ICLD 2.3 Practical Emotional: Discussion Board

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• One of the biggest takeaways from this module was the importance of using the “10-Second Rule.” Taking a few seconds to stop and think before you speak or act can save you a lot of problems later. Those 10 seconds give you time to calm down, think through the situation, and make a better decision instead of reacting off emotion. In law enforcement and leadership, where things can get stressful quickly, a short pause can help prevent unnecessary conflict, poor decisions, and a lot of headaches. Sometimes the best thing you can do is slow down for a few seconds before responding.

• What really stood out to me in this module was how much emotional intelligence affects leadership on a day to day basis. It’s not always about being the smartest or most technically skilled person in the room, but about knowing how to manage your emotions, read others, and respond instead of react. I’ve seen firsthand how leaders who lack self awareness or empathy can create unnecessary tension and problems. The idea behind the Peter Principle really hit home too, since being good at a job doesn’t always mean someone is ready to lead people. I also appreciated the practical tools like recognizing emotional triggers and using the 10 second rule, because those are things you can actually apply immediately. In a field like law enforcement, where many complaints come down to how people feel they were treated, emotional intelligence is not just a nice skill to have, it’s essential to good leadership and better outcomes.

• This was an eye-opening lesson. A great reminder it takes more than just knowing the job to be in charge. It takes more maturity to be a leader. Having those emotional intelligence skills was shown in this lesson how important that is. A good leader is self-aware, can manage their own emotions, has great social skills and knowns when to have empathy. Be a leader someone wants to work for not someone people want to run from. This is so useful with all the conflict resolution we do as leaders. Not with just de-escalation on the daily with citizens but in the workplace with our people. When you can recognize these skills talked about in this lesson, I think it is a very big game growth as a leader.

  • Great assessment on what it takes to be a leader. No one wants a boss that lacks emotional intelligence and treats others poorly. Often, I think about how these people were put in positions of leadership in the first place. We tend to overlook how critical these skills are but we used the on a daily basis whether we realize it or not.

• One thing that really stood out to me was how emotional intelligence is broken down into key elements like self-awareness, managing emotions, empathy, and social skills. I’ve seen firsthand how leaders who lack these traits can create more problems than they solve. It’s not always about being the smartest person in the room—sometimes it’s about being the one who knows when to listen, when to de-escalate, and how to read the room.
  The part about the Peter Principle hit home too. Just because someone can get a job done doesn’t mean they should be leading people. Real leadership takes emotional maturity. People leave bad bosses, not bad jobs, and I think that speaks volumes.
  I also liked the practical side of this module: techniques like the 10-second rule and recognizing emotional triggers. These are things you can actually start practicing every day to get better at. Emotional hijacking is real. How many times do we react instead of respond? The idea of taking a pause to think clearly before acting is simple, but powerful.

  If we want better teams, better decisions, and fewer problems escalating into major issues, we need more emotionally intelligent leaders. It’s not just a soft skill, it’s a leadership skill.

• I found the Emotional Intelligence module to be incredibly insightful and helpful. It has taught me that emotions are vital to our lives and that we should acknowledge and manage them properly. I learned that Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capacity to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Developing our EI can improve our communication skills, build better relationships, and lead a more fulfilling life.

  The module also emphasized the importance of self-awareness, which is recognizing and understanding our emotions. By being more self-aware, we can better regulate our emotions and respond to situations more effectively. The module also taught me about empathy, which is the ability to understand and relate to the emotions of others. By being more empathetic, we can build stronger relationships with others and improve our communication skills.

  Overall, the Emotional Intelligence module was incredibly valuable. It has helped me to understand myself and others better, and has given me the tools to improve my communication skills and build stronger relationships. I highly recommend this module to anyone who wants to develop their Emotional Intelligence and lead a more fulfilling life.

• Daniel Goleman described emotional intelligence as how we manage ourselves and our relationships. In his video Goleman described the 3 domains of ability that make people stand out: cognitive ability, technical expertise and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is twice as important as the first two and distinguishes great employees. The people with high emotional intelligence are the people that you want to run an organization long term. Emotional intelligence is extremely important in law enforcement as most of the complaints against officers are because of how they made someone feel. Officers can use emotional intelligence to know themselves, understand others, communicate effectively, manage difficult situations, and identify problems before they escalate. These are important skills for both officers and their leaders to develop.

• I strongly agree that emotional intelligence is vital in the workplace. Daniel Goleman pointed out that emotional intelligence was just as important as IQ and is fundamental to success. Being technically proficient in a workforce is important, but just as important is the ability to handle stress, be self-aware, stay motivated, be empathetic, and manage relationships with others. The 3 domains of ability/intelligence were cognitive, technical, and emotional. When they looked at the data, emotional was twice as important as cognitive and technical combines when looking at star performers.

  In terms of the public safety field specifically, the statistic that 80% of complaints stem from how people feel is a proving point to how important interacting with others can be. Emotional intelligence can help us navigate the workforce relating to office politics, but it also is vital when interacting with the public we serve. The 7 steps for improving EI for LE towards the end of the lesson included: appraisal, self talk, hot buttons, emotional literacy, physical/mental cues, and separating practical problems from emotional problems. I think the most important is by far our appraisals of circumstance. The way we perceive things has more to do with our appraisal we give it and we can re-define our thoughts on these situations. This is where taking time to think before reacting is important. As times goes on, this will become more natural.

  • I agree with your statement that emotional intelligence is vital when interacting with the public that we serve. In some of the classes I have taken on EQ it is usually geared toward the workplace. It is important for officers to develop this skill when interacting with the public not necessarily just to lessen the complaints, but also to help strengthen bonds and build trust in communities they serve.

• This lecture was eye opening as it was defining what every manager or officer does on a daily basis. Having emotional intelligence allows us to be mindful of our self-awareness. It makes us focus on ourselves more by exercising the ability to self regulate our daily interactions and daily decisions. I like that it also allows us to understand the importance of having great social skills. When we allow ourselves the opportunity to engage with public or our team it builds valued communication. With an effective communication skill we can grab the attention of our team /unit so that we can make sure that they understand the instructions or detailed that is being laid out. One other thing I liked in this lecturer is the ability read emotions. I have also been a person that people would say I was really easy to read when something was not right or if someone did something that I thought was not the right decision. My expressions can be a giveaway. I think I will focus on being more mindful of how I react when certain things are brought to my attention.

• Emotional intelligence is a high functioning tool we use in the jail. With over 1500 people emotions and actions are all over the place. The ability to identify ho someone is feeling and be able to speak with someone is crucial. It has helped me by convincing multiple people from not to cause self harm or suicide. I personally am able to connect to other coworkers as I can sense when someone is not having a good day and a simple way of showing compassion is just by asking if they’re okay.

  • Thank you for sharing. Working in corrections is really hard in general but having to deal with this group of society on a daily basis really is challenging and difficult. You can really study their behaviors daily and learn when things are off. Working in a jail setting should be required for all law enforcement. Studying people habits can be beneficial when you are surveilling them in the real world you will understand what makes them tick and how they can react.

  • This lesson felt very similar to what Crisis Intervention Training is based on. Where I work, our social workers, corrections, law enforcement and psychologist work together and host a CIT training that’s more holistic than others I’ve attended. CIT is based on having good emotional intelligence. It’s your ability to connect with someone, get to the real issues at hand, and try and get them out of the red zone and into a yellow or green. People having a mental health crisis regularly will throw hot button things at you, act irrationally, and may say more with their body language than their words. Reading people and truly trying to understand them and what’s brought them to that point is what CIT is all about and you need emotional intelligence to be successful in that situation.

  • I agree with you. Emotional intelligence is a valuable asset in any environment, especially in a jail where the emotions and actions of over 1,500 people can be unpredictable. Identifying how someone is feeling and communicating with them effectively can make all the difference. It’s great to hear that this skill has helped you prevent self-harm and suicide among inmates and that you can connect with your coworkers and show compassion when needed. Keep up the great work!

  • I agree, we have roughly 800 inmates in our jail and knowing what all are feeling or how they will react to different individual Officers is a full time in itself. We train our new hires in many aspects of self awareness in hopes that they not only can help the inmates but manage their own emotions not only with the inmates but other Officers and Supervisors. No one likes to be talked to by a Supervisor but it is easy to get caught up in emotions especially if you are being couched and trying to not take it personal or get angry is sometimes difficult.

  • I agree. In a jail setting, emotional intelligence is critical. Being able to recognize how someone is feeling can help prevent situations from escalating and may even save a life. It is also important with coworkers, as simply checking on someone and showing compassion can strengthen relationships and build a better team.

• According to Robinson, emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, assess and control one’s emotions or those of other individuals (2017). This is very important in any workforce environment; no matter if you are a member of a team, leader or the owner of the company. A team will be able to function smoothly if its member are self-aware of their own emotions are able to regulate them appropriately. It is also important for everyone else on the team to be able to read the emotions of the room as well as be empathetic for their team mates. As a supervisor, it is very important for me to understand when the dynamics of the work environment change so I can address any concerns or issues that are brewing. I also have to be able to recognize each of my member’s emotions or moods so I know if there is something going on with them personally or professionally. I have to say that one of my best qualities is being empathetic, I always try to put myself in their shoes or see it in their perspective as well as explain situations that I have been in that are similar to their work situations (Robinson, 2017).
  Reference
  Robinson, M. (2017). Practical emotional intelligence. 2.3, Week # 5. National Command and Staff College. Retrieved from
  https://cloud.scorm.com/content/courses/NAGVXPB5E6/PracticalEmotionalIntelligence6c3c50de-463c-4d97-bcce-19abdeee59fc/2/index_lms.html

• I believe that using emotional intelligence effectively while performing one’s duties as a supervisor is key to having a functional and good working relationship with your squad/s. Having those subordinates that are emotionally taxing on you and being able to control it, while remaining empathetic with them and others, and not taking away from their needs is crucial. Granted, technology and other social media platforms can hinder some of the communications. This is crucial as long as everyone is aware that their emotional outlets are best done in person to properly assess each other accurately instead of guessing what something meant or trying to help them properly.

  • I would agree with you, that it is very important to have emotional intelligence as a supervisor it improves the relationships and communication you can have with your members. It can be difficult at times to maintain empathy and emotional control when dealing with members who are emotionally taxing, however, that is a part of supervision and recognizing those times and improving on your own skills are important to continue to foster those relationships.

  • With technology most people tend to hide their emotions behind the screen and not face to face.

  • Absolutely, I agree with you. Emotional intelligence really is at the core of effective leadership, especially in supervisory roles. Being able to manage your own emotions while still showing empathy toward emotionally demanding team members is a skill that builds real trust and respect. I also agree with your point that tech and social media can be useful, but nothing beats face-to-face interactions when it comes to understanding someone’s emotional state. It’s in those real conversations that we can truly support our team and lead with intention.

  • It is very easy to be stressed emotional when people are calling or popping in your office repeatedly with problems as a leader. At times their issue is not a big deal and what you are dealing with is. I think something key is recognizing that taking a moment to give them attention and making them feel heard and not showing signs of stress by them interrupting you is a key thing.

• Emotional Intelligence plays a crucial role as a Law Enforcement Officer. The ability to recognize peoples feeling and create an appropriate response could be the difference between deescalating the situation and having it escalate out of control. It is also crucial as a leader. Having a high level of emotional intelligence as a leader will allow you to see how your subordinates are acting and recognize if their is some kind of conflict with them that needs to be resolved.

  • I couldn’t agree more, especially being in a supervisory role. We deal with people (public and sworn) throughout the entire shift and being able to read people and respond to their emotion a lot of time can de-escalate or diffuse a problem before it worsens. When subordinates are dealing with things, acting short-fused, or “blah”, there could be numerous reasons even not having to deal with work. Being able to judge that and respond accordingly can aid that person in fixing it.

  • You made an excellent point about how emotional intelligence can play a significant role in the everyday functions of a law enforcement officer. When dealing with the public it is very important to be aware of the emotional dynamics and be self-aware of your own emotions. I could see how a situation could escalate very quickly if the deputy wasn’t self-aware or able to properly assess the emotional climate of the situation. I believe that it would be beneficial for the academy to teach some emotional intelligence techniques to build on the skills the deputies already have.

• I am a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPAC) evaluator and am testing the system.