16-Personal Qualities at Work

PERSONAL
QUALITIES AT
WORK
sharrifahali/june/04
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the chapter, the

students will be able to:
 Describe aspects of personality that are
critical for effective performance at

work.
 Explain the attitudes that contribute to
the success of organizations.
 Describe expectations related to your
appearance and manners at work.

INTRODUCTION
 Interaction takes place in one’s life.
 At work, employers expect employees
to be reliable, productive, cooperative,
learn new skills or knowledge that are
needed for success on the job.
INTRODUCTION – contd.
 In the business world, people are
expected to behave in ways that
others think are honorable and fair.
 Employees should remember that they
influence the nature and quality of
their own work environment by their
actions.
YOUR PERSONALITY AT WORK
 Each individual is unique.
 The combination of traits that distinguishes
one person from another OR patterns and
qualities of behavior and attitudes of an
individual is called PERSONALITY.
 Your personal traits influence how you think,
what you say, and how you respond to
demands in your daily life.
PERSONALITY TRAITS
 If you ask someone why they chose their spouse or
what are the most important quality they look for in a
friend is?, most and many people will say “a good
personality.” But, what does that mean? The truth is,
the meaning of a “good personality” is different for
everyone. Some people like quiet people, while
others want to hang out with the loudest person in
the room. Some value humor, while others praise
intellect. These different factors, in fact, are
considered to be personality traits.
THE MOST HATED
PERSONALITY TRAITS
 Arrogant
 Rudeness
 Domineering
 Dishonesty
 Temperamental
THE MOST HATED
PERSONALITY TRAITS-contd.
 Conceited-Holding a high opinion of yourself.
Much like arrogance and just
as annoying.
 Unreliable
 Dependent
 Pessimism
 Condescending-showing or implying a
usually patronizing descent from dignity or
superiority.
THE MOST LOVED
PERSONALITY TRAITS
TO DISCUSS WITH THE CLASS
ANSWER TO DISCUSSION
 Sense of time urgency
 Competitiveness
 Politeness/Courteousness
 Respectful
 Trustworthy
 Reliable
 Honest
 Optimistic
WHAT DOES YOUR PERSONALITY
COLOR SAY ABOUT YOU?
FAVORITE COLOR MEANING
RED you are action oriented with a deep
need for physical fulfillment and to
experience life through the five senses.
ORANGE you have a great need to be with
people, to socialize with them, and be
accepted and respected as part of a
group. You also have a need for
challenges in your life, whether it is
physical or social challenges.
YELLOW means you have a deep need for

logical order in your everyday life and
to be able to express your individuality
by using your logical mind to inspire
and create new ideas.
COLOR SAY ABOUT YOU?-contd.
GREEN you have a deep need to belong, to love

and be loved, and to feel safe and
secure. You need acceptance and
acknowledgment for the everyday things
you do for others - just a 'thank you' is
sufficient.
BLUE have a deep need to find inner peace
and truth, to live their life according to
their ideals and beliefs without having to
change their inflexible viewpoint of life to
satisfy others.
INDIGO lovers have a need to feel in harmony
and at one with the Universe and to be
accepted by others as the aware and
intuitive spiritual beings that they are.
PURPLE OR VIOLET you have a deep need for emotional
security and to create order and
perfection in all areas of your life,
including your spiritual life. You also
have a deep need to initiate and
participate in humanitarian projects,
helping others in need.
PINK you have a deep need to be accepted
and loved unconditionally.
TURQUOISE your deepest need is to create
emotional balance in your life, to be
able to express your hopes and dreams
no matter how idealistic they may be
and to make your own way in the
world under your own terms.
MAGENTA you are a non-conformist who sees life
from a different point of view.
BROWN Lovers of brown have a deep need for
a safe, secure, simple and comfortable
existence with supportive family and
friends.
BLACK Lovers of black have a need for power
and control in order to protect their
own emotional insecurities.
WHITE your deepest need is for simplicity in
your own life and to be independent
and self-reliant so you do not need to
depend on anyone else.
GRAY you are the middle of the road type,

cool, conserved, composed and reliable.
You tend to conform just to keep the
peace.
SILVER you are intuitive and insightful and have

a strong connection with a higher
spiritual guidance.
GOLD you radiate charisma, personality and

individuality, making others feel relaxed
and valued in your company.
YOUR PERSONALITY AT WORK –
contd.
 What is remarkable about your
personality is that, to a greater extent,
you have control of who you are and
what you believe and you can then
change your personality.
Character
 The basic values and principles that are
reflected in the way you live your life
OR reputation, values, or principles as
shown by behavior is referred to as
character.
Character
1. Integrity means honesty and
trustworthiness
 Individuals with integrity are
valuable at work because they can

be trusted to use the resources of
the company only for company
purposes.
Character (con’t)
2. Reliability means that you will do what
you agreed to do or what you can
reasonably be expected to do your job.
 Companies depend on the reliability of
their employees.
 Company managers and supervisors
cannot constantly watch over
employees to see that they perform
assigned tasks.
Character – contd.
3. Self-Acceptance
 At the core of your personality is your
attitude towards yourself.
 You cannot change your personality
without self-acceptance, which requires
a realistic and honest view of who you
are.
Self-Acceptance (con’t)
 To help bring about change in areas of
your personality:
 Be honest with yourself
 Understand that although you are unique
individual, you also share the same wants,
needs and fears of others.
 Believe in your own worthiness, while
respecting the uniqueness of others.
Character – contd.
4. Maturity
 Mature is to have or express the emotional
and mental qualities that are considered

normal to a socially adjusted adult human
being.
 To be matured means you see beyond the
moment, that you understand the
consequences of your choices, consider the
rights of others, and make decisions based on
such understanding.
MATURITY
 You are mature when you are willing
to:
 Accept criticism or disappointment tactfully
 Acknowledge that you do not know or
understand something
 Admit that you made a mistake
 Learn from your mistakes
MATURITY (con’t)
 Be considerate of others
 Demonstrate respects for differences of
individuals
 Be objective and honest in your
relationship with others
 Value the worth of every person
 Do not act superior to another person
Attitudes that Support Quality
Performance
 A strong belief in the work ethic,
willingness to participate in achieving
the goals of the organization, and a
desire to learn. You will want to
develop these attitudes to increase
your chances for success on the job.
The Work Ethic
 Ethics is a system of moral standards
or values.
 Work Ethics:
 A system of values in which purposeful
activity is of central importance.
 Tangible:
 Is the material, having substance to which
a value can be attached
 Intangible:
 Having no substance or material being
ETHICS IN THE WORKPLACE
INTRODUCTION
 Work Ethics:
A group of moral
principles, standards of
behavior, or set of values
regarding proper conduct in
the workplace
 Relationships at
Work
 Management/owner toward
client/customer
 Management/owner toward
employees
 Employee toward Employer,
Co-workers, Customers
 Business Abuse
Any :
 illegal
 unethical
 irresponsible Act done
against an Employer
 Results of Business
Abuse
 Higher prices
 Business Failure
 Fewer Jobs
 Unpleasant Working
Conditions
A. Examples of
Business Abuse
 Stealing
 Merchandise
 Money
* Shoplift *Kickback
* Conflict of Interest
* Unauthorized Discounts
 Time
A. Examples of Business Abuse
(Continued)
 Vandalism
 Falsify Records
 Break Confidentiality
 Ignore Safety Rules
 Misrepresent Merchandise
A. Examples of
Business Abuse
(Continued)
 Poor Client Service
 Irresponsible Behavior
 Addictions
* drugs
* alcohol
* tobacco
A. Examples of
Business Abuse
(Continued)
 Gossip
* Causes poor work

environment (morale)
* Lowers Productivity
11 Harassment of Co-wks
or Clients
*Unwelcome sexual
advances
* Compliance as
condition of employment
* Interferes w/ wk
performance through
intimidation
 How Do We
Rationalize Business
Abuse?
 Everybody does it
 The co. won’t miss it
 The co. overcharges
 I’m not paid enough
 The co. doesn’t deserve
my loyalty
C. How Employers
Respond to Business
Abuse
 Increase Security
* loss prevention
mgmt.
* surveillance
* Networks/Helplines
* threats of prosecution
C. How Employers
Respond to Business
Abuse (Continued)
 Increase Employee
Loyalty
* fair wages & benefits
* fair/consistent treatment
* recognition for good wk
* foster family climate
D. As Employees,
What Are Our
Choices?
 Ignore Business Abuse
 Rationalize it away
 Speak Up
 Discuss to Clarify Issues
 Blow the Whistle!

E. If You’re Unsure -
Before You Act --
ASK:
 Is this legal?
 Is it against co. policy?
 Could the action cause

loss or harm to anyone?
 If everyone I knew saw
me, would I feel
uncomfortable?
WORK ETHICS
1. Participation and Cooperation
 Cooperativeness is the willingness to
participate in what needs to be done to
achieve a goal.
 A positive attitude and a willingness to
be helpful are critical at such a time.
WORK ETHICS – contd.
2. Learning
 As companies changes, supervisors or
human resources personnel cannot
always determine each employee’s
learning needs.
 Companies expect workers to be
independent learners.
 You are expected to show the
willingness to learn.
Learning (con’t)
 Become aware of the new technology in
your field by reading industrial
magazines or newsletters.
 The company is willing to pay the cost
for training or provide similar training
for you and other workers.
Importance of Impressions
 Your appearance influences how you
are thought of by others.
 Appropriate dress and proper personal
hygiene are important for making a
good impression on others.
 Annoying habits and speaking in a
manner that is not appropriate can
create a poor impression.
Dress
 Dress considered appropriate for work varies
somewhat from company to company.
 Some companies are specific about what they
consider proper attire for work.
 You want your appearance to convey
responsibility, good taste, and wise judgment.
Annoying Habits
 Annoying habits can create a poor impression
and have a negative effect on your
interactions with coworkers.
 Do not speak so loudly that you disrupt or
annoy others who are working near you.
 Make a decision to eliminate annoying habits
and follow through with your decision.
Basic Work Manners
 What you know about good manners
will be valuable when you interact with
others at work.
 Introductions
 Electronic Etiquette
Introductions
Four (4) steps in introducing people:
1. Stand up.
2. Make eye contact with the person and
move towards the person.

3. Use a firm BUT not crunching
handshake.
4. Repeat the person’s name when you
are introduced.
Introductions
 When you make an introduction address the
person of higher rank or age first. Then
address the person of lower rank or age.
 When introducing a man and a woman of
about the same age and rank, address the
woman first.
 Show courtesy for the customer by
addressing the customer first.
Electronic Etiquette
 Use of voice mail, cellular phone,
speakerphones, fax machines, and
conference calls all offer opportunities
to improve or detract from your
relationship with others through the use
of good manners.
VOICE MAIL
Mannerism in using voice mail:
 be courteous
 speak slowly
 be very brief
 remember to leave a complete message:
- complete name
- complete and correct telephone number
- explain why a return call is necessary
CELLULAR PHONES
 Do not use cellular phones during musical
programs, lectures, films, or in a crowded
restaurant. Your conversation will disrupt
activities or annoy others.
 If you are using a cell phone at a conference,
move away from a place where others are
talking.
 DO NOT and NEVER discuss CONFIDENTIAL
information when talking on cell phone in a
public area.
SPEAKERPHONES
 When using a speakerphone, you are in an area
where others can hear the conversation.
 In this case, be sure the matter discussed is not
confidential.
 If you place the call, you should establish that the
other person does not mind you using a
speakerphone.
 When using speakerphone, give full attention to the
caller.
 DO NOT attempt to do something else at the same
time, even though your hands are free.
FAX MACHINES
 In many offices, several workers share
the same fax machine.
 Reading another person’s incoming
message is considered impolite.
 When you find a message for someone
else at the fax machine, you should
read only to the point of identifying the
recipient.
CONFERENCE CALL
 Sensitivity to everyone taking part in a
conference call is critical for the call to
proceed without problems.
 When begin speaking, identify yourself.
 DO NOT interrupt someone who is
speaking.
GENERAL COURTESIS AT WORK
 Employees must be aware of the responsibilities of
the other coworkers.
 Conversations must be limited to work matters only.
 Wait for breaks or lunch time for personal talk.
 Be sensitive to datelines.
 When seeking for assistance from coworkers, inquire
if the time is appropriate for interruption.
GENERAL COURTESIS AT WORK –
contd.
 Equipment is to be shared with coworkers
(DO NOT monopolize equipment to the point
of keeping others from completing tasks).
EXAMPLE:
Both you and a coworker waiting to use a
copier. You arrive first at a copier and have a
large amount to complete. Your coworker
only need to make 2 copies. Offer him or her
first.
QUESTIONS AS CLASS EXERCISE
 Are you satisfied with your personality
in each of the following areas? If not,
what steps can you take to change or
improve in this area?
 - Integrity
 - Maturity
 - Reliability
 - Self-acceptance

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PERSONAL

At the end of the chapter, the

critical for effective performance at

appearance and manners at work.

YELLOW means you have a deep need for

GREEN you have a deep need to belong, to love

FAVORITE COLOR MEANING

GRAY you are the middle of the road type,

SILVER you are intuitive and insightful and have

GOLD you radiate charisma, personality and

valuable at work because they can

and mental qualities that are considered

 irresponsible Act done

 Ignore Safety Rules

* Causes poor work

 Discuss to Clarify Issues

 Blow the Whistle!

 Is it against co. policy?

 Could the action cause

be helpful are critical at such a time.

2. Make eye contact with the person and

move towards the person.

- complete and correct telephone number

- explain why a return call is necessary

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