Discussion board | Applied Sciences homework help

1. Demonstrate how to plan for and conduct a work-related negotiation.

• Interpersonal Skills and Success

258 What does it take to succeed in your career? Talent, good ideas, a good education, technical expertise, skills, hard work, motivation, initiative—all of these factors are important. In addition, because all jobs require you to get things done with other people—coworkers, customers, managers, people in other companies—your career success depends on your ability to build positive relationships, affirm others’ dignity, and contribute to a positive organizational climate. Building Positive Relationships It is difficult to overstate how important communication skills are in a career. In one survey, millennial employees were asked what they look for in a full-time job. The key findings of this survey overwhelmingly demonstrate the importance of interpersonal communication in today’s workforce:1 Millennials want to know why their organization or boss is having them do something. They expect their opinions to be heard and valued at work. 117 They want to have primarily professional, friendly, and open communication with their supervisors. They want to feel comfortable asking their supervisors questions and talking to them about projects. They expect timely feedback from their supervisors that is communicated nicely and with suggestions for how to improve. They desire a combination of professional and personal communication with coworkers that is mostly professional. These survey results emphasize the importance of effective communication by supervisors; however, the ability to work well with others is an important skill for all employees. The majority of communication in the workplace occurs between peer coworkers,2 and the quality of these relationships often has more influence on job satisfaction than the quality of the supervisor–subordinate communication.3 Research 259 has shown that supportive peer coworker relationships can improve feelings of belonging4 and commitment to the organization,5 and may help employees deal with stressful experiences.6 Researchers have coined the terms emotional intelligence (EQ) or social intelligence to describe the ability and skills of interacting well with others.7 One’s intelligence quotient (IQ) actually takes a backseat to social intelligence in determining outstanding job performance.8 Across the world and across the job spectrum, from copier repair technicians to scientists, IQ accounts for no more than 25 percent of entrepreneurial failure and success. The more difficult the job and the higher it is in an organization’s hierarchy, the more important social intelligence becomes. Consultant Robert Dilenschneider contrasts social intelligence with intellectual aptitude: “Your cognitive IQ could be 145, and you could get a doctorate in business, but you’ll never break away from the pack unless your interpersonal skills are top-drawer.”9 Affirming Dignity A major ingredient of social intelligence involves showing respect for others. If you ask people to describe a bad communication experience at work, chances are they will tell you stories about being ignored, offended, belittled, and disrespected. Likewise, when you ask about positive experiences, you probably will hear about people feeling appreciated and respected—even in difficult situations.10 The term workplace dignity refers to a person’s ability to gain a sense of self-respect and self-esteem from his or her job and to be treated respectfully by others.11 ©Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury/OJO+/Getty Images RF 260 In addition to enhancing self-esteem and self-respect, dignity creates conditions in the workplace that improve the bottom line, including increased job satisfaction, self-confidence, and work efforts.12 By contrast, the effects of reduced dignity can be disastrous for both employees and organizations. Employees suffer both emotionally (increased stress, anxiety, depression) and physically (headaches, ulcers, increased blood pressure) in such circumstances.13 Along with the individual damage, disregard for dignity costs organizations through decreased productivity, higher turnover and absenteeism, employee resistance and sabotage, and even increased risks of lawsuits.14 118 Workplace dignity arises from three kinds of communication: respectful interaction, recognition of competence and contribution, and messages that communicate equality and being valued as a unique individual within an organization.15 This chapter focuses on the communication skills and strategies that you can use to handle even difficult messages while respecting and enhancing each person’s dignity. Enhancing Organizational Climate The quality of communication in an organization affects the way people feel about their work and about one another. The term organizational climate describes the underlying nature of relationships in work groups. The weather metaphor is apt: Workplace climates can range from comfortable and pleasant to cold and stormy. Each organization has its own overall climate, which can be either healthy or polluted. Within that larger environment, small workgroups can then have their own microclimates. For example, your interactions with one team might be described as chilly, while you might enjoy a warm relationship with another group. The climate of an organization results less from the specific tasks that members perform, and more from the feelings that they have about those tasks and one another. In fact, a positive climate can exist under the worst working conditions: in a cramped and understaffed office, during the 261 graveyard shift in a factory, or even in a road gang cleaning up trash by the highway. Conversely, the most comfortable, prestigious settings can be polluted by a hostile climate. Organizational climates have a powerful effect on performance. They have been linked to productivity, job satisfaction, and employees’ willingness to express dissent.16 Climates are important in almost every kind of business and professional setting. For example, positive climates enhance job-related learning in sales organizations,17 the ability of advertising agencies to win awards,18 patients’ trust in their doctors,19 and entrepreneurs’ passion for inventing.20 The remainder of this chapter introduces communication skills and practices that can help create and enhance positive organizational climates as well as help you achieve your personal goals on the job.

• Sharing Feedback Some types of feedback are a pleasure, whereas other messages are necessary but tough to deliver. Whether feedback is pleasant or difficult, the guidelines provided in this section can help you communicate in ways that get the job done respectfully.

Giving Praise There is truth to the old saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Sincere praise, delivered skillfully, can work wonders. The following tips can help you make sure the praise you dole out gets the desired results. Praise Promptly The more quickly you can provide positive feedback, the more meaningful it will be. It does not take much time to praise positive behavior, and the results will most likely be well worth the investment. 119 262 case STUDY The Zappos “Holacracy” Zappos, an online-based shoe and clothing shop, is well known for its unique organizational culture. CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced “Shay”) operates his company as a holacracy. This style of governance is based on individual autonomy, such that everyone has an equal say and employees are evaluated and rewarded by their peers. The following list highlights a few of the unique characteristics that make Zappos a “fun and weird” place to work: The company operates based on 10 core values, most notably “deliver WOW through service” and “create fun and a little weirdness.” Every employee learns these values and is expected to act on them. A “cultural fit interview” is conducted with prospective employees and is given 50 percent of the weight in hiring decisions. Everyone who is hired (including company lawyers) goes through the same four-week training as the call center representatives. During the training experience, new employees take calls from customers for two weeks. At the end of the training, Zappos employees are offered pay for the time they spent training, as well as extra pay if they wish to leave the company. The purpose is to eliminate employees who do not buy into the culture. Employees receive pay raises based on their performance on skills tests and other measurable actions. “Cultural assessments” are provided in lieu of performance evaluations. Employees are given feedback on their fit within the company culture as well as suggestions for improvement. Zappos sponsors several family events each year, as well as additional company events throughout the year. 263 The public can get a look at Zappos’s culture from behind the scenes by following @EyeZapp on Twitter or viewing the company’s tweetchat stream (#InsideZappos). Sources: Heathfield, S. M., “20 Ways Zappos Reinforces Its Company Culture,” The Balance, June 28, 2016. Make Praise Specific Almost any sincere praise will be appreciated, but describing exactly what you appreciate makes it easier for the other person to continue that behavior. Notice how the following specific compliments add clarity: Broad Specific Good job on handling that complaint. You really kept cool, calm, and collected when the customer complained. I appreciate the support you have given me lately. Thanks for being so flexible with my schedule while I was sick. You have really been on top of your work lately. You have finished every job this month within two days. Of course, being specific does not mean you have to avoid making broad comments. Rather, along with giving general praise, consider the value of adding enough particulars to help the other person understand exactly what you appreciate. Praise Progress, Not Just Perfection You might wonder whether some people do much of anything that deserves sincere praise. If you look for outstanding 120 performance, the answer may be no. Even so, you can still deliver genuine compliments by looking for progress. Consider a few examples: 264 “This draft of the report is a lot clearer. Adding a detailed budget really helps explain where the money will go. I think the same level of detail would help make the schedule clearer.” “I know we still see things differently, but I’m glad we were able to work so well together on the Baretti job.” Praise Intermittently Too much praise can sound insincere, and social scientists have discovered it is not as effective as occasional compliments. Praise others from time to time, when your remarks will have the best effect, but do not go overboard. Relay Praise If you already believe that complimenting someone sincerely can improve the communication climate in your relationship, wait until you see the benefits of singing that individual’s praises to others who deserve to know. When you relay praise in this way, you win the gratitude of the person you are complimenting, but you also show your own sense of security and team spirit, and you share information that your audience will probably find valuable. Praising others takes little time, and it benefits everyone. Similarly, you can become a “praise messenger” by letting people know you have heard others saying complimentary things about them. They will be more likely to continue the behavior, and they will feel better both about the person who praised them and about you for delivering the good news. Praise Sincerely Insincere praise is worse than no praise at all. It casts doubt on the validity of all your other compliments. It also suggests that you cannot think of anything the other person has done that deserves genuine acknowledgment. Finally, it insinuates that the recipient is naive enough to believe in your phony compliments. As you consider when and how to give praise, it is important to be aware of the cultural rules that may influence both the person receiving compliments and the larger audience who hears those compliments. In 265 some collectivist cultures, it can be embarrassing to be singled out for praise, especially in front of others. In such cases, giving private reinforcement is probably wiser than lavishing compliments publicly. Go Social with Recognition Many organizations view social media as a place to raise public awareness of their brands, but social media also represent an effective platform for praising employees and their accomplishments. Retweeting photos, news stories, or videos highlighting employees’ successes are simple ways to show appreciation. Raising Difficult Issues It is not pleasant, but sometimes you must communicate about problematic behavior. For example, a colleague may not be doing his or her share of the job. Your manager may not have followed through on his or her promise to change working conditions. A supplier might be late on a promised delivery. The list of problematic behaviors can seem endless! Communicating about these kinds of issues can be difficult because your message may be perceived as an attack on the person whose behavior is causing a problem—and perceived attacks often trigger defensive responses. Even the most experienced managers dread having conversations in which difficult issues are raised. One study of nurse managers revealed that managers had feelings of “uneasiness, anger, frustration, churning in the stomach, feeling drained and stressed, lost sleep, and reduced self- confidence” when anticipating an upcoming conversation.21 121 CULTURE at work Differing Cultural Expectations for Praise 266 Performance feedback norms differ across cultures. In Germany, for example, it is unusual to offer praise to employees. Employees are expected to do their jobs effectively and are praised only when they do something extraordinary. As one can imagine, this particular style of management may be demotivating or uninspiring for members of other cultures who expect positive reinforcement for a job well done. The following tips may be used to adapt to performance feedback expectations when working in a multicultural environment: Learn the cultural norms for your geographic location. Ask your team what their desired preferences are for receiving feedback. Proactively discuss the feedback norms for your culture with your team. Adjust your feedback style in a way that is comfortable for you and accommodates the team. Source: Molinsky, A., “Giving Feedback Across Cultures,” Harvard Business Review, February 15, 2013. More than 60 years ago, psychologist Jack Gibb identified six kinds of messages likely to evoke defensiveness, and six alternative approaches that boost the odds of achieving a more positive response (Table 5-1)—even when its subject means the message has the potential to be perceived as an attack.22 As you read about these constructive approaches, imagine how you could use them when you need to raise a difficult issue on the job. Table 5-1 Defense-Reducing and Defense-Arousing Messages Defense-Reducing Defense-Arousing Descriptive (Use “I” language) Evaluative Problem-oriented Controlling Honest Manipulative Concerned Indifferent Equal Superior 267 Open-minded, provisional Dogmatic, certain Use Descriptive “I” Language Many communicators phrase their messages in a way that can be perceived as a direct attack on the other person. Statements worded in this way are often called “you” language because they point a verbal finger of accusation at the receiver: “Your report is too sloppy. You’ll have to clean it up.” “You’re always late.” “That was a dumb promise you made. We can never have the job done by the end of the month.” Rather than focusing on the other person, you should instead use descriptive statements (often termed “I” language). “I” language is phrased in a way that focuses on the 122 speaker, instead of judging the other person. Notice how each of the evaluative statements given earlier can be rephrased using descriptive “I” language: “I’ll get in big trouble if we turn in a report with this many errors. We’ll get a better reaction if it’s reworked.” “I’ve made a lot of excuses when people call asking for you when you are running late. That’s why I need you to start showing up on time.” “I’m worried about the promise you made. I don’t see how we can get the job done by the end of the month.” These kinds of statements show that it is possible to be nonjudgmental and still say what you want without landing any verbal punches. In fact, descriptive statements are actually more complete than typical everyday complaints because they express both the speaker’s feelings and the reason for bringing up the matter—information that most evaluative remarks do not convey. 268 Focus on Solving Problems, Not Controlling Others Even if you are in charge, others can become defensive if you force them to accept an idea they do not agree with or understand. If you are up against a tight deadline, it is easy to say, “Just do it my way.” Because wielding power in this way shows a lack of regard for the other person’s needs, interests, or opinions, it can cause problems in the relationship, even if it gets you what you want now. In contrast, problem-oriented messages aim at solving both persons’ needs. The goal is not to solve a problem either my way (“You need to purchase more advertising to increase our sales”) or your way, but rather to develop a solution that meets everyone’s needs (“I would like to work with you to find a solution for the recent drop in sales”). You will learn more about how to achieve problem-oriented solutions when we discuss win–win negotiating strategies later in this chapter. Be Honest: Do Not Manipulate Once people discover they have been manipulated, a defensive reaction is almost guaranteed. As Roger Fisher and Scott Brown explain, “If one statement of mine in a hundred is false, you may choose not to rely on me at all. Unless you can develop a theory of when I am honest and when I am not, your discovery of a small dishonesty will cast doubt over everything I say and do.”23 By contrast, simple honesty is less likely to generate defensiveness, even when the news shared is not welcome. Even though others may sometimes dislike what you have to say, your reputation for candor can earn you the respect of subordinates, coworkers, and management. Show Concern for Others Indifference—lack of acknowledgment or concern for others—is likely to trigger a defensive reaction. By contrast, a genuine message indicating interest can do wonders. The customer support agent who takes the time to find the right person to answer your questions can leave you feeling grateful and worthwhile, encouraging you to do business with that company again. The manager who seems genuinely concerned with your opinion—even if the manager does not agree with you—is easier to work with than one who brushes your concerns aside. 269 Demonstrate an Attitude of Equality Neither talent nor job title justifies arrogance. Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today, earned a reputation as a tough, abrasive boss. Comments like the following one suggest why: “When I criticize a female or when I criticize a grossly overweight person or anybody else, it’s because, damn it, I think they ought to do better, just as I do.”24 123 ETHICAL challenge Is Total Honesty Always the Best Policy? In principle, few people would dispute the ethical principle that honesty is the best policy. At the same time, it is hard to imagine a world in which everyone told the whole truth all the time. Explore how you can reconcile the need to be honest with other goals by listing all the opportunities you had to tell the truth during a typical day. Identify each occasion when you chose the following options: