The Challenge
A top university known for its high standards of excellence faced a few big challenges. They wanted to scale emotional intelligence in the university health care system to address them. The challenges that the Vice Chancellor of its healthcare division found were:
A lack of emotional intelligence (EI) was affecting decision-making in high-pressure work experiences.- The recent purchase of several hospital groups created a divided culture that needed to be unified.
- There was a need to help new medical students build resilience for their future careers.
The goal was to quickly expand emotional intelligence training across the organization. The Vice Chancellor and his team wanted to reach as many employees as possible to create lasting solutions.
The Approach
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Pilot ProgramsThe team knew that to grow quickly, key decision-makers needed to join the program themselves. By getting them involved, they could gain the support needed to expand the program across the organization.
They gathered key decision-makers to attend:
- 2x 2-day pilots of our flagship emotional intelligence program, Search Inside Yourself
Doctors, residents, and administrative staff from different locations took part in the program. This helped increase its reach and impact. After the pilot programs ended, and with support from decision-makers, they got approval to expand quickly.
Internal Teacher Training The team decided on the most cost-effective and sustainable approach: host an internal SIY Teacher Training. They hand-selected 15 employees who were already champions of mindfulness and emotional intelligence. We brought in expert SIY teacher trainers to deliver the multi-month teacher training program on campus.
Organization-wide rolloutThirteen internal teachers became certified to teach SIY and other SIY Global programs. They began delivering programs across the university health care network. The new teachers were supported by experienced mentors from the SIY certified teacher network as they taught SIY for the first time.
The Impact
The emotional intelligence training is already making a big difference. They have 13 trained teachers, and are expanding the program quickly. These teachers are able to tailor programs to the university’s unique needs and challenges. They have hosted 10 out of 13 planned sessions, training almost 100 employees.
Participants found the simple techniques, which we call "micropractices," particularly useful. They were able to apply them right away in their work.
The training is still happening, so it’s too early to know the full effect on patient care. But early results show two big improvements:
Self-Awareness
Participants were more aware of how their bodies feel when they have strong emotions.
Resilience
Participants improved their ability to recover quickly after a difficult emotional situation.
This initiative for scaling emotional intelligence at the university healthcare system is creating real, lasting change. The emotional intelligence training is helping both staff and future students succeed. The program's success has now expanded beyond its initial focus, influencing broader areas of the university outside the healthcare system to embrace this bold approach to emotional intelligence training.
Learn more about SIY Global’s full program suite by visiting our programs page.