EQ Blog Category: Events
Ah, Africa!
I’ve heard it said that you cannot visit Africa and not be affected and I knew it was true on my first visit 2 years ago, but now coming back to Lagos, Nigeria, I know it once again. I’ve spent the week working with warm, wonderful, ‘passionate’ Nigerian leaders who have such a sincere desire for change that it inspires me. I get excited thinking about the changes they will make and honoured to be part of it. I sometimes have to pinch myself. I have the honour of spending the week with these incredibly bright, insightful, dedicated people living my passion for facilitating learning in an absolutely fascinating world of wonder – and I’m almost embarrassed to say I get paid for it ;-) It never ceases to amaze me how “Leading with Emotional Intelligence” resonates as the solution to organizational effectiveness in organizations everywhere in the world that I’ve been so far. Sometimes the discussions here in Nigeria get so fired up with passionate viewpoints flying around the room that I get a little worried. (Actually, I don’t really get that worried. I’m just prone to hyperbole – I exaggerate – a lot, practically all the time ;-) Suffice it to say I never see that kind of passion in the training room in North America – or anywhere else in the world for that matter. It’s very refreshing. Stay tuned for photos I plan to post on my EITC Facebook page – or maybe somewhere else. I haven’t really decided yet.
My hosts and partners at STI Consulting, Abiodun, Keji, Olabisi, N’kechi, and Nicholas were awesome hosts – I thank you for all your warm hospitality and royal treatment. I look forward to our next opportunity to work together and courses we will offer together in Toronto, Accra, Dubai, and Johannesburg.
Now back to ‘head office’ to get ready for the next course, the Toronto EQ-i Certification Course July 14-16, immediately followed by “The Advanced Leadership Development Course” – a high level 4 day leadership course for senior executives based on the concepts of emotional intelligence in Toronto July 19-22.
Ottawa EQ-i Certification Course, May 26-28, 2010
We just wrapped the Ottawa EQ-i Certification Course and I’m sitting at the airport waiting to board my plane for the west. What wonderful people I have the privilege to work with! I continue to marvel at the talented, experienced, knowledgeable people who sign up for the EQ-i Certification Course. These participants are seasoned managers and leaders involved in leadership course design/delivery, program management, and leadership coaching all with the goal of assisting the most senior government employees in Canada to be better leaders. Most participants work for our very own Canada School of Public Service and, from what I can see, they do an incredible job of ensuring that our senior bureaucrats have the tools and resources available to be the best leaders they can be. They work with leaders all over Canada and the rest of the world in Canadian embassies and foreign offices and are equally comfortable training and coaching in either of our official languages. They work with all branches of the military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and all government divisions and departments at many levels. In my mind they are quite amazing people and a pleasure to work with.
Despite the mind-boggling 34 degree heat (Wednesday – it cooled off slightly past two days), Ottawa was absolutely lovely – what a beautiful city! I look forward to my return.
EITC Update
Wow, a lot has happened since my last blog post! New website, new year, new ideas, new projects, and a new life in Calgary, Alberta. Wait, what? Why would someone move from Vancouver to Calgary? It’s not that Calgary is not a great city. It is a great city in its own right, but compared to Vancouver? As it turned out, the reason for the move to Calgary is that there was a necessary medical service required by our son here in Calgary that is not available in Vancouver. We made the move in December of last year and our son is doing well. We kept our house in Vancouver and my wife has gone back and forth between the two cities this whole time. I’m pretty much based in Calgary, for the present, with our son and we’ll see how the future unfolds. That’s the personal update.
As for the professional update, we (Klaudia, Kim, Becky, Sherwin, Ben, and me) have lots of great plans. We continue to offer the EQ-i Certification Course in many great cities and the EQ-360 Certification Course via teleclass. We are offering EQ coaching through Klaudia and Kim to our wonderful course participants in various parts of the world. Becky and Sherwin continue to offer all manner of design, communications, web, and marketing support. I like to refer to what they do as “emotionally intelligent design.” (see their website www.pinksheepmedia.com) And now Ben, the youngest Cory, has joined the team as all around administrative support. I’m still trying to convince my wife, Jill, to join the team, but she stubbornly (or is it ‘wisely’) refuses to do so. ;-)
So far, 2010 is shaping up wonderfully well with many partnerships and great clients in many parts of the world. This year work will take me to Madrid, Seattle, San Francisco, Lagos, Ottawa, Calgary, Toronto, Ghana, Johannesburg, and hopefully back to Trinidad and Beijing. More people than ever are getting their certification to use the EQ-i in advance of the release of the EQ-i 2.0, which is a very exciting new product from MHS. More on that as it becomes available.
I continue to wonder how I can better serve my clients. What types of products and services do my clients need? I’ve learned that they need products and services which can help them to make personal changes easier, better, faster, cheaper. I’ve learned that they are looking to understand the connection between EI/EQ and the bottom line better. And I’ve certainly learned that in a technical environment like the gas and oil industry in Calgary, that it’s harder to see the connection between EI/EQ and improved organizational performance – “it’s really just about the technology – isn’t it?”
I will continue to learn and I’ll continue to try to turn that learning around and pass it on to my clients. It is what gives me energy and it is my passion. Thanks for tuning in. This time, I’m going to do everything in my power to keep writing.
Cheers,
David
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Update, May 10, 2009
Rebecca Miller and the team at Core Elements and I continue to work with our First Nations organizations. It is so interesting to me the unique issues that these organizations face that challenge organizational effectiveness. It reminds me of the managers we worked with in China. While the issues are completely different and unique to their own cultures there is one big common denominator emotion. It reminds me of a critique of the concept of emotional intelligence I read recently where the Harvard PhD rhetorically asked what several disparate concepts, all of which were all reportedly related to emotional intelligence, had to do with each other and then emphatically stated Nothing! I smiled to myself and thought, actually they are all tied together by emotion.
I’ve really been enjoying our EQ Networking Meetings. Please come to the next one in your city. Remember, we try to have them at 5:00 pm on the second day of each certification course in all the cities where we host courses and all who are interested are invited. I’m really looking forward to the Toronto EQ Networking meeting May 26th.
Are you using social media? I’m signed up with LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter, and Facebook, but I’m sure I’m not yet using them effectively or efficiently. I’m also not totally convinced or committed yet. Perhaps that will come. Please write me and let me know your experience.
A reminder that Lily Zeng and I had our joint speakers’ proposal accepted at the International Conference on Emotional Intelligence this June 29-30 and if you are going to be in attendance, we will see you there! Register now at www.mhs.com/icei/
EQ-360 Certification Course Teleclass July 31, 2009* 9-noon PST Must have EQ-i Certification as the pre-requisite. For $650CAD you get an EQ-360 on yourself, an EQ-360 on a person of your choosing, and then 2 complimentary EQ-360 uses (at $200/ea that’s a value of $800!) Simply register at www.eitrainingcompany.com
EQ-i Certification Course information: Download the new 2009 Brochure Here the brochure was done by www.pinksheepmedia.com and if you need some brand development or a website design, please contact them. Check out their unique website.
Upcoming Certification Course dates: July 6, 7, 8 Vancouver, July 20, 21, 22 Ottawa, Sept 7, 8, 9 San Francisco, Sept 21, 22, 23 Calgary, Oct 19, 20, 21 Toronto, Nov 2, 3, 4 Vancouver, Nov 18, 19, 20 San Fran, Dec 14, 15, 16, Ottawa
Please see website for details and registration. www.eitrainingcompany.com
Update March 20, 2009
We have had a wonderful string of cert courses this year in Toronto, San Francisco, and Vancouver. I’ve met and worked with some fabulous people and it has spun off into additional courses and projects. We’re bringing the cert course to Chicago, hosted by St. Xavier University as a result of a course participant and we’ll be putting together proposals for additional business in collaboration with other cert course participants. I just love the cert course for meeting incredible individuals who I can learn so much from – and even work with. We also had some great EQ Networking meetings in Toronto and San Francisco – I just ran out of steam for the Vancouver EQ Networking meeting, but we will be sure to ‘over-do’ it for the next EQ Networking Meeting in Vancouver in July. Remember, we try to have them at 5:00 pm on the second day of each certification course in all the cities where we host courses and all who are interested are invited. I’m really looking forward to the Ottawa EQ Networking meeting March 24th.
Are you twittering? Sign up at www.twitter.com and ‘follow me’ – I’ll ‘follow you’ right back. So far, it’s more fun than FaceBook, just because it’s much quicker and easier. Try it.
Lily Zeng and I just had our joint speakers’ proposal accepted at the International Conference on Emotional Intelligence this June 29-30 and if you are going to be in attendance, we will see you there! Register now at www.mhs.com/icei/
EQ-360 Certification Course Teleclass April 17th, 2009* 9-noon PST Must have EQ-i Certification as the pre-requisite. For $650CAD you get an EQ-360 on yourself, an EQ-360 on a person of your choosing, and then 2 complimentary EQ-360 uses (at $200/ea that’s a value of $800!) Simply register at www.eitrainingcompany.com
EQ-i Certification Course information: Download the new 2009 Brochure Here – I continue to brag about Pinksheepmedia.com and you might think my perspective biased because Becky is my daughter, but I keep hearing from everyone who works with Becky and Sherwin what a pleasure it is and how brilliant they are, so it’s not just me! Speaking of Becky, she took a conference Key Note presentation on Emotional Intelligence for me in Victoria and the feedback was extremely positive. Of course! I wouldn’t have refered her if I had any doubt. ;-)
Upcoming Certification Course dates: Mar 23, 24, 25, Ottawa, April 22, 23, 24 Calgary, May 25, 26, 27 Toronto, June 22, 23, 24 San Fran, July 6, 7, 8 Vancouver, July 20, 21, 22 Ottawa, Sept 21, 22, 23 Calgary, Oct 19, 20, 21 Toronto, Nov 2, 3, 4 Vancouver, Nov 18, 19, 20 San Fran, Dec 14, 15, 16, Ottawa
Notice I cancelled Halifax. :-( Not that I don’t love Halifax – quite the opposite. I just need to be close to home in April – I’m following my heart’s advice. We’ll try Halifax again at a later date.
Please see website for details and registration. www.eitrainingcompany.com
