Soft skills training not only makes employees happier and more fulfilled, but it can also significantly improve their performance. Among the most desirable soft skills for enhancing employee performance, emotional intelligence (EI) stands out.
EI is crucial for
- effective communication,
- leadership, and
- interpersonal relationships.
It involves
- recognizing,
- understanding, and
- managing one’s own emotions
- as well as the emotions of others.
In the following you will find some concrete activities designed to develop and enhance emotional intelligence in apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds or with fewer opportunities:
1. Emotional Self-Awareness Exercises – Emotional Diary:
- Have apprentices maintain an emotional diary where they record daily emotional experiences, triggers, and responses. Discuss patterns and insights in one-on-one sessions to help them understand their emotional triggers and reactions.
- Outcome: increase awareness of one’s own emotions and their impact, and help express emotions appropriately.
2. Mindfulness and Stress Management – Mindfulness Practice:
- Introduce apprentices to mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga. These practices help individuals manage stress and stay present in the moment.
- Outcome: mindfulness can improve emotional regulation and reduce stress, helping apprentices maintain better emotional balance.
Resource: Mindfulness Techniques for Emotional Regulation
3. Empathy Development Activities – Role-Playing Scenarios:
- Implement role-playing scenarios where apprentices must respond to various emotional situations, such as comforting a distressed colleague or addressing a team member’s concerns. Discuss their responses and explore ways to improve empathetic communication. Explain that in this way apprentices can develop their soft skills in a safe environment, which are at least as important as their specialised knowledge.
- Explain that in this way apprentices can develop their soft skills in a safe environment, which are at least as important as their specialised knowledge.
- Outcome: help apprentices develop empathy by understanding and responding to others’ emotions.
- Enhancement: Include group discussions with other apprentices for peer feedback on empathetic responses.
4. Expressing Emotions Appropriately During Work Tasks – Scenario-Based Role-Play:
Create scenarios where apprentices must express their emotions appropriately during work tasks. These scenarios should include situations where they feel unsafe, are unsure about understanding a task, or feel overwhelmed. It needs a practice to be able to express themselves in an emotionally unpleasant situation.
Scenario 1: An apprentice feels unsure about a task assigned to them. One apprentice plays the role of the apprentice, and another plays the role of the supervisor.
- Practice: the apprentice practices expressing their uncertainty and seeking clarification: “I’m not entirely clear on the instructions for this task. Could you please explain it again or provide an example?”
Scenario 2: An apprentice feels unsafe in a particular situation. One apprentice plays the role of the apprentice, and another plays the role of the responsible colleague.
- Practice: the apprentice practices expressing their concern: “I don’t feel safe using this equipment without more training. Can we schedule a session to go over it?”
Scenario 3: An apprentice feels overwhelmed with their workload. One apprentice plays the role of the apprentice, and another plays the role of a team lead.
- Practice: the apprentice practices expressing their feelings: “I’m feeling overwhelmed with the current workload. Can we prioritize the tasks and set realistic deadlines?”
Outcome: Apprentices learn to articulate their emotions and concerns in a professional manner, fostering a safer and more supportive work environment.