Rating:

In a hurry?  Recommendation   

As I prepared to coach a manager who was unaware of her impact on others, I consulted Coaching for Emotional Intelligence: The Secret to Developing the Star Potential of Your Employees and found a wealth of useful guidance from the author, Bob Wall. In fact, almost two-thirds of this book focuses on coaching fundamentals and coaching in the real world.

Although the first chapters provide background, models, and research about emotional intelligence, the bulk of Coaching for Emotional Intelligence covers areas such as developing relationships with one’s direct reports, observing and describing performance, using a structured coaching format, and giving praise.

The chapter on “Corrective Coaching for Job Performance” includes questions often asked about corrective coaching as well as examples of it in action. The next chapter, “Corrective Coaching to Develop Emotional Intelligence,” begins with the author’s beliefs that form the basis of his approach to coaching. It then lists behaviors that require coaching to develop emotional intelligence and covers steps in coaching for emotional intelligence, and when to use spontaneous coaching versus a more extended conversation.

The author describes how to prepare for a formal coaching interview. Lastly, Wall writes about the limitations of coaching, for example, when too much damage has already been done or when there is a psychological condition that interferes with a person’s ability to perform.

The author cites convincing research to prove that emotional intelligence is a factor, if not the determining factor, in career success and top performance. Each model of EI, however, has components that are so broad that I had trouble separating EI from good people skills and leadership practices.

Wall acknowledges that one model’s 13 measures have been around for 30 years, whereas the concept of emotional intelligence is newer. A second model identifies six emotional competencies that distinguish star performers: influence, team leadership, organizational awareness, self-confidence, achievement drive, and leadership.

The author prefers Adele B. Lynn’s model of emotional intelligence. He details the five components of EI according to Lynn’s book, The EQ Difference:

1. Self-Awareness and Self-Control
2. Empathy
3. Social Expertness
4. Personal Influence
5. Mastery of Purpose and Vision

The fifth component sounds like the creation of a strategic plan: constructing a memorable and inspirational mission statement, defining a vision, and then developing an action plan.

Wall includes several “assignments” that he tells the reader to write about. These “skill applications” range from individual reflection regarding the components of emotional intelligence and exploring the reader’s own coaching practices to encouraging the reader to create a mission statement, vision, and values with her team. Many of the reflections assume the reader is a manager with direct reports.

I had hoped that reading this book would prepare me to incorporate emotional intelligence concepts and practices into my coaching. Because the EI models in the book include such a wide range of competencies and best practices, I’m still struggling to figure out what is so new that can be incorporated into my already successful coaching practices. I recognize that Wall did not dream up the EI models themselves and that the models have been researched and implemented with significant results.

I like how Wall describes EI as “the personal and interpersonal competencies that have a huge impact on a person’s success at work.” I got a bit nervous, however, when he advised to never forget how early life experiences affect people and that understanding the person will make it easier to coach them to develop emotional intelligence.

Is the author suggesting that we delve into stories about a subordinate’s parents, early peer groups, past illnesses or traumas (all examples that Wall mentions)?

There are other points that I am not totally comfortable with. For example, corrective coaching “must (my emphasis) also include suggestions on how to improve the performance or behavior.” Later, Wall modifies this point by suggesting the reader offer “specific directions or suggestions but see if people can arrive at their own strategies to improve targeted behaviors.”

In the author’s list of “behaviors that require coaching,” he includes “tics or personal mannerisms that create a bad impression.” To my knowledge, most tics are not within a person’s conscious control. I would never recommend coaching for something a person could not control or change.

In an example of good feedback, Wall has a supervisor referring to an employee’s behavior as an “outburst” that was “wasting our time.” I would expect a subordinate to become defensive when hearing this. Wall himself stresses the importance of describing behavior rather than going with the brain’s tendency to “label clusters of information.” I think he means to be judgmental.

Recommendation
I absolutely recommend Coaching for Emotional Intelligence for managers who don’t yet recognize their role as coaches or who want to improve their coaching skills. Although the book’s content could also be useful for those who coach as a profession, it is not geared towards their needs or perspectives.

I do not recommend Coaching for Emotional Intelligence as a first resource for people seeking primarily to understand and use Emotional Intelligence concepts and practices in their work

Coaching for Emotional Intelligence Rating