Question 1

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?
Your Answer:

Emotional Intelligence is defined as “how people can understand each other more
completely by becoming more aware of their own and others’ emotions”. I've always
considered my self to have great Emotional Intelligence. I can tell when someone is sad,
happy, awkward, embarassed, etc. and can conscientiously work to either embrace or
avoid that particular area or topic. On the EI quiz, I got labeled "High Emotional
Intelligence".  One of the areas I was directed to work on, per the assessment, was that I
needed to take more time to reflect on the things that bring me joy. This is something
that resonated with me because not too long ago I had a discussion with one of my best
friends that I felt like I had lost the ability to find things that made me happy or actually
have long term goals for life.

When I discussed this with two close friends they agreed with the assessment. They felt
that I was a very caring individual that always was aware of the emotions of those
around me. 
 
Question 2
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.
Your Answer:

Sadly, I had seen this clip before and I remember the impact it had on me the first time I
saw it, and I wish it had the same impact on me this time. While I was still taken back by
it, nothing compares to the first time watching the clip and putting yourself in those
other people shoes. 

The ability to move yourself into someone else's shoes is critical, I think, not only in the
work place, but in life in general. I always go back to thinking about war in particular
where both sides are fighting for the exact same thing they just have a different enemy.
They don't know the person they're attacking, they're just "doing their job". Which side is
right is to be determined as history always favors the victor. 

In this day and age, I think if more people were able to put themselves in other peoples
shoes, the world would be a much better place. Our reading mentions that "Social
awareness exists when you are able to understand how others feel" and I think that
Social Awareness is something that is drastically missing from our society. Society
looks at any "outsiders" as being wrong. This also happens in the work place which we
learned in Module 1 regarding the similarity bias. 
 
Question 3
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?
Your Answer:

In the video, the one thing that stood out to me with regards to stress was how "the
lower you were in the hierarchy, the higher your risk of heart disease and other disease".
He goes on to discuss the 2nd from the top and so-on. Stable jobs not exposure and yet
the position in the company dictates your chances for disease. This was baffling. This
goes with the idiom "S#!% rolls down hill". 

In my professional career I have had to deal with many stressful situations. Namely as I
was coming up with the company I experienced my first panic attack when I was 24.
There was a handful of people who needed something from me at the same time and
while this was happening there was a situation with customers that was going on and
all the while I had in the back of my mind the stress of on-going litigation into my ability
to manage. As I was experiencing this panic attack two people who I respected saw me:
one told those around me to go away and she directed me to a "quiet place" and the
other, my boss, made direct eye contact with me and said "breathe and come see me
when this passes". I didn't tell him I was having a panic attack, I didn't need to. He
understood as he had been there. 

My way to manage stress now is much different. I have become extremely healthy as of
late and my stress outlet is jumping on my bicycle and going for a long ride. Sometimes
up to 40 miles. The readings also reaffirmed my desire to be more mindful and meditate
more frequently. I have attempted meditation previously but failed to gain consistency.
During this module, I have meditated 5 of the last 7 days--that's a big win!