REWARD
“Everyone should have their own cheerleader; a pom pom-waving voice that celebrates the achievement of growth rather than shiny trophies”
and that of others, which links to two key aspects of EQ: self-awareness and interpersonal relationships. I’ve become more conscious of my need to please other people, previously believing this made me more successful. However, I have started to see cracks in my authenticity with this approach. I can see that being true to myself makes me a far stronger person, and ultimately my work and relationships will be better for it. My increased awareness of others doesn’t come from a judgemental place, but from building an understanding of my impact on them. Providing insight isn’t about pushing the bigger picture and forcing ideas of success onto others; instead it’s providing little sparks which might one day help someone light their own fire. Who’s the cheerleader? This concept linked perfectly to our next topic: coaching. I thought I had a good grasp of this concept, but I was muddling several terms which have subtle differences. Tutors, mentors and coaches all have different roles to play, and it’s coaching which links most strongly with leadership. Hearing the word coach, my mind races to the trend for American sporting movies of the ‘90s… Rookie of the Year , A League of Their Own, Happy Gilmore . We all love a cheesy triumph-over-adversity flick where the protagonist is supported by a cast of so- called experts for example, the trainers who give them the know-how and the mentor (usually an ageing ex-pro) who has seen it all before. You might recognise these types of people in your own professional circle. And then we have the coach. The irate one giving the motivational speeches and half-time dressing down. But are they really the one who pushes the main character towards success? Or is there someone on the sidelines, loitering in the stands after the game that has a quiet word and makes them think about what they really want to achieve? I’ve learned that real coaching is less about shouting, and more about helping others set and achieve their own goals. Everyone should have their own cheerleader; a pom pom-waving voice that celebrates the achievement of growth rather than shiny trophies. The GROW model developed in the ‘80s is a framework to help structure coaching questions, and is a powerful way to step away from your own ideals
and use empathy rather than tuition to develop others.
understand the concept of alabaster. But the emotional nature of EQ means we need a good level of resilience to sustain it. The biggest derailer we all have to fight against is our stress tolerance. My concerns about my wrinkles should pale in comparison to the impact stress can have on my body and even life expectancy. But it also reduces our mental capacity to function with a high level of EQ. When we’re under pressure to perform, preoccupied with just surviving the day or feeling isolated, there’s little scope for us to tackle supporting others, generating new ideas or standing our ground against the demands of others, no matter how self-aware we are. Working in payroll is always going to have its stresses, so it’s our ability to bounce back which will support our EQ just as much as our professional qualifications can support our IQ. In summary If you want to use coaching to drive success in your organisation and allow creativity to flow, then consider some of the following: GROW the people around you Improve yourself by improving others. If their goals align with what you’re trying to accomplish then you will all achieve. Encourage experimentation The only bad ideas are the ones you don’t try. Don’t overlook your own well- being To elevate your EQ, you need to have mental capacity. Less is definitely more when it comes to stress, so take that coffee break, read that book or get out in the open, even if it feels counterintuitive when your inbox is overflowing. What’s next? We’re all headed to the CIPP’s head office to present our ideas on transformational leadership, and we’ll then complete a final reflective assignment to complete our qualification. Find out how we get on in a future issue of Professional ! n
G oal – find out what they want to achieve / solve / improve R eality – establish what the situation is now and any barriers currently in the way O ptions – ask what can be done to move towards the goal, who can help and what their preference is W ay forward – help to facilitate their next steps, measure progress and don’t forget to limber up for the celebratory somersault when they achieve! Jump in the DeLorean Helping others to explore their options and find a way forward takes a problem solving, innovative mindset. We can provide insight to inspire others but need to be able to follow this through with some more practical guidance. There are two ways we can consider innovation as a superpower for leaders: being innovative ourselves, or by allowing others the freedom to innovate. In either situation, we must have a culture of trust for people to explore and make mistakes. While I’m in a retro movie reverie, let’s think back to the mad inventors in Honey I Shrunk the Kids or Back to the Future . Things didn’t always go to plan for them as they developed their crazy ideas. Giant ants might not stand in the way of most of our innovative ideas, but feeling secure enough to have confidence and let our inner drive push through can do. As a leader, I want to be the one to say yes to the flux capacitor even if I’ve no idea how it works, and to have the faith that others will join me in my DeLorean even if they’re not sure if we’ll end up in 1985 or just crashing into a wall. But to achieve that level of confidence, we must fight against the EQ derailers.
Keeping on track Developing your EQ might appear
easier than boosting your IQ, as having a little more self-awareness can seem more achievable than getting a PhD in quantum physics or helping a colleague to
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 100 | May 2024
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