Business, Accounting and Finance

BSBLDR501 - Develop and use emotional intelligence

Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks

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Table of Contents

About BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence ................................................................ 3

Identify own emotional strengths and weaknesses ............................................................................. 6
Activity 1 ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Identify personal stressors and own emotional states related to the workplace ............................. 15
Activity 2 ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Develop awareness of own emotional triggers and use this awareness to enable control emotional
responses .............................................................................................................................................. 29
Model workplace behaviours that demonstrate management of emotions .................................... 36
Activity 3 ............................................................................................................................................... 49
Use self-reflection and feedback from others to improve development of own emotional
intelligence ........................................................................................................................................... 51
Respond to the emotional states of co-workers and assess emotional cues .................................... 54
Activity 4 ............................................................................................................................................... 56
Identify the varying cultural expressions of emotions are utilise to respond to emotional cues in a
diverse workforce................................................................................................................................. 57
Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in dealing with others ....................................................... 61
Take into account the emotions of others when making decisions ................................................... 64
Activity 5 ............................................................................................................................................... 66
Provide opportunities for others to express their thoughts and feelings .......................................... 68
Assist others to understand the effect of their behaviour and emotions on others in the workplace
.............................................................................................................................................................. 77
Encourage the self-management of emotions in others .................................................................... 79
Activity 6 ............................................................................................................................................... 81
Activity 7 ............................................................................................................................................... 84
Encourage others to develop their own emotional intelligence to build productive relationships
and maximise workplace outcomes .................................................................................................... 87
Encourage a positive emotional climate in the workplace ................................................................. 93
Activity 8 ............................................................................................................................................... 95
Use the strengths of workgroup members to achieve workplace outcomes .................................... 98
Activity 9 ............................................................................................................................................. 109

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About BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence
Application

This unit covers the development and use of emotional intelligence to increase self-awareness, self-
management, social awareness and relationship management in the context of the workplace.

It includes identifying the impact of own emotions on others in the workplace, recognising and
appreciating the emotional strengths and weaknesses of others, promoting the development of
emotional intelligence in others and utilising emotional intelligence to maximise team outcomes.

It applies to managers who identify, analyse, synthesise and act on information from a range of
sources and who deal with unpredictable problems. They use initiative and judgement to organise
the work of self and others and plan, evaluate and co-ordinate the work of teams.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Sector

Management and Leadership - Leadership

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Elements describe the Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate
essential outcomes. achievement of the element.
1. Identify the impact of 1.1 Identify own emotional strengths and weaknesses
own emotions on others in
the workplace 1.2 Identify personal stressors and own emotional states related to the
workplace

1.3 Develop awareness of own emotional triggers and use this

awareness to enable control emotional responses

1.4 Model workplace behaviours that demonstrate management of

emotions

1.5 Use self-reflection and feedback from others to improve

2. Recognise and
appreciate the emotional
strengths and weaknesses
of others
development of own emotional intelligence
2.1 Respond to the emotional states of co-workers and assess
emotional cues
2.2 Identify the varying cultural expressions of emotions are utilise to
respond to emotional cues in a diverse workforce

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 2.3 Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in dealing with others

3. Promote the
development of emotional
intelligence in others
2.4 Take into account the emotions of others when making decisions
3.1 Provide opportunities for others to express their thoughts and
feelings
3.2 Assist others to understand the effect of their behaviour and
emotions on others in the workplace

3.3 Encourage the self-management of emotions in others

3.4 Encourage others to develop their own emotional intelligence to

4. Utilise emotional
intelligence to maximise
team outcomes
build productive relationships and maximise workplace outcomes
4.1 Encourage a positive emotional climate in the workplace
4.2 Use the strengths of workgroup members to achieve workplace
outcomes

Foundation Skills

This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the
performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Skill Performance Description

Criteria
Interact 1.1-1.5, 2.1- 2.4, 3.3,  Reflects on personal attributes and considers the
with others 3.4, 4.1, 4.2 impact on others and modifies approach to support
development
 Adapts personal communication style to model
behaviours, build trust and positive working
relationships and to build understanding of
emotional intelligence
 Leads a collaborative approach, using inquiring and
inclusive techniques, to develop understanding and
skills that enhances individuals’ emotional
intelligence

Get the 3.1, 3.2  Leads processes to develop, implement and monitor
work done plans and processes to ensure team engagement and
effectiveness

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Unit Mapping Information
Code and title Code and title Comments Equivalence status

current version previous version

BSBLDR501 Develop and Not applicable New unit No equivalent unit
use emotional
intelligence

Assessment requirements

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

 identify the impact of own emotions on others by identifying own emotional strengths and
weaknesses, stressors, emotional states and triggers and gathering feedback from others
 model behaviours that demonstrate management of emotions
 recognise and respond to the emotional states of others promote the development of
emotional intelligence in others.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 explain emotional intelligence principles and strategies

 describe the relationship between emotionally effective people and the attainment of
business objectives
 explain how to communicate with a diverse workforce which has varying cultural
expressions of emotion
 explain the use of emotional intelligence in the context of building workplace relationships.

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Identify own emotional strengths and weaknesses1

What is your EQ?

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?

Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and
those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what
they're feeling, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people.

Emotional intelligence is essential for leadership success. Studies have shown that people with high
EI have greater mental health, exemplary job performance, and more potent leadership skills.

After all, who is more likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at his team when they’re under stress,
or a leader who stays in control, and calmly assesses the situation?

According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize EI, there are five
main elements of emotional intelligence:

 Self-awareness
 Self-regulation
 Motivation
 Empathy
 Social skills

The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness

1
Source: S3 Staffing, as at http://www.s3staffing.com.au/-127407832-128189419-128191709-128191888-
128192127, as on 4th December, 2015; Free Management eBooks, as at http://www.free-management-
ebooks.com/faqpp/understanding-07.htm, as on 4th December, 2015.

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Self-awareness is concerned with the ability to know one's emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drivers,
values and goals and recognize their impact on others while using gut feelings/intuition to guide
decisions.

If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your
actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also
means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses and it means behaving with
humility and empathy.

Self-awareness is the key to resilience, understanding self, responding vs reacting and managing our
relationships with ourselves and others

Ways you can improve your self-awareness include:

o Identify your values and beliefs

o Understand your triggers, moral compass and internal rudder
o Pay attention to your thoughts. Spend a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts.
This can help move you to a higher state of self-awareness.
o Slow down – When you experience anger or other strong emotions, slow down to examine
why. Remember, no matter what the situation, you can always choose how you react to it.

2. Self-Regulation

We cannot always control the conditions around us but we can always choose how we respond. To
some, this notion sounds unrealistic as we are faced with challenges every day that we believe cause
us to react in a certain way.

The truth is that nothing and nobody can make us feel a certain way unless we let them. We choose
how we feel. Period.

We often find ourselves reacting to a situation and feeling out of control, as though that experience
imposed itself on us without our permission. However we always have the ability to regulate and
control our emotions.

Managing our feelings relates to the ability to regulate emotions in both ourselves and in others.
Therefore, the emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions, even negative ones, and
manage them to achieve intended goals.

Self-regulation involves controlling or redirecting one's disruptive emotions and impulses and
adapting to changing circumstances.

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional
decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in
control.

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Here are some of the ways you can improve your ability to self-regulate:

 Know your values – Do you have a clear idea of where you absolutely will not compromise?
Do you know what values are most important to you? Spend some time examining your
"code of ethics." If you know what's most important to you, then you probably won't have to
think twice when you face a moral or ethical decision – you'll make the right choice.
 Hold yourself accountable – If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop.
Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever
they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those
around you.
 Practice being calm – The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how
you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing
exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the negative things you want to say,
and then rip it up and throw it away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing
them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your team. What's more, this helps
you challenge your reactions to ensure that they're fair!

3. Motivation

EQ is the level of your ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work
cooperatively with them. It also applies to understanding what motivates you personally and under
what conditions you work best.

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards
for the quality of their work.

To motivate yourself for any achievement requires clear goals and a positive attitude. Although you
may have a predisposition to either a positive or a negative attitude, you can with effort and practice
learn to think more positively. If you catch negative thoughts as they occur, you can reframe them in
more positive terms — which will help you achieve your goals.

Motivation is made up of:

 Achievement drive - Your constant striving to improve or to meet a standard of excellence.

 Commitment -Aligning with the goals of the group or organization.
 Initiative - Readying yourself to act on opportunities.
 Optimism -Pursuing goals persistently despite obstacles and setbacks.

So how can you improve your motivation?

 Re-examine why you're doing your job – It's easy to forget what you really love about your
career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. Ask yourself “what am I
doing this for?” Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a new way. Re-
establish your goals and make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing.
 Know where you stand – Determine how motivated you are to lead. Assess the pros and
cons of leadership and identify what appeals to you about being a leader.

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  Be hopeful and find something good – Motivated leaders are usually resilient and optimistic
no matter what problems they face. Adopting this mindset might take practice, but it's well
worth the effort? Every time you face a challenge, or even a failure, try to find at least one
good thing about the situation. It might be something small, like a new contact, or
something with long-term effects, like an important lesson learned. But there's almost
always something positive, if you look for it.

4. Empathy

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with
empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the
people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and
listen to those who need it. Empathic leaders consider other people’s feelings especially when
making decisions.

If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show them you care by being
empathic.

An empathetic person excels at:

 Service orientation -Anticipating, recognizing and meeting clients’ needs.

 Developing others -Sensing what others need to progress and bolstering their abilities.
 Leveraging diversity - Cultivating opportunities through diverse people.
 Political awareness -Reading a group’s emotional currents and power relationships
 Understanding others -Discerning the feelings behind the needs and wants of others.

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How can you improve your empathy?

 Put yourself in someone else's position – It's easy to support your own point of view. After
all, it's yours! But take the time to look at situations from other people's perspectives.
 Pay attention to body language – Perhaps when you listen to someone, you cross your
arms, move your feet back and forth, or bite your lip. This body language tells others how
you really feel about a situation, and the message you're giving isn't positive! Learning to
read body language can be a real asset in a leadership role, because you'll be better able to
determine how someone truly feels. This gives you the opportunity to respond
appropriately.
 Respond to feelings – You ask your assistant to work late – again. And although he agrees,
you can hear the disappointment in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him
you appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're just as frustrated about
working late. If possible, figure out a way for future late nights to be less of an issue (for
example, give him Monday mornings off).

5. Social skills

Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators.
They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're expert at getting their team to
support them and be excited about a new mission or project.

Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts
diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and
make everyone else do the work: They set an example with their own behaviour.

Social Skills relates to managing relationships to move people in the desired direction, in particular:

 Influence - Wielding effective persuasion tactics.

 Communication - Sending clear messages.
 Leadership- Inspiring and guiding groups and people.
 Change catalyst - Initiating or managing change.
 Conflict management - Understanding, negotiating and resolving disagreements.
 Building bonds - Nurturing instrumental relationships.
 Collaboration and cooperation - Working with others toward shared goals.
 Team capabilities. -Creating group synergy in pursuing collective goals.

So, how can you build social skills?

 Learn conflict resolution – Leaders must know how to resolve conflicts between their team
members, customers, or vendors. Learning conflict resolution skills is vital if you want to
succeed.
 Improve your communication skills – How well do you communicate?

The development of your emotional intelligence can be divided into personal and social
competencies.

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Personal Competence - self-awareness and self-management
Social Competence - social awareness and relationship management

Before you can begin to plan ways to improve your EQ competencies you need to identify your
current level within each competency and then decide the best way you can achieve a 'high' level in
each.

As with all areas of management you will need to adapt or add to the 'high level' descriptions used in
this eBook to take into account the unique attributes of your role and organization.

Your level of personal competence is one half of how to develop your emotional intelligence (EQ). It
consists of two key attributes:

Self-Awareness
This is your ability to recognize your own emotions and their effects on yourself and other people. It
represents the foundation of EQ because without being aware of and understanding your own
emotions it is impossible to move into the other EQ competencies like self-management and social
awareness.

Self-Management
Builds on your self-awareness, using your own self-control to ensure your emotions don't control
you regardless of the situation. It involves using what you know about your emotions to both
manage these emotions and motivate yourself.

Self-awareness means that you understand how you feel and can accurately assess your own
emotional state. To do this you need the following competencies:
• Emotional self-awareness
• Accurate self-assessment
• Self-confidence

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In order for a person to become emotionally self-aware they may need to accept that they have an
inbuilt reluctance to admit to certain negative feelings. This can be overcome by being aware of the
behaviours that result from these negative emotions, rather than necessarily having to admit to the
underlying negative emotions.

You can recognize an individual who has a high level of emotional self-awareness because they will:

• Know which emotions they are feeling and why

• Realize the links between their feelings and what they think, do, and say
• Recognize how their feelings affect their performance
• Have a guiding awareness of their values and goals
• Adopt behaviours that minimize the effects of their own emotions on a situation.

Once you are able to identify your own emotions and how they can impact situations you are able to
accurately assess yourself. This enables you to understand and explore your own strengths and
weaknesses, as well as being willing to explore them with others.

Daniel Goleman describes accurate self-assessment in terms of people who are:

• Aware of their strengths and weaknesses

• Reflective and capable of learning from experience
• Open to candid feedback and new perspectives
• Interested in continuous learning and self-development
• Able to show a sense of humour and perspective about themselves.

Self-assessment involves honestly investigating and acknowledging your emotional strengths and
weaknesses. Reflecting on your experiences and defining key actions required to address any
shortfall could help you achieve this.

Developing a strong capability for self-assessment will help you to learn from new experiences
because it will highlight those areas that offer opportunities for self-improvement and development.

The final competency of self-awareness is that of self-confidence. This is your ability to ground
yourself so that you are secure and self-assured in whatever situation you may find yourself. Daniel
Goleman describes self-confidence as:

'A strong sense of one's self-worth and capabilities.'

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You will recognize individuals with a high level of self-confidence because their behavior and
communications show that they have a:

• Certainty about their own value and capabilities

• Strong presence
• High level of self-assurance
• Willingness to express an unpopular opinion or stand up for something that is right if it is what
they truly believe
• Ability to make quick decisions even in uncertain and pressurized circumstances
• Belief that they can control the direction of their lives - and they do.

People who are self-confident understand that they have a great deal of control over what happens
in their lives. This means that the more self-confident you can become, the more you will find that
you are able to influence your future.

Once you are aware of how your emotions affect your behaviour and attitude towards situations you
will be able to self-manage. To achieve this you use your self-control to manage your emotions
whatever your circumstances and motivate yourself to succeed.

By understanding and being able to control your emotions you are able to manage them in such a
way as to generate positive interactions with those you come into contact with. The competency of
self-management has six different skill attributes:

Self-control - the ability to remain composed whatever state your emotions are in. People with this
competence:
o Manage their impulsive feelings and distressing emotions well
o Stay composed, positive, and unflappable even in trying moments
o Think clearly and stay focused under pressure

Trustworthiness - means that you will do what you say, when you say you'll do it. People with this
competence:
o Act ethically and are above reproach

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o Build trust through their reliability and authenticity
o Admit their own mistakes and confront unethical actions in others
o Take tough, principled stands even if they are unpopular

Conscientiousness - involves an individual being thorough, careful or vigilant and implies a desire to
perform a task well. People with this competence:
o Meet commitments and keep promises
o Hold themselves accountable for meeting their objectives
o Are organized and careful in their work

Adaptability - the ability to change something, or oneself, to fit occurring changes. People with this
competence:
o Smoothly handle multiple demands, shifting priorities, and rapid change
o Adapt their responses and tactics to fit fluid circumstances
o Are flexible in how they see events

Achievement orientation - requires an individual to show concern for working toward a self-
imposed and defined standard of excellence. People with this competence:
o Set themselves challenging goals
o Measure their own performance against those goals
o Actively seek out information to get the job done
o Use their time efficiently

Initiative - means taking the lead in problem-solving and conflict resolution as well as taking action
to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. People with this competence:
o Seek out fresh ideas from a wide variety of sources
o Entertain original solutions to problems
o Generate new ideas
o Take fresh perspectives and risks in their thinking

Self-management is critical for a manager because no one wants to work for someone who is not in
control of themselves and whose reactions depend on their prevailing mood.

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Activity 1

Broadly define the term "emotional intelligence".

Identify personal stressors and own emotional states related to the

workplace2
Stress Causes

Stress is caused by various factors - not all of which are work-related of course, (which incidentally
doesn't reduce the employer's obligation to protect against the causes of stress at work). Causes of
stress - known as stressors - are in two categories: external stressors and internal stressors.

External stressors - physical conditions such as heat or cold, stressful psychological environments
such as working conditions and abusive relationships, e.g., bullying.

2
Source: Business Balls, as at http://www.businessballs.com/stressmanagement.htm, as on 4th December,
2015.

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Internal stressors - physical ailments such as infection or inflammation, or psychological problems
such as worrying about something.

From the above, it is easy to see that work can be a source of both external and internal stressors.

Stressors are also described as either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic):

 Short-term 'acute' stress is the reaction to immediate threat, also known as the fight or flight
response. This is when the primitive part of the brain and certain chemicals within the brain
cause a reaction to potentially harmful stressors or warnings (just as if preparing the body to
run away or defend itself), such as noise, over-crowding, danger, bullying or harassment, or
even an imagined or recalled threatening experience. When the threat subsides the body
returns to normal, which is called the 'relaxation response'. (NB The relaxation response
among people varies; i.e., people recover from acute stress at different rates.)
 Long-term 'chronic' stressors are those pressures which are ongoing and continuous, when
the urge to fight or flight has been suppressed. Examples of chronic stressors include:
ongoing pressurised work, ongoing relationship problems, isolation, and persistent financial
worries.

The working environment can generate both acute and chronic stressors, but is more likely to be a
source of chronic stressors.

Stress effects on health and performance

Stress is proven beyond doubt to make people ill, and evidence is increasing as to number of
ailments and diseases caused by stress. Stress is now known to contribute to heart disease; it causes
hypertension and high blood pressure, and impairs the immune system. Stress is also linked to
strokes, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), ulcers, diabetes, muscle and joint pain, miscarriage during
pregnancy, allergies, alopecia and even premature tooth loss.

Various US studies have demonstrated that removing stress improves specific aspects of health:
stress management was shown to be capable of reducing the risk of heart attack by up to 75% in
people with heart disease; stress management techniques, along with methods for coping with
anger, contributed to a reduction of high blood pressure, and; for chronic tension headache
sufferers it was found that stress management techniques increased the effectiveness of prescribed
drugs, and after six months actually equalled the effectiveness of anti-depressants. The clear
implication for these ailments is that stress makes them worse.

Stress significantly reduces brain functions such as memory, concentration, and learning, all of which
are central to effective performance at work. Certain tests have shown up to 50% loss of
performance in cognitive tests performed by stress sufferers. Some health effects caused by stress
are reversible and the body and mind reverts to normal when the stress is relieved. Other health
effects caused by stress are so serious that they are irreversible, and at worse are terminal.

Stress is said by some to be a good thing, for themselves or others, that it promotes excitement and
positive feelings. If these are the effects, then it's not stress as defined here.

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It's the excitement and stimulus derived (by one who wants these feelings and can handle them)
from working hard in a controlled and manageable way towards an achievable and realistic aim,
which for sure can be very exciting, but it isn’t stress. Stress is bad for people and organisations, it's a
threat and a health risk, and it needs to be recognised and dealt with, not dismissed as something
good, or welcomed as a badge of machismo - you might as well stick pins in your eyes.

Causes of stress at work

These are typical causes of stress at work:

 bullying or harassment, by anyone, not necessarily a person's manager

 feeling powerless and uninvolved in determining one's own responsibilities
 continuous unreasonable performance demands
 lack of effective communication and conflict resolution
 lack of job security
 long working hours
 excessive time away from home and family
 office politics and conflict among staff
 a feeling that one's reward is not commensurate with one's responsibility
 working hours, responsibilities and pressures disrupting life-balance (diet, exercise, sleep
and rest, play, family-time, etc.)

Factors influencing the effects of stress and stress susceptibility

A person's susceptibility to stress can be affected by any or all of these factors, which means that
everyone has a different tolerance to stressors. And in respect of certain of these factors, stress
susceptibility is not fixed, so each person's stress tolerance level changes over time:

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  childhood experience (abuse can increase stress susceptibility)
 personality (certain personalities are more stress-prone than others)
 genetics (particularly inherited 'relaxation response', connected with serotonin levels, the
brain's 'well-being chemical')
 immunity abnormality (as might cause certain diseases such as arthritis and eczema, which
weaken stress resilience)
 lifestyle (principally poor diet and lack of exercise)
 duration and intensity of stressors (obviously...)

Signs of stress - stress test

At a clinical level, stress in individuals can be be assessed scientifically by measuring the levels of two
hormones produced by the adrenal glands: cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), but
managers do not have ready access to these methods. Managers must therefore rely on other signs.
Some of these are not exclusively due to stress, nor are they certain proof of stress, but they are
indicators to prompt investigation as to whether stress is present. You can use this list of ten key
stress indicators as a simple initial stress test: tick the factors applicable.

 sleep difficulties
 loss of appetite
 poor concentration or poor memory retention
 performance dip
 uncharacteristic errors or missed deadlines
 anger or tantrums
 violent or anti-social behaviour
 emotional outbursts
 alcohol or drug abuse
 nervous habits

Methods of personal stress management and stress relief

If you are suffering from work-related stress and it's beginning to affect, or already affecting your
health, stop to think: why are you taking this risk with your body and mind? Life's short enough as it
is; illness is all around us; why make matters worse? Commit to change before one day change is
forced upon you.

If you recognise signs of stress in a staff member, especially if you are that person's manager, don't
ignore it - do something about it. It is your duty to do so. If you do not feel capable of dealing with
the situation, do not ignore it; you must refer it to someone who can deal with it. You must also look
for signs of non-work-related stressors or factors that increase susceptibility to stress, because these
will make a person more vulnerable to work-related stressors. These rules apply to yourself as
well....

Stress relief methods are many and various. There is no single remedy that applies to every person
suffering from stress, and most solutions involve a combination of remedies. Successful stress
management frequently relies on reducing stress susceptibility and removing the stressors, and
often factors will be both contributing to susceptibility and a direct cause. Here are some simple
pointers for reducing stress susceptibility and stress itself, for yourself or to help others:

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Stress relief pointers

 think really seriously about and talk with others, to identify the causes of the stress and take
steps to remove, reduce them or remove yourself (the stressed person) from the situation
that causes the stress.
 Understand the type(s) of stressors affecting you (or the stressed person), and the
contributors to the stress susceptibility - knowing what you're dealing with is essential to
developing the stress management approach.
 improve diet - group B vitamins and magnesium are important, but potentially so are all the
other vitamins and minerals: a balanced healthy diet is essential. Assess the current diet and
identify where improvements should be made and commit to those improvements.
 reduce toxin intake - obviously tobacco, alcohol especially - they might seem to provide
temporary relief but they are working against the balance of the body and contributing to
stress susceptibility, and therefore increasing stress itself.
 take more exercise - generally, and at times when feeling very stressed - exercise burns up
adrenaline and produces helpful chemicals and positive feelings.
 stressed people must try to be detached, step back, look from the outside at the issues that
cause the stress.
 don't try to control things that are uncontrollable - instead adjust response, adapt.
 share worries - talk to someone else - off-load, loneliness is a big ally of stress, so sharing the
burden is essential.
 increase self-awareness of personal moods and feelings - anticipate and take steps to avoid
stress build-up before it becomes more serious.
 explore and use relaxation methods - they do work if given a chance - yoga, meditation, self-
hypnosis, massage, a breath of fresh air, anything that works and can be done in the
particular situation.
 seek out modern computer aids - including free downloads and desktop add-ons - for
averting stresses specifically caused by sitting for long uninterrupted periods at a computer
screen work-station, for example related to breathing, posture, seating, eye-strain, and RSI
(repetitive strain injury).

Note also that managing stress does not cure medical problems. Relieving stress can alleviate and
speed recovery from certain illnesses, particularly those caused by stress, (which depending on
circumstances can disappear when the stress is relieved); i.e., relieving stress is not a substitute for
conventional treatments of illness, disease and injury.

Importantly, if the stress is causing serious health effects the sufferer must consult a doctor. Do not
imagine that things will improve by soldiering on, or hoping that the sufferer will somehow become
more resilient; things can and probably will get worse.

For less serious forms of stress, simply identify the cause(s) of stress, then to commit/agree to
removing the cause(s). If appropriate this may involve removing the person from the situation that is
causing the stress. Counselling may be necessary to identify the cause(s), particularly if the sufferer
has any tendency to deny or ignore the stress problem.

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Acceptance, cognisance and commitment on the part of the stressed person are essential. No-one
can begin to manage their stress if they are still feeling acutely stressed - they'll still be in 'fight or
flight' mode.

This is why a manager accused of causing stress though bullying or harassment must never be
expected to resolve the problem. The situation must be handled by someone who will not
perpetuate the stressful influence.

Removing the stressor(s) or the person from the stressful situation is only part of the solution; look
also at the factors which affect stress susceptibility: where possible try to improve the factors that
could be contributing to stress vulnerability. This particularly and frequently involves diet and
exercise.

The two simplest ways to reduce stress susceptibility, and in many situations alleviate stress itself
(although not removing the direct causes of stress itself) are available to everyone, cost nothing, and
are guaranteed to produce virtually immediate improvements. They are diet and exercise.

Diet

It's widely accepted that nutritional deficiency impairs the health of the body, and it's unrealistic not
to expect the brain to be affected as well by poor diet. If the brain is affected, so are our thoughts,
feelings and behaviour.

We know that certain vitamins and minerals are required to ensure healthy brain and neurological
functionality. We know also that certain deficiencies relate directly to specific brain and nervous
system weaknesses: The Vitamin B Group is particularly relevant to the brain, depression and stress
susceptibility. Vitamin B1 deficiency is associated with depression, nervous system weakness and
dementia. B2 deficiency is associated with nervous system disorders and depression. B3 is essential
for protein synthesis, including the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is necessary for maintaining a
healthy nervous system. Vitamin B6 is essential for neurotransmitter synthesis and maintaining
healthy nervous system; B6 deficiency is associated with depression and dementia. B12 deficiency is
associated with peripheral nerve degeneration, dementia, and depression.

Vitamin C is essential to protect against stress too: it maintains a healthy immune system, which is
important for reducing stress susceptibility (we are more likely to suffer from stress when we are ill,
and we are more prone to illness when our immune system is weak). Vitamin C speeds healing,
which contributes to reducing stress susceptibility. Vitamin C is associate with improving post-
traumatic stress disorders and chronic infections.

A 2003 UK 18 month study into violent and anti-social behaviour at a youth offenders institution
provided remarkable evidence as to the link between diet and stress: Around 230 inmate volunteers
were divided into two groups. Half were given a daily vitamin/fatty acid/mineral supplement; half
were given a placebo. The group given the supplement showed a 25% reduction in recorded
offences, and a 40% reduction in serious cases including violence towards others, behaviours that
are directly attributable to stress.

Vitamin D helps maintain healthy body condition, particularly bones and speed of fracture healing,
which are directly linked to stress susceptibility.

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Adequate intake of minerals are also essential for a healthy body and brain, and so for reducing
stress susceptibility.

A proper balanced diet is clearly essential, both to avoid direct physical stress causes via brain and
nervous system, and to reduce stress susceptibility resulting from poor health and condition. Toxins
such as alcohol, tobacco smoke, excessive salt, steroids, other drugs and other pollutants work
against the balance between minerals, vitamins mind and body. Obviously then, excessive toxins
from these sources will increase stress susceptibility and stress itself.

Some other simple (and to some, surprising) points about food, drink and diet:

 Processed foods are not as good for you as fresh natural foods. Look at all the chemicals
listed on the packaging to see what you are putting into your body.
 Generally speaking, and contrary to popular opinion, butter is better for you than margarine.
This is because the fat in butter is natural and can be converted by the body more easily
than the hydrogenated fat that occurs commonly in margarines.
 Fresh fruit and vegetables are good for you. Simple and true.
 Fish is good for you, especially oily fish like mackerel. Battered fish from the chip shop,
cooked in hydrogenated cooking oil is not so good for you.
 Canned baked beans often have extremely high salt and sugar content. The beans are good
for you, but the sauce isn't if it contains too much salt and sugar. Look at the contents on the
label.
 Canned and bottled fizzy 'pop' drinks are generally very bad for you. They contain various
chemicals, including aspartame, which has been linked in several studies with nervous
system disorders. Many squashes and cordials also contain aspartame.
 Too much coffee is bad for you. Interestingly expresso coffee contains less caffeine than
filter and instant coffee, because it passes through the coffee grounds more quickly.
 Tea is good for you. Especially green tea.
 Pills and tablets are not good for you, avoid them if you can. For example, next time you
have a headache, don't take tablets, go for a run, or a walk in the fresh air to relax naturally.

The rule is simple and inescapable: eat and drink healthily, and avoid excessive intake of toxins, to
reduce stress susceptibility and stress itself. If you are suffering from stress and not obeying this
simple rule you will continue to have be stressed, and moreover you will maintain a higher
susceptibility to stress.

Irrespective of your tastes, it's easy these days to have a balanced healthy diet if you want to - the
challenge isn't in knowing what's good and bad, it's simple a matter of commitment and personal
resolve. You have one body for the whole of your life - look after it.

Sleep and rest

Sleep and rest are essential for a healthy life-balance.

We have evolved from ancestors whose sleep patterns were governed by and attuned to nature. We
are born with genes and bodies which reflect our successful evolutionary survival over tens of
thousands of years. Our genes and bodies do not reflect the modern world's less natural way of life.

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Only in very recent generations have the modern heating, lighting, communications and
entertainment technologies enabled (and encouraged) people to keep daft unnatural waking and
working hours. Such behaviour is at odds with our genetic preferences.

Resisting and breaking with our genetically programmed sleep and rest patterns creates internal
conflicts and stresses, just as if we were to eat unnatural foods, or breathe unnatural air.

Having a good night's sleep is vital for a healthy mind and body.

Napping during the day is also healthy. It recharges and energises, relaxes, and helps to wipe the
brain of pressures and unpleasant feelings.

Evidence of the relevance and reliability of this logic is found for example in the following research
by Androniki Naska et al published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on 12 February 2007, and
summarised here:

The research project is titled Siesta in Healthy Adults and Coronary Mortality in the General
Population. The research team was headed by Androniki Naska PhD of the Department of Hygiene
and Epidemiology, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.

The introduction of the report extract explains the approach:

"Midday napping (siesta) is common in populations with low coronary mortality, but epidemiological
studies have generated conflicting results. We have undertaken an analysis based on a sizable cohort
with a high frequency of napping and information on potentially confounding variables including
reported comorbidity, physical activity, and diet..."

The research studied 23,681 adults for an average of 6.32 years, and found that men and women
taking a siesta of any frequency or duration had a coronary mortality ratio of 0.66, i.e., were 34%
less likely to die of heart disease. Those occasionally napping during daytime had a 12% reduction in
fatal heart disease, and people systematically napping during daytime had a 37% lower incidence of
fatal heart disease. The study found the correlation strongest among working men. The study
concluded: that taking a siesta (midday nap) correlates with reduced fatality from heart disease, that
the correlation strengthens with the consistency of the siesta habit, and that the association was
particularly evident among working men.

While the study did not measure stress per se, it is reasonable to make at least a partial connection
between reduced fatality due to heart disease and reduction in stress, since the two illnesses (stress
and heart disease) are undeniably linked.

Exercise

Physical exercise is immensely beneficial in managing stress. This is for several reasons:

 Exercise releases helpful chemicals in our brain and body that are good for us.
 Exercise distracts us from the causes of stress.
 Exercise warms and relaxes cold, tight muscles and tissues which contribute to stress
feelings.

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  Exercise develops and maintains a healthy body which directly reduces stress susceptibility.

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain which is good for us. Exercises also releases hormones,
and stimulates the nervous system in ways that are good for us. Exercise produces chemicals in the
body such as beta-endorphin, which is proven to have a positive effect on how we feel. For many
people, serious exercise produces a kind of 'high'. (It's arguable that it has this effect on everyone,
but not since so many people never get to do any serious exercise they'll never know.......). Scientists
still don't fully understand how exactly these effects happen, but we do know that exercise produces
powerful feelings of well-being and a physical glow, both of which directly reduce stress feelings.

Exercise of all types (muscle-building and stamina-building) relaxes tense muscles and tight
connective tissues in the body, which directly contribute to stress feelings and symptoms
(particularly headaches). Try this next time you get a stress headache - one that comes up the back
of your neck into the back of your head: stand up, leave whatever you are doing, walk outside, take
a few deep breaths, roll your shoulders backwards gently, slowly at first, then gradually speed up to
about one rotation per second and keep it going for one minute. You can actually feel your shoulders
warming and loosening, then feel your neck muscles warming up and relaxing, and then feel the
relaxing feel beginning to take the edge of the pain in the back of your head. And that's after just
sixty seconds of exercise! Imagine what 15 minutes brisk walking or jogging can do. Ask anyone
who's just finished a game of tennis or squash or soccer if they feel at all stressed. Of course they
don't. It's actually impossible to stay stressed if you do a serious bit of exercise.

Exercise is wonderfully distracting - especially something very competitive which makes you push
yourself further than you might do by yourself. When your body is involved with exercise it's very
absorbing - it's actually very difficult to think about your problems when you are puffing and panting.
Something terrific happens to the brain when the body works out, especially aerobic exercise -
cardiovascular exercise that gets the heart pumping.

We all evolved over millions of years with bodies that were built to exercise, it's no wonder that
avoiding it creates all kinds of tensions.

Exercise, like a better diet, isn't difficult to adopt - the answer is simple, the opportunity is there - it's
the personal commitment that make the difference.

And a final point about 'anger management'....

Anger management and stress

The term 'anger management' is widely use now as if the subject stands alone. However, 'anger
management' is simply an aspect of managing stress, since anger in the workplace is a symptom of
stress. Anger is often stress in denial, and as such is best approached via one-to-one counselling.
Training courses can convey anger management and stress reduction theory and ideas, but one-to-
one counselling is necessary to turn theory into practice. Management of anger (and any other
unreasonable emotional behaviour for that matter) and the stress that causes it, can only be
improved if the person wants to change - acceptance, cognisance, commitment - so awareness is the
first requirement. Some angry people take pride in their anger and don't want to change; others fail

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to appreciate the effect on self and others. Without a commitment to change there's not a lot that a
manager or employer can do to help; anger management is only possible when the angry person
accepts and commits to the need to change.

A big factor in persuading someone of the need to commit to change is to look objectively and
sensitively with the other person at the consequences (for themselves and others) of their anger.
Often angry people are in denial ("my temper is okay, people understand it's just me and my
moods...."), so removing this denial is essential. Helping angry people to realise that their behaviour
is destructive and negative is an important first step. Discuss the effects on their health and their
family. Get the person to see things from outside themselves.

As with stress, the next anger management step is for the angry person to understand the cause of
their angry tendency, which will be a combination of stressors and stress susceptibility factors. Angry
people need help in gaining this understanding - the counsellor often won't know the reason either
until rapport is established. If the problem is a temporary tendency then short-term acute stress may
be the direct cause. Use one-to-one counselling to discover the causes and then agree necessary
action to deal with them. Where the anger is persistent, frequent and ongoing, long-term chronic
stress is more likely to be the cause. Again, counselling is required to get to the root causes. Exposing
these issues can be very difficult, so great sensitivity is required. The counsellor may need several
sessions in order to build sufficient trust and rapport.

The situation must be referred to a suitably qualified person whenever necessary, ie when the
counsellor is unable to establish a rapport, analyse the causes, or agree a way forward. In any event
if you spot the need for anger management in a person be aware that serious anger, and especially
violence, is a clinical problem and so must be referred to a suitably qualified advisor or support
group - under no circumstances attempt to deal with seriously or violently angry people via
workplace counselling; these cases require expert professional help.

Establishing commitment to change and identifying the causes is sufficient for many people to make
changes and improve - the will to change, combined with awareness of causes, then leads to a
solution.

Ideas for stress relief - especially for workers at particular risk

Many workers in the healthcare professions are at particular risk from stress and stress-related
performance issues (absenteeism, attrition, high staff turnover, etc). Other sectors also have staff
that are at a higher risk than normal from the effects of work-related stress.

It is the duty of all employers to look after these people. The solutions are more complex than
blaming people for not being able to cope, or blaming the recruitment selection process.

In these situations it is often assumed that better selection of (more resilient) new recruits is the
solution. However, the challenge is two-fold - identifying best new candidates, and more
importantly: helping and supporting staff in their roles.

In terms of identifying best new candidates, look at Emotional Intelligence methodology. The ability
to absorb high levels of stress and pressure is governed largely by emotional maturity and personal
well-being, which to an extent are reflected in the EQ model.

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The Emotional Intelligence section contains some useful resources (for example an Emotional
Intelligence competency framework, which can be used to structure interview questions or even to
create an assessment tool to assist in the recruitment process).

Other methodologies are also relevant to the qualities which greatly assist in high-stress roles (and
especially training/support for the people in the roles), including NLP, Transactional Analysis, and
Empathy.

Existing staff and new people in stress-prone roles are also likely to benefit from help given with
relaxation, stress relief, meditation, peace of mind, well-being, etc., all of which increase personal
reserves necessary to deal with stressful situations, which in turn reduces attrition, absenteeism and
staff losses. Happily many providers in these fields are not expensive and bring great calm to people
in a wide variety of stressful jobs.

Television, films, computer games - mood influencing stress factors

In the same way that 'you are what you eat' recent research suggests that also 'you are what you
watch'.

Given how the brain works it is logical - and increasingly proven - that if you subject yourself to
miserable, negative experiences portrayed on film and television, and computer games, that you
will feel unhappy or even depressed as a result. Negative, violent, miserable images, actions,
language and sounds are in effect a form of negative conditioning. They produce stress, anxiety, and
actually adversely affect a person's physical health.

Evidence is growing that positive or negative images and sounds have a corresponding positive or
negative affect on your physical health and well-being. Watching or violent or miserable TV, films or
playing violent computer games are experiences now proven to have a directly negative effect on a
person's physical health, as well as mental state.

Conversely, watching or listening to an amusing experience or portrayal in a variety of media (TV,

film, even books) has a beneficial effect on your mood, and thereby will tend to improve your
physical health, mental state, and reduce your stress levels.

Negative viewing and game-playing experiences are bad for you. Positive, funny experiences are
good for you.

Think about and control the influences upon you - reduce the negatives and increase the positives -
and you will improve your physical and mental health, and you will most certainly reduce your stress
levels.

Some useful references:

Research published in 2005 by Dr Michael Miller of the University of Maryland in Baltimore

confirmed the positive and negative effect on blood vessels and their 'endothelium' lining, from
respectively positive and negative viewing and listening experiences, and the resulting hormonal
changes that result, producing stress, and adversely affecting blood vessel performance.

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Healthy blood vessels and endothelium are able to dilate (open) more freely and quickly, aiding
blood flow and reducing propensity to clots and related blood flow problems such as heart risks.
Basically, negative experiences reduce capability of blood vessels to dilate, and positive viewing
experiences and laughter reduce stress and improve blood vessel dilation.

Specifically the research found that stress caused blood flow to slow by around 35%, but laughter
increased it by around 22%. Miller also referenced numerous prior studies demonstrating the
positive effects of humour and laughter on stress and health, together with evidence of the contrary
negative effects on health, stress and the body's natural functions caused by negative viewing
experiences. Miller found that stress and reduced blood vessel performance resulting from negative
experiences last for around 45 minutes, and suggested that unrelenting stress could permanently
(adversely) alter blood vessels.

Professor Andrew Steptoe, British Heart Foundation Professor of Psychology at University College
London, has previously shown associations between positive emotional states such as happiness and
low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, (as well as finding that people with a more positive outlook
appear to be less affected by stressful events).

Dr Margaret Stuber's US research has demonstrated that laughter is an effective pain reducer in
children, and specifically that children's stress levels were reduced after laughing, and in UK
hospitals 'clown doctors' are used in children's wards to improve patients' tolerance to stress and
pain, including prior to anaesthetic and operating theatre.

Workplace stress and workplace health research articles

If you needed any further evidence of the damaging effects of stress and pressures in the workplace
- especially for managers, here's a useful research article released 28 April 2006 by the Chartered
Institute of Management:

Poor workplace health is no laughing matter for managers

Increased anger and loss of humour amongst people in the workplace are just two of the knock-on
effects that businesses now have to deal with due to poor workplace health, according to new
research (published April 2006).

The 'Quality of Working Life' report published by the Chartered Management Institute and
Workplace Health Connect uncovers a high number of physical and psychological symptoms and
highlights the impact these have on business performance.

The survey questioned 1,541 managers in the UK revealing a poor picture of health, with only half
(50%) believing they are currently in 'good' health.

Key findings of the report were:

 Anger and mood: 43% admitted to feeling or becoming angry with others too easily and one
third (31%) confessed to a loss of humour creating workplace pressures.

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  Muscle tension and headaches: More than half of those questioned (55%) complained of
muscular tension or physical aches and pains. 44% said they experienced frequent
headaches.
 Tiredness and insomnia: Asked about psychological symptoms, 55% experienced feelings of
constant tiredness at work. 57% complained of insomnia.

The report also shows that ill-health is having an impact on morale and performance. One-third
(30%) admit they are irritable 'sometimes or often' towards colleagues. Some managers also want to
avoid contact with other people (26%) and many (21%) have difficulty making decisions due to ill
health.

Mary Chapman (no relation), chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, says: "With the
impact of ill-health being keenly felt in the workplace, managers need a better understanding of the
consequences of letting relatively minor symptoms escalate. They need to take more personal
responsibility for improving their health because inaction is clearly having an effect on colleagues
and the knock-on effect is that customer relationships will suffer, too."

Elizabeth Gyngell, programme director at Workplace Health Connect, says: "Health activities should
not be driven by a concern over legislation, but by the understanding that improved well-being can
generate significant benefits to morale and performance. This means organisations should ensure
their employees are well versed in identifying and addressing symptoms before they escalate."

The Chartered Management Institute helps set and raise standards in management, encouraging
development to improve performance. Moreover, with in-depth research and regular policy surveys
of its 71,000 individual members and 450 corporate members, the Institute has a deep
understanding of the key issues. The Chartered Management Institute came into being on 1 April
2002, as a result of the Institute of Management being granted a Royal Charter.

As regards health in the workplace, Workplace Health Connect (a partnership between the CMI and
the Health and Safety Executive) provides free, confidential, impartial and practical advice and
support on health, safety and return-to-work issues.

Small businesses, which employ less than 250 workers and are based in England and Wales, can
access the service via an Adviceline (0845 609 6006). Where needed, this will be followed up by
workplace visits from qualified Workplace Health Connect advisers. These visits are available in
London, the North East, the North West, South Wales and the West Midlands.

Workplace Health Connect advisers are able to advise on a range of issues that can affect workplace
health including: poor manual handling technique, incorrect use of chemicals, poor hygiene in the
workplace, working in dusty or noisy environments and working at a badly set up workstation.

Emotional intelligence is defined as an aptitude at identifying and managing emotions in a way that
is healthy and constructive.

The non-profit organization reports that there are four factors that influence emotional intelligence:
self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.

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The first component involves being more aware of one's own emotions and what effect they have on
actions and thoughts. Part of this is knowing personal strengths and weaknesses. Self-management
is the skill to control negative responses to stressful or challenging communications and or
situations. It involves handling feelings and situations in a way that yields positive results. These two
aspects are integral for employees dealing with intense workplace stress.

Additionally, workers need the skills to build good relationships with co-workers. Social awareness is
the ability to recognize how others may be feeling and respond appropriately. Relationship
management is key in helping to influence, manage and inspire others.

Research that was conducted at the Institute of HeartMath revealed that heart rate variability
feedback, which helps individuals gain heart rate coherence, may significantly reduce workplace
stress as it allows users to view changes in their emotional state. Technology offered by HeartMath
provides this in an e-learning format.

Activity 2

Select one emotional stressor that you have experienced in a work environment. What caused the
stressor to exist? What effect did it have on your emotional state? How was it resolved?

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Activity 2

Develop awareness of own emotional triggers and use this awareness to

enable control emotional responses3

What Triggers Your Emotions?

The strengths that have helped you to succeed are also your greatest emotional triggers
when you feel someone is not honouring what makes you special.

3
Source: Outsmart Your Brain, as at http://outsmartyourbrain.com/find-your-emotional-triggers-on-this-list/,
as on 4th December, 2015.

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When your brain perceives that someone has taken or plans to take one of these important
things away from you, then your emotions are triggered.

You react with anger or fear, then you quickly rationalize your behaviour so it makes sense.
You may lose trust in the person or situation. You may lose courage or react in a way that
could hurt your relationships in the future.

The key is to catch yourself reacting when your emotions are triggered. Then you can
discover if the threat is real or not.

The following list includes some of the most common emotional triggers, meaning you react
when you feel as though you aren’t getting or will not get one of these things that are very
important to you.

acceptance respect be liked

be understood be needed be valued

be in control be right be treated fairly

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attention comfort freedom

peacefulness balance consistency

order variety love

safety predictability included

fun new challenges autonomy

Some of these needs will be important to you. Others will hold no emotional charge for you.

To start controlling your emotional triggers, choose three items from the list that most
often set off your emotions when you don’t get these needs met. Be honest with yourself.
Which three needs, when not met, will likely trigger a reaction in you? Identify the needs
that you hold most dear.

It is critical to note that needs are not bad. The reason you have these needs is that at some
point in your life, the need served you. For example, your experiences may have taught you
that success in life depends on maintaining control, establishing a safe environment and
having people around you who appreciate your intelligence.

However, the more you become attached to these needs, the more your brain will be on the
lookout for circumstances that threaten your ability to have these needs met. Then your
needs become emotional triggers.

At this point, you must judge the truth of the situation. Are you really losing this need or
not? Is the person actively denying your need or are you taking the situation too personally?
If it’s true that someone is ignoring your need or blocking you from achieving it, can you
either ask for what you need or, if it doesn’t really matter, can you let the need go?

Without consciously acknowledging the need that is triggering the emotional reaction, we
become enslaved to the need. On the other hand, if we honestly declare our needs—that
we had expected people to treat us in a particular way and had hoped events would unfold
as we had planned—then we can begin to see life more objectively. From this perspective,
we are freer to choose our reactions.

BEING PRESENT

As soon as you notice that you are emotionally reacting, you have to shift your emotional
state in order to think through what your trigger might be. Therefore, practice the following
technique to help you make the shift:

Relax – breath and release the tension in your body.

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Detach – clear your mind of all thoughts.

Centre – drop your awareness to the centre of your body just below your navel. Feel
yourself breathe. This helps to clear the mind.

Focus (and implant) – choose one keyword that represents how you want to feel or who you
want to be in this moment.

Once you shift your emotional state, you are free to examine if someone is actually taking
something away from you or not. You can then ask for what you need or let it go and move
on. Keep breathing and thinking of your keyword and you will be able to outsmart your
brain.

Understanding and managing your emotional triggers4

When you react badly to an event, it is common to blame the event for your reaction e.g. your
boss asks you to work overtime and you get angry. Your natural reaction may be to blame your
boss for your anger. However, you may notice that other people, when asked to work overtime,
do not always react angrily. In fact, some just accept and get on with it while others, if it is not
convenient, inform their boss that they will not be able to work overtime. Given the fact that
others are able to react differently to the event, it stands to reason that it is not the event that
causes your anger. Rather it is your beliefs or feelings about the event. This is where your
emotional triggers come in to play.

For just about every possible event, you have your own beliefs, feelings or views. In the example

4
Source: Coaching positive Performance, as at http://www.coachingpositiveperformance.com/understanding-
managing-emotional-triggers/, as on 4th December, 2015.

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above, you may feel that you cannot say ‘No’ to your boss. Alternatively, you may feel that your
boss should not be asking you to work overtime as you work long enough hours. Can you see how
either of these beliefs would cause you to react angrily when your boss asks you to work
overtime?

Now imagine if rather than these beliefs, you believed that you had the right to say ‘No’ to your
boss or; you just accepted that from to time you would have to work overtime. Can you see how
these beliefs would lead to you feeling differently about the situation? As a result, you would be
less likely to get angry.

Your beliefs about a situation are just one way that emotional triggers can influence your
behaviour. Sometimes, emotional triggers can lead to positive behaviour; however, emotional
triggers often lie behind some of our worst behaviour. If you are unaware of your emotional
triggers, these negative behaviours can seem automatic and out of your control.

Fortunately, as you become aware of your emotional triggers and start to monitor them, you
realise that you have the opportunity to intervene in the space between the event and your
response, thus creating a more desirable situation.

Taking control of your emotional triggers

You can implement the following steps to help you take control of your emotional triggers by
increasing your awareness and developing new ways of responding. These steps are divided in to
2 phases – understanding your emotional triggers and, managing your emotional triggers.

Understanding your emotional triggers

1. Identify your emotional triggers

A trigger is an experience that draws us back into the past and causes old feelings and behaviours
to arise. It is important to note that the emotional trigger is not always the specific situation e.g.
in the example given earlier the emotional trigger is probably not the fact that you have being
asked to work overtime. The following are just some of the emotional triggers which are more
likely to be the issue in that particular example:

 Being asked to do something you do not want to do

 Taking orders from authority figures
 Having somebody else control your time
 Lacking the confidence or assertiveness to say ‘No’
 Thinking errors – e.g. you may believe that the boss always expects you to be the one to
work overtime and never asks anybody else

As you can see, each of these emotional triggers is different and would have to be dealt with a
different approach. That is why it so important to observe your feelings and emotions to find the
exact emotional triggers which are leading to your undesired behaviour.

2. Spot external stimuli

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Some triggers are situational and social. Take note of the situations where you behave in the
undesired manner. Include the people who were there, what was happening etc. In time, you will
begin to see a pattern which will better enable you to identify the root cause of the issue.

3. Identify internal causes

When you find yourself behaving in the undesired manner, take note of your thoughts and
feelings. Your thoughts and feelings about situations, and people, heavily influence your
behaviour. In many cases, these thoughts and feeling are inaccurate, unhelpful or no longer
relevant. When you become aware of them, you are in a position to challenge them.

4. Accept that we all have emotional triggers

We are all human and as such, we are all fallible. Having emotional triggers which cause you to
behave in a negative way does not make you a bad person. Instead, view them as an opportunity
to grow and develop into an even better person.

Managing your emotional triggers

5. Keep a journal

The best and simplest way to monitor your behaviour is to keep a journal. Whenever you behave
in the undesired manner, make a record of your thoughts, feelings, emotions and the situation
you were in when the behaviour took place. Note what’s going on in your head and in your
surroundings at the time. Be as detailed as you can be.

Tracking your triggers is the first step in mastering them. It allows you to identify patterns and
pinpoint the causes of your behaviour. When you can do this, you are then in a position to make
changes.

6. Challenge yourself

The key to change is placing yourself in difficult positions and being open to doing something new
and more constructive. Many people avoid their problems but avoidance is not an effective
problem solving strategy. If you want to change your behaviour, you must challenge yourself. It is
not always easy but the rewards are always worth it.

7. Come up with alternatives

If you want to change your behaviour, it is not enough to simply stop behaving that way. That
approach is rarely effective. You need to substitute a new behaviour. Brainstorm new strategies
you can use instead of the old behaviour e.g. if you do not want to do the overtime, commit
yourself to becoming more assertive so that you can tell your boss that you will not be available.

You may need to develop and implement new skills. Develop Your Strengths may be helpful to

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you.

8. Know your capacity

Proceed at your own pace. To continue with the previous example; if you want to be more
assertive, you can start out by being more assertive with your spouse and friends if you need to
practice before talking with your boss. This will build your confidence and, as you see that the
world does not end when you say ‘No’, you will build a greater resolve to stand your ground.

9. Make time to relax

Taking the time to manage your stress levels will help you to manage your emotions better.
Identify the behaviours which help you to de-stress and fit them into your schedule on a daily
basis.

As you begin to de-stress and unwind, you will find that you become more resilient and more
determined.

10. Live healthy

Another way to make yourself more resilient is to take good care of your body and mind. Eat right,
sleep well and exercise regularly. You’ll be better prepared to bounce back from any obstacles
that may arise.

11. Develop a strong support network

When you’re dealing with stubborn issues, it’s good to know you have people who care about you
and want to help. By telling people whom you can trust about your desire to change, you will have
a support network whom you can turn to during your tough times and, with whom you can
celebrate your progress. The knowledge that you are not alone upon your journey can be enough
to give you the courage to keep going.

Note: Professional help can be a wonderful part of your support network, if required. There is
absolutely no shame in seeking professional help when you are trying to improve your life.

Failure to understand and manage your emotions is one of the leading factors behind Passive
Aggressive Behaviour. To help you manage this problem, check out Tackling Passive Aggressive
Behaviour.

When you behave in an unacceptable manner, it is easy to blame others or to blame events for
your behaviour. When you blame outside factors it may make you feel better in the short-term
but in the long-term you are cheating yourself of the opportunity to live a happy, healthy life. If
you are behaving in an inappropriate or undesirable way, the problem may well be due to
emotional triggers. We all have our own unique emotional triggers. Learning to handle them
constructively enables us to fix the issues that get in our way and move ahead in life. So, rather
than blame outside factors for your unwanted behaviour; take it on the chin, accept that you need
to make some changes and get to work. When you implement the steps outlined above, you will
be well on the way to taming your emotional triggers and enjoying a happy and healthier life.

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Model workplace behaviours that demonstrate management of emotions5

Current interest in "emotional intelligence" has raised the question of whether it is possible to
improve the social and emotional competence of adult workers. Research in training and
development, sports psychology, and behaviour change suggests that it is possible, but the typical
approach used in corporate training programs usually is flawed. Social and emotional learning is
different from cognitive and technical learning, and it requires a different approach to training and
development.

This section presents 22 guidelines for developing emotional intelligence in organizations, based on
the best knowledge available on how to promote social and emotional learning.

Bringing Emotional Intelligence to the Workplace

When the book, Emotional Intelligence, appeared in 1995, many business leaders agreed with the
basic message that success is strongly influenced by personal qualities such as perseverance, self-
control, and skill in getting along with others(1). They could point to "super sales persons" who had
an uncanny ability to sense what was most important to the customers and to develop a trusting
relationship with them. They could point to customer service employees who excelled when it came
to helping angry customers to calm down and be more reasonable about their problems with the
product or service. And they also could point to brilliant executives who did everything well except
get along with people, or to managers who were technically brilliant but could not handle stress, and
whose careers stalled because of these deficiencies. Business leaders well understood how valuable
these "emotionally intelligent" employees are to an enterprise.

But what about the many workers who lack these important emotional competencies? Is it possible
for adults to become more socially and emotionally competent? Many business leaders are less
certain about this question. For instance, the dean of a major business school, when asked about the
importance of emotional intelligence at work, enthusiastically agreed that it was crucial. But when
we asked him how his school attempted to improve the emotional intelligence of MBA students, he
said, "We don’t do anything. I don’t think that our students’ emotional intelligence can be improved
by the time they come here. They’re already adults, and these qualities are developed early in life."

On the other hand, there are those who seem to claim that they can raise the emotional intelligence
of a whole group of employees in a day or less. Scores of consultants now are selling workshops and
seminars designed to help people become more emotionally competent and socially skilled. Some of
these programs are quite good, but others make unrealistic claims. The worst ones are those that
involve a heavy reliance on inspirational lectures or intense, short-lived experiences – and little else.

So who is right – the skeptics who believe that nothing can be done to improve emotional
competence after the age of 15, or the hucksters who claim that they can turn emotional dunces
into emotional Einsteins in an afternoon? As usual, the answer lies somewhere in between.

5
Source: EI Consortium, as at http://www.eiconsortium.org/reports/technical_report.html, as on 4th
December, 2015.

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A growing body of research on emotional learning and behavior change suggests that it is possible to
help people of any age to become more emotionally intelligent at work. However, many programs
designed to do so fail to recognize the difference between two types of learning.

Two Types of Learning

Training and development efforts in industry have not always distinguished between cognitive
learning and emotional learning, but such a distinction is important for effective practice. For
instance, consider the example of the engineer whose career was stymied because he was shy,
introverted, and totally absorbed in the technical aspects of his job. Through cognitive learning, he
might come to understand that it would be better for him to consult other people more, make
connections, and build relationships. But just knowing he should do these things would not enable
him to do them. The ability to do these things depends on emotional competence, which requires
emotional learning as well as cognitive learning.

Emotional incompetence often results from habits deeply learned early in life. These automatic
habits are set in place as a normal part of living, as experience shapes the brain. As people acquire
their habitual repertoire of thought, feeling, and action, the neural connections that support these
are strengthened, becoming dominant pathways for nerve impulses. Connections that are unused
become weakened, while those that people use over and over grow increasingly strong. When these
habits have been so heavily learned, the underlying neural circuitry becomes the brain’s default
option at any moment – what a person does automatically and spontaneously, often with little
awareness of choosing to do so. Thus, for the shy engineer, diffidence is a habit that must be
overcome and replaced with a new habit, self-confidence.

Emotional capacities like empathy or flexibility differ from cognitive abilities because they draw on
different brain areas. Purely cognitive abilities are based in the neocortex. But with social and
emotional competencies, additional brain areas are involved, mainly the circuitry that runs from the
emotional centres – particularly the amygdala – deep in the centre of the brain up to the prefrontal
lobes, the brain’s executive centre. Effective learning for emotional competence has to re-tune these
circuits.

Cognitive learning involves fitting new data and insights into existing frameworks of association and
understanding, extending and enriching the corresponding neural circuitry. But emotional learning
involves that and more – it requires that we also engage the neural circuitry where our social and
emotional habit repertoire is stored. Changing habits such as learning to approach people positively
instead of avoiding them, to listen better, or to give feedback skilfully, is a more challenging task
than simply adding new information to old.

Motivational factors also make social and emotional learning more difficult and complex than purely
cognitive learning. Emotional learning often involves ways of thinking and acting that are more
central to a person’s identity. A person who is told, for instance, that he should learn a new word
processing program usually will become less upset and defensive than if he is told that he should
learn how to better control his temper or become a better listener. The prospect of needing to
develop greater emotional competence is a bitter pill for many of us to swallow. It thus is much
more likely to generate resistance to change.

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What this means for social and emotional learning is that one must first unlearn old habits and then
develop new ones. For the learner, this usually means a long and sometimes difficult process
involving much practice. One-day seminars just won’t do it.

Those who study training "have tended to consider all training the same, without regard to the
purpose of the training or the type of learning involved." Some of the previous thinking about
training, based largely on cognitive learning, is valid for social and emotional learning as well.
However, the principles for social and emotional learning differ greatly from those that apply to
purely cognitive abilities. A better source of guidance comes from research that examines social and
emotional change processes more directly. Such research comes from many different fields,
including sports psychology, psychotherapy and behaviour change, and personal development. This
research suggests a set of guidelines for the design of effective social and emotional learning. These
guidelines point to components that are additive and synergistic; to be effective, social and
emotional learning experiences need not adhere to all of these guidelines, but the chances for
success increase with each one that is followed.

Guidelines for Effective Social and Emotional Learning: An Overview

The guidelines for social and emotional training are presented schematically in Figure 1. They are
arranged in the form of a flow chart that describes the optimal process for helping individuals to
increase their emotional competence in personal and interpersonal contexts.

FIGURE 1 The Optimal Process for Developing Emotional Intelligence in Organizations

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The flow chart suggests that there are four basic phases to the training process. The first occurs even
before the individual begins formal training. This initial phase, which is crucial for effective social and
emotional learning, involves preparation for change. This preparation occurs at both the
organizational and individual levels. The second phase, training, covers the change process itself. It
includes the processes that help people change the way in which they view the world and deal with
its social and emotional demands. The third phase, transfer and maintenance, addresses what
happens following the formal training experience. The final phase involves evaluation. Given the
current state of knowledge about social and emotional learning, the complexity of programs
designed to promote such learning and the great unevenness in the effectiveness of existing
programs, evaluation always should be part of the process.

Phase One: Preparation for Change

Motivation is especially important in social and emotional learning. Such learning can be challenging
for adults who already have established a way of relating to themselves and others, and people need
to be strongly committed to the change process for an extended period of time. So what can
managers and trainers do to increase learners’ motivation prior to the start of the change process?
The first set of guidelines addresses this question.

1. Assess the Organization’s Needs. Good training begins with a needs assessment. For social and
emotional training, there are two particular challenges that must be addressed at this point in the
process. First, many people in the organization will be sceptical about the link between emotional
intelligence and the bottom line. A systematic and rigorous study can help show that such a link
exists. For instance, in one large financial services company, there was considerable scepticism
about the value of training in "emotional competence" until top executives saw the results of a study
showing that financial advisors who coped better with the emotional aspects of work with clients
sold more life insurance policies. Once they saw the connection between this particular type of
emotional competence and the bottom line, the executives encouraged advisors to participate in an
emotional competence training program.

The second challenge in applying this guideline to social and emotional training efforts is to identify
all of the particular competencies that are important for success. Sometimes it is easy to miss crucial
ones. For instance, an initial needs assessment in one airline began with a consideration of the
airline’s business strategy. Because airlines are similar in price structure, a competitive advantage
depends particularly on how well passengers are treated by airline personnel. As a result, the way in
which flight attendants handled passengers became the focus for training efforts. Research then
indicated that superior performers had two types of competencies: self-management (resilience,
efficiency, adaptability) and interpersonal (caring for and managing customers well, and teamwork).
However, two other competencies, self-awareness and empathy, help support the self-management
and interpersonal competencies. So the training program also needed to include these. Only a
careful assessment of the work situation, informed by an understanding of the nature of emotional
competence, enabled the consultant to identify both the surface-level and deeper competencies
that affected performance.

2. Assess Personal Strengths and Limits. Two challenges confront those who wish to assess the social
and emotional competence of individuals. First, people usually are less aware of skill weaknesses in
the social and emotional domains. They may realize, for example, that the interpersonal aspects of
leading a work group are difficult and frustrating. But they may not be able to pinpoint the
emotional skills they need in order to improve their functioning in this area.

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They are probably even less aware of the underlying attitudes and ways of thinking that get them
into trouble, or how those ways of thinking trigger complex emotional response patterns that
impede their effectiveness in dealing with difficult employees, customers, or co-workers.

Second, these competencies are manifested primarily in social interaction. Therefore, the best
approach usually involves ratings by those who interact with the person. However, the beliefs,
motives, and feelings of the rater influence ratings of social and emotional competence. The boss’s
view of a manager’s self-awareness or ability to empathize may be very different from the
perspective of the manager’s peers and subordinates. The best assessment approach for initiating
social and emotional learning thus is usually based on multiple ratings conducted from multiple
perspectives, such as 360-degree assessments that include boss, peer, and subordinate ratings.

"Three-sixty feedback" now is used regularly in industry for a variety of purposes, and organizations
vary in how well they use this tool. When not managed well, it can create resistance rather than
readiness. In the most effective development programs, the participants are helped to review these
ratings and then use them to identify the competencies that should be the focus of training efforts.
Ultimately, however, the motivating power of an assessment is affected by how credible it is to the
learners. The trainees need to have faith in the assessment method.

3. Provide Feedback with Care. Motivation for change can be enhanced when people are given
feedback on the assessment results. However, there are many pitfalls in giving people feedback on
their social competence. These competencies are closely linked to a person’s identity and self-
esteem. It is one thing, for example, to be told that you need to work on the back-swing of your chip
shot in golf, but it is quite another to be told that you need to handle stress better. If the feedback is
not provided with sensitivity and skill, people often become defensive.

People are more likely to respond positively to feedback when they trust and respect the person
who gives it. People also are more likely to be motivated to change when they believe that the
feedback is constructive and accurate and they are helped to identify the specific steps they can take
to improve. People also need sufficient time to think about the information and its implications. And
in social and emotional development efforts, it is especially important that the feedback occur in an
atmosphere of safety.

The understood purpose of the feedback also affects its motivational and emotional impact. When,
for instance, it is used for appraisal purposes, and one’s supervisor gives the feedback, the impact
often is negative. On the other hand, when it is used for development purposes and the person
giving the feedback is viewed as a disinterested individual whose motivation is to help, then the
consequences tend to be much more positive. For instance, in a large computer software company,
an executive development specialist provides the individual with the results of a 360-degree
assessment strictly in confidence, one-to-one. No copies of the results are kept. The feedback is used
only as a development tool.

4. Maximize Learner Choice. People generally are more motivated to change when they freely
choose to do so. In social and emotional training, however, choice is particularly important. Because
these competencies are so close to the essence of what makes us the people we are, it is better if
we are free to choose whether or not to engage in such training. It also is better if the choice is real.
If trainees are given a choice but not assigned to the training they initially chose, they will be less
motivated to learn than those who were given no choice.

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5. Encourage Participation. Because social and emotional learning is viewed as "soft" and thus
somewhat suspect, employees will tend not to choose to participate in it unless they believe that the
organization’s management strongly endorses it. The words and actions of supervisors are especially
important. Trainees are more willing to participate in development activity if their supervisors
indicate that they support it. In a large financial services company, a training program in emotional
competence was popular in part because several regional vice presidents encouraged their
management groups to participate and then attended the program with them.

The same has been true for "crew resource management training," a program that teaches airline
crews the social and emotional skills that help them to work better as a team. When senior
management has demonstrated a real commitment to this program by providing intensive and
recurrent training, there has been greater acceptance of it among the crews. Acceptance also has
increased when check airmen and instructors emphasize concepts from the training during other
training and checking.

6. Link Learning Goals to Personal Values. People will be most motivated to learn and change if they
believe that doing so will help them achieve goals that they value. For instance, in teaching airline
crews how to work better in the cockpit as a team, it usually is more effective to teach them "how to
get a team off to a good start," and "how to address conflicts among members constructively,"
rather than to teach them about "behavioural styles".

Often the most salient personal values will be work-related, but they need not be. Trying to motivate
learners by showing them that training will contribute to career success will be difficult if success is
unimportant to them.

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Fortunately, other incentives for social and emotional learning are not difficult to find. In one
popular emotional competence program, many participants reported that the skills they learned
were as valuable in managing relationships at home as they were at work.

7. Adjust Expectations. Expectations about performance can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

People who are confident that they can succeed in a training program will tend to be more
motivated and, not surprisingly, more successful. Unfortunately, in the case of social and emotional
learning, many people are sceptical that emotional intelligence can be improved. And people who
find social and emotional problems challenging will be particularly dubious about their ability to
improve. To maximize motivation, learners need to believe not only that greater emotional
competence will lead to valued outcomes, but also that it can be improved. Furthermore, they need
to have a realistic expectation of what the training process will involve.

Trainers can help enhance learners’ self-efficacy in various ways. For instance, in the JOBS program,
an award-winning program designed to help unemployed workers to overcome discouragement and
find new jobs, the participants observe the trainers engage in a role-play of a job interview. The
trainers intentionally make several mistakes during the role-play.

The participants then provide suggestions for improving performance, and the trainers do the role-
play again, incorporating the participants’ suggestions. The participants see how useful the
suggestions are, and the trainers point out that the participants have demonstrated that they
already know most of what the experts know about how to do a job interview well.

8. Gauge Readiness. Research on a wide variety of behaviour change programs suggests that people
go through several stages of readiness for change before they are ready to make a true
commitment. In the first stage, they deny that they have any need for change. In the next stage,
people begin to see that they need to improve, but they are not sure that anything can be done
about their problems and they put off making a decision. In the third stage, the individual recognizes
that there is a problem and also that there are ways of dealing with it, but the person has not made
a concrete plan to act. It is not until the fourth stage that the person is ready to act. People at this
stage have a concrete plan, and they put it into action. Before training begins (or toward the
beginning), the training staff should, ideally, assess the readiness stage of each potential participant.
They then would design an appropriate intervention based on that assessment, which will differ for
people at each stage of readiness.

Phase Two: Training

In social and emotional learning, motivation continues to be an important issue during the training
phase. The amount of time, effort, and potential threats to one’s self-esteem that occur during social
and emotional learning suggest that trainers continue to monitor the individual’s motivation and
intervene to bolster it. One of the most important factors influencing motivation during the training
phase is the relationship between the trainer and the learner.

9. Foster a Positive Relationship Between the Trainer and Learner. In social and emotional learning,
the relationship between the trainer and learner is critically important. For instance, in a program
designed to teach people to be more assertive, the participants were less likely to drop out and
showed more positive change at the end of the program if they had a positive relationship with the
trainer.

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Several studies have suggested that trainers who are empathic, warm, and genuine – which are, of
course, attributes of emotional intelligence – develop more positive relationships with participants
in behaviours change programs, and they are more likely to be successful(29). Trainers who use a
directive-confrontational style only succeed in making participants more resistant.

In the JOBS program, the trainers work to develop a trusting relationship with the participants by
engaging in a moderate degree of self-disclosure. For instance, the trainers talk about their own
experiences in coping with job loss, emphasizing the normal experiences of self-doubt, encounters
with barriers and setbacks, persistence in the face of these barriers, and ultimate success. This self-
disclosure encourages the participants to identify with and admire the trainers, which facilitates
social and emotional learning.

10. Maximize Self-Directed Change. People are more likely to develop emotional competence when
they decide which competencies to work on and set their own goals. Training for emotional
competence also benefits when the trainer adapts the training to match the person’s needs, goals,
and learning style preferences. For instance, in one stress management program, the participants
were taught a variety of approaches to relaxation. Then they were encouraged to try each one and
select the best one for them. And if none worked well, they were encouraged to try other
approaches to managing stress, such as improving their time management skills. The basic message
of the program was that people differ, and no one approach to managing stress will work well for
everyone.

11. Set Clear Goals. Social and emotional learning benefits from specific, clear goals. A goal such as
"learn how to listen better to subordinates" is less effective than "use active listening with at least
three times each day for three weeks." Specific and challenging goals help support social and
emotional learning because they maximize self-efficacy, mastery, and motivation. The most effective
trainers are able to help the learners set clear and challenging goals without infringing on the
learners’ sense of ownership for the goals.

12. Break Goals into Manageable Steps. For many people, trying to bring about even modest
improvements in emotional competence can be frustrating. Although challenging goals are more
motivating than simple ones, it also helps if the goals are attainable. When people reach a goal, their
self-efficacy increases, which leads to the setting of new, more challenging goals. For instance, one
MBA student lacked the self-confidence necessary to approach people about part-time jobs. The
larger goal of developing self-confidence was overwhelming (and also vague), but he was helped to
break it into smaller, more realistic action steps. The first was to update his resume, which was easy;
there was no need to approach anyone. The next steps, which were increasingly difficult, were to
call the chairman of the Finance Department by the next month to request a meeting, then meet
with the chairman to discuss opportunities, then do the same with his mentor, a local executive.
Finally, he would search the local want ads and call to apply for promising jobs. In this way, the goal
of increasing self-confidence became attainable, and steady progress and success rather than
frustration and failure characterized the process.

13. Maximize Opportunities to Practice. The relationship between practice and learning is one of the
oldest and best-established principles in psychology. In social and emotional learning, there often
must be more practice than in other types of learning because old, ineffective neural connections
need to be weakened and new, more effective ones established.

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Such a process requires repetition over a prolonged period of time. And learners need to practice on
the job, not just in the training situation, for transfer to occur.

Relying on a single seminar or workshop is one of the most common errors made in social and
emotional learning programs. Even an intense workshop lasting several days usually is not sufficient
to help people unlearn old, entrenched habits and develop new ones that will persist. The most
effective training programs include repeated sessions of practice and feedback.

14. Provide Frequent Feedback on Practice. Feedback is important during the change process as a
way of indicating whether the learner is on track. It also can help sustain motivation, for feedback
can be highly reinforcing. Feedback is especially useful in social and emotional learning because the
learners often have trouble recognizing how their social and emotional behaviour manifests itself. In
fact, because self-awareness is a core competence, those who need the most help in emotional
competence programs may be particularly weak in this area. Thus, they need even more focused
and sustained feedback as they practice new behaviours.

15. Rely on Experiential Methods. More active, concrete, experiential methods, such as role plays,
group discussions, and simulations, usually work better than lecturing or assigned reading for social
and emotional learning. In order to reprogram neural circuits connecting the amygdala and
neocortex, people need to actually engage in the desired pattern of thought, feeling, and action. A
lecture is fine for increasing understanding of emotional intelligence, but experiential methods
usually are necessary for real behaviours change.

A study of managerial and sales training programs offered in a large corporation demonstrated the
superiority of experiential methods for social and emotional learning. The programs that used
experiential methods produced twice as much improvement in performance, as rated by supervisors
and peers, as did the other programs. Furthermore, the return on investment for the experiential
programs was seven times greater.

A particularly good example of experiential learning is the teaching approach used in Cockpit
Resource Management. Much of the training involves "flying missions" in a highly realistic flight
simulator. To learn more about how they interact with one another and the effects it has on their
performance, the crew is videotaped while they perform the mission, and then they view the tape
with an instructor and focus on their interactions.

16. Build in Support. Change is enhanced through ongoing support from individuals and small
groups. Such support is especially valuable for people who are trying to improve their social and
emotional competence. Coaches and mentors, as well as individuals who are going through the
same change process, can help sustain a person’s hope and motivation. Social and emotional
training programs usually are more effective when they encourage the formation of groups where
people give each other support throughout the change effort.

In a stress management program designed for a group of middle managers in a high tech firm, the
trainers assigned the participants to a "support group" early in the first session. All small group work
during the course of the program took place in these support groups, and facilitators included
activities that helped the group members get to know one another better. The participants were
encouraged to meet with others in their support groups in between sessions and after the program
formally ended.

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The participants reported that the conversations they had in their support groups about life style
and priorities were the most important factors in helping them to make positive changes in their
work and personal lives.

17. Use Models. Seeing the desired behaviours modelled is particularly valuable in social and
emotional learning. One cannot learn to solve quadratic equations by watching someone else do so,
but one can learn a great deal about how to discuss a conflict with a co-worker by observing a model
do it. Learning is further enriched when trainers encourage and help learners to study, analyse, and
emulate the models.

18. Enhance Insight. Even though experiential interventions seem to be especially productive for
social and emotional learning, insight also can play a useful role. Insight serves as a natural link
between situations, thoughts and feelings. It enhances self-awareness, the cornerstone of emotional
intelligence. And insight often paves the way for meaningful behaviours change.

The most effective training combines experiential methods and the development of insight. For
instance, one program taught managers to be more aware of how their employees irritated them
and to become more effective in setting limits with employees.

The trainer began the lesson by showing an excerpt from a popular comedy film in which one
character continually annoyed another one by infringing on his personal space in various ways. After
showing the film, the trainer helped the participants to shift the focus from the film to themselves,
and they began to see how they often allowed some of their employees to bother them in similarly
annoying ways. After acquiring more insight into their own emotional reactions, the participants
were ready to learn some emotional and social skills that could help them to deal with these
annoying behaviours.

19. Prevent Relapse. The essence of relapse prevention is to prepare people mentally to encounter
slips, to recognize at the outset that setbacks are a normal part of the change process. Relapse
prevention is especially important in social and emotional learning because participants attempting
to develop these competencies are likely to encounter many setbacks as they attempt to apply new
behaviours on the job. Without preparation for these setbacks, they can easily become discouraged
and give up before the task of neural relearning has reached the point where the new, learned
response is the automatic one.

In relapse prevention training, people are helped to reframe slips as opportunities to learn in order
to reduce the likelihood of slipping again in the future. For dealing with situations in which a mistake
is likely, they also are helped to develop practical strategies such as taking a "time out" to consult
with a mentor. Through relapse prevention, trainees learn how to identify and overcome potential
obstacles to applying new skills on the job. They also learn to monitor their progress and use
methods of self-reinforcement to maintain motivation.

For example, in one program a trainer leads the participants through a discussion about a
hypothetical situation in which a participant who has followed all the rules for effective, supportive
feedback receives an angry response when talking with a staff member. The trainer then asks the
group to describe how they would feel in this situation and to consider what they could do to
overcome this particular obstacle. The trainer then praises the participants for their ideas on how to
bounce back from this setback.

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Later, the trainer asks the participants to write down on one side of a sheet of paper descriptions of
setbacks they might encounter when they try to apply a skill they have learned, and to generate
possible solutions for overcoming these setbacks on the other side of the paper. The participants
then share these strategies with the rest of the group.

Phase Three: Transfer and Maintenance

Transfer and maintenance of learned skills is a particular challenge in social and emotional learning.
When learners return to their natural environments, there are likely to be many cues and reinforcers
that support the old neural pathways that training was designed to weaken. Further, there may be
significant barriers to the use of some of the new social and emotional competencies that still have a
fragile neural foundation. Well-designed training programs cannot be effective if the larger
organizational system in which they are rooted is not supportive of the training goals. Recent
research has pointed to several aspects of the organizational environment that seem to be helpful in
facilitating transfer of social and emotional learning.

20. Encourage Use of Skills on the Job. There are many different ways that supervisors, peers,
subordinates, and others in the work environment can encourage learners to apply what they have
learned. The best methods involve either reminding people to use the skills or reinforcing them
when they do so.

Reinforcement is a particularly good way to encourage trainees to apply their new skills on the job
and to continue doing so. In the workplace, reinforcement by one’s supervisor can be especially
powerful. Consider the difference in outcomes for two supervisory training programs. In both, the
participants liked the programs and successfully learned the new skills. But follow up showed that
the participants from the first program applied their skills on the job, while those in the second did
not. The biggest difference between the two programs was that the trainees in the first one were
"directed and encouraged by their supervisors to use the new skills." In fact, two of the participants
were removed from their jobs for not using the new skills.

Supervisors can reinforce the use of new skills on the job in less drastic ways. For instance, they can
encourage trainees to use learned skills on the job simply by cueing them to do so. Also, a follow-up
assessment of skills learned during training can make the trainees feel more accountable and
increase transfer of learning. For example, the airlines have "check pilots" observe flight crews
during flights and then give them feedback in order to encourage the crews to use the teamwork,
communication, and leadership skills that they previously learned.

The behaviours of a supervisor, or any high status person, is crucial for the transfer and maintenance
of new emotional and social competencies. The models to which learners are exposed when they
return to the work environment are even more powerful than those they encountered during
training. Social and emotional behaviours seems to be especially sensitive to modelling effects, and
high status persons are influential models for this kind of behaviours in the workplace. For instance,
in one supervisory training program, the participants were taught to adopt a more supportive
leadership style. After they returned to their jobs, only those trainees whose own supervisors had
such a style transferred what they had learned to their jobs.

In addition to modelling and reinforcement, reflection can help learners transfer and maintain what
they have learned.

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It can be particularly helpful for supervisors to set aside some time periodically to help learners
reflect on what they have done to apply the skills, and to consider what have been the barriers and
facilitating factors. Because self-awareness is a cornerstone of social and emotional competence,
reflection can be especially valuable during the transfer and maintenance phase.

Although supervisors are especially salient sources of reinforcement and encouragement, other
individuals and groups in the work environment can be important as well. For instance, in a
supervisory skills program, the supervisors’ employees were trained at the same time as the
supervisors. This additional component of the program helped create an environment that
encouraged the supervisors to practice and use the new behaviours.

21. Provide an Organizational Culture that Supports Learning. Transfer and maintenance of specific
skills seems to be affected by the extent to which the organization values learning and development
in general. Challenging jobs, social support, reward and development systems, and an emphasis on
innovation and competition influence these perceptions and expectations.

The climate of the work environment is particularly important for transfer of social and emotional
learning to the job. One study found that participants in a human relations training program who
returned to a supportive climate performed better on objective performance measures and were
promoted more often than those in an unsupportive climate. Furthermore, these effects were not
observed until 18 months after training, highlighting the importance of a supportive environment for
the development of social and emotional competencies over time.

Phase Four: Evaluating Change

22. Conduct on-going evaluation research. Evaluation is essential for promoting effective training.
Research suggests that many training programs do not fulfil their promise. Only through evaluation
can poor programs be improved and effective ones retained. By evaluation, we mean a process that
focuses on continuous improvement rather than just a "pass-fail" test in which individuals associated
with a program win or lose credibility. When an evaluation suggests that a program falls short in
achieving its goals, it should not be used to punish an individual or group. Rather, it should be used
as a guide for improving the training that is offered. Evaluation should be linked to learning and the
continual pursuit of quality.

Evaluation has received increased attention of late because of the recognition that training
departments in modern organizations need to be held more accountable. Instead of cost centres,
training departments now are viewed as profit centres. Unfortunately, the field has been slow to
meet this challenge. An October, 1997 survey of 35 highly regarded "benchmark" companies
conducted by the American Society for Training and Development found that of the 27 companies
that said they tried to promote emotional competence through training and development, more
than two-thirds made no attempt to evaluate the effect of these efforts. Those that did attempt to
evaluate their efforts relied primarily on measures such as reactions to training and employee
opinion surveys.

Good evaluation of social and emotional learning efforts has been especially rare. One reason seems
to be a widespread belief that programs designed to promote "soft skills" cannot be evaluated.
Although this may have been true at one time, we now have the tools necessary to conduct rigorous
evaluations of most training programs for social and emotional competence.

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It can be difficult to include every aspect of the ideal evaluation design in many organizations, but
there are examples of evaluation studies that come close. One is a study of eleven management
training programs offered in a large pharmaceutical company. The evaluators utilized pre- and post-
assessments of those who went through the programs, and these assessments included ratings of
the participants’ performance on the job by bosses, peers, and subordinates. They also calculated
the costs and benefits of the programs. They found that three of the eleven programs were
worthless. On the other hand, five programs had a return-on-investment ranging from 16 to 492
percent, and one time management program had a return-on-investment of 1,989 percent. The four
year study cost $500,000, which was only .02 percent of the $240 million that the company spent on
training during that period. As a result of this evaluation, the company has eliminated the ineffective
programs and retained the ones that more than pay for themselves.

Another example was an evaluation of a supervisory training program conducted in a forest products
company. This study used a control group and pre- and post-measures. The program’s impact on the
supervisors’ competence was measured through subordinate ratings, and the study also assessed
the program’s impact on absenteeism, turnover, and productivity. The results showed first that the
trained supervisors were using all of the interpersonal skills covered in the program significantly
more than did the controls during the six months following training. Second, the average daily
production of the trained supervisors’ employees, relative to controls, increased over 20 percent.
Third, turnover and absenteeism significantly declined among the employees of the trained
supervisors, relative to the controls. The evaluation study thus provided strong evidence that the
training program had the desired effects on both supervisor competencies and the bottom line.

These two examples show that while it is not easy to evaluate social and emotional competence
training programs, it now is possible to do so with much greater rigor and precision than ever
before. By making evaluation an integral part of the process, training programs will gradually
become more effective.

What Are the Guidelines Worth?

Not all training programs in social and emotional competence follow these guidelines. How much
money currently is lost by training that does not follow these guidelines? We estimate that the
figure is between 5.6 and 16.8 billion dollars. We arrived at this estimate by starting with the
commonly quoted figure of $50 billion spent on training each year. We then assumed that the
average cost per worker for 1 week of training is $1500. Dividing this figure into the $50 billion total
gave us an estimate of the total number of workers trained, which is 33 million workers.

We next assumed that only a quarter of these workers receives training related to emotional
competence. (The number probably is higher, but we wanted to be conservative in this estimate.)
The rest receive technical and cognitive training. Thus, we estimated that adopting the guidelines
should improve training for about 8 million workers.

Next we computed the economic impact of training. Several studies have suggested that on average,
training improves worker performance by .4 to .6 of a standard deviation (S.D.). 70. To be on the
conservative side, we used the lowest figure, 4 S.D. Other research has suggested that for the
average worker, an S.D. equals about 40 percent of salary. 71. The average salary of American
workers is about $35,000. Thus the average economic impact of training currently is .4 S.D. X .40 X
$35,000 = $5,600 per worker.

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We next factored in the difference in effect size between training programs that follow the
guidelines and those that don’t. We used the data from a recent study of training programs in one
large corporation, which found that programs adhering to most of the guidelines improved the
impact of training by about .3 S.D. over those that didn’t follow the guidelines(72). To be
conservative, we then assumed that only about half the workers who now are trained (the lower half
of the distribution) would do better by that amount if the guidelines were adopted. We also
considered the estimated impact for weaker effect size differences of .1 and .2 S.D. Thus, we
estimated that if the guidelines were adopted uniformly, about 4 million workers would show an
improvement of .1 to .3 S.D. in training impact. We then computed the total economic impact of
training currently and compared it to the impact if the guidelines were adopted:

Current economic impact of training = 4 million workers X $5,600/worker = $22.4 billion.

Impact if guidelines were followed = 4 million X $7,000 = $28 billion (assuming an improvement of .1
S.D.)

Difference = $28 billion - $22.4 billion = $5.6 billion.

The difference for an effect size improvement of .2 S.D. would be $11.2 billion, and the difference
for the full .3 S.D. improvement would be $16.8 billion. Thus, using these figures, we estimate that
American business currently is losing between $5.6 and $16.8 billion.

It is possible for people of all ages to become more socially and emotionally competent. However,
the principles for developing this type of competence differ greatly from those that have guided
much training and development practice in the past. Developing emotional competence requires
that we unlearn old habits of thought, feeling, and action that are deeply ingrained, and grow new
ones. Such a process takes motivation, effort, time, support, and sustained practice, as the
guidelines presented in this article make clear. The guidelines also suggest that the preparation and
transfer-and-maintenance phases of the training process are especially important. Yet too often
these phases are neglected in practice.

Organizations increasingly are providing training and development that is explicitly labelled as
"emotional intelligence" or "emotional competence" training. However, the guidelines presented
here apply to any development effort in which personal and social learning is a goal. This would
include most management and executive development efforts as well as training in supervisory
skills, diversity, teamwork, leadership, conflict management, stress management, sales, customer
relations, etc.

Ideally, efforts to develop emotional competence would include all the elements we have identified
here, but we realize that it often will not be practical to do so. Fortunately, the effect of adhering to
the guidelines is multiplicative and synergistic: the more guidelines that trainers can follow, the
greater and more lasting will be their impact.

If the current interest in promoting emotional intelligence at work is to be a serious, sustained

effort, rather than just another management fad, it is important that practitioners try to follow
guidelines based on the best available research. Only when the training is based on sound,
empirically based methods will its promise be realized.

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Activity 3

Can emotions be managed? Discuss.

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Activity 3

Use self-reflection and feedback from others to improve development of own

emotional intelligence6

Who wouldn’t want a higher level of emotional intelligence? Studies have shown that a high
emotional quotient (or EQ) boosts career success, entrepreneurial potential, leadership talent,
health, relationship satisfaction, humour, and happiness. It is also the best antidote to work stress
and it matters in every job — because all jobs involve dealing with people, and people with higher
EQ are more rewarding to deal with.

Most coaching interventions try to enhance some aspect of EQ, usually under the name of social,
interpersonal, or soft skills training. The underlying reasoning is that, whereas IQ is very hard to
change, EQ can increase with deliberate practice and training.

But what is the evidence? For example, if you’ve been told you need to keep your temper under
control, show more empathy for others, or be a better listener, what are the odds you can really do
it? How do you know if your efforts will pay off, and which interventions will be most effective?

Nearly 3,000 scientific articles have been published on EQ since the concept was first introduced in
1990, and there are five key points to consider:

6
Source: Harvard Business Review, as at https://hbr.org/2013/05/can-you-really-improve-your-em, as on 5th
December, 2015.

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1. Your level of EQ is firm, but not rigid. Our ability to identify and manage our own and others’
emotions is fairly stable over time, influenced by our early childhood experiences and even genetics.
That does not mean we cannot change it, but, realistically, long-term improvements will require a
great deal of dedication and guidance.

Everyone can change, but few people are seriously willing to try. Think about the worst boss you
ever had — how long would it take him to start coming across as more considerate, sociable, calm or
positive? And that’s the easier part — changing one’s reputation. It is even harder to change one’s
internal EQ; in other words, you might still feel stressed out or angry on the inside, even if you
manage not to show those emotions on the outside.

The bottom line is that some people are just naturally more grumpy, shy, self-centred or insecure,
while other people are blessed with natural positivity, composure, and people-skills. However, no
human behaviour is unchangeable. One good piece of news is that EQ tends to increase with age,
even without deliberate interventions. That’s the technical way to say that (most people) mature
with age.

2. Good coaching programs do work. Good news for all you coaches and your clients; bad news for
the sceptics. While no program can get someone from 0 to 100%, a well-designed coaching
intervention can easily achieve improvements of 25%. Various meta-analyses (quantitative reviews
that synthesize the findings from many published studies) suggest that the most coachable element
of EQ is interpersonal skills — with average short-term improvements of 50%.

Think of it as teaching negotiation and social etiquette — what the great Dale Carnegie called “how
to win friends and influence people.” For stress management programs, the average improvement
reported is around 35%. Even empathy can be trained in adults. The most compelling demonstration
comes from neuropsychological studies highlighting the “plasticity” of the social brain. These studies
suggest that, with adequate training, people can become more pro-social, altruistic, and
compassionate.

And there’s a bonus: research also shows that the benefits of EQ-coaching are not just confined to
the workplace — they produce higher levels of happiness, mental and physical health, improved
social and marital relationships, and decrease levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). Admittedly, the
programs studied here may be considerably more sophisticated than the more intuitive and eclectic
approach of the average coach, but the point is that EQ can be enhanced with the right program.
(And so if your approach isn’t working, maybe it’s time to look for a better one.)

3) But you can only improve if you get accurate feedback. While many ingredients are required for
a good coaching program, the most important aspect of effective EQ-coaching is giving people
accurate feedback. Most of us are generally unaware of how others see us — and this especially true
for managers. As noted, “it is remarkable how many smart, highly motivated, and apparently
responsible people rarely pause to contemplate their own behaviours.”

A recent meta-analysis shows that the relationship between self- and other-ratings of EQ is weak
(weaker, even, than for IQ). In other words, we may not have a very accurate idea of how smart we
are, but our notion of how nice we are is even less accurate. The main reason for this blind spot is
wishful thinking or overconfidence: it is a well-documented (but rarely discussed) fact that, in any
domain of competence, most people think they are better than they actually are.

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Thus any intervention focused on increasing EQ must begin by helping people understand what their
real strengths and weaknesses are.

Although fewer than 15% organizations evaluate the effectiveness of their coaching initiatives, there
is strong evidence that using reliable and valid assessment methods, such as personality tests or 360-
degree feedback, produces the best outcomes. For example, a controlled experimental study of
1,361 global corporation managers showed that feedback-based coaching increased managers’
propensity to seek advice and improved their performance (as judged by their direct reports) one
year later.

4) Some techniques (and coaches) are more competent than others. Although there is little
research on the personal characteristics of effective coaches, there is some research on the methods
that work the best. Clearly, some interventions to enhance EQ are more effective than others. The
most effective coaching techniques fall under the realm of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Attempts to
enhance psychological flexibility — the ability to accept and deal with (as opposed to avoid)
unpleasant situations — are also effective. The most popular (not necessarily the most effective)
methods are relaxation and meditation. Contrary to popular belief, interventions designed to
enhance self-esteem or confidence are rarely effective and often counterproductive. But coaching is
not pure science; it is also an art. As such, its success depends on the talent of the coach.

5) Some people are more coachable than others. Even the best coach and coaching methods will
fail with certain clients (just imagine trying to coach Silvio Berlusconi). This is hardly surprising given
that many coaching engagements are arranged by HR for, shall we say, unenthusiastic clients. There
is an old joke about how many psychologists it takes to change a light bulb. Just one — so long as the
light bulb wants to change. On the one hand, EQ may enhance coachabilty — clients with better
people skills, more empathy, and greater self-awareness are better equipped to improve. On the
other hand, if you are sensitive to criticism, insecure, and worry about failure (all characteristics of
people with a lower EQ) you should be more willing to change. Although there is not much research
on coachability, a recent study showed that evaluating clients’ coachability levels at the start of the
sessions can increase the effectiveness of coaching.

Many employee engagement surveys, such as Gallup’s and Sirota’s, have shown that managers are
the major cause of employee disengagement and stress, and disengagement and stress have been
shown to be major inhibitors of productivity and retention. In line, the American Institute of Stress
reports that stress is the main cause underlying 40% of workplace turnovers and 80% of work-
related injuries. Although EQ-coaching will not solve these problems, it may alleviate the symptoms
for both managers and employees. So, with or without a coach, working on your EQ does pay off.

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Respond to the emotional states of co-workers and assess emotional cues7

If you are one of the unlucky people who must deal with a clueless colleague or a brutish boss,
you’re not alone. Sadly, far too many people at work lack basic emotional intelligence. They simply
don’t seem to have the self-awareness and the social skills that are necessary to work in our
complicated multicultural and fast-moving companies. These people make life hell for the rest of us.

What can you do to turn these folks around and make work a healthier, happier, more productive
place to be? Whose job is it, anyway, to fix these people?

If one of these socially awkward or downright nasty people works directly for you, it is indeed your
job to do something. They ruin work teams and destroy productivity, not to mention morale. They’re
little time bombs that go off when you least expect it — sucking up your time and draining
everyone’s energy. They need to change, or they need to leave.

Here’s the problem: EI is difficult to develop because it is linked to psychological development and
neurological pathways created over an entire lifetime. It takes a lot of effort to change long-standing
habits of human interaction — not to mention foundational competencies like self-awareness and
emotional self-control. People need to be invested in changing their behavior and developing their
EI, or it just doesn’t happen. What this means in practice is that you don’t have even a remote
chance of changing someone’s EI unless they want to change.

Most of us assume that people will change their behavior when told to do so by a person with
authority (you, the manager). For complicated change and development, however, it is clear as day
that people don’t sustain change when promised incentives like good assignments or a better office.
And when threatened or punished, they get downright ornery and behave really badly. Carrot and
stick performance management processes and the behaviorist approach upon which they are based
are deeply flawed, and yet most of us start (and end) there, even in the most innovative
organizations.

What does work is a) helping people find a deep and very personal vision of their own future and b)
then helping them see how their current ways of operating might need a bit of work if that future is
to be realized. These are the first two steps in Richard Boyatzis’ Intentional Change theory — which
we’ve been testing with leaders for years. According to Boyatzis — and backed up by our work with
leaders — here’s how people really can begin and sustain change on complex abilities linked to
emotional intelligence:

You and Your Team

 Emotional Intelligence

Feelings matter at work

7
Source: Harvard Business Review, as at https://hbr.org/2015/04/how-to-help-someone-develop-emotional-
intelligence, as on 5th December, 2015.

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First, find the dream. If you’re coaching an employee, you must first help him or her discover what’s
important in life. Only then can you move on to aspects of work that are important to this person.
Then, help your employee craft a clear and compelling vision of a future that includes powerful and
positive relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. Notice that I’m talking about coaching
your employee, not managing him. There’s a big difference.

Next, find out what’s really going on: What’s the current state of this person’s emotional
intelligence? Once a person has a powerful dream to draw strength from, he’s strong enough to take
the heat — to find out the truth. If you are now truly coaching him, you’re trusted and he’ll listen to
you. Still, that’s probably not enough. You will want to find a way to gather input from others, either
through a 360-degree feedback instrument like the ESCI (Emotional and Social Competency
Inventory), or a Leadership Self Study process, which gives you the chance to talk directly to trusted
friends about their EI and other skills.

Once you have the dream and the reality, it’s time for a gap analysis and a learning plan. Note that I
did not say “performance management plan,” or even “development plan.” A learning plan is
different in that it charts a direct path from the personal vision to what must be learned over time to
get there — to actual skill development.

Learning goals are big. Take, for example, one executive I know. Talented though he was, he was in
danger of being fired for his distinct lack of caring about the people around him. He wanted what he
wanted, and watch out if you were in his way. He couldn’t seem to change until it finally dawned on
him that his bulldozer style was playing out at home too, with his children. That didn’t fit at all with
his dream of a happy, close-knit family, living close to one another throughout their lives. So, with a
dream in hand and the ugly reality rearing its head at work and at home, he decided to work on
developing empathy. As a learning goal, empathy is one of the toughest and most important
competencies to develop. The capacity for emotional and cognitive empathy is laid down early in
life, and then reinforced over many years. This gentleman had a good foundation for empathy in
childhood, but intense schooling and a stint at an up-or-out management consulting firm drove it
out of him. He needed to relearn how to read people and care about them. He was able to succeed.
Yes, it took a good while, but he did it.

This sounds like a lot of hard work for your employee, and it can be. Here’s where a final important
piece of the theory comes into play. They — and you — can’t do it alone. People need people — kind
and supportive people — when embarking on a journey of self-development. Are you there for your
employees? Do you help thme find other supporters, in addition to yourself, who will help when
their confidence wanes or when they experience inevitable setbacks?

Developing one’s emotional intelligence can make the difference between success and failure in life
and in work. And, if you’re the one responsible for people’s contributions to the team and your
organization, you are actually on the hook to try to help those (many) people who are EI-challenged,
deficient, and dangerous. It’s your job.

But what if you’re not the boss? You can still make a difference with colleagues, too. All of the same
rules apply to how people change. You just need to find a different entry point. In my experience,
that entry begins with you creating a safe space and establishing trust. Find something to like about
these people and let them know it.

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Give them credit where credit is due, and then some (most of these folks are pretty insecure). Be
kind. In other words, use your EI to help them get ready to work on theirs.

And finally, if none of this works, these “problem people” don’t belong on your team — or maybe
even in your organization. If you’re a manager, that’s when it’s time to help them move on with
dignity.

Activity 4

Outline an approach to respond to an angry staff member where you don't know what has caused
the anger.

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Activity 4

Identify the varying cultural expressions of emotions are utilise to respond to

emotional cues in a diverse workforce8

Culture—i.e., the beliefs, values, behavior, and material objects that constitute a people's way of
life—can have a profound impact on how people display, perceive, and experience emotions. The
culture in which we live provides structure, guidelines, expectations, and rules to help us understand
and interpret various emotions.

Expressing Emotions

A cultural display rule dictates the types and frequencies of emotional displays considered
acceptable within a certain culture (Malatesta & Haviland, 1982). These rules may also guide how
people choose to regulate their emotions, ultimately influencing an individual's emotional
experience and leading to general cultural differences in the experience and display of emotion.

For example, in many Asian cultures, social harmony is prioritized over individual gain, whereas
Westerners in much of Europe and the United States prioritize individual self-promotion.

8
Source: Boundless, as at https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-
textbook/emotion-13/influence-of-culture-on-emotion-411/influence-of-culture-on-emotion-263-12798/ , as
on 5th December, 2015; Spark Notes, as at
http://www.sparknotes.com/psychology/psych101/emotion/section4.rhtml, as on 5th December, 2015.

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Research has shown that individuals from the United States are more likely to express negative
emotions such as fear, anger, and disgust both alone and in the presence of others, while Japanese
individuals are more likely to do so only while alone (Matsumoto, 1990). Furthermore, individuals
from cultures that tend to emphasize social cohesion are more likely suppress their own emotional
reaction in order to first evaluate what response is most appropriate given the situation
(Matsumoto, Yoo, & Nakagawa, 2008).

Cultures also differ in the social consequences that they assign to different emotions: in the United
States, men are often directly or indirectly ostracized for crying; in the Utku Eskimo population, the
expression of anger can result in social ostracism.

Within a particular culture, different rules may also be internalized as a function of an individual's
gender, class, family background, or other factor. For instance, there is some evidence that men and
women may differ in the regulation of their emotions, perhaps due to culturally based gender norms
and expectations (McRae, Ochsner, Mauss, Gabrieli, & Gross, 2008).

Interpreting Emotions

In everyday life, information from the environment influences our understanding of what facial
expressions mean. In much the same way, cultural context also acts as a cue when people are trying
to interpret facial expressions. People can attend to only a small number of the available cues in
their complex and continuously changing environments, and increasing evidence suggests that
people from different cultural backgrounds allocate their attention very differently. This means that
people from different cultures may interpret the same social context in very different ways.

Are Emotions Universal?

Although conventions regarding the display of emotion differ from culture to culture, our ability to
recognize and produce associated facial expressions appears to be universal. Research comparing
facial expressions across different cultures has supported the theory that there are seven universal
emotions, each associated with a distinct facial expression. That these emotions are "universal"
means that they operate independently of culture and language. These seven emotions are
happiness, surprise, sadness, fright, disgust, contempt, and anger (Ekman & Keltner, 1997). Even
congenitally blind individuals (people who are born blind) produce the same facial expressions
associated with these emotions, despite never having had the opportunity to observe them in other
people. This further supports the theory that the patterns in facial muscle activity are universal for
the facial expressions of these particular emotions.

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Universal facial expressions

Research suggests the existence of seven universal emotions, each of which is associated with a
distinct facial expressions: happiness, surprise, sadness, fright, disgust, contempt, and anger.

It is worth noting that more complex emotions such as jealousy, love, and pride are different from
these more basic emotions, as they involve awareness of the relationships between the self and
other people. Complex emotions are therefore more likely to be dependent on cultural differences
than are the seven more basic emotions.

Some aspects of emotion are universal to all cultures, while other aspects differ across cultures.

Similarities Among Cultures

Ekman and his colleagues have found that people in different cultures can identify the six basic
emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust. The physiological indicators of
emotion are similar in people from different cultures.

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Facial Expressions Are Innate

Both people who can see and people who have been blind since birth have similar facial expressions
of emotions. This observation suggests that facial expressions are innate, since blind people could
not have learned these expressions by observing others.

Differences Among Cultures

Although many emotions and expressions of emotions are universal, some differences exist among
cultures:

 Categories of emotions: People in different cultures categorize emotions differently. Some

languages have labels for emotions that are not labeled in other languages.

Example: Tahitians do not have a word for sadness. Germans have a word, schadenfreude, indicating
joy at someone else’s misfortune, that has no equivalent in English.

 Prioritization of emotions: Different cultures consider different emotions to be primary.

Example: Shame is considered a key emotion in some non-Western cultures, but it is less likely to be
considered a primary emotion in many Western cultures.

 Different emotions evoked: The same situation may evoke different emotions in different
cultures.

Example: A pork chop served for dinner might evoke disgust in the majority of people in Saudi
Arabia, while it’s likely to provoke happiness in many people in the United States.

 Differences in nonverbal expressions: Nonverbal expressions of emotion differ across

cultures, due partly to the fact that different cultures have different display rules. Display
rules are norms that tell people whether, which, how, and when emotions should be
displayed.

Example: In the United States, male friends usually do not embrace and kiss each other as a form of
greeting. Such behavior would make most American men uncomfortable or even angry. In many
European countries, however, acquaintances normally embrace and kiss each other on both cheeks,
and avoiding this greeting would seem unfriendly.

 Power of cultural norms: Cultural norms determine how and when to show emotions that
are not actually felt. Acting out an emotion that is not felt is called emotion work.

Example: In some cultures, it is appropriate for people who attend a funeral to show extreme grief.
In others, it is appropriate to appear stoic.

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Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in dealing with others9
What is adaptability?

Adaptability means being flexible when things change. An adaptable person is one who is open to
new ideas and concepts, to working independently or as part of a team, and to carrying out multiple
tasks or projects. Someone is regarded as adaptable if they are able to manage multiple assignments
and tasks, set priorities, and adapt to changing conditions and/or work assignments.

What is flexibility?

An agile mindset allows us to evaluate and then adjust to the different roles, responsibilities and
jobs that we have each day. Adopting a flexible approach to study, work and life is more likely to
enable us to achieve success than maintaining a rigid outlook or set of beliefs. People who are
flexible are open to change and are able to adapt and adjust continuously to changing
circumstances. Mental agility of this kind enables us to be more effective as problem solvers and
problem finders - flexibility and creativity often go hand in hand.

Flexibility is extremely important for negotiating and communicating. The ability to acknowledge
another’s point of view, and perhaps modify one’s own accordingly, is essential for effective
teamwork. As the term suggests, the ability to adopt a flexible approach is not static, it fluctuates
according to mood and the circumstances that we find ourselves in. We can enhance our flexibility
by deliberately adopting some of the following strategies:

 Changing the context;

 Trying something new;
 Questioning our thoughts and words;
 Planning to be spontaneous;
 Deliberately trying to think in different ways.

Limited flexibility may cause difficulties with the following:

 Solving problems creatively and adapting to novel situations or dynamic/changing

situations;
 Dealing with uncertain, unanticipated or unpredictable work situations;
 Learning new tasks, technologies, and procedures;
 Interpersonal adaptability: for example adapting interpersonal behaviour to work effectively
with a new team;
 Cultural adaptability which requires the ability to perform effectively in different cultures
and environments;

9
Source: Use My Ability, as at http://usemyability.com/resources/skills_abilities/flexibility-and-
adaptability.html, as on 5th December, 2015; Chron, as at http://work.chron.com/demonstrate-adaptability-
job-15407.html, as on 5th December, 2015.

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  Demonstrating physically oriented adaptability which involves adapting to various physical
factors such heat, noise, uncomfortable climates, and difficult environments.

How to Demonstrate Adaptability on the Job

Change and uncertainty can be stressful, but adaptable people exercise patience and flexibility.

Adaptability is a critical quality that employers seek in early 21st-century employees. With rapid
changes in technology, diversity and society, companies need employees who are open to new
ideas, flexible enough to work through challenging issues, and generally able to cope when things
don't go as planned. Demonstrating adaptability through actions can gain you favour with co-
workers and supervisors.

Alternative Solutions

Adaptable people are able to bend when their first suggestion or preferred solution does not go over
well. Being adaptable involves preparing backup, alternative options for discussion. Within a work
team, presenting multiple ideas and showing acceptance when your primary choice is rejected helps
you come across as a team player. In making a sales pitch to a client, conveying alternative product
solutions when the first recommendation is rejected can help you get more sales and achieve better
results.

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Accept Surprises

People who aren't adaptable tend to get stressed and uncomfortable when faced with new,
unexpected and urgent projects. To show that you're a team player and adaptable, be willing to take
on tasks or projects when urgency is key and the work is important to the organization. While you
don't want colleagues to take advantage of your willingness, agreeing to these surprises from others
gives you a better chance of finding them agreeable when you need immediate help.

Accept New Roles

In highly evolving, fast-paced industries, company restructures are fairly common, with acquisitions
and mergers happening on a regular basis. To show a commitment to your organization, be
cooperative and helpful when transitioning into a new or expanded role. This is difficult for many,
since change is a common source of stress. However, demonstrating your loyalty and flexibility often
helps you get ahead on the promotional ladder. Plus, taking on new roles and responsibilities
expands your portfolio of experiences and skills.

Show Calm and Confidence

Your initial reaction to a dilemma or a sudden troubling event provides an immediate perception of
your adaptability. To prove adaptability, you want to main poised, calm and ready to make a quick
decision when faced with an unexpected challenge. The ability to adapt in this way is especially
important for organizational leaders who set the tone for their employees. Adaptable leaders who
show a balance of calm and quick flexibility usually pass on those traits to others.

Changing to Manage People10

Above and beyond being adaptable to company changes, it’s also important to be able to do things a
little differently depending on who you’re working with. Taking the time to learn how people like to
work, and modifying your work style to accommodate them, makes a world of difference. Some
people are auditory learners and prefer discussions while others are very visual and need
powerpoint. Some managers are hands-off as long as you get your work done while others are hands
on and want a daily report. You will find some colleagues respond better when you speak to them
face-to-face while others prefer email communication.

Whether it’s using a table in word instead of a spreadsheet in excel, small changes make a big
difference. I had one manager who hated opening attachments on her phone and could never figure
out how. This made it tough for her to get to information quickly and she became frustrated with me
whenever I sent an email, regardless of the content of what I sent. Just the small change of pasting
the text of a document into the body of an email rather than including it as an attachment for her
when she was working from the road made all the difference.

10
Source: Levo, as at http://www.levo.com/articles/careerexpert/success-at-work, as on 5th December, 2015.

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Knowing how your colleagues operate can save you a lot of time and frustration. Bringing a positive
attitude to work and learning to change to others (vs. expecting them to change to your needs) is a
surefire way to make yourself into a good team player. Know what your end goal is, and be ready to
work with your peers to get there in the way that works best for everyone.

Think of each adaption – big or small – as practice to become a great manager yourself someday.
Things come up, and your ability to conquer the day and nail your presentation, no matter how
difficult your team seemed at the beginning, will always put you on top.

Take into account the emotions of others when making decisions11

Social Awareness

Social awareness will help you know what others think about you. But research tells me we're not
very good at this anymore. Discover how understanding others will help you succeed by following
the advice on this page.

Understanding other people's feelings is central to emotional intelligence. Get this wrong and
you'll be seen as uncaring and insensitive. Getting it right is essential for success.

Social Awareness meets Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence consists of four basic capabilities, or domains. These are:

 Self-Awareness
 Self-Regulation
 Social Awareness (this page)
 Relationship Management

Social Awareness

The waiter who suggests a better dish, the salesperson who goes the extra mile, the supportive team
leader, and the executive that remembers your name - each of these have one thing in common.
They excel in social awareness.

According to Daniel Goleman the competencies associated with being socially aware are:

 Empathy: understanding the other person’s emotions, needs and concerns.

 Organisational Awareness: the ability to understand the politics within an organization and
how these affect the people working in them.
 Service: the ability to understand and meet the needs of clients and customers.

11
Source: Change Management Coach, as at http://www.change-management-coach.com/social-
awareness.html, as on 5th December, 2015.

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Essentially awareness of social situations is about carefully considering what people want, and
planning to communicate with them in a way that is intended to meet that need.

Is this the same as manipulation? I'm not sure. Great leaders and public speakers are skilled in this
ability and it helps them build support.

I don't believe social awareness is intended to be quite as calculated as manipulation. At best being
socially aware is a natural response to people, taking their situation and needs into account as much
as possible.

Caring

Recent research, reported by Time Magazine, finds that college students have less empathy — the
ability to understand and share the feelings of others — than students of previous generations.

Digital communication, social networking, video conferencing and other forms of new media are
being blamed for this loss of empathy.

After all, it's much easier to say negative things about others if you don't have to say it to their face.
And if I don't feel like engaging in your problems, I can simply log off, or even 'unfriend' you. It's an
easy option.

The trouble is that when there is no empathy, when we don't work to understand the needs of
others, there is also a significant loss of trust.

Because I don't really know what you're thinking and feeling I trust you less, and isolate myself more.
This can have major implications for business where trust is essential for successful leadership and
partnerships.

More importantly though, when you respond to the needs and feelings of other people, you gain
their trust.

Others will be labelled uncaring and insensitive, but you are trusted when you're able to understand
and respond to the needs and values of individuals, and the group.

This is true whether you're a salesperson dealing with the public, or a leader in an organisation.

Empathy

Leaders in organisations have traditionally viewed empathy with suspicion, thinking that there is no
place for soft emotional skills in the tough world of business.

My experience is that managers worry that employees will take advantage of them if they show any
empathy.

But changing times and recognition of the strategic advantages of taking employees feelings into
consideration has led to social consciousness being regarded as a critical skill for effective leaders.

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This has even impacted the training given to doctors. Today doctors are trained to formulate a bio-
psycho-social understanding of the problem rather than treating patients purely as a diagnosis.

Empathising with someone - understanding their point of view - doesn't mean you have to agree
with their point of view.

Empathy is really about acknowledging the emotions of others, being thoughtful and considerate of
their feelings, and making decisions that take those feelings into consideration.

How to build social awareness

 Improve your listening skills. Take a short course in effective communication skills.
 Pay close attention to interactions with other people. Be aware of what they say, how they
say it and what they do.
 Identify other people’s emotional states. Listen carefully to what they're saying and notice
how they respond to external events, such as someone greeting them or asking them to do
something.
 Think about your feelings. How does the other person’s emotion make you feel?
 Think before you answer and give clear answers.

Activity 5

Pay close attention to your interactions with other people. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Did I listen actively to the person who approached me? Was I too busy to listen?
2. Did I ask the other person questions about the content of what s/he was saying as well as
his/her feelings and emotions about what they are saying?
3. Did I change my body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other elements in
order to meet the needs of the other person?

Note down your answers.

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Activity 5

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Sensitivity and diversity

Developing social awareness is important as it affects your response to people and situations.

The starting place for becoming socially aware is self-awareness.

Self-awareness is essential in order to understand the feelings and emotions of others while self-
management is necessary to ensure that your response is appropriate to the situation.

An empathic response requires awareness of diversity and a sensitivity to the needs and emotions of
others.

Diversity encompasses acceptance and respect while recognising our individual differences and
uniqueness. Open communication plays an essential role in managing diversity and building an
awareness of social situations.

Everything starts with an 'E'

I always enjoyed this bit of graffiti. While it's true that everything starts with an 'e' I've discovered
that empathy always starts with 'u' - (you).

Mother Teresa (1910-1997) told us that empathy has to start with us. She said Do not wait for
leaders; do it alone, person to person. This advice comes from one of the best voices for social
awareness that we can listen to.

Social awareness is a key element of your emotional intelligence. Don't complain about people who
are not understanding of your needs. Focus rather on growing your emotional intelligence and
practicing empathy, service and organisational awareness yourself.

Social awareness is an essential building block for emotional intelligence. Practicing attention to
social situations is a habit that closely corresponds with Stephen Covey's Habit 5. The more it's
practiced the more likely it is to become a habit.

As we improve social awareness we also improve our experience of life, create opportunities for
better work life balance, become aware of other people's emotions, and improve our ability to
respond to change.

Provide opportunities for others to express their thoughts and feelings12

For small groups to function effectively in a course context, students must attend to both the climate
within their group and the process by which they accomplish their tasks. Critical to a healthy climate
and an effective process are strong communication skills. Below you will find the basic
characteristics of effective communicators, plus tips to help students with group climate and
process.

12
Source: The Centre for Teaching Excellence, as at https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-
excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/tips-students/being-part-team/teamwork-skills-being-effective-
group-member, as on 5th December, 2015.

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Although students can gain many of the skills described below through informal social interactions,
they still benefit from having them made explicit. To hone their skills they also need opportunities to
practice as well as to receive regular feedback on how they’re doing. Share the information below
with your students, use it to set activities for them, and work to incorporate three components of
feedback into your plan: instructor comments (oral and/or written), reflective group discussions
and/or peer assessment, and self-reflection (see the reflection prompts in Appendix A for ideas).

Communication skills

To function successfully in a small group, students need to be able to communicate clearly on

intellectual and emotional levels. Effective communicators:

 can explain their own ideas

 express their feelings in an open but non-threatening way
 listen carefully to others
 ask questions to clarify others’ ideas and emotions
 can sense how others feel based on their nonverbal communication
 will initiate conversations about group climate or process if they sense tensions brewing
 reflect on the activities and interactions of their group and encourage other group members
to do so as well

Regular open communication, in which group members share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings, is a
must for successful group work. Unspoken assumptions and issues can be very destructive to
productive group functioning. When students are willing to communicate openly with one another, a
healthy climate will emerge and an effective process can be followed.

Skills for a healthy group climate

To work together successfully, group members must demonstrate a sense of cohesion. Cohesion
emerges as group members exhibit the following skills:

 Openness: Group members are willing to get to know one another, particularly those with
different interests and backgrounds. They are open to new ideas, diverse viewpoints, and
the variety of individuals present within the group.
 They listen to others and elicit their ideas. They know how to balance the need for cohesion
within a group with the need for individual expression.
 Trust and self-disclosure: Group members trust one another enough to share their own
ideas and feelings. A sense of mutual trust develops only to the extent that everyone is
willing to self-disclose and be honest yet respectful. Trust also grows as group members
demonstrate personal accountability for the tasks they have been assigned.
 Support: Group members demonstrate support for one another as they accomplish their
goals. They exemplify a sense of team loyalty and both cheer on the group as a whole and
help members who are experiencing difficulties. They view one another not as competitors
(which is common within a typically individualistic educational system) but as collaborators.
 Respect: Group members communicate their opinions in a way that respects others,
focusing on “What can we learn?” rather than “Who is to blame?” See constructive feedback
in the process section for more details.

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As an instructor, you can use several strategies to encourage students to develop a healthy climate
within their small groups:

 Assign students into diverse groups so that they encounter others with different
backgrounds and interests.
 Design activities that break the ice, promote awareness of differences within the group,
encourage reflection on the stresses of working within a group, and point out the demands
of working in a group.
 Have students participate in trust challenges. For example, try the trust-fall, in which
individual group members fall backward off a table and are caught by their fellow group
members. Or blindfold individual students, and have their group members guide them orally
through an obstacle course.
 Encourage students to participate willingly and ask questions of others. To encourage
listening skills and ensure that everyone in the group speaks, try the “circle of voices”
exercise.
 After students have worked in their groups for a couple of weeks, have them fill in a “Are we
a team?” checklist individually, then discuss their answers within their group. Have them
repeat this exercise when they have completed their task. See appendix B for an example of
this checklist.

Skills for an effective group process

Besides knowing how to develop a healthy group climate, students also need to know how to
function so that they are productive and accomplish their tasks effectively. An effective process will
emerge as students exhibit these skills:

 Individual responsibility and accountability: All group members agree on what needs to be
done and by whom. Each student then determines what he or she needs to do and takes
responsibility to complete the task(s). They can be held accountable for their tasks, and they
hold others accountable for theirs.
 Constructive Feedback: Group members are able to give and receive feedback about group
ideas. Giving constructive feedback requires focusing on ideas and behaviours, instead of
individuals, being as positive as possible, and offering suggestions for improvement.
Receiving feedback requires listening well, asking for clarification if the comment is unclear,
and being open to change and other ideas.
 Problem solving: Group members help the group to develop and use strategies central to
their group goals. As such, they can facilitate group decision making and deal productively
with conflict. In extreme cases, they know when to approach the professor for additional
advice and help.
 Management and organization: Group members know how to plan and manage a task, how
to manage their time, and how to run a meeting. For example, they ensure that meeting
goals are set, that an agenda is created and followed, and that everyone has an opportunity
to participate. They stay focused on the task and help others to do so too.
 Knowledge of roles: Group members know which roles can be filled within a group (e.g.,
facilitator, idea-generator, summarizer, evaluator, mediator, encourager, recorder) and are
aware of which role(s) they and others are best suited for. They are also willing to rotate
roles to maximize their own and others’ group learning experience.

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As an instructor, use some of these strategies to encourage students to develop an effective process
within their small groups:

 Design the group task so that the students must work together. Group members will be
more motivated and committed to working together if they are given a group mark; if you
choose to evaluate in this way, be sure to make your expectations extremely clear.
 Once students are in groups, have them develop, as one of their early assignments, a group
contract in which they articulate ground rules and group goals. Be sure that groups discuss
how they will respond to various scenarios such as absentee or late group members and
those who do not complete their assigned tasks.
 Distribute a list of decision-making methods and strategies for conflict resolution. Have each
group articulate, based on this list, a set of strategies for decision making and conflict
resolution; this list should become part of the group contract. You may also want to offer
yourself as an impartial arbitrator in emergency situations, but encourage students to work
out problems among themselves.
 Provide students with guidelines for running a meeting, such as setting and following an
agenda, specifying time limits, and monitoring progress on the agenda.
 Teach students effective methods for giving and receiving feedback. Create an assignment
that involves them giving feedback to group members, and make it part of their final grade.
 To help students recognize and make the most of their own and one another’s preferred
roles, outline with them a list of team roles, have them determine which role(s) suits them
best, and give them time to discuss within their groups how their particular role(s) will
complement those of other group members. Requiring them to rotate their roles helps them
to expand their skills set.

Encouraging self-awareness and reflection in group work

One of the most important things you can do as an instructor is to have students reflect regularly on
their group experiences. Their self-reflection will reinforce and further develop critical teamwork
skills. Based on your objectives for the group project, create a set of prompts using the questions
below. Have students then use these prompts to journal about their reactions to group climate and
process.

The journals encourage self-reflection and can help students see teamwork issues in new ways and
create ideas for resolution. They can also provide a good basis from which students can choose
comments to share with their group members in debriefing sessions. If students submit their
journals periodically throughout the semester, give them feedback orally or in writing, and to the
extent appropriate, discuss in class any trends that you have identified through observation or in the
journals (e.g., reassure groups that many are facing similar challenges). Also, requiring all students to
submit a final reflective report after the group project can help them to see the value of the
teamwork expertise they have developed through practice.

Climate

 What have you enjoyed the most/the least about getting to know your group members?
 How is your attitude towards your group members demonstrated in how you function within
the group?
 How do you demonstrate trust and openness towards the other members and their ideas?

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  Do you give honest opinions? If not, why not?
 How much do you feel you can rely on your group members to complete the required
task(s)?
 How do you make sure that group members feel supported, encouraged, and appreciated
for their work?
 How does the team ensure that all voices are heard?
 Do you participate willingly in the discussion? If not, why not?
 Do others appear to understand your ideas? If not, why not?
 What do you do if another person’s ideas are unclear?
 What do you focus on when others speak? How could you improve your listening skills?
 How do you respond to others’ ideas? How do they respond to yours? What could be
improved?

Process

 What are your group’s ground rules and goals? What changes to these rules and goals might
improve the functioning of your group?
 How is everyone encouraged to stay accountable to the tasks they have been assigned?
 To what extent do you and others follow the feedback methods laid out in class? How could
you and your group members improve the way you give and receive feedback?
 To what extent does your group reflect on how well its goals are being achieved? How would
more (or less) discussion about goals help or hinder your group’s functioning?
 How are decisions made in your group? Who is involved and in which ways? What has been
effective about the processes you have used? How could your decision-making processes be
improved?
 What happens if a group member is unhappy or uncomfortable with a decision made by the
group?
 What conflicts have arisen within your group? How (if at all) have the conflicts been
resolved? What role do you play in resolving these conflicts? What could you (or others) do
to improve your group’s ability to deal productively with conflict?
 How do your meetings typically proceed? What do you accomplish and in how much time?
What is effective about your group functioning during meetings? What changes would
improve your meetings?
 Who has emerged as the leader in your group? Which other roles do you see team members
playing? Which role(s) do you play? Which role do you prefer and why?

“Are We a Team?” checklist (Levin & Kent, 2001)

Check off the statements that accurately represent your group. Be prepared to discuss your choices
afterwards with your group. Also consider ways to improve your group’s functioning, especially as it
relates to the statements you did not check off.

 We all show equal commitment to our objective.

 We all take part in deciding how work should be allocated.
 We are committed to helping each other learn.
 We acknowledge good contributions from team members.
 We handle disagreements and conflicts constructively within the team.
 We are able to give constructive criticism to one another and to accept it ourselves.

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  We all turn up to meetings and stay to the end.
 We are good at making sure that everyone knows what’s going on.
 When one of us is under pressure, others offer to help him or her.
 We trust each other.
 We remain united even when we disagree.
 We support each other to outsiders.
 We feel comfortable and relaxed with one another.

Handling Difficult Behaviour in the Workplace13

Most conflict within and involving people revolve around unfulfilled needs, primarily the
psychological need for control, recognition, affection, and respect. These needs are natural and
quite human in that we all crave them, but when unacceptable or problematic behaviour has been
rewarded in the past in fulfilment of these needs, difficult behaviour motivates the individual. We
should try not to reward difficult behaviour or reinforce actions or inactions that manifest it. There is
no magic pill but there is a prescription to change behaviour in others. It takes time and patience to
cure such negative characteristics, and it doesn’t help to ignore the problem behaviour or respond
likewise or criticize rather than cure or just brand someone as a problem and be the psychiatrist to
their craziness. We can work to prevent unproductive and negative behaviour that leads to conflict.

DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY . . .

is easy to say but hard to remember when our emotions are blazing with anger, frustration,
helplessness, or confusion over the actions of another, who we want to label as stupid, insecure,
hostile, inferior, miserable, or other negative coloration. What can happen is that we begin to see
that person in that colour only and trap them in stereotype with a label that becomes self-fulfilling.
Holding onto the resentment of people you have to work with punishes you as much as it does
them. You won’t change relationships by trying to control other people’s behaviour, but you can by
changing yourself in relation to them.

You can place your energy in blaming and deriding someone or you can use it to experiment how to
find more productive means of interaction. It’s not easy to go back for more of the same old crap
concerning somebody time after time, so why do you consistently relate that way? Change
something!

FOCUS ON INTERESTS NOT POSITIONS . . .

A basic problem in communication lies not so much in conflicting positions, but in the conflict
between each person’s needs, desires, concerns, and fears. One person may say to another, “You’re
such a perfectionist in everything you do around here, and I’m tired of you thinking you’re always
right.” That position is something the speaker has decided upon, but the interest is what caused that
decision. The underlying interest might be a lack of training and a fear of competition with a skilled
coworker.

13
Source: Mediate, as at http://www.mediate.com/articles/belak4.cfm, as on 5th December, 2015.

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The other person may not knowingly be competing but merely trying to do a good job, but the
perception enables the conflict. Interests motivate people and are the silent movers behind the
hubbub of positions.

Reconciling interests rather than positions works toward resolution. For every interest there usually
exist several possible solutions that could satisfy it, but all too often people simply adopt the most
obvious position. When you look behind opposed positions for the motivating interests, you can
often find an alternative position which meets not only your interests but theirs as well. Reconciling
interests rather than compromising between positions also works because under opposed positions
lie many more interests than conflicting ones. We tend to assume that because the other person’s
positions are opposed to ours, their interests must also be opposed. In many workplace conflicts a
close examination of underlying interests will reveal the existence of many more interests that are
shared or compatible than ones that are opposite.

When a coworker feels threatened by a “perfectionist” in the office and that feeling of intimidation
boils over into overt hostility, these two people could become locked in conflict. A closer
examination may reveal both want stability in the workplace and a good relationship with each
other, but their stated positions separate them and damage their relationship. As positions become
concrete and explicit, the underlying interests may well be unexpressed, intangible, and even
inconsistent. So, how do you go about understanding the interests involved in a workplace conflict;
remember that figuring out the other person’s interests may be at least as important as identifying
yours?

PERCEPTIONS CAN BLUR YOUR VISION . . .

We all know how hard it is to deal with a problem without people misunderstanding each other,
getting angry or upset, and taking things personally. A major consequence of human interaction in
communications is that the parties’ relationship tends to become entangled with their discussions of
substance and egos tend to become involved in substantive positions. People draw from comments
on substance or unfounded inferences, which they then treat as facts about that person’s intentions
and attitudes toward them. People tend to see what they want to see and, from all available facts
and information, will select and focus on those that confirm their prior perceptions and disregard or
misinterpret those that call their perceptions into question.

It is important to discuss each other’s perceptions and look for opportunities to act inconsistently
with those perceptions.

WHY IS LISTENING SO IMPORTANT . . .

Listening is an art by which we use empathy to reach across the space between us. Passive attention
doesn’t work. Not only is listening an active process, it often takes a deliberate effort to suspend our
own needs and reactions. To listen well you must hold back what you have to say and control the
urge to interrupt or argue. The art of listening requires a submersion of the self and immersion in
the other. This is not always easy, especially when we are interested but too concerned with
controlling or instructing or reforming the other person to be truly open to their point of view.

Anytime you demonstrate a willingness to listen with a minimum of defensiveness, criticism, or

impatience, you are giving the gift of understanding and earning the right to have it reciprocated.

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Suspending your needs long enough to hear the other person out is part of willing yourself to listen,
but suspending your needs is not the same as becoming a nonself. Trying to listen when you’re really
not up to it dries up your capacity to empathize. Some listeners are so fearful of exerting their own
individuality that they become nonselves, tucked into others, embedded in a safe framework of
obligations and duties. These people find it easier to accommodate than to deal with conflict,
threats of rejection, arguments, or signs of distress in others. Such compliant people may seem like
good listeners but aren’t really listening if they are nothing but a passive receptacle or reluctant
sponge. Listening well is often silent but never passive.

Effective communication is not achieved simply by taking turns talking but requires a concerted
effort at mutual understanding. A good way to promote understanding is to take time to restate the
other person’s position in your own words then ask her to correct or affirm your understanding of
her thoughts and feelings. If you work on this process of explicit feedback and confirmation until the
other person has no doubt that you grasp her position, she will feel understood, and she will then be
more open to hearing from you. The simple failure to acknowledge what the other person says
explains much of the friction in our lives. Furthermore, you don’t have to be responsible for
someone’s feelings to be aware of them and to acknowledge them. When two people keep restating
their own positions without acknowledging what the other is trying to say, the result is dueling
points of view. Whether or not someone is really listening only that person truly knows, but, if
someone does not feel listened to, he doesn’t feel listened to. We judge whether or not others are
listening to us by the signals we see.

WHAT DO FEELINGS HAVE TO DO WITH THIS . . .

Emotions play an important role in everyday behavior, and there is no thought, attitude, idea, or
action that does not have a related emotional counterpart. Because of our childhood conditioning
and societal norms, we often suppress or disguise our emotions, but they do exist and exert their
force no matter how subtle or indistinguishable a form they take. For example, when a coworker
becomes angry at something you have said, instead of expressing the feeling in productive
communication he may suddenly request sick leave for the rest of the day. In any relationship
between people who are in continuous interaction over a period of time, certain tolerable limits of
emotional communication are established and these boundaries are often drawn to not include an
honest exchange of feelings.

Throughout most of our lives we have developed ways to express disappointment, anger, or
discontent in somewhat less than honest terms. Through conditioning and experience some have
learned that exhibiting hostility can prove ineffective in solving problems with others and, rather
than direct confrontation, circumnavigate the stormy waters by using what is believed to be more
socially acceptable forms of expression. This behavior may be functional to a point, since continuous
complaining and abrasive individuals become ostracized, but discontent with one’s situation should
find some form of expression which is rational and by which solutions to problems may be found. If
left unexpressed or if expressed irrationally, emotions will inhibit progress in improving
relationships. Honest and open communications are necessary for a healthy, growth-oriented
working environment, and people must be made to believe that expressing themselves openly is
much healthier for all concerned. This can only occur when people feel safe in that expression, trust
in the promises of mutual commitment to resolution, and do not fear retaliation for open and
honest participation.

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One of the secrets of dealing with difficult people in our lives is to figure out how to play the hand
we’re dealt, rather than complaining and moaning about what that hand is. The reason some people
in our lives remain one dimensional is because that’s as far as we go with them. Few workplace
relationships last long if all one person does is complain to or about the other. Listening to that
person, especially to complaints, can be a burden, but if you have an associate who takes advantage
of your willingness to listen, without listening back to you, this emotional burden can be difficult to
bear. You can let this go on until it begins to hurt, or you can do something about it. Express
yourself. When two people are locked in silent conflict, the best way to break the impasse is to elicit
and acknowledge the other’s feelings. This applies especially to cases of mutual misunderstanding.
Don’t be too quick to tell your side, but concentrate first on listening to the other person. Of course,
if that person has hurt or annoyed you and doesn’t know it, saying something about how you feel
may be the only way to keep your resentment from escalating the situation.

SOME SIMPLE (BUT NOT EASY) PRINCIPLES OF DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR . . .

 Use Conflict as a Natural Resource.People who work together have different perceptions,
and it would be unnatural if they did not disagree from time to time. The conflict generated
can be a first step on the road to improving communication, solving a problem, and even
building trust and cooperation. Avoidance or hiding conflict can be much more damaging in
the workplace than facing it and dealing with it appropriately. You may even find that
proverbial silver lining in a dark cloud.
 Don’t React. Take time to cool off and gather your emotions. The most natural thing to do
when faced with a difficult person or situation is to react. Give yourself time to think and
remain focused on identifying the real needs and interests of the other person and yourself.
Deep breathing and counting to ten is very helpful.
 Deal with Feelings. Helping the other person identify or acknowledge their feelings tends to
reduce the intensity of those feelings and allows the person to focus on the underlying
issues. By encouraging and permitting the expression of negative feelings without fear of
reprisal or punishment, you have increased the probability that your similar emotional
expressions will be better accepted.
 Attack the Problem, Not the Person. Keep an objective eye on the problem and detach any
feelings about the person presenting it. Try to understand what the actual problem is and
generate possibilities for settling it. Don’t attack the other person and try to see the
situation from their point of view
 . If you make assumptions about their behavior, verify by asking or repeat what you thought
you heard. Show respect, try not to interrupt, and avoid using hostile words that inflame.
 Practice Direct Communication. Speak directly to the other party. Use “I” statements and be
clear about points of agreement, about purpose, and about needs. Use body language to
show support and attention. Ask questions to clarify and paraphrase what the other person
is attempting to communicate to you. Ask problem solving questions. Other people can
provide you with some very important information about yourself, positive and negative,
and you can provide equally important information helpful to them. Words alone do not
convey this information, so be aware of your body language and tone of voice.
 Look Past Positions to the Underlying Interests. A position is someone’s limited view of
what solution is necessary to meet a particular need. Until the needs and interests of each of
you are ascertained, it is not possible to generate options that will be mutually beneficial
and agreeable. Try to identify the other person’s physical or psychological needs, along with
your common interests. You can bring these interests to the surface or you can leave them

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 submerged only to emerge in unmanageable ways later.
 Focus on the Future. Proving or disproving past allegations may not be of value to a
continuing relationship at work. Give the other person ownership in the resolution. Don’t
sell your ideas but engage in a joint problem solving discussion. Ask what’s important and be
sure agreement is reached in dignity and respect for each of you. Any ongoing relationship
you have with someone is longitudinal and can be altered to be constructive and improved.
What just happened may be important or it may be trivial depending on how you want to
make it appear just now. Remember, in a marathon you must pace yourself and believe that
things will improve if only you give it the chance.

Holding onto the resentment of people you have to work with punishes you as much as it does
them. You don’t change relationships by trying to control people’s behavior but by changing yourself
in relation to them. Listening to and showing respect for the people we work with doesn’t have to be
the same as becoming friends. When deeply felt but unexpressed feelings take shape in the words
that we share and come back clarified, the result is a reassuring sense of being understood and a
grateful feeling of humanness with the one who understands. If listening fortifies our relationships
by cementing a better connection with another, it also fortifies our sense of self. In the presence of a
receptive listener we are able to clarify what we think and discover what we feel.

Assist others to understand the effect of their behaviour and emotions on

others in the workplace14

Moods and emotions affect our selection and the quality of our actions.
Emotions are a part of our everyday existence as they move through the body, affecting our state-of-
mind, performance, health and energy. Some recent research even suggests that all decisions are
emotionally based, and that logic is used to provide a rational explanation for whatever decision is
taken.

It is important to distinguish between moods and emotions. Emotions are responses to specific
events however moods are long term emotions people can find themselves in, such as pessimism,
optimism, melancholy, resentment and anxiety. Moods have a major bearing on a
person's emotional response to what is happening around them. They underpin a person's morale,
their desire for improvement, their commitment to the process of change, their ability to problem-
solve and their creative and innovative thinking.

Emotional management skills are necessary to reach an optimum productive state.

Current research shows that by acquiring emotional management skills and techniques managers
and leaders can more readily create positive and productive results in every aspect of their lives.

Emotional responsibility and Emotional leadership.

In a workplace dominated by the emphasis on rational and logical thinking, the role of emotions in
decision-making and effective action has been often neglected. Many managers and leaders become
victims of their emotions and regard their moods and emotions as things which just "happen".

14
Source: 1 to 1 Coaching School, as at
http://www.1to1coachingschool.com/Managing_Emotion_in_the_workplace.htm, as on 4th December, 2015.

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So how does management expect their employees to manage their emotions in the workplace?
According to the latest research management and many employees do not want their co-workers to
express any type of strong emotion -- positive or negative. The research found that the only
"appropriate" way to manage negative emotions at work was for employees to hide or "mask" their
emotions. Positive emotions are also needed to be expressed in moderation, according to those
surveyed.

Emotion management is not something that is typically taught at work. Most organizations have
traditionally focused on teaching logical and rational thinking and have neglected emotional learning
in their development programs. As such, to learn what is and is not appropriate, most employees
learn to manage their emotions by observing others in the workplace. However, in the last few years
many executive / organizational coaches (trained in the use of psychological-based methodologies)
have been increasingly called upon to develop specialist programs in this arena. These coaches are
typically working with leaders to: a) help them better understand the impact that their moods and
emotions have on their behaviour, relationships and performance and, b) providing them with
techniques to better manage them and create productive emotional spaces. It follows that other
people developers are now seeking a better understanding of how to work with emotions in
the workplace.

Some aspects of Emotion that People Developers need to understand:

 How to help individuals better balance the physical, mental and emotional aspects of their
working and home life
 Characteristics of emotional well-being
 How to help people maintain emotional composure on the job and maximize work
relationships!
 How to help people better express emotions through assertiveness and communication skills
-communicating or controlling? Understanding assertive communication
 How to better create emotional honesty and positive emotional energy
 How to help people control their negative emotions and achieve positive interaction in
teams and work groups
 The connection between emotions and workplace stress
 -Understanding Stress:
o How to interpret the Psychological and Physiological Effects of Stress
o How to identify Aspects of Personal and Professional Lifestyles in Relation to a
person's Management of Emotional Well-Being

 Better understand feelings and emotional well-being: Perception and defence

mechanisms at work:
 Self-awareness and what triggers reactions
 How to assess What a person is Feeling and Why they are Feeling That Way
 How to identify Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviours
 How to analyze Behaviour Patterns

How to locate and change Negative Emotions that exists in every work environment -which left
unchanged, can even cripple an organization:

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  Negative emotions affects an individual's ability to focus confidently on producing creative
and productive work/results.
 Understand that negative emotions (that can even strip people of their self-esteem and
disconnect them from their work) is an inevitable part of organized life.
 Know how to train managers to recognize their own emotional condition and manage it -and
be able to read and deal with the emotional state of others.
 Know how to train managers to help their people frame emotions in constructive ways or by
changing the view of their experiences, helping staff create workable solutions and create
positive pursuits. Managers also need to learn how to lead by the example they set eg; how
to deal with their own emotional issues in positive ways that can inspire others.
 Many managers with strong technical skills and low "people skills" get promoted regardless
of this deficit. These professionals can make poor managers unless they are held
accountable for their behaviour and are provided behaviour-based coaching on how to
prevent or deal with their emotional issues.

Encourage the self-management of emotions in others15

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is a key component of emotional intelligence. Learn how to manage emotions and
reactions, build your emotional intelligence, and what to do if someone offers you a marshmallow.

Self-regulation, or self-management, is the key to our ability to manage change, or any other curve
ball life throws us.

Stephen Covey emphasises that you and I have response-ability - the ability to choose our response
to any situation. Managing our emotions allows us to make these choices so we can choose how we
respond to any situation.

15
Source: Change Management Coach, as at http://www.change-management-coach.com/self-
regulation.html, as on 5th December, 2015.

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That's right. You choose the best response for the situation rather than being a slave to impulsive
emotions.

And yes, the humble marshmallow played a central role in research into self-regulation. More about
this later, I promise.

Self-Regulation and Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence consists of four basic capabilities, or domains. These are:

 Self-Awareness
 Self-Regulation
 Social Awareness
 Relationship Management

This page focuses on self-regulation - the ability to choose how we think, how we feel, and the
actions we take. This is the second of the domains of emotional intelligence proposed by Daniel
Goleman.

Definition of Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is mostly about being able to control your emotions and responses to situations and
other people.

But it's also about feeling positive emotions and expressing positive emotions to others.

Some of the abilities (also known as competencies) that are part of self-management are:

 emotional self-control – controlling impulsive emotions.

 trustworthiness – being honest and taking action that is in line with your values.
 flexibility – being able to adapt and work with different people in different situations.
 optimism – the ability to see opportunities in situations and the good in other people.
 achievement – developing your performance to meet your own standards of excellence.
 initiative – taking action when it is necessary.

Controlling negative reactions

Sometimes it's okay to let emotions control us, especially when it comes to positive emotions.

Your excitement and joy at passing an exam, or achieving a target for the month, are appropriate
expressions of emotion. But it's not great to be controlled by negative emotions such as anger, fear
or frustration.

Emotional intelligence suggests that it's important to be aware of all our emotions, and once we're
aware we can choose how we react and express our feelings. Self-regulation is about using self-
awareness to keep negative reactions under control.

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Activity 6

 List the things that cause an impulsive emotional reaction for you - the things that
sometimes make you ‘lose it’, for example, ‘I get really angry when…’.
 Write down a strategy for each of these that you can use to prevent losing your self-
control in future, for example, ‘When I realise I'm angry I can stop, breathe deeply, take a
short walk, and then return’.

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Activity 6

Would you like a marshmallow...now?

My personal feeling is that marshmallows are best left in the packet - they're not on my list of
favourite sweets.

But...if you were offered a marshmallow would you take it?

Daniel Goleman refers to the marshmallow experiment in his books Emotional Intelligence and
Working with Emotional Intelligence in order to demonstrate the significance that controlling
impulses can have in a lifetime.

In the experiment, started in the 1960's, a group of four year old children were offered one
marshmallow to eat immediately, or two marshmallows if they could wait until the experimenter
returned. Some children couldn't resist and gave in to one marshmallow while others were able to
wait 15-20 minutes, and were given two marshmallows.

When the children were followed up as young adults clear differences between the two groups were
noted.

Those that resisted the marshmallow as children were shown to be more intellectually skilled, more
responsible and dependable, and more attentive than the group that could not resist the
marshmallow. They formed better relationships and demonstrated better self-control in frustrating
situations.

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Those who ate the first marshmallow as children tended to be more easily distracted and less
dependable as adults.

They had lower intellectual abilities and struggled to deal with pressurised situations, showing a lot
less self-control. They continued to react impulsively to situations and couldn't delay gratification in
reaching their goals.

Daniel Goleman believes this experiment shows that learning to control our impulses leads to
greater success in life. There are negative personal and work related costs associated with impulsive
and emotional reactions.

Critics of this experiment say the results may be different if the children were offered nicer sweets
(and I agree, but only because I don't really like marshmallows!).

Managing your emotions

There are some things you can start doing to improve your self-regulation. Here are a few ideas:

1. Become more aware of your emotions (self-awareness) and how you react to them.
2. If people are critical work out how what they say can be constructive and helpful to you.
3. Take time out: get away from a difficult situation for a short time and get some exercise,
drink water, or breathe deeply.
4. Make time to think about situations and your emotions. Think of ways you could change
what you do or the way you react.
5. Plant new thoughts: when you've identified emotions and reactions that are not useful
replace them with new ones that are more positive. Then work hard and practice putting these into
action.

Emotions are infectious

Your emotions and moods affect your self-management ability. Emotions and moods affect how you
feel about yourself and they also have an effect on other people.

Have you ever noticed the effect that happy positive people have on you? The same is true of people
with low moods.

It's almost as if the mood is infectious.

Everyone experiences negative emotions from time to time. Managing your emotions does not
mean covering them up and blocking them out.

What it does mean is becoming aware of the emotions to the point that you can choose the best
way to react in a situation.

Give yourself time to think about the emotions and choose a response, rather than reacting
impulsively to the emotion.

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Managing non-verbal communication

An important aspect of self-regulation is recognising the ways in which emotions can be

communicated non-verbally.

Non-verbal communication is also known as ‘body language’ and can communicate the way you feel
as powerfully, if not more powerfully, than the words you use.

Activity 7

Ask a close friend about an interesting thing that happened to him/her. While they're talking you
start acting bored (stare outside, look away, hum to yourself…). Discuss what the experience was
like for both of you. Note the main points of your discussion.

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Activity 7

Non-verbal communication conveys emotions and attitudes towards others more effectively than
words, but it can be confusing.

Stress management

An important skill of self-regulation is managing the effect of stress in your life.

Some stress in our lives can be positive as it motivates us, but too much stress can have a negative
influence and can result in depression and health problems.

If you're feeling stressed it's very difficult to manage your emotions effectively. Some useful things
to do to manage stress include:

1. Breathing exercises
2. Healthy eating and drinking
3. Exercising frequently
4. Sleeping for 7 to 8 hours a night
5. Make time for fun outside of work
6. Laugh more often
7. Spend time alone

Managing your work life balance will also help to manage stress.

George Bernard Shaw is credited with saying Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating
yourself.

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Managing your responses and impulsive emotions is an essential part of creating yourself. This is the
key to self-regulation.

Choosing how you think, how you feel, and the actions you take will change your experience of life,
and the way others experience you.

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Encourage others to develop their own emotional intelligence to build
productive relationships and maximise workplace outcomes16

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Key Skills for Raising Emotional Intelligence

When it comes to happiness and success in life, emotional intelligence (EQ) matters just as much as
intellectual ability (IQ). Emotional intelligence helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at
work, and achieve your career and personal goals. Learn more about why emotional intelligence is
so important and how you can boost your own EQ by mastering a few key skills.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in
positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome
challenges, and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence impacts many different aspects of your daily
life, such as the way you behave and the way you interact with others.

If you have high emotional intelligence you are able to recognize your own emotional state and the
emotional states of others, and engage with people in a way that draws them to you. You can use
this understanding of emotions to relate better to other people, form healthier relationships,
achieve greater success at work, and lead a more fulfilling life.

Emotional intelligence consists of four attributes:

 Self-awareness – You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and
behaviour, know your strengths and weaknesses, and have self-confidence.

16
Source: Help Guide, as at http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/emotional-intelligence-
eq.htm, as at 4th December, 2015.

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  Self-management – You’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviours, manage your
emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to
changing circumstances.
 Social awareness – You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people,
pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a
group or organization.
 Relationship management – You know how to develop and maintain good relationships,
communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict.

Why is emotional intelligence (EQ) so important?

As we know, it’s not the smartest people that are the most successful or the most fulfilled in life. You
probably know people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially inept and unsuccessful at
work or in their personal relationships. Intellectual intelligence (IQ) isn’t enough on its own to be
successful in life. Yes, your IQ can help you get into college, but it’s your EQ that will help you
manage the stress and emotions when facing your final exams.

Emotional intelligence affects:

 Your performance at work. Emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social
complexities of the workplace, lead and motivate others, and excel in your career. In fact,
when it comes to gauging job candidates, many companies now view emotional intelligence
as being as important as technical ability and require EQ testing before hiring.
 Your physical health. If you’re unable to manage your stress levels, it can lead to serious
health problems. Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune
system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up
the aging process. The first step to improving emotional intelligence is to learn how to
relieve stress.
 Your mental health. Uncontrolled stress can also impact your mental health, making you
vulnerable to anxiety and depression. If you are unable to understand and manage your
emotions, you’ll also be open to mood swings, while an inability to form strong relationships
can leave you feeling lonely and isolated.
 Your relationships. By understanding your emotions and how to control them, you’re better
able to express how you feel and understand how others are feeling. This allows you to
communicate more effectively and forge stronger relationships, both at work and in your
personal life.

How to raise your emotional intelligence

All information to the brain comes through our senses, and when this information is overwhelmingly
stressful or emotional, instinct will take over and our ability to act will be limited to the flight, fight,
or freeze response. Therefore, to have access to the wide range of choices and the ability to make
good decisions, we need to be able to bring our emotions into balance at will.

Memory is also strongly linked to emotion. By learning to stay connected to the emotional part of
your brain, as well as the rational, you’ll not only expand your range of choices when it comes to
responding to a new event, but you’ll also factor emotional memory into your decision-making
process. This will help prevent you from continually repeating earlier mistakes.

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To improve your emotional intelligence—and your decision-making abilities—you need to
understand and manage your emotions. This is accomplished by developing key skills for controlling
and managing overwhelming stress and becoming an effective communicator.

Developing emotional intelligence through a few key skills

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is built by reducing stress, remaining focused, and staying connected to
yourself and others. You can do this by learning key skills. The first two skills are essential for
controlling and managing overwhelming stress and the last three skills greatly improve
communication. Each skill builds on the lessons learned in practicing the earlier skills and include:

 The ability to quickly reduce stress in the moment in a variety of settings

 The ability to recognize your emotions and keep them from overwhelming you
 The ability to connect emotionally with others by using nonverbal communication
 The ability to use humour and play to stay connected in challenging situations
 The ability to resolve conflicts positively and with confidence

How to learn the key skills that build emotional intelligence

The key skills of emotional intelligence can be learned by anyone, at any time. There is a difference,
however, between learning about emotional intelligence and applying that knowledge to your life.
Just because you know you should do something doesn’t mean you will—especially when you
become overwhelmed by stress, which can hijack your best intentions.

In order to permanently change behaviour in ways that stand up under pressure, you need to learn
how to overcome stress in the moment, and in your relationships, by remaining emotionally aware.
This means that you can’t simply read about emotional intelligence in order to master it. You have to
experience and practice the skills in your everyday life.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 1: Rapidly reduce stress in the moment

High levels of stress can overwhelm the mind and body, getting in the way of your ability to
accurately “read” a situation, hear what someone else is saying, be aware of your own feelings and
needs, and communicate clearly.

Being able to quickly calm yourself down and relieve stress helps you stay balanced, focused, and in
control—no matter what challenges you face or how stressful a situation becomes.

Stress busting: functioning well in the heat of the moment

Develop your stress-busting skills by working through the following three steps:

 Realize when you’re stressed – The first step to reducing stress is recognizing what stress
feels like. How does your body feel when you’re stressed? Are your muscles or stomach tight
or sore? Are your hands clenched? Is your breath shallow? Being aware of your physical
response to stress will help regulate tension when it occurs.

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  Identify your stress response – Everyone reacts differently to stress. If you tend to become
angry or agitated under stress, you will respond best to stress-relieving activities that quiet
you down. If you tend to become depressed or withdrawn, you will respond best to stress-
relieving activities that are stimulating. If you tend to freeze—speeding up in some ways
while slowing down in others—you need stress-relieving activities that provide both comfort
and stimulation.
 Discover the stress-busting techniques that work for you – The best way to reduce stress
quickly is by engaging one or more of your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Each
person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find things that are soothing
and/or energizing to you. For example, if you’re a visual person you can relieve stress by
surrounding yourself with uplifting images. If you respond more to sound, you may find a
wind chime, a favourite piece of music, or the sound of a water fountain helps to quickly
reduce your stress levels.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 2: Beat relationship stress with emotional awareness

Being able to connect to your emotions—having a moment-to-moment awareness of your emotions

and how they influence your thoughts and actions—is the key to understanding yourself and
remaining calm and focused in tense situations with others.

Many people are disconnected from their emotions—especially strong core emotions such as anger,
sadness, fear, and joy. This may be the result of negative childhood experiences that taught you to
try to shut off your feelings. But although we can distort, deny, or numb our feelings, we can’t
eliminate them. They’re still there, whether we’re aware of them or not. Unfortunately, without
emotional awareness, we are unable to fully understand our own motivations and needs, or to
communicate effectively with others. We are also at far greater risk for becoming overwhelmed in
situations that appear threatening.

What kind of a relationship do you have with your emotions?

 Do you experience feelings that flow, encountering one emotion after another as your
experiences change from moment to moment?
 Are your emotions accompanied by physical sensations that you experience in places like
your stomach or chest?
 Do you experience discrete feelings and emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, joy, each of
which is evident in subtle facial expressions?
 Can you experience intense feelings that are strong enough to capture both your attention
and that of others?
 Do you pay attention to your emotions? Do they factor into your decision making?

If any of these experiences are unfamiliar, your emotions may be turned down or turned off. In
order to be emotionally healthy and emotionally intelligent, you must reconnect to your core
emotions, accept them, and become comfortable with them.

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Developing emotional awareness

Emotional awareness can be learned at any time of life. If you haven’t learned how to manage
stress, it’s important to do so first. When you can manage stress, you’ll feel more comfortable
reconnecting to strong or unpleasant emotions and changing the way you experience and respond
to your feelings.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 3: Nonverbal communication

Being a good communicator requires more than just verbal skills and the ability to manage stress.
Often, what you say is less important than how you say it, or the other nonverbal signals you send
out—the gestures you make, the way you sit, how fast or how loud you talk, how close you stand, or
how much eye contact you make. In order to hold the attention of others and build connection and
trust, you need to be aware of, and in control of, this body language. You also need to be able to
accurately read and respond to the nonverbal cues that other people send you.

These messages don’t stop when someone stops speaking. Even when you’re silent, you’re still
communicating nonverbally. Think about what you are transmitting as well, and if what you say
matches what you feel. If you insist, “I’m fine," while clenching your teeth and looking away, your
body is clearly signalling the opposite. Your nonverbal messages can produce a sense of interest,
trust, excitement, and desire for connection—or they can generate fear, confusion, distrust, and
disinterest.

Tips for improving nonverbal communication

Successful nonverbal communication depends on your ability to manage stress, recognize your own
emotions, and understand the signals you’re sending and receiving. When communicating:

 Focus on the other person. If you are planning what you’re going to say next, daydreaming,
or thinking about something else, you are almost certain to miss nonverbal cues and other
subtleties in the conversation.
 Make eye contact. Eye contact can communicate interest, maintain the flow of a
conversation, and help gauge the other person’s response.
 Pay attention to nonverbal cues you’re sending and receiving, such as facial expression,
tone of voice, posture and gestures, touch, and the timing and pace of the conversation.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 4: Use humour and play to deal with challenges

Humour, laughter, and play are natural antidotes to life’s difficulties; they lighten your burdens and
help you keep things in perspective. A good hearty laugh reduces stress, elevates mood, and brings
your nervous system back into balance.

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Playful communication broadens your emotional intelligence and helps you:

 Take hardships in stride. By allowing you to view your frustrations and disappointments
from new perspectives, laughter and play enable you to survive annoyances, hard times, and
setbacks.
 Smooth over differences. Using gentle humour often helps you say things that might be
otherwise difficult to express without creating a flap.
 Simultaneously relax and energize yourself. Playful communication relieves fatigue and
relaxes your body, which allows you to recharge and accomplish more.
 Become more creative. When you loosen up, you free yourself of rigid ways of thinking and
being, allowing you to get creative and see things in new ways.

How to develop playful communication:

It’s never too late to develop and embrace your playful, humorous side.

 Try setting aside regular, quality playtime. The more you joke, play, and laugh—the easier it
becomes.
 Find enjoyable activities that loosen you up and help you embrace your playful nature.
 Practice by playing with animals, babies, young children, and outgoing people who
appreciate playful banter.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 5: Resolve conflict positively

Conflict and disagreements are inevitable in relationships. Two people can’t possibly have the same
needs, opinions, and expectations at all times. However, that needn’t be a bad thing. Resolving
conflict in healthy, constructive ways can strengthen trust between people. When conflict isn’t
perceived as threatening or punishing, it fosters freedom, creativity, and safety in relationships.

The ability to manage conflicts in a positive, trust-building way is supported by the previous four
skills. Once you know how to manage stress, stay emotionally present and aware, communicate
nonverbally, and use humour and play, you’ll be better equipped to handle emotionally charged
situations and catch and defuse many issues before they escalate.

Tips for resolving conflict in a trust-building way

 Stay focused in the present. When you are not holding on to old hurts and resentments, you
can recognize the reality of a current situation and view it as a new opportunity for resolving
old feelings about conflicts.
 Choose your arguments. Arguments take time and energy, especially if you want to resolve
them in a positive way. Consider what is worth arguing about and what is not.
 Forgive. Other people’s hurtful behaviour is in the past. To resolve conflict, you need to give
up the urge to punish or seek revenge.
 End conflicts that can't be resolved. It takes two people to keep an argument going. You can
choose to disengage from a conflict, even if you still disagree.

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Encourage a positive emotional climate in the workplace17

Workplaces are like the weather. They have emotional temperatures. There can be a positive high
energy current circulating or a misty gloom where people are just trudging through their day or
there can be an undercurrent of anger in which people are impatient and irritated with each other.

This is because emotions are catching. Just as people in an office can all be felled by the same flu,
they can all catch the same emotion creating a positive temperature or a sub-zero one.

Psychologist's call this phenomena emotional contagion. Usually our awareness of it hovers just
below the surface. We know that certain people leave us feeling optimistic and ready to take on the
world while others seem to drain the life out of us and after a few hours with them we want to take
a nap or fortify ourselves with a strong injection of caffeine. However, we rarely clearly articulate
our susceptibility to catching each other’s moods.

By becoming more attuned to how emotional contagion affects us and the emotional temperature in
our workplace, we can help keep the temperature in the positive range and raise workplace
performance.

The first place to start is to make sure that we are emitting positive emotions. Not only will this help
elevate the overall workplace temperature but it will help our performance and career. People want
to work with high-performing people who bring them up, not down.

For bosses it is particularly important to be a beacon of positive emotions. People key on their boss's
moods. When a boss fails to keep the emotional temperature in the positive range, it can have a
significant impact on performance.

17
Source: Management Issues, as at http://www.management-issues.com/opinion/4809/creating-a-positive-
emotional-temperature/, as on 5th December, 2015; Counting Biz, as at http://www.a-countingbiz.com/how-
to-create-a-positive-work-environment/, as on 5th December, 2015.

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For bosses it is particularly important to be a beacon of positive emotions.

Consider a boss who is worried and anxious. The people who work for him soon catch his worry and
anxiety. This leads them to work less effectively which in turn increases the boss's worries and
anxiety with the subsequent effect that people become even more anxious and debilitated. The
result is poor performance and a downward temperature spiral which is difficult to stop.

One of the best managers that I have observed consciously keeps the emotional temperature in his
office in the positive range. At the beginning of the day, he goes by each employee's office and
greets them warmly and inquires how they are. The positive energy he adds to the workplace is
contagious. You can feel it when you walk through the door.

While we can help keep the emotional temperature in our workplace on the plus side by actively
adding positive energy to the emotional soup, we also need to know how to get rid of people's
negative emotions when we do catch them.

One way is to use the power of our facial expressions and body language. Psychologists have found
that by changing our facial expressions and body language, we can actually change our moods. We
can make ourselves sad by hunching our shoulders and slumping in our chairs or we can pick up our
moods by sitting up and smiling.

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Try smiling and see how it affects your mood. At first you may feel like you've just been to the
dentist and your mouth is still numb from the Novocain but if you keep at it, you will soon find your
spirits lifting. You can also change your body language. Lifting your head and shoulders will help
remove the feelings of inadequacy that you've caught from a discouraged fellow worker.

Similarly, if you've just absorbed a dose of anxiety, breathing in the slower deeper way that you do
when you are relaxed will help disperse it. Actors use these techniques all the time to help them
genuinely feel the emotions of the characters that they are portraying.

We can also use these techniques to protect ourselves from other people's negative emotions. One
reason that we catch other people's emotions is that we unconsciously synchronize our facial
expressions and physical postures with theirs when we are around them.

As a result, we not only start modelling their facial expressions and body postures but we also start
feeling the same way that they do. If they are unhappy or angry, we soon feel unhappy and angry. By
consciously stopping ourselves from engaging in this process, we can prevent ourselves from
catching their negative emotions.

Just being aware of emotional contagion and how it affects us, gives us a powerful tool that we can
use to elevate the emotional temperature of our workplace. By keeping our own mood up and
avoiding catching the current negative emotions that are circulating, we can raise performance
levels in our workplace and make it a place where we all love to work.

Encourage Personal Growth

Even if people don’t perform the way you expect them to perform in their workplace, you should
give them a chance to develop. Different seminars, professional and personal growth courses will
motivate your employees and give them direction. Thus, they will feel like they are going
somewhere and they will want to do their best to be more successful. Giving them these
opportunities will definitely encourage them to perform their tasks better and become more
efficient workers, employees and colleagues.

Create Pleasant Offices

Nobody likes working at a place that looks awful. It is always depressing and it is never productive.
Therefore, in order to make people do their best, you need to engage in creating a really good office
design. Try to maximize those tools, devices, office supplies and equipment which are necessary for
your employees to do better and faster work. Those company assets will pay off multifold in terms
of work productivity and success. These assets include sturdy chairs, ergonomic equipment and the
like. Employees also need efficient computers, up-to-date software applications, pleasant wall color,
good coffee machines and other office details that make their working days more pleasant.

All these factors should be considered for an excellent office environment. Some of them require
that you spend some money and capital investments. But on the other hand, nothing can buy the
productivity output of satisfied and inspired workers. Therefore, all these company improvements
are worth the money you invest in the office workspace.

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Activity 8

What do the facial expressions below tell you about the person's emotional state. Label and
describe.

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Activity 8

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Activity 8

Use the strengths of workgroup members to achieve workplace outcomes18

Developing work teams

Teamwork originates with, and builds relationships among, a group of people who share a common
interest or purpose. Working in teams allows individuals from different areas (e.g. programs, fund
raising, marketing) with different roles (staff, volunteer, client/consumer/customer) and perhaps
from different organizations to work together on issues of interest to team members.

A team focuses its work on common objectives and finding solutions to shared problems. It uses
formal processes such as record keeping, facilitation and scheduled meetings to achieve its
objectives.

An effective team will:

 Retain valuable organizational knowledge that comes with the continuity of staff and sharing
of information
 Enhance the power and feeling of satisfaction of individuals working on the team
 Establish trust relationships that lead to better sharing of knowledge and understanding
 Achieve objectives because individuals are working together

18
Source: HR Council, as at http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/workplaces-teams.cfm, as on 5th December, 2015.

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  Hold team members accountable to one another accountable
 Combine the talents of many individuals and therefore contribute more than the sum of its
parts
 Create an environment where the input from people at all levels is valued
 Create new knowledge through working and learning with others
 Provide a process and place for multiple perspectives to be applied to complex problems and
issues
 Generate new ideas and insights
 Turn knowledge into practical results that improve the organization´s services
 Use a variety of communication processes (including technology) to support the sharing of
information, knowledge and experience
 Create a climate where innovation and new ideas are supported and members listen to
diverse points of view
 Multiply impacts while maintaining or reducing the resources needed to do the job
 Promote a culture that questions the status quo and looks for innovative ways to improve
services and reach goals
 Empower individuals, the team and the organizations
Building successful work teams and groups

Be clear about your objectives

What do you want the team to achieve? Consider the potential roadblocks and opportunities and be
realistic about how a team will help you find solutions. Make sure that all team members are aware
of the objectives and how the team will reach them (and don´t forget to celebrate when the team
achieves a milestone!). Identifying a team leader can help the group stay on task.

Determine who needs to be on the team

Once you know your objectives you can decide who needs to be involved on the team. Consider
whether you need to include staff members, board members, volunteers and/or clients/or other
stakeholders. Choose people who have a good understanding of the issue. You may also want to
include people who have limited knowledge because they will bring new perspectives and ideas and
will learn from this process. Also consider politics. Who is connected to management or leadership?
Who can clear the way of organizational obstacles? Who gets along with whom? Who will be
disruptive or uncooperative? Don´t be afraid to add new members as the process continues.

The Disadvantages of Teamwork in the Workplace19

Teamwork in the workplace can present certain disadvantages.

Much has been written and said about the concept of teamwork in the workplace. Teamwork is
typically viewed as a positive concept, as it brings together a group of employees who work for the
benefit of the business. While teamwork does offer a variety of advantages, there are also some
potential disadvantages you should be aware of when implementing a team concept in your

19
Source: Chron, as at http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-teamwork-workplace-1937.html, as on
5th December, 2015.

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workplace.

Unequal Participation

With some teams, there can be a tendency for members to sit back and let others do most of the
work. This can cause resentment in the workplace, especially if you as a business owner recognize
only the efforts of the team and not those of its leaders. Conflict may occur as a result, which can
have a detrimental effect on workplace morale.

Not Team Players

Some workers may not function well as part of a team, preferring to work on their own. If your work
environment requires working as a team to accomplish a task, you'll need to be sure you're
screening out the "loners" during the hiring process. While these individuals may be excellent
workers in the right environment, they'll likely have difficulty fitting into your work culture, resulting
in dissatisfaction.

Limiting Creativity

Teamwork may also limit creative thinking. Employees may be so focused on working for the overall
good of the team and fitting in to the team concept that they put their own ideas on the back
burner. This lack of innovative thinking may keep your company from moving forward, resulting in
stagnation.

Longer Process

According to the Entrepreneur.com, a team can sometimes take longer to produce a desired result.
Teams typically need to go through a variety of processes, such as member selection, organization
and socialization on the way to completing the task at hand. Teams can also result in added expense,
as they can tie up resources like money, manpower and equipment.

Inherent Conflict

Whenever a group of people is assembled to achieve a goal, at least some conflict is likely to occur.
Contrasting personal styles can clash and some members may have difficulty accepting ideas that
differ from their own. Peer pressure can also result in a team member going against her better
judgment to escape the wrath of other members or to facilitate the completion of a project.

Establish a time frame for completion of the team´s work

Remember that group work can often take longer than individual work.

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Empower the team to work well together

Be sure the team members have the skills and resources they need to work well together - for
example, facilitation skills, finances, support staff, executive support, access to technology and the
skills to use it.

Identify how the team will communicate

You will need to establish a process for the team to report on its efforts and results. The team will
have to establish how they will communicate among themselves and how they will communicate
their work to others (for example, minutes of meetings, e-mail, web site and list-serves).

Other helpful tips

 Effective teams need to focus on both the group and the task
 All team members need a clear sense of their collective task
 Encourage team members to set and take ownership of goals
 Write down and regularly promote the group´s task so everyone remains focused
 If individual conflicts arise, review and negotiate them in terms of the task that needs to be
completed
 Encourage all team members to participate
 Keep a written record of group decisions to avoid returning to the same discussion
 Establish group norms that everyone feels comfortable with and hold group members
accountable
 Handle feedback and debate fairly and look for alternative strategies that still fit with the
group´s task
 Recognize group effort instead of individual effort
 Focus on solutions - it´s easy to identify the problem but more positive to focus on finding a
solution
 Be mindful of verbal and non-verbal communication
 Affirm the importance of keeping commitments made to the group and by the group
 Have clear expectations and communicate them throughout the group
 Recognize positive contributions to the group
 Affirm that constructive conflict is ok but personal attacks are not
 Provide training in problem solving and conflict management to group members

Understanding group dynamics

Groups, like individuals have three basic interpersonal needs, namely: inclusion, control and
openness. These needs determine how we treat other people in the group and how we want others
to treat us. Understanding and identifying behaviours you observe in yourself and in your group
members will help you communicate what is happening in the group, gain influence, and, help the
group become more effective and productive.

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The three basic development needs of individuals and groups

Inclusion: refers to individual´s need to share, include and involve others in their activities. It also
refers to their need to be acknowledged, connected and accepted by others. For example, if you
have ever wondered why a facilitator has asked you to share your name at the beginning of a
meeting is to help achieve the right amount of contact between participants and create a sense of
belonging.

 Key Concern: Who is in or out?

 Feelings Experienced: anxiety, anticipation, hope, hesitation, discomfort

 Behaviours Expressed: overly talkative, watchful, inviting, supportive, guarded

 A tip to help work with this need: Pay attention to whom is over- and under- participating.
This can become an issue in the group as big talkers try to pressure the quiet member into
talking more.

Control: refers to individual's needs to influence, be responsible, feel competent and have authority
over others. These needs can create a period of turmoil and upheaval as some members try to
dominate, while others resist or withdraw. For example, you have asked the group to make a
decision about an action item and one of the members avoids the decision making process to discuss
another point.

Often, this period in the group's process is avoided, glazed over or is considered bad. To have the
need to control is not a bad thing; not unlike conflict, if worked through and participants have the
opportunity to influence the group's process, you can begin to relax and have fun in the group.

 Key Concern: Who gets to decide what for whom?

 Feelings Experienced: frustration, stuck, incompetence, powerlessness, apathy

 Behaviours Expressed: resistance, competition, avoiding, challenging, bickering

 A tip to help work with this need: Notice if your group is preventing any decision-making
procedures from being established. This can leave a group powerless and stuck. Try to
establish an agreement on how your group will make decisions and define how and who will
take on leadership.

Openness: refers to individuals´ need to trust, give emotional support and be authentic. It also refers
to their need to feel safe, and experience friendship. Think back to one of your optimal group
experiences. How did you feel? For example, you have unique gift of drawing and have kept this to
yourself. But now, you feel safe and comfortable in the group to want to offer this skill as a resource.

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  Key Concern: How do members feel about each other?

 Feelings Experienced: satisfaction, trust, warmth, safe, enthusiasm

 Behaviours Expressed: sharing, problem-solving, active listening, collaboration

 A tip to help work with this need: As a sense of togetherness develops, observe if extreme
or rigid interpersonal behaviours are displayed, as some members can appear under- and
over-personal. Either these members can act reserved, cautious or distant while others are
overwhelming and regularly personalize situations and issues. By cultivating an environment
of acceptance and trust, each member is known and treated as an individual, and their
unique abilities can be used for the betterment of the whole group.

When thinking about group dynamics, it is important to note that there are three levels of need that
could potentially impact productivity and flow:

 Team needs (building and maintaining of the team)

 Task needs (getting the job done)
 Individual needs

Pay attention to these three levels and make sure they are mutually taken care of and recognized. In
doing so, the depth of work and commitment of members will undeniably deepen and strengthen.

It is highly probable that if you are feeling something in the group, most likely other members in the
group are feeling the same thing as you. By speaking out and sharing your feelings or thoughts with
the group, you can act as a catalyst to move the group into a more mature and productive phase.
The development of your group is contingent on resolving these needs as they arise. If left
unresolved and unattended, the group becomes stuck and stagnates.

As a manager leading or participating in a group, the key question to can ask yourself in service of
moving the group forward is: what can I do to bring the whole group to a productive state?
Bringing a diverse group of people to work together on a task naturally implies complexity and
fluctuations, so learning more about group dynamics enables you to bring the group back to
"equilibrium" and stability.

Is your team healthy?

Working in a group can be enjoyable or frustrating, perhaps both. These feelings are linked to the
health of your team. Not unlike an individual, a team needs to grow and develop in order to increase
its effectiveness and confidence. As a manager, how do you know if your group doing well and is
healthy? What are some of the areas of development that you can work on with your team
members?

Here are five areas of development in teams to work with:

 Climate
 Involvement

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  Interaction
 Cohesion
 Productivity

By observing, understanding, and giving attention to these five areas, groups can improve their
processes, accomplish more goals, and provide more satisfaction for the members.

Climate: This includes both the physical and the emotional climate that are important to the well-
being and growth of the team. Seating arrangements, lighting, ventilation and closeness of members
can affect the group. Emotional climate determines the security and ease of the members. There is a
feeling of "something is in the air" when you walk into the room that can help you determine your
teams´s emotional climate. Is it formal or informal? Friendly? Competitive?

Tip: Table and chairs can create a separation between the members; try an open circle of chairs
to facilitate a more personal communication and free expression.

Involvement: Is determined by the draw of other members in the team to each other and to the
activities or product of the team. Some key questions in assessing involvement are: Why are the
members here? What level of commitment do they have to the team? Levels of involvement show
up in lateness, absenteeism and lack of energy.

Tip : Allow for opportunities for members to participate in setting their own work goals and
procedures.

Interaction : This is a key dimension in your group´s health. If more members interact with one
another, the more likely the team will develop and accomplish its task. Key question in assessing
your group´s level of interaction are: What is the distribution of participation? Who has the power
in the group? Are their sub-groups or cliques? What is the balance of roles in the group (see note)?
Are people listening and building on the idea of others? Emotional climate and interaction are
closely linked. Members who feel secure and accepted can express their feelings freely and
frequently.

Tip: Encourage group decision-making activities, small group projects and coffee breaks to
promote closeness and discussion.

An analysis of your team members´ roles offers a concise snap shot of your group´s interaction and
health. A group needs both task and group building participation from the members if it is to grow
and become fully productive. Groups, in general, tend to over identify with one way of working such
as: high task / low group building OR high group building/ low task. Both approaches produce
minimal output teams.
Productivity: The accomplishment of goals provides motivation and pride for in the group as a
whole. This involves areas of goal setting, goal clarification, gaining member commitment, and
implementation.

Tip: A simple step to help your group reach its goals is by following up and planning ahead. If
decisions from previous sessions were carried out then your group can create momentum by
planning ahead for the next session. In the best circumstances, you can trust that group
members will be able to do additional work that will have an impact on the overall goal.

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Positive Psychology in the Workplace20

Positive psychology has certainly had a significant impact in the corporate world: across all industry
sectors, leadership and organisational development programs have incorporated positive psychology
concepts; ‘psychological wellness' is being increasingly accentuated in workplace wellbeing
programs; and ‘stress management' training has long been overtaken by ‘resilience building'
workshops. The focus of this article is at the evidence-based end of the spectrum, and we provide an
overview of a particular organisational research tradition and associated interventions that have
validated and extended key positive psychology concepts and practices in the workplace.

20
Source: Australian Psychological Society, as at
https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/2011/april/cotton/, as on 5th December, 2015.

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Organisational health framework

The organisational health framework (Hart & Cooper, 2001) delineates how key individual and
organisational factors interact to determine levels of employee wellbeing and organisational
performance. In contrast to the traditional emphasis in the work stress literature on the
consequences of negative work experiences, this approach highlights the role of positive work
experiences and positive emotional responses. Thus as we have previously noted, problems with
wellbeing in the workplace may not necessarily be caused by adverse work experiences, but can also
be caused by a low level of positive work experiences and positive emotional states (Cotton & Hart
2003).

Organisational health research has shown that both positive emotional states (morale) and negative
emotional states (distress) make independent contributions to overall levels of employee wellbeing.
Moreover, this research has demonstrated that levels of employee morale directly contribute to a
range of people and performance-related outcomes including discretionary performance, aspects of
task performance and a range of withdrawal and counterproductive behaviours (Hart, 1999; Hart &
Cotton, 2001; Hart & Cotton 2003). It is this emphasis on the antecedents and consequences of
employee positive emotional states that links the organisational health framework with the rapidly
evolving positive psychology tradition.

The original organisational health research program, based at the University of Melbourne, had
National Health and Medical Research Council funding and developed the metrics and a range of
measurement tools that accurately and reliably assess a wide range of ‘soft' workplace factors
including: key aspects of people leadership capability; work team climate; positive and negative
work experiences; psychological injury risk; withdrawal behaviours; counterproductive behaviours;
job satisfaction; and individual and workgroup levels of morale and distress. Research using these
survey-based tools across a wide range of industry sectors has confirmed one of the central tenets of
positive psychology: increases in positive emotions have a more significant impact on employee
wellbeing and a range of other people and performance-related outcomes than a comparable
reduction in levels of employee negative emotions (Cotton & Hart, 2003; Hart, Caballero & Cooper,
2010).

Key drivers of wellbeing and organisational performance

Given that employee morale significantly influences a range of important workplace outcomes, what
are the major determinants of morale? Key workplace drivers of employee morale have been found
to include supportive leadership (e.g., empathy, approachability, support, role modelling behaviours,
delegation and proactive engagement with at-risk staff) and a positive and engaging workgroup
climate. Indeed, as shown in Figure 1, these factors have typically been found to explain
approximately 60 percent of the variation in individual employee morale, and 80 percent of
workgroup level morale¹.

Based on extensive research and evaluation of leadership and workgroup development programs,
our climate framework has been reformulated into a four factor model, shown in Figure 2, which is
focused on delineating the cultural pillars that underpin the work team environment.

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Ongoing organisational health research suggests that these four elements determine the overall
quality of the team environment and significantly influence employee motivation, wellbeing,
discretionary effort and customer experience.

Learnings from evaluating leadership and workgroup development programs

Precisely parallel with positive psychology findings concerning clinical psychopathology (e.g.,
Seligman's work on positive psychotherapy for depression), research shows that organisational
interventions designed to increase employee morale, without addressing levels of employee distress
as such, can result in significant improvements on a range of people and performance-related
outcomes (Cotton & Hart, 2003). For example, positive development programs have been shown to
increase staff engagement and reduce a number of negative people-related outcomes (Hart et al.,
2011).

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Such programs include: (a) building supportive leadership capability through strategies that foster
genuine two-way feedback and enhance leader behavioural integrity; (b) facilitating staff discussion
and professional debate to address operational challenges - rather than simply directing them
around what to do; (c) proactively clarifying values and behavioural expectations; (d) increasing the
level of informal and development oriented feedback; and (e) empowering representative staff
project teams to drive business improvement initiatives.

It must be emphasised here that we are referring to organisational and workgroup level
interventions, rather than individual employee level interventions². Moreover, it is critical to note
that whilst positive workgroup level interventions can be very powerful, they are not, solely by
virtue of their nature, a magical panacea; achieving sustainable improvement requires the
application of particular approaches and certain pre-conditions to meet.

We have implemented and evaluated leadership and development programs across a range of
industry sectors including: health and community services; police; finance; primary, secondary and
tertiary education; legal professionals; and local government. Some of these programs have
achieved significant and sustained improvements whilst others have been less successful.

Key characteristics of successful programs include: use of action-learning methodologies that reflect
adult learning principles; workgroup willingness to learn; establishment of a representative project
team; appropriately up-skilling the project team to drive team-based initiatives; focusing
interventions on root causes rather than symptoms; senior management support; and fine-grained
accountability processes. Common features of less successful programs include: a leader's lack of
core people management skills; turnover of key project team members; poor staff engagement
mechanisms; and a lack of adequate accountability processes for achieving a change in the
behaviour of leaders and team members (Hart et al., 2011).

To be successful, it seems that interventions must achieve a substantial change in team-based

behaviours that inform the way people work together. Ultimately, we have come to believe that
there are two major pathways towards achieving sustainable organisational improvement:
fundamentally changing the cultural pillars underpinning work team climate and/or substantially
altering the organisation's selection and recruitment profile (Hart, 2011).

Workplace psychosocial risk

Organisational health research findings support ‘positive' workplace interventions that contrast with
standard occupational hazard and risk management approaches that focus primarily on reducing
workplace stressors and employee negative emotions. Of course, we cannot ignore stressors and
employee distress, but emphasising positive interventions typically has more impact on key
outcomes. Consider the example of complaints about excessive work demands. Frequently,

we have found that improving leadership and work team climate results in significant reductions in
employee concerns about workload and stress-related complaints - without changing the objective
level of work demands (Cotton & Hart, 2002). From a positive psychology perspective, if we know a
team has high morale and is still expressing concerns about work demands, then it will clearly be
prudent to review and consider changing their actual volume and pacing of work demands.

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In relation to psychological injury, a recent analysis of 262 consecutive pre-liability assessments
(Cotton, 2011) found that one third of the cohort had low morale and sub-clinical distress features
(i.e., no formal clinical diagnosis indicated). Unfortunately, these individuals currently seem more
likely than not to receive ‘adjustment disorder' diagnoses from medical practitioners and
psychologists. They are then likely to embark on a medicalisation trajectory that carries an escalating
risk for long-term disability. Generally, this group does not actually need clinical treatment at this
phase of their injury. Rather, if they had access to an early pathway towards engaging in alternative
employment, or implementation of appropriate conflict resolution processes, the risk for long-term
incapacity could be substantially mitigated and early return to work achieved.

These findings may help to explain why outcomes for psychological injury have not greatly improved
over the past decade.

Concluding comments

At a macro organisational level, we do find correlations between an organisation's workers

compensation premium and its dominant leadership culture. Hence, above and beyond individual
level contributing features, organisational factors do substantially influence premium costs. Positive
workplace interventions have an important role to play in improving employee wellbeing and
organisational performance, as well as reducing psychosocial risk, but these need to be embedded in
high quality and rigorous development and accountability processes.

Activity 9

Outline a way to identify the strengths of workgroup members.

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Activity 9

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Business, Accounting and Finance
BSBLDR501 DEVELOP AND USE EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE
BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional
intelligence
Identify the impact of own
emotions on others in the
workplace

Recognise and appreciate the

emotional strengths and
weaknesses of others

Promote the development of

emotional intelligence in
others

Utilise emotional intelligence

to maximise team outcomes

SIMPLE DEFINITION WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Ability to manage emotions in one’s self and in others in order
to reach desired outcomes.
• Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capacity for understanding our
own feelings and the feelings of others, for motivating ourselves,
and for managing our emotions effectively in our relationships.
• Emotional intelligence is sometimes referred to as “people
smarts.” It is not generally included in the type of intelligence
evaluation included in the traditional concept of IQ, which mainly
focuses conceptual abilities, but it is a very important personal
attribute.
• Rather than being a single characteristic, emotional intelligence
can be thought of as a wide set of competencies that are organized
into a few major clusters. The most widely accepted view of
emotional intelligence identifies 20 competencies, which are in
turn organized into four clusters:
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness
• Social Skills

THE "NEW YARDSTICK" EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

• Seen as the fundamental key to success and leadership - and
• On how we handle ourselves and each other it can be learned!

• Goes beyond intellectual ability and technical skills

• Working with people
• Focuses on personal qualities such as initiative, empathy, • Not just about being nice
adaptability, persuasiveness • Managing one’s own emotions
• Ability to handle encounters
• Teamwork
• Leadership
 JOB SUCCESS, NOT SURVIVAL COMMON EMPLOYER COMPLAINTS
• Today's great growth and prosperity is running parallel to
• Lack of social skills, motivation to keep learning, and inability
some of the highest rates of job turnovers.
to take criticism

• Just because you work hard does not mean you will rise to the
• Leads to plateaued or derailed careers because of crucial gaps
top or that the job is secure.
in EQ (EI)

THE TWO SIDES OF EMOTIONAL

INTELLIGENCE
Personal Competence – how we manage ourselves The more complex the job,
Self Awareness – knowing your strengths and weaknesses
Self Regulation - trustworthiness, responsibility, adaptability,
the more EQ (EI) matters!!
Motivation - drive, commitment, initiative, optimism, charisma

Social Competence - how we handle relationships

Empathy - awareness of other’s feelings and concerns
Social skills - adeptness a inducing desirable responses, such
as communication, conflict management, cooperation, and
leadership

GOLEMAN’S COMPETENCIES MAYER & SALOVEY’S

MODEL ABILITY MODEL
4 inter-related abilities

• Perceiving,
• Using,
• Understanding, and
• Managing emotions
 IDENTIFY EMOTIONS BASIC EMOTIONS WITH VERY
CLEAR FACIAL SIGNALS
• Identify how you feel
• Anger
• Identify how others feel
• Sadness
• Sense emotions in music • Fear
• Sense emotions in art • Surprise
• Disgust
• Detect real vs fake emotions - accuracy
• Happiness
Ekman, 2003

UNDERSTAND EMOTIONS
• Recognizes what events are likely to trigger different emotions
• Knows that emotions can combine to form complex blends of
feelings
• Realizes that emotions can progress over time and transition
from one to another
• Provides a rich emotional vocabulary for greater precision in
describing feelings and blends of feelings

WHAT DOES “USE EMOTION”

ENTAIL?
• The capacity to generate and feel an emotion in order to focus
attention, reason, and communicate.
• The capacity to use emotion to influence cognitive processes
such as decision making, deductive reasoning, creativity, and
problem solving.
 HAPPINESS MANAGE EMOTIONS
Up-side
• Generate new ideas • Stay open to feelings
• Think in new ways • Blend emotions with thinking
• Be creative • Reflectively monitor emotions
• Enhance “big-picture” thinking
• Enhance decision-making abilities

Downside
• More problem-solving errors

MANAGE EMOTIONS YOU ARE IN A MEETING WHEN A

COLLEAGUE TAKES CREDIT FOR THE
Research findings:
WORK YOU HAVE DONE. WHAT DO YOU DO?
• A. Immediately confront the colleague saying that you did the
• Significant relationship between managing emotions ability research?
and burnout and mental health
• Teams with higher scores for managing emotions received • B. After the meeting, take the colleague aside & tell him/her that
higher performance rankings in the future you would appreciate credit for the work you did.
• C. Nothing. It’s best not to embarrass colleagues in public.
• D. After the colleague speaks, publicly thank him/her for
referencing your work & provide additional details about the
work.

WHY DO PEOPLE WITH

HIGH
IQS NOT ALWAYS
SUCCEED?
 ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF “ALL I NEED TO KNOW I
EQ AND IQ LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN”

Four of the five skills educators (NRC, 2000) emphasize for

Suppose you are brilliant in a particular domain of study. school readiness are socio-emotional:
Or suppose you happen to have a great idea for a project (or - mastery of educational building blocks
both).
- motivation to succeed in school
What kinds of emotional and cognitive intelligence are needed
- ability to get along & make friends
to see the project through to completion?
- ability to function in a group
- capacity to manage emotions

LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT: LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT:

ROOTS IN CHILDHOOD MOVING INTO ADULTHOOD

Childhood studies find both genetic and environmental components Adolescence & early adulthood – frontal lobe maturation: emotional
of EQ (temperament, social competence) and IQ. vs. rational reasoning (emotions are a two-edged sword).

Emotional, social and cognitive processes constantly influence each Middle to later adulthood: what are the components of wisdom?
other during development.
It’s not either/or but both: the marshmallow study (Shoda, Mischel &
Peake, 1990) found both impulse control & verbal ability
contributed to later SAT and grades.

WHAT IS YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?

HTTP://EI.HAYGROUP.COM

IN ESSENCE 1. You are on an airplane that suddenly hits extremely bad turbulence and
begins rocking from side to side. What do you do?

Being intelligent about emotions means that we can perceive 2. You are in a meeting when a colleague takes credit for work that you have
and use emotions to create optimal relationships and produce done. What do you do?

desired outcomes.
3. You are a customer service representative and have just gotten an extremely
angry client on the phone. What do you do?

4. You are a college student who had hoped to get an A in a course that was
important for your future career aspirations. You have just found out you got a
C- on the midterm. What do you do?

5. You are a manager in an organization that is trying to encourage respect for

racial and ethnic diversity. You overhear someone telling a racist joke. What
do you do?
WHAT IS YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?
HTTP://EI.HAYGROUP.COM
6. You are an insurance salesman calling on prospective clients. You have left the
last 15 clients empty-handed. What do you do?
7. You are trying to calm down a colleague who has worked herself into a fury
because the driver of another car has cut dangerously close in front of her. What
do you do?
8. A discussion between you and your partner has escalated into a shouting match.
You are both upset and in the heat of the argument, start making personal attacks
which neither of you really mean. What is the best thing to do?
9. You have been given the task of managing a team that has been unable to come
up with a creative solution to a work problem. What is the first thing that you do?
10.You have recently been assigned a young manager in your team, and have
noticed that he appears to be unable to make the simplest of decisions without
seeking advice from you. What do you do?
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
2. The credit stealing colleague:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. By demonstrating an awareness
of work-place dynamics, and an ability to control your emotional responses,
publicly recognizing your own accomplishments in a non-threatening manner
will disarm your colleague as well as puts you in a better light with your
manager and peers. Public confrontations can be ineffective, are likely to
cause your colleague to become defensive, and may look like poor
sportsmanship on your part. Although less threatening, private confrontations
are also less effective in that they will not help your personal reputation.
[A] 0 Points - Immediately and publicly confront the colleague over the
ownership of your work.
[B] 5 Points - After the meeting, take the colleague aside and tell her
that you would appreciate in the future that she credits you when speaking
about your work.
[C] 0 Points - Nothing, it's not a good idea to embarrass colleagues in
public.
[D] 10 Points - After the colleague speaks, publicly thank her for
referencing your work and give the group more specific detail about
what you were trying to accomplish.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
4. The 'C' Midterm:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is A. A key indicator of self-motivation, also
known as achievement motivation, is your ability to form a plan for overcoming
obstacles to achieve long-term goals. While focusing efforts on classes where you
have a better opportunity may sometimes be productive, if the goal was to learn the
content of the course to help your long-term career objectives, you are unlikely to
achieve.
[A] 10 Points - Sketch out a specific plan for ways to improve your grade and
resolve to follow through.
[B] 0 Points - Decide you do not have what it takes to make it in that career.
[C] 5 Points - Tell yourself it really doesn't matter how much you do in the
course, concentrate instead on other classes where your grades are higher.
[D] 0 Points - Go see the professor and try to talk her into giving you a
better grade
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
Write down the number of points you get for the answer you wrote down, then add
them all up.
• The turbulent airplane:
Anything but D - that answer reflects a lack of awareness of your habitual
responses under stress. Actively acknowledging your stress and finding ways to
calm yourself (i.e. engage in a book or read the emergency card) are healthier
responses.
[A] 10 Points - Continue to read your book or magazine, or watch the
movie, trying to pay little attention to the turbulence.
[B] 10 Points - Become vigilant for an emergency, carefully monitoring the
stewardesses and reading the emergency instructions card.
[C] 10 Points - A little of both A and B.
[D] 0 Points - Not sure - never noticed.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
3. The angry client:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. Empathizing with the customer
will help calm him down and focusing back on a solution will ultimately help
the customer attain his needs. Confronting a customer or becoming defensive
tends to anger the customer even more.
[A] 0 Points - Hang-up. It doesn't pay to take abuse from anyone.
[B] 5 Points - Listen to the client and rephrase what you gather he is
feeling.
[C] 0 Points - Explain to the client that he is being unfair, that you are
only trying to do your job, and you would appreciate it if he wouldn't get in
the way of this.
[D] 10 Points - Tell the client you understand how frustrating this must be
for him, and offer a specific thing you can do to help him get his
problem resolved.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
5. The racist joke:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is C. The most effective way to create an
atmosphere that welcomes diversity is to make clear in public that the social
norms of your organization do not tolerate such expressions. Confronting the
behavior privately lets the individual know the behavior is unacceptable, but does
not communicate it to the team. Instead of trying to change prejudices (a much
harder task), keep people from acting on them.
[A] 0 Points - Ignore it - the best way to deal with these things is not to
react.
[B] 5 Points - Call the person into your office and explain that their behavior
is inappropriate and is grounds for disciplinary action if repeated.
[C] 10 Points - Speak up on the spot, saying that such jokes are
inappropriate and will not be tolerated in your organization.
[D] 5 Points - Suggest to the person telling the joke he go through a
diversity training program.
 SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
6. The setback of a salesman:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is B. Optimism and taking the
initiative, both indicators of emotional intelligence, lead people to see
setbacks as challenges they can learn from, and to persist, trying out new
approaches rather than giving up, blaming themselves or getting demoralized.
[A] 0 Points - Call it a day and go home early to miss rush-hour traffic.
[B] 10 Points - Try something new in the next call, and keep plugging
away.
[C] 5 Points - List your strengths and weaknesses to identify what may
be undermining your ability to sell.
[D] 0 Points - Sharpen up your resume.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
8. The shouting match:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is A. In these circumstances, the most
appropriate behavior is to take a 20-minute break. As the argument has
intensified, so have the physiological responses in your nervous system, to the
point at which it will take at least 20 minutes to clear your body of these
emotions of anger and arousal. Any other course of action is likely merely to
aggravate an already tense and uncontrolled situation.
[A] 10 Points - Agree to take a 20-minute break before continuing the
discussion.
[B] 0 Points - Go silent, regardless of what your partner says.
[C] 0 Points - Say you are sorry, and ask your partner to apologize too.
[D] 0 Points - Stop for a moment, collect your thoughts, then restate your
side of the case as precisely as possible.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
10. The indecisive young manager:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. Managing others requires high levels
of emotional intelligence, particularly if you are going to be successful in
maximizing the performance of your team. Often, this means that you need to tailor
your approach to meets the specific needs of the individual, and provide them with
support and feedback to help them grow in confidence and capability.
[A] 0 Points - Accept that he 'does not have what it take to succeed around
here' and find others in your team to take on his tasks.
[B] 5 Points - Get an HR manager to talk to him about where he sees his
future in the organization.
[C] 0 Points - Purposely give him lots of complex decisions to make so that
he will become more confident in the role.
[D] 10 Points - Engineer an ongoing series of challenging but manageable
experiences for him, and make yourself available to act as his mentor.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
7. The Road-Rage colleague:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. All research shows that
anger and rage seriously affect one's ability to perform effectively.
Your ability to avoid or control this emotional reaction in yourself and
others is a key indicator of emotional intelligence.
[A] 0 Points - Tell her to forget about it-she's OK now and it is no
big deal.
[B] 0 Points - Put on one of her favorite tapes and try to distract
her.
[C] 5 Points - Join her in criticizing the other driver.
[D] 10 Points - Tell her about a time something like this
happened to you, and how angry you felt, until you saw the other
driver was on the way to the hospital.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
9. The uninspired team:
The most emotionally intelligent answer is B. As a leader of a group of
individuals charged with developing a creative solution, your success
will depend on the climate that you can create in your project team.
Creativity is likely to by stifled by structure and formality; instead,
creative groups perform at their peaks when rapport, harmony and
comfort levels are most high. In these circumstances, people are most
likely to make the most positive contributions to the success of the
project.
[A] 0 Points - Draw up an agenda, call a meeting and allot a
specific period of time to discuss each item.
[B] 10 Points - Organize an off-site meeting aimed specifically at
encouraging the team to get to know each other better.
[C] 0 Points - Begin by asking each person individually for ideas
about how to solve the problem.
[D] 5 Points - Start out with a brainstorming session,
encouraging each person to say whatever comes to mind, no matter
how wild.
SCORING YOUR ANSWERS
Now add up your scores and use the scale below to compare
your score.
100 -- Maximum Score
75
50 -- Average Score
25
0 -- Minimum Score
 WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW
WHAT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS
• Emotional intelligence is essential in effective leadership and has a
direct impact on work performance.
• At Egon Zehner International, an employment search firm, analyzed 515
senior executives and found that the executives with strong emotional
intelligence test results were more likely to succeed than were other
executives whose strength areas were in either relevant previous
experience or traditional IQ scores.
• Research at the Center for Creative Leadership has shown that the
primary cause of executive turnover was individual deficiency in the
area of emotional competence.
• In another study that involved 130 executives, results showed that there
is a strong correlation between how well an individual handled personal
emotions and the willingness of others to work with that individual.
• A leader with a positive mood and attitude tends to interact with others in a
way that results in a positive, helpful, and cooperative workgroup, thereby
increasing workplace efficiency.
THREE COMPETENCIES WITHIN SELF-
AWARENESS
The Self-Awareness cluster contains three basic competencies or
subcategories:
• Emotional self-awareness
• Accurate self-assessment
• Self-confidence
ACCURATE SELF-ASSESSMENT
• Accurate self-assessment is the process of identifying your inner
resources, abilities, strengths, and acknowledging and accepting
your limits. It is based on the desire to receive feedback and new
perspectives about yourself and is motivated by the desire for
continuous learning and self-development.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Have a sense of humor about themselves
• Are knowledgeable of their own strengths and weaknesses
• Have the ability to be reflective to learn from experience
• Are receptive to candid feedback, new perspectives, continuous
learning, and self-development
SELF-AWARENESS
• Self-Awareness is the ability to accurately sense and identify personal
feelings, along with the ability to understand and evaluate them. To
be fully aware of your feelings you must first identify them, and then
you must acknowledge and accept them.
• Self-awareness is concerned with knowing about your own internal
states, preferences, resources, and perceptions.
• As you become more self-aware, you become better able to be in
touch with your own feelings.
• Self-awareness is very important to achieving success at work. Not
being in touch with your own feelings in sufficient degree can
handicap your overall effectiveness.
• Individuals who have high self-awareness are able to conduct
accurate self-appraisals, are self-confident, are authentic, welcome
feedback, perceive situations accurately, and are willing to take risks
for what they believe to be right.
EMOTIONAL SELF-AWARENESS
• Emotional self-awareness is the ability to recognize your own
emotions and their effects, to identify how you react to cues in the
environment, and to understand how your emotions affect your overall
performance.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Are aware of their feelings
• Understand the connection between their own feelings and what they
think, do, and say
• Know why certain feelings occur in themselves
• Recognize how their feelings affect their performance
• Understand the implications of their actions
• Are aware of how they are guided by their values and goals
SELF-CONFIDENCE
• Self-confidence is your own belief in your capability to accomplish a
task. Self-confidence includes acknowledging and affirming that you
are the best person for the job that you are doing. It is also about
conveying your ideas and opinions in a confident manner and having
a positive impacted on others.
• Individuals in which this competence is highly developed:
• The belief that they are the most capable person for the job
• The ability to present themselves in an assured, unhesitating manner
• The courage to voice views that may be unpopular and to go out on a limb
when following their convictions
• The ability to be decisive and to make sound decisions despite
uncertainties and pressures
 HOW TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP SELF- TIPS FOR DEVELOPING SELF-
AWARENESS AWARENESS
• Increasing your self-awareness will require serious thought and Emotional Self-Awareness
effort. • Pay attention to the physical reactions aroused in your body during stressful
situations.

• You will have to be objective about yourself and your own
perceptions as you examine your inner feelings and explore your
reactions to be the people and events in your work life.
• Specifically, you will have to summon the courage to objectively
examine the ways that you make appraisals, tune in to our senses,
and get in touch with your feelings.
• You will have to learn how to identify your true intentions and pay
close attention to your actions.
• Keep a journal where you write down your behaviors and inner feelings when
faced with stressful situations on a daily basis.
Accurate Self-Assessment
• When interacting with people with whom you feel comfortable, ask for their
constructive feedback about your actions and behaviors.
• Make a list of what you believe to be your strengths as well as any areas where
development is needed, and then compare your own list and a similar list
prepared by someone else.
Self-Confidence
• Adjust your thinking and behaviors so that they closely match those of
someone whose models that trait of self-confidence—with that model in mind,
act decisively, instead of self-consciously watching your every move.

• Find someone you trust who would be willing to help you to objectively
analyze your abilities.

SELF-MANAGEMENT WHY IS SELF-MANAGEMENT

• Self-Management is the ability to understand your emotions and
then use that understanding to turn situations to your benefit.
• Self-management is also the ability to use your feelings to reason
well and act intentionally.
IMPORTANT?
• Self-management is important because when people are able to better
managing their emotions, they do better in life.
• The more people allow emotions to control and direct their behavior, the
worse they do in life.
• People who are good managers of their emotions are open to change,
effective in mood management, consistent in stress management, they
are intentional, productive, and behave in a reasonable and rational way.

© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

SIX COMPETENCIES WITHIN EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL

SELF-MANAGEMENT • Emotional self-control is the ability to keep impulsive feelings and
emotions under control. It is being able to restrain negative actions
when provoked, when faced with opposition or hostility from other
• The Self-Management cluster contains six basic competencies or people, or when working under pressure.
subcategories:

• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:

• Emotional self-control
• Trustworthiness • Deal calmly with stress
• Consciousness
• Display impulse control and restraint
• Adaptability
• Optimism • Stay posed and positive, even in trying moments
• Initiative
• Think clearly and stay focused under pressure

© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC © 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

 TRUSTWORTHINESS
• Trustworthiness is maintaining standards of honesty and integrity. It
includes communicating intentions, ideas, and feelings openly, and
welcoming openness and honesty in others.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Act ethically and are above criticism
• Build trust through reliability and authenticity
• Are authentic - what you see is what you get
• Have a tough stance, even if they are unpopular
• Confront unethical action in others
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
ADAPTABILITY
• Adaptability is the ability to be flexible and work effectively within
a variety of changing situations and with various individuals and
groups.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Can smoothly handle multiple demands, shifting priorities, and
rapid change
• Are flexible in how they see events
• Adapt plans, behavior, or approaches to fit major changes in
situations
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
INITIATIVE
• Initiative is the ability to identify a problem, obstacle, or
opportunity and take action on it. People with initiative are
consistently striving to do better, to experience new challenges,
and to be held accountable for their actions and ideas.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Seek out fresh ideas from a wide variety of sources
• Act rather than wait
• Entertain original solutions to problems, and generate new ideas
• Take fresh perspectives and risks in their thinking
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
• Conscientiousness is about taking responsibility for personal
performance. It reflects an underlying drive for being reliable and
delivering quality work.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Follow through on commitments and keep promises
• Hold themselves accountable for meeting their objectives
• Are organized and careful in their work
• Pay attention to detail
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
OPTIMISM
• Optimism is about seeing the world as a glass that is “half-full”
rather than “half-empty”. It is the ability to see good in others and
in the situations at hand. Threats are viewed merely as
opportunities that can be acted upon and taken advantage of to
achieve optimal outcomes.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• See opportunities rather than threats
• Have mainly positive expectations about others
• Have hopes that the future will be better than the past
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
TIPS FOR IMPROVING SELF-
MANAGEMENT
Emotional Self-Control
• Make a list of all the things that trigger you to lose control. Create a
strategy to prevent these triggers from causing you to lose your
composure and your self-control.
• Reduce your stress though physical activity, or other types of
relaxation.
Trustworthiness
• Spend some time exploring the values and principals that you feel
most strongly about and write down the important ones. Next to each
one examine whether your behavior is consistent with these values,
and ask yourself what you would need to do differently in order to be
more genuine and be true to your beliefs.
• Consider the issues on which you are willing to act against all
opposition. Clarify for yourself what is and is not worth fighting for.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
TIPS FOR IMPROVING SELF-MANAGEMENT
Conscientiousness
• Keep a detailed filling system for all monthly bills, telephone, rent, heat, etc.
• Build routine checks into your calendar to ensure devotion to deadlines,
policies, and standards. In the event that you find something that does not
reach the desired standard or that will take much longer than the time frame
given, work though your plan to give the task at hand more time and effort.
Adaptability
• Periodically review the processes you or your department has in place. What
are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Is there a better, more efficient
way of approaching things?
• When current strategies are not working, stop what you are doing,
acknowledge that it is not working and make the necessary changes to your
plans, activities, objectives, or behavior.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
SOCIAL AWARENESS
• Social awareness refers to how people handle relationships and
awareness of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns.
• It is the ability to recognize and appropriately respond to the
emotions and feelings of others.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
EMPATHY
• Empathy is about understanding other people. It is the ability to hear
and understand accurately unspoken or partly expressed thoughts,
feelings, and concerns of others. People with empathy are able to
constantly pick up on emotional cues, and they can appreciate not
only what people are saying but also why they are saying it.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Are attentive to emotional cues and listen well
• Accurately read people’s moods or nonverbal cues
• Respect and relate well to people of diverse backgrounds
• Shows sensitivity and understand of others’ perspectives
• Help out based on understanding other people’s needs and feelings
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
TIPS FOR IMPROVING SELF-
MANAGEMENT
Optimism
• For two or three days, make a list of all the difficulty you encountered,
and write down the consequences next to each one. Note that when
your feelings are pessimistic in nature, positive activity is shortened,
but when your feelings are optimistic in nature, positive energy flows.
• Try to change your thoughts from negative to positive.
Initiative
• Volunteer to be a leader of a service organization that markets its
information to the community and solicit funds for support
• Make a list of all the external factors that affect your department and
of all the internal factors affecting the department. Then map out the
steps needed to capitalize on those opportunities and take actions to
prevent significant problems.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
THREE COMPETENCIES WITHIN
SOCIAL AWARENESS
The Social Awareness cluster contains three basic competencies or
subcategories:
• Empathy
• Organizational awareness
• Service orientation
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARENESS
• Organizational Awareness is the ability to understand the power
relationships in one’s group or organization. This includes the ability
to identify the real decision makers and who can influence them. It is
also about recognizing the values and cultures of organizations and
how they affect the way people act and behave.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Understand the political forces at work in the organization
• Accurately read key power relations in groups or organizations
• Understand values and culture of groups or organizations
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
 SERVICE ORIENTATION WHY IS HAVING SOCIAL
• Service orientation is anticipating, recognizing, and meeting other AWARENESS IMPORTANT?
people’s needs. It means focusing ones efforts on others, and
reaction to the requests of others.
• Social awareness is very important for creating and maintaining
good working relationships with other people.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Are attuned to providing satisfaction to others
• People high in social awareness can feel what other people are
feeling and can put themselves in their shoes.
• Match their services to meet others’ needs

• Gladly offer appropriate assistance • People who are high in social awareness are able to read non-
verbal cues, read messages conveyed by facial gestures,
• Makes themselves available to others posture, eye movement, and body language.

© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

TIPS FOR IMPROVING SOCIAL- TIPS FOR IMPROVING SOCIAL-

AWARENESS AWARENESS
Empathy
• Pay attention to critical interactions with others Service Orientation
• Turn off the sound on the television and watch it to see if you can identify • Set a measurable goal to improve the level of service you provide to
moods and nonverbal cues of the actors without hearing anything others. Include a needs analysis, an analysis of your service, and an
analysis of the concerns and needs of others.
• Start a reading file of articles about the needs of others in your department
Organizational Awareness or organization.
• Identify key people inside and outside the organization who exert • Take action to change or modify some procedures in your department that
influence over policies and activities. Create an influence chart for your others have complained about.
organization or department and compare it to the formal organization
chart
• In your discussions with others, try to get their perspective on how to get
things done within the department. Try to provide information about
unspoken organizational constraints that may prevent certain things from
happening at certain times.

© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC © 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

SOCIAL SKILLS EIGHT COMPETENCIES WITHIN SOCIAL

• Social Skills refers to a proficiency at suggesting desirable
SKILLS
responses in others. The Social Skills cluster contains eight basic competencies or
subcategories:
• People with good social skills are good business leaders, leaders
in society, and effective parents who understand that personal • Developing others
success and group or family success are inseparable. • Inspirational leadership
• They lead by example, encouraging others in positive ways, • Influence
validating them and creating trust within them.
• Communication
• Change catalyst
• Conflict management

© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC • Building bonds

• Teamwork and collaboration
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
 DEVELOPING OTHERS
• Developing others is the ability to promote the long-term learning
or development of others. Its focus is on the developmental intent
and effect rather than on the formal role of teaching or training.
Those who do this well spend time to help people find their own
way to excellence through specific feedback on current
performance.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Acknowledge and reward people’s strengths,
accomplishments, and development
• Offer useful feedback and identify people’s needs for
development
• Act as a mentor by giving timely coaching, and offering
assignments that challenge and grow a person’s skills.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
INFLUENCE
• Influence is the ability to persuade, convince, or impact other to
get them to go along with or support your agenda. Influence is
about grabbing someone’s attention and passing on something
they want to hear.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Are skilled at persuasion
• Can fine-tune presentations to appeal to the listener
• Use complex strategies like indirect influence to build
consensus and support
• Anticipate how people will respond to an argument and adapts
their approach accordingly
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
CHANGE CATALYST
• Change catalyst is having the ability to alert, energize and lead
groups to bring about specific changes in the way things are done.
• This competency is about recognizing the need for change and
taking ownership of change initiatives in order to move the group
or department forward.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Recognize the need for change and removes barriers
• Challenge the status quo to acknowledge the need for change
• Champion the change and enlist others in its pursuit
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP
• Inspirational leadership is the ability to take on the role as leader of a
team or group. Inspirational leaders work to bring people together
to get the job done, they build a strong sense of belonging within the
group leading others to feel they are part of something larger than
themselves.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Inspire others by articulating and arousing enthusiasm for a shared
vision and mission
• Step forward to lead as needed, regardless of position
• Guide the performance of others while holding them accountable
• Can make activities or projects engaging
• Lead by example © 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
COMMUNICATION
• Communication is the ability to send clear and convincing
messages to an audience in open and effective way. People high in
communication make their presentations engaging and are open to
dialogue with the audience.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Use nonverbal cues, like tone of voice, to express feelings that
reinforce messages in presentations
• Deal with difficult issues easily
• Listen well, seek mutual understanding, and welcome sharing of
information
• Promote open communication and stays receptive to bad news as well
as good
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
• Conflict management is the ability to handle difficult individuals,
groups of people, or tense situations with discretion. This involves
coming face to face with the conflict rather than trying to avoid it.
This competency entails focusing on the issues rather than the
people and working to de-escalate bad feelings.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Encourage debates and open discussion
• Orchestrate win-win solutions
• Communicate the positions of those involved in a conflict to all
concerned
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
 BUILDING BONDS
• Building bonds is about working to build or maintain friendly,
reciprocal, and warm relationships or networks with people.
• Building bonds means developing and maintaining good
relationships with a variety of people.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Develops and maintains an extensive informal network
• Nurtures relationships related to activities or projects
• Makes and maintains personal friendships among work
associates
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
WHY ARE SOCIAL SKILLS
IMPORTANT?
• Social skills are the basic skills everyone needs to have in order to
be effective at anything they do. Not having the basic social skills
can severely limit the quality of work that you produce.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
TIPS TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP
SOCIAL SKILLS
Influence
• Form a study group among colleagues to talk about successful
experiences and reality-test future strategies.
• Take part in a task force or committee on an important and timely
organizational or cross-departmental problem.
Communication
• Identify and observe others who have an engaging style while
presenting, pay attention to their nonverbal cues, and the visual aids
they use to get their meanings across.
• When delivering information to people, encourage them to ask
questions and encourage them to summarize your key points to
ensure they have understood you.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION
• Teamwork and Collaboration is about working cooperatively with
others, being part of a team and working together as opposed to
working separately or competitively. Teamwork and collaboration
is enjoying shared responsibility and rewards for
accomplishments. It is actively participating and enjoying building
the capability of the team.
• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed:
• Collaborates, and shares plans, information, and resources
• Promotes a friendly, cooperative climate in groups
• Draws all members into active and enthusiastic participation
• Builds team identity and commitment
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
TIPS TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP SOCIAL
SKILLS
Developing Others
• Regularly take time to talk to individuals about their
aspirations, the things they want to do better, and the things
they would like to try out.
Inspirational Leadership
• When launching significant new projects or initiatives,
consider spending time with the team, create a vision for the
work to be done, and build commitment to moving forward.
• Interview or shadow a leader whom you find inspirational. Ask
yourself why you find this individual inspirational, analyze their
style, and ask how they view their roles.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC
TIPS TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP
SOCIAL SKILLS
Change Catalyst
• Think about the worst possible change that might happen to
you and your team or department. Write a list of possible
benefits from that change and think about how you would sell
those benefits to the team or department if you had to.
• When preparing to tell others about change, think about each
person, how will the change impact this person? How has he or
she responded to change in the past? What questions or
comments might he or she have? Use your answers to prepare
for a discussion with this person about the upcoming change.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

Conflict Management
• If you are sensing trouble brewing with an individual, take
steps to bring the disagreement or grievance into the open
before it turns into a conflict situation.
• When in a heated discussion, focus on the issues at hand
and leave personal matters aside. Ask yourself “Is what I
am saying or doing productive in trying to resolve this
situation?”
TIPS TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP
SOCIAL SKILLS
Building Bonds
• Take part in professional associations or appropriate social events to
build your network and strengthen your relationships.
• Identify organizational dynamics. Practice thinking in terms of these
dynamics rather than simply about individuals or roles. What are the
general relationships of people and groups within the organization?
Teamwork and Collaboration

• Create a symbol for a group or team to rally around, or hold a get-

together to celebrate the team’s success.

• Avoid taking control of the agenda or being the first to make

suggestions, share the different roles being played in a group.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP MY

OWN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?
• Recent research suggests that the competencies associated with
emotional intelligence are not set in stone at birth, but that the emotional
competencies can indeed be learned and developed.
• There are many benefits associated with developing your own emotional
intelligence capabilities, and those benefits range from the personal to
the organizational.
• The higher your emotional intelligence, the more likely you are to succeed in
personal and professional relationships.
• There is a strong correlation between well-developed emotional intelligence
and personal self-satisfaction and overall self-confidence.
• Having a good understanding of yourself, your strengths, and your
weaknesses is essential to superior performance when on the job.
HOW DOES EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
HELP US?
• Identifying emotions provides awareness of emotions and the
ability to accurately read other people’s emotions. Using emotions
provides a means to generate ideas, a feeling, or a team spirit.
Understanding emotions offers insights into what motivates people
and others’ points of view. Finally, managing emotions allows you
to stay open to your emotions, which have valuable information,
and use them constructively.
• There is evidence to suggest that emotionally intelligent
leadership is the key to creating a work climate in which
employees are nurtured and encouraged to do their best.

• When your emotional intelligence is fully developed, it is easier to work well

under constantly changing circumstances and to act on your ideas in ways
that benefit the organization.
© 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC © 2003 CDHS/Research Foundation of SUNY/BSC

• In a study at Johnson & Johnson, high performing managers Any Questions?

had higher levels of self-awareness, self, management
capability, social skills, and organizational savvy which are all
considered part of emotional intelligence and are learned
responses that are needed for superior leadership.

• Several researchers have successfully demonstrated that

emotions are related to several of the key issues in leadership.
Several quantitative and qualitative studies have provided
evidence that empathy is an important trait that predicts and
plays a role in leadership emergence.

• Other studies have concluded that the management of group

members’ emotions is an important part of the leadership
process, emotional displays have large effects on perceptions
of leaders, and leaders who successfully manage group
processes can substantially influence performance.
Student Assessment Information
The process you will be following is known as competency-based assessment. This means that
evidence of your current skills and knowledge will be measured against national and international
standards of best practice, not against the learning you have undertaken either recently or in the
past. (How well can you do the job?)

Some of the assessment will be concerned with how you apply the skills and knowledge in your
workplace, and some in the training room.

The assessment tasks utilized in this training have been designed to enable you to demonstrate the
required skills and knowledge and produce the critical evidence required so you can successfully
demonstrate competency at the required standard.

What happens if your result is ‘Not Yet Competent’ for one or more assessment tasks?

The assessment process is designed to answer the question “has the participant satisfactorily
demonstrated competence yet?” If the answer is “Not yet”, then we work with you to see how we
can get there.
In the case that one or more of your assessments has been marked ‘NYC’, your Trainer will provide
you with the necessary feedback and guidance, in order for you to resubmit/redo your assessment
task(s).
What if you disagree on the assessment outcome?

You can appeal against a decision made in regards to an assessment of your competency. An appeal
should only be made if you have been assessed as ‘Not Yet Competent’ against specific competency
standards and you feel you have sufficient grounds to believe that you are entitled to be assessed as
competent.
You must be able to adequately demonstrate that you have the skills and experience to be able to
meet the requirements of the unit you are appealing against the assessment of.
You can request a form to make an appeal and submit it to your Trainer, the Course Coordinator, or
an Administration Officer. The RTO will examine the appeal and you will be advised of the outcome
within 14 days. Any additional information you wish to provide may be attached to the form.
What if I believe I am already competent before training?

If you believe you already have the knowledge and skills to be able to demonstrate competence in
this unit, speak with your Trainer, as you may be able to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning
(RPL).
Credit Transfer
Credit transfer is recognition for study you have already completed. To receive Credit Transfer, you
must be enrolled in the relevant program. Credit Transfer can be granted if you provide the RTO with
certified copies of your qualifications, a Statement of Attainment or a Statement of Results along
with Credit Transfer Application Form. (For further information please visit Credit Transfer Policy)

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LEARNING OUTCOMES
The following critical aspects must be assessed as part of this unit:

1. Interact with customers, collect the necessary information and match customers' needs to
company products or service
2. Sell products and services including matching customers' requirements to company products and
services and finalise and record the sale

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Class will involve a range of lecture based training, activities, written task, case study and
questioning.

STUDENT FEEDBACK

We welcome your feedback as one way to keep improving this unit. Later this semester, you will be
encouraged to give unit feedback through completing the Quality of Teaching and Learning Survey

LEARNING RESOURCES
Other Learning Resources available to students include:

 Candidate Resource & Assessment: BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence
 Presentation handout
 PPT Presentation

TEXTBOOKS

You do not have to purchase the following textbooks but you may like to refer to them:

Unit Code(s) Unit Title Reference Book/ Trainer & Learner Resource

BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional  7BCole, Kris. 2010 Management Theory and
intelligence Practice
 Judith Dwyer,2006 The Business
Communication Handbook 7th edition

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  Joan V Gallos, Business Leadership 2nd
edition
 John Newstrom & Edward Scannell, The big
book of team building games
 Trainer and Learner Resources

Additional Reference Texts  Cole, Kris. 2010 Management Theory and

Practice, 4th Edition. Pearson
 Dwyer, Judith, 2009 the Business
Communication Handbook 8th Edition.
Pearson
 Hubbard, Rice & Beamish. Strategic
Management 2008 3rd Edition. Pearson (on
order)
 John Viljoen and Susan Dann, Strategic
Management
 Monger, Brian Marketing in Black and
White 2007 Pearson
 Judith Dwyer,The Business Communication
Handbook 7th edition. 2006 Pearson
 Joan V Gallos, Business Leadership 2nd
edition. 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc
 John Newstrom & Edward Scannell, The big
book of team building games. McGraw-Hill
 Michael Dulworth, The Connect Effect. 2008
BK Publishers, Inc.

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Assessment Summary
The assessment for this unit consists of the following items.

Knowledge Assessment

Task 1: Responding to Different Emotional States

Task 2: Application of Emotional Intelligence

Formative Activities

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In addition to the three assessment tasks, students will be required to complete activities as outlined
by their trainer/assessor – these will be taken from class resources, Enhance Your Future Learner
Guides.

Referencing Style
Students should use the referencing style outlined by the Trainer when preparing assignments. More
information can be sought from your Course Trainer.

Guidelines for Submission

1. An Assignment Cover Sheet (or cover page) must accompany all assignments at front to
confirm it is your own assessment/ work.

2. All assignments must be within the specified timeframe (please refer to Due Date).

Assignment Marking
Students should allow 14 days’ turnaround for written assignments.

Plagiarism Monitoring
Students should use the referencing style outlined by when preparing assignments. More
information can be sought from your Trainer.

Marking Guide
C Competent: for students who have achieved all of the learning outcomes specified for that
unit/module to the specified standard.

NYC Not Yet Competent: for students who are required to re-enrol in a unit/ module in their
endeavour to achieve competence

S Satisfactory: has achieved all the work requirements

NS Not Satisfactory: has not achieved all the work requirements

Every student at Danford College can expect to have “timely fair and constructive assessment of
work.” Assessment tasks must be marked in such a way that the result reflects how well a student
achieved the learning outcomes and in accordance with the assessment criteria. In addition to the

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final result, returned assignments must be accompanied by feedback that clearly explains how the
marking result/s was derived (summative), as well as how the student can improve (formative).

Refer to observation checklist below and/or consult your trainer/assessor for marking criteria for
this unit.

STUDENTS’ RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

It is the responsibility of every student to be aware of all relevant legislation, policies and procedures
relating to their rights and responsibilities as a student. These include:
 The Student Code of Conduct
 The College’s policy and statements on plagiarism
 Copyright principles and responsibilities
 The College’s policies on appropriate use of software and computer facilities
 Students’ responsibility to attend, update personal details and enrolment
 Course Progress Policy and Attendance
 Deadlines, appeals, and grievance resolution
 Student feedback
 Other policies and procedures.
 Electronic communication with students

International Students Please also refer to ESOS framework for further details
https://internationaleducation.gov.au/Regulatory-Information/Education-Services-for-Overseas-
Students-ESOS-Legislative-Framework/ESOS-Act

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Contacts:
If you have a query relating to administrative matters such as obtaining assessment results, please
contact your Course co-ordinator.

Deferrals/Suspensions/Cancellations
Danford College will only allow deferrals/student requested suspensions under exceptional
compassionate circumstances. Once a student has commenced studies, students are not allowed to
take leave unless there are compelling and compassionate reasons. Please refer to the College’s
Deferment, Suspension and Cancellation Policy available in the Student Handbook and at Student
Administration. This policy has been explained to you at Orientation.

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Course Progress Policy
You are expected to attend all classes and complete your units of study satisfactorily, within your
term. Your Course Trainer will make a report to the Course co-ordinator if there are any concerns
about your progress. The Course Progress Policy is available to you in the Student Handbook and at
Student Administration or on college website www.danford.edu.au.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates

consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the management and leadership field of
work and include access to:
 relevant workplace documentation and resources
 case studies or, where possible, real situations
 interaction with others.

Assessors must satisfy SRTO2015/AQF assessor requirements.

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Lesson/Session Plan
For face-to-face classroom based delivery as per timetable.
Delivery Day Delivery Topics
1 Introduction to BSBLDR501 Develop and
use emotional intelligence and required
Assessment (Page 3)
Identify own emotional strengths and
weaknesses (Page 6)
2 Identify personal stressors and own
emotional states related to the workplace
(Page 15)
3 Anger management and stress (Page 23)
4 Develop awareness of own emotional
triggers and use this awareness to enable
control emotional responses (Page 29)
5 Model workplace behaviours that
demonstrate management of emotions
(Page 36)
6 Guidelines for Effective Social and
Emotional Learning: An Overview (Page
38)
7 Use self-reflection and feedback from
others to improve development of own
emotional intelligence (Page 51)
8 Respond to the emotional states of co-
workers and assess emotional cues (Page
54)
9 Identify the varying cultural expressions of
emotions are utilise to respond to
emotional cues in a diverse workforce
(Page 57)
10 Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in
dealing with others (Page 61)
11 Take into account the emotions of others
when making decisions (Page 64)
12 Provide opportunities for others to
express their thoughts and feelings (Page
68)
Activities to be undertaken
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
PowerPoint Presentation – Slides 1- 3
Activity 1 (Page 14)
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 2 (Page 28)
PowerPoint Presentation – Slides 4 - 29
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 2 (Page 28)
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Commence Task 1 – Responding to
Different Emotional States
PowerPoint Presentation – Slides 30 - 50
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Commence Task 1 – Responding to
Different Emotional States
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 3 (Page 49)
Continue with Task 1 – Responding to
Different Emotional States
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 4 (Page 56)
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 5 (Page 66)
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Complete Task 2 – Application of
Emotional Intelligence
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Delivery Day Delivery Topics
13 Handling Difficult Behaviour in the
Workplace (Page 73)
14 Assist others to understand the effect of
their behaviour and emotions on others in
the workplace (Page 77)
15 Encourage the self-management of
emotions in others (Page 79)
16 Encourage others to develop their own
emotional intelligence to build productive
relationships and maximise workplace
outcomes (Page 87)
Activities to be undertaken
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 6 (Page 81)
Activity 7 (Page 84)
PowerPoint Presentation – Slides 51 - 62
Work through corresponding sections of
Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
PowerPoint Presentation – Slides 63 - 90

17 Encourage a positive emotional climate in Work through corresponding sections of

the workplace (Page 93) Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 8 (Page 95)
18 Use the strengths of workgroup members Work through corresponding sections of
to achieve workplace outcomes (Page 98) Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 9 (Page 109)
19 Organisational health framework (Page Work through corresponding sections of
106) Learner Materials and Assessment Tasks
Activity 9 (Page 109)
20 ASSESSMENT Complete Task 1 – Responding to
Different Emotional States
Complete Task 2 – Application of
Emotional Intelligence

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Knowledge Assessment (Written Tasks)

1. Identify the following facial expressions:

2. What are the characteristic of people with high EI?

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3. How can you improve your emotional intelligence?

4. What are the characteristics of an individual who has a high level of self-awareness?

5. What is self-management?

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6. How can knowledge of emotional state assist with decision making?

7. In what ways can you demonstrate flexibility in the workplace?

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8. Discuss the relationship between emotional intelligence and effective leadership.

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123 | P a g e
Task 1 – Responding to Different Emotional States

To better understand people’s moods, we can watch for behaviours that indicate their emotional
mode. While we may not always be accurate in our interpretation, paying attention to non-verbal
behaviours and emotions can help align communication behaviours more effectively.

Use this activity to become more observant of others, by learning how to interpret the non-verbal
behaviours associated with different emotional states to gain insight into how people are reacting
to you and to what is being communicated. You can also use it to plan an appropriate response to
use the next time you encounter each behaviour.

Interpreting Emotional States

Body language communicates how people are reacting to your spoken messages. For a more
accurate interpretation of moods, look for "clusters" of behaviours associated with different
emotional states.

Reflective
 leaning back
 moving only minimally
 holding an open posture or body position
 aligning body directly with yours
 holding direct eye contact
 placing hand on, or stroking, the chin
 tilting the head while listening
 glancing occasionally to the side
 lowering the brows slightly
 passively accepting

Responsive
 leaning forward with an open position
 holding the hands open with palms turned up
 smiling with a relaxed mouth
 nodding the head to indicate agreement
 tilting the head to the side showing amiability
 mirroring your body language
 sitting on the edge of the chair
 sitting with the feet under the chair
 sitting with the knees apart
 actively accepting

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Defensive
 leaning back
 folding the arms tightly across the body
 adopting a closed posture or body position
 crossing the legs
 touching the lips with fingertips
 pointing the feet towards door
 angling the body away from you
 bowing the head forward submissively
 holding no eye contact
 passively rejecting

Responding to Emotional States

Complete the chart by selecting one or two team members or customers that you have observed to
be expressive in their non-verbal behaviours. Determine the natural emotional state or mode of
each person. Then identify one of the behaviours you have seen used frequently and plan an
appropriate response to use the next time you encounter the behaviour. Three examples have been
provided.

Co-worker/ Non-verbal Behaviours Emotional State Appropriate response

customer
John Tense facial expression Defensive Is something wrong? You
look distraught. Has
something happened?
Tuan Glaring eyes Combative Are you angry with me?
Did I say something to upset
you?
Mary Hesitation in voice Reflective You sound unsure. How
are you feeling about that
suggestion?

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Co-worker/ Non-verbal Behaviours Emotional State Appropriate response
customer

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Task 2 – Application of Emotional Intelligence
Complete the Emotional Intelligence test at http://www.maetrix.com.au/meit/eitest.html

Discuss your noted emotional strengths and weaknesses. Define how these may impact on stressors
and triggers you would encounter in a workplace.

Once you have completed the test and considered your general emotional states, using the findings
outline any steps that you could take to further develop your emotional intelligence.

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Outline a strategy to manage your own emotions in a workplace.

Discuss how your emotional intelligence level affects your interactions with others in a workplace
context.

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Describe ways to engage with a range of cultures in the workplace based on your understanding of
emotional intelligence.

How do you usually account for other's emotions when it comes to decision making? Provide
examples.

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Outline a strategy to encourage the emotional intelligence development of others in a workplace
context. What is your role in this strategy? Provide an overview of model behaviours that
demonstrate management of emotions and include any coaching strategies that you may apply.

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Attach your EI test and results and additional pages for responses as required.

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 BSB61215 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
College Copy

Unit Code and Title: BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence
Assessment task Due Dates

Assessment 1 Due Date:

Assessment 2 Due Date:

Assessment 3 Due Date:

I Student ID acknowledge receiving the

Student Assessment Information Pack, which contains:

o Assessment Due Date Sheet

o Time table /Training Plan
o Lesson Plan
o Student Assessment Information Guide
o Assessment Cover Sheets
o Feedback form
o Student Resource
o Internet Access for online Business Environment Simulation with Login Key or access to college
simulated business documents on internal intranet.

Student Signature:

Date :

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 BSB61215 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Student Copy

Unit Code and Title: BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence
Assessment task Due Dates

Assessment 1 Due Date:

Assessment 2 Due Date:

Assessment 3 Due Date:

I Student ID acknowledge receiving the

Student Assessment Information Pack, which contains:

o Assessment Due Date Sheet

o Time table /Training Plan
o Lesson Plan
o Student Assessment Information Guide
o Assessment Cover Sheets
o Feedback form
o Student Resource
o Internet Access for online Business Environment Simulation with Login Key or access to college
simulated business documents on internal intranet.

Student Signature:

Date :

133 | P a g e
 ASSESSMENT SUMMARY / COVER SHEET
This form is to be completed by the assessor and used a final record of student competency.
All student submissions including any associated checklists (outlined below) are to be attached to
this cover sheet before placing on the students file. Student results are not to be entered onto the Student
Database unless all relevant paperwork is completed and attached to this form.
Student Name:

Student ID No:

Final Completion Date:

Unit Code: BSBLDR501

Unit Title: Develop and use emotional intelligence

Unit
Assessors Name:
Outcome
C NYC
Result: S = Satisfactory, NYS = Not Yet Satisfactory, NA = Not Assessed
 Knowledge Assessment - Questions and Answers
S | NYS | NA
 Task 1 S | NYS | NA
 Task 2
S | NYS | NA
.
Is the Learner ready for assessment? Yes No
Has the assessment process been explained? Yes No
Does the Learner understand which evidence is to be collected and
Yes No
how?
Have the Learner’s rights and the appeal system been fully
Yes No
explained?
Have you discussed any special needs to be considered during
Yes No
assessment?
I agree to undertake assessment in the knowledge that information gathered will only be used for
professional development purposes and can only be accessed by my manager and the RTO:
Learner Signature:
Date:
I have received, discussed and accepted my result as mentioned above for
this unit assessment and I am aware about my rights to appeal.
Assessor Signature:
Date:
I declare that I have conducted a fair, valid, reliable and flexible
assessment with this student, and I have provided appropriate feedback.

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 ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET

Unit BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence

Course BSB61215 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Student Name: Student ID:

Group: Date

Title of Assignment: Knowledge Assessment - Questions and Answers

Assessor Name:

This cover sheet must be attached to your assignment.

Declaration:
1. I am aware that penalties exist for plagiarism and unauthorized collusion with other
students.
2. I am aware of the requirements set by my educator with regards to the presentation of
documents and assignments.
3. I have retained a copy of my assignment.

Student Signature: ___________________________

Date: ________________________________________

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 QUESTION & ANSWER CHECKLIST

BSBLDR501 - Develop and use emotional intelligence S NYS

Learner’s name:

Assessor’s name:

Question Correct ()

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Feedback to Learner:

Assessor’s Signature:
Date:

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 ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET

Unit BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence

Course BSB61215 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Student Name: Student ID:

Group: Date

Title of Assignment: Task 1

Assessor Name:

This cover sheet must be attached to your assignment.

Declaration:
1. I am aware that penalties exist for plagiarism and unauthorized collusion with other
students.
2. I am aware of the requirements set by my educator with regards to the presentation of
documents and assignments.
3. I have retained a copy of my assignment.

Student Signature: ___________________________

Date: ________________________________________

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 TASK 1 CHECKLIST

S NYS
Learner’s name:

Assessor’s name:

Observation Criteria S NS
Linked non-verbal behaviours to emotional state
Outlined responses to the emotional states of co-workers and assess
emotional cues
Identified the varying cultural expressions of emotions are utilise to
respond to emotional cues in a diverse workforce
Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in dealing with others
Took into account the emotions of others when making decisions
Provided opportunities for others to express their thoughts and feelings
Provided appropriate responses to identified emotional states in others
Encouraged others to develop their own emotional intelligence to build
productive relationships and maximise workplace outcomes
Encouraged a positive emotional climate in the workplace
Feedback to Learner:

Assessor’s Signature:
Date:

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 ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET

Unit BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence

Course BSB61215 ADVANCED DIPLOMA OF PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Student Name: Student ID:

Group: Date

Title of Assignment: Task 2

Assessor Name:

This cover sheet must be attached to your assignment.

Declaration:
1. I am aware that penalties exist for plagiarism and unauthorized collusion with other
students.
2. I am aware of the requirements set by my educator with regards to the presentation of
documents and assignments.
3. I have retained a copy of my assignment.

Student Signature: ___________________________

Date: ________________________________________

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 TASK 2 CHECKLIST

S NYS
Learner’s name:

Assessor’s name:

Observation Criteria S NS
Identified own emotional strengths and weaknesses
Identified personal stressors and own emotional states related to the
workplace
Developed awareness of own emotional triggers and use this awareness
to enable control emotional responses
Modelled workplace behaviours that demonstrate management of
emotions
Use self-reflection and feedback from others to improve development of
own emotional intelligence
Responded to the emotional states of co-workers and assess emotional
cues
Identified the varying cultural expressions of emotions are utilise to
respond to emotional cues in a diverse workforce
Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in dealing with others
Took into account the emotions of others when making decisions
Provided opportunities for others to express their thoughts and feelings
Assisted others to understand the effect of their behaviour and
emotions on others in the workplace
Encouraged the self-management of emotions in others
Encouraged others to develop their own emotional intelligence to build
productive relationships and maximise workplace outcomes
Encouraged a positive emotional climate in the workplace
Used the strengths of workgroup members to achieve workplace
outcomes
Feedback to Learner:

Assessor’s Signature:
Date:

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 Student Feedback Form
Unit BSBLDR501 Develop and use emotional intelligence
Student Name: Date
Assessor Name:
Please provide us some feedback on your assessment process. Information provided on this form is
used for evaluation of our assessment systems and processes.
This information is confidential and is not released to any external parties without your written
consent. There is no need to sign your name as your feedback is confidential.
Strongly Strongly
Agree
Disagree Agree
I received information about the assessment
1 2 3 4 5
requirements prior to undertaking the tasks

The assessment instructions were clear and easy to

1 2 3 4 5
understand

I understood the purpose of the assessment 1 2 3 4 5

The assessment meet your expectation 1 2 3 4 5

My Assessor was organised and well prepared 1 2 3 4 5

The assessment was Fair, Valid, Flexible and Reliable 1 2 3 4 5

My Assessor's conduct was professional 1 2 3 4 5

The assessment was an accurate reflection of the unit
1 2 3 4 5
requirements
I was comfortable with the outcome of the assessment 1 2 3 4 5

I received feedback about assessments I completed 1 2 3 4 5

Great
The pace of this unit was: Too Slow Too Fast
Pace
Comments:

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