The power of quadrants: Interpreting the MIPI Short

The power of quadrants:
Interpreting the MIPI Short

When two Personal Intelligence quotients—Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Social Intelligence (SQ), or Motivational Intelligence (MQ)—come together, they reveal deeper insights into how individuals approach challenges, relationships, and decisions. The MIPI Short takes advantage of a quadrant framework that lets coaches quickly and easily explore these combinations, providing a nuanced view of their client tendencies. This approach not only simplifies interpretation but also empowers coaches to guide their clients toward transformative growth.

We can combine axes in three different ways, creating new pairs that offer rich insights into client behaviour.

What the axes represent

First of all, let's have a refresher on what the different quotients on the MIPI Short represent. Expand the boxes below to see each definition:

Emotions influence many of our decisions and behaviours, often in subtle ways that are sometimes hard to notice. The MIPI Short's emotional intelligence measure (EQ) can help to measure these tendencies. On one end of the continuum, a client with a more “reactive” approach to their emotions shows they emphasize authenticity and emotional expression. These qualities can energize interactions but can also lead to volatile and impulsive behaviours. “Reflective” tendencies, on the other end of the continuum, prioritize thoughtfulness and emotional composure. Such approaches provide an important stability but can also result in overthinking or emotional detachment.

ON THE LEFT

PROS: authentic, composed, direct

CONS: volatile, oblivious, misunderstood

ON THE RIGHT

PROS: self-aware, considerate, sensitive

CONS: anxious, glib, measured

Social intelligence (SQ) shapes how clients interact with others and navigate relationships. “Solitary” tendencies promote independence and self-reliance but also isolate and hamper collaboration. In contrast, “prosocial” tendencies emphasize empathy and connection. These latter qualities help to foster teamwork, but may also lead to overextending oneself or neglecting important personal boundaries.

ON THE LEFT

PROS: independent, prepared, polite

CONS: isolated, lonely, awkward

ON THE RIGHT

PROS: friendly, engaging, collaborative

CONS: dependent, flippant, intense

Motivational intelligence (MQ) drives behaviour and sustains action, but the source and clarity of this motivation vary. “Undirected” tendencies help your client take a more open and creative view towards possibilities. Unfortunately, they also discourage follow-through on important, goal-related tasks. “Directed” tendencies, on the other hand, channel energy into achieving specific goals. This helps to create determination and drive but can also result in rigidity or burnout.

ON THE LEFT

PROS: flexible, resilient, open-minded

CONS: aimless, inconsistent, unmotivated

ON THE RIGHT

PROS: driven, purposeful, disciplined

CONS: rigid, intense, demanding

We can combine the MIPI Short axes in three different ways, creating quadrant pairs that offer rich insights into client behaviour. First of all, we can pair EQ with MQ. This combination highlights a client’s sense of "responsibility". A comparison like this offers insights into how the client's emotional tendencies align with their capacity to get things done.

We can also combine Social Intelligence (SQ) with Motivational Intelligence (MQ) to change the focus to a client's "leadership". This pairing examines how clients balance social engagement with their ambitions, showing whether they thrive directing team-based efforts or lean toward independent pursuits. The SQ/MQ comparison offers a clear view of how social dynamics interact with individual drive.

Finally, we can pair Emotional Intelligence (EQ) with Social Intelligence (SQ) in order to emphasize "collaboration". This quotient combination helps to explore the effects of emotional awareness on interpersonal dynamics. Doing so offers insights into how clients build and maintain their relationships during shared activities.

Together, these three quadrant pairs provide coaches with a helpful framework to understand and support their clients’ unique behavioural patterns. Consider these quadrants in action:

RESPONSIBILITY

This pairing explores how emotional regulation influences motivation, revealing how well clients balance emotional responses with goal-directed actions.

RESPONSIVE

Reactive + Directed

Clients in this quadrant are driven and action-oriented but often let emotions dictate their decisions, which can lead to impulsive choices. While their passion and determination are strengths, they benefit from strategies that help them pause and assess situations before acting.

Example coaching question: “What steps can you take to ensure your emotional responses support your goals rather than rushing you into decisions?”

DELIBERATE

Reflective + Directed

Thoughtful and goal-oriented, these clients align their actions with their values, making them effective in achieving meaningful results. Their challenge lies in staying adaptable when plans don’t go as expected, and they thrive with support that encourages flexibility.

Example coaching question: “How can you maintain focus on your goals while staying open to unexpected opportunities or changes?”

IMPULSIVE

Reactive + Undirected

These clients react strongly to emotions without a clear sense of direction, which can lead to scattered or ineffective actions. Helping them develop focus and channel their energy toward meaningful goals is essential for their growth.

Example coaching question: “What would help you create a clear sense of direction before acting on strong emotional impulses?”

AMBITIOUS

Solitary + Directed

These clients are highly independent and goal-oriented, excelling in environments where they can focus on their objectives without external interference. Their challenge lies in recognizing the value of working with others, which can elevate their efforts and broaden their impact.

Example coaching question: “How might working with others enhance the outcomes you’re trying so hard to achieve?”

RELIANT

Prosocial + Undirected

Relationship-focused and supportive, these clients find fulfillment in helping others but may lack clarity or direction in their own goals. Encouraging them to align their relational strengths with personal ambitions can unlock untapped potential.

Example coaching question: “How can you leverage your relationships to identify a goal that excites and energizes you?”

SUPPORTIVE

Reactive + Prosocial

These clients are emotionally responsive and deeply invested in their relationships, often prioritizing others’ needs above their own. While their empathy and willingness to help are strengths, they may struggle to set boundaries or manage emotional overwhelm.

Example coaching question: “How can you ensure your own needs are met while supporting the people around you?”

WITHDRAWN

Reactive + Solitary

These clients tend to retreat when overwhelmed, avoiding emotional or social engagement to protect themselves. While their independence can keep things moving, it may also isolate them and prevent progress when situations call for the support of others.

Example coaching question: “What small step can you take to re-engage with others while still respecting your need for space?”

The combinations of EQ, SQ and MQ are simple but effective. Coaches can leverage these insights to develop effective coaching question strategies. They can then tailor these to support their clients' unique individual tendencies. In this way, the quadrant system becomes an effective bridge between theory and transformative coaching practice, providing a clear roadmap for growth.

Quadrants reveal deeper insights into how clients approach challenges, relationships and decisions.

Practical coaching applications

Consider a client named Rachel, a driven professional at a technology firm. Rachel's EQ + MQ scores place her in the Deliberate quadrant (reflective + directed), highlighting her ability to align actions with values, while at the same time, maintaining a methodical, thoughtful approach. Her SQ + MQ scores, however, fall into the Ambitious quadrant (solitary + directed). This suggests that as a leader, Rachel prefers to work independently on tasks where she feels in control. Lastly, her EQ + SQ scores place her squarely in the Inhibited quadrant (reflective + solitary). This implies that Rachel has a tendency to overanalyze and withdraw in emotional or social situations. Together, these quadrants point to a client with strong introspective abilities and drive, but who may struggle with engaging others or stepping into uncertain interpersonal dynamics.

As a coach, you might begin by leveraging Rachel’s deliberate nature. This could involve asking after her overarching goals while exploring how her reflective tendencies may slow down her ability to make decisions. For example, during the coaching session you might ask, “How do you know when you have enough information to start taking action?” This can help Rachel to start looking for ways to become more decisive without losing her reflective edge. Next, her ambitious tendencies offer an opportunity to build connections while maintaining independence. You might ask, “How can you bring others on board with your vision without sacrificing your autonomy?” This can offer Rachel a way to view collaboration as a strength rather than a compromise. Finally, her inhibited tendencies might call for support in navigating emotional or social challenges. A question such as, “What’s one small step you can take to engage with others in a way that feels authentic and manageable?” could help Rachel find practical ways to re-engage socially without overwhelming herself. Through this integrated approach, Rachel can build on her strengths while addressing areas that limit her growth and connection.

You can spark deeper self-awareness one quadrant at a time.

Bringing it all together

The quadrant framework at the heart of the MIPI Short offers coaches a transformative way to engage with their clients. By examining how EQ, SQ and MQ intersect, coaches can uncover rich insights that go far beyond surface-level assessments. Better yet, they can do so without having to wade through the compexity often associated with other models of emotional intelligence. Each quadrant captures a unique but easy-to-follow interplay of behavioural tendencies, and provides the coach with a practical framework from which to explore a client's personal strengths and challenges.

At its core, the MIPI Short's quadrant system is a roadmap for growth that creates equal opportunities for clients to both reflect and take action. This approach equips coaches to ask better questions, spark deeper self-awareness, and create lasting transformation—one quadrant at a time.

Geoff Crane is dedicated to making soft skills practical, accessible, and impactful. With a mission to elevate the coaching field, Geoff brings over 20 years of industry experience and a further 10 years in personal intelligence research and soft skill program design. His work empowers coaches to deepen their client relationships, attract more clients, and confidently expand the range of programming they offer—all while maintaining authenticity and alignment with their values.

Geoff believes that the true value of science appears when everyone shares and uses it together. Help spark meaningful conversations and spread ideas that can make a real difference in your clients' lives. Join our mailing list today.