareness or EI). In the second year, the curriculum centered around creating healthy organizations with courses such as Developing Learning Communities, Creating Healthy Organizations, Group Leadership and Development and Conflict Management. All these courses could be described as developing the skills of Social Intelligence as defined by Albrecht (inter-personal awareness or SI). Back in the mid-nineties, the idea that as a business person, my success depended on my EI was not widely accepted. Now, thanks to Goleman and Albrecht, it has been widely promulgated.
Over the past two decades, I have been sought as a consultant and coach who puts learning about the Self first (EI) then ties each learning to how it affects the bottom line of profit (SI). For some people, this is a stretch and too much of a hurdle. The clients with whom I have enjoyed extended business relationships believe it to be critical.
How Do EI, SI and Horses Fit Together?
In 1994, while attending graduate school in
Learning about myself in graduate school correlated to the 3D training component of learning my physical and technical limits (EI). The component of 3D training where I learned the horse’s level of willingness and ability correlated with evaluating and increasing the willingness and abilities of clients and organizations (SI).
How EQuus Clinics got started:
In 1994, while at a module of my graduate program in Seattle, I was contacted by a person who was interested in being a 3D training client. They also happened to be a member of the team working on the Boeing 777. While working with them and their horse in an arena in
Boeing. It was not hard to ask (SI) questions like: “Is this horse responding to you like someone you know at work; Do the feelings you are having toward this horse happen at work too; Does this conflict you are having with this horse happen at work; What kind of leader does this horse think you are; What are you going to do at work with the learningyou gained from this horse?” All these questions can be framed on the personal level (EI) as well and used as business and personal coaching tools.
Since that time, I have completed 35 EQuus Clinics in the states of
Why use a horse?
Those of us who are horse savvy will quickly tell a person who doesn’t know much about horses that equus is highly skilled in EI and SI. Horses are in harmony with their emotions and needs and therefore have very high EI. Horses are also herd animals and therefore society defines their existence (SI). Their bodies and brains have been molded by at least 14,000 years of being in harmony with their natural environment and their social group. This means if I am not congruent in my intentions and actions, the horse knows instantly and they will respond accordingly by letting me know they think I am not to be trusted. If participants in my clinic want to have a gratifying and meaningful session with my horse Comet, they have to say what they mean, mean what they say and do as they say (EI and SI).
Horses teach us to work well with others thereby generating greater profitsIt is possible to bully or frighten a horse into compliance, just as it is someone with whom I work, but their behavior will degenerate into fight, flight or freeze. If my co-worker is in one of these states, their work performance will be less than optimal and that directly negatively affects the bottom line of profit.
It is also possible to generate trust and therefore willingness in a horse by the way in which I interact with them around their needs for safety and harmony. My co-worker’s needs are similar as defined by Maslow’s hierarchy. If I can build trust with my co-worker, then their performance will be positively affected which leads to greater profits.
My work with people in the arena with my horse Comet is for the purpose of first learning about themselves (EI). They then apply this understanding to their work and personal relationships (SI). Once we have begun to correlate the ability to get Comet to trust and collaborate with the same behaviors in co-workers, family and friends, we focus on creating high performance individuals, teams and organizations.
Why does having EI and SI matter?
Studies show the bottom line of profit of any organization and the overall effectiveness of any agency or group is determined by the member’s abilities to first know themselves (EI) and then be able to work together effectively in harmony (SI). Individuals with EI and SI are better able to make quick and effective decisions when faced with complex issues while maintaining good relationships with their colleagues and subordinates. They are better able to create and sustain cooperation and collaboration amongst individuals who are divided. And leaders with EI and SI create and sustain working environments that are calmer, more productive and better able to withstand the changing forces of the global market place.
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