RocheMartin Blog


Do you know your emotional Habits?

Posted by Tash Newby on Thursday, July 21, 2011

Autobiography in 5 short chapters, by Portia Nelson:


1.) I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I fall in.

I am lost… I am hopeless

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.


2.) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I’m in the same place.

But it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.


3.) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I see it is there.

I still fall in… it’s a habit

My eyes are open

I know where I am 

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.


4.) I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk

I walk around it.


5.) I walk down another street.


Just like a physical observable habit, emotional reactions and responses are learnt and programmed over time, like walking down the same path day after day. Eventually the path becomes worn and familiar; before you know it you are often at the end before you even realize what has happened. This is exactly what happens in our brain; emotional habits and reactions form strong neural pathways, which in turn reinforces particular behaviors.


 In terms of emotional or day-to-day interactions, have you ever found yourself in a similar scenario or conflict? Feeling powerless, and or faultless ~ poetically speaking standing at the bottom of a hole wondering why this keeps happening?


Unlike physical habits, often our emotional habits are less obvious and even seemingly erratic; so how can we ever really be in control of a situation, move forward and excel in business and leadership if we are unaware of what part emotions play in our interactions and behaviors?


Emotions shape our behavior, relationships and decisions; and more importantly determine whether or not people will work well for you, buy from you, employ you and enter into business with you. As Jack Welch puts it ‘A leader’s intelligence has to have a strong emotional component.’

Research informs us that to change a behavior is more effective when both the emotional brain & rational brain are engaged, as decisions are made on emotions and justified by logic. People with strong EQ have a good dialogue happening between their emotional and rational brain.


The good news is it’s not too late! You are not destined to keep ‘walking down the same street and ending up in the same hole’ or predicament. By acknowledging the role that emotions play in our experiences, we can begin to observe patterns and move towards creating new pathways to change our behavior.


This is where the ECR and SmartCoach come in.  The ECR produces a clear succinct report, which highlights our strengths and areas for improvement based around 10 core competencies for emotional intelligence in leadership. By focusing on these specific competencies it gives us a platform to review and acknowledge our current EQ. This platform coupled with SmartCoach is the most effective way to really move towards changing our behavior, as SmartCoach offers accessible personal coaching insights and strategies to help form these new lasting pathways through practice and repetition.


So make a decision today to stop falling down that hole, and let us help you find another street to walk down!





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Evaluating a Sample ECR Report

Posted by Stacey Newman on Friday, February 18, 2011

Consider this scenario: Jack is a 30 year-old accountant in an international finance company. His manager regards him as being a very competent and diligent person who has a great deal of integrity. 

The company is currently identifying 10 - 15 young managers that are seen to have high potential. Jack's name has been mentioned on a few occasions by come of the other senior managers as someone with a lot of potential. 

By taking the ECR™ self-assessment both Jack and his manager will gain a better insight into his EQ strengths. Once he completes the assessment, Jack will receive an 18 page report and one-to-one feedback from his coach. His manager will then be able to assess his suitability for promotion and to outline the various skills and competencies which he will need to develop in order to make his case more favourable. 

Now let's have a look at his profile summary on the ECR™.



Evaluating Jack's ECR™ Report


After examining Jack's individual report, we can gain some insight into his potential as a leader. 

What does Jack's profile suggest about his current levels of Emotional Intelligence? 

Overall, we can see from the report that his level of EQ is very positive and is in the effective range, and typical of the general population. However, what the report also tells us, is that he has scope to improve his three lowest competencies - relationship skills, adaptability and particularly his empathy. 

What strengths does Jack bring to his current role in the organization? 

Jack brings great strengths to his current role particularly in the areas of self-confidence and optimism. He has good levels of self-regard and can sustain high levels of motivation. He appears to work well under pressure and maintains a positive outlook in the face of setbacks. 

What are the challenges Jack might encounter if he was placed in charge of a large team? 

While Jack is clearly competent in his job, his interpersonal skills are clearly in need of development if he is to get the best out of his team and progress to a more senior position within the organization. If he does not address these areas, he could be in danger of de-motivating his team and not achieving his potential. 

What are the specific competencies and skills that Jack needs to develop if he is to step up to leadership positions? 

Jack needs to develop his interpersonal skills, particularly empathy, and to adopt a more open and adaptable approach. He needs to take greater interest in his team and spend more one-to-one time with them. He would be advised to ask for other people's opinions more often and genuinely listen to their point of view before rushing in with his own viewpoints. 

If you are interested in taking an ECR™ assessment and receiving a comprehensive ECR development report, visit on EQ products page. Alternatively, if you have in questions about using our assessment within your organization we'd love to hear from you: contact us

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Great insights into leadership....

Posted by Stacey Newman on Tuesday, September 08, 2009



Our very own Dr Martyn Newman recently recorded a conversation with Jim Kouzes on Leadership and Emotional Intelligence. This limited edition one-hour CD reveals exclusive insights such as "the best-kept secret of successful leaders".

Email: stacey@rochemartin.com to find out how you can get a copy.

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