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Emotional Intelligence as a Lever for Sustainable Performance: Enhancing Results in Pharma

A development journey to integrate emotional awareness, effective relationships, and long-term results.

Overview

Situation: In a complex and highly competitive environment, a leading company in the pharmaceutical sector chose to invest in the professional development of its field-based operational staff, with the goal of strengthening the sustainability of both individual performance and the performance of their respective Business Units. The challenges were multiple: managing stress, improving the quality of daily interactions, and transforming emotional information and data from an obstacle into a strategic lever for decision-making and performance.

Solution: The initiative was based on experiential Emotional Intelligence pathways, in which participants were guided to observe and develop awareness (where absent) of their recurring emotional patterns, engage with colleagues, and immediately apply what they learned in their professional lives. Through immersive exercises, EQ Lab sessions, workshops, and reflection moments, participants learned to recognize and understand the value and information carried by their emotions, manage conflict, suspend automatic reactions, and transform their feelings into tools for making more conscious and effective decisions. The experience focused not only on the individual, but also on the impact each person can have on the culture and dynamics of the broader work context (Business Unit).

Results: Involving a key group of professionals in a dedicated pathway contributed to strengthening teamwork, time management, and the quality of communication among peers and with their direct reports. This fostered the creation of a shared language within the team and in daily interactions, making dialogue more consistent and fluid between team members and their leaders. Participants experienced increased self-confidence, stronger self-regulation skills, and a positive impact on the people they interact with, generating tangible benefits for team dynamics and the overall climate.

Situation

Before the program, many participants reported feeling overwhelmed by emotions that were difficult to manage, reacting impulsively in stressful situations, and struggling to understand how their emotional states influenced interactions with colleagues or managed resources. Some reported difficulty communicating clearly, suspending immediate judgments, and finding the right balance between operational demands and personal reflection.

Overall, there was limited awareness of their impact on others and of the power of emotions in driving decisions and behavior. In this context, emotions were often perceived as obstacles or interference rather than as useful tools for performance and sustainability.

Solution

The program took shape as an immersive experience guided by the Six Seconds Model, in which participants explored their emotions, reflected on their behavior, and challenged themselves directly. The approach was not theoretical, but practical: each activity aimed to transform emotions from obstacles into concrete levers for improving communication, addressing conflict, and making more conscious decisions.

Each participant was guided to recognize reactive patterns, experiment with new strategies, and observe the impact of their actions on the group. In this way, the program produced a dual effect: it increased individual awareness and generated tangible impact, fostering more effective interactions, a stronger collaborative climate, and greater attention to the sustainability of daily choices.

Results

The feedback collected describes an impact that goes beyond individual learning. The program activated a progressive shift in how people observe themselves, manage emotions, and experience professional relationships, fostering more conscious, intentional, and sustainable behaviors.

In some contexts, focused work with key groups strengthened peer collaboration and improved the quality of dialogue with direct reports, creating a shared language and common reference points for addressing priorities, decisions, and daily dynamics. This alignment made communication more fluid, time management more effective, and relationships more consistent, generating tangible benefits for team dynamics and the overall climate.

EMOTIONAL AWARENESS

85% of participants reported better understanding their emotions and their impact on decisions and behavior.

%

“I learned to recognize emotional patterns I had previously ignored and to reflect before reacting.”

“I pause to listen and understand before acting, and this completely changes the outcome of conversations.”

EMOTIONS & DECISION-MAKING

For 75% of participants, emotions became tools for making more balanced and conscious decisions.

%

“Now I always consider what I’m feeling and how it influences the choices I need to make.”

“Now I breathe, think, and decide how to respond instead of being overwhelmed by emotion.”

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

70% reported using effective strategies to handle difficult conversations and transform tension into opportunity.

%

“I realize how much my emotional state can affect others, and I’m learning to use it constructively.”

“I started to see conflicts as opportunities for growth rather than threats.”

Products & Services Delivered

Six Seconds’ Emotional Intelligence Assessment™

SEI – Six Seconds’ Emotional Intelligence Assessment is a validated psychometric tool for measuring emotional intelligence, used by over 500,000 people worldwide. It provides in-depth feedback on specific EQ competencies and results and is ideal for 1:1 coaching or advanced training.

Brain Talent Profile™

Snapshots of your brain’s styles and talents to effectively leverage emotional and cognitive data. A powerful, 1-page report that gives feedback on people’s brain talents. Ideal for training, onboarding & talent strategy.

EQ Skills

The Six Seconds Model aims to develop Emotional Intelligence competencies across three areas: becoming more aware (noticing what you do), more intentional (doing what you believe), and more purposeful (acting with a purpose).

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