EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE & STRESS MANAGEMENT

We all experience stress triggers and common everyday hassles that can be cumulative resulting in health issues. This newsletter is dedicated to the topic of stress management, one of the 5 foundation pieces of Dr. Reuvan Baron’s Emotional Intelligence model.

According to Dr. Reuvan BarOn, stress management is made up of two parts: Stress Tolerance, and Impulse Control. Stress tolerance refers to the amount and type of stress that you are able to manage and cope effectively with. We tend to think about stress in terms of major life events, but in fact, the negative effects of everyday stressors are cumulative. Because we are all hardwired differently, and experience different socialization and lifetime experiences, this means that what constitutes a high stress situation for one may not be the same for others. Indeed, this is often where organizations trip up because the assumption is made that all employees that are hired have the same ability to manage volume of work, uncertainty, changing routines, etc. in the same way.

The outcome or observable part of how we manage, is Impulse Control. When under stress, are we able to deal with our frustration effectively, or do we blurt and say something we regret later? Impulse buying, junk food snacking, and over-indulging, are some examples of ways that we may not manage our impulses in the moment, because of stress.

How can you develop this part of your EQ?

First, you need to be aware of the stress triggers that are at play in your work and personal life. Distinguishing between what is a common everyday hassle, like driving into downtown Calgary every morning for example, vs. meeting a deadline that is critical to a project's completion. Being aware of what triggers a stressful reaction within you and the staff you manage is important.

Second, you need to be aware of how stress is expressed and what your personal indicators are. Do you crave junk food when stressed? Or do you have trouble falling to sleep at night?

Finally, stress hardy factors such as fitness and nutrition are paramount. From my own experience and from the clients I've coached, these are two strategies that are usually forgotten or dropped when things get busy. According to Jennifer White of White and Colleagues Inc., research has shown that leaders who are fit are more successful. Being healthy includes being aware of your own vital health metrics such as your blood pressure, resting heart rate, body mass index, and bone density. Enlightened leadership begins with each of us taking responsibility for our health and well-being.

The greater your repertoire of coping resources, the greater the impact of reducing stress. And strategies that you use in one part of your life are transferable to other parts of your life. So although you cannot always control stress triggers, you can control how you manage your stress (impulse control) by having a solid foundation of coping resources. Calgary is incredibly dynamic right now and organizations are working at full tilt. Adjust your strategies during these busy times.

One Thing to Implement at Work:

Denise Beatty of Lifeworks Fitness offers these flexibility and tension releasing stretches that you can do at work: Hold each for 10 seconds:

Elbows in your back pocket: Abduct your elbows out to sides, pull them back squeezing shoulder blades, and reach them "to your back pockets"

Stretch the tension muscles: Cross arms over and grab on to a chair or table leg, round back and pull shoulder blades apart. Move body up and down to change the angle of stretch.

Doorway stretch: open arms to sides, placing them on the sides of a door jam and slowly walk through stretching arms, shoulders and chest.

If you would like more information on fitness and nutrition, you can contact Denise Beatty. If you would like more information on assessing your awareness of your health, or developing wellness programs in your organization, you can reach Jennifer White. If you would like more information on managing stress and your Emotional Intelligence, or information on stress hardy factors in the workplace, contact me by email.

2004 CATALYST CENSUS OF WOMEN CORPORATE OFFICERS

I am often asked why I am so passionate about advancing women in leadership roles -- the data speaks for itself. Recent census results from Catalyst reveal some mixed progress in 2004. Catalyst has an office in Toronto and regularly conducts a census of women Corporate Officers in Canada. The good news is:

• Women now lead 20 companies in the FP500 based on the 2004 data
• The number of companies with a critical mass (25% or more) of women in their corporate officer pools has increased to 95 companies from 87 in 2002 and 8 of these are Alberta based organizations!
• There are a significant number of Calgary companies that have more than 1 female in the executive ranks
• The executive pipeline is strong and is higher than representation in clout positions, indicating that there is a growing pool of women who have potential to move into those executive roles

Dr. Susan Black, the President of Catalyst Canada sums up the challenges: “the 2004 findings reveal limited growth in women’s advancement in corporate leadership. Although women have made some progress in certain aspects, most indicators have remained relatively flat”.

She is referring to data that has either remained the same as 2002 data, or may have even decreased. For example, 61.4% of the FP500 companies have at least one woman corporate officer, a decrease from 62.4% in 2002. So while women hold more than half of bachelor degrees and master degrees in Canada (60.2% and 52.2% respectively), we still have a way to go in achieving stronger representation at the senior management level. This means that women who are interested in moving their leadership careers forward need to have a strategic career plan. If you would like more information on the results published by Catalyst, contact me by email and I can provide you with a summary of the data.

Recognizing that advancement takes hard work, I’d like to congratulate the following women who have been successful at moving their careers forward.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE LEADING WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN PROMOTED

Jennifer O'Carroll - Regional Controller, Prairie Region, GWL Realty Advisors
Shauna McIntosh - Manager Corporate Resources, Penn West Energy Trust

If you know of someone who has been promoted, let us know so it can be included in the next newsletter.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Leading from Within Workshop & Coaching - Calgary: This workshop looks at concrete strategies that women can take to gain the confidence needed to move their career forward. Here’s what participants have said about the program:

“Today I am currently working on the Business Leadership coaching, which has helped me develop better interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills as well as my ability to communicate with other top level executives. Donna’s background and work experience brings a lot of knowledge, motivation and support to this course. This course is one that up and coming managers should look into”. Patty Lovatt – Manager, Corporate Services – Long View Systems

“Excellent course. I am now aware of my values, objectives and goals. I feel like I know exactly what I need to do and will continue to re-evaluate myself now, only from taking this course.” Lori Sitko – Project Engineer – BP Chemical Partnership

The next program runs October 28, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and November 17, 2005 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information on the program, contact me by email. To register, fax in the attached registration form.

Calgary Wine & Cheese Networking Session: Steve Laut, President & COO of Canadian Natural Resources will speak about what executive and senior management look for in promoting employees. Steve started at Canadian Natural in 1991 as a Senior Exploitation Engineer and by 2003 was named the COO. In 2005 he assumed the responsibilities of President. Steve’s success is due to a combination of strong management skills combined with his technical skill as an Engineer. Join us for a wine & cheese networking event on November 17th from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Commerce Club. Cost is $20.00 + GST per person. To register, fax in the attached registration form.

Songbirds 2005 Calgary Monday November 7: Thank you to Dr. Lori Egger of BluePrints for introducing me to Maria Antonakos of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. Songbirds features seven talented artists, one of whom is our very own Rosemary Thomson, who was the Resident Conductor of the CPO and Choirmaster. This event is a fundraiser for a national organization that raises money to support local efforts here in the Calgary area devoted to women and girls. Specifically, the CWF is dedicated to supporting programs that will prevent violence against women and girls. The cost of the concert is $55.00 that includes a pre-concert reception at the beautiful Rosza Centre. You can purchase your tickets online or by calling 403-265-1068.

Women of Vision – I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was golfing with Susan Costello, the Managing Director of the Women of Vision for Global TV at the Rainbow Society’s Annual Golf Tournament on September 1st. There may be a Woman of Vision in your organization that is deserving of this kind of recognition and Susan reminded me that you can submit your nomination of a woman of vision that you know anytime. The annual awards dinner is held March 8, 2006 to celebrate these women’s achievements (which sounds like an excellent networking opportunity for those of you interested). For more information, contact Susan Costello or check out their website.