Skills for Success

St. Xavier Engineering class builds skills for high-performance teamwork

 

In the 21st-century it takes high functioning multi-skilled teams to solve complex problems. To help prepare students to be strong collaborators both in college and the working world, the St. Xavier Engineering class is designed as a group-based problem-solving class using engineering design methodology.

 “I tell my guys early on that it isn’t as important how we solve the particular complex projects we encounter in class, as much as it is that they become the type of people who can solve complex problems.  To solve those problems, we must be good at working in high-functioning groups.  In short, we get better results when we work well together!” said Tim Sorensen, the Saint Xavier Engineering teacher.

Being a high functioning group member takes skills. Just like any skill, like serving in tennis or conversing in Spanish, to get better you need training and practice. The skills that help build high-functioning group members are Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills.  To help him teach his students Emotional Intelligence skills, Tim called on an old friend, Tony Hodun, for assistance. Over a multi-decade career as a Naval Nuclear Power Engineering Officer and as an engineer and manager at Procter and Gamble, Tony had extensive training and practice in developing EI skills.  After retiring from P&G, Tony earned his master's degree in education from Xavier University and joined the physics teaching team at St. Xavier for seven years from 2009 to 2016 before retiring from that career. 

For the last four years, Tony has returned to St. Xavier to teach Tim’s engineering students EI skills over a two-day seminar that both teachers developed.  Tim remarked about the seminar, “It is great having Tony back to teach my students about EI skills.  As expected, it has been a tremendous help for them in their group behavior and performance.  I have noticed that after just hearing and practicing EI skills over two days, my students’ group work behavior is more professional and more effective.  This is even more true for the students who are intentional about practicing those skills over the entire course.  Those guys leave St. Xavier poised to be great leaders on their college campuses.”

For instance, last year, Kelley Smith ‘19 went to the University of Cincinnati for a Shark Tank style scholarship competition.  As a result of Tony’s training and other learning from the class, Kelley felt confident enough in his skills to lead his competition group.  The leaders of the competition made specific note of Kelley’s skills and leadership and his team won the competition!

If you know a St. Xavier Engineering student, make it a point to ask him what he has learned!
 

The Emotional Intelligence Concepts and Skills from the seminar

●       Research shows that building proficiency at EI skills is a predictor of success

●       To be effective in a group setting, EI skills are critical

●       EI and IQ are equally important in adult life

●       3 Directional Management: the Power of Influence

●       Intrapersonal and Interpersonal skills from Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

○       Be proactive

○       Begin with the end in mind

○       Put First Things first

○       Think Win-Win

○       Seek first to understand, then to be understood

○       Synergize - leverage the power of the group

○       Renewal

●       Importance/Urgency Grid for prioritizing life

●       Active Listening - learning to understand first