HRD JUNCTION

Human Resource power point slides: Management vs. Leadership

2009-11-14T01:47:00.000-08:00

Human Resource power point slides: Management vs. Leadership

Human Resource power point slides: Induction Template

2009-11-14T01:46:00.000-08:00

Human Resource power point slides: Induction Template

Human Resource power point slides: The Role & Contribution of Hr Manager for Organizational Development

2009-11-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

Human Resource power point slides: The Role & Contribution of Hr Manager for Organizational Development

Ppt On Legal Compliances

2009-11-05T18:39:00.001-08:00

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Ppt On Legal Compliances

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How to Reverse Negative Staff Attitudes

2009-11-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Employees and Companies Can Develop a Negative “Aura”

Staff and management do not establish goals to infuse a negative culture into their department or company. The predominance of negativity is typically insidious because it happens over time. Much like the culture of “losing” that afflicts athletic teams, including the feeling that the players know the outcome before the game begins, some corporate teams, departments, and companies unknowingly adopt this attitude.

At other times, the reasons are not only obvious but understandable. Corporate downsizing, with many employees separated from the company, often create negative attitudes among the majority of remaining staff members. Unlike layoffs, which imply (at least) that the company will re-employ the separated employees, downsizing contains no such unwritten promise.

Unfortunately, downsizing indicates the former employees will not be rehired, which removes the always important human value of “hope.” When hope is removed from the personal or professional equation, a form of “workplace depression” often emerges. These negative attitudes can become damaging to performance, teamwork, and goal achievement.

The key for management is to identify negative staff attitudes and, once discovered, take immediate action to reverse these destructive issues and behaviours. Here are some suggestions for managers to consider.

Reversing Negative Staff Attitudes
Unfortunately, the reversal of negative staff attitudes cannot be compartmentalised into a simple, neat, and technical answer. Humans tend to be complex organisms. There is little consistency in their behaviour and attitudes. Further complicating this issue is the reason for the negative staff attitudes or behaviours. Understandably, management may not care about the motivation. Yet, they must take action to reverse the condition.

Some combination of the following actions often cures the problem.

Be upfront and acknowledge the negativity problem. At first, this may seem like a useless or, at best, ineffective activity. However, remember two things: The staff is well aware of the negativity of one or more team members. Second, management attempts at being “subtle” often indicate to employees that they (management) are either unaware of the problem or choose to ignore it. Acknowledging the negativity problem is a critical component to its resolution.
Display positive behaviour at all times. Much like political candidates and stage actors, management, regardless of their true feelings (they may also be a bit negative because of downsizing and uncertainty), must publicly display total positivity. Employees should witness the positive alternative to their negativity.
Publicly identify any and all positive issues. Unless the company has already scheduled a meeting with legal counsel to prepare Chapter 11 bankruptcy paperwork, the business has many positive features. These factors tend to be overlooked during conditions that generate negativity. Management should be diligent - and very vocal - with staff to identify every positive aspect of the company and its products or services.
Recognise every positive contribution by staff members. Always a successful procedure, public recognition of individual employee performance and contribution can be as “contagious” as its opposite – negativity. When management faces a negative-oriented staff, the importance and rewards of public recognition of superior performance take on majestic proportions.
Encourage individuals and teams to contribute to decision-making. The popular term is “empowerment” but that is more appropriate to textbooks. When management gives its staff the ability to contribute ideas and suggestions to marketing, operations, or financial policies, employees typically respond with great positivity.

As long as there is a world of business, management will encounter individual negative employees. When economic conditions, business reversals, or workplace problems exist, negativity can spread to groups of employees or entire staffs. Management must have a plan and respond quickly before this negativity affects staff performance in the long term. No company can sustain staff negativity for long periods.

Using some or all of the above suggestions, tailored to the specific problems of your company, could give you and other managers the effective tools to reverse negative staff attitudes and the damage that inevitably ensues. Managers who adopt these techniques often find that superiors appreciate their efforts and results.

HR Outsourcing?

2009-11-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

What is HR Outsourcing?

Any activity, in which a company lacks internal expertise and confidentiality and requires an unbiased opinion on human resources, can be outsourced. An important reason why various businesses turn to outsource HR services is that they do not have the time or expertise to deal with the situation or we can say that Outsourcing of HR Activities which are more of day-to-day or month-to-month requirements

What can be outsourced?

Alcohol and Drug Test
Employee Background Checking
Employees Benefits Administration
Employment Screening
Payroll Administration
Regulatory Compliance
Salary Surveys
Time & Attendance Tracking
Employee Liability Management
Hiring and Recruiting
Employee Training
Performance Management
Database Management

Why HR Outsourcing?

HR Outsourcing helps in

Cost-savings: Costs are reduced primarily for companies that are extremely large and inefficient. But the savings are there, freeing up capital for other ventures.

Improve the quality of service with high speed of accuracy

Standardization of HR Process and Systems

HR professionals can be more strategic: rather than being forced to enter data, crunch numbers, and push paper, HR professionals can focus their efforts on improving company-wide systems and procedures. HR professionals can maximize their expertise when they are relieved of administrative tasks.

Better technology: HR Outsourcing providers keep up with technology, plain and simple. It’s their job to do so. Companies can avoid the expense of upgrading their own technology by outsourcing human resources

The CEOs, Line Managers expects HR Department to play role of a strategic partner for business growth. The core aspect of HR function related to strategic partner for business growth. The core aspects of HR Functions begins with attracting and retaining talent, building people capability in the organisation, developing a leadership pipeline and creating a learning organisation

Disadvantages of HR Outsourcing

Loss of managerial control, because it is more difficult to manage outside service providers than managing one’s own employees working possibly in the same building.

Often the hidden costs are difficult to calculate or prepare for. These include legal costs related to putting together a contract between two companies and the time spent to coordinating the contract.

The fear of losing jobs

Threat to security and confidentiality. If your company is outsourcing processes like payroll

Outsourcing stigma Again, there is already a stigma surrounding outsourcing. Opponents of this business practice cry foul because jobs are being sent overseas to employees with considerably fewer skills and less expertise.

Whether to go for HR Outsourcing or not?

360 Degree Appraisal system

2009-11-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

What is 360 degree appraisal system?

It is a process which receives confidential, anonymous feedback about the person from his manager, peers, and direct reports. Eight to Ten Employees who are associated with the employee fill feedback form that asks questions to measure the workplace competencies on a rating scale. The person receiving feedback also fills out a self-rating survey that includes the same survey questions that others receive in their forms.

Individual responses are always combined with responses from other people in the same rater category (e.g. peer, direct report) in order to preserve anonymity and to give the employee a clear picture of his/her greatest overall strengths and weaknesses.

360 degree Appraisal system for non-managers is useful to help people be more effective in their current roles, and also to help them understand what areas they should focus on if they want to move into a management role.

The relationship of 360 Degree Appraisal System with other Human Resource Systems is positive in terms of its utility. It is used for training, team building, career development, succession planning, performance assessment and for monitoring the effects of change training programmes.

360 degree Appraisal system makes better performance of the organization because

Enhances performance quality

Provides specific performance feedback
Targets developmental areas
Provides strong motivation
Facilitates performance improvement
Allows measurement of training effectiveness
Enhances self-knowledge
Supports continuous learning
Improves the reliability and validity of performance information.

There are few inherent difficulties are not unique and common with any appraisal & feedback systems like

Managers may focus on pleasing subordinates in an effort to get higher appraisal
The authority of manager could be undermined by the pressure of upward appraisals and the implications of low evaluations for a manager’s status within the organization.
360 degree Appraisal System is not focused on basic technical or job-specific skills
360 degree appraisal system should not be used to measure strictly objective things such as attendance, sales quotas, etc.
Managers may also be confused about how to interpret subordinate appraisal relative to ratings from other sources, such as their bosses

In order to reap maximum benefits from the system, the system should have

Senior-Level Support – Senior Managers should participate in the 360 degree feedbackappraisal process and actively pursue their own developmental plans.

Communicating the purpose of the system to all the employees

Proper Planning for the implementation of 360 degree appraisal system

Delivery of Feedback - If feedback is not provided in an appropriate manner, your program could backfire. We recommend using professional, neutral coaches to deliver feedback.

Developmental Plan - Every person who receives feedback needs to create some developmental goals based on the feedback he or she received - and remember - those goals need to be both measurable and achievable.

Accountability - Developmental goals are meaningless unless people are held accountable for achieving them. Make sure your employees and their managers understand how to create S.M.A.R.T. goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Follow-Up - Plan to solicit additional feedback six to twelve months after the initial data are collected.

Conclusion:

360 degree appraisal system as discussed above has its advantages and disadvantages. However, this has lesser limitations as a performance Management system in comparison to the traditional top-down performance methods. In order to reap the full benefits, organizations need to nurture a value system wherein openness, trust and objectivity are given more emphasis.

Self Development - Innovation

2009-11-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. The power of innovation. If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.

You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It's the same with innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily when called. This article will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.

Don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in.

Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.

Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article has helped you realize that you can bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything will snowball from there.

Self improvement – Know Yourself

2009-11-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

Know Yourself

I seem to lost count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TVstars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be practised regularly.

1. Know your purpose

Are you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.

This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values

What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2010 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.

The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dreamed of.

3. Know your needs

Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions

You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life. Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out

Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence. Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honour your strengths

What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.

7. Serve others

When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

Self Improvement – Self Esteem

2009-11-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

So how do you stay calm, composed and maintain self esteem in a tough environment? Here are some tips you may to consider as a starter guide to self improvement.

Imagine yourself as a Dart Board. Everything and everyone else around you may become Dart Pins, at one point or another. These dart pins will destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won’t even remember. Don’t let them destroy you, or get the best of you. So which dart pins should you avoid?

Dart Pin #1 : Negative Work Environment

Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive. No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. Most of the time you get to work too much without getting help from people concerned. Stay out of this, it will ruin your self esteem. Competition is at stake anywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy competition that is.

Dart Pin #2: Other People’s Behavior

Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers… all these kinds of people will pose bad vibes for your self esteem, as well as to your self improvement scheme.

Dart Pin #3: Changing Environment

You can’t be a green bug on a brown field. Changes challenge our paradigms. It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Changes will make life difficult for awhile, it may cause stress but it will help us find ways to improve our selves. Change will be there forever, we must be susceptible to it.

Dart Pin #4: Past Experience

It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when we experience pain. But don’t let pain transform itself into fear. It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson.

Dart Pin #5: Negative World View

Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.

Dart Pin #6: Determination Theory

The way you are and your behavioral traits is said to be a mixed end product of your inherited traits (genetics), your upbringing (psychic), and your environmental surroundings such as your spouse, the company, the economy or your circle of friends. You have your own identity. If your father is a failure, it doesn’t mean you have to be a failure too. Learn from other people’s experience, so you’ll never have to encounter the same mistakes.

Sometimes, you may want to wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. NO. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing lines for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. God wouldn’t come down from heaven and tell you – “George, you may now have the permission to build self esteem and improve your self.”

In life, its hard to stay tough specially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. When we get to the battle field, we should choose the right luggage to bring and armors to use, and pick those that are bullet proof. Life’s options give us arrays of more options. Along the battle, we will get hit and bruised. And wearing a bullet proof armor ideally means ‘self change’. The kind of change which comes from within. Voluntarily. Armor or Self Change changes 3 things: our attitude, our behavior and our way of thinking.

Building self esteem will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for who we are, what we have and what we do. Its like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline. Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination. So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment. A positive way of living will help you build self esteem, your starter guide to self improvement.

What Do Our Top 10 Fears Say About Us?

2009-11-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

People are strange, don't you think! They worry about this and they worry about that. And then 'this' and 'that' usually never ends up happening. But whilst they were worrying about something that didn't happen, a few more minutes or hours or days of their lives passed by. As Homer J Simpson would say: "D'oh!"

And it's the same when it comes to people's top 10 fears, really.

So just why do people have these fears - why are these fears so common, and what do these fears say about us? (And when I say 'people' I'm really talking about you, and about me.)

Well, that's what I want this article to discuss. So let's get going with those top 10 fears...

1. FEAR OF FLYING

Well, this is basically a control fear. As everybody knows that flying is a safer form of travelling than driving a car, but still most people are more fearful of flying in a plane than of the journey to the airport by car. And all because *they're* in control of their car but they're not in control of the plane.

So fear of flying is fear of not being in control.

2. FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

This fear is all about fear of looking a fool in public, of looking like you're not in control. And that boils down to fear of what other people think about you. Which is a bit of a daft fear as you really can't control what people think about you.

No, the only solution here is to believe in yourself (and your own thoughts of your self) and to practice public speaking skills (obviously). Then do your best, and enjoy! Oh, and learn from the public speaking experience so you can improve.

3. FEAR OF INTIMACY

Again, this is another of those combinations of fears. In this case, this is really fear of the unknown and fear of rejection, and it maybe even includes a fear of making a fool of yourself and of fearing what other people might think - should the relationship eventually fail.

The thing is, intimacy is a part of growth, of growing up as an adult - it is evidence of a maturing life. So fear of intimacy is actually a form of fear of life. And fear of life is not a good thing, obviously.

4. FEAR OF DEATH

Fear of death is not a good thing, either - not if you let it overly control your life, anyway. (Clearly, fear of being knocked down by a speeding car as you cross the road is a sensible fear, as it helps you avoid actually dying.)

Any fear, to be of any use, should protect you whilst allowing you to grow and experience life fully. If your fear of death doesn't help you do this then you should seek professional help, I politely suggest.

5. FEAR OF FAILURE

Ah, fear of failure - the fear of starting something just in case you don't succeed in finishing it! If we had this fear as a child then we'd never have learnt to walk for the first time, or to speak, or to pretty much do anything that we take for granted in our lives, today. And yet we allow ourselves to be limited by the false 'pain' of failure.

Failure is a myth, I believe, and you only truly fail when you quit! So this fear is really a fear of quitting, but nobody has such a fear, do they? Doesn't make sense, fear of quitting, does it? No, and that's why fear of failure doesn't make sense either.

So, whilst I understand where this fear comes from it's important to challenge this fear at all times. And the best way to do this, the antidote to fear of failure, is to take action. (Go on, do it now!)

6. FEAR OF REJECTION

This fear is all about pain avoidance. For all of us have (probably) been rejected in one relationship or another, and all of us have subsequently suffered from rejection pain too. And then we've all vowed to never feel that pain, again. And whilst I agree that this pain is not pleasant, it's definitely an experience we can learn from. But, more importantly, we have all ultimately survived the rejection. Haven't we!

So it's important to be aware that you have this fear (as I am) but then it's important to do something about it; i.e. challenge the fear, somehow. Otherwise, your life WILL be 'less'.

7. FEAR OF HEIGHTS

Hmm, I think this is more a fear of death, really, or a 'fear of jumping off'. And that isn't such a daft thing to be frightened of, as fooling around and then slipping off the edge of a thousand foot cliff may well be painful, to say the least.

So this fear is understandable as long as you don't let it ruin (or limit) your life too much.

8. FEAR OF THE DARK

This is one of those classic fears learned in childhood. Fear of the dark is really fear of unknown, as well as fear of abandonment (one of the few innate fears we have).

I think fear of the dark should not be an issue when the child becomes an adult, so I'm a little puzzled why this is in top 10 most common fears. (It should be one of the top 10 strange fears, instead.)

9. FEAR OF SPIDERS

This is definitely the 'silliest' of the top 10 fears. It's about as daft as an elephant being afraid of a mouse, really. But what's really going on here is...

Well I don't know, to be honest. I have no idea where this fear comes from, other than from an early childhood memory. I urge all sufferers to get help or to visit Africa where the spiders are so big that your fear of small spiders, at least, is bound to diminish...

10. FEAR OF COMMITMENT

This is the last of the top 10 fears. It's really the fear of making the wrong choice. However, a life lived properly is a life where choices have to be made (even not making a choice is making a choice, of sorts, if you think about it). And I believe that most long term choices prove to be more satisfying (and 'growthful') than short term ones; i.e. commitment is good for you!

---

Hmm, so what exactly *do* our top 10 fears reveal about us, then?

Well, I think we are all prone to the odd irrational fear. I think we like to have control in our lives and fear the loss of that control. But most of all we fear what other people will think about us. Which is another way of saying that most of us lack self-love - because the most important thoughts about us should be our own thoughts.

And so I recommend that all of these fears - even the fear of spiders - be challenged, and faced up to. Because when you say 'no' to fear of failure or fear of public speaking or fear of intimacy, then you're really saying 'yes' to your life, 'yes' to growing and to loving yourself more!

And when you love yourself more, you are able to love everyone else more in the process.

And no-one's afraid of love, are they?...

So say 'yes' to love and 'no' to fear.

Well, that's what I say, anyway, and I think that's what Ralph Waldo Emmerson says, too...

"The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but deliverance from fear"
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

How to Use Healthy Eating Habits to Promote A Positive Attitude

2009-11-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

Your diet can have a lot to do with the way you feel on a daily basis. A balanced diet can make you feel good everyday and positive. If you drink too much soda you might create a caffeine addiction which causes headaches. This can not only cause a bad attitude because you have a headache but you also won't be motivated to do anything either.

Eating a balanced and healthy diet means cutting out the fatty foods, the sugars, alcohol, and other things that get you down. A balanced diet can help you lose weight too. Being overweight can be a factor that causes you to be unhappy with yourself and have a negative attitude. The best diet is one full of fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken, and a lot of water. Watch your portion sizes too. If you are consuming the right foods you might just need to cut down on the sizes of portions you eat.

Exercise is also important to have a good attitude. Everyone should exercise on a daily basis. You should take at least 15 minutes of everyday to exercise. You don't have to do aerobics or something too strenuous. Walking is the best thing you can do for your body. A brisk 15 minute walk everyday will make you feel great and completely change your attitude. This will also make you motivated and create a positive attitude about the directions you can go in your life.

If you are someone who is restricted to a desk for a large portion of your day and you don't think you have time to exercise that is just an excuse. There are desk exercises you can do while you are sitting at your desk. During your lunch hour you might choose to walk around the exterior of the building or even in the hallways of the interior of the building too. The stairs at your walk could create an excellent workout also.

Survive the Negative and Inspire the Positive

2009-11-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

You might feel great and positive. Be sure to transmit your attitude to others around you and when you are indirectly talking to people too. A positive attitude is addicting and people will enjoy spending time around you. They will feel good too. This can help you move up in the corporate world too.

When you have a positive attitude you need to transmit it to others. This also includes when you are on the phone or on the computer. It is common for a communication disconnect to occur when you are over the phone. You might be tired or not even notice to the other person you are coming off rude. Transmit your positive attitude to others when you talk to them on the phone. This is healthy for you and it will make the other person feel good about you.

Let People Know You Care

One of the ways you can be more motivated and feel great about yourself on a daily basis is to let people know that you care. Just like the little things in life that you enjoy so much it is the little things you can do to make others feel great too. You don't have to get credit for these things. You will feel great making someone else feel good. Sometimes you will feel even better doing things for people without them knowing who it is.

When you do things for others it can be a number of things. You might consider sending token items to friends and family like cards and flowers. Anyone you care about you should always let them know that you care. You don't have to buy items and spend money. If you don't have money to spend there are other ways to do nice things for people. These things might include something simple like pouring them a cup of coffee, washing their car, or anything else.

Letting people know you care about them is important to them but it also will make you feel good. You should always let people know that you care and you appreciate them. There are so many ways you can let people know that you care and you don't have to spend money either.

How to Survive Daily Pressures and Stay Positive

2009-11-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

You must remain positive. Life is tough and you need to get used to it. As soon as you stop thinking life is so difficult you will find it becomes so much easier. Don't focus on how difficult life is. Deal with the difficulties of life.

A positive attitude is vital to make it through your days and be motivated. When you are positive about certain events and circumstances that you often deem too tough you will make it through the obstacles much easier.

The most important thing you need to remember about your attitude is that once you realize you cannot choose and control the circumstances. You do have total control over the attitude toward circumstances you face. You can maintain a positive attitude. A positive attitude will help you feel so much better about certain circumstances as you come across them and they won't feel so difficult.

One of the things to remember is that you need to slow down every now and then and take a break. Give yourself the time to reload the energy and recharge your batteries. Taking a break means giving yourself a moment to relax. This doesn't mean get caught up into a realm of procrastination. If you have a bad habit of getting drawn into a television then do not take a break in front of the TV. Be sure the break you take is for a short while but doesn't lead into a problem.

If you have a big family and the house is often chaotic the 'me' time is very important. Chances are good you have to wait until all of the children are asleep or early in the morning before they wake up. If you have to schedule this time for yourself you should. You will be surprised how amazing just a little bit of time to yourself each day will help you feel more motivated to face situations.

Free Ebook on Spiritual Development

2009-11-03T06:32:00.000-08:00

Spiritualblog.com presents an e-book on 5 inspirational and useful topics for spiritual development. Topics covered in this e-Book include:

How mental tripping can be achieved without the use of drugs
Is Telepathic Communication Possible?
How to meditate in the hectic modern world
The point of psychics
Gender Roles vs Equal Rights and where a spiritual approach fits in

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Help for Anxiety, Phobias, OCD and Depression

2009-11-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

Help for Anxiety, Phobias, OCD and Depression

Help for Anxiety, Phobias, OCD and Depression
by Terry Dixon

Offers a unique insight into anxiety-related problems and how to deal with them. With information on anxiety and panic, symptoms of both anxiety and anxiety disorders and the way to overcome these problems, it can help anyone looking to understand more about anxiety problems and the hold they have over us.

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Basics of Conflict Management

2009-10-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Clarifying Confusion About Conflict

Conflict is when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature and haven't been aligned or agreed about yet, including:
1. Within yourself when you're not living according to your values;
2. When your values and perspectives are threatened; or
3. Discomfort from fear of the unknown or from lack of fulfillment.
Conflict is inevitable and often good, for example, good teams always go through a "form, storm, norm and perform" period. Getting the most out of diversity means often-contradictory values, perspectives and opinions.

Conflict is often needed. It:
1. Helps to raise and address problems.
2. Energizes work to be on the most appropriate issues.
3. Helps people "be real", for example, it motivates them to participate.
4. Helps people learn how to recognize and benefit from their differences.
Conflict is not the same as discomfort. The conflict isn't the problem - it is when conflict is poorly managed that is the problem.

Conflict is a problem when it:
1. Hampers productivity.
2. Lowers morale.
3. Causes more and continued conflicts.
4. Causes inappropriate behaviors.

Types of Managerial Actions that Cause Workplace Conflicts

1. Poor communications
a. Employees experience continuing surprises, they aren't informed of new
decisions, programs, etc.
b. Employees don't understand reasons for decisions, they aren't involved in
decision-making.
c. As a result, employees trust the "rumor mill" more than management.

2. The alignment or the amount of resources is insufficient. There is:
a. Disagreement about "who does what".
b. Stress from working with inadequate resources.

3. "Personal chemistry", including conflicting values or actions among managers and employees, for example:
a. Strong personal natures don't match.
b. We often don't like in others what we don't like in ourselves.

4. Leadership problems, including inconsistent, missing, too-strong or uninformed leadership (at any level in the organization), evidenced by:
a. Avoiding conflict, "passing the buck" with little follow-through on decisions.
b. Employees see the same continued issues in the workplace.
c. Supervisors don't understand the jobs of their subordinates.

Key Managerial Actions / Structures to Minimize Conflicts

1. Regularly review job descriptions. Get your employee's input to them. Write down and date job descriptions. Ensure:
a. Job roles don't conflict.
b. No tasks "fall in a crack".

2. Intentionally build relationships with all subordinates.
a. Meet at least once a month alone with them in office.
b. Ask about accomplishments, challenges and issues.

3. Get regular, written status reports and include:
a. Accomplishments.
b. Currents issues and needs from management.
c. Plans for the upcoming period.

4. Conduct basic training about:
a. Interpersonal communications.
b. Conflict management.
c. Delegation.

5. Develop procedures for routine tasks and include the employees' input.
a. Have employees write procedures when possible and appropriate.
b. Get employees' review of the procedures.
c. Distribute the procedures.
d. Train employees about the procedures.

6. Regularly hold management meetings, for example, every month, to communicate new initiatives and status of current programs.

7. Consider an anonymous suggestion box in which employees can provide suggestions.

Ways People Deal With Conflict

There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It depends on the current situation. Here are the major ways that people use to deal with conflict.
1. Avoid it. Pretend it is not there or ignore it.
a. Use it when it simply is not worth the effort to argue. Usually this approach tends
to worsen the conflict over time.

2. Accommodate it. Give in to others, sometimes to the extent that you compromise yourself.
a. Use this approach very sparingly and infrequently, for example, in situations
when you know that you will have another more useful approach in the very
near future. Usually this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time, and
causes conflicts within yourself.

3. Competing. Work to get your way, rather than clarifying and addressing the issue. Competitors love accommodators.
a. Use when you have a very strong conviction about your position.

4. Compromising. Mutual give-and-take.
a. Use when the goal is to get past the issue and move on.

5. Collaborating. Focus on working together.
a. Use when the goal is to meet as many current needs as possible by using mutual
resources. This approach sometimes raises new mutual needs.
b. Use when the goal is to cultivate ownership and commitment.

To Manage a Conflict Within Yourself - "Core Process"

It's often in the trying that we find solace, not in getting the best solution. The following steps will help you in this regard.
1. Name the conflict, or identify the issue, including what you want that you aren't getting. Consider:
a. Writing your thoughts down to come to a conclusion.
b. Talk to someone, including asking them to help you summarize the conflict in 5
sentences or less.

2. Get perspective by discussing the issue with your friend or by putting it down in writing. Consider:
a. How important is this issue?
b. Does the issue seem worse because you're tired, angry at something else, etc.?
c. What's your role in this issue?

3. Pick at least one thing you can do about the conflict.
a. Identify at least three courses of action.
b. For each course, write at least three pros and cons.
c. Select an action - if there is no clear course of action, pick the alternative that
will not hurt, or be least hurtful, to yourself and others.
d. Briefly discuss that course of action with a friend.

4. Then do something.
a. Wait at least a day before you do anything about the conflict. This gives you
a cooling off period.
b. Then take an action.
c. Have in your own mind, a date when you will act again if you see no clear
improvement.

To Manage a Conflict With Another - "Core Process"

1. Know what you don't like about yourself, early on in your career. We often don't like in others what we don't want to see in ourselves.
a. Write down 5 traits that really bug you when see them in others.
b. Be aware that these traits are your "hot buttons".

2. Manage yourself. If you and/or the other person are getting heated up, then manage yourself to stay calm by
a. Speaking to the person as if the other person is not heated up - this can be very
effective!
b. Avoid use of the word "you" - this avoids blaming.
c. Nod your head to assure them you heard them.
d. Maintain eye contact with them.

3. Move the discussion to a private area, if possible.

4. Give the other person time to vent.
a. Don't interrupt them or judge what they are saying.

5. Verify that you're accurately hearing each other. When they are done speaking:}
a. Ask the other person to let you rephrase (uninterrupted) what you are hearing from
them to ensure you are hearing them.
b. To understand them more, ask open-ended questions. Avoid "why" questions -
those questions often make people feel defensive.

6. Repeat the above step, this time for them to verify that they are hearing you. When you present your position
a. Use "I", not "you".
b. Talk in terms of the present as much as possible.
c. Mention your feelings.

7. Acknowledge where you disagree and where you agree.

8. Work the issue, not the person. When they are convinced that you understand them:
a. Ask "What can we do fix the problem?" They will likely begin to complain again.
Then ask the same question. Focus on actions they can do, too.

9. If possible, identify at least one action that can be done by one or both of you.
a. Ask the other person if they will support the action.
b. If they will not, then ask for a "cooling off period".

10. Thank the person for working with you.

11. If the situation remains a conflict, then:
a. Conclude if the other person's behavior conflicts with policies and procedures in
the workplace and if so, present the issue to your supervisor.
b. Consider whether to agree to disagree.
c. Consider seeking a third party to mediate.

2009-10-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

The Handbook of Project Management is written specifically to help project managers improve their performance using tried and tested techniques. The package comprises a book plus free CD ROM containing a collection of tools, templates, and procedures which support the methodology used in the book. Written by an experiences practitioner, it will be particularly useful for those looking to develop project management skills, starting a new project, wishing to acquire new skills, or training others in project management skills. Packed with concepts, processes, tools, and presentation materials, this comprehensive handbook will assist anyone responsible for converting strategy into reality.

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APPLIED ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT EBOOK

2009-10-06T03:32:00.000-07:00

Applied Organizational Communication provides a current, in-depth analysis of the theories and practices critical to understanding organizational communication concepts in a global environment. Exploring the diverse communication challenges in today’s organizations, this text: Explains the impact of critical environmental influences on all levels; Provides extensive discussion of teams, leadership, technology, listening, and interpersonal communication; Offers current analysis, utilizing a broad base of information and research; and Establishes links between organizational communication and perceptions, theory, networks, and symbolic behavior. Building on the successful foundation of the previous editions, this third edition has been thoroughly updated and revised to reflect the most current organizational communication theory and research. Features of this edition include: Extensive real life examples and experiences Grounding in transactional communication and advanced systems approaches Macro and micro analyses of key topics and issues As an accessible and practical examination of organizational communication, this text is intended for use in organizational communication, leadership, organizational development, and organizational intervention courses at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level.
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Job Description

2009-10-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Job Description
Use this form to describe the duties of a certain job and how the job relates to other positions in the company. Use this form in conjuction with the Job Analysis form to create recruitment materials, such as classified ads.

Download this Word document

Job Applicant Dismissal

2009-10-04T11:03:00.002-07:00

Job Applicant Dismissal
Unfortunately, not every resume you receive will be a perfect match. That's why we're offering an Applicant Dismissal form letter, which you should send to job seekers who don't fit your needs.

Download this Word document

2009-10-04T11:03:00.001-07:00

Job Analysis

2009-10-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

Job Analysis
This form aids you in the employee selection process. Use it with the Job Description form to create recruitment materials, such as classified ads, to determine what attributes you're looking for.

Download this Word document

group Payroll Record

2009-10-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

group Payroll Record
This form allows the employer to view all employees' hours at one time. This form can be used in conjunction with the Quarterly Payroll Record form.

Download this Word document

Employment Application - Long

2009-10-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Employment Application - Long
Use this longer Employment Application when hiring long-term employees, managers and executives. It provides room for applicants to list several former employers, scholastic honors and future studies, and three personal references.

Download this Word document

Employee Self-Evaluation

2009-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Employee Self-Evaluation
Give this form to an employee before a performance review or at any time to evaluate an employee's understanding of their job, your organization, its structure and the employee's role in it.

Download this Word document

Employee Handbook Receipt

2009-10-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Employee Handbook Receipt
Present this form to employees when you give them an employee handbook. Make sure they return this form to you signed and file it as proof that the employee has read the handbook and agreed to its terms.

Download this Word document

employee Handbook

2009-10-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

employee Handbook
The Employee Handbook outlines a company's employment-related policies. When you present it to employees, you should also have them sign an Acknowledgement of Receipt of Employee Handbook.

Download this Word document

Daily Time Sheet

2009-10-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

This form helps you keep track of each employee's hours on a daily basis. This form can be used in conjunction with the Monthly Employee Attendance Record.

Download this Word document

Values, Attitudes, and Their Effects in the Workplace

2009-08-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Values, Attitudes, and Their Effects in the Workplace

What are values?

How can we understand values across cultures?

Are there unique Canadian values?

Why are differences in values important?

What are attitudes and how are they formed?

What is job satisfaction?

Values

• Values
– Basic convictions about what is important to the individual
– They contain a judgmental element of what is right, good, or desirable.

Values
– Types of values
• Terminal: Goals that individuals would like to achieve during their lifetime
• Instrumental: Preferable ways of behaving
– Importance of values
• Values generally influence attitudes and behaviour.

Values vs. Ethics

• Ethics
– The science of morals in human conduct
– Moral principles; rules of conduct

• Ethical Values are related to moral judgments about right and wrong

A Framework for Assessing Cultural Values

• Hofstede’s Dimensions
– Power Distance
– Individualism Versus Collectivism
– Quantity of Life Versus Quality of Life
– Uncertainty Avoidance
– Long-term versus Short-term Orientation

Exhibit 3-2 Examples of National Cultural ValuesCanadian Social Values

• The Elders
– Those over 50
– Core Values: Belief in order, authority, discipline, and the Golden Rule
• The Boomers
– Born mid-1940s to mid-1960s
– Autonomous rebels, anxious communitarians, connected enthusiasts, disengaged Darwinists

Canadian Social Values

• Generation X
– Born mid-1960s to early 1980s
– Thrill-seeking materialists, aimless dependents, social hedonists, new Aquarians, autonomous post-materialists
• The Ne(x)t Generation
– Born between 1977 and 1997
– “Creators, not recipients”
– Curious, contrarian, flexible, collaborative, high in self-esteem

Francophone and Anglophone Values
• Francophone Values

– More collectivist or group-oriented
– Greater need for achievement
– Concerned with interpersonal aspects of workplace
– Value affiliation
• Anglophone Values

– Individualist or I-centred
– More task-centred
– Take more risks
– Value autonomy

Canadian Aboriginal Values

– More collectivist in orientation
– More likely to reflect and advance the goals of the community
– Greater sense of family in the workplace
– Greater affiliation and loyalty
– Power distance lower than non-Aboriginal culture of Canada and the U.S.
– Greater emphasis on consensual decision-making

Exhibit 3-3 Ground Rules for Aboriginal Partnerships

• Modify management operations to reduce negative impact to wildlife species
• Modify operations to ensure community access to lands and resources
• Protect all those areas identified by community members as having biological, cultural and historical significance
• Recognize and protect aboriginal and treaty rights to hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering activities
• Increase forest-based economic opportunities for community members
• Increase the involvement of community members in decision-making

Canadian and American Values

• Canadian Values
– Protectionist business environment
– Personality: more shy and deferential, less violent, more courteous
– More rule-oriented
– Peace, order, equality
– Uncomfortable celebrating success, play it down
• American Values
– Greater faith in the family, the state, religion, and the market
– More comfortable with big business
– Intense competition in business
– Individuality and freedom
– More comfortable with the unknown and taking risks

Canada, the US and Mexico

• Canada and the US
– Lower power distance
– More likely to tolerate abrasiveness and insensitivity by managers
– Lower risk takers
– More individualistic
– Less agreeable to teamwork
• Mexico
– Higher power distance
– Managers more autocratic and paternalistic
– Employees defer more to managers
– Greater uncertainty avoidance
– Managers are greater risk takers
– Greater reliance on networks and relationships

East and Southeast Asian Values

• North America
– Networked relations: based on self-interest
– Relationships viewed with immediate gains
– Enforcement relies on institutional law
– Governed by guilt (internal pressures on performance)

• East and Southeast Asia
– Guanxi relations: based on reciprocation
– Relationships meant to be long-term and enduring
– Enforcement relies on personal power and authority
– Governed by shame (external pressures on performance)

Attitudes

• Positive or negative feelings concerning objects, people, or events.
• Less stable than values

Types of Attitudes

• Job Involvement
– . . . measures the degree to which a person identifies psychologically with his or her job and considers his or her perceived performance level important to self-worth.
• Organizational Commitment
– . . . a state in which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals, and wishes to maintain membership in the organization.
• Job Satisfaction
– . . . refers to an individual’s general attitude toward his or her job.

Canadian Job Satisfaction

• In 1991, 62 per cent of employees reported they were highly satisfied with their jobs, compared to just 45 per cent in 2001.
• Almost 40 percent of employees would not recommend their company as a good place to work.
• 40 percent believe they never see any of the benefits of their company making money.
• Almost 40 percent reported that red tape and bureaucracy are among the biggest barriers to job satisfaction.
• 55 percent reported that they felt the “pressure of having too much to do.”

Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance

• Satisfaction Affects
– Individual Productivity
– Organizational Productivity
– Absenteeism
– Turnover
– Organizational Citizenship Behaviour

Expressing Dissatisfaction

• Exit
• Voice
• Loyalty
• Neglect

Summary and Implications

• Values strongly influence a person’s attitudes.
• An employee’s performance and satisfaction are likely to be higher if his or her values fit well with the organization.
• Managers should be interested in their employees’ attitudes because attitudes give warning signs of potential problems and because they influence behaviour.

OB at Work
For Review

1. What are Hofstede’s five value dimensions of national culture?
2. How might differences in generational values affect the workplace?
3. Compare Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal values.
4. How can managers get employees to more readily accept working with colleagues who are different from themselves?
5. Describe three job-related attitudes. What is their relevance to the workplace?
6. Are happy workers productive workers?
7. What is the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism? Job satisfaction and turnover? Which is the stronger relationship?

For Critical Thinking

1. “Thirty-five years ago, young employees we hired were ambitious, conscientious, hard-working, and honest. Today’s young workers don’t have the same values.” Do you agree or disagree with this manager’s comments? Support your position.
2. Do you think there might be any positive and significant relationship between the possession of certain personal values and successful career progression in organizations such as Merrill Lynch, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), and the City of Regina’s police department? Discuss.

For Critical Thinking

3. “Managers should do everything they can to enhance the job satisfaction of their employees.” Do you agree or disagree? Support your position.
4. When employees are asked whether they would again choose the same work or whether they would want their children to follow in their footsteps, fewer than half typically answer in the affirmative. What, if anything, do you think this implies about employee job satisfaction?

Breakout Group Exercises

Form small groups to discuss the following topics. Each person in the group should first identify 3 to 5 key personal values.

1. Identify the extent to which values overlap in your group.
2. Try to uncover with your group members the source of some of your key values (e.g., parents, peer group, teachers, church).
3. What kind of workplace would be most suitable for the values that you hold most closely?

Working With Others Exercise

Understanding cultural values
• Break into groups of 5-6. Pretend that half of you have been raised in Canadian culture, and half of you have been raised in another culture assigned by your instructor
– Consider the differences in the two cultures for: power distance, individualism, and uncertainty avoidance
– What challenges will you face working together?
– What steps could be taken to work together more effectively?

Stress and Its Effects

2009-08-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

Stress is…

l Ambient
- "It's everywhere, it's everywhere!"
- …and it CAN slip up on you…It's insidious!
l Both external and intrinsic
- Stress is influenced by context
Directly
- Population density; crowding
- Noise "pollution"
o E.g., living near a runway (with jets!)
Less directly
- Academic setting
o The degree one feels pressure to achieve
o MAY be self-imposed

l Culture

Stress is…

l Cumulative
- Whether a single MAJOR event or a series of minor ones,
Stress adds up!
Even everyday demands accumulate
- Know how it feels when someone "gets on your LAST nerve?"
l Is in the eye of the beholder
- It's about perception!

There are 2 steps in the perception of STRESS

1. PRIMARY APPRAISAL
Is the event
…relevant to you?
…relevant but not threatening
...relevant AND threatening
thus, stressful

There are 2 steps in the perception of STRESS SECONDARY APPRAISAL

The evaluation of personal resources to cope w/ the threat...
"Can I deal with this?"
"Do I have "whatever it takes" to meet these problems or challenges?"

How you respond to stress depends on
l Familiarity
- Have I lived through this before?
- What can I improve?
l Controllability
- Bimodal reactions - some feel more stress when in control! "It's up to me??"
Predictability
- Did you see this coming?
Imminence
- Remember the music from Jaws?

Factors influencing reactions to stress

l Social supports
- events are generally less stressful to individuals who receive good social support from friends and family
- share your stresses with somebody else; "no man is an island, no man stands alone"
- self-disclosure is good for you in the long run; share yourself with others for your own good health

Factors influencing reactions to stress

l Person variables in reactions to stress
- according to the interactional model of personality, we are influenced both by the situation we encounter AND our cognitive interpretation of that situation
- stress is in the eye of the beholder
- cognitive factors in stress reactions
u sensitizers: seek out information and think about stress
u repressors: don't worry be happy

Factors influencing reactions to stress

l The "Type A" and "Type B" personality

- a type "A" personality is characterized by someone who is highly competitive, has a sense of time urgency, is perfectionistic, and hostile; they often die of heart attack or stroke
- a type "B" personality is characterized by someone not competitive, not bothered by waiting, is forgiving, and patient; usually die from cancer

Types of stressors

l Acute
- Immediate threat
- Short duration
- But clear ending
l Chronic
- Less immediate
- But of longer duration
- No clear ending

Causes of stress ( external):

l Frustration
- Goal or objective is being thwarted
E.g., failures & losses
l Conflict
- Competing choices
Approach-Approach
- A "win-win" situation
Avoidance-Avoidance
- The "lesser of 2 evils"
Approach-Avoidance *
- "good news/bad news"
- * The key? Eliminate the negative

Causes of stress:

l Change
- Life changes
- Even positive changes make adjustment demands
- Take the Social Readjustment Rating Scale!
How do you fare?
Pressure
- To Perform
- To Conform

Reactions to Frustration

l Aggression: Any response made with the intention of doing harm
l Displaced Aggression: Redirecting aggression to a target other than the source of one's frustration
l Scapegoating: Blaming a person or group for conditions they did not create; the scapegoat is a habitual target of displaced aggression
l Escape: May mean actually leaving a source of frustration (dropping out of school) or psychologically escaping (apathy)

Conflicts

l A stressful condition that occurs when a person must choose between contradictory needs, desires, motives, or demands
l Avoidance-Avoidance Conflicts: Being forced to choose between two negative or undesirable alternatives (e.g., choosing between going to the doctor or contracting cancer)
- NOT choosing may be impossible or undesirable
l Approach-Avoidance Conflicts: Being attracted (drawn to) and repelled by the same goal or activity; attraction keeps person in the situation, but negative aspects can cause distress
- Ambivalence: Mixed positive and negative feelings; central characteristic of approach-avoidance conflicts

Multiple Conflicts

l Double Approach-Avoidance Conflicts: Each alternative has both positive and negative qualities
l Vacillation: When one is attracted to both choices; seeing the positives and negatives of both choices and going "back and forth" before deciding, if deciding at all!
l Multiple Approach-Avoidance Conflicts: When several alternatives have positive and negative features

..and how do YOU respond to
We respond to stress in three ways:

1.) Emotional Responses. 2.) Physiological Responses. 3.) Behavioural Responses

How do You Respond To Stress ??

Emotional responses
All of us experience a range of reactions:
Negative:
Range of intensity and magnitude:
Annoyance, anger, and rage
Apprehension, anxiety, and fear
Dejection, sadness, and grief
Positive:
Creativity, flexibility, problem-solving
(Folkman, 1997; Folkman & Moskowitz, 2000; Wortman & Silver, 1987)
Emotional reactions come with physical changes

The effects of emotional arousal:

OPTIMAL LEVEL OF AROUSAL:
- "The Inverted 'U' Hypothesis"

- There is an OPTIMAL LEVEL of AROUSAL
Just enough will PROPEL TO ACTION
Without INTERFERING w/ cognitions or performance!
- Too much is stress
- Too little and we are complacent

Stress Arousal

"Fight or Flight"

Autonomic Nervous System:
Sympathetic &
Para-sympathetic
The endocrine system communicates within the body…pituitary releases ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), which acts on the adrenal glands:
First on the adrenal medulla, to secrete powerful activation hormones:
e.g., epinephrine (adrenaline),
which increases heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow to muscles, & release of glucose for energy.
General Adaptational Syndrome*
SELYE

l Physiological reactions are similar for different stimuli **
l Three-stage Syndrome:
- ALARM
- RESISTANCE
- EXHAUSTION
l Critique - Individual differences are not explained.
Critique
RE: Similarity in physiological reactions
"Nonspecific reactions" need research to "prove" it's no more than degree (magnitude).
Exhaustion (Selye)
Physiologically depleted
Emotional strain - Helplessness

Behavioral symptoms

The physical problems are REAL but are related to, or caused by psychological factors or emotional distress.

Manifestations

Specific - e.g., hives, headaches
Muscular - e.g., spasms, specific to body part implicated
Chronic - e.g., ulcers, eczema, high blood pressure
Can be debilitating - e.g., migraines, asthma

Example:
Test time stomach upset…
Can anybody relate?

Stress and the Body
Stress suppresses the immune system.
The immune system has several functions that combat disease.
Production of white blood cells (leukocytes).
They recognize and eradicate foreign agents and unhealthy cells.
Foreign substances are called antigens.
The body generates specialized proteins or antibodies to fight antigens.
Inflammation:
is another function of the immune system.
This is increased blood supply which floods the region with white blood cells.

Stress and the Body
Stress and the Immune System.
Psychoneuroimmunology is the study of the relationship among: psychological factors,
the nervous system, the endocrine system,
the immune system, and disease.
One of the reasons stress exhausts us is that it stimulates the production of steroids.
Steroids suppress the functioning of the immune system.
Persistent secretion of steroids decreases inflammation and interferes with the formation of antibodies.
We become more vulnerable to various illnesses.

The value of social support is immeasurable. Emotional well-being has been linked to the quality of relationships. Overall "life satisfaction" data show correlational links with one's social life.

Active efforts to master problems, reduce perceived demands, maintain and tolerate stresses…
Efforts vary in their adaptive value.
We have a tendency to be stylistic; we tend to exhibit an enduring tendency, a consistent stylistic trend, but a single approach has varying effectiveness and adaptive value.

"Adaptational Outcomes"
1. "Choking"
Increased attention to performance yields increased PRESSURE
2. Cognition compromised
A. "Jumping to conclusions"
B. All the options are not even seen
Memory may be impaired
3. Severe Alarm/Stress - "SHOCK"
4. Burnout
"General Erosion of the Spirit"

Autonomic reactivity
Individuals vary:

Sensation-Seeking
E.g., EXTREME SPORTS
Do you qualify?
See the "Sensation-Seeking Scale" (Zuckerman, 1979) in your Personal Explorations Workbook & research by Zuckerman

Clinical Syndromes

BURNOUT - Physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and lowered self-efficacy, generally manifest as a reaction to chronic, cumulative stress; it's a REAL syndrome with physical problems, related to/caused by psychological or emotional distress…often associated with the workplace, e.g., chronic stress exhaustion symptoms
Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome/Disorder - (PTSD)
An persistent disturbance(s) attributable to
the experience of a MAJOR stressful event - which emerges/persists after the event is over.
First associated with Viet Nam Veterans,
the "shell shock" of WW II.
A potentially enduring effect of terrorism, abuse, etc.

Hedges Against Stress:

l Social Support
- Emotional
- Appraisal
- Informational
- Instrumental
l Hardiness
- Commitment
- Challenge
- Control, Internal Locus
l Optimism
- Also stylistic
- Conscientiousness
Diligence
Punctuality
Dependability

The Coping Process

2009-08-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Text:

PART ONE: THE DYNAMICS OF ADJUSTMENT

Chapter 1
Adjusting to Modern Life
Chapter 2
Theories of Personality
Chapter 3
Stress and Its Effects
Chapter 4
Coping Processes

What is coping?
A. Coping: efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress

General points about coping

1. People cope with stress in different ways

2. Individuals have own styles of coping

3. Coping strategies vary in their adaptive value

Coping with stress – difference between Effective and Ineffective ways

Effective coping is characterized by:

efforts to remove the stress
good cognitive coping skills
effectively managing stress reactions

Ineffective coping characterized by:

Withdrawal from social supports
Aggression and exaggerated use of Defense mechanisms
Ineffective or absent problem-solving skills

Common Patterns of Coping:
Behavioral Disengagement
Giving Up... "Learned Helplessness"
Passivity stems from unavoidable aversive events Key:
Perception of "no control”
Aggression
Lashing out, directly or due to displacement*
Catharsis? Or just “making matters worse?”
Self-Indulgence
drink to forget? (chocoholics beware!)
May also include Internet Addictions, immersion or “escape” in the Web The key: develop
alternative behaviors and alternative rewards.
Self-Blame
unreasonable self-deprecation
focus on negative feedback - but not constructively...pessimistic future focus
*Defense Mechanisms
Learned Helplessness (Seligman)
Acquired (learned) inability to overcome obstacles and avoid aversive stimuli; learned passivity
Occurs when events appear to be uncontrollable
May feel helpless if failure is attributed to lasting, general factors

Defense Mechanisms *
Primarily Unconscious
self-protective as they “guard against negative emotions

Examples: Denial
Intellectualization
Fantasy
Overcompensation
Undoing

Disadvantages

Self-Deception
Not as likely to reduce stressor
Delays or diverts energy
Distorts Reality

Defence mechanisms reduce Anxiety
Feelings of tension, uneasiness, apprehension, worry, and vulnerability
We are motivated to avoid experiencing anxiety

Freudian Defense Mechanisms: Psychological Defenders of You!
Defense Mechanisms: Habitual and unconscious (in most cases) psychological processes designed to reduce anxiety
Work by avoiding, denying, or distorting sources of threat or anxiety
If used short term, can help us get through everyday situations
If used long term, we may end up not living in reality
Protect idealized self-image so we can live with ourselves
Freudian Defense Mechanisms:
Some Examples
Denial: Most primitive; denying reality; usually occurs with death and illness
Repression: When painful memories, anxieties, and so on are held out of our awareness
Projection: When one’s own feelings, shortcomings, or unacceptable traits and impulses are seen in others; exaggerating negative traits in others lowers anxiety
Rationalization: Justifying personal actions by giving “rational” but false reasons for them
Reaction Formation: Impulses are repressed and the opposite behavior is exaggerated

Constructive Coping
What makes a coping strategy constructive?

1. Involves confronting problems directly
2. Based on realistic appraisals of one's stress and coping resources
3. Involves learning to recognize potentially disruptive emotional reactions to stress
4. Involves learning to exert control over potentially harmful habitual behaviors

A. Constructive coping refers to efforts to deal with stressful events that are judged to be relatively healthful

1. Unrelated to "academic" intelligence

2. Favorably related to mental and physical health, and to measures of success

3. Constructive thinkers tend to create less stress for themselves

3 Types of Strategies (Moos/Billings, 1982)

1. Appraisal-Focused (Ellis - RET)

2. Problem-Focused (problem-solving)

3. Emotion-Focused ("Relax!" Aaugh...)
Appraisal-Focused Coping
Proponent: Albert Ellis
Rational Emotive Therapy

The Enemy: Catastrophic Thinking

Goal - "Get Real!!!"

A-B-C

A - Activating Event
B - Belief System
C - Consequence

Constructive Coping

The word “rational” means that

Reason is not the enemy of emotion

Reason does not block any emotions but only blocks self-defeating emotions

Disruptful emotions are largely the result of irrational and catastrophic thinking

Emotion-Focused Problem Solving

CAN be highly charged…
Some people really do tend to
“awfulize everything…”
“It’s sooooo awful that…”
“Did you hear about…
How awful!!!”

Some common irrational beliefs

Its horrible when things aren’t the way I want them to be
I must be loved or approved by everyone around me
I must be thoroughly competent, adequate, and achieving in order to be worthwhile
There is nothing much I can do about my life, sorrows
There is always a perfect solution to all problems in life

The world – especially other people – must be fair and justice must triumph
One must always respect authority
Rational Emotive Therapy takes on faulty beliefs, for example, in child rearing:

1.Children must not question their parents
2.Children must not disagree with their elders!
3.A child and his/her behavior are the same;

thus, “bad behavior, bad child!”

1.Children can upset their parents.
2.Guilt is an effective method to make your child do what 3.you what them to…
4.Children “deserve” the blame for their MIS- management.
5.Children learn more from what their elders say than what they do.

How to improve
Emotion-focused coping

“Sometimes you just gotta laugh…”

Humor
lessens the impact
of stress and brightens your day…
besides, it has great physical benefits!

How to improve
Emotion-focused coping
Positive Reinterpretation
Release pent-up emotions
Learn how gradually
Don’t let negative feelings build up
Get your mind on something else!
Develop strategies to deal with the feelings
Mediation and relaxation
Systematic desensitization
Problem Focused Coping
AKA:
Systematic Problem Solving

Problem - Focused Coping
Systematic Problem-Solving
Seek Help
Identify resources
e.g., instrumental assistance
Time Management
Monitor & protect your time!
Don’t procrastinate; use a schedule, calendar, organizer
Prioritize goals & delegate what you can
Improving Self-Control
Count to ten! Refrain from action till cool.

Develop strategies of CONSTRUCTIVE COPING;
get the
emotional
To work for you!

Emotional intelligence
Monitor, access, express, & regulate your own emotions
Identify, interpret, & understand others’ emotion
Integrate them into thoughtful action
Inhibition
Expression vs. disclosure

When things don’t get done, how do YOU feel?
Emotional intelligence
Monitor, access, express, & regulate your own emotions

Emotional management

Distraction

Recognition of negative feelings

Hostility can be damaging

Evaluate actions BEFORE you act

Meditate

Reduce physiological agitation…

Relax!

Manage behavioral expression

Organizational Culture and Change

2009-08-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Organizational Culture

• What is organizational culture?
• When is organizational culture functional? Dysfunctional?
• How do employees learn about the culture of their organization?

• THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE AROUND HERE

Components of Organizational Culture

• Routine behaviors.
• Norms shared by teams.
• Dominant values.
• Guiding philosophy for policies toward employees and customers.
• The rules of the game for getting along in the organization.
• The climate of the organization.

Henry Mintzberg on Culture

• “Culture is the soul of the organization — the beliefs and values, and how they are manifested. I think of the structure as the skeleton, and as the flesh and blood. And culture is the soul that holds the thing together and gives it life force.”

Organizational Culture

• The pattern of shared values, beliefs and assumptions considered to be the appropriate way to think and act within an organization.
– Culture is shared
– Culture helps members solve problems
– Culture is taught to newcomers
– Culture strongly influences behaviour

Exhibit 10-1 Layers of Culture Levels of Culture

• Artifacts
– Aspects of an organization’s culture that you see, hear, and feel
• Beliefs
– The understandings of how objects and ideas relate to each other
• Values
– The stable, long-lasting beliefs about what is important
• Assumptions
– The taken-for-granted notions of how something should be in an organization

Characteristics of Organizational Culture

• Innovation and risk-taking
– The degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks.
• Attention to detail
– The degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision, analysis, and attention to detail.
• Outcome orientation
– The degree to which management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on technique and process.
• People orientation
– The degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization.
• Team orientation
– The degree to which work activities are organized around teams rather than individuals.
• Aggressiveness
– The degree to which people are aggressive and competitive rather than easygoing.
• Stability
– The degree to which organizational activities emphasize maintaining the status quo in contrast to growth.

Do Organizations Have Uniform Cultures?

• Organizational culture represents a common perception held by the organization members.
• Core values or dominant (primary) values are accepted throughout the organization.
– Dominant culture
• Expresses the core values that are shared by a majority of the organization’s members.
– Subcultures
• Tend to develop in large organizations to reflect common problems, situations, or experiences.

Keeping a Culture Alive

• Selection
– Identify and hire individuals who will fit in with the culture
• Top Management
– Senior executives establish and communicate the norms of the organization
• Socialization
– Organizations need to teach the culture to new employees

Culture’s Functions

• Social glue that helps hold an organization together
– Provides appropriate standards for what employees should say or do
• Boundary-defining
• Conveys a sense of identity for organization members
• Facilitates commitment to something larger than one’s individual self-interest
• Enhances social system stability
• Serves as a “sense-making” and control mechanism
– Guides and shapes the attitudes and behaviour of employees

Culture as a Liability

• Culture can have dysfunctional aspects in some instances
– Culture as a Barrier to Change
• When organization is undergoing change, culture may impede change
– Culture as a Barrier to Diversity
• Strong cultures put considerable pressure on employees to conform
– Culture as a Barrier to Mergers and Acquisitions
• Merging the cultures of two organizations can be difficult, if not impossible

Conditions for Culture Change

• A dramatic crisis
• Turnover in leadership
• Young and small organizations
• Weak culture

How Employees Can Change Unethical Behavior

• Secretly or publicly reporting unethical actions to a higher level within the organization.
• Secretly or publicly reporting unethical actions outside the organization.
• Secretly or publicly threatening an offender or responsible manager with reporting unethical actions.
• Quietly or publicly refusing to implement an unethical order or policy.

Actions Organizations Can Take to Develop an Ethical Culture

• Be realistic in setting values and goals regarding employee relationships.
• Encourage input from organization members regarding appropriate values and practices for implementing the culture.
• Do not automatically opt for a “strong” culture.
• Provide training on adopting and implementing the organization’s values.

Exhibit 10-6 Suggestions for Changing Culture

• Have top-management people become positive role models, setting the tone through their behaviour.
• Create new stories, symbols, and rituals to replace those currently in vogue.
• Select, promote, and support employees who espouse the new values that are sought.
• Redesign socialization processes to align with the new values.

Exhibit 10-6 Suggestions for Changing Culture (cont’d)

• Change the reward system to encourage acceptance of a new set of values.
• Replace unwritten norms with formal rules and regulations that are tightly enforced.
• Shake up current subcultures through transfers, job rotation, and/or terminations.
• Work to get peer group consensus through utilization of employee participation and creation of a climate with a high level of trust.

Exhibit 10-7 Lewin’s Three-Step Change Model

Implementing Change

• Unfreezing: getting ready for change
– Minimizing resistance
• Moving: making the change
– Changing people (individuals and groups); Tasks; Structure; Technology
• Refreezing: stabilizing the change
– Reinforcing outcomes, evaluating results, making constructive modifications

Exhibit 10-8
Unfreezing the Status Quo

Unfreezing

• Arouse dissatisfaction with the current state
– Tell them about deficiencies in organization
• Activate and strengthen top management support
– Need to break down power centres
• Use participation in decision making
– Get people involved
• Build in rewards
– Tie rewards to change/use recognition, status symbols, praise to get people to go along

Moving

• Establish goals
– E.G. Make business profitable by end of next year
• Institute smaller, acceptable changes that reinforce and support change
– E.G. Procedures and rules, job descriptions, reporting relationships
• Develop management structures for change
– E.G. Plans, strategies, mechanisms that ensure change occurs
• Maintain open, two-way communication

Refreezing

• Build success experiences
– Set targets for change, and have everyone work toward targets
• Reward desired behaviour
– GOOD - reward behaviour that reinforces changes
– BAD - reward old system (e.g., people relying on old systems while computerization is going on)
• Develop structures to institutionalize the change
– Organizational retreats, appropriate computer technology, performance appraisals that examine change efforts
• Make change work

Exhibit 10-9 Sources of Individual Resistance to Change
Cynicism About Change
• Feeling uninformed about what was happening
• Lack of communication and respect from one’s supervisor
• Lack of communication and respect from one’s union representative
• Lack of opportunity for meaningful participation in decision-making

Exhibit 10-11 Sources of Organizational Resistance to Change

Overcoming Resistance to Change

• Education and Communication
– This tactic assumes that the source of resistance lies in misinformation or poor communication.
• Participation
– Prior to making a change, those opposed can be brought into the decision process.
• Facilitation and Support
– The provision of various efforts to facilitate adjustment.

Overcoming Resistance to Change

• Negotiation
– Exchange something of value for a lessening of resistance.
• Manipulation and Cooperation
– Twisting and distorting facts to make them appear more attractive.
• Coercion
– The application of direct threats or force upon resisters.

Summary and Implications

• Employees form an overall subjective perception of the organization based on such factors as degree of risk tolerance, team emphasis, and support of people.
– This overall perception becomes, in effect, the organization’s culture or personality.
– These favourable or unfavourable perceptions then affect employee performance and satisfaction, with the impact being greater for stronger cultures.
• Just as people’s personalities tend to be stable over time, so too do strong cultures.
– This makes strong cultures difficult for managers to change.

Summary and Implications

• One of the more important managerial implications of organizational culture relates to selection decisions.
– Hiring individuals whose values don't align with those of the organization is not good.
• Change must be managed, it is not an easy process
• Individuals and organizations resist change
– To be successful at change, it is necessary to break down the resistance to change

OB at Work
For Review

1. Can an employee survive in an organization if he or she rejects its core values? Explain.
2. How can an outsider assess an organization’s culture?
3. What defines an organization’s subcultures?
4. How can culture be a liability to an organization?
5. What benefits can socialization provide for the organization? For the new employee?

For Review

6. Describe four cultural types and the characteristics of employees who fit best with each.
7. How does Lewin’s three-step model of change deal with resistance to change?
8. What is the difference between driving forces and restraining forces?
9. What are the factors that lead individuals to resist change?
10. What are the factors that lead organizations to resist change?

For Critical Thinking

1. Contrast individual personality and organizational culture. How are they similar? How are they different?
• Is socialization brainwashing? Explain.
• Can you identify a set of characteristics that describes your college’s or university’s culture? Compare them with several of your peers. How closely do they agree?
• “Resistance to change is an irrational response.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

Breakout Group Exercises

• Form small groups to discuss the following:

1. Choose two courses that you are taking this term, ideally in different faculties, and describe the culture of the classroom in each. What are the similarities and differences? What values about learning might you infer from your observations of culture?
2. Identify artifacts of culture in your current or previous workplace. From these artifacts, would you conclude that the organization had a strong or weak culture?
3. Reflect on either the culture of one of your classes, or the culture of the organization where you work, and identify aspects of that culture that could be changed. How might some of these changes be made?

Organisational Culture

2009-08-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

The culture of an organisation is an amalgamation of the values and beliefs of the people in an organisation. It can be felt in the implicit rules and expectations of behaviour in an organisation where, even though the rules are not formally written down employees know what is expected of them. It is usually set by management whose decisions on policy usually set up the culture of the organisation. The organisational culture usually has values and beliefs that support the organisational goals.

Values and Beliefs which support Organisational Goals.

The culture of the organisation, if it is positive and helpful can help to motivate staff or at least prevent them from becoming dissatisfied. At IBM. the attitude of management to their employees is an attraction to prospective staff and would probably help maintain the staff that they have. If the climate does not satisfy the needs of staff, then it will probably become a demotivator, - that is that it would cause dissatisfaction and so people would become less inclined to want to work towards the organisational goals.

Things in an organisation which contribute to the culture or climate

the organisational structure of reporting and relationships

company policy

personnel practices

work flow and work loads

job design

management and supervisory styles.

Things which can affect the organisational culture on an individual or personal level.

levels of trust

risk taking

stress

fears and anxieties

social interaction

factions and politics

Organisational Goals

All organisations have goals.

These goals might be to make the most profit they can, or to gain the highest market share in their area of business or in the case of many community organisations, to provide an effective service to the community even if they do not make any money at all.

Managers are employed to ensure that the people who work in an organisation are working together to achieve the organisations goals.

What is this thing called organisational culture?

Conversations often refer to different organisations having different cultures. For the average person - "culture" may mean that they perceive the organisation they are involved with to be:

pushy, harsh and authoritarian

very political with traps and pitfalls for people to fall into if they are not nimble and able to wheeler-deal and hold their own in a brawl

rule and ritual bound

cold and separated

brisk, dynamic, opportunistic

exploitative, all take and no give

caring and genuinely interested in people as people

People classify what they see as the characteristics of organisations. We construe and organisation culture. It is socially defined and experienced. The experience of the things we feel are displayed by the "culture and its practices" affect how we behave and respond to the organisations we work in.

Culture Control and Engineering

Managers seek to "change" the culture of the organisation. What they therefore try to do is shape the way that people behave, feel, contribute, interact, and perform as employees of the organisation. This is usually called leadership! They initiate the debates, set the imperatives and priorities. If the managers want to pursue quality improvement then meetings will be held, training will be done, banners will be waved - new imperatives are brought in to the business to be integrated by way of activities, expectations, values and sanctions into the culture of the business. This is business - the business must succeed in co-ordinated, highly charged ways.

New policies, methods and roles are introduced to shape behaviours, encourage, promote and require - to push certain expectations of performance in the business and thus to control.

Spoken of in other ways, culture in organisational terms is broadly the social/behavioural manifestation and experiencing of a whole range of issues such as:

the way work is organised and experienced

how authority exercised and distributed

how people are and feel rewarded, organised and controlled

the values and work orientation of staff

the degree of formalisation, standardisation and control through systems there is/should be

the value placed on planning, analysis, logic, fairness etc

how much initiative, risk-taking, scope for individuality and expression is given

rules and expectations about such things as informality in interpersonal relations, dress, personal eccentricity etc

differential status

emphasis given to rules, procedures, specifications of performance and results, team or individual working

Organisational Culture and Working Life

We are born into a culture; we take up employment in a culture. We might therefore argue that the culture of an organisation affects the type of people employed, their career aspirations, their educational backgrounds, and their status in society. The culture of the organisation may embrace them. It may reject them.

Visibility

Organisational culture may be visible

In the type of buildings, offices, shops of the organisation.

In the image projected in publicity and public relations in general. Think for example of the differences between a local authority, a computer manufacturer, and a merchant bank.

An organisation's culture may be imperceptible, taken for granted, assumed, a status quo that we live and participate in but do not question. Elements of the culture may be questioned where individual or group expectations do not correspond to the behaviour associated with the prevailing values of those who uphold "the culture".

An organisation may display elements of several "cultures" which may contradict each other, which may compete. We can even consider the characteristics of an anti-organisational or countervailing culture.

Classifying/Modelling Organisation Culture

To understand organisation cultures we can begin by describing types of organisation such as democratic, laissez-faire, participative etc. Such descriptions in a sense become representative "models" of organisations (abstractions). The model defines our assessment of elements, relationships, determinants and likely effects. Our model may enable us to predict events so that we act to steer our own behaviour and the behaviour of others.

Defining "models or frameworks" helps us to understand what the phenomena is, discuss it with others and identify what we might do to translate the model or parts of it into reality.

The Organizational Climate Assessment

The Organizational Climate Assessment is a powerful instrument, especially when provided organization-wide with specific departmental demographic separation and analysis. Each category has been designed to assess one of the key categories, which affect employee performance. This assessment should be administered anonymously company wide, broken out by departments of 6 or more people to protect the identities of respondents. Every precaution should be taken to insure confidentiality in order that respondents will feel comfortable sharing their true opinions and perspectives.
The objective of performing an employee climate assessment is to identify the key areas which are hindering production, reducing effectiveness and which might generate unexpected costs in the near future. The idea and approach is for the organization not to simply perform an academic exercise, simply because they 'do it at this time every year', but to critically examine themselves to see where the company and its employees might be finely tuned to generate higher levels of performance. Once identified, opportunities to strengthen existing approaches, which are working well, as well as select appropriate interventions for addressing the weakest areas, should be aggressively pursued for the maximum benefit of everyone.
This assessment is designed with the following assumptions in mind:

Fundamental care of the employee as an asset

Organizations are successful because of the quality of work employees perform. When employees are cared for, and the right environment is created where there are no barriers to performance, their true value to the organization can be fully realized.

Respect for the dignity of the employee and the sensitivities of human beings

Humans have fundamental needs for safety and security, affiliation and acceptance, involvement as well as self-actualization. The extent to which these and other human needs are fulfilled lead to higher levels of commitment, initiative and performance. Organizations, which include an emphasis on fulfilling the needs of their employees to some extent, will enjoy a more productive and stable workforce.

Full understanding of the realities of business

This assessment is written with full realization of the realities of business, and not an unrealistic utopian view of an idealized work environment. The factors emphasized and measured in this assessment are the important levers to optimizing employee workplace performance, not just creating an environment where everyone feels better.

Embracing optimization and improvement

An irrefutable trend in business today, continuous improvement and increasing levels of efficiency are a way of life, and these factors are given appropriate emphasis in this assessment because they represent an ever present dynamic with which every employee must deal.

Keys to motivation and commitment

Rather than only identifying potential problem areas to be avoided, this assessment focuses on areas where human behavior can be leveraged more positively to create employees with higher levels of motivation and commitment

Organisational Values

The values of an organisation are used to indicate the type of conduct:

Required by employees when carrying out the operations of the organisation

That customers can expect from the organisation

Organisational values often cover the following areas:

Compliance with legislation

Employment of staff

Customer service

Receiving gifts from suppliers and customers

Giving gifts to customers

Discrimination in the workplace

Employee integrity

Employee privacy

Quality standards of products and services

Example:

Some of the values that might be set for a Customer Contact Centre include:

Employees will act with honesty and integrity when dealing with customers, suppliers, government agencies and fellow employees. At all times employees will endeavour to act in such a way that others are treated with respect and dignity.

Employees will never directly or indirectly engage in theft, fraud or embezzlement. No employee will participate in fraudulent or deceptive activities towards the organisation, customers, suppliers or any other party with whom the organisation has business dealings.

Company policy prohibits unlawful discrimination against employees or customers based on their race, gender, religious or ethnic background.

The organisation will observe all laws and regulations governing business activity.

When organisations set values, they do so based on the ethics that they hold to be important.

A Why consider a climate survey?

The reasons in favour of climate surveys.

The CEO wants a measure of climate upon taking over the reigns of the organisation.

The CEO wants to find out what climate issues are interfering with organisational progress.

The CEO wants to improve performance - is aware that climate influences or is influenced by: job performance, job satisfaction, involvement, commitment, org structure and rules, leadership style, citizenship behaviour, innovation, competence, rewards, intention to quit, stress etc.

The CEO acts on the valuing human capital, and recognises climate components related to development, learning, innovation etc

Climate is easier to operationalise than culture. Climate precedes culture. Without appropriate climate, desired culture will not happen.

Climate is wonderful metaphor because everyone understands it. Climate can assist changes at organisational or individual level
Climate is an honest concept that has not been manufactured to cause something to happen, as have nearly all other organisational change options. Climate allows description of something that already exists. It also allows description of what is wanted, and is readily operationalised.

Org climate can empower or disempower.

Climate facilitates organisational alignment.

Reasons that prompt HR to consider a climate survey

· HR have sensed a need to have hard climate data to report to the executive

· HR wish to monitor the impact of other organisational change processes

· HR wish to measure the impact of environmental changes

Reasons that may delay a decision to undertake a climate survey

· Things are a bit bad just now
· Didn't help last time
· May encourage unreasonable expectations by employees

Making climate measurements useful
· There are processes to improve data quality and quantity
· Involvement of and ownership by employees
· Secure psychological safety

Moving from climate survey tostrategic climate.

There is a further process that takes climate measurement, and uses it as part of Deltapoint's Strategic Climate Planning and Management system.

Use strategic direction of organisation

Develop scenarios and flags
Design ideal org. climate for those scenarios
Find difference between current climate and target climate
Set project to align climate(s)
Do it
Measure it
Learn from it
Adjust strategic direction and loop again etc.
Even mere surveys can work better.
Organisational surveys such as climate, family friendly awareness, sexual discrimination, drug issues, job satisfaction, intention to quit and so on, are generally not well received when done in-house.
Questionnaires are easily biased to get the answers expected.
Staff fear abuse of data collected in-house.
The participant expects some improvement out of them, but that rarely happen.
A flawed questionnaire + insincere respondents = bad data.

Surveys conducted by appropriately skilled external consultant typically pull higher participation rates and better sincerity levels. Issues of confidentiality, trust, and credibility of researchers are important to those being surveyed, and the external consultant can better guarantee anonymity of results.

In a specific example, one climate survey conducted in-house suffered 6% missing data, and the missing data was scattered so that 92% of questions were not answered by everyone. There were widespread pattern responses that indicated insincere participation. Quantity and quality of data were poor. The follow-up survey, also measuring climate, but conducted by Deltapoint, returned .06% missing data, no unusable questions, and no detectable insincerity. In addition to reports being more meaningful, the inherent 'empowerment' of individuals during the process encouraged ownership of the solutions that they themselves created as part of the final report.

Climate can be a powerful organisational development tool when used

Four Principles of Interpersonal Communication

2009-08-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

These principles underlie the workings in real life of interpersonal communication. They are basic to communication. We can't ignore them

Interpersonal communication is inescapable

We can't not communicate. The very attempt not to communicate communicates something. Through not only words, but through tone of voice and through gesture, posture, facial expression, etc., we constantly communicate to those around us. Through these channels, we constantly receive communication from others. Even when you sleep, you communicate. Remember a basic principle of communication in general: people are not mind readers. Another way to put this is: people judge you by your behavior, not your intent.

Interpersonal communication is irreversible

You can't really take back something once it has been said. The effect must inevitably remain. Despite the instructions from a judge to a jury to "disregard that last statement the witness made," the lawyer knows that it can't help but make an impression on the jury. A Russian proverb says, "Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again."

Interpersonal communication is complicated

No form of communication is simple. Because of the number of variables involved, even simple requests are extremely complex. Theorists note that whenever we communicate there are really at least six "people" involved: 1) who you think you are; 2) who you think the other person is; 30 who you think the other person thinks you are; 4) who the other person thinks /she is; 5) who the other person thinks you are; and 6) who the other person thinks you think s/he is.
We don't actually swap ideas, we swap symbols that stand for ideas. This also complicates communication. Words (symbols) do not have inherent meaning; we simply use them in certain ways, and no two people use the same word exactly alike.
Osmo Wiio gives us some communication maxims similar to Murphy's law (Osmo Wiio, Wiio's Laws--and Some Others (Espoo, Finland: Welin-Goos, 1978):

If communication can fail, it will.

If a message can be understood in different ways, it will be understood in just that way which does the most harm.

There is always somebody who knows better than you what you meant by your message.

The more communication there is, the more difficult it is for communication to succeed.

These tongue-in-cheek maxims are not real principles; they simply humorously remind us of the difficulty of accurate communication. (See also A commentary of Wiio's laws by Jukka Korpela.)

Interpersonal communication is contextual

In other words, communication does not happen in isolation. There is:

Psychological context, which is who you are and what you bring to the interaction. Your needs, desires, values, personality, etc., all form the psychological context. ("You" here refers to both participants in the interaction.)

Relational context, which concerns your reactions to the other person--the "mix."

Situational context deals with the psycho-social "where" you are communicating. An interaction that takes place in a classroom will be very different from one that takes place in a bar.

Environmental context deals with the physical "where" you are communicating. Furniture, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day, all are examples of factors in the environmental context.

Cultural context includes all the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction.If you come from a culture (foreign or within your own country) where it is considered rude to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If the other person comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness, then we have in the cultural context a basis for misunderstanding.

Functions of Interpersonal Communication

2009-07-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

Interpersonal communication is important because of the functions it achieves. Whenever we engage in communication with another person, we seek to gain information about them. We also give off information through a wide variety of verbal and nonverbal cues. Read more about the various functions of interpersonal communication and then complete the interactive activity and the quiz at the end of this unit.

Gaining Information	One reason we engage in interpersonal communication is so that we can gain knowledge about another individual. Social Penetration Theory says that we attempt to gain information about others so that we can interact with them more effectively. We can better predict how they will think, feel, and act if we know who they are. We gain this information passively, by observing them; actively, by having others engage them; or interactively, by engaging them ourselves. Self-disclosure is often used to get information from another person.
Building a Context of Understanding	We also engage in interpersonal communication to help us better understand what someone says in a given context. The words we say can mean very different things depending on how they are said or in what context. Content Messages refer to the surface level meaning of a message. Relationship Messages refer to how a message is said. The two are sent simultaneously, but each affects the meaning assigned to the communication. Interpersonal communication helps us understand each other better.
Establishing Identity	Another reason we engage in interpersonal communication is to establish an identity. The roles we play in our relationships help us establish identity. So too does the face, the public self-image we present to others. Both roles and face are constructed based on how we interact with others.
Interpersonal Needs	Finally, we engage in interpersonal communication because we need to express and receive interpersonal needs. William Schutz2 has identified three such needs: inclusion, control, and affection. • Inclusion is the need to establish identity with others. • Control is the need to exercise leadership and prove one's abilities. Groups provide outlets for this need. Some individuals do not want to be a leader. For them, groups provide the necessary control over aspects of their lives. • Affection is the need to develop relationships with people. Groups are an excellent way to make friends and establish relationships.

Behvioural Patterns

2009-07-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

There are two basic types of behaviors in relationships: dominance and submissiveness. Dominance is often referred to as one-up, while submissiveness, one-down. In some relationships, the two are complementary--one individual is one-up, the other one-down--and the relationship is rewarding. Other relationships are symmetrical, where both parties are one-up or both are one-down. Problems can result when individuals feel trapped by their role as the dominant or submissive member of the relationship. Flexibility can help both partners enjoy the relationship.

Whenever we communicate with someone else, we open ourselves up for rejection. The other individual can accept what we say or reject what we say. Researcher Evelyn Sieburg19 has identified seven "disconfirming" responses that reject the other individual.

Impervious: Failing to acknowledge the other person.

Interrupting: Cutting the other's message short.

Irrelevant: Giving a response that is unrelated to what the other has said.

Tangential: Briefly responding to the other's message.

Impersonal: Responding by using formal, jargon-laden language.

Incoherent: Responding with a rambling, difficult to understand message.

Incongruous: Giving contradictory verbal and nonverbal messages.

A third type of relational pattern is a spiral. "In a spiral, one partner's behavior intensifies that of the other"20. Spirals can be progressive, in which one partner's behavior leads to increasing levels of satisfaction for the other. Spirals can also be regressive, where one partner's communication leads to increasing dissatisfaction. Stopping regressive spirals from getting out of control depends on the open communication between the two individuals.

A final type of relational pattern is dependencies and counter dependencies. In a dependency relationship, one individual sees himself or herself relying on another person for something. Soon, he or she agrees with whatever the other says or does. In a counter dependency, one individual sees himself or herself as not being dependent on the other. Thus, he or she disagrees with the other quite frequently

How to Formulate and Deliver a Career Product: What HR Professionals Can Learn From Marketers

2009-07-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today's human resources department must attract and retain a talented workforce. Filling the talent gap requires organizations to craft and deliver a career product, that is, a value proposition that is attractive to today's career professional.

This is not an easy task. The demand for talent is far outstripping supply in the United States, China, India, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In short, today's reality is: Too many companies chasing too few talented professional, managerial and technical workers.

We believe that the field of marketing offers human resources professionals the required framework for designing, developing, implementing and measuring the success of their talent acquisition programs.

Marketing: The Science of Creating and Keeping Customers

There is much confusion about the term “marketing." What we think of today as “the marketing concept” comes from Peter Drucker, who stated (with typical incisive insight), “There is only one valid definition of business purpose: Create a customer.”

Drucker concluded:

“In the event marketing were done perfectly, selling would become redundant. Indeed, selling and marketing are antithetical rather than synonymous or even complimentary... There will always, one can assume, be a need for selling...

...But the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits [the customer] and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy. All that should be needed then is to make the product or service available."

What Was Drucker Really Saying?

Selling is communication. Selling is just a component of the marketing proposition. If you’ve got what potential customers want, need, expect, value and are willing to pay for, selling is easy.

A new drug that cures a specific disease needs little selling. The appropriate target audience will instantly respond when told about potential benefits and risks.

Marketing is, therefore, more than delivering the message. Among other things, it's creating the product/service and then communicating to the target audience that the product/service is available.

But what are the most important components of marketing? The most important tasks in marketing have to do with studying the market, segmenting it, targeting the groups you want to service and creating a total customer-getting and customer-keeping proposition.

Advertising and selling are afterthoughts! Remember Drucker’s message: The aim of marketing is to make selling unnecessary. Finding needs and filling them in a way that meets and exceeds customers’ expectations is what marketing is all about.

Quick Review of Marketing Fundamentals

A “tangible product” is the physical product or service that is offered to the customer. It is what is immediately recognized as the “thing” being sold. Computers, learning programs, steel reinforcing bars, software and office furniture are all tangible products.

The “augmented product” is a tangible product coupled with a whole cluster of services that people value. For example, the augmented product of IBM for many years was not only the computer, but a whole set of accompanying services, including training, off-the-shelf software programs, contract programs, maintenance and repairs, guarantees and the like.

IBM’s outstanding position in the computer industry was due, in large part, to its early recognition that the customer wants, needs, expects and is willing to pay for these “extras” when purchasing or leasing a computer. The total customer-getting and customer-keeping proposition equates to the augmented product/service concept.

Good marketing calls for asking and systematically answering two Drucker questions: 1) Who is the customer? and 2) What is value to the customer? How a given product or service is augmented is determined by the answers to these questions.

Strategy Precedes Structure in Marketing a Career Product

The Drucker questions enable the selection of a product strategy. An organization must not only have a winning product strategy to pursue, but also a matching structure to facilitate its implementation. So to must human resources departments.

Strategy precedes structure. Much time must be devoted to creating a viable organizational structure to administer the selected augmented product strategy. Time must also be devoted to creating a human resources department structure that can support a career product strategy.

Marketing also requires the development of an organizational infrastructure capable of delivering what the total value proposition promises. Every element of the value proposition must be converted into a key activity.

These key activities become the building blocks of the internal organization. Key activities are assigned to groups and individuals who are responsible for their delivery.

Work assignments, deadlines for performance and budgets must be prepared to enable key activities to be carried out. Without resources for their execution, key activities will remain a good intention.

Augmenting Your Organization's Career Product

How can marketing thinking be applied to developing and implementing a career product? Every human resources organization must ask the two Drucker questions, namely:

Who is the career customer?
What does the career customer value?

What is your organization's total value proposition to prospective and existing employees? Take, for example, training and development and continuous learning. Today's career professional demands these two "value-adding" benefits. They should be part of the total career customer getting and career customer keeping process.

But many organizations do not keep their promises to employees with respect to their career product. Why? Because they do not convert career customer-getting benefits into major key activities—and they fail to develop the appropriate organizational structure to deliver the promised career product.

Many surveys indicate that fast-track employees are not satisfied with the training and development and continuous learning activities offered by their organizations. Without doubt, it was part of the "selling proposition" of job recruiters. Eventually, this dissatisfaction will result in a higher turnover rate.

The human resources department of every organization must formulate a career product. And then decide how to effectively deliver what the total career product proposition promises.

A strategic talent acquisition or talent management strategy should provide answers to two basic questions: What to do and how to do it. The first question refers to the design of a career product strategy that attracts first-class job candidates.

A human resources organization must have not only a winning career product strategy to pursue, but also a matching organizational structure to facilitate its implementation.

More Drucker Insights for Human Resources Marketing

More than 20 years ago, Drucker discussed the need for human resources to focus on organizational structure and the design of professional, managerial and technical jobs to satisfy the needs, expectations and aspirations of the emerging "career customer."

It's quite evident that the market for jobs and careers has become a genuine mass-market capable of being segmented in a variety of ways. Every organization, therefore, needs to design a "career product " that will attract and satisfy today's career customer segment by segment.

The career customer, even in this recession, has increasingly become a demanding customer. According to Drucker: "Like the customer, who, in a healthy economy, always wants more and different goods and services for his money, the career customer always want something better and different from the job..."

Only a few short years ago, Drucker noted, a job candidate expected a living but now expects a career and an opportunity to make a contribution. At the same time he or she looks increasingly for a chance to put knowledge to work.

Many other concepts developed for the discipline of marketing have been translated into very specific methodologies. These involve product-positioning strategies, positioning multiple brands, repositioning strategies, market-geographic strategies and more.

Body Language for Successful HR

2009-07-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Even people, like the Prince of Wales, who are trained to deal with difficult situations can display the wrong body language when under pressure and ruin the message they hope to convey. Anna Burges-Lumsden reports on the importance of non-verbal cues.

Prince Charles’ body language said it all at a photo call in Klosters on 31 March 2005. With a forced smile through gritted teeth, a defensive posture and eyes desperate to avoid contact with Fleet Street’s finest, his distaste for the media could not have been clearer.

Prince William, by contrast, appeared relaxed, poised and confident of the image he was presenting. And so in one dramatic photograph the importance of body language was laid bare.

What the Prince of Wales really needs - apart from a lecture on the dangers of speaking near a microphone - is some serious body language coaching. Like thousands of other people in positions of responsibility he would benefit from expert help on non-verbal communication.

Words account for less than 10% of a message’s impact. The rest comes from non-verbal cues.

According to Mike Petrook, public affairs manager of the Chartered Management Institute, 90% of the messages we convey are through body language.

He said: “Half of what we communicate is transmitted through our bodily positions and movements, so understanding physical gestures and ex-pressions can help us work more efficiently at all levels of the workplace.

“Being aware of people’s body language will help you learn more about your colleagues and how to work better with them,” he said.

Mary-Louise Angoujard, CEO and founder of Rapporta, who is specialist in executive communication and body language, believes body language is only part of the whole picture.

“Non-verbal communication not only includes body language, posture, facial ex-pressions and eye contact, but also vocal ex-pression, tone, pitch and pace.” And she said that to communicate successfully you must “ensure congruence with your words in all these areas”.

During negotiations or when you need to maintain authority in a meeting, Angoujard affirmed the importance of being clear of your objectives and the messages you want to communicate.

“Preparation is key,” she said. “And gathering all facts and documentation and pre-empting all possible difficulties or concerns will ensure confidence and a feeling of positive self-control. As so much of body language is unconscious on our part, this will help to ensure your non-verbal communication sends out the right signals.”

Angela Mortimer, who runs her own international recruitment consultancy, believes that maintaining good eye contact is also essential.

“People talk about eye contact and active listening, but staring someone out can be negative,” she said. “You can divert your eyes when you’re thinking and make eye contact again when you’re talking.”

When conducting interviews, Angoujard emphasised the importance of building rapport with the individual and establishing an environment where they feel at ease.

“This is the only way you will be best served in discovering their real strengths and skills and whether they will be a good match for the role and your organisation,” she said.

During difficult situations such as making redundancies, Angoujard recommended greeting the employee in an appropriately pleasant but serious manner.

She said: “Welcome with a pleasant ex-pression, however maintain a demeanour that reflects the serious nature of the discussion and your respect for the situation and the individual.”

Angoujard also stressed the importance of the environment in which the redundancy takes place. She suggested that when possible, conduct the meetings on neutral ground such as a meeting or conference room rather than someone’s office, and that being seated around the corner of a round, oval or square table will be less ‘confrontational’ and more ‘collegiate’.

Petrook warned, however, that body language is hard to fake and even someone who has developed a good understanding of the importance of gestures and gesticulations cannot completely disguise their own thoughts.

“There are some elements of behaviour that will remain controlled by the subconscious and are involuntary,” he said.

Angoujard said that because so much of non-verbal communication is subliminal in nature, the best solution is to understand first your own attitudes, intentions and objectives and then speak accordingly.

This way, the messages you send involuntarily will be congruent with your conscious words, tone and gestures, she said.

“When you believe your own message, the impact is much greater and others are more likely to believe you mean what you say,” Angoujard said.

Body language for tricky situations

In negotiations

Prepare well
Control environment
Offer a warm greeting
Understand your position
Have an upright, confident posture
Open body language (relaxed not stiff)
Build rapport
Maintain good eye contact - no eyeballing
Ask good quality, open questions
Speak in a clear, measured manner
Show empathy
Display controlled energy.
Avoid

Unremitting eyeball to eyeball
Ignoring members of the group
Coldness or harshness in your voice
Closed body language (arms folded, head down, avoiding eye contact).
Making redundancies

Offer a pleasant but serious greeting
Provide a round, oval or square table and sit on the corner not opposite
Use an appropriate voice tone, pitch, pace
Display open, neutral body language
Give reasonable eye contact
Present a respectful attitude
Offer empathy but stay businesslike
Provide meaningful consultations
Use a calm voice at a slow pace
Use a businesslike demeanour
Supply third-party reference facts
Don’t be

Distant or intimate
Superior or inferior
Offensive or defensive
Maternal or paternal
Unfeeling
Maintain unbroken eye contact
Display overtly closed or defensive body language
Display too much joviality or friendliness
Conducting interviews

Use open body language
Present a straight, relaxed, confident posture
Maintain good eye contact so that you look pleasant and engaged
Offer a firm handshake
Show sincerity in voice tone
Speak a suitable pace
Explain expectations
Take charge
Express interest in person & their experience
Ask framed, contextualised questions
Listen attentively and nod occasionally
Don't

Give a flimsy or bone-crushing handshake
Sit across a table
Stand too close on arrival
Invade personal space
Say: “Tell me about yourself”

Body Language at Work

What people say is often very different from what they think. We’ve all learned that honesty is not always the best policy. Keeping your cards close to your chest is seen as the most basic workplace survival strategy. Is body language the chink in all our armour?

What really matters most to your boss – posture or performance? Body language specialists argue that the two are inter-related. If you come across as disorganised or lacking composure, your colleagues will dismiss your ideas and efforts.

Spot the difference
Laurel Herman, author of Managing Your Image In a Week, provides one-to-one body language consulting. She put her belief in body language theories to the test. When planning an important speech on the subject, she decided to give her audience a graphic demonstration. ‘When I was announced I scurried on to the stage and then began speaking in a high-pitched, squeaky, breathless voice, allowing my words to trip over themselves. As I spoke I maintained a hunched shoulder posture and gesticulated wildly. After a few sentences, I abruptly sat down to a horrified silence. The shock was palpable. Then I got up again, and standing quite upright, hands neatly by my side, addressed the audience in a calm, authoritative voice.’ From then on, her relationship with the audience was completely transformed: ‘They listened attentively to every word.’

Expert findings
This is backed by psychologist, Albert Mehrabian. He claims that it’s not what you say, but how you say it that really matters. In the 1960s he conducted extensive communication research and discovered that words account for a tiny seven percent of a message’s impact. The rest comes from non-verbal cues, such as voice tone and facial ex-pression.

But in the real world of work how much does all this really matter? A growing number of workers use technology to communicate. Phone calls, faxes and emails don’t betray whether we're sitting up straight or lounging comfortably at our desks.

People who work from home are even more out of the picture. ‘There's a significant section of the workforce who don't need to consider their body language,’ says Kathryn Bullock, founder E-Womenforum.com. ‘They may still see some people but, on the whole, they can get on with their jobs, and get on with them very well, without ever having to think about how they look.

Many workers do have to deal with clients and colleagues on a face-to-face basis. Here body language plays a ‘massive role’, says Judi James, author of BodyTalk At Work: ‘Knowing how to give the right body language signals and knowing how to read those around you can actually boost your career.’ Judi explains the most common examples of bad body language:

Tightly crossed arms, high on the chest, looks defensive and uninterested
High-pitched, fast-paced voice may sound girly and lack authority
Rolling on your heels looks like you are insecure and childish
Lazing about on a chair appears arrogant and lazy
A shoulder shrug signals that you don’t believe what's been said, even if it was you that said it!
Playing with your hair implies an inner build-up of anxiety
Pulling your ear gives the impression you're struggling to reach a decision
Touching your face is a sign of nervousness or possibly even dishonesty
Stroking your neck can make you seem stressed or flirtatious
Wringing your hands shows concern
Fidgeting suggests worry
Foot tapping impatience
Pen drumming boredom

The sceptics
‘You’ve got to put it into perspective,’ says Gene Crozir from the Institute of Management. Nick Isle, from the Industrial Society agrees. ‘Body language is just one element of communication and communication itself is just one element of the skills required to succeed in today’s workplace.’ Both point out that the importance of body language can be overstated or simply misunderstood. ‘A lot of people don’t understand it and, even if they did, most don’t have time to analyse it properly. They’re too busy getting on with their jobs,’ says Crozir.

Is body language winning?
The Looking Good, Sounding Right: style counselling in the new economy report highlights that certain aspects of body language are becoming increasingly important in the growing service sector. The physical impression given by staff in this sector is becoming inextricably linked with brand awareness and success. The report suggests that looking and sounding the part may count more than one’s experience or ability.

EXIT INTERVIEW- Purpose, Process and Format

2009-07-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

EXIT INTERVIEW- Purpose, Process and Format

We always talk/write about relations and respect every relation. Relation between employer and employee is also one such relation. Gone are the days when people use to stick to one job for rest of their life. The trust is lost and the faith is lost as well from both sides. If an employer is having a policy of hire and fire, employees are also free to change their jobs whenever they want. We are only reaping the fruits from the trees sown by us. Anyway, if you are sitting across the table with your employee for an exit interview, probably that is the last opportunity for you to change his mind and to retain him and if you are able to do it, you are not only brilliant but excellent HR Professional.

As we need experts to take hiring interviews…we also need experts to take EXIT Interviews. Not everyone can take exit interview.

Purpose While attrition is a natural process for organizations, replacing employees is expensive. The cost goes beyond merely placing an advertisement for the opening in a newspaper. It includes training a new employee, staff time for selecting a new employee, lost productivity while the position is open and lost productivity until the new employee gets up to speed. Understanding why people voluntarily leave the company can provide an opportunity for the firm to make changes to reduce turnover rates -- and reduce the associated costs.

The exit interview serves a number of important functions. When trends in voluntary separations are tracked, the firm may be provided a valuable heads up concerning discrimination problems. It can be anything : Discrimination between expertise, Discrimination between profiles, Discrimination between Grades or categories or bands likewise . If a trend reveals an inordinate number of women and minorities are resigning, there could be a lack of advancement opportunities. By exploring these issues through exit interviews, the company can learn about the issue and take corrective action.

Valuable feedback concerning training and development can be obtained during the exit interview. If employees feel they are not properly trained to perform the responsibilities of their jobs, they may leave. If employees feel that the assignments are not matching to their core competence which compel them to perform poorly. Or some may leave when they perceive there is a lack of opportunities for future positions. Using the exit interview effectively can also provide the company with valuable feedback concerning benefits and compensation. This can be both negative and positive. It is equally important to know what employees’ value and what they would like to see changed. The organization can provide a more competitive compensation and benefits package if they utilize this feedback.

The public relations aspect of the exit interview is equally important. The interview is an opportunity for the employer to end the employee's time with the company on a positive note. A new relationship with the departing employee may be created. As the employee departs with positive feelings about the organization, this will be communicated to remaining employees, local community / technical fraternity and future employees. The end result may even be ease of recruiting future applicants.

Check List for the Exit Interview: The exit interview is an interview given to a departing employee. This is usually done for employees that voluntarily quit instead of those that are fired or laid off. Exit interviews offer a fleeting opportunity to find out information that otherwise might be more difficult or impossible to obtain.

1. Think carefully about the information you would like to get before the interview. This greatly increases the odds of a successful interview.
2. Save the hardest questions for the latter part of the interview. Work up to the tough stuff.
3. Be prepared for some bombshells. Expect the unexpected – if it ever is to happen it will happen in an exit interview.
4. Carefully select the interviewer. Look for someone that listens well and is open-minded. It serves no purpose for the interviewer to get into an argument with the departing employee.
5. Throughout the interview stay focused on the employee.
6. Look for open-ended questions that allow for plenty of expression. An example of this might be "how did you feel during your employment with us?" or "how do you feel the company is run?"
7. Try to find out if there were things the departing employee would suggest improving conditions, production or morale.
8. Try to get a good feel for how they viewed their compensation and benefits package.
9. Leave room at the end of the interview for general comments.
10. Take notes of the high points. Get the general idea – it is not essential to get exact quotes. It is more important to listen than write.
11. Immediately after the interview determine whether you would rehire the employee. Mention accordingly in your HR database where rehire recommended or not.
12. Make use of the information gathered. If you do not use this new information then why do an exit interview?
The exit interview provides us with a good mechanism to take a hard look at how your company is perceived. Since the employee is leaving, they will often be more open and frank in their discussions about the company.
Those companies that do not conduct exit interviews miss out on a great opportunity.

Conducting the Interview HR managers are a critical part of the separation process. Exit interviews are traditionally conducted by HR staff members with the knowledge and input of the immediate manger of the departing employee. Using HR managers as interviewers, improves the chance employees will open up and provide more valuable feedback. We need to ensure that exit interview should not taken by same department manager or same HR representative of the employee, otherwise employee will not open up or end up with arguments.

There are a number of key issues to keep in mind. The interviewer should always begin the process on a positive note - perhaps by offering a thank you for the employee's service to the organization. And above all, the employee should always be treated with dignity and respect. In some sensitive situations, employees may even be asked how they would like their departure to be handled with peers. It is important for every organization to ensure that all employees leaving the company (especially those leaving for disciplinary reasons or lack of performance) have been provided due process. Every individual must be given the opportunity to have his or her side of the issue heard. It is always important to provide documentation. If the employee has resigned, a letter of resignation should be included with the termination paperwork.

The primary key to an effective exit interview is preparation. The planning becomes an essential component of success in conducting the exit interview. Interviewers should plan out issues to be covered and the questions to be asked. Structured interviews are recommended with the use of questions prepared in advance.

Questions to be asked in Exit Interview
1. What is your primary reason for leaving?
2. Did anything trigger your decision to leave?
3. What was most satisfying about your job?
4. What was least satisfying about your job?
5. What would you change about your job?
6. Did your job duties turn out to be as you expected?
7. Did you receive enough training to do your job effectively?
8. Did you receive adequate support to do your job?
9. Did you receive sufficient feedback about your performance between Performance Management?
10. Were you satisfied with this company's Performance Management process?
11. Did this company help you to fulfill your career goals?
12. What would you improve to make our workplace better?
13. Were you happy with your pay, benefits and other incentives?
14. What could your immediate boss do to improve his or her management style?
15. Based on your experience with us, what do you think it takes to succeed at this company?
16. Did any company policies or procedures (or any other obstacles) make your job more difficult?
17. Would you consider working again for this company in the future?
18. Would you recommend working for this company to your family and friends?
19. How do you generally feel about this company?
20. What did you like most about this company?
21. What did you like least about this company?
22. What does your new company offer that this company doesn't?
23. Can this company do anything to encourage you to stay?
24. Any other issue you like to discuss?

Introspection/ Probing the Reasons Interviewers usually want to determine the real reasons of voluntary separations. This provides an opportunity to make changes - particularly when the separation may also be impacting other people. For example, management is often cited as a common reason people leave the organization. It is good for the company to know the reasons so they can take corrective action.

To me, the interviewer must move beyond the basic information. It is critical to get beyond the "politically correct" reason that the majority of employees provide when leaving a position. The critical portion of the interview should probe the employee for feedback about the working conditions and how they might be improved. Many employees, however, are reluctant to provide this information. This reluctance often stems from the concern over negatively influencing future job references.

The interviewer should be exploring common threads across all employees leaving the company. Of special concern are the new hires that leave the company after a relatively short period of time. This information can signal hiring problems - if employees are mismatched with their skills or if realistic job previews are not used. If an inaccurate picture is painted of the job, employee expectations will not be met and turnover often results.

If the company is willing to rehire the employee, this should be explicitly stated at the conclusion of the interview. Sometimes the grass is not really, greener on the other side of the fence and employees regret leaving their jobs. The door should always be left open for those employees who would be welcome to return to the organization. In some cases, the interviewer might even explore options for part-time or temporary work rather than lose a good employee altogether.

Follow-up interviews are more likely to be conducted by mail or telephone. Some companies are waiting three to six months before conducting their exit interviews. For this reason, some companies have opted to use a six-month follow-up exit interview. The rationale is the more time that passes, the more objective the feedback information that is provided to the company - thereby providing greater insights - and the less hesitation on the part of the employee to share negative feedback.

Conclusion
With the recognition exit interviews can provide an opportunity for valuable feedback, new approaches are being used. Trends in exit interviews today include outsourcing and automated surveys. Some companies have opted to delegate the exit interview to a third party firm that specializes in conducting these interviews. The rationale is departing employees may be more open and honest with an objective third party. These interviewers are often trained in asking probing questions and can elicit more information.

The information solicited from the exit interview is only valuable if it used. It must be disseminated to the appropriate people within the organization and then actually used to make positive changes. Otherwise, the company has missed a valuable opportunity.

Here I have tried to cover the Exit Interview in its totality. I hope that the information provided herein will be of use to you. A proposed Exit Interview Form is also enclosed herewith . From the personal perspective, I feel that the departing interviews must also be as crucial as hiring interviews

Employee Retention

2009-07-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

As the economy heats up and there is demand for candidates with requisite skills and knowledge, a number of employees have started to look outside their company for growth. As the CEO’s feel the pressure from managers who use this excuse at every management meeting for their poor performance, the cry goes out “Stop the turnover.”

So what can any one company, or even worse, their poor beleaguered H R Manager do to reduce the turnover? Starting at the basics, “turnover is not the disease; it is the symptom of the disease”. It is like a fever, the underlying cause may be an infection of the stomach, the eye or a wound in the leg. The treatment would differ for each of these reasons and the doctor first finds out the cause before she starts recommending a cure Or starting with a different imagery, “Turnover is like the tip of the iceberg, you only see one-tenth of it, nine-tenths of it is below the water and hidden from the view.”

So here we go on a 6 Step Program to reducing turnover. Note this, for it is important” reduce” not “eliminate”. For neither is it possible to eliminate turnover, nor desirable to do so.

Step I: Measure the turnover: Foolish as it may sound, very often the cry for high level of turnover may be exaggerated, it may be due to a favorite of some powerful manager leaving the organization on being denied a much wanted (though often undeserved) promotion. So have an ongoing program to measure the attrition rate, use simple tools to start with and refine as you go along. This will be very easy if you have a decent HRIS system, if not use payroll data. Do not start with a state-of-the art solution; the problem with modern art is that it is about “15 minutes of fame”.

Step II: Analyze the turnover: Slice and dice the data, compare turnover across departments, across performance levels, across number of years with the company etc. Compare it to last year, to industry trends, to the best of breed if you can. Call up your batch mate who is the Head of HR for “Enemy No. 1” Company. Check with him, most probably he will be happy to share the data with you if you share your findings with him. Bill the lunch expense to your company, if possible invite another friend, after all the more the merrier. If you cannot entertain for only marketing has an entertainment budget, you have found the root cause of the turnover. Any company which does not value its People function definitely deserves to have turnover problems. In fact you should polish up your resume and look for a job yourself.

Step III: Still feel you have a turnover problem? Try to find out the cause of this turnover? The methodology can vary? From the old fashioned one of talking with a wide cross-section of your employees on a regular basis, one-to-one (I found this gave me the most insight when I worked as an HR Manager), to fancy employee surveys (my recommended strategy when I am being paid on an hourly basis as a consultant). The latter has the benefit of the boss believing the highly paid consultant more than some HR jerk who gets a lowly salary and who has scored poorly in interpersonal skills in the peer review. (Told you, do not try to point out the unhappiness in the finance function employees, or that the sales department employees seem to watch all new films first day, first show etc.) On a serious note, it is easier to accept negative news from an outside third party which is perceived to have no political axe to grind.
One point here on surveys, for God’s sake do not attempt one on your own if you do not have the knowledge base for it, at the least read two books and learn about survey design before you attempt it. The best bet is to give this to someone who has done it before and knows about not only the technical requirements but also the process issues. I will not go into the point about “lies, damn lies and statistics”.

Step IV: For each cause draw out a solution:
Once you have started a survey, whether formal or informal you have to do something about the problems you uncover. This is the price of knowledge, if you know the problem you will have to solve it. If you do nothing you after this you will increase the unhappiness and the feeling that no one cares or is bothered.

The causes may vary, bad leadership, lousy salary, lack of training, insufficient skills, bad working conditions, a poor benefits package, employees lack skills and motivation, lack of promotion, long working hours etc. Pick up the top three and throw some managerial time and attention at it. Remember this; managers will be interested only if their performance bonus is tied to solving the problem. Make sure that you have some frontline employees involved, not only the gung-ho, lets get ahead types by sucking up to the boss, but also those who are informal leaders and would normally not touch anything that has the smell of management on it. Making sure that you have a good mix of people here, not only is the quality of the solution important, more critically they should have the political savvy (Okay-okay, a high emotional quotient, hope the word is not copyrighted.) to create a buy-in for their solution.

Step V: Implement the solutions: This part is tricky for some people will definitely be upset with the recommended changes. Change as we all know is tricky, it threatens vested interests, and their pushback has been known to trip the best of leaders. You cannot give up here; remember that if you have ensured proper participation and have been open about the reason why the company needs to change, you can create buy-in for the change process. For after all what is the option, not change, continue in the same merry old way and see all the employees walk away to jobs with your competitors. (I understand I am exaggerating here, but a bit of drama was necessary to catch your attention.)

Step VI: Communication, communication, communication:
Forgive me Conrad Hilton for the paraphrasing, but as any good HR professional knows this is important. While you are trying to solve the turnover problem remember you have to keep the others engaged. You cannot involve everyone, nor hope they will sit quietly and wait patiently for you to come up with a solution. Remember the 5 W’s Who, What, When, Where, Why. Let the employees know what you are trying to do, why you are doing it, who all are doing it, where are the problems and when will they solve them. Use a variety of communication channels, one-to-one meetings, many-one meetings, Notice Boards, Town Hall meetings, the intranet, etc. And remember communication is a two way street, so use mediums that allow for feedback. Go out and search for feedback, if you do not have the pulse of your employees there is no way you will get to know what is happening.

This is the trickiest part, where the rubber meets the road. Boy does it get hot here. First of all, if you have communicated enough, everyone is watching what is going to happen next. God help you if you have not communicated enough, for the locker rooms, I mean the chat rooms are abuzz. The grape-wine is now an Ethernet cable and is on the world-wide web. Or someone may be blogging about the problems in your company. So pray and get the information out on the formal channels, before the informal channels start buzzing and inevitably distort the truth.

So now that you have the answer, stop reading, take a printout and get to it. You can send me the thank you note after you have solved the problem. Remember the crisp 1000 Rupee notes say thank you the loudest.

The Danger of Hiring During a Recession

2009-07-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

Are you in a hiring mode during this recession?

There's a good news/bad news flavor to hiring right now.

First the Good News:

Do you think it will be a cake walk because...

* there are so many good candidates out there who have been laid off?
* they are motivated to quickly land a new job so they can put bread on their family table?
* if they have the skills and knowledge to jump right in the company will immediately reap the benefits?

Now the Bad News:

Well, it may seem like it's going be easy, but you better not be lulled into thinking that all 'star players' are equal, because they aren't. You are also going to be faced with a lot more candidates for each opening than normal simply because there are so many people unemployed right now.

You may ask "So what's the issue with having a lot of 'stars' to pick from?" Wouldn't we all like to have that problem? And, today because of economic and competitive pressures, we need new hires to jump in and get up to speed almost from day one.

Here are 3 key things you need to look out for:

* Not all 'stars' will fit the culture of your company.
* Not all 'stars' will fit the profile of what it takes to be highly productive in a given role in your company.
* They may be over qualified, but took the job out to keep afloat until the job market turns around.
* They will get bored quickly, and... Either jump ship at the first opportunity, or will become a negative source of energy and infect others with the same 'disease'.

So, what do you do? How can you make sure you hire people who are not only stars where they came from, but who can also be stars for your company?

* Hire people who 'fit' the culture of the company.
* Hire people who 'fit' the profile of the best employees currently the position.
* Understand the 'Total Person' you are potentially hiring.

OK, so now you know what to look for, here's how you figure out the 'fit' criteria and the 'Total Person'.

You may have heard of employee assessment tools that someone takes and the results tell you who the person is. You may think of these as personality tests. But, that's not really accurate.

Most personality tests tell you what a person thinks of themselves. But, what they think of themselves today may be different in a month or two because the things around them are changing. These are things like whether they consider themselves optimistic, a steady team player, analytical, etc.

For hiring people, I'm talking about assessment tools that tell you about the core behavioral characteristics about the individual; the kind of things that don't really change very much once they become an adult. These are things like energy level-how may balls they can juggle at one time--, how social they are, whether they like to be managed closely or not, etc.

A good assessment tool will not only tell you about the candidate's behavioral characteristics, but also their learning style, their math and vocabulary skills, their communication skills, and their occupational interests. That's called a 'Total Person' assessment according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Now let's talk about 'fit' with the company culture and the position. This part is easy. You give your best performers in the position who have been with the company at least 12 months the same assessment the candidates will take. You then build a profile from the top performers' assessments.

This profile is then compared to the results of the candidate. The closer the match, the more likely they are to be top performers as well. Not only that, they will also fit the culture of the company.

The end result is that you will hire top performers who are likely to be a 'fit' for the long term. The more comfortable they are, the happier they are...and that's what we all want.

Remember, employees make companies great in good times and bad...hire good employees who 'fit' and make your company Great!

About the Author

Mike is an internationally recognized expert at helping employers meet their business objectives by teaching them how to get the right people into the right seat on their bus. Most employers face continuing challenges in hiring, developing and retaining their best employees. Mike guides his clients through this maze. To experience how this is done, sign up for a free job analysis survey for one of your open positions at www.eSessments.com.

PROBLEM IN PERFORMANCE APPRAISA

2009-07-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

The problem with subjective measure is the rating which is not verifiable by others and has the opportunity for bias. The rate biases include: (a) halo effect (b) the error of central tendency, (c) the leniency and strictness biases (d) personal prejudice, and (e) the recent performance effect

(a) Halo Effect: It is the tendency of the raters to depend excessively on the rating of one trait or behavioral consideration in rating all others traits or behavioral considerations. One way of minimizing the halo effect is appraising all the employees by one trait before going to rate on the basis of another trait.

(b) The error of Central Tendency: Some raters follow play safe policy in rating by rating all the employees around the middle point of the rating scale and they avoid rating the people at both the extremes of the scale. They follow play safe policy because of answerability to management or lack of knowledge about the job and person he is rating or least interest in his job.

(c) The Leniency and Strictness: The leniency bias crops when some raters have a tendency to be liberal in their rating by assigning higher rates consistently. Such ratings do not serve any purpose. Equally damaging one is assigning consistently low rates.

(d) Personal Prejudice: If the rater dislikes any employee or any group, he may rate them at the lower end, which may distort the rating purpose and affect the career of these employees.

(e) The Recent performance Effect: The raters generally remember the recent actions, of the employee at the time of rating and rate on the basis of these recent actions favorable or unfavorable than on the whole activities.

Other factors that are considered as problems are

Â· Failure of the superiors in conducting performance appraisal and post performance appraisal interview.

Â· Most part of the appraisal is based on subjectivity.

Â· Less reliability and validity of the performance appraisal techniques.

Â· Negative ratings affect interpersonal relations and industrial relations system.

Â· Influence of external environmental factors and uncontrollable internal factors.

Â· Feedback and post appraisal interview may have a setback on production.

Â· Management emphasizes on punishment rather than development of an employee in performance appraisal.

Â· Some ratings particularly about the potential appraisal are purely based on guess work.

The other problems of performance appraisal reported by various studies are:

* Relationship between appraisal rates and performances after promotions was not significant.
* Some superiors completed appraisal reports within a few minutes.
* Absence of inter-rater reliability.
* The situation was unpleasant in feedback interview.
* Superiors lack that tact of offering the suggestions constructively to subordinates.
* Supervisors were often confused due to too many objectives of performance appraisal.

Advantages of Performance Appraisal through Computers:

There will be an objective analysis of traits of both the superior and subordinate and a chance to subordinate to express his views even after performance appraisal.

An employee shall express his emotional needs and his value system which may not be possible direct face to face with superior. Communication through computer overcomes the communication barrier between the superior and subordinate.

Computer based appraisal will remove the inherent weakness of the appraisal system that is subjective assessment of vague and abstract performance targets, unclear guidelines for appraisal etc.

Innovative ways through which organizations can reward employees

2009-07-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Honesty and integrity form the pillars of workplace whether it is a small establishment or a big company. The success of any business house is subject to the credibility quotient of its employees. Having a moral works in the best interest of both employees and the employers.

Business is based on trust. The growth of a company or institution, thus, depends on the degree of trust it has managed to generate in the minds of the clientele. In today’s work atmosphere, where the efficiency of the company in its day-to-day operations marks its growth as the noteworthy competitor changes in structure and direction with a little resistance as possible from the employees becomes necessary. This can be achieved with honesty, trust and respect.

Building a level of trust is a two way deal with equal contribution from the management and the staff. Speaking the truth starts from day one – right from the day a resume is submitted. The resume should have correct information and there should not be any falsified enhancement. There are ways in which the HR cross checks the credentials of the prospective candidate.

A call to the person’s former employee to counter check his / her behavior and work interaction with his / her colleagues as well as the veracity of qualifications and references is a must for most companies.

A computer engineering graduate aspiring to be an entrepreneur feels that the Satyam fraud was an eye-opener for most people, who believed that top level executives of huge corporate houses could do no wrong. But, imagine the poor employee having to witness or even just hear of the unethical approach of his / her erstwhile boss. Being honest remains a challenge.

It then becomes imperative to step back when asked to be a part of a dishonest activity. One has to be firm, follow one’s conscience and learn to refuse politely. While there is no denying the fact that this may lead to some discomfiture, it results in admiration and increased respect in the long run.

A BPO employee, rightly points out, Mutual respect is an important tool in the progress of a company, and it is only honesty that helps build this. Being committed can take you long way. There are instances when we see colleagues using the office phone for personal use, or surfing the Internet during office hours. These may seem inconsequential, but they do contribute to how you measure up as a colleague. Strong ethics, hard work and commitment can forge a lasting relationship the work.

Two experts suggest innovative ways through which organizations can reward employees through tangible benefits, even during the current scenario:

If they have budgeted for bonuses, then I think this will be a better option than giving raises. Assign your employees targets that are well beyond (but not unattainable) expected targets. If your employees meet these targets, then reward them with bonuses. You will only have to spend when your employees do work that is beyond their call of duty. And if you do your math right, you will be ahead by a larger margin when you employ this system.

Recognition programs are generally not cash based by nature. This program caters to the psychological benefit of the employees as opposed to a reward system catering to the financial benefit of the employees. Examples of such include holding recognition events, giving employee of the month or year of recognition, publishing a company wide report which features the hardworking employees, and finally public recognition boards. You can also certain allowances for the said employee, for example: allowing him or her to adjust his / her work schedule etc.

Another way is to provide stock options to high performing employees. Employee stock option programs allow employees to buy a specific number of shares at an agreed upon price.

Provide long term benefits: We need to look at it from both, the long term and short term. When one speaks of the long term, especially in these troubled times, it becomes imperative that we keep the employee interested motivated and wanting to come back to work every morning. The focus should be in terms of adding value and elf worth to the individual. Scholarships, programs through sponsorship or reimbursements may help. Secondly, look at providing opportunities where they are included in a number of initiatives and interventions in cross functional and organization wide initiatives. Nominating them for prestigious seminar, paper presentations opportunities etc will have a long term impact on the employee psyche

Provide short term benefits: For the short term one should look at the on spot reward and recognition schemes which will make a huge difference for the employee to feel good. A pat on the back, tea with the CEO, certificates, etc. are simple but extremely cost effective steps to rewards the employee.
–

How should decisions be made

2009-07-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

Lets begin by describing how individuals should behave in order to maximize or optimize a certain outcome. we call this the rational decision- making process.

The rational decision- making process

The optimizing decision maker is rational. that is he or she makes consistent value- maximizing choices within specified constraints. These choices are made following a six- step rational decision â€“ making model. Moreover specific assumptions underlie this model.

The rational model

The six steps in the rational decision- making model are listed in the exhibit given below .

The model begins by defining the problem. as noted previously, a problem exists when there is a discrepancy between an existing and a desired state of affairs. if you calculate your monthly expenses and find you re spending $50 more than you allocate in your budget, you have defined the problem. many poor decisions can be traced to the decision maker overlooking a problem or defining the wrong problem.

Once a decision maker has defined the problem, he or she needs to identify the decision criteria that will be important in solving the problem. in this step, the decision maker determines what is relevant in making the decision. this step brings the decision makers interest, values, and similar personal preference into the process. identifying criteria is important because what one person thinks is relevant another person may not. also keep in mind that any factors not identified in this step are considered irrelevant to the decision maker.

The criteria identified are rarely all equal in importance. so the third step requires the decision maker to weight the previously identified criteria in order to give them the correct priority in the decision.

The fourth step requires the decision maker to generate possible alternatives that could succeed in resolving the problem. no attempt is made in this step to appraise these alternatives, only to list them.

Once the alternatives have been generated, the decision maker must critically analyze and evaluate each one. this is done by rating each alternative on each criterion.
the strength and weakness of each alternative become evident as they are compared with the criteria and weights established in the second and third steps.

The final step in this model requires computing the optimal decision .This is done by evaluating each alternative against the weighted criteria and selecting the alternative with the highest total score.

Assumption of the model

The rational decision-making model we just described contains a number of assumptions. let briefly online those assumptions.

1. Problem clarity. The problem is clear and unambiguous. the decision maker is assumed to have complete information regarding the decision situation.

2. Known Option. It is assumed the decision maker can identify all the relevant criteria and can list all the viable alternatives. furthermore, the decision maker is aware of all the possible consequences of each alternative.

3 Clear preference. Rationality assumes that the criteria and alternative can be ranked and weighted to reflected their importance.

4 Constant preference. Its assumed that the specific decision criteria are constant and that the weights assigned to them are stable over time.

5 No time or cost constraints. The rational decision maker can obtained full information about criteria and alternative because its assumed that there are no time or cost constraints.

6 Maximum payoff. The rational decision maker will choose the alternative that yields the highest perceived value.

Improving creativity in decision making

The rational decision maker needs creativity, that is the ability to produce novel and useful ideas. These are ideas that are different from whatâ€™s been done before but that are also appropriate to the problem or opportunity presented. why is creativity important to decision making? it allows the decision maker to more fully appraise and understand the problem, including seeing problem other cant see. however creativityâ€™s most obvious value is in helping the decision maker identify all viable alternatives.

The Rational Model of decisions making

2009-07-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

In this article let us begin by describing, at least in theory, how individuals should behave in order to maximize or optimize a certain outcome. We call this the rational decision making process.

The Rational Decisions making process:

We often think that the best decision maker is rational. That is, he or she makes consistent, value maximizing choices within specified constraints. These choices are made following a six step rational decision making model. Moreover, specific assumptions underlie this model.

The six steps in the rational decision making model are listed below. The model begins by defining problem. As noted previously, a problem exists when there is a discrepancy between an existing and a desired state of affairs. If you calculate your monthly expenses and find you’re spending $100 more than you allocated in your budget, you have defined a problem. Many poor decisions can be traced to the decision maker overlooking a problem or defining the wrong problem.

Steps in the rational Decision making Model

1. Define the problem
2. Identify the decision criteria
3. Allocate weights to the criteria
4. Develop the alternatives.
5. Evaluate the alternatives
6. Select the best alternatives

Once a decision maker has defined the problem, he or she needs to identify the decision criteria that will be important in solving the problem. In this step, the decision maker determines what is relevant in making the decision. This step rings the decision maker’s interests, values and similar personal preferences into the process. Identifying criteria is important because what one person thinks is relevant, another person may not. Also keep in mind that any factors not identified in this step are considered irrelevant to the decision maker.

The criteria identified are rarely all equal in importance. So, the third step requires the decision maker to weight the previously identified criteria in order to give them the correct priority in the decision.

The fourth step requires the decision maker to generate possible alternatives that could succeed in resolving the problem. No attempt is made in this step to appraise these alternatives only to list them.

Once the alternatives have been generated, the decision maker must critically analyze and evaluate each one. This is done by rating alternative on each criterion. The strengths and weaknesses of each alternative become evident as they are compared with the criteria and weights established in the second and third steps.

The final step in this model requires computing the optimal decision. This is done by evaluating each alternative against the weighted criteria and selecting the alternative with higher total score.

Assumptions of the Model: The rational decision-making we just described contains a number of assumptions. Let’s briefly outline those assumptions:

1. Problem clarity. The problem is clear and unambiguous. The decision maker is assumed to have complete information regarding the decision situation.
2. Known options; It is assumed the decision maker can identify all the relevant criteria and can list all the viable alternatives. Furthermore, the decision maker and can list all the viable alternatives. Furthermore, the decision maker is aware of all the possible consequences of each alternative.
3. Clear preference: Rationality assumes that the criteria and alternatives can be raked and weighted to reflect their importance.
4. Constant preferences: It’s assumed that the specific decision criteria are constant and that the weights assigned to them stable over time.
5. No time or cost constraints: the rational decision maker can obtain full information about criteria and alternatives because it’s assumed that there are on time or cost constraints.
6. Maximum payoff: The rational decision maker will choose the alternative that yields the highest perceived value.

25 Acts of Body Language to Avoid

2009-07-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

Our body language exhibits far more information about how we feel than it is possible to articulate verbally. All of the physical gestures we make are subconsciously interpreted by others. This can work for or against us depending on the kind of body language we use. Some gestures project a verypositive message, while others do nothing but set a negative tone.

Most people are totally oblivious to their own body language, so the discipline of controlling these gestures can be quite challenging. Most of them are reflexive in nature, automatically matching up to what our minds are thinking at any given moment. Nevertheless, with the right information and a little practice, we can train ourselves to overcome most of our negative body language habits.

Practice avoiding these 25 negative gestures:

Holding Objects in Front of Your Body – a coffee cup, notebook, hand bag, etc. Holding objects in front of your body indicates shyness and resistance, such that you’re hiding behind the objects in an effort to separate yourself from others. Instead of carrying objects in front of you, carry them at your side whenever possible.
Checking the Time or Inspecting Your Fingernails – a strong sign of boredom. Never glance at the time when you’re speaking with someone. Likewise, completely avoid the act of inspecting your fingernails.
Picking Lint Off of Your Clothes – If you pick lint off of your clothes during a conversation, especially in conjunction with looking downwards, most people will assume that you disapprove of their ideas and/or feel uneasy about giving them an honest opinion. Leave the lint alone!
Stroking Your Chin While Looking at Someone – “I’m judging you!” People frequently stroke their chin during the decision-making process. If you look at someone while you’re stroking your chin, they may assume that you’re making a judgmental decision about them.
Narrowing Your Eyes – If you want to give someone the impression that you don’t like them (or their ideas), narrow your eyes while looking at them. It immediately places a scowling expression on your face. A slight narrowing of the eyes is an instinctual, universal expression of anger across various species in the animal kingdom (think about the angry expressions of tigers, dogs, etc.). Some people make the mistake of narrowing their eyes during a conversation as a reflex of thinking. Don’t send people the wrong message… don’t narrow your eyes.
Standing Too Close – This just makes people feel uncomfortable. Most people consider the 4 square feet of space immediately surrounding their body to be personal space. Cross this invisible boundary with good friends and intimate mates only.
Looking Down While in the Presence of Others – usually indicates disinterest. Sometimes it’s even interpreted as a casual sign of arrogance. Always look straight ahead and make eye contact when you see someone you know.
Touching Your Face During a Conversation – Face touching, especially on the nose, is commonly interpreted as an indication of deception. Also, covering up the mouth is a common gesture people make when they’re lying. Always keep your hands away from your face when you’re speaking.
Faking a Smile – another sign of deception commonly seen on the face of a fraud. A genuine smile wrinkles the corners of the eyes and changes the expression of the entire face. Fake smiles only involve the mouth and lips. It’s easy to distinguish between the two. Don’t force yourself to smile… unless it’s for the camera.
Leaning Away From Someone You Like – a sign of being bored and disinterested. Some people may also interpret it to mean: “I don’t like you.” People typically lean towards people they like and away from people they dislike. This is especially true when they are sitting around a table. If you lean away from someone you like, you’re sending them the wrong message.
Resting Hands Behind the Head or on the Hips – usually interpreted as a sign of superiority or bigheadedness. Only use these gestures when you’re in the presence of close friends.
Not Directly Facing the Person You’re Speaking To – This indicates a certain level of discomfort or a lack of interest. When we’re happily engaged in a conversation we face the person we’re speaking to with our feet and torso facing directly forward. When we’re unsure of the other person, or not completely committed to the conversation, we tend to angle our feet and torso to the side. Face directly forward during a conversation to give off the impression that you’re truly interested in what the other person is saying.
Crossing Your Arms – a sign of defensive resistance. Some people may also interpret it as a sign of egotism. Always try to keep your arms open and at your sides.
Displaying a Sluggish Posture – When you’re in an environment bustling with people your posture becomes an immediate telltale sign of your confidence and composure. Your stance literally makes a stand for you, delivering a clear message about how you should be treated. It can make a huge difference in the way strangers respond to you. Place your feet a comfortable distance apart, keep your shoulders pulled back, head up and greet people with direct eye contact and a firm handshake.
Scratching at the Backside of Your Head and Neck – a typical sign of doubt and uncertainty. It can also be interpreted as an indication of lying. Try to keep your hands away from your head when you’re communicating with others.
Messing With the Collar of Your Shirt – It screams: “I feel horribly uncomfortable and/or nervous!” Once again, keep track of your hands. Don’t fidget.
Increasing Your Rate of Blinking – a clear sign of anxiety. Some people start blinking their eyes really fast (in conjunction with an increased heart rate) when they get nervous. Since most people try to make eye contact, it becomes immediately obvious to others. Be cognizant of your blinking habits when you’re nervous, especially if someone is looking at you from a close proximity.
Slouching Your Shoulders – indicates low self-esteem. People associate perked-up shoulders with strong self-confidence. Always pull your shoulders back. Not only will you look more confident, you’ll feel more confident as well.
Standing with Your Hands Crossed Over Your Genitals – This casual posture almost guarantees that you’ll lose a little respect before you even have the chance to speak a single word. People feeling nervous or unsure of themselves will unconsciously take a guarded stance. Quite frequently they adopt a posture that guards one of their most vulnerable areas, their genitals. This stance pushes your shoulders forward and makes your entire body look smaller and weaker. Again, try to keep your hands at your sides and your shoulders back.
Propping Up Your Head with Your Hands – “I’m getting bored!” Never prop up your head with your elbows and hands during a conversation. Place your hands on the table in front of you and keep them at rest.
Wiping Sweaty Hands onto Your Clothes – a sign of frantic nervousness. If your hands are sweating, just let them sweat. Take a few deep breaths and try to relax.
Sitting on the Edge of Your Chair – a clear indication of being mentally and physically uncomfortable. It’s an apprehensive stance that will make others around you feel uncomfortable as well. Keep your rear end firmly planted on the surface of the seat. When you lean forward, use your back without moving your bottom.
Foot and Finger Tapping – usually indicates stress, impatience or boredom. Monitor your habits and practice keeping your limbs at rest.
Using Your Hands to Fidget with Small Objects – a pen, paper ball, etc. This is another sign of anxiety. It can also be interpreted as a lack of preparedness. It’s always best to keep your hands comfortably at rest when you’re in the presence of others.
Repeatedly Shifting Body Weight from Foot to Foot – This is another gesture that usually indicates mental and physical discomfort. People may also see this and assume that you’re ready to abandon the conversation, especially if you’re not directly facing them. Don’t shift your feet around more than once every 2 to 3 minutes.

training, teaching, personal development and training needs and competencies assessment tools - excel/xls or word/doc format free downloads

2009-06-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

new reflective diary template - Sharon Drew Morgen edition - MSWord/doc - with acknowledgements to Ms Morgen - (Aug 2007)

reflective diary/journal template - MSWord/doc - original businessballs edition including process and notes

free CV template and guidance notes - MSWord/doc - single sheet format, UK A4 paper size - into which you can insert your own details - adapt it to suit your purposes

free new mental concentration test - MSWord/doc - mostly for fun - also good for illustrating the need to read test questions before attempting answers

free multiple intelligences test - based on Gardner's model - in MSExcel/xls self-calculating format

free induction training checklist working tool with suggested training items - MSExcel/xls file

free VAK learning styles multiple-choice questionnaire test - MSWord/doc file - (ack V Chislett)

lesson plan/training session planner and timings calculator (also acts as training checklist template) - MSExcel/xls file - (ack N Darwent)

team-building activities evaluation form and outcomes notes, based on Kirkpatrick's Learning Evaluation Model - MSExcel/xls file

quick training evaluation and feedback form, based on Kirkpatrick's Learning Evaluation Model - MSExcel/xls file

360 degree appraisals form template - MSWord/doc

360 degree appraisals form template - MSExcel/xls

Leslie Rae's excellent before-and-after three-stage training evalution tool - MSExcel/xls - good tool for all training courses and learning experiences, also for group training effectiveness evaluation

set of different training evaluation forms and tools - Word - Leslie Rae's excellent set of training evaluation questionnaires - free to adapt and use

training planner tool - MSExcel/xls - simple, flexible tool for planning and designing training courses - good for train-the-trainer courses too - breaks down the training design process into achievable elements - helps you eat the elephant one bite at a time

manager skill-set assessment tool - (updated Aug 2006) - MSExcel/xls - flexible individual assessment tool - use to provide input data for group training needs analysis tool below - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

training needs analysis tool - manager skill-set - (updated Aug 2006) - MSExcel/xls - a simple, flexible and powerful working spreadsheet tool for training needs analysis, jobs and skills audits, and an easy way to identify, prioritise and plan group training - use in conjunction with individual assessment tool above - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

management skill-set assessment tool - Serbian Language version! (not such an obscure thing if you are working in Serbia....) - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

coaching template for skills or capability assessment - MSExcel/xls - flexible coaching review template tool

template for assessing presentations - MSExcel/xls - good for presentations training, especially to control and encourage objective and fair group feedback

assessment tool for individuals - commercial/business/sales skill-set - MSExcel/xls - flexible individual assessment tool - use to assess individual training needs and priorities, and to provide input data for group training needs analysis tool below - adapt skill elements for your job roles - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

training needs analysis for groups - working spreadsheet - commercial/business/sales role simple, flexible and powerful working spreadsheet tool for groups and organizational training needs analysis, job and skills audits, and for identifying training needs, priorities and plans for groups - use with above personal assessment input tool - adapt and add skill elements for your job roles - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

personality tests and other indicators - excel/xls or word/doc format free downloads

2009-06-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

free multiple intelligences test - adult and/or young people - based on Gardner's model - in MSExcel/xls self-calculating format

free Multiple Intelligences test - manual test in MSExcel/xls

free Multiple Intelligences test - manual test for young people in MSExcel/xls

free VAK learning styles multiple-choice questionnaire test - MSWord/doc file - simple quick free assessment of personal VAK learning style

leadership and motivation assessment tool - word - are you a truly motivational leader? - a modern leadership self-test provided by leadership writer Blair Palmer

motivation indicator simple test - MSExcel/xls - flexible individual motivation assessment tool, loosely based on Herzberg motivators and hygiene factors - good workshop tool

personality profile and motivation test - MSExcel/xls - multi-facet personality test and discussion document for reviews, appraisals, and career direction dicusssions

graphology (handwriting anlysis) self-test - (doc file) - good for workshops, meetings and personality profiling awareness and training

management style test based on McGregor's XY-Theory - (doc file) - to assess individual preferred management style, and actual organizational management style

same free XY Theory test tool - two-page version with clearer layout and scoring - (doc version)

free tests and indicators (skill/behaviour/personality) and fun quizzes - pdf format

2009-06-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Multiple Intelligences Test - for Adults - based on Howard Gardner's model - manual version - pdf

Multiple Intelligences Test - for Young People - based on Howard Gardner's model - manual version - pdf

Multiple Intelligences Descriptions and Quick De-coder Guide - based on Howard Gardner's model - pdf format

VAK Learning Styles Free Questionnaire Self-Test - pdf format

Mental Concentration Test (pdf file) - mostly for fun - good for illustrating the need to read test questions before attempting answers

Quick Trivia Quiz in MSWORD (doc file), with questions and answers sheets - if you need a warm-up quiz quickly, here's one we made earlier, (featuring questions from the trivia quiz and puzzles page)

'BLISS' Career Planning and Job Choice Validation Tool - (Ack. Pranav Wadnerkar)

Big Boys Toys Table Quiz - (Ack. John Hespe)

Mental Agility Test - (Ack. Graeme Hall)

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 5-level quick test - based on Maslow's original 5 stage model

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 8-level quick test - based on the adapted 8 stage model

McGregor XY Theory indicator - for individuals and organisations

same McGregor XY Theory indicator - two-page version with clearer layout and scoring

Graphology test template - handwriting personality indicator and self-test/introduction

Personal profile indicator template - ideal for interviews, appraisals or personal reflection

skills/competencies audits, assessments and feedback forms/templates, training certificates templates

2009-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Lesson/Training Planner

Free pdf sample training certificate template.

Free MSWORD (doc file) file training certificate template for you to adapt.

Behavioural Change Assessment Tool - for before and after training, by WL Rae - (completed example here)

Training Programme Evaluation Toolkit - a pdf, author WL Rae - see also his Training Evaluation Process Guide

Management Skills Assessment tool - (updated Aug 2006) quick easy skills-audit tool pdf - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide - working version in MSExcel/xls in working files section below

Management Training Needs Analysis example - (updated Aug 2006) pdf - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide - working version in MSExcel/xls in working files section below

Performance Appraisal Form - modern performance appraisal form including self-assessment section (revised August 2006)

Personal Review Form Example - courtesy Manchester University RSD

Time management survey form - pre-training questionnaire

Time management time-log form template - time-management training or personal development tool

Time management activity scheduler template - easy and effective time management weekly task scheduler template

Quick training feedback form template

Medium training feedback form template

Line-manager training feedback form template

Skill-set and behaviour-set assessment template - sales/management/commercial role - (updated Aug 2006) - instructions for use - working version in MSExcel/xls in working files section below

Training Needs Analysis (TNA) template - sales/management/commercial role - (updated Aug 2006) - instructions for use - working version in MSExcel/xls in working files section below

Presentation skills assessment template - for presentation skills review and assessment

Example Induction Training Feedback Form (1 mth) - courtesy MU RSD

Example Induction Training Feedback Form (3 mth) - courtesy MU RSD

Skill-set and behaviour-set assessment template - basic commercial junior role - instructions for use

Training Needs Analysis Sample - general work competencies (updated Aug 2006)