Pursue Noble Goals is one of the core competencies in the Six Seconds Model of Emotional Intelligence. It means connecting your daily choices with your overarching sense of purpose, which we call a Noble Goal.
Goals, purpose and meaning are often used interchangeably, but there are key differences between these concepts. Understanding how they differ can help us create alignment between what we do, why, and the impact we want to have.
Read MorePurpose is essential for thriving, but many people go about it the wrong way. Here are 3 tips to help clients to stop looking for purpose, and start making it.
Read MoreWe only have so much energy and attention to give. This article will help you align your focus and attention with your “True North”– your purpose.
Read MoreA recent study found that having a life purpose significantly decreased a person’s risk of dying, even more so than typical health risks like drinking, smoking or not exercising regularly. So what’s your purpose?
Read MoreResearch: How do people start learning emotional intelligence… and what happens? A powerful story emerges about transformation to fuel authentic, purposeful connection.
Read More
QUESTION
Many people report have an 'aha' moment during the certification. If you had one, what was it?
What was a key reason you decided to begin learning about EQ?
SUMMARY
I see places where I'm stuck and I can grow.
The intersection of growth, purpose & work.
KEY POINTS / WHAT HELPED
debrief of SEI or Brain Profile brought clarity
Seeking greater meaning, fulfillment, service
see my emotions & behavior are connected
To be and feel better, to learn
learn to Navigate Emotions to value feelings and use them intentionally
Better with clients, students, leaders, my team/organization
can Exercise Optimism to create new possibilities!
VERBATIM
"I was really curious about myself and what makes me tick and how I am influencing and affecting everyone else around me and everything I do."
"My 'aha' moment was to realize that my emotional turmoil was avoidable, if I knew about handling them."
"Discovering my own EQ report and realizing what I have been missing all along myself. In fact, the entire EQ Assessor Course was an 'aha' moment."
"I wanted to develop as a coach & felt that emotions were key to understanding myself & others."
"I was stuck and unsure about my life purpose."
"To improve my leadership capability."
"I actually have the power to change - I CAN change, but I must CHOOSE it intentionally."
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DISCOVERY --- in detail
What Helps
What I Need
QUESTION
During or after certification, as you began to integrate what you were learning from Six Seconds, what was the first step?
What were some challenges or roadblocks you needed to overcome to continue your EQ growth? What helped?
SUMMARY
Curiosity leads me to knowledge… then understanding… and I begin to feel a sense of purpose that sparks commitment.
KEY NEED
Not Overwhelmed
KEY POINTS
Notice my own growth
Feel I have a Noble Goal (even if not clear yet)
Seeing emotions as something that can block me and help me change
Can I change my old patterns? (eg reacting, suppressing emotion, or being overly task-focused)
Does it work here, today (in this low-EQ, busy busy world)?
Is there time to assimilate ALL this?
VERBATIM
"Building awareness in the moment of what I was experiencing and verbalizing it to myself."
"I really focused on taking that 'pause' before reacting or making a decision. I really tried to not run on auto-pilot."
"Slow down and pay attention to my feelings. I would practice asking myself, 'How do I feel right now? How else do I feel? What are these feelings telling me?'"
"To take EQ as a part of life. It's not outside us.. it's inside. This realization helped me living the life I wanted to live."
"Seeing the horizon - what else was possible."
"Time (lack of), had to re-prioritize"
"Needing to stay checked in and monitoring my feelings is challenging."
"I needed to practice! Once I identified my patterns, I needed to slow down and practice new skills to create new patterns. I wanted to learn to connect with others through empathy."
"I needed to go slowly. I needed to step back and take time to integrate all the learning. I cycled back at a time when I could continue my learning."
"The sheer volume of my work and intensity and stress has made finding my pause difficult."
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A PATH CALLS --- in detail
What Helps
What I Need
QUESTION
After certification, what was the next step of your EQ growth?
What was needed for you to go onto the next step of your EQ growth?
SUMMARY
I see emotions and choices clearly, and that these create a path to live my Noble Goal.
KEY NEED
Stay on Course
KEY POINTS
Apply the EQ Tools
Clarify my Noble Goal
Increase self-awareness by Enhancing Emotional Literacy and Recognizing Patterns ("emotions drive people, people drive performance")
Where do I focus? With all this change and opportunity, what's important?
What do I do next?
VERBATIM
"Confidence in the model, the KCG process. The more I used it, the clearer it become."
"I decided to choose to do things differently. I didn't have to follow the old pattern, look where that got me. I decided to face the fear and break it down, break down the layers of feelings, tune into my feelings, and dig deeper to get to the bottom of it."
"I realized that my purpose was too vague and I was floundering in making choices. I needed more clarity on purpose and how to use it to be intentional."
"I started to think about the many options I had of 'How to respond' and think how the message would be perceived; what data was I putting out there?"
"Staying consistent and keeping on the path."
"I needed to practically use my EQ learning and skills. I needed to act."
"Trying to fight the amygdala hijack. Recognizing my triggers, how the negative patterns can be overcome as I name the emotions as they happen, naming to tame them. Being aware of myself and what's going on inside when perceived threat appears. Just because I have always reacted a certain way doesn't mean I still have to respond that way. I have personal power, I choose to change the old negative pattern."
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PRACTICING --- in detail
What Helps
What I Need
QUESTION
What was the next step of your EQ growth?
What was needed for you to go onto the next step of your EQ growth?
SUMMARY
I can see the effectiveness of my EQ practice in the way others are responding to me.
KEY NEED
Find Value
KEY POINTS
I have choices -- and they matter
Clearer emotional insight leads to more intentional action
More self-compassion
Can I articulate why this is so important for me and others?
Can I find others who "get it" -- and will invest in growing EQ?
VERBATIM
"Self observation, noticing and actively using my noble goal moment by moment to guide the choices I was making whether in a short conversation with someone or a bigger decision."
"I saw myself as in more transition than I realized, and learned some self compassion and awareness on my journey."
"I shared the new learning with my family members and others close to my social circle. Since I was already working as in charge of Life Skills program in the Ministry of Education, I incorporated EQ concepts and tools in my repertoire."
"The happiness I saw on the faces of people wen they realized that I was understanding their feelings/emotions better - drove me to continue to focus on my EQ."
"Loving myself through the process and not having to be perfect."
"The biggest one is still finding an active community of people who practice EQ."
"I felt I had a gift to share, by knowing about the EQ competencies. However, I had always been in schools, so I did not know how to market to people to get jobs in this area. Marketing always seemed difficult for me as I felt I was 'bragging'."
"First of all, it was necessary to convince top management EQ was the right path to overcome most organization problems faced at that moment. Then, it was difficult finding funds and support to get my next level of certification."
"Having the confidence to sell the EQ services and to have confidence to do so."
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EXPANDING --- in detail
What Helps
What I Need
QUESTION
What was the next step of your EQ growth?
What was needed for you to go onto the next step of your EQ growth?
SUMMARY
Sharing EQ with others, I can see the power of helping them develop.
KEY NEED
Build Connections
KEY POINTS
Gaining more EQ tools & programs to use with others
Stepping into a new leadership of professional role with EQ
Deeper connection with EQ community leads to support & feedback
Can I persevere?
Can I learn to sell EQ?
VERBATIM
"I started to build my networking, it helped me to become more receptive and understand and observe different people without judging."
"The process is the content. The more I practice EQ, the better I understand what motivates others. I can better relate in a positive manner and build stronger bonds with others in the workplace, at home and in social settings, With higher emotional intelligence, I become a better communicator and leader."
"I feel more alive and in touch with others."
"The fourth step was to expand my training circle to generate more resources and make it financially viable."
"To understand the impact of EQ well enough to be able to sell it."
"A few years of developing skills, confidence, and even more expertise and connecting with others within Six Seconds and in the professional EQ and Educational community for growing EQ effectiveness and successful implementation."
"Expand my reach to help others unlock infinite possibility through EQ skill development."
"Providing assessments, coaching and presentations using EQ."
"I needed to focus more on the corporate sector. So far, this has been a challenge and I'm currently working on it."
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INTEGRATION --- in detail
What Helps
What Happens
QUESTION
What was the next step of your EQ growth?
Thinking about yourself now, what is the key difference practicing EQ has made in your life? What's the end result of learning & practicing EQ?
SUMMARY
Making EQ central to my life and work energizes me to be better -- with others.
Authentically living & leading on purpose -- together
KEY POINTS
Self-Compassion -> Compassion -> Authenticity
Inner Peace -> More Trust -> Deeper Connection
Creating new, specialized solutions, tools, programs & integrative these into professional practice
Conscious: Mindful + Heartful
Connected: Within + With Others
Purposeful: Intentional Thoughts, Feelings, Actions
VERBATIM
"More effective, better relationships, better ability to connect, better listening skills, deeper understanding of others."
"Ongoing deepening awareness of own EQ; and continual process of learning from others, teaching others, research and writing. Also developing, growing, and mentoring in EQ with Six Seconds and helping others has been a huge step."
"My relationship, communication, understanding with my better half has improved significantly. Similarly in my professional life, I started realising that I can be a good manager and have accepted a much high challenging position to see how my EQ learning helps me organizing a large scale operations. In last 13 month, I have received very encouraging results."
"I am finding more joy and optimism in my life."
"It heartened me that there is such a large group of well-intentioned people who want the human race to grow. It reinforced in many practical ways certain relational aspects of my spiritual practice, it made them easier to put into practice daily. I am a very happy fan of Six Seconds!"
"It has changed my life in so many ways - personally I am so much happier & professionally I have more to offer."
"My self-regulation is optimized to execute. My methods are fueled by optimism and intrinsic motivation. My self-awareness high, empathy girds my relationships. But above all, every day, I know not only what and how, I know why I do what I do. Helps me get off the couch!"
"I'm much more empathic and less likely to judge others. Much better at problem-solving, less likely to go into panic mode when things don't work! I feel more grounded, more in touch with my noble goal."
"It has increased my compassion and opened my eyes to see others differently."
"More harmony in my self and the world."
"EQ has given me joy, freedom, global connection, and the responsibility to live my life and work with deep understanding, intentional and empathic action to make a better world."
"Rather than avoiding emotions, I embrace them as a way to accomplish goals and connect with people."
"Emotional connection, centredness, wholeness. In addition to what has been described above, it helps one to be very clear about the change needed in systems, cultures, and society, and the role one can play within one's reach."
"To be a catalyst for good, that's a noble end result. Imagine all the positive outcomes from higher emotional intelligence? Making connections. Building relationships. Making a difference in the world. One soul at a time. who wouldn't want to part of that?!"
"It was a paradigm shift. Also, EQ training gave me practical tools to handle different situations in life. EQ research in fact validates what I've been intuitively thinking the right approach to life. It added clarity to my view and perspective on issues of life."
"EQ has given me joy, freedom, global connection, and the responsibility to live my life and work with deep understanding, intentional and empathic action to make a better world."
"You start to live more intentionally, you have a sense of direction and you are able to connect with others at a deeper level."
"Whole hearted life :)"
"To calm the inner chat, and make it kinder. To improve their relationship with self and others. To aim for their goals with hope and with patience too."
"I can change me, I can change my organization and I can help change the world."
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Key Findings
In addition to the narrative questions shown in the report thus far, the study also includes quantitative findings. First, further insights on the meaning of the semantic analysis.
As a global organization, with members active in 174 countries, and tools used in every sector from A to Z (auto manufacturing to zoos and everything in between), it's no easy matter to see a singular story of development. People join Six Seconds for many reasons – managers seeking tools for their own leadership, teachers working to meet the challenges students face today, professionals building solutions for their clients, individuals finding a path forward in their lives.
At the same time, within all this diversity, there are common elements. Six Seconds advocates for an "inside out" approach, growing on the inside the capabilities we wish to share on the outside. This principle seems to be widely adopted as the study finds a clear trend of going from individual experimentation with EQ toward broader sharing with others.
Another theme is that people in the Six Seconds' community see emotional intelligence as something far beyond a "tool" or "product." As expressed in this quote, EQ is a framework for life:
"EQ has given me joy, freedom, global connection, and the responsibility to live my life and work with deep understanding, intentional and empathic action to make a better world."
In addition to the narrative comments, the study included several quantitative questions. Below are additional details on the internal process of growing EQ, the length of time it takes to progress through the stages of the journey, and more about the participants.
A key concept in Six Seconds' methodology is a notion that the greatest value of EQ can only be realized by growing it on the inside. This is why we call ourselves a community of "EQ practitioners" – while most graduates of Six Seconds' programs are, in some way, educating others, as "practitioners" our focus is on growing our inner capabilities first and foremost.
To assess if this notion holds true for graduates of our programs, we asked, "people have told us that through their experience with Six Seconds’ EQ, they begin to change on the inside, and this, in turn, changes how they interact with others. To what degree does this match your experience?" Answer: Yes:
STAGE
NUMBER OF MONTHS
VERBATIM
This is the first step
"Building awareness in the moment of what I was experiencing and verbalizing it to myself."
5.2 Months
"I decided to choose to do things differently. I didn't have to follow the old pattern, look where that got me. I decided to face the fear and break it down, break down the layers of feelings, tune into my feelings, and dig deeper to get to the bottom of it."
8.0 Months
"Self observation, noticing and actively using my noble goal moment by moment to guide the choices I was making whether in a short conversation with someone or a bigger decision."
10.3 Months
"The fourth step was to expand my training circle to generate more resources and make it financially viable."
17.3 Months
"More effective, better relationships, better ability to connect, better listening skills, deeper understanding of others."
On average, the respondents completed 2.37 professional certification training programs with Six Seconds. Their first course was an average of 37.9 months before the survey.
71.6% of the respondents completed the EQ Assessor Certification, learning to use the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessments (SEI). 17.6% have gone all the way to the advanced courses shown on the Certification Pathway.
Why did they join their first Six Seconds' program?
About the Journey to EQ Research
People frequently tell us how much difference it’s made to study EQ and to join Six Seconds’ community. This led us to wonder: What happens in this process of learning emotional intelligence?
And, in studying this process, can we learn to support people in even better ways?
With great generosity, 98 people completed a lengthy survey about their experiences and the stages of learning emotional intelligence. Then volunteers helped “code” the answers so at least three people scored each of the 1184 textual answers. Using this scoring, we conducted a frequency analysis and a co-occurrence correlation to mathematically derive the themes shown on this report.
The result is a “Theory of Change” of how Six Seconds’ methodology works for growing the practice of emotional intelligence. At each stage of the journey, you’ll see the key areas practitioners develop, and the risks to overcome (or pre-conditions they must meet) to proceed to the next stage.
At Six Seconds, we will be using these insights to continue to refine our processes in service of this community’s vision of a billion people practicing emotional intelligence. For other people committed to growing and practicing EQ, we hope these findings assist you in envisioning your own next steps -- and in considering how to focus your own process of supporting others in their EQ journeys.
As a coach, facilitator, educator or consultant, you can use these stages as a guide to support your own research-based program design. After your introductory programs, how are you supporting your participants to go from "Discovery" to "A Path Calls" and beyond?
The authors of this research are Joshua Freedman (Six Seconds CEO) and Tommaso Procicchiani (Six Seconds Design Engineer). The coding of the text responses was coordinated by Loreta Avdiu (Intern) and the visualization of this report was created by Annie Chu (Intern). Special thanks to Dr. Susan Stillman (Emeritus Director of Education) and to the members of our community who took the survey, and the volunteers who donated time to code responses: Makeda Gershenson, Rupali Bose, Paige Dest, Yasminah Jomeer, Kuuva Kanyama.
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"testing testing testing testing"
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