Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Development Programs

1. Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Development Programs The Swinburne Stress Management Program

2. Swinburne Stress Management Program • Aim • Develop new method to reduce occupational stress in Australian organisations • Preliminary study • How are EI and stress related?

3. How are EI and stress related? • Study involving 321 teachers around Victoria (primary, high and tertiary) found: • Higher levels of EI were related to lower levels of stress • Higher levels of EI were related to better health (psychological and physical) • Higher levels of EI were related to higher job satisfaction and organisational commitment

4. Program Development • These results guided program development • The EI dimensions of emotional recognition and expression, emotional management and emotional control - particularly important in the occupational stress process.

5. Program Development • Psycho-educational program • Teach employees to manage occupational stress through the development of EI • Incorporates: • traditional stress management techniques (Identify stressors, relaxation techniques) • Learning how to deal with emotions effectively • Combination of skills training and practice of learnt skills • Based around the Swinburne model of EI

6. Evaluation • Gardner (2006) piloted this EI training program in teachers from different educational sectors (primary; secondary; tertiary).

7. Evaluation • Seventy nine teachers (59 females) participated in the 5-week (2 hours per week) psycho-educational EI training program. • Teachers were recruited from the primary (N = 24), secondary (N = 27) and tertiary (N = 28) education sectors. • Questionnaires were completed pre-program, post-program and at a 5-week follow up time interval.

8. Results • The EI training program was successful in improving measures of EI and employee strain, and decreasing measures of occupational stress and the outcomes of stress.

9. EI improved

10. Stress decreased

11. Health improved

12. Development and evaluation • Suggests that behaviours related to the dimensions of EI can be learned. • Also suggests that training programs focused on the emotional experiences of employees can be effective in reducing occupational stress and increasing feelings of well-being.

13. Who is the program for? Any employee but targeted at: • Employees working in “high risk” industries • Employees who feel an element of stress on a daily basis • Employees who are interested in learning more about EI • NEW Employees-build resilience • Tailored for specific organisations e.g., IAG license

14. What is required from attendees? • Attendance (flexible design) • Participation in discussions • Openness, honesty, confidentiality • Questionnaires – including follow up • EI (SUEIT) • Occupational stress (ORQ) • Psychological health (GHQ) • Physical health symptoms

15. The aims of the program • An understanding of what EI is and why it is a useful skill in the workplace • An understanding of the causes and consequences of stress at work • Ways to develop EI and to use these skills to assist in managing stress in self and others at work

16. Program materials • The employee manual • Session by session information • Additional Exercises • Questionnaires • Additional reading

17. Program Structure • Overview of occupational stress • Overview of EI and interpreting self-reports • Developing ERE and UE • Developing ER, EM and EC • Summary and plan to move forward

18. Introduction to the program • Aim of the program • Program material • What the program is about • Program structure • Who the program is for • What will be required of you

19. The program aims • An understanding of what EI is and why it is a useful skill in the workplace • An understanding of the causes and consequences of stress at work • Ways to develop your own EI and to use these skills to assist you in managing yourself and others at work

20. Program materials • Manual • Powerpoint slides • Worksheets • Questionnaires and Feedback reports

21. What the program is about • Our work so far • Where we are now • What the program aims to examine • Psycho-educational

22. Program Structure • Session 1 • Overview of EI and interpreting self-reports • Session 2 • Overview of occupational stress and linking stress to the EI facets • Session 3 • Developing Emotional Recognition and Expression, Understanding Others’ Emotions and Emotional Reasoning • Session 4 • Developing Emotional Management and Emotional Control • Session 5 • Summary and plan to move forward

23. Who the program is for Any employee • Employees working in “high risk” industries • Employees who feel and element of stress daily • Employees who are interested in learning more about EI

24. What will be required from you? • Attendance – 5 weeks • Participation in discussions • Openness • Honesty • Questionnaires – including follow up • Homework!!

25. Week 1 • Brief history of EI • Development of the Swinburne model of EI • EI characteristics and behaviours • EI in the workplace • Interpreting self-report profiles

26. Interpreting self-report profiles

27. Personal Development Plan • In terms of my personal EI development, the areas I would like to focus on are … • In focusing on these areas my goals are to … • Some of the specific activities I am going to try and enact, or do differently, in the immediate future so as to attain these goals are … • The support (both people and systems and processes) I may need to enlist in order to realise these goals are …

28. Things to do this week Personal Action Plan Section 9, page 62 Identify from your own EI profile which dimensions in particular are your strengths and weaknesses – don’t necessarily pick the ones that are the highest and lowest. Which ones would you like to focus on?

29. Week two • What is occupational stress? • What are some causes of stress? • What are the consequences of stress? • High vs Low stress • How can we deal with occupational stress? • How is occupational stress measured?

30. What is occupational stress? Perceived workplace demands imbalance Perceived ability to cope with these demands

31. What is occupational stress? Understanding stress involves assessing each facet of the stress process: Event Occurs Interpretation of event Emotional and physiological arousal Long Term Consequences

32. What is occupational stress? FOR EXAMPLE: You can’t find a students’ final exam paper Interpretation of event Emotional and physiological arousal Long Term Consequences

33. What is occupational stress? FOR EXAMPLE: You can’t find a students’ final exam paper I won’t be able to generate a final result for the students’ report Emotional and physiological arousal Long Term Consequences

34. What is occupational stress? FOR EXAMPLE: You can’t find a students’ final exam paper I won’t be able to generate a final result for the students’ report Worry. Frustration. Increased heart rate. Long Term Consequences

35. What is occupational stress? FOR EXAMPLE: You can’t find a students’ final exam paper I won’t be able to generate a final result for the students’ report Worry. Frustration. Increased heart rate. Poor psychological health

36. What is Occupational Stress? • Stress is a personal experience • No two people will have the same reaction to the same workplace environment

37. How do we deal with occupational stress? A – B – C Modify your environment Master other skills Modify your perceptions

38. How do we deal with occupational stress? A – B – C Modify your environment Traffic stresses you out? Leave home earlier. Deadlines stress you out? Finish the project early. But what if you can’t change the situation?

39. How do we deal with occupational stress? A – B – C Modify your perceptions Traffic stresses you out? Forget about being frustrated. Listen to your favourite music or talk show. Will getting somewhere five minutes quicker really make that much of a difference?

40. How do we deal with occupational stress? A – B – C Master other skills Can’t change the situation? Can’t change the way you perceive the situation? Try to master other skills. Learn relaxation and calming techniques. Learn to ‘switch off’ your mind.

41. Find your stress balance Step 1 – Rate your stress level Rate the amount of stress you are feeling about a particular situation”

42. Worksheet 4

43. Regaining balance Some suggestions: Let go of the tension - 1 minute body scan Breathe effectively Tense to relax Quiet your mind Stress reducing organisational skills

44. Facets of occupational stress Role overload Role insufficiency Role ambiguity Role boundary Responsibility Physical environment

45. Linking EI and stress • How are each of the EI facets related to resilience and stress management?

46. Managing Occupational Stress through developing Emotional Intelligence. WEEK 3

47. In this session • The five dimensions - review • What skills can you develop? • Your own action plan • Developing Emotional Recognition and Expression • Developing Understanding Others’ Emotions • Developing Emotional Reasoning

48. Your own plan • Have you identified from your own profile which area/s you would like to focus on particular? • What made you choose those?

49. The Five Dimensions - Review • Emotional Recognition and Expression (ERE): the ability to identify one’s own feelings and emotional states, and the ability to express those inner feelings to others. • Understanding other’s Emotions (UE): The ability to identify and understand the emotions of others. • Emotions Direct Cognition (EDC): The extent to which emotions and emotional knowledge are incorporated in decisions and problem solving. • Emotional Management (EM): The ability to manage positive and negative emotions within oneself and others. • Emotional Control (EC): The ability to effectively control strong emotional states experienced at work.

50. Managing Occupational Stress through developing Emotional Intelligence. WEEK 4