History and Development of PdEI
History
In 1972, the Young Presidents Organization originated a peer-based instructional format that comprised of groups of nine CEO's that met each month, following a social protocol to assure confidentiality and safety of its members. Liautaud served as one of YPO's first moderators, and helped develop the processes that allowed us to share personal experiences openly, given the confidentiality of our peers. All benefited from this experience, but with varying results.
Research
In 1994, the UIC Family Business Council was founded by Liautaud to offer this peer-based education to Chicago area CEO's that would not have otherwise qualified for YPO, and grew to almost 100 members by mid 1998. Liautaud restructured the YPO format to copy the clinical practices of positive group psychology, and the best practices of group moderators, to raise the level of trust and disclosure. To make this process less dependent on the moderator's skills, he developed a more rigid format and protocol that adapted an ISO process that required a mandatory series of consecutive steps to implement the program, with a pre-commitment from all the new members to follow that protocol. This process was called PdT (Process Designed Training) and the ISO instructions were called PdT Protocol. Having all the members follow this Protocol quickly created a consistent behavior change in how they communicated with each other. A study began to monitor those results. In 2004, it was discovered that PdT behavior changes were, inadvertently, teaching the four characteristics of Emotional Intelligence, i.e., Self Awareness, Social Awareness, Self Management, and Relationship Management from effecting this behavior change in all the participants.
First Results of This New Protocol
All members that participated in these new groups felt more skilled, from adapting these behavior changes, in dealing with social issues related to their personal lives. All believed they acquired more empathic listening and questioning skills. They also were disclosing their own experiences at a higher, more comfortable level of disclosure. And all enjoyed the high support received from the process, which helped them feel more comfortable, and better about themselves, when they were in their groups. All valued participating in their increased level of communication. All participants admitted to applying what they learned to relationships outside of their groups.
Formation of the UIC National PdEI Study
Launched in September of 2005, this random Study consisted of 162 executives and over 865 raters. UIC's Study had both an active and a control group, equally distributed between senior, midlevel, and entry-level executives, and all selected from the nine sponsoring companies. The corporate performance results were measured under the oversight of each company's VP of Human Resources.
Each of the Study groups were initially moderated by the CEO's that were the first to use this Protocol, convinced on the merits of the process. The second year was moderated by the participants themselves, in order to conclusively prove the ISO protocol was entirely process dependant, and not moderator dependant. After that first year, their communication protocol became a habit.
Summary
This Study concluded in June of 2007 and documented substantive increases in all EI attributes over the Control group, with the most measurable increases following their second year.
Significant Milestones
April 2006, UIC initiates a PdEI Study for the Chicago Public School System, sponsored by the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning, under a private grant.
June 2006, Chicago School of Professional Psychology adapts PdEI training to their Graduate program
December 2007, UIC Med College approves a PdEI Study to develop EI processes for Physicians and staff, designed to measure and improve their empathic relationships with patients, and ultimately, reduce malpractice suits. 2007, Dr Nakisher and Jeremy Wicks adapt this program to CEO's on a license agreement with UIC.
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