Communication problems are rarely just about the words being said. They are often about what happens before, during, and after those words—the emotions, reactions, assumptions, and behavioral patterns each person brings into the conversation.
A leader may believe they are being direct while an employee experiences them as dismissive. A difficult conversation can become a conflict because of a reaction rather than the original issue. And sometimes the behavior we see in another person is actually a response to the behavior we are bringing into the interaction.
In this presentation, Debbie Longo explores emotional intelligence from a behavioral perspective. Participants learn how greater self-awareness can help them recognize their own reactions, understand how their behavior affects others, communicate more effectively, and respond rather than simply react.
The goal isn't to eliminate emotion from communication. It's to understand what is happening beneath the conversation so we can make better choices about what happens next.
When we change the way we respond, we often change the response we receive.
