Units
- Stress Management
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Objective
- Recognize stressors in the workplace and apply effective stress management techniques.
- Understand the fundamentals of critical thinking and how it enhances workplace decision-making.
- Develop and apply structured problem-solving skills to workplace challenges.
Materials Needed:
Warm Up Activity/Ice Breaker: Refer to attachment
Community Agreements:
Unit:Stress Management [ 2 Hours]:
Guest Speaker Session:
Guest Speaker Presentation:
- The guest speaker (e.g.,social worker, psychologist or wellness coach) shares personal experiences and best practices in
- Emphasis on:
- How a lack of social emotional tools can inhibit growth in our lives and careers
- Tips for understanding areas for improvement and identifying practical tools for the workplace and at home.
- Expanding our social emotional vocabulary by expanding out emotional word bank
Q&A Session:
- Open the floor for questions. Encourage participants to ask for advice or share thoughts about their own experiences.
Thank the participants and the guest speaker.
Presentation: Understanding Stress, Identifying Stressors & Stress Reduction Techniques
Key Topics to Cover:
Understanding Stress Handout
- Definition of stress & workplace stressors handout
- The impact of stress on performance, health, and productivity
Identifying Stressors
- Group discussion: Common workplace stressors
- Identifying personal stress triggers
Stress Reduction Techniques
- Mindfulness & breathing exercises (guided practice)
- Time management & prioritization strategies
- Workplace conflict resolution strategies
- Triggers & existing coping strategies activity
Technology and AI in Stress Management
- Demonstration:
- Present a live demo or guided walkthrough of how to use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, apps, websites) to:
- Brainstorm tools to discover scenario based stress reduction tools
- Present a live demo or guided walkthrough of how to use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, apps, websites) to:
- Interactive Activity:
- Each participant will create their own AI prompts with the guidance of the Example Stress Management Plan Prompts for AI handout
Activity:
- Participants create a “Stress Management Plan” identifying a stressor and a technique they will apply.
Tip: Visual Aids & Handouts: Get creative either develop visuals or have participants develop visuals that provide examples that could be discussed as a group.
- Use slides to present stress reduction tools.
- Use social media apps to present or share content related to the above (Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and others)
- Use Canva to create reels, posts or presentations around the terms above and have participants share with the larger group.
- Use AI or Chatgpt to develop interactive activities
Discuss the advantages and limitations of relying on digital tools for stress management
Break
Interactive Group Exercise:
- Activity:
- A person will volunteer or lead presenter will read “The Guest House” by Rumi
- Each participant will write an affirmation to be added into a container.
- All will be asked to participate in a breathing exercise
- Once exercise is complete, each participant will select an affirmation from the container.
Reflection and Personal Action Planning
- Individual Reflection:
- Provide each participant with a worksheet to outline 2–3 actionable steps (SMART Goals, refer to Lesson #2 for Goal Setting Handouts) they plan to take to improve their(related to topic)
- Encourage them to consider how technology and AI can support these goals.
- Pair Share:
- Have participants briefly share one action item with a partner for accountability and feedback.
- Summary:
- Recap key points from the session.
- Emphasize (3 points)
- Encourage final questions and provide contact information for further resources or mentorship.
Provide additional resources or reading materials for continued learning.
Unit:
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving [1.5 Hours]:
Group Discussion:
- Ask each participant to share one word that they believe defines “critical thinking.”
- Encourage a brief discussion on how that word applies to workforce development.
Understanding Critical Thinking
- Presentation Topics (Handout):
- Defining the term “critical thinking”
- Common barriers to critical thinking
- Why is critical thinking important for workforce professionals
- Interactive Discussion:
- Ask participants to discuss the real-world challenges they are facing while helping job seekers.
- Write key points on the whiteboard.
Problem-Solving Strategies for Workforce Development
- Why Language Matters(Handout):
- Overview of Problem Focused vs Solution Seeking Language
- Best practices related to having solution oriented conversations
- Live Demonstration:
- Use an AI tool to generate (topic related) content in real-time.
- Encourage participants to suggest topics or keywords to see how AI can tailor content.
Tip: Visual Aids & Handouts: Get creative either develop visuals or have participants develop visuals that provide examples that could be discussed as a group.
- Use slides to present key points and statistics.
- Use social media apps to present or share key terms above (Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and others)
- Use Canva to create reels, posts or presentations around the terms above and have participants share with the larger group.
- Use AI or Chatgpt to develop interactive activities
Trauma Informed Communication In Workforce Development
- Trauma Informed Mindset:
- Define what trauma is and how it may present in the workforce context
- Discuss why it is needed in the realm of workforce development and how it connects to our theme of problem solving
- Highlight examples participants have seen in their work
- Core Principles of Trauma-Informed Communication:
- Concepts related to trauma informed communication
- Describe reframing in this context
Interactive Activity:
- Divide participants into groups.
- Give each group a scenario where they must decide on the best approach to transform each statement into a trauma informed one.
- Groups share their transformed statements with the larger group.
Problem to Decision (Handout)
- Discuss 5 areas of exploration related to the problem solving process
- Discuss decision processes
Role-play Activity: Participants take turns acting as a job seeker, a workforce counselor, and an employer in different situations. If teams are larger than 3, the remaining group can suggest responses to actors. Prompts provided on handout.
Session Summary:
- Recap key points from the lesson
Q&A Session:
- Open the floor for any final questions or clarifications.
Reflection and Next Steps:
- Encourage participants to write down one actionable step they will take to improve their professional presence.
- Provide a list of additional resources (articles, online courses, tools) for further exploration.
Wrap Up: