Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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
1. Identify the impact of 1.1 Identify own emotional strengths and weaknesses
own emotions on 1.2 Identify personal stressors and own emotional states related
others in the to the workplace
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
development of own emotional intelligence
2. Recognise and 2.1 Respond to the emotional states of co-workers and assess
appreciate the emotional cues
emotional strengths 2.2 Identify the range of cultural expressions of emotions and
and weaknesses of respond appropriately
others 2.3 Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in dealing with
others
2.4 Take into account the emotions of others when making
decisions
3. Promote the 3.1 Provide opportunities for others to express their thoughts
development of and feelings
emotional intelligence 3.2 Assist others to understand the effect of their behaviour and
in others 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 build productive relationships and maximise
workplace outcomes
Learning
➢ Identifies and uses strategies to improve own emotional intelligence.
Oral communication
➢ Uses appropriate language and nonverbal features to present information and seek
feedback
➢ Uses listening and questioning skills to elicit the views of others and to clarify or
confirm understanding.
➢ Adapts personal communication style to model behaviours, build trust and positive
working relationships and to build understanding of emotional intelligence
➢ Identify own emotional strengths, weaknesses, stressors, emotional states and triggers
through self-reflection and feedback from 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:
➢ 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
Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and
training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.
Links
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
1.5. Use self-reflection and feedback from others to improve development of own emotional
intelligence
There are variations in models, but it is widely accepted that there are four components to emotional
intelligence which are categorised in pairs by both personal and social competence, and recognition and
regulation. For effective leadership, a manager must demonstrate all of the four components in each
given situation or predicament.
It could be argued that emotional intelligence is more important than intellectual ability when managing
people. Humans emotions are, after all, much more complex to understand and deal with than a broken
conveyor belt, and can have a huge impact on the performance of employees. Employees are human
beings and regardless of deadlines, targets and other workplace stresses and demands, they rightfully
expect to be treated as such; ignoring or avoiding their emotions and needs makes for a bad feeling in
the organisation which often has a negative effect on productivity, work ethic and performance of
individuals and/or teams.
Embracing their needs and emotions by proactively and collaboratively managing a resolution makes
employees feel valued and gains their trust and loyalty which in turn makes them more committed and
motivated to perform to high standards.
Before you start to consider what causes you stress in the workplace, first identify your personal,
generic, emotional strengths and weaknesses. You need to be honest and transparent in your self-
assessment.
On the following page is a list of possible examples, but not a definitive list.
Open-mindedness Narrow-mindedness
Objectivity Subjectivity
Generosity Selfishness
Loyalty Betrayal
Self-control No self-control/temper
Trust Jealousy
Optimism Pessimism
Honesty Dishonesty
Within a management or leadership role, the number of stressors are bound to be more than those
within a general worker’s, and the further up in the hierarchy you become, the more responsibility and
accountability is attached to them.
People respond differently to similar stressors and pressures, and what might concern one manager,
may be that on which another manager thrives. It is quite probable that there is more than one thing
within your role that causes you stress and anxiety, and there may be a number of things that evoke
other emotions such as annoyance or anger. Recognising what causes your own personal stress will help
you to understand that of others within your team.
o targets
o budgets
o overtime
o impatient/unfair managers
o conflicts between you and others that have not been adequately resolved
o to management
Anxiety/nervousness Excitement
Over-sensitivity Self-control
Withdrawal Motivation
Recognising these stressors and your emotional response to them enables you to begin the journey to
developing your emotional intelligence. You may already be well on the way, particularly if your
emotional responses are positive ones.
Emotional triggers
We all have different emotional triggers and some can be very specific to the individual such as being
called an unpleasant nickname, or a member of senior management always calling you by the wrong
name. The emotion is a reaction to an action or activity that compromises something that is very
important to you. That compromise is the trigger.
In order to identify your own emotional triggers you need to consider the things that are most
important to you, that if threatened or removed would cause an extreme emotional reaction from you.
They are often your morals and values.
Possible emotional triggers could be the potential compromise of any of the following concepts:
You have identified the pressures and stressors that evoke this emotional reaction and the reasons why.
You have also identified your personal emotional strengths and weaknesses. In order to control your
emotional response to the work stressors, you should identify your emotional strength that is most
appropriate and suitable to deal with the issue.
➢ Think about the process you have put in place to deal with the issue
➢ Is the need that you believe is being compromised really under threat, and if so, to
what extent?
➢ Have you taken it personally when that was not the intention of the action?
➢ If the need is being compromised, how are you going to deal with it objectively without
being over-sensitive and emotional?
As a manager or leader, controlling your emotional responses is a vital skill that gets more natural with
experience. It is important to remember that when you detach yourself from a situation it gives you
time to choose how to respond as opposed to giving a reflex reaction.
Below is an example of potential stressors and emotional triggers experienced by a police officer and
the subsequent emotional strength and positive emotional response the officer might use to deal
rationally and objectively with the issue.
Not only must you set the standard on which the rest of the organisation models its own behaviour, but
you will also have to deal with the consequences of inappropriate emotional responses and behaviours
from your subordinates and also possibly complaints from customers or clients exhibiting heightened
emotions. If you are unable to manage your emotions in these scenarios, you will exacerbate the
situation. Learning to control your emotions by detaching yourself from the issue and not taking it
personally, rather than just concealing your emotions, is the goal; by remaining impartial and indifferent
to the situation, you will be in a much more objective position to deal with it effectively and fairly.
This is obviously much easier to talk about than to put it into practice, but as a manager, your team and
others around you will look to you control a problem or situation and to provide solutions in a rational
and calm manner. If the manager is panicking or loses control of their emotions, chances are it will
cause panic amongst the staff and/or the staff may lose respect for them which will have a negative
impact on their authority and ability to manage their team.
Frustration/irritation
You should try to deal with frustration or irritation immediately otherwise, it might escalate into anger
or aggression. Evaluate the situation; what exactly is the issue? Find an opportunity; what positives can
the situation provide? Think of a previous incident that frustrated you that you were able to resolve. If
you cannot resolve the matter, move on to something else until you can and try to forget about it
Anxiety/nervousness
Worry is often a result of the fear of the unknown and speculation about what might happen.
Anger/aggression
Anger/aggression is probably the worst and most dangerous emotion you could display in the workplace
as you could lose you your job and almost certainly result in disciplinary action.
➢ Stop what you are doing. If you feel yourself getting angry, take a break from what you
are doing and go to a different place to calm down; physically removing yourself from
whatever is making you angry removes part of the threat
➢ Imagine yourself when you are angry. Similar to when toddlers throw themselves on
the floor in a tantrum, adults’ behaviour and appearance changes when they are angry;
the voice is often raised or lowered, the face reddens, gestures become animated and
they generally appear threatening. It’s quite embarrassing and alienating. Would you
want to work with someone like that?
Personal dislike
As much as we would like to, we cannot like everyone with whom we work. However it is important to
remain professional at all times. You should try to be civil; demonstrate respect for people at all times; it
gives them no reason to treat you any differently. Be assertive; if they do treat you unfavourably make
them aware of it in a courteous manner and explain that you will not tolerate it.
Disappointment/dissatisfaction
There are many reasons you might suffer disappointment in the workplace such as rejection for
promotion or failing to meet targets despite your best efforts. Learning from the experience is the best
way to deal with it.
➢ Review your goal. You may not need to change your target if you haven’t reached it,
you just might need to adjust it. Use this experience as a learning exercise
➢ Get back in the saddle. Don’t sit dwelling on it for days; it’s happened so understand
why it has and put it to bed in order to move on to the next target.
As with any skill, in order to improve it, you have to constantly evaluate your performance through self-
reflection and by obtaining feedback from others. The following exercises might help you to develop
your emotional intelligence.
➢ I feel annoyed
You may not find that you can do this automatically whilst in the
middle of the situation but this is what developing emotional
intelligence is all about. As soon as you start detaching yourself from
Take responsibility
When you look back at incidents where you have had to manage your emotions, take responsibility for
your own feelings. Regardless of what has happened, nothing or nobody can be held accountable for
your chosen response to a stimulus. As discussed in earlier chapters, emotional intelligence is the ability
to respond thoughtfully, not react without thinking. For example, in the traffic jam scenario you may
have felt annoyed at yourself because you didn’t leave yourself sufficient time to get to the meeting.
Where incidents cannot be helped, such as the traffic jam having been caused by an accident, there is
nothing anybody could have done to prevent it. If the colleagues or clients at your meeting take
exception in the latter circumstances, you might question their emotional intelligence.
You should also ask for feedback from others involved or affected by your decision. Considering their
feelings and actively asking for their contribution will make them feel valued and shows your respect for
them as human beings, not just employees. It is these processes that help to build quality relationships
within the workplace between management and subordinates which subsequently fosters loyalty and
retention of quality members of staff.
➢ How do I want the members of my team to feel when they have reached the target?
Attach feelings targets to your goals and ask for regular feedback from those involved during the
journey. For example, if making the employees feel valued is one of the targets, you might decide in
consultation with them that in order to do this they want regular updates and communication on the
progress of their work throughout the project. This then gives you a metric by which to measure your
progress.
The issue may not come to light for a few more days until the administrative assistant mentions it to a
colleague and explains how it has affected him/her. The manager may have forgotten about the printer
running out of paper and have no knowledge of the bad feeling they have caused. By having a
conversation with the administrative assistant and asking them how it made them feel allows them to
air their grievance and gives the manager the opportunity to understand how their actions have
adversely affected a colleague. It also enables the manager to explain the lack of intent to harm the
administrative assistant’s feelings.
Example incident
You return to the office after a meeting and enter reception. Your receptionist tells you that she has
forgotten to take down a telephone number for an important potential client who is awaiting a call back
from you, the manager. There is another customer waiting in reception. You are angry, but you roll your
eyes and make a joke to the customer that, “You just can’t get the staff”, before walking away without
saying anything to the receptionist.
Question Response
Why did I feel like this? Angry because the potential client was worth a lot of money to the
organisation.
Frustrated because the receptionist should know better and it is
standard procedure when taking a call to take a contact number.
Worried that the client might question the professionalism of the
organisation or me because I have not called back.
What was my emotional I tried to disguise my real feelings with an attempt at humour by
response? embarrassing the receptionist in front of the customer.
How did that affect the It probably made the receptionist feel useless and humiliated in front of
situation? a customer.
It did not resolve the matter.
How did it affect me? It made me look unprofessional in front of the customer.
It made me feel guilty and ashamed of myself for treating the
receptionist badly.
How did it affect others? It probably made the customer feel awkward and damaged their opinion
of me. It upset the receptionist.
How could I have responded Acknowledged the omission discreetly and politely and returned later to
differently? speak with the receptionist when the customer had gone, in order to
salvage as much as possible from the situation.
Why do I feel like this? Because I have upset a member of my staff, damaged my reputation and
quite possibly that of the company, and still haven’t managed to call the
potential client back.
What else do I need to do to I need to apologise to the receptionist and give her a chance to explain.
put it right?
I need to try and contact the potential client and explain the reason for
not calling back without blaming the misunderstanding on the
receptionist.
Question Response
How did you feel at the Upset, angry, annoyed, embarrassed, worried.
time?
Why did you feel like this? Upset, angry and annoyed at myself because it is a fundamental part of
my job and I forgot to do it.
Upset, angry and annoyed at you because of the remark you made to
the customer and because you ignored me.
Embarrassed because the customer then tried to make me feel better
about my omission after you had gone.
Worried that there might be disciplinary repercussions.
How did it affect you? I was worried for the rest of the day which affected my confidence to do
my job. I was not as friendly on the telephone because I was concerned
that I would make the same mistake again. I hid from you when you
came through reception later to go to another meeting.
How could you have Tried to find the number of the potential client as soon as I realised I
responded differently? hadn’t taken it down.
Why do you feel like this? Because you didn’t come back to talk to me.
You can see that the feedback from the receptionist is very similar to the feelings of the manager. This
reflects the fact that when emotions are not managed, they affect those involved in very similar ways.
Seeking feedback on emotions management from colleagues and members of your team not only helps
to develop your emotional intelligence, but it also encourages them to think in a similar way to develop
their own.
2.2. Identify the range of cultural expressions of emotions and respond appropriately
2.4. Take into account the emotions of others when making decisions
As a manager, you are expected to be able to deal effectively with others and develop and refine your
emotional intelligence in order to do so. This is not necessarily the case with all of your co-workers who
may not have responsibility for the behaviour and actions of anyone but themselves. This is not to say
that some of your co-workers might possess highly advanced emotional intelligence or that others have
very little, or none at all.
You will probably find that there are mixed levels of emotional intelligence amongst your colleagues and
this in itself can cause issues and conflicts because they do not manage their emotions in the same way
as one another. You need to recognise where on the scale of emotional intelligence each of those
people under your management lies and respond to their emotional states accordingly.
Emotional states
In the first element you looked at different emotional responses, particularly your own, which might
occur in the workplace. Your emotional responses will differ to those of your colleagues because we all
have different personalities and emotional strengths and weaknesses. Something that motivates you, a
production deadline, for example, may not evoke the same drive from an employee on the production
line that is paid minimum wage and performs the same repetitive tasks on a daily basis.
Likewise, something that concerns the same production line employee, such as needing to request time
off for a child’s medical appointment, will not concern you at all. That employee may be worried about
having to go to your office and ask for time off and this may affect her behaviour towards others on the
production line (she might snap at them or ignore them because she is pre-occupied with the trip to
your office), or it might affect her performance and ability to do her job properly because she is
nervous. The emotions she is experiencing are potential causes of conflict which you may very well have
to resolve before she has even made it into your office to ask the question that has caused all the
problems.
State
Emotion Perception
You will often find that the subsequent response is determined by the emotional state of the individual
and will also vary according to the state. With the lunch box example, the response in the happy
emotional state might be that the individual who has had his lunch box hidden goes out and buys the
whole office lunch as a celebration of the trebled sales. The response from the stressed individual
is most probably going to be one of anger or aggression.
Emotional
Filter Response
state
Recognising different emotional states may be quite difficult because some of the physical features and
behaviours, or emotional cues, that individuals demonstrate are common to a number of different
states.
Emotional cues
An emotional cue is basically a sign that gives an indication as to the emotional state of an individual. It
is generally a non-verbal movement of a part of the body, usually involuntary, unintentional and
unconscious.
➢ Body movement
➢ Tone of voice.
➢ Jumping – shock
➢ Rising pitch – agitation, anxiety, desire, euphoria, joy, mania, rage, terror, worry
What’s more, emotional cues can be unique to an individual such as repeatedly tapping the side of the
leg when agitated or whistling when nervous. Understanding generic emotional cues can help you to
assess the emotional states of your co-workers, but taking the time to get to know their personalities is
instrumental in predicting how they might respond to specific pressures or situations.
Cultural differences
Diversity in Australia
Australia is a hugely multi-cultural nation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the original
inhabitants of Australia and have been living there for between 40,000 and 60,000 years. Since Great
Britain established the first European settlement in 1788, people from over 200 countries have migrated
to Australia and they and their descendants make up the rest of the population.
Different cultures have varying ways of expressing emotions, and it is important that you understand
these emotional cues in order to respond appropriately and sensitively.
➢ Sadness
➢ Anger
➢ Fear
➢ Surprise
➢ Disgust.
However, research has also shown that the extent to which these emotions are shown using facial
expressions varies according to different cultures. The “display rules” of each culture determine how
much emotion individuals are allowed to convey in a given situation.
To communicate with a diverse workforce which has varying cultural expressions, you can:
➢ Identify cultures that are present
They include:
Individualist cultures
Individualist cultures encourage the importance of power and autonomy and are much more overt with
their emotions and facial expressions.
They include:
Some cultures also have different priorities of emotions; for example, generically speaking, honour and
shame in the Far East would have more meaning to individuals and society than they perhaps would in
the United States of America.
➢ Gender – studies suggest that men are more likely to hide feelings of fear and surprise
than women, whereas women are more likely to control feelings of disgust, contempt
and anger
➢ Mental ability – an individual with learning difficulties will quite probably respond
much differently to someone without them. Equally, the mental health of an individual
could also have a bearing on their emotional responses
➢ Past experiences – personal and professional past experiences can change the way
individuals respond emotionally to certain situations and stimulus. For example, a co-
worker who has past experience of nursing in a hospital emergency department is less
likely to faint at the sight of blood than an employee who has never witnessed physical
trauma. It is also worth bearing in mind that past experience of abuse (emotional,
physical, sexual) or repeated exposure to witnessing and dealing with horrendous
events can desensitise individual’s emotional responses to any number of situations.
Dependent on the nature of your workforce and industry, the matters that arise may range from basic
frustration with broken equipment to full-scale trauma as a result of a serious incident in the workplace.
Whatever arises, the way in which you deal with the people involved will have a significant impact on
the outcome of the incident.
➢ Incorrect wages
➢ Disciplinary conversations/actions
➢ Unforeseen circumstances
➢ Angry customers/colleagues.
The important thing to remember when dealing with others is to treat them as individuals. Knowing
your team will enable you to do this with much more accuracy and will also make them feel valued.
Each member of your team will have their own emotional needs and level of emotional intelligence. You
will have to adapt a number of things in your approach to ensure you deal with the situation on their
level.
➢ Tone – You may need to adopt an empathic approach, or the situation may require
assertiveness
➢ Time – Some people will be quick and simple to deal with whilst others will be much
more demanding of your time. You need to remain in control of the situation but gauge
how much time should be spent with one individual if progress is not being made
➢ Solutions – You may have to be creative with the possible solutions you offer and you
should also remember that one size will not fit all; as with time, some individuals will
be more difficult to please
➢ Your own capabilities – You should also know when you have exhausted your own
abilities to deal with an individual and be able to recognise when the situation requires
escalation to the next level of authority or expertise.
Leadership styles
As a manager, you probably have a preferred leadership style and this may work most of the time, but it
is important to vary your approach when necessary.
Daniel Goleman’s book, Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence, first published in 2002, states
that the most successful leadership is that of managing the emotions of their team in order to keep
motivation and morale high. The better a leader understands the members of their team, the more
successful they can be in stimulating and maintaining motivation to achieve the desired goals. But not
all people can be managed in the same way.
➢ The commanding leader – Perhaps the most traditional style of leadership, the
commanding leader issues clear instructions with no room for manoeuvre that they
expect will be completed without any questions asked. It is as far from democratic as
possible. This type of leader has a powerful presence and can often be seen as cold and
aloof. This style works best in a crisis when results or changes are needed immediately
and a floundering team needs clear guidance.
Our personalities lend us to a specific style of leadership, but a good manager should employ a
combination of all styles to suit the occasion and the people with whom they deal.
This is a trait of the affiliative leader who desires harmony and collaboration amongst every member of
the workforce and could also be described as a collectivist approach to leadership. In business, decision-
making is often about saving time and money and making improvements to existing processes and
procedures. It often does not concern the emotions of others. However, when managing people, and
making decisions that will affect them personally and emotionally, the process is not as straightforward
as rational thought.
You could request feedback from your workforce to help you make a decision based upon their
emotions. If the decision affects just one individual, an informal conversation might suffice. If, however,
the decision affects a large group of people you might need a more formal approach to obtain feedback,
such as an open forum or an employee survey.
Whilst it is important to consider the emotions of others in making decisions it is also important to
remain objective and balanced in your considerations. It is also vital that you do not avoid legal or
ethical requirements when making your decisions. For example, if an employee has stolen an item of
another employee’s property, you could not make a decision on how to handle it based upon the
emotions of the perpetrator. However, you could possibly make a decision on how to handle it based
upon the emotions of the victim.
3.2. Assist others to understand the effect of their behaviour and emotions on others in the
workplace
3.4. Encourage others to develop their own emotional intelligence to build productive relationships
and maximise workplace outcomes
The benefits of developing emotional intelligence within your workforce are multiple, but perhaps the
best one for managers of people is that if they are able to manage their own emotions themselves,
which prevents you from spending time doing it for them. It enables both you and your workforce to get
on with the task in hand without having to spend time dealing with issues and incidents of an emotional
nature.
Training sessions
You could hold paid, group training sessions as part of the personal development of each employee that
cover. Benefits of the development of emotional intelligence such as better performance at work,
higher income, job stability and job satisfaction.
➢ Build time into team meetings for rants and moans – In your regular meetings, allow a
short period of time that can be used for employees to have a rant about their
frustrations but make sure that when you move on, you really do move on
➢ Specific developmental goal for each colleague – Build into their personal appraisals
specific goals in their development of emotional intelligence so they have something
quantifiable for which to aim.
Providing your workforce with safe opportunities to express their feelings and emotions away from the
“shop floor” will encourage them, as individuals and a group, to start taking responsibility for their own
emotions and behaviours and understand those of others around them.
Listening to feedback from colleagues about their own displays of emotion and behaviour can be quite
an emotive process for some individuals and it should be handled sensitively and privately. Restorative
approaches are quite powerful and meaningful in these circumstances.
Restorative justice
Restorative justice is actually an approach to criminal justice where the emphasis is not on punishment
but on repairing the damage that has been caused. It focuses on the needs of both the victim and the
offender, where the two come together to agree a resolution to the matter. Resolutions can be
incredibly innovative and enlightening and can build and strengthen relationships.
It works just as well in community situations including the workplace. A restorative meeting takes place
when somebody or a group of people have caused harm or offence to another person or another group
of people. It is a controlled conversation in a calm environment that is mediated by somebody impartial
and usually of higher authority than those involved. Ground rules are set at the beginning by which all
parties around the table must abide in order for the conversation to run smoothly.
The idea of the restorative meeting is to enable those that have been harmed or offended to explain to
the person that has caused the harm how their behaviour made them feel and why. It also gives the
person that has caused the harm to explain to the person they harmed how they felt and why they
behaved the way they did. It gives both parties the opportunity to reflect on their emotional responses
to the situation and think about what they could have done differently. It also gives both parties the
opportunity to tell each other what they need from the other person to repair the situation and what
they need to do themselves to resolve the matter.
This is particularly true if you are the manager of those involved as it gives you more of an insight into
their psyche and helps you understand their behaviour further. Whilst the outcome of the meeting is
ultimately up to those involved, by acting as mediator you can subtly steer the conversation to ensure
that the result is satisfactory to you as their manager.
It is worth taking time to consider practical aspects to a restorative meeting in order to make it as
successful as possible.
Time
When are you going to hold the meeting? Consider how long after the incident has occurred; too soon
and emotions may not have settled sufficiently to have a rational conversation and/or each party may
not have had enough time to reflect on their emotions. If you wait too long, the impact of the behaviour
may have been forgotten.
The time of day will also have an effect. At the end of a busy shift and parties may not give their full
attention. You should also take into account key times in the working day when the parties involved
need to be completing time-specific tasks.
Restorative meetings can go on for some time depending on the amount of people involved, the extent
and severity of the incident up for discussion, and the personalities of those involved. Ensure you
schedule plenty of time so the meeting is not rushed or you run out of time and a resolution is not
reached.
You may need to hold the meetings in or out of work time. Taking colleagues off the shop floor at the
same time might cause them embarrassment, but bringing them into the workplace in their own time
might also cause resentment and inconvenience.
Location
Practical things to consider include:
➢ Size of the room – is it big enough for the number of people involved?
o if there are windows in the room are there blinds to keep prying eyes out?
o temperature of the room – if the room is too hot or cold it will be a distraction
➢ The shape of the table – all parties involved need to be able to see one another clearly
➢ Where the mediator is going to sit – usually at the head of the table in order to convey
impartiality
Seating is quite simple if there are only two people as you would naturally sit them opposite each other.
If both the harmed and the harmer are groups of people similar in size would you sit them in their
respective groups on each side of the table or would you split them up so they are disbanded?
If there is only one person that has been harmed and a group of people that have caused the harm how
would you seat them? Seating the group opposite the individual could compound the harm that has
already been caused due to the impression of strength in numbers.
Taking turns
During a restorative meeting, one of the fundamental rules is that only one person talks at once.
Sometimes people find this hard to comply with when someone says something to which they totally
object but have to remain silent and listen. Having a talking piece – any object of your choice that is held
by the speaker whilst making their contribution – is a visual reminder to the rest of the group that they
must remain silent when they are not holding it.
All restorative meetings should be recorded and minutes held on the personnel file of each colleague
involved. Are you going to make the notes or are you going to request administrative support from a
colleague?
All these things may seem quite trivial, but you must respect the fact that you are asking your
colleagues to reveal their personal feelings and emotions to one another when they may have only ever
muttered a couple of words to one another in passing in the corridor. You should make the experience
as calm and valuable as possible. Not only that, if they have a positive experience of a restorative
meeting, they are more likely to engage in the process again and recommend it to others.
➢ Inform all parties that you are only there to chair the meeting and are totally impartial
➢ Explain the purpose of the meeting; an incident has occurred that has affected all the
parties involved in some way and you are all here to resolve the matter
➢ Inform everyone that they will all have an opportunity to speak but must wait until it is
their turn and must not talk over or interrupt anyone else whilst they are speaking
➢ Explain the presence of the minute taker (if you have one) is to record the conversation
and that they will all receive a copy of the minutes and a copy will be placed on their
personnel file
➢ Reassure all parties that the meeting is private and whatever is said during the meeting
will not be repeated to other parties
It is up to you, or indeed the parties involved, who starts the speaking. If the incident was quite serious
and affected a large number of people, the answer to the question that asks, “Who has been affected
by what happened?” can have quite a significant impact on the understanding of the parties involved,
particularly if you make a visual representation of the all those affected, either by writing a list of names
or drawing a diagram.
As a manager, you know that Henry’s behaviour was out of character and suspect that there may be
more to this than resentment at a reduction in shifts. You have also checked the rota and realise that
the supervisor had made a mistake and that Henry’s shifts should not have been altered. You speak to
Henry who states that he is having some financial difficulties at present and needs all the shifts he can
get. He is mortified about his behaviour and wants to make amends. You suggest that a restorative
meeting would be a possible way forward. All parties agree.
What happened? I went mad at Nell because I thought she’d pinched my shifts. I
think I swore at her. And I shouted at Jason for trying to help.
What were you doing before it I was checking the rota to see if there was any overtime and I
happened? saw that Nell had been put down for three of my usual shifts.
What were you thinking before it That she’s only been working here two minutes and already
happened? she’s stealing other people’s shifts.
How did you feel before it Angry. I can’t afford to lose any shifts. I needed more not less.
happened? Worried as well that I wouldn’t be able to make the rent this
month if I lost those shifts.
How did you feel when it was Out of control. Really mad.
happening?
What were you thinking after it I thought I might have lost my job.
happened?
How did you feel after it happened? Annoyed and angry at the loss of shifts and also angry with
myself for probably losing my job.
What do you think about what After you told me about the mix up with the rota, I think I was
happened now? an idiot.
How do you feel now about what Embarrassed. Ashamed. Really sorry about upsetting Nell and
happened? Jason. Relieved I haven’t lost my job.
What could you have done Spoken to the supervisor before I went off on one. None of this
differently? would have happened.
What do you need to do to resolve I need to apologise to Nell and Jason, and the supervisor. And I
the matter? need to explain that it was nothing to do with them, I’m just
under a bit of financial pressure at the minute and I lost my
rag. It’s not an excuse, but that’s why I responded the way I
did.
What do you need others to do to I’d like Jason to forgive me. And I’d like Nell to give me another
resolve the matter? chance since she doesn’t know me very well and I’m actually
What happened? I was just taking an order from a family when Henry came out
of nowhere and started yelling abuse at me about stealing his
shifts in front of the whole restaurant.
What were you doing before it Just taking the order from the customer.
happened?
What were you thinking before it Whether the kid was ever going to decide what flavour ice
happened? cream he wanted.
What were you thinking when it was I just thought, “What is he going on about?” and then “When
happening? is he going to stop?” The whole restaurant was looking at him.
How did you feel when it was Surprised at first. Then a bit scared because he was really going
happening? for it. Not just shouting, he was waving his arms around as
well.
What did you do after it happened? I apologised to the customers I was serving and then went into
the back to put their order in.
What were you thinking after it That he was nuts. And I wondered whether the customers
happened? might complain and what I would tell them if they did.
How did you feel after it happened? I was physically shaking right after. He really scared me. And I
was quite embarrassed for him because he made a real fool of
himself. And then I was worried about the extra shifts he had
said I had been given because I’m at University on those days
and can’t do them.
What do you think about what Now I know the reason for it I can understand how Henry felt,
happened now? but I still think it was a bit much.
How do you feel now about what I feel bad for Henry.
happened?
How do you think other people felt The customers in the restaurant were quite shocked and I think
about what happened? some were a bit frightened. I think others thought it was quite
funny. I know the supervisor felt awful when he realised he’d
made the mistakes on the rota and had sent Henry home
without explaining. Jason was really worried about him.
What could you have done I maybe should have tried to calm him down and take him into
differently? the back, but I was just so surprised by what he had done.
Questions to Jason
What happened? Henry went absolutely mad at Nell, swearing at her for stealing
his shifts. I went over to try and calm him down and he yelled
at me that I was poking my nose in because I fancied Nell.
What were you doing before it Just tidying up behind the bar.
happened?
What were you thinking before it What I was going to have for dinner.
happened?
How did you feel before it I was looking forward to my break and my dinner.
happened?
What were you thinking when it was That this isn’t like Henry and wondering why he was being so
happening? aggressive. Nothing normally bothers him.
How did you feel when it was I was worried about Nell and what she thought of Henry. And I
happening? was embarrassed for Henry because all the customers were
watching. Then I was annoyed at his comment about me
fancying Nell, because I don’t.
What did you do after it happened? I carried on working. I didn’t get to take my break because
after Henry went we were short staffed.
What were you thinking after it I was wondering what made him do it.
happened?
How did you feel after it happened? Worried about Henry. And embarrassed for him. And
embarrassed about the comment he made about me fancying
Nell. After what had just happened to her I didn’t really think it
was appropriate for me to say, “Oh, by the way, I don’t fancy
you.” So then I felt awkward for the rest of the shift.
What do you think about what I wish he’d told me about his financial problems. I’d have lent
happened now? him some money or offered him a couple of my shifts.
How do you feel now about what I feel sorry for Henry.
happened?
What could you have done I maybe shouldn’t have waded in. I think I made the situation
differently? worse.
What do you need to do to resolve I need to make sure Henry knows I’m here for him if he needs
the matter? any help. And I also need to tell Nell that I don’t fancy her.
What do you need others to do to I want Henry to apologise to Nell and for Nell to give another
resolve the matter? chance to find out what a nice guy he really is. I also want
Henry to tell my girlfriend that I don’t fancy Nell and that he
just made it up.
In this sort of scenario, where the incident is quite serious and a number of people have been involved,
it is useful to leave the question about who has been affected until the end for all parties involved to
answer collaboratively because often each party has a different view on who was affected and why, and
it has a greater impact when combined.
You can see that the emotions and needs of all of the parties involved are quite similar, each one feeling
empathy for each other and wanting to try and repair the situation themselves. Restorative meetings
can also reveal personal issues that are hindering the performance of colleagues or that as a manager
you can respond in a supportive manner. For example, you could offer Henry some additional shifts or
give him an advance in his wages to help with his financial problems.
Whilst you are supporting their personal development, you are also maximising workplace outcomes.
The following chart that demonstrates the potential workplace outcomes of developing emotional
intelligence within an organisation was researched and compiled by Dr Benjamin Palmer and Professor
Con Stough from Swinburne University and is based upon their seven-factor model of emotional
intelligence.
Emotional self-awareness The skill of perceiving and ➢ The capacity to identify and
understanding one’s own understand the impact one’s
emotions. own feelings is having on
thoughts, decisions,
behaviour and performance
at work
➢ Greater self-awareness
It is acknowledged that the type of emotions of humans engaging in a social interaction will determine
whether the interaction is a positive or negative one. For example, if an individual approaches another
with a radiant smile and open arms it is likely that the other individual will respond with a smile and a
cheery countenance, making for a positive interaction. If, on the other hand, the first individual storms
up to the other with a grimace and their fists clenched the interaction is much more likely to be
negative.
Since we work alongside other people, there are inevitably going to be social interactions, from an
acknowledgement in the corridor, a conversation on the way into the building from the carpark, to an
hour long conversation amongst a group of workers at lunch time. Positive emotions breed positive
social interactions and the more positive social interactions that take place within an organisation, the
stronger and more positive the relationships become between the workforce. Building a positive
community within the organisation encourages workers to independently join together to work
collaboratively on projects. When team members have a strong relationship, they are more likely to
sustain positive emotions and a positive mindset. This maintenance of positive energy then breeds ideas
and creativity which results in innovation and increased productivity.
The satisfaction the team members enjoy from their successes increases motivation for further success
and a further increase in productivity. As the positive mood and emotions continue, the members of the
team then seek to take on new challenges with other teams, increasing the collaboration growing the
cohesion of the community within the organisation. The more the workers collaborate and share
success and satisfaction as a whole, the less competition there is for allocation of resources as it
becomes a shared ownership for the benefit of the whole organisation.
Workplace outcomes
If you consider the workplace outcomes that have been achieved throughout your workforce through
the development of their own emotional intelligence you can see the importance of emotional
intelligence in all workers. In fact, if you think back to the beginning of this unit when we considered
that emotional intelligence was not an essential requirement of an employee, without these workplace
outcomes, the whole organisation would be littered with barriers to achievement.
Consider the opposite of the workplace outcomes and how much negativity they would bring to your
workplace environment and the success of the organisation.
Enhanced decision-making where more Greater buy-in from others into decisions that are
information is considered in the process made
Improved job satisfaction and engagement Improved ability to cope with high work demands
The capacity to generate a positive and satisfying The capacity to effectively deal with workplace
work environment for others conflict
The capacity to deal effectively with situations that cause strong emotions
This includes:
➢ Skills assessment
➢ Knowledge assessment
➢ Performance assessment.
This holistically assesses your understanding and application of the skills, knowledge and performance
requirements for this unit. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move
onto the next one – well done!
These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of
this unit.
Websites
Emotional intelligence: http://www.eiconsortium.org/measures/genos.html
All references accessed on and correct as of 13/09/16, unless other otherwise stated.