Developing Emotional Intelligence

Develop the skills to recognise your emotions, understand how they influence your behaviour, and respond thoughtfully to others. This course introduces practical techniques for building self-awareness, managing emotional reactions, showing empathy, and communicating respectfully in everyday and workplace situations.

Through reflection, realistic scenarios, and practical activities, learners explore how emotional intelligence can support teamwork, constructive conversations, and stronger relationships.

Who should attend

Suitable for employees, supervisors, team leaders, educators, customer service staff, and anyone seeking to improve their interpersonal skills. No previous knowledge is required.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Explain emotional intelligence and its role in everyday interactions.

• Recognise personal emotions, triggers, and patterns of behaviour.

• Use practical strategies to pause and manage emotional reactions.

• Demonstrate empathy without making assumptions about others.

• Apply active listening and assertive communication techniques.

• Respond constructively to feedback and disagreement.

• Create a personal emotional intelligence development plan.

Course content

Module 1: Understanding Emotional Intelligence
Explore self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Learn why emotional intelligence involves understanding emotions and choosing appropriate responses.

Activity: Reflect on a situation where emotions influenced a conversation or decision.

Module 2: Building Self-Awareness
Learn to name emotions, notice physical signals, and identify triggers. Explore how personal assumptions and values can influence your interpretation of events.

Activity: Complete an emotion journal recording the situation, emotion, thoughts, response, and possible alternative response.

Module 3: Managing Emotional Reactions
Practise pausing, calming your breathing, checking assumptions, and choosing a response that fits your goals. Explore how to express feelings appropriately while maintaining boundaries.

Activity: Develop a “pause–reflect–respond” plan for a challenging workplace situation.

Module 4: Developing Empathy and Social Awareness
Practise listening with curiosity, considering other perspectives, and checking your understanding. Recognise that facial expressions and body language provide clues but do not reliably reveal what someone feels.

Activity: Write a supportive response to a colleague who appears frustrated, including an open question.

Module 5: Communicating and Managing Disagreements
Use active listening, respectful language, and assertive communication. Practise giving specific feedback, receiving criticism, and discussing problems without personal blame.

Activity: Rewrite an emotionally charged message as a clear, respectful request.

Module 6: Applying Emotional Intelligence
Bring the skills together through scenarios involving teamwork, feedback, and difficult conversations. Identify habits to practise and ways to review progress.

Activity: Create a 30-day development plan with two goals, practical actions, and weekly reflection points.