Module 2-Empathy

Module 2: EI, Empathy, and Stress Worksheet
OGL 220: Behavioral Dynamics in Organizations

Courtney Smith
4/5/20
Emotional Intelligence Instruments

Reflect on what you learned about the concept of emotional intelligence based on what you read in your
textbook and online. Based on your results with the EI tools, what would you consider to be your
strengths and weaknesses with respect to emotional intelligence? Discuss the concept with a loved one,
friend, or trusted colleague. What are their perceptions with respect to your self-appraisal?
I scored highly in the EI quiz. Based on my results, I would say my strength is the ability to manage my
emotions and use them to positively affect other people. As a leader, I'm always motivating others on
my team and am highly receptive to their emotions and needs. I like to teach others how to be
emotionally intelligent. I'm good at shifting my leadership style, tone, and mood to match others. I
believe this is why I'm great at customer service and anticipating the needs of others. My weakness is to
use my emotional intelligence for problem-solving. I chose this as a weakness because it's something I
would like to understand better and learn how to utilize in the workplace. Learning how to problem-
solve with EI can be a powerful tool. For example, I could use this as a way to be a better mediator and
handle conflict between other team members. Aside from conflict, I can learn how to be more effective
in my relationships with the team. Collaboration is a big part of the workplace and I would like to
become better in this aspect.
I shared my results and answers with my boyfriend. We worked together 5 years prior to getting into a
relationship so I believe he has a good understanding of who I am professionally and personally. He
agreed that emotional intelligence is a strength of mine. I'm sensitive to how others are feeling and very
perceptive. We both agreed that collaboration is something that I can improve on. I'm great one-on-one
with an individual, but I struggle at times when talking to a group. if I utilize my emotional intelligence to
learn how to read and speak to the group in an effective way, I can improve my relationships and
leadership.
Radical Experiment in Empathy

What did you think of the "Radical Experiment in Empathy" video? Were you able to “step outside of
your thoughts and behavioral patterns” and reserve a part of your mental capacity to “listen” to and
monitor your internal reactions as a means of gaining a deeper insight into the nature of yourself?
What’s your perspective on this notion of “self-awareness” in the present moment as a tool to learn
more about yourself? Was this “radical experiment” an effective one in terms of helping you understand
the concept of empathy?
Make some connections between the “Radical Experiment in Empathy” TED Talk and the ideas you have
been reading and learning about this week. Be sure to describe your connections carefully and use in-
text cites as applicable.
I thought the Radical Experiment in Empathy video was a very powerful tool to show others they have
the capacity to be empathetic. I consider myself as someone who can easily understand the perspectives
of others, so I was able to step outside of my thoughts during the video and listen to my internal
reactions. By being self-aware, I believe it can open your mind to a deeper understanding of the world
around you. I currently use self-awareness as a way to assess my own strengths and opportunities to
grow as a leader in my professional life. Personally, I use self-awareness to understand my thoughts and
emotions so I can work at maintaining inner peace. As someone who is already highly empathetic, I did
find the Ted Talk to be effective. I think this particular video can really speak to and teach others how to
be empathetic effectively with the powerful images and messages shared.
In chapter 7.5 of our text, I made a connection between emotional intelligence and the four building
blocks while watching the Radical Experiment in Empathy Ted Talk. Self-awareness is important in the
way we begin to understand ourselves and our capacity to empathize with others. In Sam Richard's Ted
Talk, he did this by taking the audience and putting them into the shoes of other people. He built an
"experience" for the audience to feel what others feel.
By practicing being self-aware, we can then move on to the next step of directing our emotions in a
positive way when needed. (Bauer & Erdogan, 2018) This is called self-management. Understand the
message of Richard's experiment and utilize it to make positive changes inward and outward.
The next step is social awareness. We've become aware of the people around us and how they feel
differently during the experiment. Now we have to take responsibility for our actions and how we
approach others. For example, the next time there's a rude customer at work I can utilize the lesson
learned from Richard's experiment and apply it. This person may have had a terrible day and I can
choose to react with empathy by putting myself in their shoes.
The last step is relationship management. After you are able to successfully manage your own self-
awareness, self-management, and social-awareness, you can teach others to manage their own
emotions just as Sam Richard did during this experiment.
Stress: Portrait of a Killer

Contrast your textbook’s discussion of stress with National Geographic’s documentary “Stress: Portrait
of a Killer.” What, specifically, was most interesting to you with respect to the film? What kinds of
connections can you make between stress, personality, and human behavior in the workplace? (Be
explicit)
Provide a couple of examples of specific stressful situations from your life – as well as your own stress-
related behaviors in those instances.
What stress management approaches work best for you? Based on what you learned here, what might
be some additional strategies you might employ to reduce your stress?
What I found most interesting in "Stress: Portrait of a Killer." was the hierarchy amongst the baboons
and how it relates to physiological stress. In the baboon world, those with a high ranking status suffered
from the least amount of stress. These baboons were the most likely dominant and aggressive male
types. The low ranking baboons, however, suffered from a great deal of stress by being picked on and
having a low social status. Their health, happiness, and social status declined over a period of time
transpiring a number of health-related issues to experiencing this stress. In chapter 7.2 of our textbook,
it is explained that the body cannot return to equilibrium because of long-lasting stress. The body moves
into the exhaustion phase and depletes its stores of sugars and fats, and the prolonged release of
cortisol has caused the stressor to significantly weaken the individual. Disease results from the body’s
weakened state, leading to death in the most extreme cases. (Bauer & Erdogan, 2018) Humans and
baboons both experience a long extent of social stressors that are inflicted by others.
In the workplace, a similar hierarchy to the baboons is evident. In my experience, I've had many
managers, bosses, corporate leaders, etc. who all shared the aggressive male trait. They are aware of
their high status and make sure to establish it in their environment. It is known that these individuals
can cause deliberate stress on those who are lower in status. People in the workplace who are low
ranking on the hierarchy tend to be more stressed with the social repercussions and with the types of
jobs they experience. Individuals who are seen as and treated as an outcast can cause a great deal of
stress for them. As we saw during the documentary, the baboon monkeys harass who is socially
"beneath" them to display their status with constant picking and nagging. While at work, it's no secret
that everyone wants to be respected and liked. Much like in the animal world, people will do what they
need to do in order to survive in their environment.
With the current state of the world, I definitely have experienced stress from the result of the COVID-19
pandemic. I haven't been able to work or socialize and it's been very taxing on me -- and I'm sure
everyone else as well. When I'm feeling stressed, the stress-related behaviors that I express are fidgeting
and change in appetite -- I start to snack more and try to eat comforting foods. I like to keep myself busy
so I'm constantly cleaning, driving, working out, and snacking while stressed. Another example I have is
when our ticket machines at my Starbucks store stopped printing labels. It was around the holidays so
we were busier than usual and I just so happened to have been promoted to supervisor a couple of
weeks prior. I was the only manager in the building and I had a line of angry customers who were
shouting at me. Luckily, I was proactive and used my resources, so I was able to get a technician out
right away. But the lingering stress made me unable to sleep well for about a week and I ate junk food to
try and feel better.
The best stress management approach that works for me is working out and meditating. I like to feel
healthy and so I really enjoyed learning about the "Corporate Athlete" in our text. By improving the
body's performance you gain more of a control of your stress, and can even find a healthy way to
channel it. By keeping your body, mind, and attitude in top shape, you work at your optimal levels which
can keep stress away. I would like to incorporate what I've learned from this section and apply it to my
every day.
References:
Talya Bauer & Berrin Erdogan. (2018). Organizational Behavior: Bridging Science and Practice. Boston,
MA: FlatWorld

Module 2-Empathy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module 2-Empathy

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module 2-Empathy

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module 2: EI, Empathy, and Stress Worksheet

OGL 220: Behavioral Dynamics in Organizations

Emotional Intelligence Instruments

Radical Experiment in Empathy

Stress: Portrait of a Killer

You might also like