TechnEQ:FAQ

Why is coaching technical staff different?

As any trainer will tell you, every person's learning style is a little bit different. Some people want to understand core ideas up front, others want to try things out as soon as possible. Broadly speaking, how people learn depends on two things:

• Their aptitudes: the balance of those skills that come naturally to each person, and those that don't.
• Their value system: whether the skills that are being taught feel relevant and meaningful to the learner.

Scientific and engineering staff usually make a difference and get noticed in organizations because they're able to do something complicated efficiently, or to a better standard than anyone else. That trait encourages those employees to measure their personal worth through the skills that they directly apply.

When these same employees are then selected to become leaders, this means that they're often at an automatic disadvantage compared to other leaders who've developed through more communication-centric roles. Technical leaders are expected to hand away exactly those tasks that have enabled them to excel, to others who're likely to be less competent than themselves. They have to create a new system of self-worth that enables them to perceive themselves as mentors and guides, and spokespeople for other technical staff.

Technical leaders are expected to undergo profound changes in expertise and outlook, often with less guidance and tools than are available in other domains of the organization.

The unique challenge that these transitions present has inspired us to try to build a new kind of coaching. One that takes the finest techniques in behavioral learning, combines it with contemporary research in business psychology, and provides a synthesis of methods that enables technical leaders to navigate this process with ease.

Drawing from work on Emotional Intelligence, influence techniques, Behavioral Economics and Applied Dramatics, the TechnEQ approach aims to make an immediate difference in how your technical teams work, and the output that they generate.

"Leading means dealing with emotions. This cannot be learned in a book." Manager-Biotech

"The most challenging thing for me was to allow my team members to come up with solutions to problems, not to explain everything in my terms and from my perspective thus stifling everyone's contributions." IT Leader

"Some technical folks are used to being the smartest guy in the room. Transitioning to management means that you must transfer that status to others and then get out of their way." Technical Manager

Why coach using TechnEQ's approach?

TechnEQ achieves results by using direct, interactive group coaching targeted at the parts of your company where interpersonal risk is at its most common and costly: in highly specialized teams upon whose success products and services often depend. Our approach focuses on managing and controlling this risk.

In technical teams, interpersonal skills often come in as a distant second priority to technical skills. Highly numerate, scientific, or engineering staff are often hired on their ability to solve problems, not their capacity to get along. By focusing on technical leaders, and changing the way they view their roles, TechnEQ has the tools to help your organization in the places where it hurts the most.

Participants learn from direct practice of the skills, rather than talks and presentations, and leave the workshops with tools they can start applying immediately. Furthermore, by tailoring the content to match the informational style that technical and scientific staff expect, the knowledge becomes part of a framework of understanding that participants can keep building on.

Coaching staff in soft skills represents a significant investment of company money and time, but the cost is nothing compared to the cost of leaders with limited communication and leadership skills.

"the skills learned are invaluable"

"allowed me to more consciously tune my behavior"

"helped me gain a deeper understanding of human interaction"

"invaluable for understanding group dynamics and decision-making"

"had a profound effect upon my life, both professionally and personally"

What is interpersonal risk?

Interpersonal risk refers to the dangers your organization faces daily due to ineffective communication. At its most benign, interpersonal risk manifests as costs and inefficiencies brought on by continuous low-level friction between employees. At its worst, interpersonal risk can result in missed deadlines, failed products, and costly court cases.

Numerous methodologies exist to address interpersonal risk, though they seldom address it in such concrete terms. Examples include the now popular work on Emotional Intelligence, and research on Crucial Conversations conducted by the VitalSmarts team. However, these methodologies often end up being embraced primarily by the very members of an organization who need it the least: emotionally aware leaders alert to the potential for personal improvement. By using targeted team coaching framed in language designed to connect with highly rational employees, our approach avoids this problem, delivering change to the places where your company needs it most.

We believe that interpersonal risk is an indicator that can be understood, tracked, and managed. TechnEQ staff development solutions provide your organization with the tools to both assess it and to keep minimizing it long after the workshops are over.