Question 1

Jerry has been working in his current company for more than ten years. He started off early in his career as a dispatch worker but worked his way up to his current post as sup Over the years, Jerry has been upgrading his skills and qualifications through attending courses related to his work. He has also completed a part-time degree.

He strongly feels that in order to have better career prospects, he has to constantly upgrade himself. Hence, Jerry has the intention to pursue another degree but is not sure if he is making the right decision. His considerations are that, he is in his forties and has to have a steady income to maintain a family of four – his wife and two children and himself.

a) Wagner (2008) identified seven skills needed to stay employable in the 21st Century. In Jerry’s case, which THREE (3) skills could be applied? Elaborate on them and justify your answers with evidence from the case.

b) Suggest and elaborate on THREE (3) possible roadblocks that may hinder Jerry’s decision-making process, assuming that he wants to make a decision.
c) Which social-emotional competency must Jerry have to make the right decision for himself? Justify your answer with reference to the case.

Question 2

Jade is a 38-year-old mother of two children. She came from a well-to-do family and graduated from a renowned university in the United States. In the office, Jade can be highhanded and some colleagues find her arrogant. Mary is a 30-year-old divorced lady with a child, and she is the opposite of Jade as she is well-liked by her colleagues. She is known for her quick-mindedness and the boss has always commented on her ability to solve difficult problems for the company. Mary graduated with a diploma in marketing and is new to the department in which Jade is the supervisor. She and Jade have been colleagues for two years.

Over the past two years, Mary believes that Jade looks down on her because of her educational level. During project work, Jade likes to give Mary orders and will not hesitate to insult Mary in front of other colleagues. Mary feels embarrassed and feels that Jade is biased against her.

a) In this case, identify the prejudice that Jade has towards Mary. Justify your reasons with reference to the case. (4 marks)

b) Discuss TWO (2) social-emotional competencies that Jade can develop more of.

c) What would you suggest that Jade and Mary do to improve their relationship? Elaborate on THREE (3) ways.

d) Define prejudice, and discuss ways in which people can reduce their prejudices.

Question 3

a) Gordon (2009) mentioned that there are several roadblocks that can hinder communication. Discuss FOUR (4) of them, citing an example for each roadblock.

b) Explain how self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses is related to managing better relationship with people. Give TWO (2) advantages of having high self- awareness.

c) Based on your learning in this course, elaborate on one way you can use to deal with anger in a healthy manner. (3 marks)

Question 4

a) Explain the relevance of the SMART approach in goal-setting, and analyse the steps with elaborations on how it is used in goal-setting.

b) Discuss FIVE (5) ways you can deal with stress or anxiety.

c) If a person keeps changing his/her job because the person has low self-awareness, what can you do to assist this person in terms of having better self-awareness?

Question 5

a) Identify and elaborate on FIVE (5) skills important in building healthy relationships among family members.

b) Based on your learning in this course, list and elaborate on FIVE (5) ways that you can manage your negative emotions. Use specific examples.

c) Explain with an example the importance of having good listening skills to enhance social awareness.

Question 6

Jane joined a new company last month. She left her previous company because she could not get along with her former colleagues. She was unhappy with her superior who gave good feedback to one of her ex-colleagues who had lower education than herself. Jane is a 29-year old single mother with two children. She had worked as an administrator for five years.

She spoke with her good friends and they advised her to change her attitude and behaviour so that she can get along better with her new colleagues.

a) What social-emotional competency does Jane need to have? Give a reason to support your selection. Describe this competency briefly.

b) Elaborate THREE (3) ways in which Jane can build on this competency.

c.) Discuss how you can help Jane to understand that prejudice is unhealthy in the workplace.

Question 7

Peter and Jack were colleagues and recently, they had a quarrel over a project that they were both responsible for. To Peter, he thought that since Jack only had a diploma education, he should take orders from him who was more senior and had a higher education than Jack. They had not been talking to each other for days, and the project was left incomplete. The manager was very concerned and suggested that you talked to them.

a.) How would you apply the SOLVED approach in this case? Describe the steps with specific examples related to this case.

b) What is social awareness, and why is it important for Peter and Jack to have this competency?

Question 8

Kate and her sister, Rose, had a heated argument on how to take care of their elderly parents. Kate felt that Rose spent too much time at her work, and had little time to take care of their aged parents. Rose, on the other hand, complained that she needed to support the financial aspect of the family and therefore, she had to work overtime to bring in more income. They had problems communicating their needs and concerns to one another.

a.) As a mediator, you need to explain roadblocks to communication to the two sisters. Select and discuss FOUR (4) roadblocks relevant to this case.

b) As a mediator, describe the steps you can follow to help the sisters to resolve their conflict.

Question 9

a) Discuss any THREE (3) methods that are useful in helping you achieve your life goals in the next five years.

b) State one advantage of self-awareness, and illustrate with an example.

c) Highlight two weaknesses in yourself, and comment on how you can help yourself to overcome these two weaknesses.

Question 10

a) Evaluate why responsible decision-making is an important social-emotional competency, and illustrate with a real-life experience.

b) Discuss THREE (3) obstacles to responsible decision-making, and provide an example with each to support your answer.

Question 11

a) Empathy is an important skill in relationship management. How would you describe your level of empathy? Support your answer with a personal example.

b) Negative emotions can affect our relationship with our loved ones. Illustrate with an example on how negative emotions have affected your relationship with your loved ones.

c) Suggest THREE (3) ways you can manage your negative emotions. Support your answer with examples.

Question 12

Mr Huang revealed that he noticed he had started having trouble with his work six months ago. He was not able to work on the new projects assigned to him. This had also affected his relationship with his family. He lost his temper more often, and was more frustrated than before when things did not go his way. Not meeting his deadlines made him feel more worried. He was especially concerned that he would “bring shame both to his company and to his family who have always been proud of his work record”.

a) Describe ONE (1) employability skill needed in this case to help Mr Huang to remain employed in his current job.

b) What would Mr. Huang do to improve his current family situation? Explain your rationale.

Question 13

Ken was unhappy with his wife, Jane for working overtime without being paid. However, Jane on the other hand was not unhappy because she felt that it was her responsibility to perform well for the company. However, because of Ken’s constant complaints and nagging, she felt stressed.

a) Identify the ONE (1) social-emotional competency that Ken lacks. Explain the TWO (2) reasons for your answer.

b) Determine how you would change Ken’s negative perceptions of Jane’s situation.