EI and role play

Question 1: Reflect on your emotional intelligence

a. Identify and record at least three instances where you have felt stressed or

experienced a negative emotional state at work. For each instance, describe the precise context, causes and your response.

b. Identify and record at least two different triggers that impact on your personal emotional states at work. Explain how your response to these triggers, if not managed carefully, can negatively impact on others and their work performance.

c. Using increased awareness of such triggers, how could you control your responses and achieve positive outcomes? Provide suggestions for each trigger that would allow you to model workplace behaviours that demonstrate a productive management of emotions for others to follow.

d. Having considered workplace stressors and triggers that have impacted on your emotional responses, select three potential areas for improvement in future similar circumstances. Below are given emotional intelligence principles, provide strategies that can apply to improve your emotional response.

Emotional Intelligence Principles Strategies to improve emotional responses

Self awareness

Adaptability

Self-Control

Empathy

Managing relationships

Appendix 1: Role-play scenario Background Australian Hardware (a simulated business) is a large and expanding hardware and homewares retailer with approximately 140 stores located across Australia. In its vision statement, Australian Hardware states that it intends to ‘lead the hardware and home- improvement market in Australia within five years’. In order to realise this vision, the organisation intends to: ● build market share by focusing on the customer experience ● control direct and indirect costs through efficient internal processes ● establish the reputation of Australian Hardware as a socially and environmentally responsible company ● lead by example in embracing cultural diversity in the workforce. These strategic organisation-wide directions are implemented from senior management down, in the form of performance expectations for managers and employees at every level of the organisation. Australian Hardware realises that the success of the business rests on its people. For this reason, the organisation insists that managers build effective teams by responding to the needs of employees. Such needs include safety and security, fairness, flexibility, skills development and self-actualisation. Satisfying such needs will allow employees to focus more effectively on work tasks and customer needs. In addition, Australian Hardware encourages managers to take a flexible approach to meeting performance targets and to set goals in close collaboration with employees. To implement strategic directions and advance Australian Hardware’s values, managers are expected to lead employees by modelling positive behaviours and attributes. This mindful approach to leadership and management is intended to encourage employees to follow the example in their interactions with colleagues and customers. To lead and inspire people, managers must demonstrate keen emotional awareness and promote positive team-building behaviours in others. You are the new General Operations Manager of the Wollongong, NSW store and you are ready for a challenge. You are directly responsible for managing general sales and checkout staff, administration staff and a human resources officer. You report to the Store Manager, who is responsible for all areas of store responsibility (Timber, Plumbing & Electrical, Gardens and Homewares departments and general operations). Scenario You have a performance issue with Pat, one of your star employees on the sales team. Although Pat consistently achieves sales targets and has an excellent customer service rating, Pat has recently become a drag on overall team performance. The reason is that the team has not been able to rely on Pat for expertise when required to help serve customers. Pat has been standoffish and preoccupied with something. This situation is affecting other employees’ ability to focus on customers effectively and, perhaps worse, is negatively affecting the work climate. Pat had been looked up to as a model employee and an

informal leader. Now, newer employees are beginning to feel that they are personally disliked and disrespected; that teamwork is not a value promoted by the team; that they can’t rely on senior, skilled staff; and that, effectively, they’re on their own. This situation can only hurt overall team sales performance in the future, as well as performance on other metrics. Part of the problem could be that you have not been proactive enough in understanding Pat’s motivations and strengths and in providing leadership development opportunities. Perhaps you have taken Pat for granted. This is easy enough to do when you have other, perhaps more serious, personnel problems to deal with. You know that Pat could use some training in emotional intelligence in areas of weakness such as self-awareness and empathy. You also know that Pat, who is committed and goal-driven, has the potential to be a future leader in the organisation. Balanced scorecard Australian Hardware uses a balanced scorecard system to integrate performance across the organisation and align each employee’s work with the strategic aims of the business. Pat has the following personal balanced scorecard information. Underperformance is bolded. Pat’s balanced scorecard Perspective

KPI

Target

Results

Financial

Revenue generated by personal sales Revenue generated through sales assists

$15,000 $15,000

$16,000 $10,000

Customer focus

360°evauation: ● Manager evaluation, rating/10 ● Customer evaluation, rating/10 ● Peer evaluation, rating/10

8/10 = 80% 8/10 = 80% 8/10 = 80%

80% 90% 50%

Internal process

Completion of sales and related expense reporting

Completion

Completion

Employee

Training/self-development hours 360° evaluation: Manager and peer evaluations combined, rating/10 (Contribution to high-performance climate and employee satisfaction)

100 hours 8/10 = 80%

7 hours 60%

Action You need to intervene effectively to solve this performance issue. You will need to plan and conduct a coaching session with Pat to get performance back on track.

Question 2. Based on a role-play scenario given in Appendix 1, plan your role-played coaching session, which you will lead. Prepare your background information and coaching questions using the Coaching Planner Template Coaching Planner (GROW model) Coaching phase

Activities/questions

Introduction Summarise the reasons for the coaching session from your point of view: ● ● ● ● ● Ask Pat for input, to describe own perspective: ● ● ● ●

Goal Ask questions to establish Pat’s understanding of performance expectations, personal goals and aspirations: ● ● ● ●

Reality Ask questions to establish understanding of:

● the real gap between Pat’s performance and expectations/ performance goals:

●

● ● ●

● potential obstacles to achievement, such as Pat’s EI skills and personal or work situation:

● ● ● ●

Options/Opportunities Ask questions to help Pat generate options or opportunities to help achieve goals and close performance gaps: ● ● ● ●

Will Ask questions to establish Pat’s willingness to agree to concrete and time-bound measures to improve performance: ● ● ● ●

Question 3: Use the Coaching Evaluation Template in Appendix 2 to complete a self-reflection report on your session with Pat. Appendix 2: Complete Coaching evaluation template – Self Reflection Consider your own performance as an emotional intelligence coach with Pat and respond honestly to the following questions. You were expected to provide opportunities for Pat to express thoughts and feelings. How did you do that? What could you have done better? You were expected to assist Pat to understand the effect of their behaviour and emotions on others. How did you do that? What could you have done better? You were expected to encourage Pat to self-manage emotions. How did you do that? What could you have done better? You were expected to encourage Pat to develop emotional intelligence and build productive relationships. How did you do that? What could you have done better? You were expected to encourage a positive emotional climate in the workplace. How did you do that? What could you have done better? You were expected to use Pat’s strengths to get both Pat’s and the team’s performance back on track. How did you do that? What could you have done better?