Client: Knowit Solutions Oy
Training program: Emergy® WORKPLACE
Goal: Emotional skills to support change management and strategy implementation.
All managers at Knowit Solutions, an IT services provider, had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of emotionally intelligent leadership through an 8-month-long training program with Emergy.
Emotional skills have been identified as an important part of Knowit Solutions’ culture of sustainable working life. They have also been emphasized as part of their strategic journey: “Emotional skills have been proven to impact many aspects of the work community. We believe that they are core competencies supporting our goal to be a pleasant and humane workplace where meaningful and sustainable work life is built,” says Wilhelmiina Riikonen, Head of People & Culture at Knowit Solutions.
This sentiment was echoed by the managers who participated in the program, Helen Chambers, Head of Solutions Unit, Teemu Tapanainen, People Lead, and Vesa Leppälä, People Lead, each of whom mentioned that the emotional skills training is steering the organization’s culture in the right direction. “I joined the training with joy and gratitude because I felt that this is exactly what we need. Right after the first session, I knew this would be an interesting journey,” says Tapanainen
Tangible support for workplace changes
The training at Knowit Solutions has provided support for navigating changes in the workplace, such as increased remote work & hybrid work, and organizational changes that occurred during the training program. “In a constantly evolving work environment, there is a need for emotionally intelligent leadership and support for change adaptability,” says Riikonen.
For Tapanainen, emotional skills are the cornerstone of leadership, and they are essential in all interactions, whether with colleagues or clients. They also help in fostering team cohesion.
All three managers say that they gained tangible tools from the training that they can apply in everyday interactions and when leading self & others.
New levels of discussion and awareness
The training has introduced a new level of discussion and awareness among the managers, says Chambers, adding that the program has clearly increased the courage to talk about emotions, share emotional experiences, and provided tools for handling challenging situations.
The training has also heightened emotional awareness in daily life. “Emotions are clearly more on my mind. I’ve become better at pausing to consider both my own and others’ emotions, and responding when a colleague behaves unusually,” says Leppälä, who now always tries to look beyond behavior and consider the psychological needs behind it before making assumptions, as taught in the training.
For Tapanainen, the best part of the training was the space it provided for sharing and reflection. The discussions with their own coaching trio were particularly encouraging, as Tapaneinen found them valuable for the opportunity to get to know colleagues on a deeper level. “As the training progressed, the trust and connection in our group grew, and we were able to address difficult situations together and learn how to practically apply emotional skills.
Commitment as the key to success – Knowit CEO led by example
Both Leppälä and Tapanainen praise the leadership for investing in the development of emotional skills within the workplace: “I think it’s great that we are focusing on enhancing emotional skills, and offering this training also sends a message that emotions are allowed at work,” says Leppälä.
Tapanainen was deeply impressed by the CEO’s participation in the training sessions and the example set, which also strengthened his own commitment to the program: “My group and I really dedicated ourselves to the coaching sessions, sometimes committing to them on a weekly basis.”
The training program has already been extended beyond the first group of managers, and there have been inquiries from other members of the work community about continuing the training.
Greetings to others: Emergy’s training puts being human at the center!
“This is a profoundly impactful and positive training that leaves no one indifferent! You’ll learn so much about yourself, even if you already have a lot of experience,” says Chambers, who gained insights into her own and others’ behavior through the training. “I highly recommend this training because it puts being human at the center and supports the ability to function as whole individuals in the workplace.”
