Strategies for Improving Workplace Effectiveness - Coursework Example

place holder for title page) Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 1. Literature Review 2 2. Personality Diagnostics & Analysis 3 3. Strategies for Improving Workplace Effectiveness 4 References 5 Appendix: VAK Learning Styles Self-Assessment Questionnaire 7 Executive Summary Individual personality determines the way in which a person performs in a work setting, and while individual performance is by itself very important, the interaction of individuals in groups – which, after all, characterises almost any work setting – affects and is affected by the individual personality. Personalities can be defined in terms of combinations of broad archetypes (Guthrie, Coate, and Schwoerer, 1998; Antonioni, 1998; Manning, Pogson, and Morrison, 2008), or by the “formula” of different motivations that exist within each person. (Reiss, 2001) These characteristics, which have common components in each person but in unique, individual proportions, are largely “programmed” into the person and cannot be significantly changed. (Balkin, 1998) Self-assessment tools available to those wishing to learn more about their own personalities, strengths, and weaknesses fall into three categories. First are self-assessments to help one determine his or her personal priorities and objectives. (Cottrell, 2003) A second tool is the Belbin Team Inventory (Belbin Associates, 2010), which helps one to determine his or her natural role in a group. Finally, there are different ways to assess one’s learning style, which helps to determine how a person acquires and processes new information and skills, and communicates with others. (Honey & Mumford, 1992; Chislett & Chapman, 2005) These various self-assessment techniques can help one to focus on areas in which job performance can be improved. Introduction This essay briefly reviews some of the wide range of literature addressing the components of individual personalities, how people are motivated to perform at work, and how they relate to others in organisations. With this background and using some of the tools described by the literature, I discuss the results of a self-assessment, concluding with a strategy focusing on areas where I can improve my work performance. These areas include learning skills, and ways in which I can improve my communications skills. 1. Literature Review In his book Who Am I psychologist Steven Reiss (2001, pp. 17-18), presents the idea that all human behaviour is determined by 16 basic desires, which exist at least to some small degree in every person, though their relative importance differs greatly from one individual to another. What is most interesting about Reiss’ assertion is that he views the proportions of basic desires as being largely determined by heredity; environment, learning, and experience do play some part, but a person’s genes are more influential. (Reiss, 2001, p. 83) The objective of every person, whether they realise it or not, is to strive for what Reiss calls value-based happiness, which is achieved when the basic desires are met in their proper proportions according to the individual’s unique personality. (Reiss, 2001, p. 123) Other research into individual personality traits that affect work and organisational performance focuses on variations of Eysenck’s Type Theory, which describes four interconnected parts of a personality (Extroversion, Introversion, Neuroticism, and Stability), usually by separating the personalities into five types: Extroversion or Introversion, Agreeableness or Stubbornness, Anxiety or Calmness, Conscientiousness, and Openness or Circumspection. (Guthrie, Coate, and Schwoerer, 1998; Antonioni, 1998; Manning, Pogson, and Morrison, 2008) This characterisation of personality agrees with Reiss’ in that it is thought to be largely hereditary, and varies in relative proportions from one person to the next. These basic determinants of personality are what J.M. Balkin (1998) calls a person’s “cultural software,” a sort of program combining heredity, experience, and environment, and which is difficult to change. (Balkin, 1998: 43) These various components of individual personalities affect work performance not only individually but more importantly as part of an organisation, because they determine an individual’s motivations and interactions with others. Motivation comes from how well a particular work environment and circumstances satisfy employee needs and objectives and can take the form of intrinsic, psychological rewards such as “job satisfaction,” or extrinsic, physical rewards such as higher pay or benefits. (Wiley, 1997: 267; Neumann, Miller, & Holti, 1999: 217; Kominis & Emmanuel, 2005: 57; Medlin & Green, 2009: 944; Whittington & Galpin, 2010: 16; Flynn, 2011: 12-15) Individuals are also affected by their interactions with others in groups, and their individual personalities and the functions and “personalities” of the groups to which the individuals are closely related and can change each other. (Ryan & Rutherford, 2000: 210-212; Martins & Terblanche, 2003: 66) Groups and individuals “rub off” on each other through cognitive and emotional contagion, the sharing and interpreting of knowledge and feelings. (Barsade, 2002: 652) How these forms of contagion affect individuals determine how they lead or respond to leadership (Alvesson & Sveningsson, 2003, p. 1439, 1443), and in the different ways they manage conflict amongst themselves. (Lesmeister, 1992; Rahim, Garrett, & Buntzman, 1992) By assessing individual traits and skills, one can better understand how to relate and perform effectively in organisational settings. Since personalities cannot not be fundamentally changed these assessments focus on learning styles and roles within groups. There are a number of self-assessment tools and methods available. Stella Cottrell provides a number of self-analysis exercises in her book Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook (2003), covering areas such as “competitiveness,” “creative thinking,” “reflective practise,” and “employability skills,” which are followed up in a later work The Study Skills Handbook (3rd ed., 2008) that provides further self-assessment and practise tools related to critical thinking and problem-solving. Peter Honey and Alan Mumford (1992) have developed a well-known self-test of learning styles, which presents four different archetypes: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists, or Pragmatists. By reflected on the various scenarios presented in the test and whether one feels he would react positively or negatively to them, one can assess which learning style – or combination of styles – is manifested in his own personality, and focus his own self-improvement efforts. A different self-test analysing learning styles is the “VAK Learning Styles Self-Assessment Questionnaire,” (Chislett & Chapman, 2005), which allows one to assess whether he is a Visual, Auditory, or Kinaesthetic learner. And finally, the Belbin Self-Perception Inventory (Belbin, 2010) is a test designed to assess one’s perceived role in a team or group setting, and is based on the Team Role Theory developed by Meredith Belbin. Team Role Theory asserts that team dynamics are a function of individual behaviours, which can be grouped into nine general types: “Plants,” or Innovators; Monitors; Co-ordinators; Investigators; Implementers; Complete Finishers; Teamworkers; Shapers; and Specialists. (Belbin, 1981) By understanding one’s natural roles in a team, one can focus on better competencies and more efficient work with groups. The various self-assessment tools described above are used for my own self-analysis, the results of which are described in the next section. 2. Personality Diagnostics & Analysis Because the ultimate objective of this exercise is to find ways in which I can improve my work performance, I first decided to assess my goal priorities. (Cottrell, 2003; 7-9) This assessment showed that I was most concerned with improving my people, communications, and leadership skills, and developing my reflective, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills. Next, I analysed my role in groups, as this seemed to be the next most-relevant factor in improving work performance. According to the Belbin Team Inventory (Belbin Associates, 2010), I am best-suited to a role in a group as a Complete Finisher, with “Teamworker” being described as a secondary role. On the positive side, these roles demonstrate a methodical approach, being reliable, close attention to detail, and following through with tasks completely. The negative aspects of these roles, however, are a habit of being inflexible and tending to worry, or take a pessimistic view towards the progress or outcomes of tasks. The results of the Team Inventory were somewhat surprising and frankly a little disappointing because I have always thought of myself as being suited to a more obvious leadership role in work and group settings, so I next conducted the two assessments of my learning style. According to the VAK Learning Styles Test (Chislett & Chapman, 2005), I have a combination of both a strongly visual learning style and a kinaesthetic learning style. This means that I perform better with visual materials such as notes, diagrams, and hands-on demonstrations in learning new information or skills. The Honey and Mumford (1992) Learning Styles Test by comparison showed that I am inclined to be a “reflector” and a “theorist,” approaching new ideas and problems with caution and in a systematic way, considering different points of view and alternatives before acting. These two assessments of my learning style seem to confirm my natural roles in team settings. 3. Strategies for Improving Workplace Effectiveness As suggested by my goal priorities assessment, my overall strategy for improving my workplace effectiveness is to improve my people, communications, and leadership skills, by developing my reflective, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills. Overall, my focus is on developing the area of my learning style where I am weakest, which is the auditory style, and to find new ways to process and apply new knowledge and skills more effectively. This has application both in my academic and career settings, where a great deal of information is communicated verbally in lectures, meetings, or presentations. A way in which I can do this by using my visual and kinaesthetic strengths is to concentrate on note-taking and information organising skills. Improving my communications and presentation skills are priorities for their own sake, and will also help in expanding my useful role in teams. Understanding my learning style has helped to identify why I am generally not comfortable speaking in front of groups or making presentations, which obviously rely mostly on verbal communications. As suggested by Estes (2010), the two most likely reasons for my unease are feeling I am not well-prepared for a presentation and feeling self-conscious about the audience’s impression of me. One good strategy for more efficiently preparing for presentations is to practise making notes with key linked points, rather than detailed, word-for-word scripts. (Cottrell, 2008: 124, 186) The notes help me to recall the detailed information in my memory quickly, allowing me to focus and relate better to my audience, which should make presentations more effective. This will require a lot of practise and hard work, of course, but improving my non-written communications skills should also help me engage with co-workers in groups more effectively, and help to expand my team roles. References Alvesson, M., and Sveningsson, S. (2003) “Managers Doing Leadership: The Extra-ordinarization of the Mundane”. Human Relations, (56)12: 1435-1459. Antonioni, D. (1998) “Relationship between the Big Five Personality Factors and Conflict Management Styles”. International Journal of Conflict Management, 9(4): 336-355. Balkin, J. M. (1998) Cultural Software. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. Barsade, S.G. (2002) “The Ripple Effect: Emotional Contagion and its Influence on Group Behavior”. Administrative Science Quarterly, 47(4): 644-675. Belbin Associates. (2010) “Belbin Team Role Theory”. Belbin Associates. Available from: http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8. Belbin, R.M. (1981) Management Teams. London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Chislett, V., and Chapman, A. (2005) “VAK Learning Styles Self-Assessment Questionnaire”. Business Balls. Available from: http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm. Cottrell, S. (2003) Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook. London: Palgrave-Macmillan. Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook, 3rd edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Estes, A. (2010) “Top 7 Steps to Effective Presentation Skills”. Top 7 Business, 2 April 2010. Available from: http://top7business.com/?Top-7-Steps-to-Effective-Presentation-Skills&id=15234. Flynn, S. (2011) “Can you directly motivate employees? Exploding the myth”. Development and Learning in Organizations, (25)1: 11-15. Guthrie, J.P., Coate, C.J., and Schwoerer, C.E. (1998) “Career management strategies: the role of personality”. Journal of Management Psychology, 13(5/6): 371-386. Hansen, R.S. (n.d.) “Developing a Strategic Vision for Your Career Plan”. Quintessential Careers. Available from: http://www.quintcareers.com/career_plan.html. Honey P., and Mumford, A. (1992) A Manual of Learning Styles, 3rd edition. Maidenhead: Peter Honey. Kominis, G., and Emmanuel, C.R. (2005) “Exploring the Reward Preferences of Middle-Level Managers”. Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, (2)1: 54-76. Lesmeister, M. (1992) “Leadership Development Within Groups – Managing Conflict”. North Dakota State University, NDSU Extension Service, September 1992. Available from: http://lubbock.tamu.edu/4h/documents/ManagingConflict.pdf. Manning, T., Pogson, G., and Morrison, Z. (2008) “Interpersonal influence in the workplace – part three: Some research findings: influencing behaviour and team role behaviour”. Industrial and Commercial Training, 40(6): 328-334. Martins, E.C., and Terblanche, F. (2003) “Building Organisational Culture that Stimulates Creativity and Innovation”. European Journal of Innovation Management, 6(1): 64-74. Medlin, M., and Green, K.W. (2009) “Enhancing performance through goal setting, engagement, and optimism”. Industrial Management & Data Systems, (109) 7: 943-956. Neumann, J.E., Miller, E.J., and Holti, R. (1999) “Three Contemporary Challenges for OD Practitioners”. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 20(4): 216-221. Rahim, M.A., Garrett, J.E., and Buntzman, G.F. (1992) “Ethics of Managing Interpersonal Conflict in Organizations”. Journal of Business Ethics, 11: 423-432. Reiss, S. (2001). Who Am I? The 16 Basic Desires That Motivate Our Actions and Define Our Personalities. New York: Tarcher/Putnam. Ryan, L.V., and Rutherford, M.A. (2000) “Mary Parker Follett: individualist or collectivist? Or both?”. Journal of Management History, (6)5: 207-223. Whittington, J.L, and Galpin, T.J. (2010) “The engagement factor: building a high-commitment organization in a low-commitment world”. Journal of Business Strategy, (31)5: 14-24. Wiley, C. (1997) “What motivates employees according to over 40 years of motivation surveys”. International Journal of Manpower, (18)3: 263-280. Appendix: VAK Learning Styles Self-Assessment Questionnaire (Source: Chislett & Chapman, 2005) Circle or tick the answer that most represents how you generally behave. 1. When I operate new equipment I generally: A. read the instructions first B. listen to an explanation from someone who has used it before C. go ahead and have a go, I can figure it out as I use it 2. When I need directions for travelling I usually: A. look at a map B. ask for spoken directions C. follow my nose and maybe use a compass 3. When I cook a new dish, I like to: A. follow a written recipe B. call a friend for an explanation C. follow my instincts, testing as I cook 4. If I am teaching someone something new, I tend to: A. write instructions down for them B. give them a verbal explanation C. demonstrate first and then let them have a go 5. I tend to say: A. watch how I do it B. listen to me explain C. you have a go 6. During my free time I most enjoy: A. going to museums and galleries B. listening to music and talking to my friends C. playing sport or doing DIY 7. When I go shopping for clothes, I tend to: A. imagine what they would look like on B. discuss them with the shop staff C. try them on and test them out 8. When I am choosing a holiday I usually: A. read lots of brochures B. listen to recommendations from friends C. imagine what it would be like to be there 9. If I was buying a new car, I would: A. read reviews in newspapers and magazines B. discuss what I need with my friends C. test-drive lots of different types 10. When I am learning a new skill, I am most comfortable: A. watching what the teacher is doing B. talking through with the teacher exactly what I’m supposed to do C. giving it a try myself and work it out as I go 11. If I am choosing food off a menu, I tend to: A. imagine what the food will look like B. talk through the options in my head or with my partner C. imagine what the food will taste like 12. When I listen to a band, I can’t help: A. watching the band members and other people in the audience B. listening to the lyrics and the beats C. moving in time with the music 13. When I concentrate, I most often: A. focus on the words or the pictures in front of me B. discuss the problem and the possible solutions in my head C. move around a lot, fiddle with pens and pencils and touch things 14. I choose household furnishings because I like: A. their colours and how they look B. the descriptions the sales-people give me C. their textures and what it feels like to touch them 15. My first memory is of: A. looking at something B. being spoken to C. doing something 16. When I am anxious, I: A. visualise the worst-case scenarios B. talk over in my head what worries me most C. can’t sit still, fiddle and move around constantly 17. I feel especially connected to other people because of: A. how they look B. what they say to me C. how they make me feel 18. When I have to revise for an exam, I generally: A. write lots of revision notes and diagrams B. talk over my notes, alone or with other people C. imagine making the movement or creating the formula 19. If I am explaining to someone I tend to: A. show them what I mean B. explain to them in different ways until they understand C. encourage them to try and talk them through my idea as they do it 20. I really love: A. watching films, photography, looking at art or people watching B. listening to music, the radio or talking to friends C. taking part in sporting activities, eating fine foods and wines or dancing 21. Most of my free time is spent: A. watching television B. talking to friends C. doing physical activity or making things 22. When I first contact a new person, I usually: A. arrange a face to face meeting B. talk to them on the telephone C. try to get together whilst doing something else, such as an activity or a meal 23. I first notice how people: A. look and dress B. sound and speak C. stand and move 24. If I am angry, I tend to: A. keep replaying in my mind what it is that has upset me B. raise my voice and tell people how I feel C. stamp about, slam doors and physically demonstrate my anger 25. I find it easiest to remember: A. faces B. names C. things I have done 26. I think that you can tell if someone is lying if: A. they avoid looking at you B. their voices changes C. they give me funny vibes 27. When I meet an old friend: A. I say “it’s great to see you!” B. I say “it’s great to hear from you!” C. I give them a hug or a handshake 28. I remember things best by: A. writing notes or keeping printed details B. saying them aloud or repeating words and key points in my head C. doing and practising the activity or imagining it being done 29. If I have to complain about faulty goods, I am most comfortable: A. writing a letter B. complaining over the phone C. taking the item back to the store or posting it to head office 30. I tend to say: A. I see what you mean B. I hear what you are saying C. I know how you feel Now add up how many A’s, B’s and C’s you selected. A’s = 15 B’s = 5 C’s = 10 If you chose mostly A’s you have a VISUAL learning style. If you chose mostly B’s you have an AUDITORY learning style. If you chose mostly C’s you have a KINAESTHETIC learning style. Read More