EQ Training for Management Cascades Value in the Field: UCB Pharma Case in Italy

Lorenzo Fariselli,Joshua Freedman,Massimiliano Ghini,Paul Stillman

doi:10.5296/jebi.v7i2.17565

Abstract

In times of rapid change, how can we support managers to meet professional challenges successfully? How can each manager become an effective change agent? How can we promote professional development at all levels and improve communication skills appropriate for the different audiences with whom they must interface? This study explores emotional intelligence (EQ) as a key to unlocking managerial performance in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) corporate environments. Through a graduated and structured process that started in 2017, UCB Pharma Spa, a multinational pharmaceutical company, decided to invest in a pilot to develop the social and emotional skills of organizational members, from senior managers to staff associates. An action learning and change management model was used to design and facilitate the program intervention. Individual EQ and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven team assessments were used to target development efforts, as well as gather pre- and post-program data. The result was significant improvement in the quality of teamwork and people engagement, demonstrated by an increase in relational efficiency in 98% of cases.

Highlights

During 2017, UCB Italy asked Six Seconds, the world’s largest EQ network, with the aim of developing the interpersonal skills and work quality of people in the organization (Goleman, 1995)
In times of rapid change, how can we support managers to meet professional challenges successfully? How can each manager become an effective change agent? How can we promote professional development at all levels and improve communication skills appropriate for the different audiences with whom they must interface? This study explores emotional intelligence (EQ) as a key to unlocking managerial performance in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) corporate environments
At the beginning of 2019, the SEI Final Assessment was resubmitted to field personnel

Summary

Introduction

During 2017, UCB Italy asked Six Seconds, the world’s largest EQ network, with the aim of developing the interpersonal skills and work quality of people in the organization (Goleman, 1995). Emotional intelligence has been examined in pharmaceutical organizations and other healthcare settings (Samanek & Morrison, 2015; Vyas & Harris, 2017). These professionals were key communicators of UCB’s value proposition for the Italian healthcare system. The growth at UCB and rapid cultural transformations have prompted careful analysis of the fundamental skills needed to achieve excellent results through professional development and high levels of people engagement. This analysis led to the identification of emotional intelligence as a potential catalyst for promoting excellence within the company (Freedman & Stillman, 2016). The process was divided into three phases: Engage: Create involvement

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Results

Conclusion