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Your Emotional Compass

Lesson Plan

Your Emotional Compass

Participants will be able to define emotional intelligence, identify its key components, and apply basic strategies for recognizing and managing emotions in a professional setting.

Emotional intelligence is crucial for effective communication, building rapport with colleagues and patients, and navigating challenging situations with empathy and resilience. Developing these skills leads to improved team dynamics and enhanced patient care.

Audience

Clinical Staff

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, slide presentation, and reflective activity.

Materials

Emotional Compass Slide Deck, and Emotional Check-in Discussion Guide

Prep

Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What is Your Emotional Compass?

5 minutes

  • Begin with a quick Warm Up activity to get participants thinking about emotions.
    - Introduce the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) using Emotional Compass Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).
    - Ask: "Why do you think understanding emotions is important in our roles as clinical staff?" (Facilitate a brief group discussion).

Step 2

Exploring the Components of EI

10 minutes

  • Present the four key components of emotional intelligence: Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management using Emotional Compass Slide Deck (Slide 3-6).
    - For each component, provide a brief definition and a relevant example from a clinical setting.
    - Encourage questions and offer short examples from your own experience or scenarios participants might relate to.

Step 3

Emotional Check-in Activity

10 minutes

  • Divide participants into small groups (2-3 people).
    - Distribute or display the Emotional Check-in Discussion Guide (Slide 7 on Emotional Compass Slide Deck).
    - Instruct groups to discuss the prompts provided, focusing on how they might apply EI in real-life clinical scenarios.
    - Circulate among groups, offering guidance and listening to discussions.

Step 4

Group Share & Wrap-up

5 minutes

  • Bring the groups back together for a brief share-out of key insights or challenges from their discussions.
    - Summarize the main takeaways of emotional intelligence (Slide 8 on Emotional Compass Slide Deck).
    - End with a Cool Down question: "What is one practical way you can apply emotional intelligence this week?"
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Slide Deck

Your Emotional Compass

Navigating Emotions in Clinical Settings

  • What is Emotional Intelligence?
  • Why does it matter for us?

Welcome the participants. Introduce the topic: Emotional Intelligence. Ask a rhetorical question to engage them: 'How often do we truly understand what's going on inside ourselves and others?'

What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?

EI is the ability to:

  • Understand and manage your own emotions.
  • Recognize and influence the emotions of others.

Why is it vital in clinical settings?

  • Patient empathy & communication
  • Teamwork & conflict resolution
  • Stress management & resilience

Define Emotional Intelligence. Emphasize that it's not just about being 'nice,' but about being effective. Connect it to the clinical environment - patient interactions, team collaboration, managing stress.

Component 1: Self-Awareness

Knowing your own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses.

  • Recognizing your feelings as they happen.
  • Understanding how your emotions affect your thoughts and behavior.
  • Being aware of your triggers and reactions.

In practice:
*

Introduce the first component: Self-Awareness. Explain it's about knowing your own feelings, strengths, weaknesses, and values. Provide examples like recognizing your stress triggers after a difficult case.

Component 2: Self-Regulation

Managing your emotions and impulses.

  • Controlling disruptive impulses or moods.
  • Thinking before you act.
  • Adapting to changing circumstances.

In practice:
*

Introduce Self-Regulation. This is about managing those emotions, not suppressing them. Give examples like taking a deep breath before responding to an upset colleague or patient.

Component 3: Social Awareness

Understanding the emotions, needs, and concerns of others.

  • Empathy: Sensing others' feelings and perspectives.
  • Organizational awareness: Reading group dynamics and power relationships.
  • Service orientation: Anticipating, recognizing, and meeting patients' and colleagues' needs.

In practice:
*

Introduce Social Awareness. This is empathy - understanding others' emotions. Discuss reading non-verbal cues from patients or colleagues. Highlight actively listening.

Component 4: Relationship Management

Skill in influencing and inspiring others.

  • Developing and maintaining good relationships.
  • Communicating clearly and persuasively.
  • Managing conflict and inspiring teamwork.

In practice:
*

Introduce Relationship Management. This is using your understanding of emotions (yours and others') to build effective relationships. Examples include conflict resolution, motivating a team, clear communication.

Activity: Your Emotional Check-in

In small groups, discuss the prompts on your guide:

  1. Recall: Describe a recent situation where understanding emotions (yours or someone else's) was critical.
  2. Apply: How could you apply one of the EI components to improve patient or team interactions this week?
  3. Challenge: What is one challenge you face in applying EI in your role, and what's a small step you could take to address it?

Be ready to share one insight with the larger group!

Explain the group activity. Provide clear instructions for discussion. Emphasize open and respectful sharing. Tell them to use the 'Emotional Check-in Discussion Guide.'

Key Takeaways & Next Steps

Emotional intelligence is a continuous journey.

  • Self-reflection: Regularly check in with your own emotions.
  • Active listening: Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues from others.
  • Practice: Consciously apply EI skills in your daily interactions.

Your Emotional Compass helps you navigate every situation with greater understanding and effectiveness!

Facilitate a brief group share. Summarize the key benefits of EI and reiterate its importance. Conclude with a forward-looking statement or a call to action.

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Discussion

Emotional Check-in Discussion Guide

Instructions: In your small groups, discuss the following prompts. Listen actively to your teammates and be prepared to share one key insight or challenge with the larger group.

Prompt 1: Recall a Situation

Describe a recent situation in your professional role where understanding emotions (either your own or a patient's/colleague's) was particularly critical. How did emotions play a role in the situation's outcome?












Prompt 2: Apply an EI Component

Thinking about the four components of Emotional Intelligence (Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Social Awareness, Relationship Management), choose one component and discuss a specific, practical way you could apply it to improve your interactions with patients or colleagues this week.












Prompt 3: Identify a Challenge

What is one challenge you face in consistently applying emotional intelligence in your clinical role? What is one small, actionable step you could take to address this challenge?












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Warm Up

Emotional Intelligence Warm-Up

Instructions: Take a moment to think about the last time you felt a strong emotion (e.g., joy, frustration, anxiety, peace) at work. Without going into specifics of the situation, answer the following:

  1. What was the emotion you felt?



  2. Where did you feel this emotion in your body? (e.g., tight shoulders, racing heart, calm chest)



  3. How did this emotion influence your immediate thoughts or actions?






Be prepared to share one observation about how emotions show up for you.

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Cool Down

Emotional Intelligence Cool-Down: Exit Ticket

Instructions: Before you leave, please answer the following question:

What is one practical way you can apply emotional intelligence in your work or personal life this week?











Thank you for your participation!

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