Topic: Go from Good to Great, from Great to Exceptional! It's all about Soft Skills. More specifically, Emotional Intelligence!

The workplace can be a volatile environment, filled with stress, pressure, anxiety, and even drama from time to time. It can also be a place of happiness, contentment, and excitement. All of these facets can affect how someone feels at any given moment. However, with a high level of emotional intelligence (EI), we can effectively manage these feelings, staying in control and resilient in the face of workplace challenges.

By honing our soft skills, particularly emotional intelligence, we can significantly enhance our performance in our RIM roles. Given IG's enterprise-wide scope, these skills empower RIM professionals to foster collaboration, forge connections, and engage with various IG stakeholders, such as IT, Legal, Risk/Compliance, Data Privacy, HR, Security, and Business Units.

As RIM professionals, our journey is not just about being subject matter experts. It's about evolving into trusted advisors, and emotional intelligence can be the catalyst for this transition. It has the potential to revolutionize our professional journey, opening new horizons and opportunities for personal growth.

Session Learning Objectives

Attendees will walk away with:

About the Speaker: 

John Spencer, a nationally recognized speaker on soft skills, brings a relatable voice and a valuable perspective to this topic, particularly emotional intelligence. His insights, refined over years of experience, have established him as a trusted speaker at ARMA's chapter meetings and national and regional conferences. He has also been a guest speaker at colleges and universities, offering his unique insights to a diverse audience. With a career spanning over 30 years in corporate America, John has worked for renowned companies such as Ernst and Young (EY), The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, and DuPont. He's currently the Enterprise RIM Manager for Kemper Insurance. His extensive experience in team leadership, people management, and leading projects while collaborating in matrixed environments has given him a deep understanding of soft skills, particularly emotional intelligence, and their crucial role in the workplace.

John's expertise in soft skills has been widely acknowledged, particularly at the 2018 ARMA International Conference. His presentation, which garnered the highest ratings for Top Education Session and Presenter, solidified his standing as a leader in the field. His role as the keynote speaker for the 2019 ARMA InfoCon Leadership Summit further attests to his recognition and influence.

John's leadership roles within ARMA since 2008 are a clear demonstration of his commitment and influence in the RIM industry. In the Dallas ARMA Chapter, he served multiple terms as the Chapter President and held various roles on the Chapter Board. His contributions extended to the ARMA Southwest Region Board, where he served as the Chapter Advisor for Marketing and Membership and as a Senior Chapter Advisor. Currently, he is a member of the ARMA National Chapter Advisory Committee, a position that further solidifies his recognition in the industry.