Module – 2
Interpersonal Skills
Every organization is a group unto itself. A group consists of two or more people who share a common objective and evaluation of themselves and come together to achieve common goals. In other words, a group can be referred to as a collection of people who interact with one another; accept rights and obligations as members and who share a common identity.
Group dynamics describes the attitudes and behavioural patterns of a group. Group dynamics are interactions within a group. They describe how groups are formed, what is their structure and which processes are followed in their functioning. Therefore, it is primarily concerned with the interactions and forces operating between groups.
Group dynamics is deal with all kinds of groups – both formal and informal. If the UPA government has set up Group of Ministers for every governance issue, the Supreme Court of India has 27 Group of Judges committees overseeing all manner of non-judicial work in the apex court. In a professional setting, the term groups are a very common and the study of groups and group dynamics is an important area of study.
Subject Matter of Group Dynamics
The essence of group dynamics is the dynamics of the way of communication between the members of the group, pressures applied by the members of the group, parameters considered while making decisions, way of performing tasks, etc.
Types of Groups
Groups can be formal and informal; formal groups are created by the organization with the intent to accomplish its objective, while the informal groups get created spontaneously as soon as the individuals interact with each other.
The groups can be classified on the basis of the structure of the organization. These are:
The analytical classification of the groups can be done as follows:
2. Secondary Groups: Secondary Groups are more formal groups whose members come together to perform certain tasks and achieve specific outcomes. Here the group members are not emotionally associated with each other and do not get affected by the pain and the pleasure of others. Corporate groups, military, political group, factories, etc. are some examples of secondary groups. Thus, a secondary group is more institutionalized in nature.
3. Membership Groups: The membership group is the one to which an individual actually belongs to. Sometimes the membership fee is to be given to become a member of certain groups. The club membership is the best example of membership groups.
4. Reference Groups: A reference group is a type of group with which an individual identify himself and want to become a member of that group. An individual could be a member of several groups, but may not participate in all simultaneously and would like to participate in those groups whose norms are more attractive and gratifying.
5. Command Groups: A command group is comprised of superiors and subordinates who carry out orders on the basis of their authority within the group. This type of group is determined through the hierarchical chart of the organization. For instance, a marketing manager having the group of sales personnel under his department would fall under this type of group.
6. Task Groups: Task Group is a group of individuals who come together to accomplish a certain task or a job assigned to them. Generally, these groups are created to capitalize the expertise of different individuals towards the accomplishment of a particular project. Thus, task groups may be formed beyond the lines of a hierarchical chart of the company or organization.
7. In-groups and Out-groups: The in-group is a type of group mainly composed of the individuals who holds a dominant position in the social functioning. These members could be in the majority and carry prevailing values in the society.
The out-group refers to those individuals who are in the certain instances considered to be less in numbers and often looked upon as marginal or subordinate in the society.
Principles and Characteristics of Group Dynamics
Belongingness: A good sense of belongingness must exist or develop in the members of the group
Perception: Changes can be implemented in the group by creating a common perception in the minds of the members regarding the need for change.
Conformity: When continuous efforts are made in the direction of removing individual subparts of the group, it may result in the conformity to the norms of the group.
Change: All the relevant information concerning the need, plan, strategy and outcome of change has to be shared amongst the group members.
Readjustment: Changes in a particular part of the group is likely to create stress in the other parts, which can be reduced either by reversing the change or introducing readjustments in the related parts.
Common Motives: A group is formed and operated because of common or shared motives.
Power: The higher the level of the group to its members, the higher will be the influence which can be exercised on its members.
Continuous Process: Every member who is a part of a certain group is responsible for its continuous operation, so they must ensure that the activities and tasks assigned to the group are performed uninterruptedly.
Goal Orientation: The survival of a group is ensured by placing the members into an operational hierarchy and a goal-oriented action.
In a nutshell, it deals with the constantly changing and adjusting relationship existing among group members. It encompasses all those affecting actions, processes and changes, that take place within and between groups over the period of time.
How to Improve Group Dynamics
Below are the strategies to improve group dynamics in a professional setting:
First and foremost, you need to understand the people on your team. What do they excel at and what areas could they improve in? What are their personality types? Do you have any natural negators or attention seekers? As the leader of your group, you’ll need to be aware of these things.
You should also have a firm understanding of the stages of team development. There are five of them: the forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning stages. Knowing which stage your team is in is essential. It will serve as a method for avoiding potential problems and facilitate positive group dynamics.
2. Address Issues as Quickly as Possible
No group is completely free of problems. The key is addressing any issues that arise as quickly as possible. Have you noticed that a certain team member has recently picked up a negative personality trait? Talk to them about it before it becomes a massive problem!
While conversations of this sort are never fun, having them is much better than letting issues fester and watching the productivity of your team plummet. It’s also much easier to have these conversations when problems first arise than after they’ve become habits.
3. Assign Clear Roles and Responsibilities
A clear sign of poor leadership is a team of people who don’t understand their roles and responsibilities. A lack of clarity in this area also leads to negativity in group dynamics. Fortunately, you can eliminate this issue by ensuring that everyone on your team knows what’s expected of them and how to do it.
Start with the overarching mission of your team. What are you trying to accomplish on a grand scale? Then clearly state what each person’s job is and provide them with the knowledge and tools to do it successfully.
We suggest that you also create some kind of team charter that defines, in writing, what we just mentioned: the goal of the team and the role each team member plays. That way your group always has something to refer back to if and when they get confused.
4. Eliminate Any and All Roadblocks
When your team first comes together, there will obviously be trust issues and some level of discomfort. This is natural. It takes time to get to know people and the way they operate. To help speed up the “get to know you” phase and to start doing meaningful work faster, try a few team-building exercises. Just make sure that you, the leader of your group, participate as well!
Team building exercises can and should be done by teams that have worked together for a while too — especially if group dynamics aren’t where you want them to be. These exercises can be a lot of fun and can help even the most different of colleagues find common ground.
5. Emphasize Clear Communication
Clear, open communication is key. To improve group dynamics in any organization, the team should be able to communicate effectively. Regardless of the method of communication — email, face-to-face conversations, video chat, slack groups, etc. — it must be effective and should be easily grasped by all members of the group.
6. To help facilitate good communication, remember these tips:
7. Always Stay Alert
And lastly, you need to constantly be alert and searching for signs of negative group dynamics. Look for the root causes mentioned above: groupthink, specific personality types, evaluation apprehension, etc. If and when you see these root causes rear their ugly heads, address and eliminate them immediately.
It is noteworthy that frequent unanimous decisions should be evaluated.
A Negotiation can be described as a type of discussion which is used to settle disputes and reach agreements between two or more parties. Typically, a negotiation progresses in a compromise where all parties involved make a concession for the benefit of everyone.
Negotiations and settlements take place frequently within the workplace and may occur between co-workers, departments or between an employee and employer. Professionals often find themselves negotiating contract terms, project timelines, compensation and more. Negotiations are both frequent and significant, therefore, it is beneficial to understand the types of negotiations you might encounter as well as how to improve your negotiation skills.
What are negotiation skills?
Negotiation skills are qualities that allow two or more parties to reach a compromise and a favourable outcome of a specific situation. Negotiation skills comprise soft skills which include abilities such as communication, persuasion, planning, strategizing and cooperating. A strong understanding of these skills is necessary to becoming a stronger negotiator.
The application of negotiation skills depends upon the environment, intended outcome and the parties involved. Below are the key negotiation skills are applicable to many situations:
Communication: Essential communication skills often consist of identifying nonverbal cues and expressing yourself in a way that is engaging and meaningful. It is imperative to understand and follow the natural flow of conversation and always solicit feedback. Active listening skills are crucial for understanding the parties involved in the negotiation. By establishing clear communication, misunderstandings can be easily avoided that could prevent you from reaching a compromise.
Persuasion: The ability to influence and convince others is one of the most important skill for negotiation. It will help define why your proposed solution to any given situation is beneficial to all parties engaged and encourage others to support your point-of-view.
Planning: In order to reach an agreement or concord that benefits all parties involved, it is imperative to consider how the consequences will impact everyone in the long-term. Planning skills are an essential element not only for the negotiation process but also for deciding how the terms will be carried out.
Strategizing: The best negotiators enter any discussion with at least one or two backup plans, but often more. Considering all possible outcomes, and being prepared for each of these scenarios is an important negotiating skill.
How to Prepare for a Negotiation
Below are some techniques useful for preparing for negotiations.
2. Do your research
It is essential to evaluate all parties and consider their goals before entering a negotiation. For example, if you’re nearing the end of the hiring process, you may be preparing to negotiate salary. The employer would probably want to hire an individual who can complete the required job duties for a competitive salary. However, you would like to offer your experience and knowledge to a company in return for what you expect to be fair pay.
Most of the time, it is beneficial to research the person with whom you are negotiating. Understand the limitations of the negotiator. Do they have the ability to give you what you want? Sometimes the person you are negotiating with will be unable to meet your demands. Understanding these limitations can help you strategize.
3. Know your priorities
Negotiations often require each party to compromise. Setting your priorities ahead of time can help you evaluate what you refuse to give up as well as where you’re willing to budge.
4. Consider the opposition
Consider the potential opposition to your negotiations. Will you be denied a higher starting salary for a position because your requested rate is above the average range? It may be helpful to note down all the potential oppositions and then gather the information you can use to argue your case.
5. Define your BATNA
BATNA - Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) is a crucial step to improving your negotiation skills. For instance, you may ascertain that if you cannot get a salary increase due to budget cuts, you may be willing to settle for additional vacation days. Defining these alternatives before the negotiation actually occurs can help you create a backup plan before the negotiation process.
6. Know when to walk away
Knowing when to walk away from a deal can be one of the most difficult parts of a negotiation. Therefore, It is significant to enter all negotiations with the recognition that you may not be able to come to an agreement. Once you make sure that no further compromises can be made in a deal and one or neither parties are willing to accept the stated terms, it’s probably time to walk away.
7. Keep your timeline in mind
Your position of power in the negotiation process can be significantly impacted by a timeline. For instance, if you are trying to get a new job quickly, you may take a position with lower salary than you deserve or expected, or you may compromise too much on benefits. In cases like these, you may find yourself unsatisfied with your decision in the long-term.
The same rule applies for an extended time period. Suppose a company is considering a partnership with a vendor but they do not yet require their services, the vendor may have a harder time convincing the company to meet their terms. The company therefore, may persuade for discounted rates and more value because if the vendor does not agree, they still have time to find another solution.
Techniques for Improving Negotiation Skills
Below are a few ways to strengthen your negotiation skills:
1. Identify the final goal
What are the minimum terms you need? How much are you willing to negotiate? It’s important to enter negotiations knowing while knowing exactly what you expect as an outcome of an agreement and how much you’re willing to compromise. For example, your ultimate goal may be to negotiate a salary of 60000, but you would be willing to settle for 50000?
2. Practice building rapport
Successful negotiation means effective communication of not only your own objectives but also the understanding of the other party’s wants and needs as well. Building rapport is essential in order to reach an agreement. This can assist you in easing tension. In order to build rapport, using active listening skills and showing respect for the other parties involved are critical.
3. Be willing to compromise
Without compromise, it can be nearly impossible to reach an agreement. By preparing ahead of time, you will already have an idea of the terms you’re willing to sacrifice as well as the ones that, if they aren’t met, you should be able to walk away.
4. Consider imposing time restrictions
Set a timeline on the negotiations to motivate both parties to reach an agreement. If the terms of the negotiation cannot be met in that time, the two parties can take time to re-evaluate their needs and return at a later date.
5. Take the multiple offer approach
You can save time in the negotiation process by presenting multiple offers at once and increase the likelihood that you’ll agree on at least one of your preferred outcomes. If the other party does not come to an agreement, you can ask for feedback on each one and revise terms until you reach an agreement that meets everyone’s needs.
6. Exercise confidence
It can be challenging to ask for what you want. However, successful negotiation requires self-assurance. If you exercise confidence during the negotiation process and stay firm, the other parties can be more inclined to believe in the benefits of your proposal.
7. Don’t take “no” personally
it is often seen that each party’s goals and needs are different to reach a compromise. When a situation like this occurs, evaluate the process, consider the reason things that did not go as planned and look for ways you may be able to improve your efforts next time.
8. Understand your weaknesses
Identify your areas of weakness and focus on growing those skills by giving time to each individual area. For example, you may need to improve your ability to build rapport or your power of persuasion. Understanding your weaknesses is the first step to overcoming them.
9. Practice
Practice makes perfect - One of the best methods of increasing your comfort in negotiations is to practice often. Consider exercising a mock negotiation with a trusted friend or colleague on a number of situations.
Leadership can be defined as the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. In a professional setting, this can mean directing workers and colleagues with a strategy to meet the company's needs.
Leadership encapsulates the essential elements of being able and prepared to inspire others. Effective leadership is based upon ideas—both original and borrowed—that are effectively communicated to others in a way that engages them enough to act as the leader wants them to act.
A leader inspires others to act while simultaneously directing the way that they act. They must be personable enough for others to follow their orders, and they must have the critical thinking skills to know the best way to use the resources at an organization's disposal.
In a business organisation or a professional setting, leadership refers to performance, and any leadership definition has to take that into account. Therefore, while leadership isn't intrinsically linked to profit, those who are viewed as effective leaders in corporate contexts are the ones who increase their company's bottom line.
While there are individuals who seem to be naturally blessed with more leadership abilities than others, anyone can learn to become a leader by improving particular skills. History is full of people who, while having no previous leadership experience, have stepped to the fore in crises and persuaded others to follow their suggested course of action. They were equipped with traits and qualities that helped them to step into roles of leadership.
Characteristics of Leadership
Below are the fundamental leadership characteristics:
Roles and Responsibilities of a Leader
Below are the primary roles and responsibilities of a leader in an organization:
Required at all levels - Leadership is a function which is significant at all levels of administration. At the highest level, it is important for getting co-operation in formulation of plans and policies. At the middle and lower level, it is required for interpretation and execution of plans and programmes framed by the top management.
Representative of the organization - A leader is said to be the representative of the enterprise. He has to represent the organisation at seminars, conferences, general meetings, etc. His role is to communicate the rationale of the enterprise to external parties. He is also the sole representative of the his own department which he leads.
Integrates personal goals and organizational goals - A leader through his various leadership skills and qualities helps in integrating the personal goals of the employees with the organizational goals. He tries to co-ordinate the efforts of people towards a common purpose and thereby achieves objectives. This can only occur if he can influence and get willing co-operation and urge to achieve the objectives.
Solicits support - A leader is a person who entertains and invites support and co-operation of subordinates. This is accomplished by his personality, intelligence, maturity and experience. In this regard, a leader is always open to suggestions and tries to implement them into plans and programmes of enterprise. This way, he can solicit full support of employees which results in willingness to work and thereby effectiveness in running of a concern.
As a friend, philosopher and guide - A leader can be a friend by sharing the feelings, opinions and desires with his employees. He can also be a philosopher by sharing his intelligence and experience and thereby guiding the employees as and when time requires. And finally, a leader can be a guide by supervising and communicating with the employees regarding the plans and policies of top management and secure their co-operation to achieve the goals of a concern. He must also play the role of a counsellor by counselling and a problem-solving approach. He can listen to the problems of the employees and try to solve them.
Characteristics and Qualities of a Good Leader
Below are some common characteristics and qualities all good leaders possess:
The importance of integrity should be obvious. Although it may not necessarily be a measure in employee evaluations, integrity is essential for the individual and the organization. It is particularly significant for top-level executives who are charting the organization’s course and making countless other significant decisions. Integrity often turns out to be a potential blind spot for organizations. Making sure the organization reinforces the importance of integrity is an important responsibility of a leader.
2. Ability to Delegate
Delegating a task can be hefty but it is one of the core responsibilities of a leader. The goal isn’t just to free yourself up — it’s also to enable your direct reports, facilitate teamwork, provide autonomy, lead to better decision-making, and help your direct reports grow. In order to delegate well, you also need to build trust with your team.
3. Communication
Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined. You need to be able to communicate in a variety of ways, from transmitting information to coaching your people. And you must be able to communicate with a range of people across roles, social identities, and more. Follow these 5 tips to be a more effective communicator, and learn how better conversations can improve your workplace culture.
4. Self-Awareness
While this is a more inwardly focused skill, self-awareness is paramount for leadership. The better you understand yourself, the more effective you can be. Do you know how other people view you, or how you show up at work? Take the time to learn about the 4 aspects of self-awareness, and how you can dig into each component.
5. Gratitude
Giving thanks will actually make you a better leader. Gratitude can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, and even better sleep. Few people regularly say “thank you” at work, even though most people say they’d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. Follow these tips for giving thanks and practicing more gratitude.
6. Learning Agility
Agility in learning is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. If you’re a “quick study” or are able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you might already be learning agile. But anybody can foster learning agility through practice, experience, and effort. All good leaders are great learners, with strong learning agility.
7. Influence
Being able to influence and convince people through logical, emotional, or cooperative appeals is a core component of being an inspiring, effective leader. Influence is not the same as manipulation, and it should be done authentically and transparently. It requires emotional intelligence and trust-building.
8. Empathy
Empathy is correlated with job performance and a critical part of emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. If you show more empathy towards your direct reports, our research shows you’re more likely to be viewed as a better performer by your boss. Empathy can be learned, and in addition to making you more effective, it will also improve work for you and those around you.
9. Courage
It can be hard to speak up at work, whether you want to voice a new idea, provide feedback to a direct report, or flag a concern for someone above you. That’s part of the reason courage is a key skill for good leaders. Conflicts to fester, courage enables leaders to step up and move things in the right direction rather than avoiding problems or allowing conflicts to fester.
10. Respect
One of the most important skill a good leader has is his ability to treat people with respect on a daily basis. A respectful environment will ease tensions and conflict, create trust, and improve effectiveness. Respect is more than the absence of disrespect, and it can be shown in many different ways.
The ability to express and control emotions is essential, but so is the ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. This ability is referred to as emotional intelligence. Some experts even suggest that it can be more important than IQ in your overall success in life.
Components of Emotional intelligence
Researchers suggest that there are four different levels of emotional intelligence including emotional perception, the ability to reason using emotions, the ability to understand emotions, and the ability to manage emotions.
Perceiving emotions: The accurate perception of an emotion is the first step towards understanding it. Most of the time it involves understanding nonverbal signals such as body language and facial expressions.
Reasoning with emotions: The second most important component of emotional intelligence is using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activity. Emotions often prioritize what we pay attention and react to; in other words, we respond emotionally to things that garner our attention.
Understanding emotions: A wide range of meanings can be carried by the emotions that we perceive. If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the cause of the person's anger and what it could mean. For example, if your boss is acting angry, it might mean that they are dissatisfied with your work, or it could be because they got a speeding ticket on their way to work that morning or that they've been fighting with their partner.
Managing emotions: Manage emotions effectively is a crucial part of emotional intelligence and the highest level. Regulating emotions and responding appropriately as well as responding to the emotions of others are all important aspects of emotional management.
The four branches of this model are arranged by complexity with the more basic processes at the lower levels and the more advanced processes at the higher levels. For example, the lowest levels involve perceiving and expressing emotion, while higher levels require greater conscious involvement and involve regulating emotions.
Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
While we do use emotional intelligence in all areas of our lives, there are specific ways we can use this skill at work with our colleagues, clients and managers. Here are a few examples of scenarios when emotional intelligence can be helpful:
During a phone call with a client regarding the performance of a campaign, your contact expresses anger about their unhappiness with your partnership. You also know that their organization is going through layoffs and your client is responsible for selecting members of her team to let go. Because of this knowledge, you understand that simply listening to her complaints with a calm, empathetic demeanour is the best response. You schedule another call for a better time.
During a meeting, you notice your employee is being quieter than usual and is not contributing to the discussion. While it may seem that they are not paying attention, you decide to have a casual conversation with them to ensure everything is okay. During the talk, you learn that he did not get good rest the night before because his mother-in-law who is staying with them was very sick.
During a review of a recent project you put together, you receive professional criticism about certain ways it can be improved. After the meeting, you are feeling deflated and anxious. After processing your emotions, you identify that you are focusing on the negative instead of viewing it as a way to improve your work because of all the time and effort you put into it. Instead of feeling disappointed, you decide to feel motivated about the ways you can make your work better.
How to Improve Emotional Intelligence
While it can take time and practice, soft skills like emotional intelligence can be improved. Here are several ways you can work to improve these skills:
Practice social awareness. Take time during the span of a business week to pay special attention to the interactions around you, both yours and others. Observing the way people use and react to emotion can help you fine-tune your own ability in empathy.
Look inward (Self Awareness). While observing others and their interactions can be helpful, monitoring your own emotions and your response to them can also increase your emotional awareness. For example, you might notice that when you feel stress you tend to be short with others. Or when you are feeling sad or disappointed, you might notice your shoulders slouch or head points downward.
React and respond to others. Practice addressing and working with others based on the way you observe they are feeling. A helpful method when deciding how you should react is to consider how you would like to be treated under the same circumstances. Sometimes, however, others may not want the same treatment that may come naturally to you. For example, while you might enjoy talking about your emotions with others when you feel anxious or stressed, others might prefer to process their emotions alone. If you are unsure, you may be able to ask them about their preference in that moment.
Emotional intelligence is certainly built by trial-and-error as well. If you find that you misinterpreted a certain emotion or the way you handled someone’s feelings did not work well, learn from your mistakes and treat the situation differently the next time.
Building relationships through empathy, communication and active listening can help you be a highly valued team member at an organization. Describing instances where you have connected with others using emotional intelligence in your cover letter and during interviews can also help you be a competitive candidate.
