CLIENT: Leadership Eastside, Developing Community Leaders
SERVICE: Leading With Emotional Intelligence In Systems Playful Workshops
Leadership Development For Executives and Managers In Two Year Program
The Leadership Eastside CEO, Jeni Craswell approached Jyoti hoping to bring some fun, levity and joy into the second year cohort year 2 kickoff. She wanted to encourage the group to release competitive mindsets and move to a collaborative, experimental mindset where they would be open to failing and courageous risks. Participants were working on consulting projects with local organizations and Jeni requested that the teams be given an opportunity to apply the learning concepts to their team projects.
How We Helped
We designed and delivered two playful workshops for the September and October learning sessions, incorporating applied improv games and interactive activities towards cutting edge social science frameworks for emotional intelligence and adaptive systems leadership.
EQ Fundamentals
Jyoti led the group through the fundamental pillars of emotional intelligence from pioneering academics, and her own customized 4-zone framework. The concepts were explored and demonstrated with interactive applied improv games and activities, and folks in the room literally came alive with energy and participation, and developed an embodied, long-lasting understanding of how emotions map to motivation.
Systems Of Power Workshop
Jyoti taught the group culture theory and systems of power, including dimensions of power and privilege. The team played a variety of applied improv games to explore how systems of power show up in our bodies as emotions. She also taught the group a framework called the drama triangle and facilitated an interactive group discussion about how the triangle shows up in interpersonal scenarios repeatedly and pervasively. She showed them how to overcome this harmful dynamic with an empowering alternative and the team practiced methods to exit the drama.
Communication Roleplaying
Roleplaying challenging interpersonal scenarios is an incredible way to build the neural pathways needed to navigate tough conversations, especially across power asymmetries. The team practiced non-violent communication methods in a custom worksheet across a range of custom scenarios lovingly designed by Jyoti and her team, so that the learning could immediately be applied in their professional roles as leaders and managers, and a variety of learning styles engaged.
Outcomes
The cohort walked away with improved mood, team connectedness, new skills, and a deeper understanding of leading effectively within complex systems.
01. After the workshop, participants reported feeling their mood had improved, more light and confident in their bodies.
02. Participants reported feeling empowered and prepared to give and receive honest feedback, and to discuss challenging topics especially across power asymmetries.
03. The client was very happy with the workshops and invited Jyoti to return as a Leadership Eastside facilitator for the rest of the academic year.
“This was a great day of learning and play!”
“Jyoti is phenomenal and I appreciate her insistence on play to work through difficult moments”
“All of Jyoti's presentation was excellent”
— Participants, Leadership Eastside, Class of 2024