BUS-Z302 EXAM 1

Chapter 1: Organizational Behavior and Your Personal Effectiveness

KO 1.1 Success Through People Management

Manage WHAT?1) Making the business case for ppl management skills2) Using OB (organizational behavior) evidence instead of just intuition3) Making a personal improvement4) Describing yourself & your style: expanding your self-awareness

Observations1) Managing ppl is a distinct & critically important skill set2) Evidence for the importance of management may be less accessible to you, but is nonetheless

abundant & clear3) Most OB & management textbooks do not focus on developing the most critical management

skillsThe importance of people skills for achieving business success

1) The financial performance of organizations is positively associated w/ management practices like selective hiring, succession planning, reward systems, performance management, & training & development

2) Reduce high employee-related costs, such as turnover & counterproductive behaviors (i.e. theft), increase employee & team performance, cooperative behaviors, commitment, & employee satisfaction

3) Personal career outcomes, such as speed of progression & leadership effectiveness, stem from competent & supportive management

4) Management skills are the key elements in what makes for healthy & desirable workplaces The most important element of every great workplace is the trust b/w employees &

management5) 50% of ppl moved into management roles essentially fail6) The best places to work are also the best-performing companies

The Central Role of Management in Organization: Managerial Reality1) Management is the process of getting things done through others2) Managers get rewarded for what their employees do, not for what managers do3) Ppl join organizations but they leave managers4) Ppl generally mange the way they themselves have been managed5) Ppl problems are far more complex than any other organizational problem

Competencies required for managing ppl1) Conceptual competencies: collect & analyze info to diagnose problems, formulate plans integrate

ideas, & examine effectiveness of current practices2) Technical/administrative competencies: understand the functions of business such as accounting,

operations, & marketing, & use technical/administrative expertise to coordinate activities3) Interpersonal competencies: interact w/, influence, & lead others. Negotiate conflict,

communicate, motivate, & develop other pplSix key general work activities

1) Managing human capital: staffing, motivating, leading, performance management2) Managing tools & technology: production, operations3) Managing decision-making processes: gathering info, analyzing data4) Managing administrative activities: budgeting, financial management

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5) Managing strategy/innovation: future planning, product development6) Managing the task environment: public relations, marketing

Why some failed to the top echelon of their organization?1) Failure to meet their business objectives over time2) Inability to build & lead a team as they progressed in the organization3) Inability to develop, change, & adopt w/ the changing times4) Retained a narrow functional/technical orientation5) Problems w/ interpersonal relationships

Great technical skills get you noticed in organizations & great management skills get you promoted

KO 1.2 Becoming a Great People-Manager

Learning about mgt first requires a critical understanding about what constitutes strong evidence for a given managerial practice; but, we often make mistakes when applying mgt concepts, like the doctor example

1) We are drawn to solutions to problems that we have heard others say do “work” Half-truths—practices/concepts that may be true some of the time in some instances

2) We tend to apply solutions broadly, regardless of whether it will specifically address the underlying problem

3) In the absence of credible info or evidence, we make the assumption that the doctor knows best, even if the recommendations don’t stand up to simple logic

Evidence-Based Management (EBM)—translate principles based on the best available scientific evidence into organizational practices & “making decisions through the conscientious, explicit, & judicious” use of such evidence; includes 5 key practices

1) Learning about cause & effect connections i.e. employee job satisfaction & employee turnover

2) Isolating variations that affect desired outcomes Understand the specific conditions under which such a relationship might be strengthened

or weakened. i.e. while job dissatisfaction may be associated w/ increased employee turnover in

economically depressed times, such as relationship may be considerably weakened3) Reducing the overuse, underuse, & misuse of specific practices

If the best available evidence suggests one is not a good predictor of who will make a good manager, EBM suggests that it is our obligation to discontinue the use of such a practice in selecting our management talent

EMB holds that effective managers use practices only as solutions to the problems for which they were developed

4) Building decision supports to promote practices that evidence validates Once it is known that certain practices work more often, managers institutionalize such

practices through the use of tools to help keep managerial behavior consistent with the evidence

5) Creating a culture of EB decision making & research participation

KO 1.3 Organizational behavior: The foundation of effective management practice

Organizational behavior (OB) – a social science that attempts to describe, explain, & predict human behavior in an organizational context

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o The primary field of study that contributes to the foundation of evidence from which to formulate EBM practices

o OB represents the study of ppl in an organizational context; it is concerned w/ how to achieve important organizational outcomes such as profitability, productivity, & performance, as well as individual outcomes like employee turnover, commitment, satisfaction, & safety

o Does not describe all research on organizations, some come from other core social sciencesLearning about OB is hard

o Why EBM of OB is not widely practices?1) Learning about OB is not straightforward; 3 challenges:

KO 1.4 (Explain the role of organizational behavior & evidence-based management in effective management)

Evaluating & Using Evidence to Make Decisionso Our own experience may get in the way of us becoming a great ppl-manager b/c

heavily influenced by our belief systemo Understand the usefulness of evidence is to distinguish b/w Big E evidence &

Little e evidence Big E—generalizable knowledge regarding cause & effect connections

derived from scientific methods Represents a form of research which is systematic, meaning that it is

planned & methodical & avoids drawing conclusions simply on the basis of opinion or anecdote

Best source for informing practices since it is drawn from years of study across large population under varying circumstances

Little e—local or organizational specific data collection efforts to inform a specific decision

Important info that helps the organization but may not generalize or translate into other arenas or other organizations; be careful not to apply it broadly

i.e. Six Sigma2) Learning & Using EB Frameworks

When the problem can’t be solved w/ big e or little e, seek EB frameworks that rely on logic & well-developed theory; nothing is as practical as a good theory.

Experts internalize their own “theories in use”/framework Enormous amounts of misinformation, i.e. business magazine articles

3) Overcoming the Knowing-Doing Gap Know that & know how Management skills are a) linked to a more complex knowledge base than other types

of skills & b) are inherently connected to interaction w/ other ppl Any serious attempt to develop management skills must involve a dose of both

conceptual learning & behavioral practice. It requires intentional study & a skill-oriented & problem-based approach

KO 1.5 Learning & Personal Improvement

Personal Effectiveness: The Foundation of Great Management (expertly pursuing a course of action!)o Effective management starts from the inside

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1) Those who can manage themselves are much more likely to be effective managers of others

2) The most fundamental aspect of personal competence is to know yourself & to have a clear understanding of how you learn new skills & motivate yourself to improve capability; 5 myths

Mgt learning comes w/ age & experience We know ourselves Growth opportunities lie solely in our weaknesses Personal development is all just about positive thinking It’s not me, it’s them: best way is to change yourself

o Learning How to Learn1) Social learning theory—the learning of any new behavior is the result of three main

factors—the person (internal mental processes), the environment (physical & social environment surrounding an individual), & the behavior (response or action)—and they all influence each other. The mutual influence is referred as reciprocal determinism & is at the root of social learning theory. Why Important?

It refutes widely held notions of learning from own experience. Actually, most learning is done through observation & modeling of the behaviors of others

Appropriate for management skills b/c there’s such a big disconnect b/w knowing & doing

2) Deliberate practice involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback, & concentrating as much on technique as on outcome

3) 4 keys to learn through observation, also building blocks of the most successful mgt training methods

Attentiono find the right models & devote undivided attention to themo isolate as specifically as possible the behaviors you hope to learno i.e. Max needs to address at least 2 issues to be consistent w/ effective

social learning & understand more specifically what he is doing or not doing in his interviews

Retention—understand & remember what you have observedo i.e. Max needs to build an understanding of what makes for an impressive

interview performance Reproduction

o Translate the images or descriptions into actual behavioro Practice w/ feedback makes perfecto i.e. Max needs practice accompanied by feedback

Motivation—punishment does not work as well as reinforcemento i.e. Max needs to decide how important improving his interview skills is to

himA Model of Self-Management

o Self-management—a process of modifying our own behavior by systematically altering how we arrange different cues in our world, how we think about what we hope to change, & how we attach behavioral consequences to our activities; 5 behavior-focused strategies to improve:

1) Self-Observation/Exploration—observe & collect info about the specific behaviors you have targeted for change

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Self-observation—involves determining when, why, & under what conditions you currently use certain behaviors; it provides building blocks for managing self

2) Self-Set Improvement Goals—determine what more effective behavior is & set specific goals for your own behaviors

Determine what your desired outcome or effective behaviors look like The best goals are characterized by SMART—specific, measurable, attainable,

relevant, & time-bound3) Management of Cues—organize your work environment to assist you in performing the

behaviors u want to change4) Positive Self-Talk & Rehearsal—go over the behavior in your head & imagine its successful

application. Actually practice the new behavior at available opportunities & seek feedback; use of positive self-talk

5) Self-Reward & Punishment—provide yourself w/ personally valued rewards that are linked to performing desirable behaviors or w/ punishments linked to undesirable behavior

o Steps to improve:1) Understand your current behavior & desired future behavior2) Set SMART goals for your change3) Arrange your world so it focuses your attention & reminds you of your improvement plan

& goals4) Stay positive & rehearse the desired behaviors at every opportunity5) Create your own rewards for accomplishing your targets

KO 1.6 Building Self-Awareness: The Key to Successful Learning & Growth

Individual Differences & Their Importanceo Ability & personality

Ability—what a person is capable of doing Personality—the pattern of relatively enduring ways in which a person thinks, acts, &

behaveso Assessments are most useful when an individual has a defined need to knowo Know how your abilities & personality may impact your behavior & performance

Important Self-Awareness Issueso Assessment results are simply feedbacko Many are questionable legitimacyo Preferences are choices we make about how we perceive the world & function best in it

Involve others: Seek regular feedbacko Put aside that natural fear & push beyond our comfort zone in learning things about ourselveso Focus on strengths, not just weaknesses

Chapter 2: Managing Stress & Time

Manage WHAT?1) Getting a priority done under stress

Strains—outcomes of stress; more long-term consequences of chronic stress that have not been alleviated by some means

2) Overcoming the two biggest time management traps Failure to prioritize

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Do not devote our peak productivity times to our most important task3) Minimizing your chances of choking in a pressure situation4) Making changes in a workplace to lower stress & enhance productivity

Myths of stress & time mgt1) Stress is a personal, non-work issue & should not be a concern in a work organization2) All stress is bad3) A stressor is a stressor4) Only novices choke5) Good time mgt means being an efficient workaholic

KO 2.1 Personal & Organizational Consequences of Stress

Some Stress is Goodo Eustress—a controlled or productive stresso The challenge is not to eliminate stress, but to understand how it arises & to manage it in a way

that doesn’t derail our life & workStress is personal: individual differences & their relationship to stress

o Events by themselves do not cause stress; it’s how we experience events, & how resilient we are, that determines how stress affects us

o Transactional theory—the negative effects of stress on a person are a function of the interaction b/w the person & their environment; major components:

When ppl encounter something potentially stressful in the environment, they go through primary appraisal where they evaluate the potential stressor w/ respect to its potential impact on them

If the stimulus is perceived as a threat during primary appraisal, the person will engage in secondary appraisal, which is the individual’s assessment of what he or she can do in response to the threat

o Type A behavior pattern—individuals who are engaged in a relatively chronic struggle to obtain an unlimited number of poorly defined things from their environment in the shortest period of time and, if necessary, against the opposing effects of other things or persons in this same environment.

They are likely to do everything quickly from talking to walking to eating to driving b/c achievement is typically very important to them

Control over their environment Dislike working in teams

o Locus of control—extent to which we believe we control our own environments & lives Internal locus of control: you believe you have control over your environment External locus of control: you think sources outside yourself (luck or fate)

o Self-efficacy—personal assessment of “how well one can execute courses of action required to deal w/ prospective situations.”

Ppl who believe they can accomplish something have higher motivation & are more likely to persist in the face of obstacles

KO 2.2 Common Sources & Causes of stress

Traumatic events vs. daily hassles

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o Ppl tend to overestimate how much large events in their lives contribute to their stress level & grossly underestimate the effects of “daily hassles”

o Daily hassles are typically discounted & more likely associated w/ reported stress than more major life events

Role Conflict & Ambiguityo Role theory—a perspective to understanding stress that focuses on the roles we play in our lives

Role ambiguity—when we don’t know how to fill a role or what we are supposed to do in it

i.e. occur at work if employees are not given clear job descriptions Role conflict—occurs when our multiple roles conflict w/ each other

i.e. occur at work for employees answering to two managers who have different expectations

Work-family conflict—a form of inter-role conflict in which the role pressures from the work & family domains are incompatible in some respect

Work interferences w/ family (WIF)—occur when in fulfilling their work roles, ppl are unable to fulfill their family roles in the way that they want

Family interferences w/ work (FIW)—occur when in fulfilling a family role, a work role is neglected

Exhaustion of Resources & Burnouto Conservation of resources (COR)—stress results from 3 possible threats to our resources:

Threat of losing a personal resource Actual net loss of a personal resource Lack of resource gain following the investment of our personal energy & resources

o Burnout—a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, & reduced personal accomplishment that employees may experience after prolonged stress that has exceeded their resources to address

Emotional exhaustion—state of feeling psychologically “drained” or “used up” by the job Depersonalization—feeling cynical, psychologically detached, & indifferent to one’s work Reduced personal accomplishment—feeling that one’s work doesn’t really matter

i.e. a manager may feel that she can’t get positive results out of her employees no matter how hard she tries

younger employees experiencing significantly greater burnout; men experience more cynicism (depersonalization), while women experience slightly more emotional exhaustion

Emotional Labor—the process of regulating both feelings & expressions for the benefit of organizational goals

o Surface acting—managing observable expressions, i.e. maintain a pleasant facial expressiono Deep acting—actual management of feelingso Emotional labor is stressful & can lead to burnout, job dissatisfaction, & increased intentions to

quit one’s job Managers want to focus their recruitment & selection techniques on identifying ppl who

are good at managing their emotions & have a natural disposition that suits the job Train employee on how to deal w/ & manage their emotions Social support & positive group cohesion

High Demands & Low Controlo Demands—include the physical, intellectual, & emotional requirements of a job

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i.e. nurses, food service employees, & customer service representativesgreat demands, but they don’t typically have much say in how they do their job, instead being required to follow strict guidelines or procedures

o Control—the amount of personal discretion & autonomy the person has in doing the job i.e. managers, journalists, & engineers may have great demands, but are often granted

significantly more controlo research findings:

high demands & low control: higher risk of illness, lower job satisfaction social support can buffer the negative effects

KO 2.3 Stress Management Strategies: Describe supporting evidence for effective stress management interventions

The Importance of Matching Strategies with Causeso Managing stress is all about taking charge; can either change the situation (prevention) or change

reaction (coping) Prevention (“first line” defense)—remove or alter the stressors in your environment; aim

at stopping stress before it starts i.e. role ambiguity: reduced by giving employees clear job descriptions, goals, &

feedback Coping (“band-aid”)—help ppl cope & minimize the negative impact once stress has been

experiencedPrevention Strategies

o Enhancing Control & Predictability The most important variable among types of stress is an individual’s sense of control in a

given situation; the least harmful stress scenarios is one in which one has a sufficient degree of control or some idea of predictability

o Social Connectedness Instrumental support—support that is tangible & practical in nature & is a direct means of

helping someone i.e. co-worker offers to stay late & finish the work for you so you can attend the

family function Emotional support—sympathy, listening, & caring for others Informational support—info that helps you solve the problem Appraisal support—feedback that builds self-esteem

i.e. if you just botched a big presentation at work, & a co-worker listens to you & reassures u that it wasn’t so bad & that normally u give fantastic presentation

Avoiding Choking—performance decrements under pressure circumstanceso 2 antidotes:

1) Pressure practice2) Focused automated behavior

When you are at a high level, your skills become somewhat automated and that is a good thing w/ regard to choking

Cognitive narrowing—the tendency of ppl under stress to focus on the threat to the exclusion of all else

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Do things automatically to avoid the critical element of choking (which is thinking too much)

Coping Strategieso Psychological Hardiness—the ability to remain psychologically stable and healthy in the face of

significant stress; 4 recurring factors that distinguish those w/ psychological hardiness1) Physical fitness2) Commitment—persevere or stick it out through a hard time3) Control: seek small wins4) Challenge

Outlets for Relief/Dealing w/ Stress in the Momento Muscle relaxationo Deep breathingo Mood repair

KO 2.4 Time Management Fundamentals-cope with stress

First Be Effective, Then Be Efficiento Start w/ Written Goalso Follow the 80/20 Rule—only 20% of the work produces 80% of the value, 80% of sales come from

20% of customers, 80% of tile usage is in 20% of the files…o Use the Time Management Matrix—activities can be categorized in terms of relative importance

(tied to your goals and produce a desired result) and urgency (demand immediate attention)Just DON’T Do It: Learn to Say NO

o 3 effective ways to say no are:1) “I’m sorry. That’s not a priority for me right now.”2) “I have made so many commitments to others; it would be unfair to them and you if I took

on anything more at this point.”3) “No”

Plan the Work, Then Work the Plano Make Good Lists for Effective Prioritization: keep all to-do items on a master list

1) Investigate the many electronic options for list makers2) Categorize to-dos3) Prioritize the items4) Break it down5) Use specific action verbs and include as many details as you’ll need

o ABC method—assign an A to a high-priority item, a B to an item of medium priority… incorporate both short and long term items, & always start w/ A

o Ask “What’s the Next Action?”: set meeting is not the next action b/c it doesn’t describe a physical behavior, rather, making a phone call is one

Know Yourself and Your Time Useo Internal prime time—time of the day when we typically work best; time when you concentrate

besto External prime time—best time to attend to other ppl—those you have to deal w/ in classes, at

work, or at homeFight Procrastination

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o Swiss Cheese Method—poke small holes (instant tasks) in the A project; can be started quickly & easily & are in some way connected to your overwhelming A project; it requires 5 mins or less

1) Make a list of possible instant tasks2) Set priorities

o The Two-Minute Rule—any time demand that will take less than 2 mins should be done now; it will take more time to categorize & return to it than it will to simply do it immediately

KO 2.5 Workplace Cultures That Foster High Performance w/ Lower Stress

Frequent and Open Communicationo Shared info w/ employees to reduce uncertainty about their jobs and futureso Clearly define employee’s roles and responsibilitieso Make communication friendly and efficient, not mean-spirited or petty

Employee Participationo Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobso Consult employees about scheduling and work ruleso Be sure the workload is suitable to employees’ abilities and resources; avoid unrealistic deadlineso Show that individual workers are valued

Incentives for Work-Life Balanceo Praise good work performance verbally and institutionallyo Provide opportunities for career devo Promote an “entrepreneurial” work climate that gives employees more control over their work

Cultivate a Friendly Social Climateo Provide opportunities for social interaction among employeeso Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassmento Make mgt actions consistent w/ organizational values

Chapter 5: Communication

Manage WHAT?1) Selling an idea to your boss2) The elevator pitch: making your case in a very short time3) Fixing a typically bad powerpoint presentation4) Actively listen to understand a problem

Intro1) To be an effective manager, you must be an effective communicator

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2) Effective communication is hardly elementary or common, there are specific and concrete principles and techniques that can be learned and refined

3) Effective communication depends on 1) persuasive & sticky message; 2) a clear & powerful delivery of that message

4) The most defining feature of communication is sharing info w/ other pplCommunication Myths

1) If you have a strong case, everyone will be convinced2) If communicated enough times, your communications are effective3) Words mean what they mean4) PowerPoint presentations are always the best way to persuade5) Being assertive means being a jerk6) Listening is a passive activity

KO 5.1-5.3 Creating Persuasive and Sticky Messages

Overcoming the Curse of Knowledgeo 1st step to becoming a better communicator is to be acutely aware of where communication so

often fails & to try to avoid such failure in your own contextso The curse of knowledge is the tendency for an informed knowledgeable person to not be able to

communicate that knowledge to others When we know something well it is easy to forget how it feels to not know it We generally overestimate the overlap b/w our own knowledge base & that of others

o 2 proven strategies for beating the curse:1) Analyze & know your audience2) Transform message so they embody the critical elements of persuasion & stickiness

Audience Analysiso The key to persuasion is to develop an argument that speaks to your listenerso Your audience will always be more persuaded by issues that directly affect themo The Fundamental Elements of Persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logosthe goal of communication

is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid & to act in ways u desire Ethos: Building Personal Credibility

An appeal to the authority & personal credibility of the speaker Requires affirmative answers from your audience to questions

o i.e. Does this person really know what he is talking about? Why should I trust what he says?

Derives largely from your ability to establish a bond or relationship w/ your audience and how well you establish your credentials

Can be enhanced by 1) uncovering things you share w/ your audience and signaling that you are in many ways similar to them or that you at least intimately understand their interests, values, and context; 2) establish your authority or expertise

Pathos: Arousing Others’ Emotions An appeal to the audience’s emotions Often stimulated via a demonstration that something is unfair or unjust

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Direct appeals to the reader to feel an emotion (i.e. “you should be crying now”) are rarely effective. Instead, creating an emotion w/ words usually requires re-creating a scene or event that arouses the emotion

Is accentuated when speakers use stories and examples that are highly relevant to their audience, appealing to identity and self-interest

Logos: Appealing to Logic Comes from logical arguments, facts, figures, and evidence Is what makes listeners feel like they are making an informed rational choice 2 avenues to enhance logos:

o Construct logically sound arguments in support of your positiono Find evidence in support of those claims

Logical Argumentso 2 types:

Inductive—move from the specific to the general Arguments based on experience or observation Used most often and is the more powerful form of persuasion

Deductive—begin w/ the general and ends w/ the specific Arguments based on laws, rules, or widely accepted principles

o Use of Evidence Logos is also enhanced via your effective use of facts and evidence What an audience is looking for in a speaker is prudence—the practical

wisdom to make the right choice at the right time Show prudence by demonstrating your mastery over the subject

matter; not by proving yourself to be the smartest or best-informed person in the room

Making Messages Sticky: The SUCCES Modelo Simple—Find the Core of the Ideao Unexpected—Grab Attention w/ Surprise; be unpredictable & break a thinking patterno Concrete—Illustrate Your Ideas in Ways That Arte Tangible and Easy to Grasp

Memorable; so look for common, simple,& well-known images & i.e. to make your pointso Credible—Ensure That People Believe You (emphasis on ethos)

Vivid Details Anti-authorities Testable Credentials (i.e. eBay’s rating system)

o Emotions—Make Them Care (emphasis on pathos)o Stories—Bring Ideas to Life by Showing Not Telling; characteristics of a good story:

make the details count aimed at a particular audience have structure express wishes and fears establish common ground b/w teller and listener “show” rather than “tell” Include trouble or its possibility as well as successes

KO 5.4 Delivering Powerful Messages

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The Basics of Effective Presentations: the most important key to persuasive communication is good planning

1) Five S’s1) Strategy—core ideas; i.e.

Chronological Problem-solution Causal Familiarity-acceptance Inquiry order Question-answer Elimination

2) Structure—how do you start? Sequence your ideas? Common mistake: take too long to get to the main point or recommendations

3) Support Examples Statistics Testimony Stories

4) Style Show enthusiasm/passion Speak clearly and firmly and w/ good pacing Making eye contact, smile, and gesture Avoid self-defeating statements

5) Supplement

Presenting Plans That Bosses can Approve Of1) What is the plan?

Begin w/ a positive, specific, and future-tense statement of strategy, followed by a list of concrete actions to support the strategy

2) Why is the plan recommended?3) What important goals will the plan help us achieve?

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4) How much will the plan cost and what are the risks? A successful proposal will include carefully researched, creatively and intelligently presented,

and tailored to the audience you need to persuadeEffective Use of PowerPoint and Visual Aids

1) Know your goal Informational presentation—the goal is to package and present info Cognitive guidance—the goal is to guide the audience in their processing of presented info

2) Be learner-centered Technology-centered approach—the focus is on the capabilities of cutting-edge tech; so use

many features of PPT Learner-centered approach—the focus is on the way ppl learn and process info; 3 features of

the human info processing system that are relevant for PPT users:1) Dual channels: ppl have separate info processing channels for visual & verbal material2) Limited capacity: ppl can pay attention to only a few pieces of info in each channel at a

time3) Active processing: ppl understand presented material best when they attend to the

relevant material, organize it into a coherent mental structure, & integrate it w/ their prior knowledge

Choosing Your Communication Medium: should consider 1) the info richness of the available communication channels, and 2) the topic’s complexity

o Information richness—potential info-carrying capacity of a communication channel, and the extent to which it facilitates developing a common understanding b/w ppl

Media high in info richness can translate more info Define info in 3 ways:

1) Feedback—immediate vs. low2) Audio/visual 3) Personal/impersonal

i.e. face-to-face commhighest in info richness; telephoneless info richness; written communicationphone call/emailfeedback time is long, eliminate nonverbal comm

o Complexity Low situations are routine matters where each party has its own ready access to info;

need for low info richness High issues don’t happen every day and usually involve several ppl to adequately address

the problem; need for high info richnesso Other considerations: 1) how comfortable your intended recipient is w/ the channel you’re

planning to use; 2) relationship w/ the receiver When ppl have a chance to get to know one another, they are able to sue less rich comm

channels more effectively

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KO 5.5 & 5.6 Active Listening

The Paradox and Importance of Active Listeningo Active listening—involves interaction and good questioningo Listening—involves caring, hearing, interpreting, evaluating, and responding to oral messages to gain a

shared understandingTraps and Barriers to Active Listeningo The Tendency to Evaluate: the impulse to use our own perspective to evaluate others’ statements

effectively blocks good listeningo Misreading Nonverbal Cueso Personal focuso Thinking is faster than speakingo Selective perception/filtering: basketball and gorilla exampleo Tendency to AdvisePrinciples of Effective Listeningo Know your objectiveo Actively interacto Stay focused

Chapter 10:

KO 10.1 When Do Teams Make Sense?

Teams make the most sense for particular objectives & under certain circumstances; the first team skill, then, is the ability to assess whether or not a team is even appropriate

1) Teams are better when no individual “expert” exists2) Teams are often superior in stimulating innovation and creativity3) Teams can help create a context where ppl feel connected and valued

Myths of Teamwork1) Teams are always the answer2) The key to team performance is cohesiveness3) The team leader is the primary determinant of team performance4) The more the merrier5) The best individual performers will create the highest-performing team

Different Teams—Different Challenges; 3 types1) Teams that Recommend Things

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Include task forces & project groups asked to study and solve particular problems Always have predetermined completion dates Necessity of getting off to a fast and constructive start and execution; dealing w/ the

handoff required to get the recommendations actually implemented To be most effective, the team must have a 1) clear charter and 2) include members w/

the skills and 3) influence necessary for crafting practical recommendations that will carry weight throughout an organization

The more it is assumed that recommendations will “just happen,” the less likely it is that they will

The more involvement task force members have in implementing their recommendations, the better

2) Teams that Make or Do Things Include ppl on or near the frontlines who are responsible for doing the basic

manufacturing, development, operations, marketing, sales, service, and other value-adding activities of a business

Tend to have no set completion dates b/c their activities are ongoing To be most effective, the team deals w/ “critical delivery points,” places in the

organization where the cost and value of the company’s products and services are most directly determined; a relentless focus on performance is required

If performance at critical delivery points depends on combining multiple skills, perspectives, and judgments in real time, then the team option is the smartest one

3) Teams that Run Things Teams that oversee some business, ongoing program, or significant functional activity The main issue is determining whether a real team approach is the right one

KO 10.2 & 10.3 High-Performing Teams

Teamo A group of ppl who are collectively accountable for definable outcomes and have a high degree of

interdependence and interactiono A group that shares responsibility for producing something togethero Simply working closely w/ others does not make a team

The High-Performance Team Scorecard; 3 dimensionso Production Output—the products or outcomes of the team meet or exceed the standards set in

that context i.e. a manufacturing team that exceeds its quota would get high ratings

o Member Satisfaction—being part of the team provides ppl w/ satisfactiono Capacity for Continued Cooperation—the team accomplishes its tasks in a way that will maintain

or enhance its ability to work together in the futureo A high-performance team produces high-quality work but also has members who derive value

from being part of the team and who are able to learn from each project in ways that make them able to cooperate even better in the future

The Five Disciplines of High-Performing Teams; achieve through the repeated and disciplined application; the high-performing team challenge can be boiled down to a) keep the group small, b) focus on complementary skill sets, c) set clear outcome-based goal, d) enforce productive norms and conflict management, and e) match rewards to contributions, making at least some portion cooperatively based

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1) Small size Ppl in smaller groups work harder, engage in a wider variety of tasks, assume more

responsibility for the team’s performance, and feel more involved w/ the team2) Capable and complementary members

A typical team selection trap: neglect consideration of specific skills and instead opt for ppl who either are readily available or seem to have the right functional background

3) Shared purpose and performance objectives High-performing teams know explicitly what they are expected to accomplish and how

they will be measured and evaluated as a team Outcome-based goals—describe the specific outcomes by which success will be

determined; high-performance should focus on this. Activity-based goals—describe just the activities

4) Productive norms and working approach Team Development: occurs in 4 phases, and the key is the establishment of shared and

productive norms and a working approach whereby the team can effectively manage conflict

Improve the internal operations of teams and facilitate team effectiveness is to recognize different stages of team development

How well members and leaders deal w/ the problems of each stage of development influence team effectiveness; 5 stages:

o Forming—primary concern is the initial entry of members into a group; ppl are interested in discovering what acceptable behavior is, determining the real task of the group, and defining group roles

o Storming—a period of high emotion and tension among the members Membership expectations tend to be clarified and further elaborated Attention tends to shift toward obstacles standing in the way of group

goals Outside demands, including performance pressure, may create conflict in

the groupo Norming—the group begins to come together as a coordinated unit

The group as a whole will try to regulate behavior toward a harmonious balance

Minority viewpoints and tendencies to deviate from or question the group direction will be discouraged

o Performing—the emergence of a mature, organized, and well-functioning team The team is able to deal w/ complex tasks and to handle membership

disagreements in creative ways Structure is stable, and members are motivated by group goals The primary challenges relate largely to continued work on task

performance but w/ a strong commitment to continuing improvement and self-renewal

o Adjourning—involves completing the task and breaking up the team A planned conclusion includes recognition for participation and

achievement and an opportunity for members to say personal goodbyes

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BUS-Z302 EXAM 1

Productive Norms—unwritten rules or standards of behavior that apply to team members and can be either prescriptive (dictating what should be done) or proscriptive (dictating behaviors that should be avoided)

o Norms allow members to predict what others will do, help members gain a common sense of direction, and reinforce a team culture; most critical are related to effort, meetings, and trust

o The difference b/w teams that achieve high performance and teams that don’t is very often the productive norms that are established and enforced

5) Mutual accountability Effective teams find a way to reward those who contribute, and accountability is

determined in part by the team reward structure; 2 types of team rewards, select depends on the degree of task interdependence

o Cooperative team rewards—distributed equally among team members; the group is rewarded as a group for its successful performance, and each member receives exactly the same reward; does not recognize individual differences in effort of performance

o Competitive team rewards—members are rewarded for successful performance as individuals on the team, but may undermine the team’s cohesiveness

o Pairing cooperative rewards w/ low interdependence will encourage unnecessary cooperation or pairing competitive rewards w/ high interdependence

o How rewards are allocated should be based on how demonstrable the individuals contributions are

Managing Threats to Team Performance and Decision Making1) Team can improve its performance through 1) building synergies or 2) reducing threats 2) Most common threats

Info Processing Biaseso Ppl are remarkably poor at seeing others’ perspectiveso Left unmanaged, in any team a handful of ppl will do the majority of talking, lead to

uneven communicationo A persistent threat: unique info doesn’t always emerge in team interactions b/c

members are more likely to discuss info that everyone already knowso High-performing teams direct discussion toward unique info, minimize status

differences, and frame tasks as problems to be solve Social loafing and Self-Limiting Behaviors

o Social loafing—free-ridingo Ringelmann Effect—describe the situation in which some ppl do not work as hard in

groups as they do individuallyo Addressing social loafing is identifiability—find ways to get each member’s

contribution to a task somehow communicated or displayed where others can see it; i.e. peer eval/contract

o Self-limiting behavior—a related team dysfunction, occurs whenever team members choose to limit their involvement in the team’s work

o Social loafers try to make sure that no one detects that they are withholding their efforts and the payoff is that they get away with it

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BUS-Z302 EXAM 1

o Self-limiters overtly reduce their involvement in team activities b/c they just do not see any payoff to participating

i.e. “The last time we did this it was just a waste of time—no one listened to our suggestions—so why bother?”

Social Conformity—involves social pressures to conform to the perceived wishes of the group

o Groupthink—the tendency of members in highly cohesive teams to lose their critical evaluative capabilities; i.e. The Challenger Space Shuttle Case!

o Abilene paradox—a form of social conformity related to groupthink How teams can have a “Good” Fight

o Work w/ moreo Develop multiple alternatives to enrich debateo Make an effort to inject humor into the team discussionso Establish and keep coming back to common goalso Maintain a balanced corporate power structureo Resolve issues w/o forcing a consensus

3) 4 illustrations of the effects on ppl of being in a team1) Risky Shift—when ppl are in groups, they make decisions about risk differently than when

they are alone, often make more extreme decisions2) Innocent Bystander

o Diffusion of responsibility—members feel their personal responsibility is limited b/c others will step up and act

o Innocent bystander effect—an extreme state of diffusion of responsibility among ppl3) Choking—stimulated when others are watching

o Social facilitation—individual motivation and performance are enhanced by the presence of others

4) Escalation of Commitment—a situation where team members will persist w/ a losing course of action, even in the face of clear evidence of their error

5) Conformity & Obedience—a team member who has neither the ability nor expertise to make decisions will leave decision making to the group and its hierarchy

KO 10.4 Effective Team Interventions

Holding Effective Meetings: goal and durationUnderstanding Member ProfilesBuilding Team Cohesion

1) Members of highly cohesive groups tend to be concerned about their group’s activities and achievements

2) When the performance norms encourage performance and the group is cohesivehigh perf3) In highly cohesive groups, where norms exist that discourage perflow perf

Conducting After-Action Reviews and Process ChecksDealing w/ a Free-Rider: address the issue before it happens, by creating spoken norms w/in the team; i.e. before a goal sets set, a task is assigned, or work divided (social contracting)

1) Correctly state the issue in terms of the demonstrated behaviors, not labels like “unmotivated” 2) Ask yourself whether it is legitimate for you to give feedback about the perceived problem; does

the behavior affect the team’s or other members’ ability to get results

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BUS-Z302 EXAM 1

3) Consider whether you have collected a balanced set of facts about the situation?Creativity in Teams; 2 factors that promote more creativity

1) A Climate of Trust and Risk Taking Create a safe environments marked by openness, mutual trust, and a willingness to

challenge each other’s ideas2) The Disciplined Use of Creative Problem-Solving Tools and Processes

Creative Problem-Solving Techniques1) Divergent Thinking—involves producing multiple or alternative answers from available info

Requires making unexpected combinations, recognizing links among remotely associated issues, and transforming info into unexpected forms

Convergent thinking—starting w/ a defined problem and then generating alternatives to solve it

o Is oriented toward deriving the single best answer to a clearly defined questiono Emphasizes speed, accuracy, and logic and focuses on accumulating info,

recognizing the familiar, reapplying set techniques, and preserving the already known

2) Subdivision—the process of breaking things into their smallest component parts or attributes to stimulate divergent thinking

3) Analogies—help make the strange familiar or the familiar strange; put something they don’t know in terms of something they do, or expand thinking by taking a familiar issue and relating it in a new or distinctive context

4) Problem Reversal—force seemingly unrelated attributes together

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