MM1051/1L01

Tango! Managing Self & Leading Others

LEC03

ACTIVE LEARNING SKILLS, TIME MANAGEMENT

AND REGULATING EMOTION

Dr. Edmond YEUNG

Department of Management and Marketing
 Learning Objectives
• Point out the keys of “whole-brain” learning method.
• Realise common obstacles to reaching your goals.
• Assess your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
• Apply some useful time management skills
• Recognise the causes and symptoms of stress.
• Describe several strategies for relieving stress.
• Explain ways to deal with anger constructively.
 Part 1

How to learn better in university?

 “Whole-brain” Learning Method
1. Recall the content
• Don’t merely highlight your textbook
• Summarise a paragraph in few sentences / keywords / in your
own words
2. Use whole brain to learn
• Apply it to different situations
• Solve real life problems, discussion, reflection
• That’s higher-order learning!
• Associate different knowledge to become more creative
3. Start your work early
4. Other ways: Do housework, bathing, exercise, sleeping
after your study
 MOOC on L2L
• https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn
• Highly recommended
• Learning skills for university studies: the whole brain
learning method, better memory, time management and
tackle procrastination
• Free to audit (learn)
• Different languages (including Chinese) are available
 PolyU L2L Resources
https://www.polyu.edu.hk/edc/L2L/en/resources-for-
student/online-module/
 Goals and Obstacles

“Whoever wants to reach a

distant goal
must take small steps.”
Saul Bellow, Novelist
Pulitzer Prize awardee, Nobel Prize for Literature laureate
 Setting and Achieving Goals
• Goal An outcome you want to achieve and toward
which you direct your effort.
• A well-set goal has five characteristics.
 Setting and Achieving Goals
• Short-term Goal
A goal with a specific plan of action to accomplish within
the coming year.

• Long-term Goal
A goal you plan to achieve in the more distant future

Success Secrets
• Be proactive about your goals—only you can make them happen.
• Be specific when setting your goals.
 Tying Your Goals Together
• Short-term and long-term goals are equally important.

• Make sure your short-term goals will lead to your long-

term goals by setting your long-term goals first. Then
think of all the steps necessary to achieve each goal.

• Once you have set your goals, make a commitment to

reach them.
 Put It On Paper
Norman Vincent Peale,
Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful,
recommends these strategies:
• Think about where you want to go in life.
• Come to a firm decision about your basic goal.
• Write down your goal in a clear statement.
• Study and learn all you can about your goal.
• Set a time for achieving your goal.
• Make sure your decision about your goal is right.
• Give your goal all your effort and never stop trying.
• Be a positive thinker.
• Once you have achieved one goal, go on to the next.

Think over these when you are doing the Individual Assignment 1!
 Overcoming Obstacles
• Obstacle
Any barrier, internal or external, that prevents you from
achieving your goals.

Common Obstacles
• Not Really Wanting It
• Trying to Please Someone Else
• Being a Perfectionist
• Trying to Go it Alone
• Resisting Change
 Overcoming Obstacles
Success Secrets
• Choose your goals to please yourself, not others.
• Keep reminding yourself to stick to your goals.
• Ask for support when you need it.
• Adapt to change.
• Sometimes obstacles are opportunities in disguise .
An obstacle may be an opportunity
• Imagine an obstacle that you encountered recently /
always encounter
• How did you handle it?
• What have you gained from the process?
 Part 2

Time Management
(Textbook Chapter 3 Self-Management)
Figure 4.1 - How to Manage Your
Time
 Time Management Strategies
1. Prepare “to-do” list
• Use mobile device or anything convenient
• 2-3 Important activities for tomorrow
• As simple as possible
(could be time-specific activities or non–time-
specific)
• Award yourself!
• Reflect at the end of the day
• Practices make perfect
 Time Management Strategies

2. Prioritize tasks
• Differentiate between
o what is urgent and
o what is important
Figure 4.2 - Time Management
Matrix
Figure 4.2 - Time Management
Matrix

Avoid it from Maximise our

happening time on this

Minimise our Avoid it

 Time Management Strategies

3. Avoid postponing / procrastination

• Common problem?
• Way to tackle: stop time-wasting activity
and FOCUS now!
• Two techniques:
• Eat a frog early in the morning
• Pomodoro(es) keep lazy away
Eat a frog early in the morning
 Pomodoro Techniques
• Set 30 minutes focus time (no mobile phone / browsing
internet for non-work purpose, literally)
• 5 minutes rest
• Repeat another 30 mins focus, 5 mins rest……aims 4
rounds per day
• Reduce the number of off-task progressively, think
creatively: hit your hand, slap your face…
• 4 Pomodoro(es) a day, keep your laziness away
 Time Management Strategies
4. Delegate
5. Find your optimal working time
 Part 3

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

 Why EQ is important
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ/EI) is a person’s ability to:
• Perceive/aware of emotions in self and others
• Understand the meaning of these emotions
• Regulate emotions

• Effective self-management requires an awareness of

our emotional and rational responses, or a strong
degree of EQ
• EQ Concepts: Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation,
Empathy, Social skills.
How Emotional Intelligent you are?
• [1] Harms, P.D. and Credé, M. (2010). 'Emotional
Intelligence and Transformational and
Transactional Leadership: A Meta-
Analysis,' Leadership Institute Faculty
Publications, Paper 14 [online]. (Available here.)

• [2] Goleman, D. (1995). 'Emotional Intelligence -

Why it Can Matter More Than IQ.' London:
Bantam.

• https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ei-
quiz.htm#groups
 Benefits of EQ / Self-management
• Helps us to understand our levels of key emotional
responses.
• Allows you to develop an awareness of your feelings
and emotions and use them in appropriate ways.
• Affects our ability to use emotions in relating to others at
work and in our personal lives.
 Key impacts of EQ in leadership
• Reduced depression, greater optimism, and less
impulsiveness.
• Increased concern for mastering skills and tasks.
• Improved facilitation of adaptation and change.
• Increased influence on positive teaming.
 Part 4

Stress and Anger Management

 Stress

• Your physical and psychological reaction to the

demands of your life.
• Related to what you desire!!
• When outcome is perceived as uncertain and
important!!
 Stress
• Stress is not always bad
• Challenge stressor: workload, pressure to complete tasks, and
time urgency
• Hindrance stressor: keep you from reaching your goals (e.g.
group politics, confusion over task responsibilities)
 Handling Stress
It is normal to experience stress when faced with:
• greater demands at school or work
• changes in family relationships
• new financial responsibilities
• changes in your social life
• exposure to new people, ideas, and situations
• uncertainty or shame about sexual identity
• internally generated demands, such as perfectionism,
negative self-talk, or chronic worry and anxiety .
 Symptoms of Stress
• Physiological Symptoms:
• Poor Health condition: headache, hypertension, fatigue, coronary
heart disease, low immune system, muscle pain
• Stress triggers a response from your autonomic nervous system
(ANS) that monitors and controls most involuntary functions,
including heartbeat and sweating.

• Psychological Symptoms:
• Anxiety, low emotional well-being, anger, irritability( 易怒 ), impatience

• Behavioral Symptoms:
• Study and work: low productivity, absence, turnover
• Life: Changes in eating habits, increased smoking, increase
consumption of alcohol, rapid speech, fidgeting, sleep disorder
What’s your total score
20 – 40 Low level of stress
41-60 Moderate level of stress
61-80 High level of stress
 Stress Management
• Escape Response A behavior that helps you get your
mind off your troubles.

• Positive Response You act in a way that does not

harm you or add to the problem.

• Negative Response Activities that may make you feel

better for a while, but actually increase your stress
levels include overacting, drinking, drug abuse, avoiding
responsibilities, and denial--refusing to face painful
thoughts and feelings.
 ABC model

Success Secrets
• It’s normal to feel stress when faced with change.
• Look for uplifts to offset the stresses of life.
 Stress Management 1
Behaviors that help you deal with stress and other
unpleasant situations which may include:

• Daily Relaxation –meditation, music, watching nature,

progressive muscle relaxation, etc.

• Daily Exercise – walking, running, aerobics, yoga, any

physical activity that helps you release tension.

• Balanced Diet –high fiber, low fat, minimize salt, sugar,

caffeine and alcohol intake. Be cautious of fad diets,
high-energy foods and quick-fix alternatives to nutrition.
 Stress Management 2
• Sleep –regularly get at least seven hours of complete rest.
• Mental Discipline –meditation, biofeedback, self-
hypnosis, martial arts, advanced yoga, tai’chi, ballet, etc.
• Self-Esteem –positive self-talk, reflection on
accomplishments.
• Relationships –establish a trust-worthy support network.
• Time Management –set priorities, make a time schedule.
• Mental Stimulation –keep learning!
• Recreation –engage in hobbies, sports, leisure activities.
 Stress Management 3
• Spirituality –reaffirm values, meditation, prayer, etc.
• Reality Check –when stress hits, stop, assess the
situation. Am I overreacting?
• Laugh It Off –keep your sense of humor!
• Clarity –periodically review your dreams and goals.
Remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing.

Success Secret
• Make time for relaxation every day.

Personal Journal 3.2 Stress Management Techniques

Activity 17: Personal Stressors and Relievers
Personal Journal 3.3 Stress Relief Reminders
 Stress Management Techniques
The best stress management technique for you are those that you will enjoy and
be able to do consistently. Fill in the concept map below with the fie stress relief
strategies that you think would work best for you.

Stress
Management
Anger
 Anger and Responses
• Anger A strong feeling of displeasure, resentment and
hostility that results from frustration (being annoyed/no
confident).
• Aggression Behavior intended to harm or injure a
person or object.
• Passive-Aggression Indirect, keep the bad feeling
inside, disguised nice person but who is not.

Success Secrets
• Figure out what makes you angry—and why?
• Express your emotions calmly and with reason.
 Coping With Anger
• You can’t control every situation that causes you to feel
angry.
• Be careful: Anger is a trigger for your body that releases
adrenaline ( 腎上腺素 ) and cortisol ( 皮質醇 ), which working
together weaken your immune system. Every time you
get angry it hurts your health.

• You can control your anger, save the energy to

come up with solutions to the problem (that caused
the anger)
 Healing Anger Constructively
• Sandy Livingstone, Dealing With Anger.
Anger arises when we perceive that something might
happen to: frighten us, hurt us, threaten us, make us
feel powerless.

Personal Journal 3.4 Anger Triggers

• Take Positive Action

It is possible that the problem lies in how you are
looking at others.

Work out the current situation without bringing up past

issues or other conflicts.
 Healing Anger Constructively
Try Assertiveness
Stand up for your rights without violating the rights of others.

Examples:
• Deal with minor irritations before they become anger-triggering
• situations.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Say “no” to unreasonable requests.
• Speak up if you are not being treated the way you want to be treated.
• Be open to positive, constructive criticism and suggestions.
• Use calm body language and maintain good eye contact.
• Practice active listening: showing a desire to listen, being attentive to the
other person’s words and body language.

Success Secret
• Change what you can and accept what you can’t.
 Key Takeaway

• You can improve your learning abilities

• Using whole brain to learn can produce higher quality
result: creative, critical and sophisticated
• Activities for whole brain learning:
• Start your assignment early
• Do housework
• Exercise: jogging, gymming, walking…..
• Reflection, talking, teaching, solving problem
• There are good free L2L resources: a MOOC as well as
PolyU EDC’s website
 Key Takeaway

• A well-set goal is SMART.

• Common obstacles to reaching your goals:
• Internal and External; Perfectionist; Resist to change
• Emotional Intelligence is important
• To-do-list is very useful for time management
• Stress can be good or bad.
• Several strategies for relieving stress:
Dream, To-do list, Meditation/sports, & Talk!
 Key Takeaway

• We feel angry mostly because we are annoyed,

frustrated or feeling helpless
• Anger is bad for our health
• We can reduce anger, save more energy and react in the
more construction ways!
 Reference
De Janasz, S., Dowd, K., Schneider, D. (2024). Establishing goals
consistent with your values and ethics, In J. Xiao & E. Yeung
(Eds.), Managing self and leading others (Unit 2). McGraw-
Hill, Singapore.
Waitley, D. (2024). Setting and achieving goals, In J. Xiao & E.
Yeung (Eds.), Managing self and leading others (Unit 2).
McGraw-Hill, Singapore.
Waitley, D. (2024). Understanding motivation, In J. Xiao & E.
Yeung (Eds.), Managing self and leading others (Unit 2).
McGraw-Hill, Singapore.
 Next Lecture

• Do the Pre-class Activity before this Friday

• Details: Blackboard Week 4 Folder
• 1 participation mark will be given
 Tutorial

• This week: Presentation of L2L worksheets P.1 & 2 (one

representative each group)
• Next week: Approaching and digesting scholarly work
• Watch the following video before tutorial:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzUtSaa7AQU
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEVftUdfKtQ
 Reminder

Online Tutorial on Academic Integrity (PolyU1001)

• is available in Blackboard now
• compulsory completion is required
• will be due in 23rd February 2025
• more details: Additional Essential Components Assignment
Information Sheet in Week 1 Folder