Why I Became A Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach in 2013

For the entire year of 2012, I mentored under someone I consider to be an expert in CliftonStrengths™ Coaching. The year I invested under my mentor working with technology-gifted coaching clients was priceless to my development as a Career Coach who leverages the CliftonStrengths assessment in his coaching practice.

I’ve been privileged to work with some of the smartest people on the planet as my coaching clients. Strengths Coaching provides a rock-solid foundation for building authentic, Self-Awareness.

One of my entrepreneur real estate investor clients shared her thoughts after we completed her Strengths Development Coaching.

“Without having you by my side, I wouldn’t have left my comfort zone or confronted my fears. Thank you for helping me to develop authentic self-confidence.”

— Debbie, Real Estate Investor

Even with sound Strengths Coaching training and experience under my belt, I knew there was something more I could be delivering to my clients to guide them to their future success.  

It was late in 2013 when I ran across an opportunity to work with instructors in Denver who both possessed Ph.D. education in psychology. It was through this mentoring that I was trained and certified as an Emotional Intelligence coach.

When my clients learn their potential Strengths, they discover that when their Strengths are intentional, fine-tuned, and polished, the output from their Strengths is unstoppable.

On the flip-side, when a potential Strength is operating in its infancy stage and it is still an unpolished Trait, the output an unpolished Trait can produce can often result in more harm than good.

This poor performance that comes from an unpolished Trait is often tied to behavior that can be measured by an Emotional Intelligence measurement tool I leverage called EQ-i 2.0. This is a tool that can only be purchased and evaluated by someone who has been trained and certified in the use of the tool.

Emotional Intelligence or EQ (Emotional Quotient) enables my coaching clients to truly discover, develop, polish and fine-tune the best versions of themselves. They know exactly and precisely who they are and who they are not. The deeply understand themselves, how and why they do what they do, and they gain strategies to generate their best performance.

My clients also gain an understanding of how they are coming across to other people. Once they know how they are being perceived, they are in a position to choose behaviors that will enhance their audience’s perception of them.

Combining Strengths Coaching with Emotional Intelligence Coaching is one of the strongest Strategic moves I’ve ever made on behalf of my clients. Not sold on this EQ idea yourself?

This is what Jack Welch had to say about Emotional Intelligence.

“No doubt emotional intelligence is rarer than book smarts, but my experience says it is actually more important in the making of a leader. You just can’t ignore it.”

— Jack Welch

This is what one of my “C Suite” Emotional Intelligence Coaching clients had to share about his journey towards developing healthy Emotional Intelligence.

“You’ve taught me that connecting with people on an emotional level is significantly more effective and more positive than my formerly, pure left-brain approach, of proving my point with charts, graphs, and data.”

— Tom, CISO

Why should you want to discover and develop your unique potential Strengths?

• Once you take the CliftonStrengths™ Assessment, 33,000,000 more people will have to take the assessment before a match to your Top 5 potential Strengths is discovered. You really are this unique! You should discover exactly and precisely how unique you truly are and learn how to articulate what is unique about you in a confident manner.
• My coaching clients ace interviews. They know exactly who they are and who they are not. The result of Strengths Discovery is crystal-clear Self-Awareness. Psychological research suggests that only 10% of the population possesses accurate and authentic Self-Awareness. You could join this small percentage of the population.
• People who invest time and energy to do more than just read their Strengths report, people who actually invest in developing their Strengths, learn when to say Yes and when to say No. No more settling for what one CAN do. My clients hold out for what they SHOULD do in order to produce the best version of themselves.
• The list goes on…

What’s the benefit of discovering and developing one’s Emotional Intelligence?

• People who possess strong Emotional Intelligence know precisely who they are and who they are not.
• Emotionally Intelligent people understand what’s going on in their own minds.
• Emotionally Intelligent people understand how they come across to others.
• Emotionally Intelligent people learn to strategically adjust the way they come across to others in order to produce more desirable outcomes.
• Emotionally Intelligent people are equipped to build deep, meaningful, authentic, and trusting relationships.
• Emotionally Intelligent people can become the greatest bosses their employees have ever had.
• The list goes on…

One of my Emotional Intelligence Coaching clients said it this way.

“You didn’t just change my profession. You changed my life and my marriage. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without your help.”

— Duaine, "C" Suite Executive

Who Benefits From This Coaching?

The coaching I deliver to my clients isn’t just for executives. My coaching clients range from 24-years-old to 60-something years old. They’re high performing people who desire to take their personal and professional performance to the next level.

If you’d like to take your personal and professional performance to the next level, Schedule a call with me to discover how.

Jeff Snyder’s, CliftonStrengths Coaching, Emotional Intelligence Coaching, Coaching Blog, 719.686.8810

How to Identify the Right Job

"I Knocked It Out Of The Ballpark"

A Corporate Security Leader's Coaching Testimonial

Is the Positivity Talent One of Your Top Talents?

The Clifton StrengthsFinder suggests that people who have Positivity talents have contagious enthusiasm.  They tend to be upbeat people who are able to get others excited about what they are going to do.

People who are gifted with this talent have an infectious energy and limitless enthusiasm. They can bring life to people and situations that need a boost of energy. 

You can find out how you’re uniquely wired and you can learn how to turn your unique set of strengths into leverage that comes out in your personal power!

Jeff Snyder Strengths Coaching

Is the Ideation Talent One of Your Top Talents?

The Clifton StrengthsFinder suggests that people who have Ideation talents are creative and appreciate originality.  They enjoy brainstorming and can’t wait to get to their next discussion group to discuss new ideas. 

People who are wired with Ideation talents can be a source of new ideas, valuable ideas and sometimes innovation.

You can find out how you’re uniquely wired and you can learn how to turn your unique set of strengths into leverage that comes out in your personal power!

Jeff Snyder Strengths Coaching

A Deeply Appreciated Coaching Testimonial

When Interviews Don't Result in a Win

Emotional Intelligence Coaching

Competitive Edge

Reached His Goal!!!

No Personal Clarity + No Personal Confidence = No Job Offer

If you’re great at interviewing, you either have a natural gift or maybe you’ve interviewed too often and you have too much experience.  You’re not supposed to be an expert when it comes to interviewing.  In fact, I know many people who never face an actual interview until they are in their 40s or 50s.

Some people are just flat out lucky.  They move from one job to another based on someone pulling them from one job to another.  In this case, they are already know to the person who is inviting them to the next company and they never really have to interview to get their next job.

Not everybody is this lucky.  Whenever possible, I write about real live factual situations rather than theory or my own opinions.  This morning, an email came to me from one of my resume coaching clients.  The resume I taught this client how to build performed precisely the way it was built to perform.  The result of this client’s investment in my 1 Hour Resume Coaching was an interview within a week after building her new resume.

She just figured out that while a clean, clear, logical resume will open interview doors, the resume itself will not land anyone a job.  She was lucky to get this feedback from the employer that just rejected her as a candidate.

"You need to relax and trust in yourself more.  They sensed your tension at the front of the interview, and that will always be interpreted as a lack of confidence.  So my advice is to trust in the value that you bring, relax and enjoy the experience of an interview.  Think of it as a chat, and all will be well."

The good news here is that my client’s resume performed in the marketplace.  The resume opened interview doors.  The bad news is that my client is no as ready as she thought she was for the actual interview experience.  More good news is that she received very clear and direct feedback from her interviewer and she can now decide whether or not to take action on the advice she received.

If my client decides to take the next career coaching step to learn about her natural strengths and she embraces the natural strengths that are part of her DNA, she’ll behave differently in her next interview.  The clarity she’ll gain from understanding her talents and strengths will translate into confidence. 

When she finds clarity and her clarity turns into confidence, the perceived or real tension she brought to her last interview will disappear.  She’ll be able to enjoy the interview experience just like the interviewer told her to do in the feedback paragraph above.

My client does have a problem.  The good news is that this problem can be solved if my clients takes action.

Jeff Snyder’s Coaching Blog found at JeffSnyderCoaching.com, 719.686.8810

Gratitude Suggestion

Jeff Snyder's Coaching Blog at JeffSnyderCoaching.com, 719.686.8810

Sometimes an Attitude Adjustment is in Order

Photo by Jeff Snyder

Jeff Snyder's Coaching Blog found at JeffSnyderCoaching.com, 719.686.8810

Do Your Homework before Saying “Yes” to a New Employer

One question a job seeker should always do homework on is the question or group of questions that uncover the reason a position is open.  In the realm of Information Security or Cyber Security, many Cyber Security jobs are new positions that have never existed before.  If you’re interviewing for one of these positions, find out what business drivers are sitting behind the new position in order to determine what kind of business support is being given to Cyber Security in that particular company.  This might turn out to be a great career move.

If you find yourself interviewing for a position where someone has moved on, this can be a more complicated situation.  Sometimes this is a good situation and sometimes it can lead to a career train wreck for the next employee.

Some people move on because they have truly found a growth opportunity that surpasses the growth possible in their current role. Other people move on and leave positions open because they desire to end a relationship with a questionable boss.

If you find out that someone left a position for anything other than better opportunity, do your homework and proceed cautiously. If a position is open because the hiring authority trying to fill the position is not a particularly good boss, be cautious. 

Unless the previously questionable boss saw the light when he or she lost staff and took action to improve the personal behavior that caused the previous employee or employees to leave, odds are very high that nothing will change with the questionable boss when you take the job.  The questionable boss will continue to be a questionable boss.

Behavioral change is one of the most difficult efforts for a human being to undertake.  It takes courage and commitment to address behavioral change.  If you determine that someone left a position recently because they faced challenges with a questionable boss, the questionable boss will not be any different in the weeks to come when a new employee takes on the open position.

On the outside, the questionable boss might appear to be less stressed for a time when their open positions have been filled but they're the same person on the inside. It will only be a matter of time before the questionable boss begins to behave from their default mode that was briefly masked upon the arrival of the new employees.

Human beings can always improve but it takes significant effort, commitment and courage to improve one’s behavior.  If you find a prospective boss who is investing in their future to become a better boss, this is the kind of person whose team you might want to join.

Do your homework and don’t become a victim of a questionable boss.

Jeff Snyder’s Coaching Blog, JeffSnyderCoaching.com, 719.686.8810

The Little Things Matter

Jeff Snyder Coaching, 719.686.8810

Know This before Your Next Interview

Your Next Interview

The best trick, gimmick or tactic to get your next job is to have no trick, gimmick or tactic at all in mind when you interview.

The best person to take to your next interview is the real authentic you and not a made up fictitious you.  If you get a job based on presenting a false you, how long do you think you’ll be able to live up to the false image you created during your interview process once you start working?

Instead, know yourself inside and out.  Know what is great about you and know what is not so great about you.  Know what you’re great at and know how to articulate that message clearly.  Know what you are not great at and what you’ll never be great at.  Have a strategy in place to articulate this message clearly too.

Learn how to ask questions of your prospective employer to get them to ask you to talk about your strengths.  This is not a slick, fancy gimmicky move.  This is a well-planned interview strategy that will put you in a natural position to deliver the authentic you.

Jeff Snyder’s Coaching Blog, 719.686.8810

I Love It When My Clients Decide To Choose Great!

As a coach, my job is to guide, to inspire and to help my clients see what they sometimes can't see.  There is nothing better for me as a coach than to receive this kind of feedback from one of my clients.

"I believe you are training me to be great - I like it a lot!"

Enough said.

Jeff Snyder Coaching, 719.686.8810

When Coaching Adds Value...

“Thank you for the call yesterday. The session was very helpful. I visited your site again and am interested in a few of your services.”

Jeff Snyder Coaching, 719.686.8810

Interviewing With Confidence Produces Desired Results

This email arrived over the weekend. It came to me from a CISO candidate I’ve been fortunate to work with as a career coaching client.  While I don’t have any latest tricks or gimmicks to share, what I can tell you for sure is that this candidate for CISO Jobs is interviewing with confidence that comes from the clarity he gained by learning about his personal strengths through strengths coaching. 

“Great news - interview went very well… Talking to the VP of HR I used a nugget from our Strengths coaching session… I was a good fit for the CIO's extrovert personality and was very good in crisis situations…anyway it looks like we are moving forward with offer discussions.  With that - if you can squeeze a coaching session in tomorrow I would love to get your thoughts / direction on salary, the company, the people and other items.”

He’s on to the offer stage.  Isn’t that what everybody wants when they put their resume in the hat for consideration?  Knowing how to interview a prospective employer is just as important as knowing how to handle interview questions.  While interviews generally start out as what feels like an interrogation, at some point in the interview, the tone should change and the interview should become a two-way dialogue.  

At this point, the interrogation generally stops and a relaxed, comfortable, balanced two-way conversation takes over.  At this point, a job candidate who is prepared can ask very unique questions that ultimately generate an invitation for the job candidate to talk about their personal strengths.

A person who intimately knows their strengths is the best qualified person in the world to talk about their strengths.  The purpose of learning about one's strengths is to find professional work that aligns as closely as possible with those strengths.

The more closely aligned one's strengths are to their work, the more likely they'll be engaged in their work, passionate about their work, producing exceptional results and getting paid well.

Jeff Snyder's Coaching Blog