Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group
The Art of Approachability: Build Bridges, Create Connections, Unlock Possibilities
Speaker: Elena Sarango-Muniz, PCC
Host: Desiree Briel Rodi, Ph.D., ACC
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Pacific Time
CCEs: 1.0 Core Competency & 0.5 Resource Development
Location: Virtual meeting via Zoom.us. Remember to log in before registering for the event.
***IMPORTANT: You will be redirected to a Zoom registration form after purchasing your ticket. You must register with Zoom to access the live event.
Replay available to registrants for viewing purposes only (no CCEs)
Description
Approachability isn’t a soft skill, it’s a strategic lever that determines whether employees raise issues early or stay silent until they escalate. In this 90-minute, highly interactive workshop, the audience will use the BRIDGE framework (Being, Relating, Influencing, Deciding, Growing, Embodying) to diagnose real approachability gaps and practice behaviors that increase psychological safety without sacrificing authority. Participants leave with a practical BRIDGE action plan, ready to use language, and repeatable exercises they can teach other leaders to improve the culture of their organizations.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Understand the correlation between the approachability factor and emotional intelligence (EQ) by exploring together the BRIDGE framework (Being, Relating, Deciding, Growing, Embodying).
✅ Identify, through engaging exercises, observable leader behaviors – and our own – that either increase or reduce psychological safety.
✅ Practice tools and techniques we can apply personally and with our clients, to develop approachability in the workplace, creating spaces where people want to belong to.
About Elena Sarango-Muniz
Elena Sarango-Muñiz, ACC, Executive Coach & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner is the founder of of Sarango Executive Coaching. She transforms leadership by making emotional intelligence practical and measurable. With 25+ years leading HR at global enterprises, including Aspen Technology, Lloyd’s Register, and CITGO Petroleum, she now coaches senior executives to build high-performing, engaged teams through proven EQ methodologies. Website
About Desiree Briel Rodi
Desiree Briel Rodi is an ACC-certified coach who harnesses the power of Emotional Intelligence to drive awareness, action, and accountability. She has worked in higher education administration, non-profit management, and people & business strategy. Desiree holds a B.A. in Art and American Studies from Yale University; an MBA from Seattle University, where she has assisted with graduate leadership courses; a Certificate in Evidence-Based Coaching; and an M.A. in Organizational Development and Change from Fielding Graduate University, where she recently earned her Ph.D. LinkedIn
