Emotional Intelligence in the Library Workplace

Would you like to better serve your customers, work in a more productive and harmonious setting and experience greater satisfaction in your work? Emotional intelligence, aka “the other kind of intelligence,” is considered by many to be more important to workplace success and satisfaction than technical ability or IQ. Whether we interact with co-workers or customers, emotions are part of every human interaction.

Emotionally intelligent people:

• Recognize and manage their own emotions
• Understand how emotions effect people around them
• Empathize with others
• Use appropriate interpersonal skills to effectively manage relationships

The good news is that emotional intelligence can be developed in very practical ways with focus and practice. In this course, we will first focus on the foundational pillars of emotional intelligence: building self-awareness and applying self-management practices to foster positive and constructive library workplace interactions. Then, utilizing scenarios and case studies we will learn how to put those pillars into practice in the library setting.

Course Description: This four-week online course will utilize readings, examples, discussion forums and resources to help you develop a deeper understanding of emotional intelligence and put it into practice. You will be able to apply the concepts and techniques immediately to your own library and community. As part of the course, you will be encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions with others.

Course Outline: When you log in to the Infopeople online learning site, you will see weekly modules with these topics:

• Week 1: What is Emotional Intelligence and Why Does it Matter?
  • 4-pillar model of emotional intelligence
  • Examples of emotional intelligence competencies
  • Impact of emotional intelligence on workplace dynamics, customer interactions, and personal satisfaction
  • Developing emotional intelligence with self-awareness and self-management
• Week 2: Connecting the Human Brain and Emotional Intelligence
  • How the human brain impacts emotional reactivity and how to identify and manage responses.
  • Biological responses and how they impact interactions and relationships
• Week 3: How to Increase Your Self-Awareness
  • The effects of positive and negative emotional contagion on self and others
  • Noticing emotional reactions in self and others
• Week 4: Self-Management in Action
  • Calming and cooling strategies
  • Choosing constructive action

Time Required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 2½ hours per week, for a total of ten course hours. Each week's module contains readings and various options for assignments, discussions, or online meetings. You can choose the options most relevant to your work and interests. Although you can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night, it is recommended that you complete each week's work within that week to stay in sync with other learners.

Who Should Take This Course: Of broad interest to all levels and categories of library staff. Crucial and highly recommended for managers, supervisors and employees seeking promotion. Also useful for library board members and trustees.

Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at: infopeople.org/training/online_learning_details.

Learner Requirements: None

After the official end date for the course, the instructor will be available for limited consultation and support for two more weeks, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that. These extra weeks give those who have fallen behind time to work independently to complete the course.

Keywords: Communication and interpersonal skills, Supervision and management