Boss: (noticing that a letter is still visible on the sec- retary’s screen, unprinted): “Did you finish that letter I gave you this morning?
Secretary: “Er, uh, yes I did.”
Boss: “Oh, really? Then what is this? Have you ever done anything right?”
1. Briefly explain each of the “eight intelligences.” How are these catego- ries more helpful in understanding the whole idea of intelligence, espe- cially as it impacts the workplace?
review questions
aggressiveness 189 assertiveness 189 defensive behavior/
defensiveness 190 eight intelligences 182 emotional
competence 185
key terms
emotional intelligence (EI) 185
emotional mind 185 first-, second-,
and third-degree games 194 game 193
intelligence 182 personal
competence 186 rational mind 185 script 192
social competence 186
2. What is emotional intelligence? How does this concept relate to the
“eight intelligences”? Explain the relationship among intrapersonal, interpersonal, and emotional intelligence.
3. Briefly explore each of the four general areas (“clusters”) of emotional intelligence. Show how each area can be encouraged to develop.
4. Explain why anger can be so damaging. What are the three major effects of anger?
5. What are the five steps for dealing with anger? Which of the five seems the most effective for you personally? Why?
6. Briefly explain the process of defensiveness. List at least two of the four most popular defensive reactions. Have you seen (or used) any of these in your own life?
7. What are the steps one can take to reduce defensiveness? Which of the five seems the most important to you?
8. What specific steps can you take when you suspect that you are dealing with a game player? What steps can you take to prevent yourself from initiating games?
9. How can a knowledge of emotional intelligence improve human relations in business situations? How can it help you understand more about your interactions with others?
10. Think of a conflict situation you were in recently. Define the terms assertiveness and aggressiveness. Then answer these questions:
a. What role did aggressiveness or assertiveness play in the conflict?
b. Were you aggressive, assertive, or passive?
c. Did the situation work out the way you expected?
d. Would you act differently if you had to do it again?
critical thinking questions
NEW WAYS TO RESPOND
School-to-Work Connection: Interpersonal Skills
Think of an emotionally intelligent response to the following workplace statements:
1. Boss: “What’s the matter, can’t you ever do anything right?”
Response:
working it out 8.1
2. Customer: “Is there anyone in your company who has one living brain cell?”
Response:
3. Husband: “Why do you always have to be running off to work functions and church activities? Did it ever occur to you that you have a family to care for?”
Response:
4. Customer: “I got this part for my washing machine here yesterday and it doesn’t fit. I’ve about had it with your incompetence. Give me my money back and make it snappy!”
Response:
5. Employee: “Gee, I can’t seem to figure out how to get this new com- puter program to work. I’ve never been too good with electronic stuff.
Will you please help me? I’m really frustrated.”
Response:
ANALYZING CONVERSATIONS
School-to-Work Connection: Defensiveness
Rewrite each of the following situations in a way that will eliminate defensive behaviors and use the concepts of emotional intelligence.
1. Manager: (calm tone of voice) “Please get these reports out by the end of the day.”
Employee: “Why are you always criticizing me? What’s the matter—
don’t I always get my reports done on time?”
2. Employee: (calm, matter-of-fact tone of voice) “My schedule is really
tight. Could you give me a hand with this mass mailing?”
Manager: (soft, reassuring tone of voice) “Sure, I’ll get Jean to help you.
Looks like you’ve got a big job there, all right.”
3. Employee: “My schedule is really tight. Could you give me a hand with
this mass mailing?” (Meaning: “I don’t have the confidence to do this by myself.”)
working it out 8.2
Manager: “Sure, I’ll get Jean to help you. Looks like you’ve got a big job there, all right.” (Meaning: “I can never depend on you to finish a job by yourself; you’re hopeless.”)
4. Customer: (harsh, critical tone) “I’ve been standing at this counter for
20 minutes, and you’ve waited on four people who came in after I did!
What gives with you guys? Are you all blind and deaf, or just rude?”
Sales Clerk: “Look, lady, you can yell at somebody else. I’m doing the best I can. If you don’t like it, get lost!”
5. Customer: (harsh, critical tone) “I’ve been standing at this counter for
20 minutes, and you’ve waited on four people who came in after I did!
What gives with you guys? Are you all blind and deaf, or just rude?”
Sales Clerk: “I’m very sorry, madam. Sometimes it just gets crazy around here. Now, tell me what you need so we can take care of you quickly; heaven knows, you’ve been waiting long enough.” (calm, sub- dued tone of voice)
“I’m sorry,” Siti replied. “These kids have just gotten to me today.” However, secretly, she was thinking. “I want this job, and I have to deal with this miserable excuse for a person only an hour a day.”
A year passed with no improvement. As long as she had to deal with the owner less than an hour each day, Siti succeeded in shaking off the frustration and going on with a job she otherwise enjoyed.
Then in early June, Marie’s youngest child graduated. She was now an empty-nester. The one hour she worked changed to four, then to nearly the entire workday. This was too much for Siti.
Two months later, Siti gave her two-week notice and decided to open a day-care center of her own.
Case Study Questions
1. Could Siti have kept this situation from end- ing the way it ended?
2. Briefly analyze this situation using ––what you have learned about emotional intelligence.
3. What would you have done in Siti Abdullah’s place? Why?
S iti Abdullah’s new job at Morning Glory Day- care Center placed her in charge of a crew of 12 day-care providers in a large suburban day-care center. All of her new employees were people who had owned and operated children’s day-care ser- vices out of their homes. Nearly all of them were burned out from the loneliness and frustration of running a stressful home-based business. They were happy to be part of something bigger, and for most of them, the pay was as good as or better than what they had been used to.
Siti’s major stressor was the owner, Marie Estrada. Marie chose to show up at the business only an hour per day at most, and when she was there, she was constantly criticizing Siti. To Siti, everything she said seemed to be patronizing.
“You must stop pandering to the parents’ every whim,” Marie told Siti on one exceptionally stress- ful day.
“Why don’t you try running this place some time and see how you like it!” Siti replied.
“I do run it. You just work for me, and don’t you ever forget that!” was Marie’s immediate comeback.
Missing the Glory at Morning Glory
case study 8.1
case study 8.2
The Never-Ending Game
W alter Langley, marketing vice president of
Comfort Furniture, Inc., was holding his weekly meeting. Langley began the meeting with the same plea he had been using for the past three months: “You all know that we are in a downward sales spiral. Something has to be done. Now, I hope you have some creative suggestions that will turn this trend around.”
At that point, people offered their suggestions.
John Bettermore: “We could get production to start using that new synthetic padding for our living room furniture line. We could sell our line for at least 15 percent less; we’d be more price-competitive.”
Langley: “That’s a good suggestion, but that new synthetic doesn’t have a track record. We’ll be worse off because of quality complaints from our customers.”
Allen Avery: “We’ve been getting stung in the South, especially in Mississippi and Georgia. Why don’t we just eliminate those states and concen- trate on the Midwest, where our business is more dependable?”
Langley: “Yes, but that’s giving up. If we ever try to penetrate the southern states again, we’d just be that much further behind.”
Shirley Keener: “One of our biggest problems is that we can’t produce enough of the one prod- uct line that’s in great demand: our dining room furniture. What if we put another shift in that plant at least until we catch up with the demand?”
Langley: “Well, I’ve thought of that, but do you have any idea what the union will do to us if we try something like that?”
This sort of dialogue continued until two hours had passed. Then Langley said, “Well, thank you for your time and effort. Please think carefully and come back next Monday morning with some better ideas.”
Case Study Questions
1. Walter Langley is playing a repetitive game here. What is it called, and what are its payoffs?
2. What can Langley’s team do to end this game?
Be specific.
3. Specifically, what would you do if you were in one of Langley’s time-wasting meetings?
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