Why do people choose to develop emotional intelligence and why do they turn to Six Seconds for their path? In “Voices from Six Seconds Network,” we introduce you to people in the network who share their experiences, personal journeys, and how they embrace EQ in different areas of their daily lives.

Trust, Diversity & Emotions: Key Strategies from EQ Diversity Practitioner Michael Eatman – Voices from the Network

by Maddalena Campitelli

“Emotional intelligence has allowed me to do diversity work in a much more powerful and holistic way, because it opens up possibilities by supporting people to get a greater awareness of who they are.” – Michael Eatman

Imagine a coaching client struggling with identity, belonging and diversity. How can you use emotional intelligence to help them build trust and overcome self-limiting beliefs to thrive?

“You should come play with us”

As a school administrator and community director at an independent school in Nashville, Michael Eatman spent years navigating tensions over cultural, racial, and gender differences. “It’s almost always a communication problem at the root of it,” he says, “driven by a lack of trust.” Eatman says he used emotional intelligence in his approach as a school leader, but he didn’t use the terminology or know of a framework to explain it. That changed as he sought out more resources and came across Six Seconds.Eatman recalls to this day what Six Seconds CEO Joshua Freedman told him in their first phone call: “You should come play with us.” Eatman did, and found a community he’d been looking for.

With Six Seconds, Eatman found a global community of people engaging in the same work he felt so passionately about. He ended up founding his own company, Culture7Coaching, to help people break through the fear of creating their own lives so that they can build confidence to impact their world and their relationships.

“They go hand in hand”

With emotional intelligence, Eatman also felt like he’d found the missing piece of his work as a diversity practitioner. “Emotional Intelligence has allowed me to do diversity work in a much more powerful and holistic way, because it opens up possibilities … When organizations reach out to me now about diversity training, I tell them it’s not possible to engage with diversity issues unless you do emotional work. They go hand in hand. EQ lays a foundation of gentle heartedness and compassionate engagement, which allows cultural awareness and appreciation to grow.”

Eatman has rediscovered time and again, as he learned in his role with the independent school, that poor communication stems from a lack of trust. “The Six Seconds methodology is so powerful because it allows you to shift perspective from ‘trust me’ to ‘I want to earn your trust.’ That’s an important shift. People start working together and realize that if we both need to sit down, ‘I don’t need to knock you out of your chair so I can sit down. Instead, I can move over a little bit and we can share the chair’.”

Having worked with students, staff, and parents as a school administrator, and now with professionals, athletes and leaders at Culture7Coaching, Eatman knows firsthand that the Six Seconds methodology is widely applicable: Everyone benefits from the idea of the cognitive and the emotional part working together to make powerful choices. < 7 decision making insights that will help you make better decisions >

That also includes Eatman himself, who says his emotional intelligence growth has been transformational.

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Meet Michael Eatman LinkedIn →

Professional achievements: Michael Eatman is a Certified Diversity Professional, Executive Coach, and Advanced EQ and Mindful Facilitation Practitioner. As an educator celebrating 30 years spanning PreK – 20 learning environments, Michael has created the Leadership Edge, a framework that incorporates Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Cultural Competence, and Conflict Engagement to support educational leaders in leading successful organizations. He believes that successful institutions start with leaders, armed with visions that beckon collaboration. Michael utilizes his EQ expertise to ground his diversity and educational leadership work. With Michael’s guidance, governing leaders of institutions have expanded their understanding of how emotional intelligence and diversity awareness impact their organization’s ability to fulfill its mission. As an Inclusion Strategist, Michael works with organizational leaders in identifying cultural competence gaps to develop robust systems that promote more inclusive learning and working environments. Michael uses an organizational inclusion change framework to demonstrate the value and presence of diversity at every level of organizational life. Michael is the founder of Culture7Coaching Inc. and currently resides in New England with his wife and three children.

Favorite Six Seconds Learning Philosophy: “The process is the content”

Learn about Six Seconds Learning Philosophy →

Noble Goal: “Shining the light on Purpose.”

Learn about Six Seconds Noble Goals →  

His “Don’t Miss This” Six Seconds tools & courses: The SEI, EVS, and Vital Signs suite

“This is what I want to be”

Eatman says emotional intelligence has allowed him to overcome self-limiting beliefs and has given him the tools to say “This is who I am. This is where I’m going. This is what I want to be.” That self-confidence allows him to be fully himself and less reactive.

“It all starts with me… If I’m upset, I don’t have to say ‘why did that person make me upset?’, instead I say ‘Michael, what’s happening/why am I feeling this way right now?’ This awareness leads to ‘what are my options?’ and ‘what do I really want?’, which is a very powerful self-reflection tool. It’s a simple process, but not overly simplistic. It’s powerful. I can stand up for what I believe and my belief doesn’t have to destroy who another person is because of different beliefs. EQ allows me to see through the lines, so it’s given me a sense of compassion that I didn’t have before.”

Thank you Michael for sharing your EQ journey with us!

This is the web version of Six Seconds’ Voices from the Network newsletter. To subscribe to this and other newsletters from Six Seconds, click here.

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Want more resources on how to build trust to thrive in a more equitable and diverse environment?
How to build Trust and Connection: Find the Courage to recognize emotions (clip)
Building Trust: Authenticity, Competence, and Performance (EQ webinar)
Equity, Justice and EQ (article)
How can Emotional Intelligence tools reduce racial bias and injustice? (In this clip Michael Eatman shares a personal story about negative self talk and how using EQ can provide clarity on awareness, options and actions to move forward)