CH-1-5 A Framework for Interpersonal Skill Development – Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills : Book Guide

This Document Contains Chapters 1 to 5 Chapter 1 A Framework For Interpersonal Skill Development The first chapter sets the stage for improving interpersonal relations in organizations by presenting a framework for interpersonal skill development and training. Students who follow this framework seriously will increase the probability of enhancing their interpersonal relations in the workplace through the use of this text and its accompanying course. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES Effective interpersonal relations must be combined with technical knowledge and good work habits to achieve success in any job involving interaction with people. Many people are held back from promotions and pay raises, and even lose their jobs, because of poor relationships with people. Interpersonal skills are also important because they enable people to connect with others, thereby being more successful in business. I. PLAN OF THE BOOK A three-part strategy is presented for achieving interpersonal effectiveness. First, key concepts are presented. Second, the reader receives behavioral guidelines. Third, the reader does exercises such as self-quizzes, skill-builders, and analyzes cases. Much of the book is about interpersonal skill training, the teaching of skills in dealing with others so they can be put into practice. Interpersonal skills are sometimes referred to as soft skills, whereas technical skills are referred to as hard skills. Soft-skills training is more important than ever as organizations realize that a combination of human effort and technology is needed to produce results. Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith reminds us that building relationships with people is important for all workers, including the CEO. II. A MODEL FOR IMPROVING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS A five-part model is presented for acquiring and improving interpersonal skills. A. Goal or Desired State of Affairs. The goal helps provide motivation and makes it possible to exercise the self-discipline necessary to follow through on your plans. Fine Points about Goal Setting. Key points about setting effective goals are as follows: (1) State each goal as a positive statement. (2) Formulate specific goals. (3) Formulate concise goals. (4) Set realistic goals as well as stretch goals. (5) Set goals for different time periods. B. Assessing Reality The person needs to assess how far away he or she is from reaching the goal. Soliciting feedback from others about distance from the goal is helpful. C. An Action Plan Actions must be taken to improve interpersonal relations. An action plan is a series of steps to achieve a goal. Implementing the plan requires self-discipline. D. Feedback on Actions The person obtains feedback on the consequences of his or her actions. Short-and long-term measures of effectiveness are important. E. Frequent Practice For the new skill to be long lasting it must be integrated into the person's usual way of conducting himself or herself. After a skill is programmed into a person's repertoire, it becomes a habit. III. IDENTIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS People are the most likely to develop new skills when they feel the need for change. A specific area in which a person needs to change is referred to as a developmental need. To improve interpersonal skills, we must first be aware of how we are perceived by people who interact with us. Self-analysis, thinking through past feedback, and soliciting new feedback are helpful in identifying developmental needs. Feedback from performance evaluations is useful also. A. Universal Needs for Improving Interpersonal Relations Some areas for skill improvement in interpersonal relations are found among managerial, professional, technical, and sales personnel. A universal training need is an area for improvement common to most people. The text is organized around universal needs, as follows: 1. Understanding individual differences 2. Self-esteem and self-confidence 3. Interpersonal communication 4. Behaving appropriately when using digital devices. 5. Developing teamwork skills 6. Group problem solving 7. Cross-cultural relations 8. Resolving conflicts with others 9. Becoming an effective leader 10. Motivating others 11. Helping others develop and grow. 12. Positive political skills 13. Customer service skills 14. Enhancing ethical behavior 15. Stress management and personal productivity 16. Job search and career management skills IV. DEVELOPING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS ON THE JOB Opportunities exist in the workplace for developing interpersonal skills that can be a valuable supplement to more formal training. A. Informal Learning Informal learning is the acquisition of knowledge and skills that takes place naturally outside of a structured learning environment. Nearly one-half of respondents to a survey said that informal learning is occurring to a high or very-high extent in their organizations. Learning interpersonal skills informally can take place though such means as observing a coworker, manager, or team leader deal with a situation. A trend in business is for employees to integrate formal classroom learning with informal learning. Formal and informal learning of interpersonal skills are useful supplements to each other. B. Specific Developmental Experiences Certain workplace experiences are particularly suited to interpersonal skill development. These experiences are (1) unfamiliar responsibilities, (2) proving yourself, (3) problems with employees, (4) influencing others without authority, and (5) having a difficult manager. The general point to be derived from these scenarios is that certain on-the-job challenges require a high level of interpersonal skill. ANSWERS TO QUESTIOS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW 1. A friend of yours says, “I’m such a great techie that I don’t have to worry about interpersonal skills.” What advice do you have for your technique friend? Answer: You might advise your friend that he or she could be dismissing too readily the importance of interpersonal skills for technical people. Managers of technical people will often point out that interpersonal skills are important for highly technical people because these people have to work with others to perform their work. Also, technical workers often have to explain their work to less technically-oriented people, as when being called in to solve a technical problem. Another reason for the importance of interpersonal skills for technical people is that being promoted to a supervisory position requires some interpersonal skill. 2. In your opinion, do supervisors of entry-level workers rely more on soft skills or hard skills to accomplish their work? Answer: Supervisors of entry-level workers rely more on soft skills to accomplish their work because they spend so much time motivating, training, encouraging and disciplining workers. Nevertheless, hard skills such as preparing budgets and technical problem solving are also important for supervisors of entry-level workers. Supervisors of yesteryear focused more on the technical side of work, such as showing workers how to perform a task, and establishing work schedules. 3. Identify a developmental need related to interpersonal relations of the current president of the United States. How did you reach this conclusion about the president? Answer: In some instances, a student’s political biases will deter from his or her ability to make an objective assessment of the president. A careful observation of a (no specific president in mind) president’s interpersonal skill might indicate such problems as room for improvement in face-to-face communication skill, difficulty in resolving conflict, or a poorly developed sense of humor. Data for reaching conclusions about the president’s developmental needs might be derived from watching news show or reading news reports. Editorial comments about the president from the same types of sources would be helpful also. 4. Why are interpersonal skills quite important for job seekers where there is a shortage of good jobs open in their field? Answer: When there is an oversupply of applicants in comparison to positions available, employers tend to be more selective. Part of this selectivity includes searching for applicants who have a good balance between technical skills and interpersonal (or soft) skills. In order to impress these prospective employers, the candidate must demonstrate strong soft skills as well as hard skills. 5. How does a person know if the feedback he or she receives from another person is accurate? Answer: A major factor in measuring the accuracy of feedback is corroboration. If several informed individuals point to the same developmental need for an individual, he or she should take it seriously. Intuition is also an important consideration. If the feedback "feels" right, it is most likely accurate. 6. How could doing a thorough job with Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1 have a major impact on a person’s career? Answer: Doing thorough job with Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1 might get a person started on the path of overcoming a developmental need that could be a career retardant. Suppose after doing Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1, the person was reminded that he or she is poor at criticizing others (Statement 14). Furthermore, the same person develops and implements an effective action plan. As a result, the person would have a better chance of succeeding as a manager. 7. A statement frequently made in business is, “If you are obnoxious, you need to be very talented to succeed.” How does this conclusion relate to the learning of interpersonal skills? Answer: The conclusion that obnoxious people need to be very talented to succeed ties in directly with the importance of learning interpersonal skills. The point is that unless a person has exceptional talent, such as technical skills, people will demand good interpersonal skills in order to accept that person. Others will be more tolerant of obnoxious behavior if the obnoxious person is super-talented. 8. Based on what you have learned so far in this book, and your own intuition, how would you respond to the statement, “You can’t learn how to get along with people from reading a book”? Answer: The model presented in this book indicates that you can learn ideas for getting along with people from a book, but you must also obtain feedback on how well you have acquired the skills, and practice the new skills. 9. Give an example of a skill you might have learned informally at any point in your life. Answer: Students cite excellent examples of informal learning, including both hard skills and soft skills. One student explained how he learned to become a butcher by observing experienced butchers. A number of students also write that they learned how to tie their shoes through modeling. Dealing with customer complaints is another skill set many people have learned through informal learning. 10. Give an example of how a small-business owner needs good soft skills to survive. Answer: An example of a small-business owner of a basic business whose survival could be dependent on soft skills would be a hair-salon operator. The competition is heavy in the hair salon business, with most neighborhoods having more salons than needed to meet consumer demand. The salon operators who establish good interpersonal relationships with their customers are more likely to get repeat business—an obvious truth that is supported by research cited in Chapter 14 in relation to customer service. ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS Tyler Likes Tyler This introductory case to the book, illustrates an interpersonal skill problem most students have encountered—the self-absorbed coworker who does not make an effort to listen carefully to others. 1. What developmental needs does Tyler appear to have? Answer: Tyler’s major developmental need is to overcome a self-absorption that blocks his ability to listen to others. Another key developmental need is to become more self-aware, or sensitive to the feedback stemming from the reaction of others toward him. 2. To what extent do you think that Isabella and Noah were being rude toward Tyler? Answer: It appears that Isabella and Noah were being slightly rude toward Tyler because they exited their interaction with Tyler. Both Isabella and Noah were countering gross rudeness with lesser rudeness. 3. What would you recommend that Tyler do to obtain feedback on his needs for development? Answer: Tyler has already obtained feedback on his needs for development by the way in which Isabella and Noah exited their interactions with him. Tyler should be encouraged to observe how people react toward their conversations with him as a form of feedback. It would take considerable courage, but Tyler might ask a few coworkers how he could improve his interactions with them. Betty Lou Sets Some Goals This short case illustrates a scenario that takes place regularly in thousands of workplaces—goal setting that could stand refinement. 1. If you were Garth, what would you tell Betty Lou about her goals without hurting her feelings? Answer: Garth might tell Betty Lou that all her goals have good intent but that she needs to work on refining them so they will more likely be translated into action. Garth might also tell Betty Lou that her goals would all help the company if they were achieved. 2. What suggestions can you offer Betty Lou to improve her goal statement? Betty Lou will do well to follow the guidelines for goal setting outlined in Figure 1-3. Answer: A good starting point would be to direct Betty Lou to be more specific in terms of what she hopes to achieve. Such questions could include the following: What is the end state of being a great brand? What do you mean by “getting in good” with more buyers? What do you mean by getting Pasta Mucho “all over Facebook and Twitter”? 3. How might interpersonal skills contribute to Betty Lou attaining her goals? Answer: Attaining Betty Lou’s will require considerable interpersonal skill. Becoming an outstanding marketing executive requires a high-level of interpersonal skill. “Getting in good with buyers” also implies that Betty Lou is adept at working well with people. COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Skill-Building Exercise 1-1: Applying the Model for Improving Interpersonal Skills This exercise helps emphasize a point that must be repeated often—for many people improving an interpersonal skill takes a lot of hard work. Going through all six steps is important to enhance the possibility that development will take place. Identification of developmental needs is an essential first step, and I have found students tend to be open rather than defensive about looking for ways to improve interpersonal skills. Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1: What Are Your Developmental Needs? This exercise is placed first in the text because it sets the stage for serious thinking about personal development in the interpersonal sphere. One approach to this exercise is to request each student to present one developmental need and action plan to the class. After the presentations are complete, students are asked to interpret what they heard. My experience has been that students often ask the instructor to identify his or her most pressing developmental need. So be prepared! Interpersonal Skills Role-Play (for Case 1-1): Tyler Wants to Improve His Interpersonal Skills As an introductory role play to the course, this scenario has promise. Tyler must overcome the potential barrier of Isabella and Noah thinking that he probably is looking for another opportunity to talk about himself. Isabella and Noah can demonstrate good interpersonal skills by offering Tyler honest feedback and he interacts with coworkers. Chapter 2 Understanding Individual Differences A key contributor to developing effective interpersonal relationships in organizations is understanding individual differences—the variations in how people respond to the same situation based on personal characteristics. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES I. PERSONALITY Individual differences in personality greatly influence interpersonal relationships. Personality refers to those persistent and enduring behavior patterns that tend to be expressed in a wide variety of situations. A. Eight Major Personality Factors and Traits Many psychologists believe that the basic structure of human personality is represented by five broad factors, known as the Big Five. Three more key personality factors, risk taking and thrill seeking, self-monitoring of behavior, and optimism, have received much attention and are also included here. All eight factors have a substantial impact on interpersonal relations and job performance. Despite a genetic influence, most people can improve their standing on key personality factors. 1. Neuroticism refers to emotional instability and identifies people prone to psychological distress and coping with problems in unproductive ways. 2. Extraversion reflects the quantity or intensity of social interactions, the need for social stimulation, self-confidence, and competition. 3. Openness (openness to experience) reflects the proactive seeking of experience for its own sake. 4. Agreeableness reflects the quality of one’s interpersonal orientation. 5. Conscientiousness reflects organization, self-restraint, persistence, and motivation toward attaining goals. 6. Self-monitoring of behavior refers to the process of observing and controlling how we are perceived by others. 7. Risk taking and thrill seeking refers to the propensity to take risks and pursue thrills. 8. Optimism refers to a tendency to experience positive emotional states, and to typically believe that positive outcomes will be forthcoming from most activities. The other end of the scale is pessimism—a tendency to experience negative emotional states and to typically believe that negative outcomes will be forthcoming from most activities. A high standing on a given trait is not always an advantage, and a low standing is not always a disadvantage. For example, extraverts might spend neglect analytical work because of so much time spent talking to people. B. The Eight Factors and Traits and Job Performance Depending on the job, any one of the preceding personality factors can be important for success. Research on the Big Five factors is based on both personality tests and trait ratings by others. Conscientiousness relates to job performance for many different occupations, with the dependability aspect (or sub-trait) being the most important contributor. 1. Extraversion. Extraversion is associated with success for managers and salespersons. In more complicated types of selling, extraversion is less important. 2. Self-monitoring. High self-monitors tend to receive higher performance evaluations, and are more likely to emerge as leaders and work their way into top management positions. 3. Organizational Citizenship Behavior. The willingness to go beyond one’s job description without a specific apparent reward is referred to as organizational citizenship behavior. Two components or sub-behaviors are affiliation-oriented and challenge-oriented citizenship behaviors. An analysis of studies based on a total of over 50,000 employees found that being a good organizational citizen leads to better performance ratings, higher salary increase, and less turnover and absenteeism. Organizational citizenship behavior also contributes to higher productivity, reduced costs, and better customer satisfaction. A worker with a high standing on organizational citizenship behavior will often make a short-term sacrifice that leads to long-term benefits to the organization. 4. Turnover and Personality. Employees who are emotionally stable are less likely to plan to quit, or to actually quit. Conscientious and agreeable employees are less likely to leave voluntarily. Notable also is that workers who are low on agreeableness and high on openness to experiences are likely to quit spontaneously. 5. Optimism and Pessimism. Optimism can be helpful when attempting such tasks as selling a product or service or motivating a group of people. Pessimism can sometimes enhance job performance by such means as preparing to prevent botches and bad luck. 6. Combination of Standing on Several Personality Traits. A combination of personality factors will sometimes be more closely associated with job success than one factor alone, such as being conscientious and agreeable. A study with diverse occupational groups fond that conscientious workers who were also agreeable, performed better than conscientious workers who were less agreeable. C. Psychological Types and Cognitive Styles Personality also influences a person's cognitive style, or modes of problem solving. Jung's analysis of cognitive style became the basis for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Another leading measure of measuring types is the Golden Personality Type profiler. Four separate dichotomies direct the typical use of perception and judgment by an individual: (1) Energy flow: extraversion versus introversion, (2) Information gathering: sensation versus intuition, (3) Decision making: thinking versus feeling, and (4) Lifestyle orientation: judging versus perceiving. Combining the four types with each other results in 16 personality types, such as the ESPF, or “The Entertainer.” Figure 2-2 presents four of the sixteen personality types along with the implications for each one with respect to cognitive style. Far too many people interpret personality types as being definitive indicators of an individual’s personality, and therefore pigeon hole that person. D. Guidelines for Dealing with Different Personality Types To match one’s approach to dealing with a given personality type, a person must first arrive at an approximate diagnosis of the individual’s personality. Fourteen suggestions are presented in the text, yet they must be regarded tentatively. Four of these suggestions are: (1) When relating to an extraverted individual, emphasize friendliness and warmth; (2) when relating to an introverted individual, move slowly, and tolerate silence; (3) when relating to a disagreeable person, be patient and tolerant; and (4) when relating to a conscientious person, grant freedom and do not nag. II. COGNITIVE INTELLIGENCE Cognitive ability (also referred to as mental ability or intelligence) is one of the major sources of individual differences that affects job performance and behavior. Cognitive intelligence is the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge. Abstract problems can best be solved by intelligent workers. Understanding the intelligence of others can improve one’s ability to relate to them. A. Components of Traditional Intelligence Intelligence consists of a g (general) factor along with s (special) factors that contribute to problem-solving ability. The g factor helps explain why some people perform so well in so many different mental tasks. The following seven mental ability factors have been consistently identified: 1. Verbal comprehension: understanding the meaning of words and information. 2. Word fluency: the ability to use words quickly and easily. 3. Numerical acuity: the ability to handle numbers. 4. Spatial: the ability to visualize forms and objects in three dimensions. 5. Memory: having a good rote memory. 6. Perceptual speed: the ability to perform tasks requiring visual perception. 7. Inductive reasoning: the ability to discover a rule or principle and apply it to a problem. Attempts to improve cognitive skills, or intelligence, have become an entire industry, including both brain-stimulating exercises and food supplements. Brain-imaging studies support the idea that mental workouts help preserve cognitive fitness, a state of optimized ability to remember, learn, plan, and adapt to changing circumstances. Memory training appears to be effective. The contribution of food supplements to enhancing or maintaining cognitive ability is debatable, yet a healthy diet contributes to the proper functioning of the brain. B. Practical Intelligence The practical type of intelligence required for adapting to your environment to suit your needs. Practical intelligence is an accumulation of skills, dispositions and knowledge plus the ability to apply knowledge to solve every day problems. Included in practical intelligence is intuition, an experience-based way of knowing or reasoning in which the weighing and balancing of evidence are done automatically. Experience usually improves practical intelligence. C. Multiple Intelligences According to the theory of multiple intelligences, people know and understand the world in distinctly different ways, and learn in different ways. The eight intelligences, or faculties, are as follows: (1) linguistic, (2) logical-mathematical, (3) musical, (4) spatial, (5) bodily/kinesthetic, (6) intrapersonal, (7) interpersonal, and (8) naturalist. The importance of natural abilities has been recently challenged. Malcolm Gladwell contends that no one gets to the top without 10,000 of practice in a field. Guided practice does help, but basic talent is still needed to attain high-level success in such fields as finance, foreign languages, and sports. Cognitive, practical, and multiple intelligence all contribute to but do not guarantee our ability to think critically. Critical thinking is the process of evaluating evidence, and then based on this evaluation, making judgments and decisions. Personality factors contribute heavily to whether we choose to use the various types of intelligence. Two such factors are openness to experience and conscientiousness. D. Emotional Intelligence How effectively people use their emotions has a major impact on their success. Emotional intelligence refers to qualities such as understanding one’s feelings, empathy for others, and the regulation of emotion to enhance living. The four key factors of emotional intelligence are: 1. Self-awareness (self-knowledge) 2. Self-management (control of one’s emotions) 3. Social awareness (empathy for others and intuition about work problems) 4. Relationship management (interpersonal skills) Emotional intelligence incorporates many of the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve effective interpersonal relations in organizations. E. Guidelines for Relating to People of Different Levels and Types of Intelligence Several suggestions are given for relating differently to people of different types and levels of intelligence. For example, when people are brighter, present ideas in more technical depth, use more difficult words, and ask challenging questions; do the opposite with a mentally slow question. III. VALUES AS A SOURCE OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES A value refers to the importance a personal attaches to something, and values are another source of individual differences. Values are closely tied in with ethics, the moral choices a person makes. Differences in values among people often stem from age, or generational differences. Table 2-1 presents stereotypes about Baby Boomers versus members of Generation X and Generation Y. A. Classification of Values Value classification goes beyond regarding values as good or bad. Table 2-1 presents a method of classifying values that points to how we establish goals to fit our values. For example, people who value power are likely to set the goals of attaining power, strength, and control. B. Generational Differences in Values Differences in values among people often stem from age, or generational, differences. These age differences in values have often been seen as a clash between Baby Boomers and members of Generation X and Generation Y. Generation Jones are the younger Boomers born between 1954 and 1964.According to the stereotype, Boomers see members of Generation X and Generation Y as disrespectful of rules, not willing to pay their dues, and being disloyal. Members of Generation X and Generation Y see Boomers as worshipping hierarchy, being overcautious, and wanting to preserve the status quo. Table 2-2 summarizes these massive group stereotypes that are only partially accurate. C. How Values are Learned One important way in which we learn values is through observing others, or modeling. Models can be parents, teachers, friends, brothers, sisters, and even public figures. Another way in which values are learned is through the communication of attitudes. Values continue to be shaped by events later in life. The media, including the dissemination of information about popular culture, influences the values of many people throughout their lives. Changes in technology can also change our values, such many people valuing a digital lifestyle, as the normal way of life. B. Clarifying Your Values Value-clarification exercises ask you to compare the relative importance you attach to different objects and activities. Self-Assessment Quiz 2-3 provides insight into value clarification. C. The Mesh Between Individual and Job Values When individual and job values are congruent, job performance is likely to be higher. The major factor creating positive outcomes from value congruence appears to be employees trusting managers based on the congruence. When communication is regular, open, and consistent, trust is enhanced. When the demands made by the organization or a superior clash with the basic values of the individual, he or she suffers from person-role conflict. The individual wants to obey orders, but does not want to perform an act that seems inconsistent with his or her values. D. Guidelines for Using Values to Enhance Interpersonal Relations Values are an important driver of interpersonal effectiveness. One approach would be to establish the values a person will use in relationships with others on the job, and then use those values as a firm guideline in working with others. Also, express your concern to employers when you believe that your values are being compromised. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW 1. Provide an example of how you have successfully taken into account individual differences in dealing with people. In what way did your approach make a difference in the outcome of the interaction with that person? Answer: Thinking through an answer to this question helps the student better understand what individual differences means in practice. An illustrative answer here is that a student who worked as a supervisor gave clearer, slower, and more precise instructions to a group member with modest learning ability. As a result the group member in question performed better. 2. Suppose you found out from a reliable source that a coworker of yours is a high self-monitor. What precautions (if any) would you take in dealing with that person? Answer: A major precaution to take with a high self-monitoring coworker would to be a little skeptical of compliments, as well as other attempts to please you. For example, a compliment about a report you wrote might not be based on the merits of the report, but instead the compliment is designed to please. 3. Identify three job situations (or entire jobs) in which being optimistic might be an asset. Answer: Almost all forms of sales require optimism because the sales representative or sales associate needs to believe that some consumers will become their customers. People who start their own businesses need to be highly optimistic that they will garner enough business to prosper and survive. Optimism is particularly important because such a higher percentage of startups fail. Optimism is also quite helpful for technical support specialists because they need to have an optimistic attitude that the problem at hand can be solved. If the problem is not solved, an angry customer results who might want a refund or who threatens to sue the company. 4. Identify three job situations (or entire jobs) in which being a pessimist might be an asset. Answer: Pessimistic workers at all job-levels have a propensity to visualize what might go wrong by taking a particular course of action, thereby often preventing problems. A tax accountant might help a client by cautioning against a deduction that might be rejected by the Internal Revenue Service, thereby creating possible fraud charges. A health-care professional might see a small potential symptom of a big problem, such as a lump in the throat, and urge that the patient visit a specialist. A pessimist on an automobile design team might point to features on a new vehicle that could possibly result in recall problems, and encourage a change in design. 5. Identify two business occupations for which a high propensity for risk taking and thrill seeking would be an asset. Also, identify two business occupations for which risk taking and thrill seeking might be a liability. Answer: Business occupations where a high propensity for risk would be valuable include a broker for investments such as stock futures and commodity trading, a specialist in repossessing expensive goods, a commission-only sales person, and a venture capitalist. A high propensity for risk taking and thrill seeking might be a liability for professions and occupations that focus on the customer safety. Managers of credit unions would fit this category. A food and drug inspector is another specialty where risk taking and thrill seeking could be a liability. 6. Imagine yourself going about your job in your field, or intended field. Give an example of how you might use the five primary senses of touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste to gather information. Answer: Students will have to think imaginatively to answer this question. To illustrate, we might take the occupation of a person who values (places a value on) businesses such as a restaurant, manufacturing plant, or retail store. Today Jack, an appraiser is visiting a restaurant to estimate its value. Jack first touches the furnishings to get a feel for whether they are fine wood or plastic. Jack then uses sight to gather a general impression of the value of the restaurant. He listens to customers in an attempt to sense whether he hears signs of contentment or discontentment. Jack than observes whether the restaurant has a pleasant scent—a very important property of a restaurant. Having common sense, Jack also tastes a few items on the menu to help him in his valuation of the restaurant. As a chef, I use my sense of taste to balance flavors, sight to ensure proper presentation, touch to gauge texture, smell to identify freshness, and sound to check for proper cooking techniques, like sizzling. 7. Which of the seven components of traditional intelligence represents your best mental aptitude? What is your evidence? Answer: Reflecting on past experience helps answer this question. An easy source of information would be school grades. A person might also reflect about work experiences and everyday experiences. Someone might be good at understanding maps and following them, suggesting good spatial intelligence as his strongest aptitude. 8. How could you use the concept of multiple intelligences to raise the self-esteem of people who did not consider themselves to be very smart? Answer: People who do not consider themselves to be very smart typically use scholastic achievement and abstract problem solving as their frame of reference for judging intelligence. A person with such a self-evaluation might be reminded that he or she has great aptitude for dancing (or something else), this indicating high bodily/kinesthetic intelligence (or another of the multiple intelligences). Receiving recognition for genuine accomplishment tends to bolster self-esteem. 9. Which aspect of personality, cognitive ability, or values would best help explain why so many actors, actresses, sports figures, politicians, and business executives damage their careers through such means a drunk driving, shoplifting, sexually harassment, or physically assaulting others? Answer: A major explanation for such self-defeating behavior is that the person has low emotional intelligence in terms of self-managing negative impulses. Pure cognitive intelligence provides fewer clues. For example how can someone smart enough to become the mayor of a major city be stupid enough to sexually harass a large number of women over a long period of time? The trait of high risk-taking and thrill seeking also provides clues to aberrant behavior, such as the thrill associated with shoplifting for pleasure rather than financial need. 10. How can you use information about a person’s values to help you relate more effectively to him or her? Answer: Knowledge of a person’s values can enhance establishing rapport with the individual by making an appeal to those values. If you know, for example, that the person has strong professional values, you can emphasize career and work in casual conversations with him or her. ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS The Big Stakes Repo Men at International Recovery Repo men, so well-known in popular culture, are make an excellent case study in risk taking and thrill seeking. 1. Which personality traits does Cage, as well as his coworkers, most likely demonstrate? Answer: Repo men evidently score high on risk taking and thrill seeking based on their high-risk pursuits. A high degree of optimism might also be present, because a person needs an optimistic outlook to think that repossessing luxury goods can be accomplished without serious physical conflict. 2. How much cognitive skill is probably required to be a repossession specialist at International Recovery Group? Answer: All the plotting and scheming, and detective work involved in repossessions most likely requires above-average intelligence. For example, figuring out where a particular boat or airplane might be hidden would require heavy thinking. 3. How might practical intelligence contribute to success as a high-end repo specialist? Answer: Practical intelligence would contribute to success as a high-end repo specialist because he or she would have to figure out how to avoid danger, and how to approach people to get the needed information about the location of the boat, car, or airplane. Practical intelligence would also be required to figure out how to avoid substantial physical harm while conducting a repossession. 4. How might being a former professional wrestler be a contributing factor to success in this type of work? Answer: The imposing physical presence of a former professional wrestler would help discourage the owners of the repossessed object from attacking the repo specialist. The physical strength of the wrestler would also be useful in repo tasks such as pushing a boar away from a dock. The former wrestler’s propensity not to fear physical danger would also be a distinct asset for this type of work. (My hunch is that students will offer some fabulous responses to this question, particularly because professional wrestling has a following among people of all ages.) A Values Clash at the Hearing Center This case provides a concrete illustration of how personal values can contribute to a difference of opinion as to which method of communication is the most effective in a work setting. 1. In what way does this case represent a problem of differences in generational values? Answer: The generational differences in values suggested here is that Jessica representing the younger generation has a preference for one style of communication (more texting and e-mailing) whereas the Brandon’s representing an older generation, prefer another style of communication (more telephoning). However, the Brandons did rely heavily on e-mails in the past. 2. Why might excluding e-mails and text messages to and from patients lower productivity at the Brandon Hearing Center? Answer: Responding to and making continual phone calls might take more time than dealing with text messages and e-mails. Perhaps one more receptionist might have to be hired, thereby lower the productivity of the office. The counterargument is that patients were sending such a flood of e-mails and text messages that the process consumed too much time, thereby lowering office productivity. 3. What do you think Jessica should do to change the opinions of the Brandons in relation to the communication mode? Or, do you think Jessica should just drop the issue and try to understand the Brandon’s point of view? Answer: Jessica is best advised to drop the issue because the Brandons had seen in the past how dysfunctional communicating with patients through e-mail and texting can be. What Jessica could do, however, would be to propose other approaches to enhancing office productivity. COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Self-Assessment Quiz 2-1: The Self-Monitoring Scale Self-monitoring is a major personality trait so it is useful for students to think about their tendencies toward self-monitoring. The significance of extreme scores is useful to ponder. Would a very low self-monitor be insensitive to people, such as telling coworkers that their children are dull-witted or ugly? Would a very high self-monitor be an inveterate office politician? Self-Assessment Quiz 2-2: The Risk-Taking Scale Even people in the same demographic group vary considerably in risk-taking propensity, so class members should vary in their scores. Ask for volunteers who scored very high or very low on the quiz to compare their scores to their self-evaluation. It is helpful for the volunteers to document how they are high- or low-risk takers. Self-Assessment Quiz 2-3: My Tendencies toward Organizational Citizenship Behavior This 25-statement quiz is designed to provide the student insight into many of the specific behaviors reflective of organizational citizenship behavior. Being a good organizational citizen provides many benefits to the individual and the organization, so low scorers on this scale might think of ways to elevate their organizational citizenship behavior. Skill-Building Exercise 2-1: Personality Role Plays To perform these role-plays well, students will have to carefully study the guidelines for dealing with different personality types. Studying the guidelines will also give useful clues about how to behave when one has high standing on a particular personality trait such as openness. For example, the individual with high standing on organizational citizenship behavior will reach out to help a coworker in a constructive way. . Skill-Building Exercise 2-2: Adapting to People of Different Mental Ability A potential contribution of this exercise is that it sensitizes students to the importance of reacting to one of the major dimensions of behavior—mental ability. Many people have not stopped to think of the importance of dealing with people differently based on their mental abilities. Skill-Building Exercise 2-3: Helping an Intellectually Challenged Worker Get Started This role play works wonders with humanistic students who also understand the concept of individual differences. The effective role player will be encouraging toward Jimmy, and give him clear instructions without presenting too many tasks during the first meeting. At the same time the student who plays the supervisor must pull this off without appearing to be patronizing. After the role play is completed, Jimmy might be asked if he felt patronized. Self-Assessment Quiz 2-3: Clarifying Your Values Thinking through the priorities one attaches to his or her values is inherently enjoyable. A point of class discussion is how some of the values are interrelated. One cannot satisfy some values without satisfying others. For example having good health contributes to having an above-average income, and being in good physical condition. Skill-Building Exercise 2-4: The Value Conflict Role-Play A high level of diplomacy is required to deal with the person-role conflict of being asked to make unfavorable judgments about workers to justify laying them off. This role-play might demonstrate how difficult it is for some people to cling to their values when their job might be at stake. Interpersonal Relations Role Play (for Case 2-2) An important feature of this role pay is that helps develop awareness as to how far to push one’s values or opinions with the person in charge. Values may drive Jessica’s behavior but she has to decide if her stand on the best method of communicating with patients is worth becoming a pest. Chapter 3 Building Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence This chapter focuses on two of the biggest building blocks for more effective human relations: the nature and development of self-esteem and self-confidence. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES I. THE MEANING OF SELF-ESTEEM, ITS DEVELOPMENT AND CONSEQUENCES Understanding the self is important. A particularly important role is played by self-esteem, the overall evaluation people make about themselves whether positive or negative. Our self-concept is what we think about ourselves whereas self-esteem is what we feel about ourselves. A. How Self-Esteem Develops Self-esteem develops and evolves throughout our lives based on interactions with people, events, and things. Early-life experiences have a major impact on self-esteem. People who were encouraged to feel good about themselves and their accomplishments by others are more likely to enjoy high self-esteem. Praise alone does not build self-esteem. Instead, it results from accomplishing worthwhile activities, and then feeling proud of these accomplishments. To develop self-esteem people need to improve their skills for dealing with the world. A study with Dutch college students found that self-esteem was related to procedural fairness and leadership that encourages self-rewards. Fair procedures had a stronger impact on self-esteem when the leader encourages self-rewards. B. The Consequences of High Self-Esteem High self-esteem has many positive consequences for people, as well as a few potential negative ones, as outlined in Table 4-1. In contrast, people with low self- esteem are likely to have less career success, poorer mental health, and profit less from feedback. 1. Career Success. People with positive self-esteem understand their competence and worth, and have a positive perception of their ability to cope with problems and adversity. The core self-evaluations include self-esteem. A twenty-five-year study with 12,000 participants found that people with higher core self-evaluations tended to perform better in their jobs, and have much more career success that people with lower core self-evaluations. Later research suggests that people with high core self-evaluations are more likely to have high job performance when they combine positive attitudes toward the self with a concern for the welfare of others. 2. Organizational Prosperity. Companies gain the edge when, in addition to having and educated workforce, employees have high self-esteem, as shown by such behaviors as (a) being creative and innovative, (b) taking personal responsibilities for problems, and (c) taking the initiative to solve problems. 3. Good Mental Health. A major consequence of high self-esteem is good mental health. People with high self-esteem feel good about themselves and have a positive outlook on life. Positive self-esteem also contributes to good mental health because it helps us ward off being troubled by feelings of jealousy, and acting aggressively toward others because of our jealousy. 4. Profiting from Feedback. Although people with high self-esteem can readily shrug off underserved insults, they still profit from negative feedback. 5. Serves as a Guide for Regulating Social Relationships. Self-esteem provides a gauge of performing during social interactions. The rise and fall of self-esteem acts as an internal barometer of how a person is faring during interaction with others. 6. Potential Negative Consequences. Both high and low self-esteem can have some negative consequences, as follows: Development of narcissism when self-esteem is too high; envying too many people when self-esteem is low; poor romantic relationships with self-esteem is low. A general point about the consequences of self-esteem is that our own reference group has the biggest impact on self-esteem. II. ENHANCING SELF-ESTEEM Following are five approaches to enhancing self-esteem that relate to how self-esteem develops. Each of these approaches has a skill component, such as learning to avoid situations that make you feel incompetent. A. Attain Legitimate Accomplishments To repeat, accomplishing worthwhile activities is a major contributor to self-esteem in both children and adults. To be real, self-esteem must be based on something true. Social science research suggests this sequence of events: Person establishes a goal; person pursues the goal; person achieves the goal; person develops esteem-like feelings. [Ask class members what life experiences have boosted their self-esteem.] B. Be Aware of Personal Strengths Developing an appreciation of strengths and accomplishments can improve self-esteem. A good starting point is for a person to list his or her strengths and accomplishments on a word processing document or paper. A useful technique is to discuss strengths in a small group, with each member receiving a turn. C. Rebut the Inner Critic Rebut the voice inside you that sends negative messages about your capabilities. Rebutting critical statements made about you might also be considered another way of appreciating your strengths. D. Practice Self-Nurturing Treat yourself as a worthwhile person. Nurture and care for yourself in ways that show how valuable, competent, deserving and lovable you really are. One example is to administer self-rewards for a job well done. Another is taking care of yourself mentally and physically. E. Minimizing Setting and Interactions that Detract from Your Feelings of Competence Minimizing exposure to situations in which you do not feel at your best can lead to fewer feelings of incompetence. Yet it is good for self-esteem to conquer situations in which you feel challenged. F. Get Help from Others Self-esteem is strongly shaped by how others perceive us so getting help from others is a major step a person can take to improve his or her self-esteem. Asking for support from friends can include such basic steps as: (1) Ask friends to tell you what they like about you or what they think that you do well. (2) Ask for a hug. Getting help from teachers and other helpers can include: (1) Ask professors or tutors for help with work you find to be challenging. (2) Take classes or attempt new activities to increase your self-confidence in weak areas. Another way of getting help from others is to talk and socialize frequently with people who can boost your self-esteem. People who can raise your self-esteem are usually those with high self-esteem themselves. The same people will give you more honest feedback. Weak people may flatter you, but not offer the honest feedback you need to build self-esteem. G. Model the Behavior of People with High Self-Esteem Observe the way people who you believe to have high self-esteem stand, walk, speak, and act. Choose your models of high self-esteem from people you know personally, as well as celebrities you might watch on television and interview shows. H. Create a High Self-Esteem Living Space A panel of mental health specialists recommends that to enhance your self-esteem you should make your living space one that honors the person you are. Make the space comfortable and attractive for you. Your living space is part of your self-image. III. THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SELF-EFFICACY Self-confidence is almost the equivalent of self-esteem. Self-efficacy is confidence in your ability to carry out a specific task, in contrast to generalized self-confidence. Self-efficacy relates to job performance, and self-confidence is associated with leadership. Feelings of self-confidence stem from five sources of information: (1) actual experience, (2) the experience of others, or modeling, (3) social comparison, (4) social persuasion, the process of convincing another person, and (5) emotional arousal including managing emotions. IV. TECHNIQUES FOR DEVELOPING AND ENHANCING YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE Self-confidence is generally achieved by succeeding in a variety of situations. However, some people who seem to succeed at everything still have lingering self-doubt. Following are seven specific strategies and tactics for building self-esteem. A. Develop a Solid Knowledge Base Solving problems from a base of facts helps project a confident image. Formal education is very important, and day-by-day absorption of career-related information is also important. B. Use Positive Self-Talk To appear self-confident, use positive self-talk, or saying positive things about yourself. The first step is to objectively state the incident that is casting doubt about self-worth. Positive self-talk is useful for getting people past difficult times. Positive self-talk is included in self-compassion, or treating yourself kindly. Research suggests that self-compassionate people are happier. C. Avoid Negative Self-Talk Minimize negative comments about yourself to bolster self-confidence. For example, do not say “I may be stupid but…” or “Nobody asked my opinion.” D. Practice Public Speaking Dale Carnegie had it right. If you can stand in front of an audience, even during a small meeting, and deliver your thoughts effectively you will gain in self-confidence. E. Use Positive Visual Imagery To use positive visual imagery, or picturing a positive outcome in your mind. Imagine yourself performing well in an upcoming situation that represents a challenge. F. Set High Expectations for Yourself (the Galatea Effect) Setting high expectations and succeeding is likely to boost self-confidence. The Galatea effect is a type of self-fulfilling prophecy in which high expectations lead to high performance. You expect to win, so you do. G. Develop the Explanatory Style of Optimists Explaining events in an optimistic way can help preserve self-confidence and self-esteem. When experiencing trouble, optimists tend to explain the problems to themselves as temporary. H. Strive for Peak Performance A key strategy for projecting self-confidence is to display peak performance, or exceptional accomplishment on a given task. Peak performance requires total focus on the task at hand, leading to being mentally calm and physically at ease. I. Bounce Back from Setbacks and Embarrassments Resilience is a major contributor to personal effectiveness. Overcoming setbacks builds self-confidence. An effective self-confidence builder is to convince yourself that you can conquer adversity such as setbacks and embarrassments. 1. Get past the emotional turmoil. You must accept the reality of your problem, avoid panicking, and get help from your support network. 2. Find a creative solution to your problem. An inescapable part of planning a comeback is to solve your problem, often searching for a creative solution. A useful approach to finding a creative solution to your problem is to use response-oriented thinking that focuses on finding answers. An example: “What can I do to begin addressing the problem now?” 3. Strive to develop positive psychological capital. A comprehensive way of becoming more self-confident is to develop positive psychological capital, a positive state of development in which you have hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW 1. Why does holding an important job contribute to one’s self-esteem? Answer: Self-esteem is shaped in part by how we are perceived by others. In many cultures, people tend to perceive you more positively when you hold an important job. These positive perceptions in turn enhance the person’s self-esteem. 2. A study be economists indicated that workers with higher levels of self-esteem tended to be more productive. What would be an explanation of this finding? Answer: The workers with high self-esteem would take more pride in their work, thereby doing a better job leading to higher productivity. Organizational productivity, in turn, improves based on a higher number of individual workers being productive. 3. Why are people with high self-esteem to the point of being a narcissist often disliked by many other people? Answer: The problem is that narcissists consistently do several things that many people find annoying. Narcissists talk so much about themselves, often to the exclusion of listening to other people. Narcissists relate most conversations back to themselves. Another key problem is that narcissists have limited empathy for others which creates poor interpersonal relationships. 4. The criticism is often heard that the American emphasis on building the self-esteem of children has resulted in a generation of young adults who expect to be strongly praised by their bosses, no matter that they accomplish. What is your opinion of this criticism? Answer: Although this stereotype of younger workers might be true of the average or typical young worker, similar to most group stereotypes it may be just slightly more than 50 percent true. One reason for the exception is that not all parents, other family members, teachers, and coaches hand out indiscriminate praise. As a result, these children would not be expecting so much undeserved praise. 5. Why is self-confidence considered to be so important for being an effective leader? Answer: Self-confidence is fundamental for leadership for a variety of reasons. First, it takes courage and self-confidence to handle leadership responsibilities. Second, if the leader appears self-confident, more people will be willing to “follow the leader.” Third, group members who are not highly self-confident prefer to be led by someone who is self-confident. 6. What positive self-talk can you use after you have failed on a major assignment? Answer: Creating positive self-talk after failing a major assignment is a challenge. Simple rationalization is not good enough. Some possibilities of positive self-talk here are (a) “I’ve learned a lot from this setback, so I will know how to prepare better next time” (b) “Now that I have hit bottom, I’m headed up”, and (c) “I am glad that I have identified where I need to improve.” 7. In what way does your program of studies contribute to building your self-confidence and self-esteem? Answer: A self-esteem and self-confidence booster for many students is that they perceive their program of studies as helping them develop or enhance valuable skills. Having these skills will help them succeed in a career, thereby enhancing their self-confidence and self-esteem. 8. Many pharmaceutical firms actively recruit cheerleaders as sales representatives to call on doctors to recommend their brand of prescription drugs. The firms in question say that cheerleaders make good sales reps because they are so self- confident. What is your opinion on this controversial issue? Answer: An argument against believing that cheerleaders as a group are self-confident is that the self-confidence is not general self-confidence but self-efficacy about being athletic and cheerful. This self-efficacy might not spill over to having self-efficacy about dealing with pharmaceuticals. The positive argument is that you have to be self-confident to be a cheerleader, and you also have to be self-confident to be a pharmaceutical sales rep. Many students may be aware that recruiting cheerleaders is sometimes interpreted as discrimination against candidates who do not resemble the stereotype of a cheerleader. There is at least one employment agency that specializes in matching companies with cheerleaders. 9. What is it about success in public speaking that tends to boost the self-confidence of the public speaker? Answer: Public speaking is widely perceived to be a feared activity, so if a person succeeds at public speaking her or she will experience the surge in self-confidence that stems from performing well in an extremely demanding task. Another factor is that after having done a good job at public speaking, members of the audience will clap, and later shake hands with the speaker. Both are self-confidence builders. 10. Interview a person whom you perceive to have a successful career. Ask that person to describe how he or she developed high self-esteem. Be prepared to discuss your findings in class. Answer: We can anticipate a good learning experience for students who take this assignment seriously. Many people with successful careers will probably explain that parents, teachers, and bosses helped them develop self-esteem through encouragement. And some of the more perceptive people interviewed will describe how their early-life accomplishments boosted their self-esteem. ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS High Self-Esteem Brandy The case about Brandy illustrates how flaunting self-esteem and self-confidence can result in a negative reaction from others. A personal brand may seem like a narcissistic endeavor yet a brand can be promoted with sensitivity and tact. 1. How effectively is Brandy Barclay presenting herself has a brand (or a unique individual)? Answer: As mentioned in the above comment, Brandy is going too far in presenting herself in a positive, confident manner. She is flaunting her brand to the point of appearing narcissistic. Brandy’s self-centeredness appears to be annoying the interviewer. 2. What suggestions can you offer Barclay for presenting herself as a strong individual more effectively? Answer: Barclay might focus more on what she can do for the company in terms of the position under consideration. She might talk about her past experience and talents would be an asset in the administrative assistant position. She is placing too much emphasis on how she wants to move forward in her career. 3. To what extent do you think that Brandy’s self-esteem has reached the point of narcissism? Answer: It appears that Brandy’s high self-esteem has reached the point of narcissism. She has become self-absorbed, as in her statement, “I’m a whiz at Microsoft Office Suite, and I’m sweet with people. Kind of catchy, don’t you think?” Brandy could also be showing low empathy because she does not recognize the interviewer’s need to focus on the position under consideration. Anthony Needs a Boost This case illustrates a familiar scenario. Anthony is taking a hit to his self-confidence because of setbacks in work and personal life. 1. To what extent is Anthony facing a self-confidence problem? Answer: Anthony gives strong evidence that he is facing a self-confidence problems as exemplified by his statements, “I’m losing my mojo” and “I’m losing faith in my abilities.” 2. What do you do to recommend that Anthony do to re-gain his self-confidence. Answer: Anthony has been hit hard lately. His best hope for re-gaining his self-confidence is to experience a few small victories, such as making a modest sale, driving safely, and finding somebody to date even if she is not a total replacement for his fiancé. A little positive self-talk would also be helpful. 3. How might Anthony’s manager be able to help Anthony boost his self-confidence? Answer: If possible, the manager should give Anthony a moderately difficult assignment in which he is most likely to succeed, and then discussing the good results with Anthony. A comparable approach is to praise Anthony on his next positive result, such as booking an order. The general point is that the manager should facilitate Anthony experiencing a few small wins in order to boost his self-confidence. COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Human Relations Self-Assessment Quiz 3-1: The Self-Esteem Checklist A side use of the Self-esteem Checklist is to discuss why some of the statements are related to self-esteem. Two good examples are, “If my manager praised me, I would have a difficult time believing it was deserved” and "I'm just an ordinary person." Some people may not recognize that every day beliefs about the self are tied in with self-esteem. Human Relations Self-Assessment Quiz 3-2: National Longitudinal Survey of You Measure of Core Self-Evaluations One reason this self-assessment quiz is important is that the core self-evaluations is a well-researched measure of well-being, such as attaining career success. Although the quiz contains only 12 statements, the core self-evaluations include self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability. Skill-Building Exercise 3-1: Reinforcing a Positive Self-Image The process of writing down positive things about oneself to boost self-esteem and self-confidence has a long history. The activity is therefore worth a try. A side benefit is that thinking through good points about oneself is good preparation for job interviews. Skill-Building Exercise 3-2: The Self-Esteem Building Club We assume that students will enjoy the activity of attempting to build the self-esteem of another person. Probably the worst thing that can happen is the recipient of the attempt at self-esteem building will just shrug off the compliments. A useful message communicated by this exercise is that it is humanistic to attempt to build the self-esteem of others, and also requires good interpersonal skill. Human Relations Self-Assessment Quiz 3-3: How Self-Confident are You? Thinking through your level of self-confidence can prove worthwhile. Most people believe that they can use a boost in self-confidence so it is helpful to ponder the ten statements for specific areas of improvement in self-confidence. Skill-Building Exercise 3-4: Building Your Self-Confidence and Self-Efficacy Trying out several self-confidence building techniques is valuable for two major reasons. One, it might get the student embarked on self-confidence or self-efficacy building on a task that required a boost in self-confidence or self-efficacy. Two, the exercise reinforces the interpersonal skill-development model presented in Chapter 1. A key component of this model is to practice the skill in question. Interpersonal Relations Role- Play: Quincy Attempts to Boost Anthony’s Self-Confidence This role play represents a direct attempt for a supervisor to help a subordinate in a major way, boosting his self-confidence. Some students may recognize that Quincy would be carrying out one aspect of a coach’s role—giving encouragement. Students can observe if Quincy attempts to use a human relations technique mentioned in the chapter, or relies exclusively on common sense. Chapter 4 Interpersonal Communication The purpose of this chapter is to assist readers in further developing the interpersonal communication skills they already possess. Communicating lies at the heart of interpersonal relations. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES Communication is the sending, receiving, and understanding of messages. It is also the basic process by which managers, customer-contact workers, and professionals accomplish their work. Communication skills are a success factor for workers in a wide variety of jobs. Chapter 5 deals with then interpersonal aspects of communication in the digital world. I. STEPS IN THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS The process model of communication presented in text Figure 4-1 follows these steps: Sender (or source) → message → channel (medium) → receiver → feedback. The environment and the influence of noise are also important parts of understanding the communication process. II. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION Communication is a vehicle for building relationships. One dimension is dominant-subordinate. When we dominate we attempt to control communication. When we subordinate, we attempt to yield control, or think first of the needs of the other person. The cold-warm dimension also shapes communication. The combination of dominant and cold communication sends the signal that the sender of the message wants to control and to limit, or even withdraw from a personal relationship. Subordinate actions combined with warm communication signal a desire to build the relationship while yielding to the other person. Figure 4-2 summarizes how the dual dimensions of dominant-subordinate and cold-warm influence the relationship-building aspects of communication. Psychologist Steven Pinker says that warm acquaintances go out of their way not to look as if they are presuming a dominate-subordinate relationship, but instead a relationship of equals. III. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS Nonverbal communication refers to the transmission of message through means other than words. These messages accompany verbal communication and sometimes stand alone. A. Modes of Transmission of Nonverbal Communication Seven categories of nonverbal messages are (1) environment, (2) interpersonal distance, (3) posture, (4) hand gestures, (5) facial expressions and eye contact, (6) voice quality, (7) personal appearance, and (8) attention paid to other person.. B. Guidelines for Improving Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication can be improved by such methods as obtaining feedback on your body language, and learning to relax while communicating with others. Also, use role-playing to practice nonverbal communication, and use mirroring to establish rapport. C. Guidelines for Detecting Lying through Nonverbal Communication A conservative approach is to regard certain indicators to suggest that a person might be lying, and then to investigate further the truthfulness of certain statements. Research suggests that there is no behavior or pattern of behavior that in all people, in all situations, indicates deception. What is known is that lying requires extra mental effort, such as the nonverbal form of longer pauses between thoughts, and the use of hand and head movements that accompany speech will be less frequent. IV. GUIDELINES FOR OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS AND BARRIERS Messages are the most likely to be distorted when they are complex, emotionally arousing, or clash with a receiver's mental set. The tactics described next help reduce distortion. A. Communicate Honestly Messages get across poorly when the sender is not trusted. A similar perspective is that when people are trusted, their messages are more likely to be received. A person who communicates honestly is also more likely to receive honest communication from others. B. Understand the Receiver Understanding the receiver involves developing empathy, or placing yourself in the other person's shoes. Research suggests that mirror neurons help us empathize. Understanding the receiver also involves recognizing the receiver's motivational state, which includes any active needs and interests operating at the time. Furthermore, it is important to understand the person's frame of reference, the fact that people perceive words and concepts differently because their vantage points and perspectives differ. B. Minimize Defensive Communication Defensive communication is the tendency to receive messages in such a way that our self-esteem is protected. Such communication is also responsible for people sending messages to make them look good. Overcoming these barriers is difficult because of denial, the suppression of information we find to be uncomfortable. C. Repeat Your Message Using Multiple Channels (in Moderation) Repetition enhances communication, particularly when more than one channel is used to get the message across. When repeating your message or using multiple channels, use moderation to avoid contributing to the problem of information overload—a phenomenon that occurs when people are so overloaded with information that they cannot respond effectively to messages. D. Check Comprehension and Feelings through Verbal and Nonverbal Feedback Feedback tells us if the message has been received as intended. Action, of course, is even more conclusive. Feedback is also important because it reinforces the sender. Check for feelings after you have received a message. When you send a message, it is helpful to express your feelings. E. Display a Positive Attitude Being perceived as having a positive attitude helps melt communication barriers because most people prefer to communicate with a positive person. Being positive helps make you appear more credible and trustworthy. F. Communicate Persuasively A powerful tactic for overcoming communication barriers is to communicate so persuasively that obstacles disappear. Suggestions for persuasiveness include: 1. Know exactly what you want and communicate directly. 2. Never suggest an action without telling its end benefit. 3. Get a yes response early on. 4. Use power words (e.g., surpassing previous profits). 5 . Minimize raising your pitch at the end of sentences. 6. Talk to your audience, not the screen. 7. Back up conclusions with data. 8. Minimize “wimp” phrases. 9. Avoid or minimize common language errors. 10. Avoid overuse of jargon and clichés. 11. Avoid converting too many nouns into verbs (such as, “I’ll Facebook you later.”) G. Engage in Active Listening Improving one’s receiving of messages is another part of developing better communication skills. A major challenge in developing good listening skills is that we process information much more quickly than most people speak. Attempting to listen at high speed can cause the mind to fade in and out. The active listener listens intently with the goal of empathizing with the speaker. Listening is particularly important skills for anybody whose job involves troubleshooting, because one needs to gather information in order to solve problems. Skills and behaviors contributing to active listening include the following: 1. Show respect. 2 . Accept the sender’s figure of speech 3 . Paraphrase and listen reflectively. To paraphrase is to repeat in your own words what the sender says, feels, and means. 4. Minimize distractions. 5. Ask questions. 6. Allow sender to finish his or her sentence. 7. . Using nonverbal communication 8. Minimize words that shut down discussion. (For example, “no,” “but,” and “however.”) 9. Avoid the need to lie or fake when you have not been paying attention. H. Prepare for Stressful Conversations Communication barriers will frequently surface when two or more people are engaged in conversation fraught with emotion, such as giving highly negative performance feedback, or even giving praise. One technique for reducing stress here is to prepare in advance for the conversation. Be aware of how you might react in the situation. Also, practice temperate phrasing, or being tactful while delivering negative feedback. I. Engage in Metacommunications In addition to using the barrier busters already described, another possibility is to meta communicate, or communicate about your communication to help overcome barriers to resolve a problem. You talk about your communication pattern. J. Recognize Gender Differences in Communication Style People who are aware of gender differences in communication style would face fewer communication barriers between themselves and members of the opposite sex. Major findings about gender differences in communication style include: 1. Women prefer to use conversation for rapport building. 2. Men prefer to use talk primarily as a means to preserve independence and status by displaying knowledge and skill. 3. Women want empathy, not solutions. 4. Men prefer to work out their problems by themselves, whereas women prefer to talk out solutions with another person. 5. Women are more likely to compliment the work of a coworker, whereas men are more likely to be critical. 6. Men tend to be more directive in conversation, whereas women emphasize politeness. 7. Women tend to be more conciliatory when facing differences, whereas men become more intimidating. 8. Men are more interested than women in calling attention to their accomplishments or hogging recognition. 9. Men tend to dominate discussions during meetings. A general suggestion for overcoming gender-related communication barriers is for men to improve communication by becoming more empathic listeners. Women can improve communication by becoming more direct. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW 1. Why are communication skills important in the field you are in or intend to enter? Answer: Here is an opportunity to reflect on the communication component involved in one’s career. Even in jobs where communication skills are not the primary component, providing your output to others requires good written and oral communications skills. For example, a chemical laboratory technician might have to explain the results of a test to a person in manufacturing. 2. What is your opinion on the importance of face-to-face communication in the business world of the future? For example, with all the new communication technology tools will we stall have face-to-face meetings, and sales representatives calling on customers? Answer: All opinions are welcome here. The student should keep in mind, however, that even high-technology companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft still use face-to-face meetings to discuss technical developments and business strategy. Much of high-level business, such as the sales of major products and services and discussions about mergers, continues to be conducted in person. There appears to be a future for face-to-face communication in the digital age. Face-to-face communication will likely remain crucial in the business world, even with advanced technology. Personal interactions build stronger relationships, foster trust, and resolve complex issues more effectively than digital means. While technology enhances convenience and efficiency, face-to-face meetings will continue to play a vital role in establishing deeper connections and collaborative problem-solving. 3. Identify several suggestions in this chapter that you think are particularly important in communicating with deaf and hard-of-hearing coworkers. Answer: When people cannot hear well, or are deaf, communicating with them nonverbally becomes all the more important. For this reason, the suggestions about improving nonverbal communication would be all the more important. For example, ample use should be made of facial, hand, and body gestures. In terms of verbal communication, repeating a message using multiple channels would be quite important. Many deaf people read lips instead of relying on sign language, so articulating words carefully and slowly is important. Hard-of-hearing people often supplement their hearing with lips, meaning that careful articulation is useful in communicating with them also. (Note that the suggestions for clear articulation are not included in Chapter 4.). 4. What type of voice quality do you think would be effective in most situations? Answer: A forceful, yet reassuring and comforting voice that includes a consistent tone without vocalized pauses would connote power and control. It would also be effective in many business and social situations. 5. In what way might you have ever experienced information overload? What did you do, or what are you doing, to cope with the situation? Answer: Many students will perceive themselves as having faced information overload in the past or present. Many students perceive coursework as overloading them with information, as well as managing their e-mail and social networking accounts. A constructive approach to dealing with information overload is to sort out and prioritize the information to be processed. A less constructive approach is to simply ignore some of the information, such as the unfortunate people who do not open their mail from the Internal Revenue Service. To help cope with information overload some people ignore all e-mail for a few days—another bad idea. I can experience information overload when processing extensive data or multiple queries at once. To manage this, I prioritize and segment information to handle it more effectively. 6. Should a person use power words when he or she is not in a powerful job? Explain. Answer: Using power words when one is not in a powerful job is a good idea because it might help one get promoted to a powerful job. Projecting a favorable image usually enhances a person's chance for promotion. 7. Why does giving employees training in listening often lead to increased productivity and profits? Answer: Better listening leads to increased productivity and profits in many ways. Not listening can result in costly errors and rework, such as taking an order incorrectly over the phone. Listening to what a customer really wants can lead to increased sales and profits. Showing empathy toward employees by listening can reduce turnover, thereby increasing organizational productivity. Listening to a ping in a machine can lead to quick repairs, saving on major repairs later on. 8. Professional listeners, such as counselors, psychotherapists, and life coaches say that they are exhausted after a day of listening. Why might listening be exhausting? Answer: The major reason that listening is exhausting is that listen requires careful concentration on both words and nonverbal communication. In turn, the metal effort involved in concentration can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Listening can be exhausting because it requires intense mental focus and emotional energy. Professional listeners must fully engage with the speaker's words, emotions, and underlying issues, which can be mentally draining. Additionally, managing and processing complex emotional content adds to the cognitive load, contributing to their fatigue. 9. Assuming that you are a good listener, would you put this observation under the skills section of your job résumé? Why or why not? Answer: Being a good listener is a valuable skill, so it deserves to be placed on a job résumé. A potential problem the résumé writer might encounter is that the hiring manager might not have good human relations skills and would therefore think that the mention of listening skills was frivolous. 10. Suppose your manager does not listen to your suggestions for job improvements. how would you metacommunicate to deal with this problem? Answer: A group member who feels that her suggestions are virtually ignored by the team manager might say to the manager, "I'm concerned that when I make a suggestion for improvement, my ideas just get shrugged off. What is your opinion about my concerns?" ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS Why Am I Not Getting through to these People? Small business-owner Laura is facing one of the biggest communication challenges in the workplace—getting across a message that most receivers are not particularly interested in hearing. 1. What kind of communication problem does Laura appear to be facing? Answer: Laura faces the problem of getting a message across that the receivers have little interesting in hearing—that they are making costly mistakes that are damaging property and could be damaging the business. She therefore is facing the problem of overcoming communication barriers. 2. What do you recommend Laura do so that her employees act positively in response to her message? Answer: Laura needs to do a better job of getting the message across that the welfare of the company and the job security of the workers is at stake. She needs to appeal to motivated interest. Another problem Laura may be facing is that she is engaging in one-way communication. She should strive to involve the workers in the conversation and obtain their recommendations about reducing property damage. Troy, the Aspiring Hotel Manager The obvious theme of this case reflects the widespread problem of a person coming across to others as lacking conviction. At the same time the central figure in the case could create the impression of having low conviction because he feels uncertain about what he does and says. 1. What evidence do you see that Troy needs to come across with more conviction? Answer: Almost all the words uttered by Troy reflect low conviction, including the following: “…an assistant manager isn’t really such an important position.” “I’m not exactly sure.” “Oh well, perhaps I am overstating things a little.” 2. What do you recommend that Troy do to become a more persuasive communicator? Answer: If Troy’s communication problem stems from low self-confidence, it will be difficult for him to implement suggestions for communicating persuasively until he elevates his self-confidence. It is conceivable, however, that by taking steps to communicate more persuasively his self-confidence will be enhanced. The suggestion for persuasive communication that applies the most closely to Troy’s behavior is to minimize “wimp” phrases and words, such as “I’m not exactly sure.” COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Self-Assessment Quiz 4-1: Voice Quality Check Up Taken seriously, this exercise can point the way toward self-improvement that can benefit the student both personally and professionally. Voice quality is an often overlooked part of impression management. Skill-Building Exercise 4-1: The Mirroring Technique Attempting the mirroring technique is an effective way of learning how much skill is required. After students have conducted the field experiments, they might be encouraged to give a classroom demonstration through role-playing. Skill-Building Exercise 4-2: I Want this Position “I want this position” is a pointed exercise in making a convincing and persuasive argument on a relevant and important topic. Students will vary so widely in the effectiveness of their three-minute presentations, that the observers in the role of hiring managers will have much to praise and criticize. A side contribution of this exercise is that it provides an opportunity to sell oneself to an audience. Listening Traps The listening traps presented in this exercise get at typical listening problems in an informative, interesting manner. Notice, however, that being a mind reader (at least to some extent) is recommended for active listening. Skill-Building Exercise 4-3: Listening to a Coworker This role-play is valuable because it demonstrates that listening is not a natural behavior pattern. The listener in this role-play will often talk more than the target person. The student playing the role of listening to the discouraged coworker has to guard against giving too much advice and listening too little. Interpersonal Skills Role-Play 4-1: Getting through to a Property Specialist Here is an opportunity to practice overcoming communication barriers based on a scenario that occurs frequently in the workplace and in personal life. The sender of the message has one perception of the seriousness problem, whereas the receivers of the intended message perceive the problem to be less serious. A key observation point is whether Laura engages the trio in a conversation or simply engages in one-way communication without much listening on her part. Interpersonal Skills Role-Play 4-2: Troy Communicates Persuasively This role play represents another opportunity to practice persuasive skills with respect to a practical task. Persuasive skills involve both long-standing habits and personality traits, so change does not come about quickly. Chapter 5 Interpersonal Skills for the Digital World The purpose of this chapter is to describe interpersonal skills that are an asset in the digital world, as well as those skills and behaviors that detract from interpersonal effectiveness. Some of the material is controversial because many people believe they should not be restricted in any way from using communication technology. For example, an NFL player was escorted off an airplane because he refused to stop using his smart phone even after phone use was prohibited because of flight regulations. A U.S. senator from New York swore at the flight attendant when she informed him it was time to shut off his cell phone. And thousands of people do not believe that they should be restricted from talking on cell phones or sending and receiving text messages while driving. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES In this chapter we examine the interpersonal skill aspects of working in the digital age, an often neglected aspect of making good use of the communication and information technology surrounding us in the workplace. The information is organized into the broad categories of (a) using digital devices in one-on-one interaction, and (b) social networking and small audiences. I. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOR ONE-ON-ONE INTERACTIONS Interactions with people one at a time create the majority of opportunities for displaying interpersonal skills related to the digital age. Here we describe four such settings or scenarios in which the communication is typically directed toward one person: phone calls and text messaging; web cam job interviews; and the interpersonal aspect of multitasking. A. Smartphones, Cell Phones and Text Messaging Smartphones, including using them to send text messages, represent an enormous opportunity for displaying good, as well as poor, interpersonal skills. 1. Positive Interpersonal Skills While Using Smartphones. The behaviors in the following list illustrate how positive interpersonal skills can be demonstrated while using cell phones and text messaging during one-on-one interactions. a. Use a standard ring tone instead of a loud, unusual tone. b. Inform the caller that you are receiving his or her call on a cell phone. c. Inform work associates ahead of time if you are waiting for a call from a medical professional or in reference to an urgent home situation. d. Ask your work associate if he or she would like you to access an item of work-related information using your smart phone. e. Inform your coworker that you are shutting off your cell phone or smart phone during your conversation. f. For business purposes, use a fully functioning phone and stay current with your cell phone bill. g. When making calls from outside the office, search for a relatively quiet environment so your message will be clearer, and you will not have to ask the receiver to repeat the information. h. If absolutely necessary to take a personal cell phone call while interacting with a work associate, excuse yourself and move at least fifteen feet away to process the call. i. When you are the driver of the vehicle, explain to your work associate that for safety’s sake you are putting your cell phone away. j. When at work make any personal cell phone calls on break, and away from you assigned physical location, such as outside the building or in an employee lounge (but not in the restroom!) 2. Negative Interpersonal Skills While Using Cell Phones. Following is a list of frequent cell phone and text messaging behaviors that many (not all) people will interpret as rudeness and insensitivity—and therefore negative interpersonal skill. a. Accepting a phone call during a work conversation. b. Wearing a cell phone earpiece in the presence of a coworker when not on the phone. c. Making frequent personal calls on your phone in the earshot of coworkers. d. Talking loudly and shouting on the cell phone. e. Eating while making a phone call. f. Constant handling or looking at the cell phone even when not in use. g. Driving a work associate while under the influence of a cell phone including text messaging. h. Accepting and sending phone messages from rest rooms. B. E-Mail Messages and Instant Messaging E-mail messages and instant messages (IMs) provide another opportunity for displaying positive as well as negative interpersonal skills linked to the digital age. The way in which any message is sent tells something about the sender. E-mail messages should be proofread, brief, and sent only when necessary. Too much informality for business correspondence is poor etiquette. An e-mail problem with legal implications is that company e-mail messages are the property of the company, not the sender. Insulting, vulgar, or inflammatory comments should be avoided because they can be retrieved even when deleted. Because instant messaging allows you to intrude on coworkers anytime—and them to drop in on you—the opportunities to be rude multiply. All of the comments about the polite us of language apply to replacement technologies for e-mail, including intranets and social networking sites. Figure 5-1 summarizes a large amount of information about etiquette related to e-mails and instant messaging. C. Webcam Job Interviews Performing well during a webcam interview is another interpersonal skill useful in the digital age. A challenge in being interviewed via a webcam is that some job candidates do not come across as strongly as they believe. As webcam technology continues to improve, and managers are familiar with the technique, the number of these computer-based interviews is likely to increase. Some companies use webcam interviews to reduce travel costs, and this type of interview provides more data than a phone call. The interview suggestions in Chapter 17 apply to webcam interviews. In addition the following suggestions should prove helpful. 1. Use even lighting (thereby avoiding a blacked out face). 2. Wear appropriate clothing. 3. Do your best to appear relaxed and not overly stressed. 4. Use or create an uncluttered area free of personal belongings, pets, and television sets. 5. Sit tall with good posture, and stay approximately the same distance from the computer screen that you do for most of your computer work. 6. Rehearse so you will be better able to implement the previous five suggestions. A fundamental reason that rehearsal for a webcam interview is important is that people have a tendency to overrate the image they project on video. D. Interpersonal Aspects of Multitasking Multitasking has two meanings, and the difference is of major significance for interpersonal relationships. One meaning is that you have two or more projects that you are working on, but not at the same time. The other meaning of multitasking is when the person does two or more things simultaneously, often creating interpersonal problems. 1. Multitasking and Positive Interpersonal Skills. In some situations, performing two tasks at once can enhance interpersonal skills because you are helping another person, such as demonstrating a routine. When two people are holding a conversation for purposes of joint problem solving, multitasking will sometimes enhance the problem solving, thereby creating a stronger interpersonal relationship. 2. Multitasking and Negative Interpersonal Skills. The major negative interpersonal skill aspect of multitasking is that it trivializes the person with whom you are interacting. Also, when you respond to an electronic interruption, such as an instant message or an e-mail alert, your attention is sapped form more time than it takes to read the message. You have to recover from the interruption and refocus your attention on your work associate. A major contributing factor to the negative interpersonal consequences of multitasking is that many people suffer from nomophobia, the fear of being without a mobile phone. It is difficult for many people to interact with others unless they are using a mobile gadget. 3. Harassment of Others. A negative consequence of communication technology in the workplace is that it is easier to harass workers than in the analog age. Creating a hostile environment by displaying pornography to coworkers who do not want to see it has become one of the most frequent forms of harassment. Aside from being rude, sexual harassment through pornography has frequently been ruled as illegal. Harassment can also deal with a person’s race or ethnicity, such as making insulting comments, or joke about, a person’s race. II. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOR SOCIAL NETWORKING AND SMALL AUDIENCES Interpersonal skills related to the digital age are also demonstrated while interacting with large numbers of people, as well as groups. A. Social Networking by Internet Almost infinite knowledge exists about social networking. He we list a few of the positive and negative interpersonal skills associated with the use of social networking sites. 1. Positive Interpersonal Skills and Social Networking Social networking sites provide several opportunities for displaying positive interpersonal skills. a. Demonstrate your loyalty by posting gracious comments about your employer. b. Display your compassion for people in need. c. Demonstrate professional-level communication skills. d. Demonstrate a willingness to collaborate with others. e. Pay deserved compliments to company personnel. f. Establish meaningful contact with workers far and wide. g. Display a desire to help others grow and develop. 2. Negative Interpersonal Skills and Social Networking In general, all of the positive opportunities above could be reversed to become negative. a. Using social networking sites to eliminate face-to-face interactions with work associates. b. Showing the same casual attitude and approach on social business networks that is often used on public social networking sites. c.. Posting confidential or derogatory information about your employer. d. Posting extremely negative online reviews about other companies because of dissatisfaction with their products or services. e. Posting derogatory information and photos about a coworker. f. Engaging in social networking at inappropriate times. g. Bragging too much about being an “online celebrity.” B. Laptop and Smartphone Use During Meetings Whether the use of laptop and netbook computers as well as smart phone during meetings enhances your interpersonal skill, depends on company custom and why you are using your computer. Some companies welcome computer use during meetings, while in other companies such practice is considered to be distracting and inconsiderate. The practice of consulting a smart phone during a meeting has the potential to annoy, thereby detracting from the image of the smart phone user. As with cell phones, when laptop computers and smart phones are used at meetings to facilitate information gathering, and with permission, they can enhance interpersonal skills. The etiquette aspect of laptops, netbooks, and smart phones at meetings has created a spirited debate. People with traditional attitudes about etiquette say the use of smart phones at meetings is gauche. In contrast, techno-evangelists insist to ignore real-time text messages invites peril because so many people demand an immediate response to their e-mail messages. C. Interpersonal Aspects of Presentation Technology The use of presentation technology provides an exceptional opportunity to display interpersonal skills—good or poor. The biggest challenge in using presentation technology is to maintain a human presence while still making effective use of the technology. Good interpersonal skill includes maintaining eye contact with the audience, smiling, showing a sense of humor, and interacting with the audience. Negative interpersonal skill includes reading detailed slides to the audience, no eye contact, and continuous fiddling with the equipment. Self-Assessment Quiz 5-2 is a potentially useful checklist for the effective application of presentation technology. D. Videoconferencing and Telepresence Videoconferencing and telepresence (an advanced form of videoconferencing) place extra demands on making a good first impression, as well as demonstrating good interpersonal skills. Keep the following in mind: 1. Choose your clothing carefully. 2. Speak in crisp, conversational tones, and pay close attention. 3. Never forget the powerful reach of the video camera. 4. Avoid culturally insensitive gestures (for example, large hand and body motions make many Asians uncomfortable. 5. Decrease nervousness about video interviews by rehearsing. E. Interpersonal Skills Linked to Telecommuting People who work from home face challenges to their interpersonal skills related to communication. Telecommuters can communicate abundantly via electronic devices, but they miss out on the face-to-face interactions so vital for dealing with complex problems. Telecommuters also miss out on the encouragement and recognition that take place face-to-face. Telecommuting also lacks a solid human connection. To display positive interpersonal skill as a worker from home or other remote location, the individual should make good use of the limited face-to-face contact he or she has with other workers. Display warmth toward and interest in work associates. Staying in touch online with a human relations twist is also important. Successful telecommuters also need the interpersonal skill of being able to work well without supervision. The telecommuter also needs to be able to work well in isolation, and not be dependent on frequent interaction with coworkers or a supervisor. F. Avoiding Damage to Your Online Reputation Internet postings can rapidly broadcast favorable or unfavorable data about a person’s interpersonal skills and judgment. Some aspects of personal life affect a person’s professional reputation. A positive interpersonal and cognitive skill is therefore to avoid having embarrassing information or photographs linked to you accessible through search engines. Watch out also for posting extreme views on the Internet. Another aspect of online reputation is that a person might need to create distance from others who share the same name. It may be important to alert a present or prospective employer if someone with the same name has a negative online presence. ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1. You and a coworker are having a work-related conversation, seated on a bench outside the office building during lunch break. Your friend’s cell phone rings, he notices from the number that the boss is calling, so he answers the call immediately. Explain whether or not your friend’s answering the call is appropriate. Answer: Here we have a gray zone with respect to etiquette, particularly because the two people are on company premises. It might be more polite for the coworker to have turned off the phone while the two people were together. However, because the phone is on and the call is from the boss, the receiver of the call might say, “Excuse me. I must take this call from the boss” and then move about six feet away to engage in the phone conversation.” We suspect that most students will vote in favor of accepting the call from the boss. 2. Assume that you send an instant message to the company CEO stating that you enjoy working for the company. Explain whether you think the CEO is obliged to respond immediately, or at all, to your message. Answer: Despite the democracy that e-mail and instant message have created, rank and boundaries still exist in organization. It is therefore not reasonable to expect that the CEO will reply back to the instant message. However, the CEO might send back a polite e-mail message later on. 3. Assume that you send some useful information to a coworkers, and he or she sends back an e-mail message by text thanking you. How important is it that you send back a reply that he or she is welcome? Answer: A person may want to be politic, yet does not want to trigger a series of text messages or e-mails on the same topic. Perhaps a three-word reply such s, “You are welcome” would be polite, yet end the exchanges. 4. Your author posted a message on the White House Web site in 2013, suggesting that the government conduct a nationwide charity drive to help reduce the federal debt. Two months later, President Barack Obama responded with an e-mail from the White House, addressed to “Dear Friend.” The e-mail contained a detail description of the president’s plans for the economy. What does the interaction just described tell you about the digital interpersonal skills of President Obama (or his staff)? Answer: Whether the reader is liberal, moderate, or conservative, it appears that the president and his staff displayed positive digital interpersonal skills. Considering the large volume of postings President Obama must have received, complete individualized responses might be difficult. In years past, when the White House received handwritten letters, the volume was low enough to allow for more individualized, hand-written responses. 5. What should a person do who is invited for a webcam job interview do if he or she does not feel telegenic (photogenic on TV) to perform well in such an interview? Answer: A faux pas would to tell the prospective employer that you are not telegenic, so you choose to skip the webcam interview. A more constructive approach would be for the person to rehearse several times for the interview, using webcam or video equipment. The invitation for the webcam interview might be interpreted as an opportunity to learn how to feel comfortable in such an interview. 6. What might you be able to do in the next several days to demonstrate on Facebook or Twitter a positive aspect of your interpersonal skills? Answer: The student might take some of the advice offered in the chapter under the topic, “Positive Interpersonal Skills and Social Networking.” A leading way to demonstrate positive interpersonal skills on the social networking sites would be to write a concise, coherent, and specific compliment about another person. A tweet might be, “Tim came up a winner today in his hard-hitting presentation to management. Bravo!” To demonstrate positive interpersonal skills on Facebook or Twitter, I could share a thoughtful post offering support or encouragement to others. Engaging in meaningful conversations, responding empathetically to comments, and celebrating others' achievements can also highlight my positive communication abilities and foster a supportive online community. 7. Imagine that you are attending an in-person meeting as your favorite sports team is playing a championship game in a different time zone. Explain whether you would take a quick peak at the score from time to time on your smart phone during the meeting. Answer: Many students would admit to checking the score of their favorite team several times during the meeting. Nevertheless, being observed in such behavior could detract from the professional image of the avid sports fan. A better display of interpersonal skill would be to check the score when the meeting is over, or during a break. If I were attending an in-person meeting while my favorite sports team was playing a championship game, I’d be cautious about checking the score discreetly to avoid disrupting the meeting. Balancing attentiveness to the meeting and my interest in the game, I’d likely glance at the score during breaks or moments when my attention isn’t crucial. 8. Give an example of a one of the best displays of interpersonal skills you have seen in a PowerPoint presentation by one of your professors. Answer: The student opinion counts here because the answer is based on perception. We suspect that the professor who took the time to interact with students and answer questions during the PowerPoint presentation would receive positive comments about his or her interpersonal skills. One of the best displays of interpersonal skills I saw in a PowerPoint presentation was a professor who actively engaged the audience with interactive questions and encouraged open discussion, creating a dynamic and inclusive learning environment. 9. How might a person who telecommutes four days a week demonstrate to management that he or she has good interpersonal skills? Answer: The telecommuter might make adept use of e-mail and other communication technologies for such purposes as giving recognition and compliments, as well as showing compassion for work associates. An occasional phone call made in a politic, constructive manner might also help display positive interpersonal skills. 10. What could you possibly do to use YouTube to demonstrate to others that you have good interpersonal skills? Answer: One way to use YouTube to demonstrate good interpersonal skills would be to prepare a video for YouTube that shows the person engaging in positive interaction with another person. One possibility would be to prepare a video about coaching another person. Another possibility would be a video of a well-executed interview. ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS Sonya Takes Chances on Yammer A key issue illustrated by this case is how open, hostile, and humorous a personal should be when using social media for professional purposes. 1. What is your evaluation of the criticisms that Bruce makes of Sonya’s posts? Answer: Bruce appears to be making valid criticisms of Sonya’s posts because she is writing them for professional purposes, not for personal life. Another factor is that Sonya shows insensitivity in her criticisms of the finance department. 2. What suggestions can you make to Sonya to improve her interpersonal skills for the digital world? (Or, does she need any improvement based on the evidence presented in this case?) Answer: Sonya should reflect on what she writes before entering (or sending) her comments. At the same time she needs to sharpen her sensitivity, or emotional intelligence, with respect to how others will react to her comments. Sonya might ask a coworker to review a sampling of the comments she intends to send to help her sharpen her sense of what kind of messages are appropriate in a professional environment. Kevin, the Twitter Guy This case may appear elementary, but it deals with an important theme: How to make use of social media for business purposes while at the same time creating a positive image. 1. How well is Kevin doing in terms of projecting the image of an intelligent professional? Answer: Kevin appears to be struggling in terms of projecting the image of an intelligent professional while at same time promoting his business. The mix of sending messages about his real estate business and cultivating friendships at the same time will probably appear contrived to many of his followers on Twitter. 2. What advice might you give to Kevin so his tweeting might lead to more referrals? Answer: Several social media specialists recommend that the tweeter disseminate useful information to followers if the purpose of the tweets is to cultivate business. For example, Kevin might explain how his followers could own a fine home in Detroit for much less than they are paying in rent for smaller housing. Another example of useful information would be for Kevin to inform his followers how much they might have to pay in closing costs. 3. To what extent is Kevin just wasting time with his Twitter activity? Answer: So many real estate agents contend that the use of social media is one of the best ways to expand their business, so perhaps Kevin is not totally wasting his time. However, his messages seem awkward and unprofessional, so Kevin is probably not making effective use of his Twitter activity. COMMENTS ABOUT QUIZZES AND EXERCISES Self-Assessment Quiz 5-1: The Interpersonal Skills for the Digital World Checklist The purpose of the Digital World Checklist is to help the student think through the extent to which the use of communication technology is promoting him or her to be thoughtless and insensitive. Almost no example of outrageous behavior is totally untrue. A psychotherapist contributed an example of a patient who cannot put down his cell phone, even during therapy. The patient does not make and receive calls during therapy, but frequently checks to see who might be calling. Several of the 20 statements on the checklist are in the gray zone, such as Number 10, “I keep my bottle of water in my hand at all times when making a PowerPoint presentation.” Many people will consider this totally normal behavior, whereas others might think it is rude. Skill-Building Exercise 5-1: The Important Message This role play offers an opportunity to deal with a delicate situation many people face: Some aspect of communication technology alerts us to a highly distracting problem while we are working with a coworker. It would be difficult to concentrate on work unless the problem is dealt with immediately, yet taking care of the problem immediately is inconsiderate of the other worker. A possible escape hatch for the role player with the bounced checks would be to request a 15-minute break to deal with an urgent personal problem. Skill-Building Exercise 5-2: Justifying Laptop Use during a Meeting Although this role played centers on communication technology, it remains an issue of how to recover from a faux pas. A creative and deceptive role player might insist that the purpose of watching ESPN.com is to think more directly about how athletes use energy drinks. In this way, accessing ESPN.com served a legitimate business purpose for the meeting. A perceptive approach for the role players would be to discuss whether group norms encourage or discourage the use of laptop computers during a problem-solving meeting. Self-Assessment Quiz 5-2: The Presentation Technology Checklist of Interpersonal Behaviors As with most checklists, a key purpose is to review a number of important items related to the successful application of a method, much like a checklist for inspecting the suitability of an aircraft for flight. The items on the Checklist of Interpersonal Behaviors also serve as a reminder of effective utilization of presentation technology. Interpersonal Relations Role Play: Bruce Confronts Sonya about Her Yammer Posts Here is yet another role play in which one person attempts to influence another personal to change certain aspects of his or her behavior. Bruce has more formal power than Sonya, so his task is a little easier. A difficult part of Bruce’s role, however, is that he is facing a value conflict. Bruce values total freedom of expression on a company social media site than does Sonya. Solution Manual for Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills Andrew J. DuBrin 9780133506822, 9781292059365