Recommended Audience: SAM/KAM/GAM, SAM Program Leaders, SAM Managers

Level of proficiency: Foundational / Intermediate

Certification eligibility: Yes

Presented by: Bo Golovan, MBA, ACPEC and Jessica Worny Janicki, MBA, PCC, EI Partners.

Research shows that social and emotional intelligence (SEI), also called “soft skills,” can account for up to 67 percent of workplace performance for those whose success -- like that of strategic account managers -- depends largely on building and managing relationships. The SAMA competency model recognizes this reality by tightly intertwining logical, analytical and strategic skills with social and SEI competencies. SAMA’s model presumes that SEI skills are being used effectively; however, in reality, SAMs often spend a lot of time learning and developing business skills but much less time on  “soft” skills, which  results in suboptimal performance despite excellent SAM capabilities. To be successful, strategic account managers must develop both sets of hard and “soft” skills

This full-day workshop offers a unique focus on those SEI skills that are often unrecognized but are fundamental to SAM performance and success. The morning session will provide attendees with a foundational overview of the science behind emotions, the SEI competency framework and its application to the SAM role and leadership. Participants will learn about the role and impact emotions have on things like perception, reasoning, decision making and stress management. We will debunk some myths while creating a context for understanding SEI that is grounded in hard science.

The afternoon session is focused on the experiential application of this learning by interpreting individual results and developing a customized Action Plan. Participants will work in pairs to identify their SEI strengths and areas for development and then will design a customized Action Plan. By the end of the day each participant will have gained a clear and concise script and time frame to practice a SEI competency of their choice.

This is an interactive session combining small- and large-group exercises where participants will use and apply real-life examples. Participants must take the EQ-i 2.0 assessment prior to the workshop and will receive their results during the session.