Part IV: Using the Results
EQ-i 2.0 Case Studies
Case Study 6
Submitted by: Kelley Marko
Client Background
Eight years ago, John left a senior executive position in a large natural-resources company and accepted a demotion to work in a Fortune 500 services organization. This life-changing decision was influenced by two factors: his desire to reduce his unreasonably long hours at work so that he could spend more time with his wife and young children, and a significant health scare that was directly related to the overwhelming stress he experienced at work. Over his eight-year tenure with his current organization, John has continued to prove his value. Now, at the age of 46, and several promotions later, John is once again occupying a senior executive position.
John’s organization has been affected by an economic downturn and this has significantly raised the level of stress and anxiety throughout the organization at being able to achieve targets and meet plans. As a result, the Executive team has been focused on short-term results and cost cutting in an attempt to satisfy the company’s shareholders. This orientation has resulted in decisions and behaviors that are fuelled by the pursuit of quick fixes that often come at the expense of engaging teamwork and leadership, even though the organization promotes the importance of these concepts through its published values.
In light of this development, John now feels the pull to return to his old and unhealthy ways of leading and managing. In an attempt to preserve his well-being and prevent his career from once again becoming derailed, John has engaged me as his executive coach to assist him in balancing the short-term needs of the company with his long-term desire to be a better leader.
Summary of EQ-i 2.0 Results
Coaching Approach & Development Strategies
Gaining an in-depth understanding of John’s current work and life environment through discussions and focused questions was the critical first step to moving forward with our coaching relationship. This step not only helped me better understand John’s wants and needs but also provided a foundation for better understanding his EQ-i 2.0 results in context.
An analysis of his results in conjunction with a private and confidential debrief and coaching session revealed several important revelations that provided a clear focus for our coaching relationship:
- Establishing John’s Orientation to the Difficult Work Required for Leadership Development: John’s results indicate an orientation towards deep introspection and an ability to remain accountable to his own personal development goals and commitments. First, a significantly high score on Self-Actualization confirmed John’s authentic desire to continue to develop personally and interpersonally and we linked this focus on self growth to his current desire to seek out coaching. Second, John’s high score on Self-Actualization coupled with significantly high scores on Happiness and Stress Tolerance provides evidence that he is an excellent candidate for the tough personal work involved as part of his development. These are strengths that he can rely on to help keep him on track to achieving his personal goals. Third, John’s significantly high Independence provided the foundation he needed to stand behind the belief and value he placed on executive coaching, even when other executives in the organization interpreted this type of support as a sign of weakness or an unnecessary expense in tough economic times.
- A Need to Align Intent with Behavior in His Relationships: John’s above-average Social Responsibility score is a confirmation of his personal desire to have a meaningful and sustainable impact on others and to not just focus on short-term or quick-fix perspectives that often come at the expense of people. This mindset also helped to explain some of the significant tension and dissonance that he is currently experiencing, given the decisions and behaviors of his Executive team. Despite John’s above-average score on Social Responsibility, his Interpersonal Composite was his lowest-rated theme. When we further explored the impact of John’s relatively lower scores in Empathy and Interpersonal Relationships, it revealed how his desire to be a more effective leader did not always align with his behaviors or how he is perceived by others. This disconnect was something particularly insightful for John. Given that his current business environment is characterized by high stress and anxiety, John needed to engage the skills comprising the Interpersonal Composite now more than ever. Through the use of the EQ-i 2.0, re-aligning John’s behaviors with his intentions became a developmental priority in our coaching. Although the Interpersonal Composite proved to be a primary focus, further analysis of his results revealed why maintaining balance was particularly difficult for him to do and what else he needed to focus on in our coaching.
- The Cost of Being High in Certain EQ-i Scores when Combined with Lower Impulse Control: John acknowledged that he has a tendency to take on too much and this tendency is sometimes fuelled by impulsively overusing his Independence. We explored that when John does this, he fails to develop and build relationships with others as well as he could, and in turn fails to delegate responsibilities when needed. These factors were ultimately leading to a recurring pattern of behavior from his past of working long hours and taking on an unhealthy amount of stress. Given that John’s Stress Tolerance is well above average, he often failed to recognize when he had taken on too much, both for himself and for others.
John’s relatively lower score in Impulse Control is a particularly compelling aspect of his assessment. When considered in relation to some of his highest scores, the relative imbalance proved to be particularly problematic but also insightful. John recognized that he had a hard time working with and understanding people who were not of the same skill level or mindset. For example, his significantly higher Independence, Flexibility and Problem Solving would sometimes mean that he would be several steps ahead of others and would have a harder time understanding why other people were not at the same stage he was at or why they could not keep pace. As a result, he would sometimes “leave others behind” in his desire to impulsively and quickly get things done. Understanding how his own high scores sometimes resulted in unrealistic expectations of others who may not be at his level was a key leverage point that assisted John in developing more Empathy for those he was attempting to lead. Through this process, John gained a deeper understanding of how to better manage his behaviors “in context” and that misusing his strengths can become equally problematic in certain situations.