I have just come back to Stockholm after spending two months in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and China.
It is so clear that the world is changing every day with many Asian countries taking an increasingly larger role on the global market.
The need to be able to communicate with people from different cultures has become more important, as has the necessity of being able to work well in teams. High stress levels, lack of balance in life, increased work loads and increased work hours all point to a different and more demanding work place. The frequency and speed of change and the pressure to learn and improve in a frequent multigenerational workplace calls for skills beyond just technical/ functional skills and good business acumen. This seems to be true for all of us, regardless of where we live and work.
It is also clear that with these different demands on organizations, a different kind of leadership, focusing more on relationships and interpersonal skills, will be needed.
What has happened is that the “soft skills” have become very hard and that EQ has moved from ”nice to have to necessary to have”
Singapore: In Singapore where Kandidata Asia introduced EQ some ten years ago, it is a mature concept. The Public sector in Singapore includes EQ training in their offering of educational and development opportunities to their staff. Kandidata Asia has delivered our 2 days Programs “Sharpen your EQ Edge” for almost ten years. We run 8-10 workshops a year and the 2012 trainings are fully booked with a waiting line for 2013. Many companies in Singapore are using EQ for Talent Management and development. We are working with many of the schools in Singapore, training their principals and teachers and many schoolchildren go through EQ assessments every year. There are even discussions on introducing EQ into the public awareness of the whole Singaporian population.
Malaysia: Kandidata Asia has, together with our partner Brief Academy, worked in Malaysia for over two years and we are starting to see the results. One of Malaysia´s largest companies is now introducing EQ into their organization and will include EQi in their Leadership Development Programs. A large bank is including the EQi in their Talent Management program and there is an interest from internal HR of companies and independent consultants to get certified in the use of EQi.
The Philippines: The concept of Emotional Intelligence is not as established in countries like the Philippines. The interest is there but the awareness level of EQ as a viable concept that can have a direct impact on companies’ financial results has some ways to go.
China is a huge country, quickly emerging as an economic giant on the Global arena.
In my next blog I will write about my EQ experience in China.