Chapter 17: Skills for Optimizing Leadership as Situations Change

Levels of conflict in Organizations

1. Have strong differences in values, beliefs, or goals. 2. Have high levels of task or lateral interdependence. 3. Are competing for scarce resources or rewards. 4. Are under high levels of stress. 5. Face uncertain or incompatible demands -- that is, role ambiguity and role conflict.

Collaborating Conflict Management

1. To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised. 2. When your objective is to learn. 3. To merge insights from people with different perspectives. 4. To gain commitment by incorporating concerns into a consensus. 5. To work through feelings that have interfered with a relationship.

Avoiding Conflict Management

1. When an issues is trivial or more important issues are pressing. 2. When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns. 3. When potential disruption outweighs the benefits of resolution. 4. To let people cool down and regain perspective. 5. When gathering information supersedes immediate decisions. 6. When others can resolve the conflict more effectively. 7. When issues seem tangential to or symptomatic of other issues.

Compromising Conflict Management

1. When goals are important, but not worth the effort or potential disruption of more assertive modes. 2. When opponents with equal power are committed to mutually exclusive goals. 3. To achieve temporary settlements of complex issues. 4. To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure. 5. As a backup when collaboration or competition is unsuccessful.

Competing Conflict Management

1. When quick, decisive action is vital -- such as emergencies. 2. On important issues where unpopular actions need implementing -- cost cutting, enforcing unpopular rules, discipline. 3. On issues vital to company welfare when you know you're right. 4. Against people who take advantage of noncompetitive behavior.

Accommodating Conflict Management

1. When you find you are wrong -- to allow a better position to be heard, to learn, and to show your reasonableness. 2. When issues are more important to others than yourself --- to satisfy others and maintain cooperation. 3. To build social credits for later issues. 4. To minimize loss when you are outmatched and losing. 5. When harmony and stability are especially important. 6. To allow subordinates to develop by learning from mistakes.

How many core values can team members typically recall?

A half dozen.

Which of the following is NOT true?

A leader's expectations for team members should be related to their values.

About how long should a leader's vision presentation be?

About 10 minutes or less.

Ability

Also known as 'raw talent' Includes variables such as: athleticism, intelligence, creativity, and personality traits. These are relatively difficult to change with training.

The idea component of a leader's vision begins with __________.

An honest assessment of the current situation facing her or his team.

Which of the following can help a leader successfully resolve conflicts?

Anticipating the concerns of both sides.

In an organizational context, the real trick for executive teams is to be able to

Apply both the technical individual skills that probably got the individuals to the team and the skills required for high-performance teamwork when a team situation presents itself.

Capabilities

Are made up of abilities and skills. Leaders should always send select individuals with the abilities/skills needed for performance.

Which of the following is a potential trip wire limiting performance of executive level teams?

Assigning individuals to a team but them giving them individual responsibilities and individual performance targets.

In general, which type of issue is more difficult to resolve?

Big issues.

A leader's vision also needs to

Clearly describe her or his expectations for team member behavior.

Diagnostic Model

Consists of Motivation, Opportunities, Capabilities, Expectations.

Skill

Consists of a well-defined body of knowledge and a set of related behaviors, Amenable to training, and leaders with high levels of relevant expertise may coach others in the development.

Once a leader has accurately assessed a team's strengths, weaknesses, and potential, he or she needs to ________.

Define where the team needs to be over the next 12-36 months.

Focusing on interests

Depends on understanding the difference between interests and positions.

Avoidance

Involves indifference to the concerns of both parties. It reflects a withdrawal from or neglect of any party's interests.

Sharing

Is an approach that represents a compromise between domination and appeasement. Both parties give up something, yet both parties get something. Both parties are moderately, but incompletely satisfied.

Expectations

Is the leader's responsibility to ensure that followers understand their roles, goals, performance standards, and the key metrics for determining success.

Conflict that enhances group productivity

It is considered useful.

Conflict that hinders group performance

It is viewed as counterproductive.

Which of the following is the most important source of conflict within or between groups, teams, or committees?

Lack of communication between parties.

Opportunities

Leaders must ensure that followers and teams have the needed equipment, financial resources to exhibit their skills if they want to eliminate this constraint on performance. Performance can be limited when followers lack the resources needed to get the job done.

Motivation

Many performance problems can be attributed to a lack of this. This is a critical issue on whether followers or groups choose to perform or exhibit the level of effort necessary to accomplish a task.

Which part of performance is affected when a flight attendant has no food to give to pass out to hungry passengers?

Opportunities.

Fisher and Ury claim that successful negotiators focus on interests not

Positions.

Punishment

Refers to the administration of an aversive event or the withdrawal of positive event or stimulus, which in turn decreases the likelihood that a particular event will be repeated.

Competition

Reflects a desire to achieve one's own ends at the expense of someone else. This is domination, also know as a win-lose orientation.

Accomodation

Reflects a mirror image of competition -- entirely giving in to someone else's concerns without making any effort to achieve one's own ends. This is a tactic of appeasement.

Collaboration

Reflects an effort to fully satisfy both parties. This is a problem-solving approach that requires the integration of each party's concerns.

All of the following except which can help leaders resolve motivation problems in followers?

Restructure awards and punishment so that they are not directly linked to performance levels.

Capabilities are comprised of abilities and

Skills.

Which leader is NOT likely to gain more followers?

The leader who delivers a very detailed description of his vision in an evenly modulated voice.

Leaders making internal attributions

They were more likely to administer punishment than other leaders. According to Green and Mitchell's views on administering punishment.

Leaders making external attributions

They were more likely to blame the substandard performance on situational factors beyond their follower's control than other leaders. According to Green and Mitchell's views on administering punishment.

Which of the following is NOT a question leaders should answer?

What are the team members' expectations for the leader?