Part I: Getting Started with the EQ-i 2.0

Introduction

Qualification and Certification

Administrator Qualifications

The evaluation of the results received from administering the EQ-i 2.0 must be made by a qualified psychologist or other professional familiar with the principles of testing, psychometrics, and normal human behavior.

When the EQ-i 2.0 is being used in clinical, rather than corporate, educational, and research settings, the following guidelines apply:

• Mental health professionals should be familiar with the standards for educational and psychological testing, jointly developed by the American Psychological Association, the American Educational Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education (APA, 1999).
• Qualified users of this test in clinical settings should also be members of professional associations that endorse a set of standards for the ethical use of psychological or educational tests, or licensed professionals in the areas of psychology, education, medicine, social work, or an allied field.
• Individuals without formal psychological training and professional affiliations should be certified by an MHS-approved EQ-i 2.0 trainer. The certification program, while not mandatory for some users, is nonetheless strongly recommended. Individuals whose only exposure to EQ-i 2.0 assessment is gained from this User’s Handbook are not appropriate or qualified users of this instrument.
• All individuals responsible for administering and evaluating EQ-i 2.0 results, regardless of training, should carefully read this User’s Handbook and be familiar with it before using the assessment.

Who Requires Certification?

Professionals without graduate-level university credits in tests and measurements are required to become accredited users in order to purchase and interpret EQ‑i 2.0 results. Certification provides scientific understanding of the tool’s validity and reliability, ethical frameworks for its use, and practical experience in interpretation and feedback.

Professionals who work in the areas of executive coaching, recruitment, organizational development, employee development, management training, leadership and executive development, emotional intelligence research, education, career development, HR management and consulting, and industrial psychology will directly benefit from certification.

Administrative assistants involved in setting up and scoring the EQ-i 2.0 do not require certification provided that they are working under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. Similarly, research students must have a qualified supervisor to ensure that ethical guidelines are followed.

Certification Benefits

Certification helps you use the EQ-i 2.0 effectively and increases your own effectiveness with others. By participating in an EQ-i 2.0 workshop, you will develop a solid foundation of the scientific concepts behind this inventory and you will be trained in the interpretation and feedback of EQ-i 2.0. Certification benefits include:

1. Customization. Corporate and personal development programs often fail because they neglect to tailor initiatives to a project’s unique realities. Certification teaches you how to tailor EI initiatives to improve employee selection, employee and organizational development, customer and employee retention, and global cooperation by addressing the needs of your organization.
2. Leadership. EI self-awareness is essential to sustainable leadership. An individual must understand and manage his or her personal strengths and weaknesses in order to respond to environmental and competitive demands. Only through the understanding of ourselves can we successfully take proactive initiatives to lead others within an organization. Certification provides an opportunity for you to receive your own EQ-i 2.0 feedback and practice coaching others so you can bring out key leadership competencies in your clients.
3. Teamwork. The results of the EQ-i 2.0 assessment give a clear picture of a team’s strengths and weaknesses by examining the relationships within the team. Just as an individual needs to be self-aware to successfully accomplish goals, so does a team. By addressing its own inter-relationships, a team will develop the commitment to set goals as a group, meet those goals together, and evaluate what has collectively been accomplished.
4. Organizational Transitions and Changes. The EQ-i 2.0 measures the ongoing functioning and well-being of workers in an organization, as well as the effectiveness of organizational change and restructuring. Applying information gained from the EQ-i 2.0 to structural decisions can be an invaluable tool in successfully realizing the future vision of your organization.
5. Employee Selection. EI can assist in the recruitment process. Research indicates that a strong correlation between emotional intelligence and job performance exists, making the EQ-i 2.0 an ideal part of selecting successful employees. You can create a predictive model of the top performers in your organization to determine what skills are the most valuable to your company in general and/or for a particular function.
6. Executive Coaching. The emotional and social skills associated with EI are acquired and can be improved through training. The EQ-i 2.0 identifies the areas requiring growth and gives strategic suggestions for improvement. With the EQ-i 2.0, you gain a fast and insightful way to plan and measure the effectiveness of personal and professional growth.
7. Networking. As a certified EI professional, you have access to a private online community of professionals devoted to the use of EI assessments in various settings. Their experiences and contacts will aid you in developing your particular EI program.

An understanding of the research and conceptual framework behind the development of EI assessment tools is essential for their effective use. EI certification workshops give you this knowledge in a stimulating, interactive environment using relevant corporate examples.

As a certified EQ-i 2.0 user, you

• gain an in-depth understanding of EQ-i 2.0,
• become familiar with the ethical and responsible use of EQ-i 2.0,
• gain experience in EQ-i 2.0 interpretation and feedback, and
• learn strategies for coaching others using the EQ-i 2.0 in workplace settings.

Upon successful completion of the EQ-i 2.0 certification workshop, participants become eligible to purchase the EQ-i 2.0.

Certification Agenda

Certification in the EQ-i 2.0 takes a few days and is offered in a blended format consisting of e-learning and in-class or webinar components. Workshops may vary among training partners, but follow the overall structure shown in Table 1.7.

Table 1.7. EQ-i 2.0 Certification Modules

Module	Learners will be able to:	Delivery Method
Overall Certification Learning Objectives	Describe the components of the EQ-i 2.0 including defining composite scales and subscales Understand the science behind the EQ-i 2.0 Interpret an EQ-i 2.0 assessment Administer the EQ-i 2.0 Follow a structured approach to preparing for a feedback session Demonstrate the ability to conduct an effective assessment feedback session Explain the benefits of EI to their client groups Describe how EI applies to different disciplines Identify resources available post-certification Assess which report type is appropriate for their client	Blended solution consisting of e-learning and in-class or webinar components
Module 1: Overview and Framework	Define EI and articulate what EI is not Explain the evolution and importance of EI Demonstrate understanding of EQ-i 2.0 Model of Emotional Intelligence Demonstrate understanding of composite scales and subscales	e-learning
Module 2: The Science Behind the EQ-i 2.0: Psychometrics	Identify response style indicators for the EQ-i 2.0 Explain validity and reliability as it pertains to the EQ-i 2.0 Describe the mean and standard deviation Understand the EQ-i 2.0 norms	e-learning
Module 3: Elements of EQ-i 2.0: Subscales in Action	Apply knowledge of subscale definitions to real examples Explain how the subscales interact Demonstrate what Low, Mid, High Range scores on a subscale looks like Develop questions based on relationships between subscales Demonstrate understanding of relationships between subscales at a conceptual level	In-class or webinar
Module 4: Interpretation and Giving Feedback	Interpret an assessment including identifying the response style indicators Demonstrate the components of a best practice feedback debrief session Develop questions to lead feedback debrief discussion Understand the ethics of administering the EQ-i 2.0 Practice foundational coaching skills, including effective questioning techniques	In-class or webinar
Module 5: Getting Buy-In	Articulate the different applications of EI among various disciplines Access information and case studies demonstrating ROI Work through a process in order to gain buy-in for an EI plan internally and externally to an organization Highlight the benefits of the EQ-i 2.0 over other EI assessments Identify sponsor resistance and ways to overcome it	In-class or webinar
Module 6: Planning and Administration	Describe the resources available post-certification (e.g., Handbook, customer service, etc.) Distinguish between reports, choose the right one for clients Determine how to administer the EQ-i with clients Determine where to go to get assistance	e-learning