- Knowledge Centre

Bullying and harassment awareness training and Emotional Intelligence

Bullying and Harassment Awareness training courses are amongst Summit's most popular training programmes since lockdowns ended.

The return to the office at least in some capacity appears to have increased the need for employees, especially leaders and managers, to become more aware of how their impact, communication, behaviour and conduct can either help or hinder individual and collective engagement and performance.

For bullying and harassment awareness training to be of genuine value; for the organisation and employees too, it really must avoid being restricted to a few important legal points and a seemingly endless Powerpoint slideshow. Bringing this sensitive subject to life through a mixture of engaging presentation, individual and group discussion, challenging activities and self reflection is where the real value is realised.

Our own market research has identified that the role of Emotional Intelligence is rarely mentioned in bullying and harassment awareness training courses. Perhaps because not many hr consultants and corporate training companies are actually qualified in the subject; maybe because the very clear link has not been established or understood.

The video below details the key Emotional Intelligence competency imbalances Summit has repeatedly witnessed when coaching a leader or manager on their impact and how it has been received as potentially bullying behaviour by at least one, if not more, colleagues.

We continue to find that a small minority of individuals who are aware of the impact they create with certain individuals and groups, and continue even though it is outside of the organisation's boundary for behaviour and/or conduct, the immediate pay-off for the individual is that they achieve the outcome they want. It is self-serving at best. This conscious effort on their part deserves swift and assertive attention from the appropriate leader.

The vast majority of individuals who Summit is invited to collaborate with on bullying and harassment awareness training or coaching simply are not aware of the impact they are having. Understandable to some point as would you want to speak up to a peer or more senior colleague who you thought was bullying you? Possibly not as the consequences could be very unwelcome.

Take a few minutes to watch this video and you will see for yourself why excluding Emotional Intelligence awareness from Bullying and Harassment Awareness training and coaching might be doing your organisation and its employees a disservice.

For immersive bullying and harassment awareness training and management training courses, why not get in touch here?

we had a fantastic day exploring this potentially difficult subject.
Dan Gibbons
 - Learning & Engagement Manager, Oxford Direct Services