EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE  and Managing stress and change

1. Sources of stress

Write about one paragraph (ten lines) about the sources of stress you are experiencing. Generally speaking there are two main sources:

(a) Old sources

i. Overwork

ii. Poor relationship with boss

iii. Poor communication

iv. Poorly designed work environment

v. Panic merchants

vi. Work systems and workflow that are prone to error

(b) New sources

i. economic change

i. manufacturing → service industries

ii. Downsizing

ii. new work arrangements

i. gig economy, casualisation of work

iii. the internet means you are always available for work

iv. coronavirus pandemic

i. online learning at UC

2. Transitions

We generally follow stages relating to the experience of transition:

1. Immobilisation – “I can’t believe it”

2. Despair

3. Self-doubt

4. Acceptance or letting go

5. Testing

6. Integration

This classification is intended to apply to individuals. However, if we were to apply it to the world as a whole, at which stage o you think we would be right now?  Justify your answer.

What stage are you at in this transition process?

3. Signs of stress

Online learning involves considerable change.  Among your student contacts, without naming individuals, have you observed any of the signs of stress below?  

(For your eyes only) have you observed any of these signs in yourself?

a. Emotional difficulty

i. Difficulty in mentally switching off work

ii. Small problems seem more important than they really are

iii. Oversensitive

iv. Defensive

v. Emotional outbursts

vi. Feelings of low self-worth

vii. Anxiety, clinical depression

b. Behavioural difficulty

i. Loss of enthusiasm and energy

ii. Cynical/superficiality

iii. Withdrawal from the world

iv. Lethargic

v. Sleep difficulty

vi. Overuse of caffeine and alcohol

vii. Disinterested in things we previously liked

4. Stress management techniques

Have you observed the use of any of these techniques by others?  Have you used them yourself?  Have they worked?

a. Time management

b. Assertiveness

c. Physical exercise – as advocated in the stressful age of coronavirus

d. Relaxation techniques; yoga, mindfulness, tai chi, etc.

e. Draw on support networks

f. Find some ‘me time’ – do things you always wanted to

g. Remember the times things have gone well

h. Accept what you cannot change

5. Work-life Balance

The circle of life?

You go to work to get the money to buy the food to get the strength to go to work

- (rueful) Depression-era saying in Australia

Do you agree that there are consequences of working too much or too hard, such as:

• burn-out

• poor performance

• depression

• not achieving the career you could have had?

Consider the following quote:

On their death-bed, no-one wishes they had spent more time in the office

How true is this really? What is the relationship between your work and your identity?

How do you determine how much work is too much?

The practical suggestions are:

a. Establish boundaries

b. Work smarter not longer

c. Speak up before it is too late

d. Take proper breaks

e. Make time for family, friends and what you enjoy

Can you think of any other suggestions?

6. Building confidence

Most people would improve their career prospects if they became more confident (there are exceptions, however).  Most people build confidence steadily throughout their career.  Have you observed other people use any of the following techniques to improve their confidence?  Could you?

a. If you don’t understand, say so

b. Take calculated risks

c. Plan

d. Don’t put yourself down

i. Accept compliments graciously

e. Be proactive

f. Don’t be a “wallflower”

g. Look the part

i. If unsure, dress up

7. Emotional Intelligence

Complete the questionnaire.

Reflection on:

Your strengths identified in the questionnaire, and your approaches to stress within the workplace.

Exercise 1

• Chandra and Leonard are managers of a busy call centre, which handles inbound and outbound calls and customer complaints. Chandra works the 7 a.m.–2 p.m. shift and Leonard the 2 p.m.–9 p.m. shift. The call centre staff process up to 15 calls per hour, although the more complex customer complaints can take up to 45 minutes each to resolve. One day, Shenali, a call centre team member, receives three customer complaints in a row taking 20 minutes each to resolve. On the final one, the customer becomes abusive towards Shenali and she becomes upset, although still handles the complaint professionally. Up with her sick 3-year-old son the night before, she is feeling tired and fragile and approaches her manager Chandra to see if she can be taken ‘off the phones’ for a while. It is Friday, the centre’s busiest day, and one staff member is already off on sick leave. Chandra can see straight away that Shenali is stressed and tired. Chandra has also had a busy day of solving problems and still has lots to do before the 2 p.m. handover. However, she smiles warmly as Shenali enters and opens her stance and hands as she offers Shenali a seat and a cup of tea. Leanings forward, she asks her how things are going. Shenali fights back the tears as she refers to abusive customer. ‘You handled that extremely professionally Shenali. You kept your composure and handled the customer exactly as I would expect any other staff member to. Really, well done’ replies Chandra. Chandra sits with Shenali for another 15 minutes and asks her about her children, upcoming family holiday to Tasmania and then about what additional support could benefit the team. She then shuffles the staff around to provide Shenali with two hours of work in the back office after which Shenali returns to her usual position feeling positive about herself and her role. At 2 p.m. Leonard arrives to find the outbound call numbers are down, waiting times are averaging 90 seconds higher and customer ‘hang ups’ are up by 7%. The staff have been working extra hard to cope with the extra workload but Leonard is furious. ‘This is not the last you will hear of this; this performance will be raised in all of your upcoming performance reviews.’ By the end of his shift, the ‘numbers’ have improved. They need two of me and one less of Chandra he thinks to himself. Four staff members are absent on sick leave the following Monday.

Which do you think is the most important skill or trait that Chandra or Leonard needs to utilise in this workplace to achieve the best outcomes?

• Strong leadership such as that shown by Leonard to keep the staff on track and the achieve the best results

•  Emotional intelligence as shown by Chandra to effectively listen to and understand the staff’s needs and better support them to do their jobs

• Organisational skills to more effectively handle situations where there are staff shortages 

• Personal competence and particularly self-awareness so that they understand the impact their emotions and behaviour can have on the staff 

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Exercise 2

• Chandra and Leonard are managers of a busy call centre, which handles inbound and outbound calls and customer complaints. Chandra works the 7 a.m–2 p.m. shift and Leonard the 2 p.m–9 p.m. shift. The call centre staff process up to 15 calls per hour, although the more complex customer complaints can take up to 45 minutes each to resolve. One day, Shenali, a call centre team member, receives three customer complaints in a row taking 20 minutes each to resolve. On the final one, the customer becomes abusive towards Shenali and she becomes upset, although still handles the complaint professionally. Up with her sick 3-year-old son the night before, she is feeling tired and fragile and approaches her manager Chandra to see if she can be taken ‘off the phones’ for a while. It is Friday, the centre’s busiest day, and one staff member is already off on sick leave. Chandra can see straight away that Shenali is stressed and tired. Chandra has also had a busy day of solving problems and still has lots to do before the 2 p.m. handover. However, she smiles warmly as Shenali enters and opens her stance and hands as she offers Shenali a seat and a cup of tea. Leanings forward, she asks her how things are going. Shenali fights back the tears as she refers to abusive customer. ‘You handled that extremely professionally Shenali. You kept your composure and handled the customer exactly as I would expect any other staff member to. Really, well done’ replies Chandra. Chandra sits with Shenali for another 15 minutes and asks her about her children, upcoming family holiday to Tasmania and then about what additional support could benefit the team. She then shuffles the staff around to provide Shenali with two hours of work in the back office after which Shenali returns to her usual position feeling positive about herself and her role. At 2 p.m. Leonard arrives to find the outbound call numbers are down, waiting times are averaging 90 seconds higher and customer ‘hang ups’ are up by 7%. The staff have been working extra hard to cope with the extra workload but Leonard is furious. ‘This is not the last you will hear of this; this performance will be raised in all of your upcoming performance reviews.’ By the end of his shift, the ‘numbers’ have improved. They need two of me and one less of Chandra he thinks to himself. Four staff members are absent on sick leave the following Monday.

Which do you think is the most important outcome following Chandra and Leonard’s handling of the events?

• The ripple effect in relation to the four absent staff on the Monday

• A reduction of Shenali’s stress levels

• Better relationship management between staff and management

• Worsening relationship management between staff and management