Self-management Archives

What does cultural transformation look, sound, and taste like?! Insights by Juan Amat, GM JDE Coffee

Posted on 5 November 2019 18 January 2021 by Denise

Juan Ignacio Amat joined Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) as General Manager France a year ago, after earning his stripes during 14 years at Pepsico. Amat was attracted to the vibrant coffee market, the rich heritage of the longstanding brands (L’Or, Jacques Vabre, Senseo…), and the opportunity to build a culture of empowerment in this new company formed by a merger in 2015.

Nathalie Rolland, the Communications Manager who has been with JDE since before the merger, joined us for the discussion.

Denise Dampierre (DD): Juan, as GM of JDE France, what three numbers keep you up at night?

Juan Amat (JA): Denise, I sleep well, even when I drink coffee!

Here are the key numbers I track:

The growth of the coffee market with respect to the rest of the dry food business. We want to keep adding customer value.
Financial performance figures such as top line, bottom line, and cash.
Employee engagement.

DD: How do you measure employee engagement?

JA: We launched our first annual employee engagement survey a year ago. That gave us a baseline. These surveys are especially relevant when compared over time. Our second annual survey is underway.

We also developed a tool to test the engagement temperature every month during the company Coffee Talk. The entire company is invited to a one-hour business presentation, Q & A, and learning event. At the close the Coffee Talks, we measure engagement by asking employees whether they would recommend JDE to their entourage.

We define “Team Spirit” (“Solidarité” en français) as a sense of belonging and the freedom to bypass business silos and to go directly to the necessary sources for help and information.

We also put in place KPI’s for “Team Spirit” (“Solidarité” en français) which we define as a sense of belonging and the freedom to bypass business silos and to go directly to the necessary sources for help and information.

DD: How does one begin a cultural transformation?

JA: We began by listening. Our first employee engagement survey revealed that employees ranked Team Spirit among the most important values yet the least present in our day-to-day operations.

We begin cultural transformation by listening.

We realized that building Team Spirit would first require a change in mindset which could then translate into a different way of doing business. We sought a way to generate self-questioning without destabilizing.

Nathalie Rolland (NR): It’s not easy to convey the notion of Team Spirit, and we want the teams to both intellectually and emotionally grasp this sense of mutual reliance. In one of our Coffee Talks, we turned off all the lights so that everyone was in pitch black. People naturally reached out for others and talked to each other to find their way. We used this activity to demonstrate the limitations of working individually and in silos and the need for transversal cooperation.

JA: I was inspired by the 70:20:10 model for learning and development.

Aside: According to researchers Robert Eichinger and Michael Lombardo, “Development generally begins with a realization of current or future need and the motivation to do something about it. This might come from feedback, a mistake, watching other people’s reactions, failing or not being up to a task – in other words, from experience.” They estimate that 70% of learning stems from experience, 20% from mentoring and personalized feedback, and 10% from formal courses and learning.

Back to Juan Ignacio Amat’s interview…

We wanted a culture that would develop Team Spirit through everyday exchanges, through the “70%.“

Most people, including JDE team members, think they are already performing well. They don’t wake up in the morning and wonder how to make life miserable for others. Instead, they rightly believe they are playing their part. And they are proud of it.

Most people don’t wake up in the morning and wonder how to make life miserable for others!

Yet Team Spirit is about going the extra mile. It’s about feeling such a sense of belonging that employees act as if they owned their business. In fact, we call our employees “associates.” Every JDE employee’s compensation is related to both financial performance and strength of human relations. At JDE, Team Spirit means investing the discretionary effort to exceed themselves and secure results.

To initiate the shift in mindset, we first invested in the “10%” through Strength-Based Management training for the Executive Committee, then the entire managerial level, and now every associate.

It’s in the space between good and excellent that we generate the greatest improvement and impact.

Strength-Based Management propelled us to focus on excellence. Conventional management practices and the French education system focus on fixing what is wrong. Seeking strengths is counter-intuitive, especially for a company that is as results-oriented as ours. We used to seek out the numbers in red to scrutinize what’s behind them.

Strength-Based Management propelled us to focus on excellence. Seeking strengths is counter-intuitive, especially for a company that is as results-oriented as ours.

I appreciate the forward focus of strength-based management. There is always room for progress. It’s in the space between good and excellent that we generate the greatest improvement and impact. It’s incredibly more empowering and engaging than raising mediocre performance to satisfactory levels.

What you see is what you get — “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Dr. Wayne Dyer – photo from LoveThisPic.com

Training our workforce is a real investment. We are quickly reaping the return on investment. People come up to me saying, “Juan, I felt so appreciated when colleagues highlighted my strengths, some of which I did not realize I had!” “I am so encouraged in my job.” These are the first indication of increased amiability and engagement at work.

DD: How do you measure success?

JA: That’s where we create a plan for the “70%.” What will everyday business look like? The real testing time comes during our moments of challenge, when we are tired, and the workload is heavy, or performance goals are not met.

I already notice a changed behavior. In our difficult moments there is less defensiveness and accusation, less blaming and finger pointing. Instead we observe increased accountability, responsibility, and teamwork. Yes, even in moments of tension! Cultural change is starting, and we aim for even more.

DD: Do associates really expose mistakes?

JA: We are a company of Dutch heritage in France. We can be very direct in saying when things are not working. Our cultural transformation changes how we express and respond to bad news. We use factual language with quantitative metrics to describe the challenge. This keeps us from veering off track towards accusations. Instead of hearing, “We can’t reach our goal because you ____!” we focus on finding solutions: “What do you need to ____? What are you expecting from me?” We aim to give our teams the means to say, “I need your help with A, B, & C resources.”

It’s not always easy. Yet this is the spirit in which we aim to resolve conflicts.

Instead of hearing, “We can’t reach our goal because you ____!” we focus on finding solutions: “What do you need to ____? What are you expecting from me?”

NR: This is a major culture change and we have had to learn skills like active listening. Beforehand, we heard from managers, “Why didn’t you make your numbers?!” Now, with a focus on strengths, managers also inquire about our successes. “What helped you reach your goals? What are you especially proud of this year?”

With this different kind of listening, we are more willing to receive performance-improvement feedback.

DD: What concrete actions have you put in place to imbed the strength-based, solidarity mindset?

JA: We created occasions which bring together people from multiple functions. We created moments of conflict by design.

For example, none of the Executive Committee has his own office; we sit around a large table. It facilitates exchange. When one of us has a question, we simply look up to check if our colleague is available and talk the issue out. It is a small change which makes a big difference.

Every week, I spend time one on one with each of my direct reports. More formally, we meet as the Executive Committee every two weeks to keep abreast of our actions and to indicate where we need each other’s input. We also try to connect personally to better understand our diverse perspectives. This builds empathy.

We created occasions which bring together people from multiple functions. We created moments of conflict by design.

We also created a weekly breakfast for our forty second line managers. These are not the functional directors but those reporting to them. I meet with a small group every week which allows them to strengthen their cross-functional relationships and me to know what is on peoples’ minds. We take out the mega-special coffee machine and discuss informally. I might not be able to resolve an issue they bring up; I am informed. These breakfasts help me address any gap between what leadership is saying and what actually happens.

Every month, the sales and marketing teams meet to share what is going well, where they see opportunities for improvement, and on what projects they request for help from each other.

DD: In this cultural shift, managers will invariably need redirection. How do you handle course correction for a team member?

JA: Here is what I do.

I begin by managing my emotions. I try to hold in frustration when we are dealing with a mistake and instead focus on being comprehensive and inquisitive. However, I let my anger show when I discover that we have had a longstanding problem that was covered up.

I begin by managing my emotions. I try not to be too euphoric nor angry. I select the situations to express my emotions. I try to hold in frustration when we are dealing with a mistake and instead focus on being comprehensive and inquisitive. Let’s learn from what happened in order to avoid repeating the same mistake. If an error recurs, it points to a lack of capability or attention. That is fixable. I try to keep my tone of voice calm and understanding and to orient the discussion towards an action plan to bring performance back up to expectations.

However, I let my anger show when I discover that we have had a longstanding problem that was covered up.

When someone expresses an excess in accountability, like “We’re in this mess because you did not____” I interrupt the person.

The person that reveals a problem had the courage to speak up. It can be tempting to kill the messenger, which is why I make a concerted effort to respect the bearer of bad news. In that way, we keep finding out what’s happening within the company.

When someone expresses an excess in accountability, like “We’re in this mess because you did not____” I interrupt the person. Maybe I should introduce more coffee breaks to bring down the temperature in the room!

NR: It comes back to Team Spirit. If the leaders begin judging when times get tough, Team Spirit loses credibility. We have greater solidarity and employee engagement precisely because, in those complex time, teams feel non-judgmental support from the Executive Committee.

DD: Where does the “20%” in the learning & development model come into play?

JA: Twice a year, every associate has an objective-setting discussion with his manager which includes providing the individual with an action plan to grow in technical skills and personal development.

Team members select their training from among our JDE global MOOC’s, the Learning & Development Café. We also encourage people to shadow another associate to learn through their example or to meet up with colleagues in a different function to gain an understanding of their business.

DD: What other thought do you want share about transforming a culture and empowering teams?

JA: It’s always a fine line between delegation and control. Finding that balance depends upon the business and one’s own self-awareness. One extreme lies in micro-management which allows people off the hook. “Too bad if we did not reach our goals. I did my job. I followed orders.”

Empowering our team requires work on oneself. I have to stop myself from intervening and to consciously trust in my team,

Empowering our team requires work on oneself. I am accountable for the results in France, thus I need a certain degree of control. There are days when I have to stop myself from intervening, to consciously trust in my team, and to give them the autonomy to pursue the strategy they defined. After all, they know the details, I don’t.

I want a team of associates that act like General Managers, each taking responsible for his business. If I get too involved in the details, I curb their ability to take initiatives.

And now, I have a question for you! Would YOU recommend JDE to your friends?

DD: YES!

Thank you

Thank you, Juan Ignacio Amat, for this insightful exchange and the challenge to each of us

To grow by building on strengths
To simultaneously hold high expectations and forgo making judgements
To translate corporate values into an action plan and habitual behaviors

What are your strengths? What are the strengths of that-colleague-who-bothers-me-so? (They have at least one!) How would your relationship with this person change if you were to recognize his/her contribution?

Let us know in the comments what happened when you tried it.

Cover photo by Nathan Dumlao

Woman climbing stairs. Like career advancement

Avancer dans sa carrière avec l’intelligence émotionnelle – Conseils d’Isabelle Roux-Buisson

Posted on 26 April 2019 2 July 2019 by Denise

Isabelle Roux-Buisson est une Senior Executive avec plus de 20 ans d’expérience de management dans des sociétés mondiales d’informatique. Elle a siègé à des comités exécutifs européens et a géré des unités d’exploitation qui génèrent des revenues de plusieurs milliards. Roux-Buisson est actuellement membre du conseil de la Harvard Business School France (l’une des écoles où elle a étudié) et de celui du Groupe ESEO école d’ingénieur. Précédemment, elle a fait partie du conseil des anciens élèves de Télécom Paris Tech (une autre de ses alma maters).

Denise Dampierre : Vous avez eu une carrière admirable. Qu’est-ce qui vous a aidé à définir votre parcours professionnel ?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson : Un des premiers principes en management est de ne jamais cesser de progresser. C’est encore plus fondamental aujourd’hui que le monde du travail est rapidement transformé par la technologie. Des études montrent que 85% des métiers qui existeront en 2030 n’ont pas encore été inventés. [i] Cela implique que les besoins seront différents, et que la nécessité d’être adaptable sera énorme.

Quand on progresse en management, nous avons la responsabilité d’être équipés des outils nécessaires pour continuer à évoluer dans notre environnement. L’intelligence émotionnelle m’a fourni une boîte à outils pour adapter le renforcement de mes compétences à chaque nouvelle étape de leadership.

Aparté : Dr. Daniel Goleman est l’auteur du livre à succès Intelligence Emotionnelle. Pendant 12 ans, il a écrit sur les sciences cognitives et comportementales pour le New York Times. Il décrit l’intelligence émotionnelle comme la manière de se maîtriser soi-même et ses relations, et identifie quatre domaines principaux

La conscience de soi – savoir ce que l’on ressent et pourquoi
L’autogestion – gérer nos émotions négatives d’une façon efficace et exploiter le pouvoir des émotions positives
La conscience sociale – se lier et comprendre les gens qui nous entourent
La gestion des relations – mettre ces compétences d’intelligence émotionnelle au service des relations dans, et hors de, son équipe

Les compétences d'intelligence emotionnelle selon Daniel Goleman — Les aptitudes d’intelligence émotionnelle et leurs compétences associées

Denise Dampierre : Quel est le rôle de l’intelligence émotionnelle aux différents stades d’une carrière ?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson : Lorsque l’on rentre dans la vie active, on est essentiellement embauché pour ses compétences techniques. J’ai commencé en marketing.

Tôt ou tard, certains d’entre nous vont être amenés à occuper des postes de direction. Avant toute chose, ce sont nos paroles et nos actions qui expriment notre intérêt pour le management. C’est également le cas si on démontre une maîtrise suffisante des tâches techniques mais aussi un certain degré d’empathie, de conscience organisationnelle, de leadership ainsi qu’une capacité à travailler en groupe. Cette combinaison nous place comme un « potentiel » pour le management.

Ensuite, en tant que cadre intermédiaire, le jeu change. Les qualités « humaines » jouent un rôle essentiel. Nous avons alors besoin de démontrer notre capacité à évaluer mais aussi à travailler avec les gens, tout en étant capable de constituer et de motiver une équipe. On doit aussi piloter son environnement : notamment notre manager et nos collègues dans d’autres départements, qui sont des gens dont dépend notre réussite. C’est à ce moment-là que l’on commence souvent à comprendre sciemment et à affiner notre style de leadership.

Quand on progresse en management, nous avons la responsabilité d’être équipés des outils nécessaires pour continuer à évoluer dans notre environnement. L’intelligence émotionnelle m’a fourni une boîte à outils pour adapter le renforcement de mes compétences à chaque nouvelle étape de leadership.

Entrer à la direction générale pourrait être la prochaine étape. Les prérequis incluent notre propre intérêt à prendre une telle responsabilité mais aussi la conviction de notre hiérarchie quant au fait que l’on a les capacités pour assumer ce rôle.

Nous sommes responsables de la stratégie et de l’intégration d’enjeux complexes issus de divers acteurs.
Nous devons comprendre le rôle de notre entité au sein de l’organisation au sens large et du contexte général.
Nous devons être capable d’harmoniser, au sein de notre groupe, la bonne équipe avec les personnes et les ressources adéquates pour atteindre un objectif commun.

Notre réussite dépend de plus en plus de nos qualités humaines mais aussi conceptuelles, qui sont principalement nos compétences en termes de conscience sociale et de gestion relationnelle.

Au cours de cette progression, la conscience de soi et l’autogestion sont toujours les outils fondamentaux d’intelligence émotionnelle. Ils nous aident à identifier nos forces et à mettre sur pied une équipe aux membres complémentaires, dotés de compétences qui compensent les domaines où l’on est moins solide.

J’ai recherché les outils pour me faire progresser en tant que personne mais aussi en tant que dirigeante. L’intelligence émotionnelle de Goleman m’a fourni un cadre pour choisir intentionnellement des options de carrières qui m’aideraient à me développer et qui apporteraient de la valeur à l’entreprise. Cela m’a aidé à identifier les compétences à renforcer pour mes prochains changements de carrière mais aussi les talents à rechercher dans mes équipes pour, qu’ensemble, l’on parvienne à couvrir un champ plus large de compétences.

La conscience de soi et le contrôle de soi donnent la clé du reste de la boîte à outil de l’intelligence émotionnelle.

La conscience de soi et le contrôle de soi donnent la clé du reste de la boîte à outil de l’intelligence émotionnelle. Chaque personne opère dans un contexte institutionnel précis, et nous avons tous une tendance à développer davantage certaines compétences plutôt que d’autres. C’est pourquoi nous allons tous devoir naviguer dans le cadre de l’intelligence émotionnelle et acquérir des compétences d’intelligence émotionnelle à notre manière.

Denise Dampierre : Comment avez-vous découvert le modèle de l’intelligence émotionnelle ? Y avez-vous été formée en école de commerce ou en tant que manager ?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson : Les compétences d’intelligence émotionnelle s’appliquent aussi bien au domaine de la vie personnelle que professionnelle. J’avais déjà été sensibilisée à un certain nombre d’entre elles au cours de mon éducation familiale.

Nous avions évidemment des cours de compétences en leadership à Harvard. Mais c’est mon expérience professionnelle qui m’a amenée à apprécier pleinement leur valeur.

On amorce ce chemin avec le choix de notre employeur. Dans mon cas, les valeurs de Hewlett Packard (HP) et l’attention que la société portait au développement personnel m’ont parlé. Dans notre équipe, j’ai accepté les projets compliqués, les territoires peu développés où le succès était incertain. Quelques années plus tard, alors que j’avais astucieusement appliqué mes compétences techniques en marketing, mes gammes de produits avaient les meilleurs résultats en Europe. Ces résultats (l’orientation vers la réussite – “achievement orientation”) m’ont placé sur le radar de la direction.

Je pensais qu’il était essentiel, pour n’importe quelle entreprise, de comprendre le client (la conscience de soi – “self-awareness”). Je me suis également rendue compte qu’un passage aux ventes favorisait la mobilité verticale chez HP (la conscience sociale – “social awareness”). Une expérience dans les ventes m’a appris l’empathie, l’écoute et la recherche de solutions (et parfois la gestion de conflits – “conflict management”).

Sachant que HP était organisé selon une organisation matricielle, j’ai cherché à obtenir un poste en coordination internationale de grands comptes qui nécessitait de collaborer avec des équipes (“teamwork”) dans toute l’Europe et me permettait de bâtir un réseau de collègues dans d’autres pays. J’ai également appris comment influencer des homologues (“influence”) dont la performance impactait mes résultats. Un de mes comptes a été reconnu pour sa croissance supérieure en Europe. Ceci a d’autant plus confirmé ma réputation de personne orientée vers la réussite.

En tant que contributrice individuelle (un employé sans responsabilité managériale), je recherchais déjà des opportunités pour développer mes compétences en intelligence émotionnelle.

La conscience et le contrôle de soi nous aident à nous rendre compte de nos forces et d’attirer une équipe avec des talents complémentaires qui compensent pour les zones où nous sommes moins forts.

Par la suite, j’ai donc envoyé des signaux pour manifester mon intérêt de devenir manager et me suis vue assignée une unité en perte de vitesse. Une véritable chance de revitaliser une branche ! Mon défi résidait dans le fait d’instiller un esprit d’équipe, de bâtir des relations positives, de co-concevoir et de mettre en place un plan dans lequel nous croyions tous, et de réinstaurer de la fierté. J’ai appris à mériter mais aussi à réclamer le respect de mon autorité (l’autogestion – “self-management”). Un an après, nous étions reconnus comme la meilleure unité d’Europe.

En tant que manager, nous devons évaluer les gens et leurs capacités, pour les faire travailler ensemble et pour les (re)motiver. Ceci a renforcé mes capacités à travailler en équipe et m’a amenée à développer mon style de leadership.

Nous devons aussi gérer nos supérieurs et nos collègues, comprendre leurs attentes, leur environnement et leur manière de travailler. C’est ça la conscience organisationnelle (“organizational awareness”) !

Lors de l’étape suivante de ma carrière, j’ai de nouveau accepté la responsabilité de gérer une équipe sous-performante, composée de professionnels de dix à quinze ans mes aînés. Pour travailler avec ce groupe, je devais gérer mes propres réactions et créer du lien (empathie). J’ai demandé conseil auprès de managers plus expérimentés, ce qui m’a permis de vivre le fait d’être coachée et mentorée, et de renforcer ma conscience organisationnelle.

Prête pour une nouvelle aventure, j’ai cherché à obtenir un poste au siège mondial, dans la Silicon Valley. J’étais convaincue que mon évolution de carrière bénéficierait de cette exposition et de la compréhension de ce « centre du pouvoir ». Mes connaissances pratiques du champ européen pouvaient également apporter quelque chose de nouveau à leur perspective.

Denise Dampierre : Quel conseil donneriez-vous à de jeunes employés ? A des nouveaux managers ?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson : La conscience et le contrôle de soi sont les fondements sur lesquels bâtir une riche carrière.

Personne ne peut exceller dans tout. C’est une bonne chose dans les entreprises où il y a des équipes !

La conscience et le contrôle de soi nous aident à nous rendre compte des points où l’on est bon, pour prendre appui sur ces qualités, et à identifier quand nous avons besoin d’introduire d’autres talents pour que nos forces combinées permettent de rendre insignifiantes nos faiblesses individuelles.

Et la construction de la conscience et du contrôle de soi est une tâche qui dure toute la vie.

Merci

Isabelle Roux-Buisson nous a partagé comment l’intelligence émotionnelle lui avait fourni le fil rouge de son développement personnel et de son avancement professionnel.

Ne jamais cesser de développer la conscience de soi et l’autogestion
Passer des compétences techniques à celles conceptuelles, en passant par celles humaines, au cours du développement de sa carrière
Demander des promotions qui permettent de parfaire de nouvelles compétences
Trouver sa passion, sa force motrice

Quel est votre prochain changement de carrière ? Comment ces conseils sur l’intelligence émotionnelle peuvent-ils vous aider à présenter votre demande d’une manière qui semble avantageuse pour votre employeur ? Faites-le nous savoir dans les commentaires.

Je vous souhaite plein de succès !

[i] Institute for the Future: Emerging Technologies’ Impact on Society & Work in 2030
Cover photo by Bruno Nascimento

How Emotional Intelligence Advances Careers – insights by Isabelle Roux-Buisson

Posted on 14 April 2019 19 April 2019 by Denise

Isabelle Roux-Buisson is a senior executive with over 20 years’ experience in management in global IT corporations, sitting on European Executive Committees and managing business units of several billions in revenues. Roux-Buisson is a board member of Harvard Business School Club France (one of her alma maters) as well as ESEO Group engineering school. She previously served several terms on the Telecom Paris Tech (another alma mater) Alumni board.

Denise Dampierre: You have enjoyed a laudable career. What has helped you carve your career path?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson: One of the first principles of management is to never stop growing. This is even more fundamental now as work is rapidly transformed by technology. Studies indicate that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 have not been invented yet[i]. This implies the needs will be different, and the need for adaptability will be enormous.

As we grow in management, we are responsible to be equipped with the tools required to continue evolving in our environment. Emotional intelligence has provided me with a toolbox to adapt my skill building for each new leadership step.

Aside: Dr. Daniel Goleman is the author of best-selling Emotional Intelligence. For twelve years, he wrote for The New York Times, reporting on the brain and behavioral sciences. He describes emotional intelligence as the way we handle ourselves and our relationships, and identifies four main domains

Self-awareness – knowing what we feel and why we are feeling it
Self-management – handling our distressing emotions in an effective way and harnessing the power of positive emotions.
Social-awareness – connecting with and understanding the people around us
Relationship management – putting these emotional intelligence skills to work in relationships inside and outside your team

Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence Skills — Emotional intelligence competencies and their related skills.

Denise Dampierre: What is the role of emotional intelligence at various stages of one’s career?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson: As we enter the workforce, we are essentially hired for technical talent. I began in marketing.

Sooner or later, some of us will be invited into leadership. Foremost, our words and actions express our interest in management. We also demonstrate sufficient mastery of the technical issues and some degree of empathy, organizational awareness, leadership, and teamwork. This combination positions us as management potential.

Next as a middle manager, the game changes. “Human“ skills play a critical role. We need to demonstrate the ability to evaluate and work with people and to build and motivate a team. We also need to navigate our environment: our manager and colleagues in other departments on whom our success depends. This is where we often begin to consciously understand and hone our leadership style.

As we grow in management, we are responsible to be equipped with the tools required to continue evolving in our environment. Emotional intelligence has provided me with a toolbox to adapt my skill building for each new leadership step.

General management could be a next step. Prerequisites include our own interest in taking on such responsibility and our hierarchy’s conviction that we have the capability to succeed in the role.

We are responsible for the strategy and for integrating the complex stakes from multiple players.
We have to understand the role of our entity within the larger organization and context.
We must be able to align the right team, people and resources within our group to reach a common goal.

Our success depends increasingly on both conceptual and human skills, principally social awareness and relationship management skills.

Throughout this progression, self-awareness and self-management remain the foundational emotional intelligence tools. They help us to identify our strengths and to garner a team of complementary members, with skills that compensate for areas where we are less strong.

I sought out tools to grow as a person and a leader. Goleman’s emotional intelligence provided a framework to intentionally choose career options that would help me develop and add value to the company. It helped me identify the skills to build for my next career moves and the talents to seek out in my team so that together we could cover a wider set of competencies.

Self-awareness and self-control open up the rest of the emotional intelligence toolbox.

Self-awareness and self-control open up the rest of the emotional intelligence toolbox. Every person operates in a specific corporate context, and we each have a propensity towards some skills more than others. Therefore, we will all navigate through the emotional intelligence framework and build emotional intelligent skills in our unique manner.

Denise Dampierre: How did you discover the emotional intelligence paradigm? Were you trained in this at business school or as a manager?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson: Emotional intelligence skills apply to both the personal and professional realms of life. I was already sensitized to several through my family upbringing.

They did teach us these leadership skills at Harvard. My work experience led me to fully appreciated their value.

We embark on this path with our choice of employer. In my case, Hewlett Packard (HP)’s values and their focus on people development resonated with me. In our team, I accepted the challenge projects, the undeveloped territories where success was uncertain. In a few years, when I had applied my technical marketing skills with savvy, my product lines were the top performers in Europe. These results (achievement orientation) put me on the management radar.

I believed that it was vital in any company to understand the client (self-awareness). I also realized that a passage in sales favored upward mobility at HP (social awareness). Sales taught me empathy, listening, and solution-finding (and sometimes conflict-management).

Knowing that HP is a matrix organization, I sought an international account coordination position that required collaboration with teams throughout Europe and allowed me to build a network of colleagues in other countries. I also learned how to influence peers whose performance impacted my results. One of my accounts was recognized for top growth in Europe. This further confirmed to my reputation of achievement orientation.

As an individual contributor (an employee without management responsibilities), I already sought out opportunities to build emotional intelligence skills.

Self-awareness and self-management help us identify our strengths and garner a team of complementary members, with skills that compensate for areas where we are less strong.

Next, I sent out signals indicating my interest in becoming a manager and was assigned a team in a flailing district. What an opportunity to revitalize the business! My challenge was to ignite team spirit, build positive relationships, co-conceive and execute on a plan we all believed in, and re-instore pride. I learned to both earn and demand respectful authority (self-management). One year later, we were recognized as Europe’s top performing district.

As manager, we need to evaluate people and their capabilities, to have them work together, and to (re)motivate them. This strengthened my teamwork skills and led me to develop my leadership style.

We also manage our bosses and peers, understand their expectations, context, and working style. That’s organizational awareness!

In my next career step, I again accepted a stretch job: to manage an underperforming team of professionals ten to fifteen years my senior. To turn the group around, I had to manage my own reactions and create connections (empathy). I sought counsel from more experienced managers which gave me the experience of being coached and mentored and reinforced my organizational awareness.

When I was ready for a new adventure, I sought out a worldwide headquarters position, in the Silicon Valley. I was convinced that my career development would benefit from the exposure to and the understanding of this “center of command.” My pragmatic knowledge of the European field could contribute to their perspective.

Denise Dampierre: What advice would you give to young employees? To first-time managers?

Isabelle Roux-Buisson: Self-awareness and self-control are the foundations on which to build a vibrant career.

None of us can be excellent in everything. That’s a good thing in a company where we have teams!

“Management is about human beings. Its task is to make people capable of joint performance, to make their strengths effective and their weaknesses irrelevant.” – Peter Drucker

Self-awareness and self-control help us realize where we are strong, to lean on those qualities, and to identify where we need to bring in other talent so that our combined strengths make individual weaknesses irrelevant.

And building self-awareness and self-control are a lifetime task.

Thank You

Isabelle Roux-Buisson shared how emotional intelligence provided the guiding thread for her intentional personal development and career progression.

To continuously build self-awareness and self-management
To move from technical to human to conceptual skills in career growth
To ask for promotions which hone new skills
To finding your passion, your motor

What is your next career move? How might these emotional intelligence insights help you present your request in a value-adding manner to your employer? Let us know in the comments.

Wishing you success!

[i] Institute for the Future: Emerging Technologies’ Impact on Society & Work in 2030
Cover photo by Bruno Nascimento