Adapting personalities, behaviors and work styles is crucial to effectively coaching and managing employees. HR leaders must include recognition and understanding of work styles in their organizations' coaching training, with the first step having managers become aware of their own work styles.

Dr. Casey Mulqueen, TRACOM's director of research and product development, is the author of "Coaching In Context" an article published by Human Resource Executive.  The article discusses ways to improve the impact of coaching by understanding the SOCIAL STYLE and behavioral preferences of others. 

"In the absence of specific training, managers assume that good coaching equals good communication skills," says Mulqueen. "However, good coaching requires much more than that. Because many people have never operated in another work style, they tend to assume that their way of operating is the best or correct way. People unaware of individual work-style preferences typically coach others with the unconscious intent of creating a "Mini-Me."   

Dr. Mulqueen discusses recent studies on coaching impact and provides practical advice of adapting a person's coaching behaviors.   The article includes specific direction for working with people of each style. Experienced SOCIAL STYLE users will notice some difference in the language in this article and TRACOM's other materials.  This was an editorial decision by the magazine.  The key concepts and their usage are completely consistent with all other SOCIAL STYLE programs and materials.

Read the full Human Resource Executive article now. 

Behavioral EQ:  Putting Emotional Intelligence to Work Thursday January 26 -- 2:00 p.m. eastern, 11:00 a.m. pacific Register Now Emotional intelligence has been explored for nearly three decades, and organizations worldwide have implemented EQ programs with impressive productivity benefits. This webinar looks at several EQ initiatives and identifies the key factors for achieving success. The webinar will discuss: The business case for EQ EQ success studies The intersection of EQ and successful behavior Harnessing the power of EQ 3G

“EQ has moved from a new concept in the 1980s to a topic of interest among business leaders over the last 20 years,” said Casey Mulqueen, Ph.D., director of research & product development at TRACOM. “We’re now seeing the 3^rd generation of EQ efforts that focus on the specific behaviors that each person can practice to increase their EQ and positively impact their individual and organizational performance.” 

Dr. Mulqueen and other TRACOM executives will provide specific advice for people and businesses looking to increase EQ for near-term results including:

• How the behavioral aspects of EQ can quickly make a difference in the workplace
• How EQ initiatives have created improved managerial performance sales results and recruiting efforts
• How to apply Behavioral EQ to improve their own and their organization’s performance

All webinar participants will receive a copy of TRACOM’s Behavioral EQ Concepts Guide and the new whitepaper, "Putting Emotional Intelligence to Work."

Register Now

The GROW Coaching Model is based upon a deceptively simple insight -- breakthrough performance comes more often, not from acquiring additional knowledge, but from removing interference that allows a person to better act on what they already know.  GROW is an acronym for a four-step process of Goal, Reality, Options and Way Forward.  It provides a framework for coaches to draw solutions from the "inside out".  By following this structured yet flexible process, coaches become more comfortable having coaching discussions and empowering others in their professional development. TRACOM's newest SOCIAL STYLE Connections Whitepaper looks at how Style and interpersonal skills support the GROW process.  It was jointly developed by TRACOM and Inside Out Development, the creator of the GROW Model.

This new downloadable whitepaper discusses how each step of the GROW process can be tailored to reflect  the behavioral preferences of each SOCIAL STYLE.  It includes a look at the SOCIAL STYLE of both coach and coachee, with specific advice for successful coaching interactions throughout the GROW process. 

SOCIAL STYLE and GROW is the latest in the SOCIAL STYLE Connections Series which looks at how SOCIAL STYLE complements and supports popular workplace programs including Situational Leadership, Crucial Conversations, SPIN Selling, The Extraordinary Leader and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  All of the Connections Whitepapers are available for immediate free download.

In order to avoid another Enron, WorldCom, or Tyco meltdown, company directors should assume a bold and independent role in the boardroom, monitoring the actions and day-to-day operations of the CEO. This dramatic shift creates a new dynamic, one that requires careful negotiation from both parties to get the job done. This is the advice of William M. Klepper, a professor at Columbia Business School.  Klepper's latest book is "The CEO's Boss:  Tough Love in the Boardroom."  The book discusses giving directors, executives, investors, and stakeholders the tools to make their complicated relationships work.  Klepper describes the best techniques for building a productive partnership and establishing a plan of action for a variety of businesses and settings.  He details the eight practices of successful executives, such as facilitating innovation, motivating change, and developing leadership skills, and he explains what directors need to evaluate, such as working style, social behavior, and the handling of stress, before they commit to hiring a CEO.

Klepper says the most critical element is the social contract, in which directors and their CEOs agree to be transparent, continually reassess their company's risk, maintain core company values, and make a commitment to their stakeholders. These include employees, shareholders, customers, and the community. In this essential volume, Klepper encourages directors to embrace their independence, and he teaches executives to value tough love.

You can read chapter 2:  Tough Love in the Boardroom here or learn more about the book here. 

William Klepper is a member of the Columbia Business School faculty within the Management Division. He teaches the Executive MBA course on Executive Leadership and is a regular guest professor in the MBA course on High Performance Leadership. He has found SOCIAL STYLE an important element of effective leadership. Visit his LinkedIn Profile.