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The Art of Collaboration Using Emotional Intelligence (E.I.): What Does Trust Mean?

Tags:Case Studies, Collaboration, NCTI Technology in the Works

By Valerie Chernek   |   Download the final report

Product: Social Simentor™ an e-learning assistive technology program offering instruction, interactive scenarios, simulation and feedback for individuals with disabilities who struggle with interpersonal skills in social and business settings.

Collaborative Team Members: (left to right) Leslie Walker Hirsch, Social Development and Sexuality Consultant for individuals with cognitive disabilities; Dr. Christine M. Casey, Educational Consultant and Strategic Planner; and Lucy Baney, President and CEO Access Technologies

 

Background

Social Simentor™ is the brainchild of Lucy Baney, President and CEO of Access Technologies Group. The program uses interactive simulation technology delivered to a PC via the Internet or on a CD ROM, that offers practice and guidance to individuals with disabilities who require reinforcement in behavior modification. The learner interacts with a virtual character who offers visual and audio feedback. The 2007 NCTI Technology in the Works award of $15,000 was matched with funds and in-kind contributions from the researchers, the Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Union Free (HCKS) School District in New York, and Access Technologies Group, Inc. The prototype had been developed under previous initiatives, including a small business development grant from the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The central question of the current research project was:

Can digital role-play software, “Social Simentor™”, reinforce effective social behavior, provide constructive feedback on incorrect or inappropriate behavior to such a degree that these new skills are internalized and can be applied in a real live social setting?

To address this question, the group leveraged the NCTI award to create and improve content for Social Simentor™ directed to youth and adults with cognitive disabilities. The social skills teaching content presented ordinary social interactions that are likely to occur during the course of an ordinary work day in an office and improved upon an interview scene that had been previously developed. Several situations were also added: role plays asking for help, a performance review, fitting in at the break room, avoiding a sexual advance, etc., in an array of office locales. See samples from the coaching software in Figures 1-4.

Figure 1: The Boss, Mr. Jones, reacts to an incorrect answer.	Figure 2: Mr. Jones appears pleased with the correct answer.
Figure 3: Simentor Bob encourages learners to find the best answer and earn two Simentor Bucks (points).	Figure 4: Simentor Bob congratulates the successful learner and tells them to print their certificate.

At HCKS, students aged 17-21 were selected to participate. Due to scheduling realities, the research design had to accommodate a switch from the planned randomized individual assignment to groups. This in turn had the effect of creating groups that were not matched: the treatment group had more of the target population of students with lower intellectual and academic scores than the control group. This grouping plan became serendipitous as the intervention commenced. The first group received two and a half weeks of training with “Social Simentor™”. The actual hours average at 6 hours of interaction. The second group, the control group, did NOT receive this training. A Career Fair with mock interviews was held with professionals from the local chapter of the Society of Human Resource Managers. Interviewers were trained and provided with a list of sample questions and a scoring sheet to rate the student’s response to the interview questions. It was hypothesized that the students who experienced a simulation of a job interview and other scenarios would rate higher than those students who did not have this training.

Results of the Career Fair indicated that students who had received the training with the Social Simentor™—those with lower intellectual and academic functioning—were scored on par with their control group peers who had had no training in advance of the Fair. The treatment group even out-scored their peers on “hire-ability” as scored by the volunteer Human Resource Managers.

The school district is continuing to use the software with transition age students and reports engagement and great enthusiasm among the students and teachers for this type of training.

Leveraging the Power of a Team Through Emotional Intelligence

In this article, Lucy and her research team describe the nature of their collaborative effort to offer advice to future collaborative teams through the research process. They share keen insights into a topic gaining momentum in business board rooms and leadership workshops across the U.S. called Emotional Intelligence, or E.I. Although other collaborative teams interviewed by NCTI have emphasized the importance of mutual trust, this team of emotionally and socially gifted professionals articulates what it means to build trust among new colleagues.

Collaboration: A Different Definition for Every Team

Emotional Intelligence (EI), often measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), describes an ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups. In 1995, Daniel Goleman, a psychologist from Rutgers University, introduced his first book, Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books). This book discusses the importance of human competencies such as self-awareness, self-discipline, persistence, empathy and trust, being as important, if not more important, than a person’s traditionally-defined IQ. Since that time, he has written a series of books on the topic that have enhanced the concept and its application to various endeavors. View additional resources.

In conversations with the Social Simentor™ team, NCTI asked, “How did emotional intelligence factor into your definition of and valuing of a collaborative arrangement?” They identified similar traits, as expressed in Goleman’s theory: a journey of passionate stakeholders striving to bring out the best in each other’s performance through mutual trust, great amounts of empathy and a high degree of respect for individual talent. Christine Casey, one of the researchers, described their effort as, “A true desire to leave a lasting footprint on a person’s soul.”

Trusting Talent

Leslie, Chris and Lucy are intelligent, compassionate and fun-loving professional women who saw a calling and wanted to address a need to boost social skills among youth with cognitive disabilities. Each contributed various talents and resources to the project; Lucy as a technology innovator; Chris as an educator, and Leslie with her expertise in coaching social skills They met at a school board meeting in 2005 and through conversations, recognized their mutual interests. They found a mission in applying the Simentor technology to youth, saw the NCTI Tech in the Works opportunity, and decided to tackle their dream.

Leslie stated, “When we first met, we were awed by the individual professional accomplishments of the team, but we knew little about each other’s values and character. Trust is not something that is easily earned. It takes not one, but many different situations to build a trusting relationship with a new acquaintance. None of us was disappointed in our decision to trust one another. If there was a task that was difficult or extremely labor intensive, someone always volunteered to undertake it.”

The team returned repeatedly to the theme of trust, creating a nuanced definition of “trusting talent”—of believing that the skills, knowledge, and expertise resided in the group as a whole and that individuals would fulfill the needs of the project.

A Moving Force

Using a handful of dedicated developers, 24/7 technology, and a firm resolve, the team worked around the clock guided by an undeniable force that kept them moving forward in a positive direction. Lucy said, “When things got tough, the team stayed grounded. We stuck together making the necessary changes we needed with a little hope, a lot of optimism and mindfulness of each other’s needs. Each time the project changed directions, so did we.” Leslie continued, “Even when it became long and laborious, we kept each other going through 24/7 access to technologies like email, teleconferencing and mobile. Our sense of humor helped a lot. Each of us had access to all of the information available at our fingertips and also to each other where we could share instantaneous brainstorming ideas and revisions or glitches to our plan. Without technologies, the amount of time and frustration might have been insurmountable!”

Tips to Build a Collaborative Team Based on E.I.

Here are 5 tips the team shared to cover the unique perspective of using emotional intelligence as an art to building a collaborative team:

1. Vision creates the project’s framework; passion holds it together.
2. Collaborators use humor and stamina to carry them through.
3. Collaborators know what they don’t know and what they need.
4. Collaborators chip in when the reality of tasks become burdensome.
5. Collaborators rely on living discussions to keep projects flowing.

Summary

The team summed our conversation up by sharing, “The excitement and stimulation of working with leaders from diverse industries toward a common goal was an adventure! Our motto: “Doing Well by Doing Good” had already been demonstrated in our previous careers. The synergy resulting from this combination of knowledge, character and commitment to develop a technology to assist transition-age students and adults to have a higher quality of life was thrilling! It has produced a great product as well as great friendships. If you have a good idea and surround yourself with people you admire and trust, it is the first step in creating a truly successful project. Through our research, we relied on our ability to use emotional intelligence to keep our project sound and successful with a positive outcome. We have helped many individuals make considerable progress in their social and behavior skills. They were better prepared for job interviews; more confident; actively engaged and less dependent on their caregivers. They were truly more socially accepted! This project used our best talents and gifts to help them succeed.”

Additional Resources

• The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations
• The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence
• Center for Creative Leadership