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An Emotionally Intelligent Guide to Finding Joy at Work

Melinda Earle, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHEProgram Director, Transformative Leadership DNP: Systems and

Assistant Professor

Rush University College of Nursing and College of Health Sciences

April 27, 2018

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the importance of joy at work.

• Apply emotional intelligence skills – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills – to formulate a personal career development plan.

• Identify pleasurable work tasks.

• Prepare a gap analysis between current work state and enhanced work state.

• Develop a joyful job description.

Joy at Work

Daniel Goleman et al (2002) found:

• Positive climate accounts for 20-30% of business performance.

• Positive work climate can produce a three-fold increase in performance and customer satisfaction.

“Management’s overall aim should be to create a system in which everybody may take joy in his work.” Dr. W. Edwards Deming

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (2017) Joy in Work:• Improves patient experience• Improves patient outcomes and

safety• Increases organizational

effectiveness and profitability

Happiest at Work

Happiest employees compared to least happiest:

• 180% more energized

• 155% happier with their jobs

• 108% more engaged

• 50% more motivated

• 50% more productive

• 66% less sick leave

Pryce-Jones (2010) evaluated questionnaires and focus groups from 3,000 respondents in 79 countries. She found the happiest employees were:

If you are happy at work:

• Get promoted faster

• Make more money

• Achieve your goals faster

• Interact better with colleagues and bosses

• Learn more

• Receive superior reviews

• Are healthier

Happiness

I’ll be happy when….

The “How of Happiness” – Practicing happiness activities - positive emotions, optimal timing and variety, social support, and motivation, effort, and commitment to forming new habits.

Circumstances10%

Genetics50%

Intentional Activity

40%

What Determines Happiness?

Circumstances Genetics Intentional Activity

Momentary Joy vs. Lasting Happiness

Passive Activities

• Listening to music

• Watching movies

• Surfing internet

• Daydreaming

• Watching TV

• Checking social media

• Resting

• Eating

• Alone time

High Flow Activities

• Exercising

• House work/yard work

• Creating art

• Helping others

• Meditation/yoga

• Practice/play instrument

• Participation in sports (team/individual)

• Journaling

• Professional work

• Face-to-face socializing

Schiffer & Roberts (2017)

How are EQ and Joy at Work Connected

• Take self-awareness

• Involve personal and organizational values

• Implementing new practices

• Practice, practice, practice

• Develop new habits

• EI strongest predictor of happiness (over 50%)1

1Furnham & Petrides (2003)

Emotional Intelligence

EQ two times more important than IQ

Brain Science of Emotions

Daniel Goleman

Amygdala Hijacking

Brain Science of Emotions

The greater the emotional vocabulary and concepts…the more tools to perceive and experience emotion and craft best decisons.

Become a collector of new experiences, words, and concepts to develop to expand your emotional intelligence.

Lisa Feldman Barrett

So! How Do You Use EI to Create Joy in Work?

Self Awareness

• Do you know the work activities that bring you joy (“flow activities”)?

• How often does your work connect to your life purpose?

• How often can you connect your work to the success of the organization?

• How often do you ignore your body signals at work?

Social Awareness

• How often a day are you empathetic with your staff, your peers, your manager, your patients, and yourself?

• Are you experiencing empathy fatigue?

• Are your personal values consistent with your organizational values?

Organizational Awareness

• How aware are you of organizational:

–Issues?

–Dynamics?

–Politics?

–Unspoken rules?

–Unacknowledged culture?

Self-Management

• Self-control

• Transparency

• Adaptability

• Achievement

• Initiative

• Optimism

Social Skills and Relationship Management

• Inspiration

• Influence

• Developing others

• Change catalyst

• Conflict management

• Teamwork and collaboration

50-70% of how employees perceive their organizational climate can be tracked to their leader.

Using EI to Formulate a Career Development Plan: One Leader’s Story

The Boiling FrogSyndrome• Do you awake each morning

excited about the day?• Do you laugh as much as you once

did?• Are you having as much fun in your

personal life? • Are you having as much fun at

work?• Are you so overwhelmed by work

that you don’t know what you feel?• Have you adjusted to the

disappointment, frustration and even boredom at work?

Path to Self Awareness

Path to Self Awareness

• Stack of magazines and catalogs• Nine 9X12 manila envelopes

• Authentic Success• Authentic Style• Return to Self• Relationships• Spiritual Journey• Someday• The House of Belonging• Entertainment• Mystery

• Scissors• Glue sticks• Colored pencils• Scrapbook

Path to Self Awareness

1. Morning Pages2. Artist’s Dates3. Walking Reflection

Path to Social Awareness

• Stop judging

• Deep listening

• Open your heart

• Respond with compassion

“Where our attention goes so goes our life.”

Path to Social Awareness

• Owning our perceptions and judgements of others

• When we dislike others are they exhibiting the “dark sides” of ourselves

• Know your “hot buttons”

Path to Social Awareness

Mental models are conceptual frameworks consisting of generalizations and assumptions that affect how we view the world and act in it.

Using This Awareness to Find Joy in Work

Path to Self-Management

Gratitude: Be a collector of positive experiences.

Path to Self-Management

• Releases endorphins and serotonin

• Stimulates reward centers in the brain

• Average – more than 20X a day

• Contagious

• Makes you appear competent and more attractive

• Even a fake smile works!

Path to Self-Management

At least 30 times a day!

Vulnerability

Path to Social Skills

• Identify what brings the bully out in you.

• Practice, practice, practice different reactions to your hot buttons.

• Find a “bully buddy”: A trusted person who is comfortable telling you when you could have reacted differently.

Path to Social SkillsYour Personal Board of Directors

• They know you

• Mutual respect

• Trusted

• Excellent at observation and giving feedback

• You can accept feedback from them

Your Career Development Plan

Joy and Career Development

1. Identify what brings you joy, satisfaction, and engagement and what brings you guilt, anger, boredom and remorse.

2. Making Resolutions. Identify the concrete actions “high flow activities” that will boost happiness.

3. Keep your resolutions.

EI and Career Development

• What brings you joy at work?

• What tasks do you enjoy?

• What is your favorite part of the day?

• Do you prefer working alone or in groups?

• Do you prefer moving around or working in your office?

• Do you enjoy effective meetings?

• Do you enjoy face-to-face connections or e-mails?

Get real about what you do at work!!

My Ideal Day

• No alarm clocks!

• Before work: Enough time for breakfast, journaling, connecting to my family, walking, and planning my day

• Morning work from home: check e-mails & voice mails, writing, and “brainwork”

• Afternoon: Appointments, meetings, committee work, mentoring, and administrative work

• Evenings: No work!! Family, friends and reading.

My Ideal Day

• Problem-solving with bright people

• Mentoring and coaching

• Teaching

• Leading teams

• Projects, projects, projects!

• Data analysis

• Identify best practices

• Presentations/Public Speaking

• Politics

Finding Joy at Work

Reviewing your ideal work day:

• How does your ideal work day compare to your current average work day?

• What are you going to do about the gap?

My Joyful Job Description

• No 24/7 accountability

• Flexible hours

• Office with work at home option

Job Tasks:

• Problem-solving with bright people

• Mentoring and coaching

• Teaching

• Leading teams

• Projects, projects, projects!

• Data analysis

• Identifying best practices

• Presentations/Public Speaking

• Political advocacy

• Serving on Boards

Career Development Plan

• What to do more of?

• What to do less of?

• Research all types of jobs

• Find the match

• Review the competencies

• Develop the competencies

Charity “Cherry” Ames, RN

• Army Nurse• Chief Nurse• Flight Nurse• Veterans' Nurse• Private Duty Nurse• Visiting Nurse• Cruise Nurse• Night Supervisor• Mountaineer Nurse• Clinic Nurse• Dude Ranch Nurse

• Rest Home Nurse• Country Doctor's

Nurse• Boarding School

Nurse• Department Store

Nurse• Camp Nurse• Island Nurse• Rural Nurse• Companion Nurse• Jungle Nurse

(Published 1943 - 1968)

Nursing Leaders Beyond 2018

• Ambulatory Care

• Post-Acute Care: skilled nursing facility (SNF), home health agency, inpatient rehabilitation facility, or long-term acute care hospital

• Adult Living Communities

• Legal

• Public Health

• Technology

• Suppliers

• Policy

• Entrepreneurs