Personal Effectiveness in The Work Place (QQI Level 5) - Unit 6v1

Personal Effectiveness in
the Workplace
QQI Level 5
Unit 6
Copyright © 2014/15 The Open College & JM Singh 36

Personal Effectiveness - Unit 6 5N1390
Personal Effectiveness in the

Workplace
QQI Level 5
5N1390
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By The Open College
Authored by Henry Sheahan
Updated by Marie Harmon, 2020
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Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 1

Contents
Unit 6: Participating in Groups ...................................................................................................... 4
Groups/Teams..................................................................................................................................... 4
What is a Group/Team? ...................................................................................................................... 4
What Do Group/Teams Do?................................................................................................................ 4
Stages of Team Development ............................................................................................................. 5
The Characteristics of a Group/Team ................................................................................................. 7
Group Decision Making Decisions....................................................................................................... 9
Group/Team Selection ...................................................................................................................... 10
Managing Conflict ...................................................................................................................... 12
Types of Conflict: .............................................................................................................................. 12
Stages in Conflict Development ........................................................................................................ 12
How to Manage Conflict: .................................................................................................................. 12
Basic Techniques for Resolving Conflict ............................................................................................ 12
Scoring............................................................................................................................................... 17
Barriers to Participation in Groups/Teams .................................................................................. 20
Challenges and Problems with Participating in Groups/Teams ........................................................ 20
Effective Group/Team Leadership .................................................................................................... 21
2. Getting Unbiased Information .................................................................................................. 21
3. Fostering Open Communication ............................................................................................... 22
4. Team Development and Training.............................................................................................. 22
5. Adequate Time .......................................................................................................................... 22
Barriers to Communication ........................................................................................................ 23
Non-Verbal Communication ............................................................................................................. 23
Group/Team or Staff Briefings and Meetings ................................................................................... 23
Communicate Effectively .................................................................................................................. 24
Assess your own Strengths and Weaknesses ............................................................................... 25
Learning agility and effective personal communication skills .......................................................... 25
Self-Motivated and Determined ....................................................................................................... 25
Success Oriented and Natural Leader ............................................................................................... 25
Team Player ...................................................................................................................................... 26
Hardworking...................................................................................................................................... 26

Intelligence and Self-Confidence ...................................................................................................... 26

Getting Nervous Around People ....................................................................................................... 26
Being a Debater................................................................................................................................. 26
Going Out of One’s Way ................................................................................................................... 27
Lack of Some Skills ............................................................................................................................ 27
Some Other Strengths and Weaknesses to Consider: ...................................................................... 27
Strengths: .......................................................................................................................................... 27
Weaknesses: ..................................................................................................................................... 27
Evaluating your Participation/Experiences of Working in a Group ............................................... 31
Where Groups are Effective and Where They are Not ................................................................. 32
The Process for Improving Decision Making ..................................................................................... 32

Unit 6: Participating in Groups
Groups/Teams
More and more companies are placing greater emphasis on working in teams, as against the
traditional way, which is individual performance.
Bringing people together and calling them a team, is likely to achieve very little.
Teamwork does not develop itself; it requires considerable effort to create and sustain it.
Careful attention has to be paid to design/operation of the team, training them in working skills.
Company success today often depends on effective teamwork. It is common for companies to use
teams in new product development, capital purchases and important negotiations. The growing
feeling is that teams are the best way of integrating tasks.
What is a Group/Team?
A team is a small group of people working together (usually two or more) to achieve a common goal,
efforts of a team are complementary, teams are more effective than individuals or groups and play a
critical role in that they help ensure people co-operate for mutual benefit. No "man” is an island.
Just like in sport, a winning team is the result of hard work and sound judgment. A Group/Team is
not:
• A collection of individuals who happen to have the same workplace.

• A collection of individuals who happen to have the same director or line manager.
• A collection of individuals who do the same work in another department.
What Do Group/Teams Do?

• Plan.
• Agree to differ.
• Have agreed goals.
• Make decisions.
• Solve problems.
• Succeed and fail.
• Resolve conflict.
• Consult inside the group and outside.

Stages of Team Development
Team effectiveness is enhanced by a team's commitment to reflection and on-going evaluation. In

addition to evaluating accomplishments in terms of meeting specific goals, for teams to be high
performing, it is essential for them to understand their development as a team. Most of us are
familiar with the concept of "the terrible twos" in early childhood; understanding that
developmental stage makes it easier to accept the constant stream of "No, No, No, No, No" that we
might hear from a two-year old.
Teams go through stages of development. The most commonly used framework for a team's stages
of development was developed in the mid-1960s by Bruce W. Tuckman. Although many authors
have written variations and enhancements to Tuckman's work, his descriptions of Forming,
Storming, Norming and Performing provide a useful framework for looking at your own team.
Each stage of team development has its own recognizable feelings and behaviours; understanding
why things are happening in certain ways on your team can be an important part of the self-
evaluation process.
Stage 1: Forming
Feelings
During the Forming stage of team development, team members are usually excited to be part of the
team and eager about the work ahead. Members often have high positive expectations for the team
experience. At the same time, they may also feel some anxiety, wondering how they will fit in to the
team and if their performance will measure up.
Behaviours
Behaviours observed during the Forming stage may include lots of questions from team members,
reflecting both their excitement about the new team and the uncertainty or anxiety they might be
feeling about their place on the team.
Team Tasks
The principal work for the team during the Forming stage is to create a team with clear structure,
goals, direction and roles so that members begin to build trust. A good orientation/kick-off process
can help to ground the members in terms of the team's mission and goals and can establish team
expectations about both the team's product and, more importantly, the team's process. During the
Forming stage, much of the team's energy is focused on defining the team, so task accomplishment
may be relatively low.

Stage 2: Storming
Feelings
As the team begins to move towards its goals, members discover that the team can't live up to all of
their early excitement and expectations. Their focus may shift from the tasks at hand to feelings of
frustration or anger with the team's progress or process. Members may express concerns about
being unable to meet the team's goals. During the Storming stage, members are trying to see how
the team will respond to differences and how it will handle conflict.
Behaviours
Behaviours during the Storming stage may be less polite than during the Forming stage, with
frustration or disagreements about goals, expectations, roles and responsibilities being openly
expressed. Members may express frustration about constraints that slow their individual or the
team's progress; this frustration might be directed towards other members of the team, the team
leadership or the team's sponsor. During the Storming stage, team members may argue or become
critical of the team's original mission or goals.
Team Tasks
Team Tasks during the Storming stage of development call for the team to refocus on its goals,
perhaps breaking larger goals down into smaller, achievable steps. The team may need to develop
both task-related skills and group process and conflict management skills. A redefinition of the
team's goals, roles and tasks can help team members past the frustration or confusion they
experience during the Storming stage.
Stage 3: Norming
Feelings
During the Norming stage of team development, team members begin to resolve the discrepancy
they felt between their individual expectations and the reality of the team's experience. If the team
is successful in setting more flexible and inclusive norms and expectations, members should
experience an increased sense of comfort in expressing their "real" ideas and feelings. Team
members feel an increasing acceptance of others on the team, recognizing that the variety of
opinions and experiences makes the team stronger and its product richer. Constructive criticism is
both possible and welcomed. Members start to feel part of a team and can take pleasure from the
increased group cohesion.
Behaviours
Behaviours during the Norming stage may include members making a conscious effort to resolve
problems and achieve group harmony. There might be more frequent and more meaningful
communication among team members, and an increased willingness to share ideas or ask
teammates for help.

Team members refocus on established team ground rules and practices and return their focus to the
team's tasks. Teams may begin to develop their own language (nicknames) or inside jokes.
Team Tasks
During the Norming stage, members shift their energy to the team's goals and show an increase in
productivity, in both individual and collective work. The team may find that this is an appropriate
time for an evaluation of team processes and productivity.
Stage 4: Performing
Feelings
In the Performing stage of team development, members feel satisfaction in the team's progress.
They share insights into personal and group process and are aware of their own (and each other's)
strengths and weaknesses. Members feel attached to the team as something "greater than the sum
of its parts" and feel satisfaction in the team's effectiveness. Members feel confident in their
individual abilities and those of their teammates.
Behaviours
Team members are able to prevent or solve problems in the team's process or in the team's
progress. A "can do" attitude is visible as are offers to assist one another. Roles on the team may
have become more fluid, with members taking on various roles and responsibilities as needed.
Differences among members are appreciated and used to enhance the team's performance.
Team Tasks
In the Performing stage, the team makes significant progress towards its goals. Commitment to the
team's mission is high and the competence of team members is also high. Team members should
continue to deepen their knowledge and skills, including working to continuously improving team
development. Accomplishments in team process or progress are measured and celebrated.
The Characteristics of a Group/Team
Mike Woodcock (1979) states that the building blocks for a team are:
• Clear objectives and agreed goals.

• Support and trust.
• Co-operation and conflict.
• Appropriate leadership.
• Regular reviews and individual development.
• Sound procedures and sound inter-group relations.

Much research has been carried out to try and understand how groups/teams work and how they
can be developed. Two conclusions emerge strongly:
1. Design or working of a group/team depends on what it is trying to do in the context in

which it works.
2. High performance groups/teams do not emerge by accident – they have to be built.
John Adair (1984) - defines the main characteristics of a group or a team is to:
• Periodically review effectiveness.

• Have definable membership – collection of two or more people.
• Have a sense of shared purpose.
• Demonstrate group consciousness – team identity distinct from its members.
• Use an established method of communication.
• Demonstrate interdependence.
• Demonstrate interaction.
• Possess the ability to act as a unit.
Group/Team Roles
• Expertise and knowledge.
4 Basic types of roles:

• Leadership – which gives direction.
• Creativity – gives ideas.
• Facilitating – gives energy.
• Completing – give results.
Pre-requisites for Good Teamwork in Groups/Teams:

• Clear objectives.
• Co-operation and trust, self-review.
• Agree and understand procedures.
• Openness and participation, support.
• Appropriate leadership, expectation of success.
Group/Team Types:
• Functional teams – individuals who work together on a daily basis.

• Problem-solving teams – assembled to develop solutions to specific problems.

• Cross functional teams – number of people brought together with different skills to identify
and provide solutions to specified problems.
• Autonomous teams – given a goal, select their members, and evaluate their own
performance, supervisors may become less important and may be eliminated.
Group Decision Making Decisions
The basic idea is that many opinions are better than one. Groups are often asked to make company
decisions because there are advantages to having groups of people, rather than an individual
manager, making a decision.
Tiernan, Morley and Foley (2001) suggest the following advantages and disadvantages in group
decision making.
Advantages of Group/Team Decision Making are:

• Group decisions allow greater number of perspectives.
• Groups facilitate a larger pool of information.
• The more people involved in the process, the greater number that will understand why the
decision was made.
• Groups allows more involvement and a sense of ownership prevails.
• When groups arrive at a decision, there is less need for communication when implementing
the decisions.
Some of the Disadvantages:

• Group decisions take longer to arrive at.
• Groups can be indecisive.
• Groups can be dominated by individuals.
• Groups can sometimes have to compromise.
• Groups can lead to “group think” they want to achieve a consensus among the members
and this takes over realistic evaluations, conflicting views are not aired as they might split
the team spirit.
Individual Versus Group Decision Making

Sussman and Deep (1984) outline the various factors which would be appropriate for individual
decision making and which would favour group decision making.

Factors Favouring Individual Decision Making Include:

• Short time frame.
• Decisions relatively unimportant to the group.
• People attend too many meetings.
• Manager is dominant.
• One/two members are likely to dominate the group.
• Data is confidential.
• Conflict is likely.
• Group members are not sufficiently qualified.
Factors Favouring the use of Groups:

• Creativity is required.
• Data is held by the group.
• Acceptance of a solution by group members is important.
• Problem is complex, needs a broad range of knowledge.
• Manager wants to build commitment.
• More risk taking involved.
• Better understanding of group members is needed.
• Group is responsible for decision.
• Manager wants feedback on ideas.
Prerequisites for Good Teamwork in Groups/Teams:

• Clear objectives.
• Co-operation and trust, self-review.
• Agree and understand procedures.
• Openness and participation, support.
• Appropriate leadership, expectation of success.
Group/Team Selection
Another key influence on group/team performance will be the mix of people involved in terms of
personality type and behavioural style.
The useful people to have on your team are those who possess strength and characteristics which
serve a need.

Teams are a question of balance, individuals who balance well with one another.
Dr Meredith Belbin (1984) points out the need to select the right mix of people, this involves
group/team typing. Team typing is the identification of the skills, abilities, aptitudes and qualities
required in the specific situations which a project is likely to encounter.
Obtaining the right balance of group/team roles is essential.
In Belbin’s (1985) model of group/team behaviour, people were classified into nine role types and it
is noted that everyone has a preferred role. People are seldom strong in all nine roles:
• Chairperson – calm self-controlled, talks easily, east to talk to.
• Company worker – follows instructions, hard-working, not very flexible.
• Team worker – stable, very sociable, mild mannered, low in dominance.
• Shaper – highly strung, takes on specific jobs.
• Plant – very much an individual, serious, concerned with rules and regulations.
• Resource investigator – digs out facts, may get bored.
• Monitor/evaluator – serious and down to earth, checks and examines everything.
• Finisher – anxious to get it right, a perfectionist, worries too much, meets deadlines.
• Specialist –single minded, self-starting, provides knowledge in scarce supply, tends to

concentrate on technicalities, may miss the big picture.
Effective teams are those with diversity in background ability and behavioural style.
Other factors that affect the group/team performance is group size, structure, process, and
leadership.

Managing Conflict
Conflict is a normal part of human life. Where there is no conflict, there may be a significant lack of
energy and lower productivity as a result.
• Constructive Conflict - result is positive benefit to all.

• Destructive Conflict - works to the group's disadvantage.
Types of Conflict:
• One individual versus another.

• One individual versus a group.
• Sub-group versus the main group.
• One group versus another group.
• Trade union versus an employer – a company versus another body.
Stages in Conflict Development:

1. Latent – causes of future conflict exist.
2. Perceived – differences between the groups are evident.
3. Felt – group members feel the conflict – anger anxiety etc.
4. Manifest – conflict now out in the open, evident from lack of co-operation.
5. Aftermath - conflict has either been suppressed or resolved.
How to Manage Conflict:
• Identify the real sources of the problem, try and remove.

• Establish clear goals.
• Establish clear communication channels.
• Be sensitive to the needs of others.
• Have effective problem solving procedures.
• Avoid win/lose results.
Basic Techniques for Resolving Conflict
Two major strategies for managing negative conflict:

1. Convert conflict into a positive by use of the team building process.

2. Approach the conflict by ignoring it.
The Manager has three different conflict resolution approaches to take:
1. Lose – Lose Approach - nobody gets what they want.
Characteristics - Avoidance.
2. Smoothing/Compromise - Win-Lose Approach – one party achieves its desired outcomes.
Characteristics - Competition and authoritative command.
3. Win – Win Approach - both parties get something.
Characteristics - Collaboration and problem solving.
Instructions:
Consider situations in which you find your wishes differing from those of another person. How do
you usually respond in such situations?
The following pages contain 30 pairs of statements describing possible behavioural responses. For
each pair please circle the letter (‘A’ or ‘B’) of the statement that best characterises your behaviour.
In many cases, neither the ‘A’ or ‘B’ statement may be very typical of your behaviour; but please
select the response you would be more likely to use.
Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument
1. A. There are times when I let others take responsibility for solving the problem.
B. Rather than negotiate the things on which we disagree, I try to stress those things
on which we both agree.
2. A. I try to find a compromise solution.
B. I attempt to deal with all of his/her and my concerns.
3. A.I am usually firm in pursuing my goals.
B. I might try to soothe the other's feelings and preserve our relationship.

4. A. I try to find a compromise solution.
B. I try to do what is necessary to avoid useless tensions.
5. A. I consistently seek the other's help in working out a solution.
6. A. I try to avoid creating unpleasantness for myself.
B. I try to win my position.
7. A. I try to postpone the issue until I have had some time to think it over.
B. I give up some points in exchange for others.
8. A. I am usually firm in pursuing my goals.
B. I attempt to get all concerns and issues immediately out in the open.
9. A. I feel that differences are not always worth worrying about.
B. I make some effort to get my way.
10. A. I am firm in pursuing my goals.
B. I try to find a compromise solution.
11. A. I attempt to get all concerns and issues immediately out in the open.
B. I might try to soothe the other's feelings and preserve our relationship.
12. A. I sometimes avoid taking positions that would create controversy.
B. I will let the person have some of his/her positions if he/she lets me have some of
mine.

13. A. I propose a middle ground.
B. I press to get my points made.
14. A. I tell the other person my ideas and ask for his/hers.
B. I try to show the other person the logic and benefits of my position.
15. A. I might try to soothe the other's feelings and preserve our relationship.
B. I try to do what is necessary to avoid tensions.
16. A. I try not to hurt the other's feelings.
B. I try to convince the other person of the merits of my position.
18. A. If it makes other people happy, I might let them maintain their views.
B. I will let other people have some of their positions if they let me have
some of mine.
19. A. I attempt to get all concerns and issues immediately out in the open.
B. I try to postpone the issue until I have had some time to think it over.
20. A. I attempt to immediately work through our differences.
B. I try to find a fair combination of gains and losses for both of us.
21. A. In approaching negotiations, I try to be considerate of other people’s wishes.
B. I always lean towards a direct discussion of the problem.

22. A. I try to find a position that is intermediate between his/hers and mine.
B. I assert my wishes.
23. A. I am very often concerned with satisfying all our wishes.
B. There are times when I let others take responsibility for solving a problem.
24. A. If the other's position seems very important to him/her, I would try to
meet his/her wishes.
B. I try to get the other person to settle for a compromise.
25. A. I try to show the other person the logic and benefits of my position.
B. In approaching negotiations, I try to be considerate of other people's wishes.
B. I am nearly always concerned with satisfying all our wishes.
27. A. I sometime avoid taking positions that would create controversy.
B. If it makes other people happy, I might let them maintain their views.
B. I usually seek the other's help in working out a solution.
B. I feel that differences are not always worth worrying about.
30. A. I try not to hurt the other's feelings.
B. I always share the problem with the other person so that we can work it out.

Scoring
Circle the letters below that correspond to your answers in the questionnaire
Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating

(forcing) (problem (sharing) (withdrawing) (smoothing)
solving)
1 A B
2 B A
3 A B
4 A B
5 A B
6 A B
7 B A
8 A B
9 B A
10 A B
11 A B
12 B A
13 B A
14 B A
15 B A
16 B A
17 A B
18 B A
19 A B
20 A B
21 B A

22 B A
23 A B
24 B A
25 A B
26 B A
27 A B
28 A B
29 A B
30 B A
Total
number of
items
circled in
each
column:
Competing – is assertive and unco-operative, a power orientated mode. When competing, an

individual pursues his or her own concerns at other people’s expense using whatever power seems
appropriate to win his or her position – the ability to argue, rank, economic sanctions, and so on.
Completing might mean standing up for your rights, defending a position that you believe is correct,
or simply trying to win.
Accommodating – is unassertive and co-operative, the opposite of competing. When

accommodating, an individual neglects his or her own concerns to satisfy the concerns of the other
person; there is an element of self-sacrifice in this mode. Accommodating might take the form of
selfless generosity or charity, obeying another person’s order when you would prefer not to, or
yielding to another’s point of view.
Avoiding – is unassertive and unco-operative. When avoiding, an individual does not pursue his or
her own concerns of another person. He or she does not address the conflict. Avoiding might take
the form of diplomatically side-stepping an issue, postponing an issue until a better time, or simply
withdrawing from a threatening situation.

Collaborating – is both assertive and co-operative, the opposite of avoiding. When collaborating, an
individual attempts to work with the other person to find a solution that fully satisfies the concerns
of both. It involves digging into an issue to identify the underlying concerns of the two individuals, to
find an alternative that meets both sets of concerns.
Collaborating between two persons might take the form of exploring a disagreement to learn from
each other’s insights, resolving some condition that would otherwise have them competing for
resources, or confronting or trying to find a creative solution to an interpersonal problem.
Compromising – is intermediate in both assertiveness and co-operation, when compromising, the

objective is to find an expedient, mutually acceptable solution that partially satisfies both parties.
Compromising falls on a middle ground between competing and accommodating, giving up more
than competing, but less than accommodating. Likewise, it addresses an issue more directly than
avoiding, but doesn’t explore it in as much debt as collaborating. Compromising might mean splitting
the difference, or seeking a quick, middle ground position.

Barriers to Participation in Groups/Teams
Challenges and Problems with Participating in Groups/Teams
1. Additional Investment in Scarce Resources – a single professional requires fewer labour

hours to accomplish a task than a team. If you consider the example of the single supply
chain professional in selecting a critical supplier in considerably fewer labour hours. A
group consisting of a design engineer, a manufacturing engineer, and a quality engineer
together with a supply chain professional, will do a far more thorough job of selecting the
right supplier.
2. Role conflict – normally group/team assignments are additional duties for many or all the
individuals involved. In many cases, the manager will expect the individual to perform
his/her normal functional responsibilities. The individual is also expected to satisfy their
group responsibilities, as a result, there can be conflict between the team and their
functional responsibilities.
3. Overload for Key Members – overload is an obvious result of the conflict with additional
duties assigned. Management must be sensitive to such dangers to avoid burnout and the
possible loss of such individuals.
4. Continuity – once group/team members have been trained and developed and have
learned to work together in a synergistic manner, continuity of membership becomes
critical. Retirements, promotions and departures to another company can all have a
negative impact on a group/team's operation.
Careful selection and assignment of team members can reduce, but not eliminate such
problems.
5. Rewards – It should be apparent that individuals who are assigned to groups/teams should
be rewarded appropriately. The greatest reward is the satisfaction associated with “making
a difference” in their group/team’s success. Senior managers should ensure that functional
managers should recognise each individual's contribution to both their
functional/department and their group/team role.
Some rewards include team vacations, company shares and group/team dinners.

Effective Group/Team Leadership
Professor Trent (1996) identifies 10 requirements for effective group/team leadership:
• Work with team to establish goals.

• Manage internal conflict.
• Secure individual member involvement and commitment.
• Help maintain team focus and direction.
• Secure required company resources.
• Prevent team dominance by a member or a faction.
• Co-ordinate multiple tasks and manage the status of team assignments.
• Deal with internal and external obstacles confronting the team.
• Clarify and help define each member’s role.
• Provide performance feedback to members.
Listening (ability to understand, organise, and analyse what we hear)
• Actively attend to comments/questions of others.

• Identify and test assumptions we make.
• Overcome barriers to effective listening.
• Summarise and reorganise a message for recall.
• Keep the speaker’s content, intent and process separate.
• Withhold judgement that can be biased.
1. Giving Clear Information
• Assess a situation, give info that will best meet the objective.
• Construct and deliver concise, well organised messages.
• Keep on target, avoid digressions and irrelevancies.
• Determine how to use persuasion effectively.
• Maintain a climate of mutual benefit, trust and rapport.
2. Getting Unbiased Information
• Use direct and not indirect and reflective questions.

• Identify forces that may bias the information.

3. Fostering Open Communication
• Create atmosphere in which timely information flows smoothly between self and others.
• Encourage open expression of ideas and opinions.
4. Team Development and Training
• Each team will develop its own personality, training calls for investment should pay a big
return.
5. Adequate Time
• Unrealistic deadlines are major problems that block the success of any cross functional
teams. (Burt)
Burt and Pinkerton (1996) wrote:
“Too much pressure for results too soon will almost always force a team to make premature and less
effective decisions.” The tendency for Management in most companies is to act now, rather than
allowing time for analysis. Wise firms will do the latter.

Barriers to Communication
Most people communicate far less than they think, particularly true where there is some status
difference between the sender and the receiver.
Some of the main barriers are:
• Language and vocabulary differences.

• Perceptual differences/lack of trust.
• Non-verbal communication/emotional reaction.
Not all barriers to communication are accidental may have their own agendas.
• Power needs information.

• Ambition - try to exaggerate information.
• Rewards - manipulate information to increase good results.
Non-Verbal Communication
These include facial expressions, gestures, posture, general behaviours. Understanding body
language is important – you can get it wrong. Experienced managers, over time, understand the
hidden messages given by body language.
Group/Team or Staff Briefings and Meetings
Introduced in the mid-1960s, is a method of face-to-face communications with small groups of say,
ten to thirty employees, where up-to-date information is given to employees, there are
opportunities to ask questions. It is seen as a way to encourage employees' commitment and is very
effective when major organisational change is involved.
Training is very important for all those who take part in briefing groups.
Success is very dependent on the skills of the briefing leader. Briefing groups is not intended to
replace other channels of communication, but supplement them, urgent matters should be dealt
with ASAP.

Communicate Effectively
The object of communication is to transmit information from one person to another.
Often called the life blood of a company, without it, very little would be achieved.
The quality of communication affects staff motivation and job satisfaction, everyone must be
involved, not only to communicate, but to listen and be prepared to get feedback.
For example, the Purchasing or Procurement staff interfaces with more functions/departments in
the normal course than the majority of other specialists.
It stands to reason why they must be effective communicators.
The purpose of communication is to provide a company's people with the up-to-date information
they require to function effectively.
Greenbaum - managers have four objectives in mind when communicating:
1. Formation - facts and figures.
2. Innovation - regular meeting to promote new product ideas.
3. Regulation - everyone conforms to established rules.
4. Integration - employee feels an important member of the workforce.
Communication is about conveying messages to others.
Here are two different definitions of communication:
1. Communication is social interaction through messages – language, behaviour.
2. Communication is about creating shared meaning and understanding.

Assess your own Strengths and Weaknesses
You must remember that nobody is perfect.
Your strengths should be well covered in your resume (curriculum vitae).
Here are some aspects (with detailed explanation) that you may put forward as being your
strengths:
Learning agility and effective personal communication skills
Most research shows that the single best predictor for who will perform well and succeed in a new
job, is the one who possesses learning agility (a quick learner) and the one who can adjust
himself/herself to changes and new situations, such as a new workplace.
Also, effective interpersonal communication skills are one of the best personal traits.
Past performance or even experience, skills and intelligence, are not as important as learning agility
and communications skills.
Self-Motivated and Determined
To achieve success, one needs to be self-motivated and determined to succeed. Without self-
motivation, it is quite possible that even the best of employees will languish in the company without
achieving any success.
Success Oriented and Natural Leader
All companies search for an individual who has drive within himself or herself. Frankly, the company
would not have time to actually sit back and look out for which of their employees has that next big
idea, or which of the employees is not working according to their talents and resources. Therefore, it
is best that a company have a self-appointed mentor who keeps these things in mind and speaks
about them at the appropriate time.
This characteristic is necessary for team leaders, supervisors, managers and project managers.

Team Player
No man is an island. And in today’s world, like never before, a person requires a group of people
with whom to succeed. Therefore, being a team player in today’s world is almost as important as any
academic degree.
Hardworking
This is one of the most common traits found in a successful boss, as well as a successful employee. It
is said that success is ninety percent hard work and ten percent thinking/brain activity. Any company
would like to have a hardworking employee. Therefore, you can speak about hard work, dedication
and commitment as your strengths.
Intelligence and Self-Confidence
Being intelligent does not mean being the only person in the room who can drive a plane. Several
interviewers will also ask whether you have any weaknesses. When it comes to weaknesses, make
sure that you describe the weaknesses that are ambiguous enough to be converted into strengths.
Here are some of the weaknesses that are generally discussed.
Getting Nervous Around People
Today, with the advent of the new work culture where a person seldom meets another and where
the only time people speak to each other is during coffee breaks, there are some people who have
become introverts. This causes some people to become nervous about giving presentations and
speeches.
Being a Debater
Some individuals are too passionate about work and require a reason for any change that is
introduced in the company. Though this is good for the project and the product, it might rub some
people the wrong way.

Going Out of One’s Way
There are several people in organisations all over the world who take all kinds of work from their
colleagues, whether it is their work or not. While these people are an asset to the company, they
may create antagonism.
Lack of Some Skills
No person has all the requisite skills for the job. This is one of the greatest disadvantages that one
has, because once a person starts earning, they find it difficult to go back to their learning ways.
Remember that these are just concepts and you should back up each of these strengths and
weaknesses with an example.
Some Other Strengths and Weaknesses to Consider:
Strengths:
Leaders and managers: Ability to prioritise, planning skills, well-organised, multitasking and
assuming responsibilities and duties. Possessing the capacity to cope with failures and trying to learn
from past mistakes.
Customer care, call centre and sales: Communication skills, patience, having good interpersonal
skills.
Programmers and R&D: A quick learner who enjoys learning new things. A team player who shares
knowledge and ideas with colleagues.
Weaknesses:
Sensitive person: Taking things to heart and getting too disappointed when things are done in the
wrong way.
Too helpful: Crossing limits while helping teammates.
A really great way of telling someone about a flaw is to always add a suggestion of improving that
flaw. For example, you could say, "I'm always told that I am a bit too slow... but that's only because I
want to do the best job I can. I guess you could say I'm a bit anal when it comes to perfection."

An employer can only look at that as being a great characteristic, and in no way a negative quality to
possess.
Talking about your strengths is a tricky one; you do not want to come across as egotistical. From my
interviewee, an excellent answer I like to get is this: "I am very headstrong. I really like to be
challenged in my job, and I just want to learn as much as I can in my position. At the end of the day, I
need to be able to look back on my day and feel good about the job that I've done. I guess you could
call it sense of self-worth. That's why I always put my all into everything I do."
Here is more input and examples people have given for strengths:
• One of my biggest strengths is my communication skills. I work very well with all kinds of
people and understand that everyone has different perspectives about projects and work
tasks - so when I work with others, I realise that everyone comes to the table with different
priorities and objectives. I keep this in mind when I communicate tasks that need to be
accomplished with positive reinforcement and awareness of what others are working on.
• A positive attitude will not differentiate you from the crowd. A good attitude is expected of
every employee. Also, you should back up what you say with an example. For example, don't
just say you have good customer service skills, prove it by also telling them how you won a
company award or received positive customer comment letters for your good service.
• My strength is my flexibility to handle change. As customer service manager at my last job, I

was able to turn around a negative working environment and develop a very supportive
team.
• Hard worker.
• Punctual and determined.
• Able to prioritise.
• Believe in myself; self-confidence.
• I have the ability to cope with failures and try to learn from my mistakes.
• I like to work in a team, have been an active participant and organiser at several places.
• One of my greatest strengths I've acquired during my education is good analytical and
planning skills. This has always benefited me to set goals and try to achieve them. But at the
same time, I'm driven by the thoughts of success.
• Full commitment to my work and highly energetic.

• Love to learn new things.
• Having good interpersonal skills.
• Well organised and like to be neat with all of my work.
• A good helper towards those who need it.
• I am a team player and work well with others and have great communication skills.
• I am a quick learner. I have great problem-solving skills and am willing to learn new things to
get the job done.
Here are examples of weaknesses:
• You should answer with things you "are improving upon," e.g., "I believe I should always be
improving upon myself, good or bad."
You are answering the dreaded question without looking like an egotistical maniac and
showing the interviewer that you see yourself as a work in progress, trying to better all of
your qualities.
• For your weakness, just pick one that is not going to disqualify you from the job, and then
follow up with - this is what really matters - the examples of what you are doing (or have
done) to fix your weakness. The most important point here is to show that you learn from
your mistakes and your weakness, and you are taking the corrective action to fix the
situation - and stress that! For example, if the job does not require public speaking, you can
say that your weakness is you are afraid of speaking in front of the public. Then tell the
interviewers that you have joined a Toastmaster club or public speech course to overcome
the problem. Remind them that when you identify a problem, you actively take actions to
correct it, and that is how you do things.
• Don't try to use a cliche or try to present a strength as a weakness by saying your weakness
is that you are a workaholic. No one will believe that answer. Being too emotional will make
the recruiter wonder if your interpersonal skills are lacking. Give a true weakness, but one of
modest size. Show that you have taken steps to correct the weakness. For example, you
want to improve your MS Excel skills so you are taking a course on that now.
• I used to have trouble with procrastinating, now I have learned to write down a list of things
that I need to do and keep a calendar to keep track of deadlines. I have found that this not
only helps me to finish things on time, but it has also helped me to be more organised.

• For my weakness, I always say that some people say I'm over-friendly. You can't go wrong
with that one. Usually, the person interviewing is like "Oh, that's not a bad thing at all."
• I'm a little egotistical when it comes to winning things and get a little ruthless too.
• I lose patience sometimes when I am not in a position to complete the assigned job in time.
• I have to work on having more patience and giving myself a break, because I always want
everything done at once.
• I tend to go to any limits while helping my friends.
• I am too focused on my work and I need to find more time to relax.
• I'm too focused on work and need to develop some after-hours hobbies.
And examples of combination strength-weakness answers:
• Take whatever is your best quality and also describe it as your worst. It often is, as we are all
made up like two sides of a coin. Try it out with different qualities and accomplishments and
see how it works.
For example: The best thing about me is that I am able to see the big picture in a situation.
The worst thing about me is that I can see the big picture in a situation. This is the best thing
because I can remove myself from the emotion of a decision that needs to be made and act
accordingly. It is a bad thing because I often can see the conclusion quicker than the other
participants in a project and that can cause frustration sometimes amongst them.
• My strength is my flexibility to handle change. As a software developer at my last job, I was

able to turn around a negative working environment and develop a very supportive team.
Always turn weakness into a positive. If you lack experience or skills for example, state this
but also state that you are willing to learn, or that it is an area which you would like to
improve on.
Example 1:
"I do not have much experience with customer service, but I would like to gain experience in this
area. I get along well with people, I am able to listen and am a good communicator, so I feel that I
would get on well in a customer-based environment."
Example 2:
"I am not too experienced with computers, but I am always willing to learn new skills.”

Evaluating your Participation/Experiences of Working in a Group
This can be done by evaluating your own performance through a past group experience.
Evaluation does not have to be complicated, the purpose of evaluation is to show what you have
achieved or changed through that group activity
There are a number of suggested steps to follow:
1. Where are we now? A good starting point is identifying where you are before any activity
takes place. If you are at the start of what you want to change, then it is much easier to know
what kind of information you need to collect after your activity.
2. What were the outcomes or outputs of the activity? - This type of activity, for example, could
be if the outcome was to produce more members in your group, an output would be the
number of posters you produced to promote your event.
Outcomes are things that have changed as a result of undertaking the activity. Your outputs
and outcomes should be linked into what you found out looking at “Where are we now?"
3. What have you done/achieved? – A description of the activity that your group has
undertaken you will need to make sure that you show how the activity that you have
undertaken intended to achieve change. The more elements you use, the more you can use
the evaluation to see what worked well and what did not work at all.
4. Have we been successful? – Once you have completed the activity, you can look at what
happened as a result. Have you achieved the objectives of No 1?
5. To measure success, you need to compare the information you collected before you began
the activity, with the same information after the activity and see if they indicate that your
aims have been achieved.
6. How can you learn from what you have done? – It is important to make sure that your
evaluation can be used in the future. It might be applying for funding to undertake a similar
activity in the future or you may decide not to do that activity in the future.

Where Groups are Effective and Where They are Not
The Process for Improving Decision Making
Making a sound business decision regarding complex company circumstances is a formidable

challenge. Several processes have been developed to assist groups meeting these challenges.
1. Brainstorming
Is a group decision in which negative feedback on any suggested alternative by any group member is
forbidden until all group members have presented options that are perceived as valuable.
Brainstorming is carefully designed to encourage all group members to contribute as many ideas as
possible, the whole idea is to consider all possible alternatives. Brainstorming is all about idea
generation rather than choice, evaluation or implementation. The acceptance of new ideas is more
likely when the decision is made by the group.
2. Group Technique
Is a group decision making process in which every member of the group is assured of equal
participation in making a group decision.
In contrast to brainstorming, it does not allow a free association of ideas.
The group are given a problem to solve and are asked to think of ideas without discussion, which are
normally presented on a flip chart, discussion follows.
Main advantage - overcomes differences between members in terms of power/prestige.
Main disadvantage - may limit creativity, costly and time consuming.
3. Delphi
This involves circulating questionnaires on a specific problem among group members, sharing the
questionnaire results, (responses are anonymous), continuing to re-circulate and refine individual
responses until a consensus is reached regarding the problem. Unlike the other techniques, there is
no face-to–face with group members and participants cannot be influenced by social or
psychological pressures associated with groups. This technique is useful when a group is dispersed,
anonymity is required, or where members have difficulty communicating with one another.
On the negative side, it reduces direct interaction among group members.

End of Unit 6
This Concludes your Material.
Please proceed with your Assessment Briefs if not already commenced.

NOTES:

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Personal Effectiveness in the

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Intelligence and Self-Confidence ...................................................................................................... 26

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Unit 6: Participating in Groups

• A collection of individuals who happen to have the same workplace.

What Do Group/Teams Do?

Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 4

Stages of Team Development

Team effectiveness is enhanced by a team's commitment to reflection and on-going evaluation. In

Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 5

Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 6

The Characteristics of a Group/Team

• Clear objectives and agreed goals.

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1. Design or working of a group/team depends on what it is trying to do in the context in

• Periodically review effectiveness.

4 Basic types of roles:

Pre-requisites for Good Teamwork in Groups/Teams:

Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 8

• Problem-solving teams – assembled to develop solutions to specific problems.

Group Decision Making Decisions

Advantages of Group/Team Decision Making are:

Some of the Disadvantages:

Individual Versus Group Decision Making

Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 9

Factors Favouring Individual Decision Making Include:

Factors Favouring the use of Groups:

Prerequisites for Good Teamwork in Groups/Teams:

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Obtaining the right balance of group/team roles is essential.

• Chairperson – calm self-controlled, talks easily, east to talk to.

• Company worker – follows instructions, hard-working, not very flexible.

• Team worker – stable, very sociable, mild mannered, low in dominance.

• Shaper – highly strung, takes on specific jobs.

• Resource investigator – digs out facts, may get bored.

• Monitor/evaluator – serious and down to earth, checks and examines everything.

• Specialist –single minded, self-starting, provides knowledge in scarce supply, tends to

Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 11

• Constructive Conflict - result is positive benefit to all.

• One individual versus another.

Stages in Conflict Development:

How to Manage Conflict:

• Identify the real sources of the problem, try and remove.

Basic Techniques for Resolving Conflict

Two major strategies for managing negative conflict:

Copyright © 2020 The Open College & Marie Harmon 12

1. Convert conflict into a positive by use of the team building process.

The Manager has three different conflict resolution approaches to take:

1. Lose – Lose Approach - nobody gets what they want.

2. Smoothing/Compromise - Win-Lose Approach – one party achieves its desired outcomes.

Characteristics - Competition and authoritative command.

3. Win – Win Approach - both parties get something.

Characteristics - Collaboration and problem solving.

Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

2. A. I try to find a compromise solution.