Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify early indicators of reduced capacity, including signs of burnout and disengagement, and recognize how they impact communication, empathy, and decision-making in claims handling
2. Explain how stress and cognitive load affect emotional regulation and judgment, and describe the downstream effects on injured workers, stakeholder interactions and claim outcomes
3. Apply practical self-leadership strategies to regulate responses under pressure, we must build capacity and improve engagement for ourselves, injured employees, and other stakeholders

In today’s workers’ compensation environment, claims professionals and nurse case managers are expected to make complex decisions while navigating high volumes, competing priorities, and emotionally charged interactions. Over time, these demands can quietly erode clarity, emotional presence, and decision-making, impacting not only individual well-being but also communication, stakeholder trust, and overall claim outcomes.

This session explains why self-leadership is a core competency skill essential to effective claims handling. Rather than viewing burnout or disengagement as isolated issues, the discussion reframes them as signals of reduced capacity, offering a more practical and actionable way to understand performance challenges in high-pressure environments. Through a grounded exploration of how stress and cognitive load affect emotional regulation and judgment, participants will gain insight into how these internal shifts show up externally in day-to-day claim management.

Designed as a highly practical and interactive session, this discussion bridges psychological insight with real-world applications. Participants will examine how reduced capacity can influence communication patterns, decision-making, and engagement with injured employees and stakeholders. Through guided reflection and applied strategies, the session will introduce simple, effective techniques to help individuals recognize early warning signs, implement micro-resets, and respond more intentionally in challenging moments.

While this session is designed for claims professionals and nurse case managers, it offers valuable insight for anyone involved in the workers’ compensation claims process. By building a shared understanding of how capacity impacts communication, decision-making, and outcomes, participants will be better positioned to support one another and advocate for the development of self-leadership as a core competency across the system. Ultimately, this session reinforces a key principle: how we show up in the work directly shapes the outcomes we achieve—for ourselves, for the people we serve, and for the system as a whole.