Segments of Training Media Review, BRAINS! Review
By Deanna White
Until recently, one of the undervalued competencies of leaders was emotional intelligence.
In the mid-90's, leaders began to realize that to be effective, they needed to be:
- Self-aware
- Socially aware
- Able to self-manage
- Able to manage relationships
The BRAINS! video program, built around the four characteristics of emotional intelligence (EQ), provides leaders with
a good foundation from which to begin to identify their EQ level and identify actions to build skill in this area.
The program can be run in two-hour or half-day formats.
The materials in the package include:
- Video or DVD
- Leader guide
- PowerPoint and participant handouts
- Foam brains (for use with opening activity)
- Flashing lapel pins (for use with closing activity)
- Emotional Intelligence Quickbook (includes a free Emotional Intelligence Appraisal online test)
- Bookmarks (for use with Emotional Intelligence Quickbook)
I did get the foam brains, pins, and bookmarks and believe that they can be used to add humor to the activities. Who doesn't like a fun give-away?
The video is entertaining and holds viewers' interest because it uses examples from TV shows and from movies. It does a nice job of moving from the narrator, who provides background information on each characteristic, to creative graphics of how the brain works to the video clips. The clips provide good examples of the four characteristics of EQ.
Both the leader and participant materials are provided on a CD for easy reproduction. The leader materials are well written and structured to guide the leader through facilitating either a two-hour or half-day program. It provides guidance on the participant pre-work, leader preparation, understanding the session activities, and additional references that supplement the program. The participant material consists of several handouts that are colorful, easy to read, and supplement the program nicely, including:
Recommendation
Many leaders may think that emotional intelligence is just "fluffy" HR stuff, but they shouldn't. EQ is here to stay and will continue to
be a fundamental driver of business success. Therefore, any company trying to sell the concept of EQ to their leaders should consider BRAINS!
to provide a strong introduction to this important leadership competency. However, the program relies on video clips from old movies and TV shows,
which may limit its appeal among younger viewers, and, as a result, the diversity of characters is very narrow.
About the Reviewer: Deanna White
Deanna White has spent 18 years in the learning and performance field with experience in customer service, professional development,
management, and leadership development training. She is currently an Employee & Organizational Effectiveness Consultant working at
NSTAR Electric & Gas Corporation. Deanna has a Masters in Management from Lesley College and holds certifications as a Human Performance
Improvement technologist from ASTD, Organizational Design and Development specialist from Linkage, Inc., and Emotional Competence
Inventory Accredited professional. Prior to working at NSTAR, she worked primarily in the financial services industry at companies
including Fidelity Investments, The Boston Company, and Putnam Investments.
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