The Twelve Steps
Emotional Intelligence
Workplace Stress
Boundaries in Action
Dogs!
100
The original 12 Steps from Alcoholics Anonymous only references alcohol in which step?
- Step 1 states, "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable".
- Possibly Step 12: mentions carrying the message to alcoholics after a spiritual awakening.
100
What is Self-Management?
Self-Management is how well people can regulate their emotions, regardless of what's happening around them.
100
Name two ways in which relationships between managers and their employees improve and/or hinder performance?
Relationships between managers and employees directly impact performance because they shape motivation, communication, trust, and psychological safety.
They improve performance when managers are supportive, clear, and respectful. This builds trust, increases engagement, encourages feedback, and makes employees more willing to take initiative and ask for help.
They hinder performance when managers are critical, inconsistent, or unavailable. This creates fear, confusion, low morale, and disengagement, which leads to errors, burnout, and high turnover.
In short, healthy manager–employee relationships boost productivity and satisfaction, while poor relationships undermine performance and well-being.
100
You say, “It’s fine, I’ll do everything,” even though you’re upset and want help. What communication style is this?
100
Where did German Shepards originate from?
The German Shepherd originated in Germany in the late 1800s, developed by Captain Max von Stephanitz from traditional herding dogs to create the ultimate sheepdog.
200
Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
How can service to others strengthen your recovery? (Give THREE reasons)
1. Improves mood of yourself and others
2. Strengthens relationships
3. Makes sobriety meaningful and purposeful
200
What is Social Awareness?
Social awareness in emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and respond to the emotions, needs, and dynamics of others.
It involves:
Accurately reading social cues (tone, body language, mood)
Showing empathy and perspective-taking
Understanding group dynamics and power roles
In simple terms:
Social awareness = knowing what’s going on around you emotionally and socially.
It helps people communicate better, avoid misunderstandings, and build stronger relationships at work and in life.
200
What is Quiet Quitting?
Quiet quitting is when someone stays at their job but only does what’s in their job description—no extra tasks, no unpaid overtime, no “going above and beyond.”
200
Someone agrees to help, then makes sarcastic comments to show they’re annoyed. What communication style are they using?
300
Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
How does Step 3 challenge your sense of control?
Step 3 asks us to let go of the illusion of control and trust something outside ourselves.
It can feel scary because giving up control may trigger fears of weakness, abandonment, or being let down
At the same time, surrendering can be freeing — it lifts the burden of trying to manage everything alone and encourages people to ask for help
300
What is Self-Awareness?
Self-awareness in emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, thoughts, and reactions—and how they affect your behavior and others.
It involves noticing:
What you’re feeling
Why you’re feeling it
How it influences your actions, communication, and decisions
What your strengths and weaknesses are
In simple terms:
Self-awareness = knowing what’s going on inside you in real time.
300
What is the Peter Principle?
The Peter Principle is a management theory that says:
“In a hierarchy, people tend to get promoted until they reach a level where they are no longer competent.”
In other words:
People are promoted for being good at their current job, not necessarily because they’ll be good at the next job.
300
Explain why it matters
How can a disagreement help a relationship?
Answer: It can reveal needs or problems and create an opportunity to listen, take responsibility, and make changes
300
leading cause of preventable death in dogs in the United States?
Obesity is recognized as the most common preventable disease and a leading cause of premature death in US dogs, affecting roughly 59% of the canine population.
It leads to fatal complications, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
400
Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Everyone in your group must state one "Character flaw" or "Faulty Defense Mechanisms" they would like removed and why
Possible faulty defense mechanisms here:
Denial – refusing to acknowledge a problem (“I don’t have a drinking problem”).
Rationalization – making excuses to justify harmful behavior (“I only drink because work is stressful”).
Projection – blaming others for your own feelings or actions (“You’re the one with the problem, not me”).
Minimization – downplaying the seriousness of a situation (“It wasn’t that bad, I’ve seen worse”).
Avoidance – distracting or numbing instead of facing reality (keeping busy, using substances, or withdrawing).
Regression – reverting to childish behaviors under stress (tantrums, sulking, giving silent treatment).
Displacement – taking out anger or frustration on someone safer instead of the real source.
Intellectualization – overthinking or analyzing feelings instead of actually feeling them. Compartmentalization – separating life into boxes to avoid conflict (“That’s work me, this is home me”).
400
What are the 4 Pillars of Emotional Intelligence?
Self-Awareness (the mind's mirror)
Self-Management (regulating emotions)
Social Awareness (empathy for others’ thoughts/feelings)
4. = Relationship Management (ability to manage and maintain relationships despite challenges/obstacles)
400
How does communication play a role in workplace stress?
Communication Styles:
Passive?
Passive-Aggressive?
Aggressive?
Assertive?
Communication plays a major role in workplace stress because how people express needs, boundaries, and conflict directly affects tension, misunderstandings, and emotional safety at work. Different communication styles can either reduce stress or intensify it:
Passive: People avoid expressing needs or concerns, which leads to resentment, burnout, and feeling unheard. Stress builds internally.
Passive-aggressive: Frustration is expressed indirectly (sarcasm, procrastination), creating confusion and mistrust, which raises team stress.
Aggressive: Communication is confrontational or hostile, increasing fear, conflict, and emotional strain for everyone involved.
Assertive: Needs and boundaries are expressed clearly and respectfully, reducing misunderstandings and promoting problem-solving, which lowers stress.
In short, passive, passive-aggressive, and aggressive styles increase stress, while assertive communication is the most protective against workplace stress.
400
Turn this request into a boundary: “Please stop yelling at me.”
Answer: “If the yelling continues, I’ll end the conversation.”
400
Are French Bulldogs great swimmers?
No,
French Bulldogs generally cannot swim well and are at a high risk of drowning if left in deep water.
Because they have heavy, muscular torsos, massive heads, and tiny back legs, they are sinkers rather than swimmers. Putting one in the water just results in a furry anchor
500
Step 8 reads "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all"
What is an amends? (hint: it is not the same as a saying sorry)
An apology is saying “I’m sorry,”
Making amends means taking action to repair harm, rebuild trust, and show lasting commitment to change.
500
What Emotional Intelligence skills do we need to build before we can improve Relationship Management (the ability to maintain relationships during conflict)?
And why?
Self-awareness allows you to recognize your own emotional reactions in conflict,
Self-Management helps you control those reactions instead of acting impulsively, and
Social Awareness helps you empathize with the other person’s perspective.
= Together, these skills create the emotional foundation needed to communicate clearly, stay calm, and resolve conflict without damaging the relationship.
500
Which jobs in America have the highest churn?
Churn means the rate at which people leave and are replaced in a system.
In work contexts, employee churn = how often workers quit, are fired, or change jobs within a certain time period.
In simple terms:
Churn = turnover
Jobs with the highest churn in the U.S. are mainly in frontline, low-wage sectors like retail, hospitality, food service, and healthcare, with turnover rates often exceeding 60%.
Key roles include fast-food workers, retail salespeople, nurses, and care aides.
High turnover is driven by burnout, low pay, and high demand, with some tech roles also experiencing churn due to rapid industry change.
500
Someone says: “That clown would make me uncomfortable, so he must be dangerous.”
What part can they know, what part is a leap, and how could they protect their comfort without making that leap?
Answer: They know their own discomfort. “She must be dangerous” is an unsupported conclusion.
They can ask questions, state a limit, or take space while learning more.
500
What mental health medication prescribed to humans is most commonly used for dogs?
Fluoxetine (Prozac) is the most commonly prescribed medication for dogs with mental health issues, particularly for anxiety, separation anxiety, and compulsive behaviors, frequently functioning as a daily, long-term serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)