BOST Discussion January 8, 2021

THE OFFICE TEAM AND ENVIRONMENT

1. Internal and External Teams
2. To be effective with office visitors
3. Productive communication
4. Ergonomics, safety, and health in the office

FACTORS INFLUENCING PRODUCTIVITY

1. Relationships with the people with whom you work with
2. Physical environment in which you work

Team is a group of individuals who work together to achieve defined goals.

 Must understand and accept each other
 How to give comment
 Kiss kick kiss principle
 Sandwich Principle
Values are principles and qualities that you consider important. It is learned from significant people in
your life and from your experiences.
INTERNAL TEAMS
1. Accepting and Understanding others
2. Working Together - To work together effectively, the group must have a common goal or
purpose
3. Achieving goals
o Individual goals
o Organizational goals

Note: Reconciling conflicting goals may require adjustments on both your part and
that of the organization.
COMPOSITION OF WORKPLACE TEAM
1. The Project Team (6-18 employees)
o Empowerment (authority and responsibility)
 Clarity of Purpose
 What is the team to accomplish?
 When is the team to complete its work?
 What standards will be used in determining a successful project in completion?
 Who will be evaluating the project?
 What additional resources does the team need outside the organization?
 What is the budget of the team?
 Training
o Technical Skills
 cross-training (rotation of work), each employee must have this training
o Administrative Skills
 This must be learned
o Interpersonal Skills
 Listen to each other – listen not only by your ears but with your heart as well.

 LISTENING TECHNIQUES
1. Listen for facts
2. Listen for feelings
3. Withhold evaluation
4. Direct your attention to the speaker
5. Maintain eye contact
6. Watch for nonverbal communication
7. Remove distractions
8. Ask questions when needed
9. Paraphrase what the speaker has said
10. Ask open questions

 Give performance feedback – give qualitative and quantitative feedback

 Speak clearly in a meeting –
 Solve group problems
 Learn new skills
 Counsel each other – coaching
 Conduct a meeting
 Resolve conflicts

 CONFLICT RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES

1. Attempt to understand the basis of the conflict
2. Listen carefully to all individuals involved in the conflict
3. State your views truthfully but diplomatically
4. Be supportive of the attempt to resolve the conflict
5. Don’t be critical
6. Don’t get emotional
7. Separate the person from the problems
8. Discuss individual perceptions
9. Initiate a process that examines both sided of the issue
10. Identify points of agreement and work from these points first

 Work collaboratively

Note: Praise in public and criticize in private.

 Commitment (task, teammates)
o TRUST
 2. Office Professional and Supervisor Team

Your Responsibility to your supervisor

o Acceptance
o Respect – if can’t respect the person, respect the position.
o Loyalty – handle matters with confidentiality
o Dependability
o Honesty
o Personality Traits

Your supervisor’s responsibility to you

o Respect
o Feedback
o Loyalty

3. Office Professional and Co-worker Team

o Acceptance
o Cooperation
o Tact
o Fairness

EXTERNAL TEAM
Outsourcing refers to utilizing an outside company or consultant to complete a portion of a project or a
total project.
Good public relation is the technique of including the public to have understanding for and goodwill
toward a person, firm, or institution.
Office Visitor’s – usually maintain in computer
1. Greet the person graciously with a simple “good morning/afternoon”
2. Learn the visitor’s name
3. Determine the purpose of the visit
4. Make appropriate introductions
5. Be pleasant to a difficult visitor
6. Handle interruptions well
7. Let angry or upset visitors talk
8. Do not disclose specific information about the company or your employer to unidentified visitors.