Emotional Intelligence in Action: Improv(e) your Interpersonal Skills

Although the term was coined in 1964, it was only in 1995 that “emotional intelligence” entered the public lexicon, thanks to Daniel Goleman’s book on the topic, Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More than IQ. Since then, schools, businesses, and the media have come to recognize the importance of these “soft skills”, and more and more leaders are looking to engage with their emotional intelligence to succeed.

The CWF WAVE Conference in January brought in a variety of experts who spoke about impactful leadership through emotional intelligence, which is often defined as the ability to

Recognize, understand and manage our own emotions

Recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others

Daniel Goleman writes that effective leadership through emotional intelligence consists of the following capabilities:

• Intrapersonal
  • Self-awareness
  • Self-regulation
  • Motivation
• Interpersonal
  • Empathy
  • Social awareness and communication

How can you begin to hone these skills in your work and personal life?

Whether you were able to attend the WAVE conference or not, this interactive workshop is a chance to put some of that theory into practice. Focusing on the interpersonal aspects of emotional intelligence, you will train to be more in tune with one another, listen to what is said and what is unsaid, and learn how to gauge whether your messages are being received accurately.

The workshop will help you notice the myriad ways others are communicating with you, both verbally and non-verbally. Fun, interactive, participatory exercises will have everyone on their feet. Through experiential learning, you will:

• Define your own ways of communicating and leading
• Communicate your emotions effectively and understand others’ emotions
• Challenge your stereotypes and assumptions about yourself and the viewpoints of those around you

About the Training Method

Improvised comedy (“improv”) teaches important skills such as quick thinking, cooperation, active listening, creativity and leadership. The principles of improv can be applied to the working world for personal development, team building, creativity and collective work. Indeed, around the world companies, organizations and business schools are teaching their employees and students using methods and mindsets from improv.

The Renegade Saints are Geneva’s premiere English-language improv troupe. Onstage, the Renegade Saints create countless new realities without a script. Offstage, they bring their skills to the entrepreneurial and corporate worlds across Europe to empower teams to collaborate, communicate and co-create more efficiently.

Your trainers

Viki Lazar and Lianne Gonsalves are trainers with the Renegade Saints, Geneva’s premiere English-language improv troupe. Onstage, the Renegade Saints create countless new realities without a script. Offstage, they bring their skills to the entrepreneurial and corporate worlds across Europe to empower teams to collaborate, communicate and co-create more efficiently.