Skills Tha t help subordinates solve their problems

1. Skills That help subordinates solve their problems Teresa E. Simpson BUSI 5320: Negotiation: Leadership, ADR & Organizational Change Spring 2009

2. Career & Testing CenterLamar University

3. Objective • *Leader Effectiveness Training: to develop skills that help subordinates solve their problems. • Team Building: to understand and appreciate similarities and differences in the personalities of your fellow team members can help you function better. Implement a team building program utilizing assessment tools. • Conflict Management: to assist individuals in a variety of settings understand how different conflict styles affect personal and group dynamics. Implement a conflict management program utilizing the TKI-Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument.

4. Leader Effectiveness TrainingProblem Solving for Subordinates • When your subordinates or group members encounter problems trying to get their various needs met, the overall effectiveness of your group must necessarily suffer. • It goes almost without saying that when people are bothered or dissatisfied with something, it affects their work.

5. Signs of Subordinates or Group Members’ Unmet Need or Dissatisfaction • Being unusually uncommunicative • Sulking • Avoiding you • Excessive absenteeism • Being unusually irritable • Not smiling as much as usual • Daydreaming • Tardiness • Looking downcast or depressed • Being Sarcastic

6. Cues & Clues that should Alert you! • “I’m really upset.” • “How do you expect me to do my job without adequate information?” • “That damn purchasing department is driving me nuts.” • “Oh, forget it” • “If it isn’t once thing, it’s another” • “I cannot stand the way Shirley acts in our meetings!” • “I feel like quitting sometime.”

7. Understanding Those Signs/Alerts • It is important to understand that one never know exactly what another person is experiencing. • Sender expressing a feeling – some kind of dissatisfaction. • This is sent as a CODE that symbolizes the feeling either verbal or nonverbal. • It is the responsibility of the Receiver to DeCODE the Alerts. • Impression = Expression • Understanding of another person happens only when the Receiver's impression matches closely to the sender’s intent.

8. The Problem Solving Process: • Identifying and defining the problem • Generating alternative solutions • Evaluating the alternative solutions • Decision-making • Implementing the decision • Following up to evaluate the solution Again: the leader’s goal is to “see to it that the problem gets solved….not solve the problem”

9. Responses That Facilitate Problem-Solving • Door Openers • “Would you like to talk about it?” • “I’ve got the time if you have. Want to talk?” • “I’d be interested to hear how you feel.” • This is not burdening or unloading; this is away for you to identify an area needing review and to understand the senders’ needs.

10. Responses That Facilitate Problem-Solving • Passive Listening • The listener’s willingness to keep quiet is usually understood as reasonable evidence of interest and concern. • Silence is a potent tool for getting people to talk about what’s bothering them *as anyone knows who has received counseling from a professional counselor, talking to someone who is willing to listen may be just the encouragement a person needs to keep going. • Acknowledgment Responses • “Nodding” • “Mm-hmmm”

11. Responses That Facilitate Problem-Solving Be Cautious of Roadblocks • Ordering, Directing, Commanding • You must do this • I expect you to do this • Warning, Admonishing, Threatening • If you don’t do this, then… • Moralizing, Preaching, Imploring • You should do this • Advising, Giving Suggestions or Solutions • It would be best for you if…. • Persuading with Logic, Lecturing, Arguing • Experience Tells me…

12. Responses That Facilitate Problem-Solving • Judging, Criticizing, Disagreeing, Blaming • You are out of line • Praising, Agreeing, Evaluating, Positively, Buttering Up • You Usually have a good Judgment. • Name-Calling, Ridiculing, Shaming • You’re a sloppy worker • Interpreting, Analyzing, Diagnosing • You are saying this because you are angry. • Reassuring, Sympathizing, Consoling, Supporting • Don’t worry so much about it • Probing, Questioning, Interrogating • Why did you do that? • Distracting, Diverting, Kidding • That reminds me of the time when…

13. Activity: Understanding the Importance of Team Building Step One: Design Workshops • The Four Building Block of Great Leadership • Vision • Interpersonal Style • Communication • Problem solving/Decision making • Interpretive Report (understand your MBTI – TYPE)

14. Activity: Cont. • The Five Practices of Leadership • Model the Way • Inspire a Shared Vision • Challenge the Process • Enable Others to Act • Encourage the Heart • Feedback Report • LPI -Leadership Practices Inventory

15. Activity: Cont. • Aligning Strategy & Culture • Interpretive Report for Organizations • Developing a Common Language for Self-Awareness • Team Report • Improve Communication and Team Building with the MBTI Instrument • Administrators have embraced the MBTI instrument as a tool for communication and now have a common language to describe their personal preferences and the preference of others. • Work Styles Report: Enhancing the Two-Way Communication in Organizations

16. Activity: Cont. • Interpretive Report • LPI -Leadership Practices Inventory • Interpretive Report for Organizations • Team Report • Work Styles Report: Enhancing the Two-Way Communication in Organizations Assessment Tools

17. Activity: Understanding Conflict and Conflict Management Step 1: Develop Professional Development Workshops • Understanding Conflict and Conflict Management • What is conflict management: • Why learn more about conflict and conflict management? • How do people respond to conflict? Fight or Flight? • What modes do people use to address conflict? • Competing, accommodating, compromising & collaborating • What factors can affect our conflict modes? • How might you select your conflict management style? • How might staff/faculty apply this information to improve their conflict management skills?

18. Activity: Cont. Learning About Your Conflict Modes/Individual Reflection • Step 2: Use the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Profile and Interpretive Report • Two dimensions of behavior • Assertiveness-the extent to which the individual attempts to satisfy his or her own person’s concerns. • Cooperativeness – the extent to which the individual attempts to satisfy the other person’s concerns • 5 methods of dealing with conflict: • Competing • Collaborating • Compromising • Avoiding • Accommodating

19. Activity: Listening • Step 3: Improving listening skills is one approach to improve conflict management skills. • Studies show that only about 10% of us listen properly. • Read the article by Raudsepp. • Raudsepp, E. (2002) “Home Listening Skills to Boost Your Career,” Available on the World Wide Web at http://www.careerjournal.com/myc/climbingladder/20021224-raudsepp.html • Take the listening quiz. • Develop an action plan for improving your listening skills.

20. Suggestions for Further Activities • The book 50 Activities for Conflict Resolution contains 25 activities for self-development on conflict. • Activities include: • The Role of Values in Conflict Resolution • Resolving Conflict through Planning • Evaluation Your Conflict Resolution Skills • Uncovering the Hidden Agenda

21. Assessment • CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education 2008 • Part 3: Leadership • Leaders must…initiate collaborative interaction between individuals and agencies that posses legitimate concerns and interests in the functional area. • Leaders must identify and find means to address individual, organizational, or environmental conditions that inhibit goal achievement. • Part 4: Organization & Management • Evidence of effective management must include use of comprehensive and accurate information for decisions, clear sources and channels of authority, effective communication practices, decision-making and conflict resolution procedures, responsiveness to changing conditions… • Part 13: Assessment and Evaluation • Programs and services must conduct regular assessment and evaluations. Results of these evaluations must be used in revising and improving programs and services and in recognizing staff performance.