Course 4 - Module 2

In order to overcome resistance to change managers or "change agents" need to ___________________ and ___________________ the problems inherent in the current situation.

clarify communicate

Communication not only is concerned with transmitting information but also concerned with establishing [x] meaning.

common

In chapter 9, the authors state that ____________ can be defined more simply as the transmission of information from one party to another. communication noise exchange negotiation

communication

Administrators interested in effectively managing conflict would do well to focus on the closely related issues of ____________________ and ___________________. .

communications trust

The fact that public organizations are part of a governance system that in part plays an important role in mediating conflicts in society means that those organizations often are caught between [x].

competing values

Which of the following is NOT one of the four stages of team development? forming complaining performing norming

complaining

The jobs that are perceived to be most stressful are those in which the workers believe that they have the least amount of [x].

control

Self-management is the ability to __________________ or ____________________ disruptive impulses and moods and __________________ your own behavior, coupled with a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.

control redirect regulate

Which of the following is NOT one of the five dimensions of emotional intelligence? controlling expectations managing emotions motivating oneself handling relationships

controlling expectations

In Chapter 3--according to the 2010 IBM Global CEO Study, to cope with global complexity, the most important attribute of future leaders will be [a].

creativity

Chapter 12 tells us that those organizations that develop the ___________________ and __________________ to adapt to changing circumstances will be those that will thrive during the coming decades.

creativity flexibility

As we change the lenses through which we see a given situation, our ___________________ of the problems that the situation entails and the possible ___________________ to those problems also will change.

definition solutions

In Chapter 14, the values of _____________________ and ________________________ call on us to recognize that what we do and how we do it have important implications for the relationship between citizens and their government, the long-term capacity and effectiveness of public and nonprofit organizations to address societal problems, and the very nature of our service to the public.

democratic governance public service

By managing conflict properly, an administrator can mobilize ____________________ pieces of information and ___________________ perspectives into productive solutions and promote critical thinking.

disparate diverse

Match these words to their definitions. distortion: the fact that the same word has different meanings semantics: the receiver of the message projects their expectations of others into what they hear jargon: the difference between the meaning that the sender intends and the meaning that the receiver decodes filtering: specialized "shorthand" language stereotyping: manipulating the information that is being sent so that it will be received more favorably by the receiver

distortion: the difference between the meaning that the sender intends and the meaning that the receiver decodes semantics: the fact that the same word has different meanings jargon: specialized "shorthand" language filtering: manipulating the information that is being sent so that it will be received more favorably by the receiver stereotyping: the receiver of the message projects their expectations of others into what they hear

A good decision in terms of [x] is one that is high in quality, is timely, and is both understandable and acceptable to those whose support is needed for implementation.

effectiveness

In Chapter 2, the term [a] refers to any real or perceived threat to our security, self-image, or sense of self-worth that stimulates our instinctive self-protective tendencies to either withdraw or become aggressive.

emotional challenge

Efforts at organizational change that suppress human development or limit the individual's pursuit of meaning, autonomy, and independence raise substantial [x] issues.

ethical

Setting [x] clears ambiguity and increases the decision-makers' chance of success.

goals

The notion of [x] implies that public policies are no longer made merely by government but through a complex process of interaction among many different parties, including those in government but also those in businesses and nonprofit organizations.

governance

Under the ___________________ ____________________ model, decisions are group efforts that involve bargaining among players with different and competing interests.

governmental politics

Research on the practice of [x] has shown promise in terms of addressing stress and improving overall well-being.

gratitude

Without a commitment to achieving a goal or completing a task, a __________ is not a team. bargaining unit rainbow union group

group

In chapter 11 we learn that organizations with little disagreement are less likely to do well in highly turbulent and chaotic environments. This is because members are either so ____________________ that they are ill equipped to adapt to changing environmental conditions or so ______________________ that they see no need to improve the status quo.

homogeneous complacent

Recent research suggests that one can reduce or mitigate [x] by better recognizing personal biases and making concerted efforts to identify and change behaviors.

implicit bias

Organizational behavior deals with at least three levels of analysis: the __________ , the ______________ , and the _________________.

individual group organization

Too much [a] can result in organizations being in constant flux, thereby failing to secure and perfect improvements before changing to something else.

innovation

To be effective, public administrators and nonprofit managers must ___________ and ____________ others within and outside of their organizations, ______________ effectively in groups, _______________ clearly, ______________ creatively, ______________ change successfully, and ______________ conflict.

lead motivate function communicate think navigate manage

It is understood that the ethical nature of an organization is directly attributable to the ethical nature of that organization's __________. leadership mission budget training

leadership

Pick the correct answer for the blank in the following question. The textbook describes public service motivation and states that individuals working in the public and non-profit sector are motivated by serving the public and contributing to the missions of public organizations. Further, the text states, "Being able to contribute to the ___________ may be more important to public and non-profit employees than extrinsic rewards." mission profit margin benefits package discretionary decisions

mission

Chapter 5 says that _________________ _____________________ takes place when a person in authority identifies an important issue and carries out a process to make a choice that produces outcomes with consequences.

organizational decision-making

Managers often ____________________ their own influence in organizations and ___________________ how difficult it is to get people to change.

overestimate underestimate

Which of the following is NOT one of the three elements found in failed decisions that lead to media attention? poor leadership faulty decision practices premature commitments misallocation of resources

poor leadership

In chapter 8 we learn that people who acquire and use [x] appropriately are better able to obtain necessary support and resources for programs, people, and priorities.

power

Public and nonprofit servants have a responsibility to manage organizational behavior so as to meet __________________ and _________________. .

public objectives community needs

Public and nonprofit managers must be fully attentive to the [a] that draws people to work in public and nonprofit organizations.

public service motive

Which of the following is NOT one of the five steps of the creativity process? 1. punctuation 2. preparation 3. concentration 4. illumination

punctuation

Which source of power as identified by researchers French and Raven is based on the psychological identification between people? referent power legitimate power reward power expert power

referent power

People can be become more [x] by facing the realities of a particular situation or problem.

resilient

Treating humans with ________________ and _________________ is an important value in its own right.

respect dignity

A good decision in terms of [x] is one that is consistent with the public interest and offers the greatest value for the public's money.

responsibility

From a normative standpoint, civic engagement is the __________________ thing to do because it is consistent with democratic norms and values. From the instrumental standpoint, engaging citizens or stakeholders is _____________________ because policies and programs that are developed with citizen and stakeholder input are more likely to be received positively by those same citizens.

right smart

In Chapter 7, ____________ is the term used to describe the idea that leadership is a process occurring throughout organizations, not just at "the top." shared leadership strict controls internal motivation negotiation

shared leadership

Appropriate levels of [x] help us to focus our attention, make our awareness more acute, and promote sound decision-making.

stress

Which of the following is NOT one of the four sources of interpersonal conflict? information deficiencies symmetry of thought environmental stress personal differences

symmetry of thought

In chapter 10 the textbook defines a ____________ as a group of people with a high degree of interdependence geared toward the achievement of a goal or the completion of a task. team collectives union bargaining unit

team

Knowing your audience or communicating with clarity is every bit as important with [x] based on communications as with in-person communications.

technologically

Which of the following is NOT one of the key elements of active listening? the listener's nonverbal action the listener asking questions to encourage elaboration by the speaker the listener paraphrasing or reflecting the speaker's message back to the speaker the listener taking care to point out misinformation as it is shared

the listener taking care to point out misinformation as it is shared

In chapter 4 we learn that direct consequences of organizational distress include costs associated with things such as increased ___________________ and ________________, decreased ________________, and _______________ or violence.

turnover absenteeism performance accidents

Creating a [a] for ourselves provides us with a sense of direction and helps us to clarify our values.

vision

Where the content of communication is very lengthy, technical, or complex, using [x] communication or at least following up a conversation by putting matters in writing may be helpful.

written

Put the following steps in order. These steps can be helpful in optimizing team performance. Acknowledge the importance of the task work and required teamwork from the beginning. Use action research for data collection Involve those that will be affected by the change in the team.2 Develop a shared vision among team members for the team's goal. Create ground rules as a way to minimize the storming stage. Use collaborative processes for each stage of team development for high performance.. Manage conflict when it arises.

1. Acknowledge the importance of the task work and required teamwork from the beginning. 2. Create ground rules as a way to minimize the storming stage. 3. Develop a shared vision among team members for the team's goal. 4. Use collaborative processes for each stage of team development for high performance. 5. Use action research for data collection. 6. Manage conflict when it arises. 7. Involve those that will be affected by the change in the team.

56.5 Making a meeting more productive (3 steps)

1. Decide whether the meeting is even necessary 2. Develop a clear purpose for the meeting and communicate that purpose to those who will attend 3. Develop an agenda, seeking suggestions from others about what should be on the agenda

Order the following five steps in the model of leadership change for those wishing to successfully bring about change in their communities. 1. Sustainability 2. Clarification and coalition building 3. Consolidation and refinement 4. Diagnosis 5. Action

1. Diagnosis 2. Clarification and coalition building 3. Action 4. Consolidation and refinement 5. Sustainability

Put the following steps in order used to approach conflict situations that call for collaboration. 1. Schedule a meeting in a neutral environment 2. Get the other party to face the conflict 3. Discuss your position until you reach a mutual definition of conflict 4. Establish a collaborative context 5. Face the conflict

1. Face the conflict 2. Get the other party to face the conflict 3. Schedule a meeting in a neutral environment 4. Establish a collaborative context 5. Discuss your position until you reach a mutual definition of conflict

64.5 4 stages of team development:

1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing

45.5 5 dimensions of emotional intelligence:

1. Knowing one's emotions - The ability to recognize one's own feelings or emotions is a keystone to self-understanding and gives us a better sense of how we really feel. 2. Managing emotions - Handling feelings appropriately (that is, recognizing and then doing something positive with one's emotions) is essential to effective interactions with others. 3. Motivating oneself - Emotional self-control, the capacity to use one's emotions in a productive fashion, is related to one's effectiveness and productivity. 4. Recognizing emotions in others - People who are empathetic (that is, people who understand the deep-seated, although rarely verbalized, needs and concerns of others) have exceptional emotional intelligence. 5. Handling relationships - "The art of relationships is, in large part, skill in managing emotions in others. These are the abilities that undergird popularity, leadership, and interpersonal effectiveness".

The four components of emotional intelligence identified by Goleman are:

1. Self-management 2. Self-awareness 3. Social Awareness 4. Social Skills

55.5 Active listening

1. The listener's nonverbal actions, indicating unconditional attention 2. The listener paraphrasing or reflecting the speaker's message back to the speaker 3. The listener asking questions to encourage further elaboration

The rational decision-making model can be interpreted to have four steps. Put the following steps in order. 1. Choose among alternatives 2. Select the alternative whose consequences have the greatest utility 3. Translate goals and objectives into payoffs and utility 4. Consider the consequences

1. Translate goals and objectives into payoffs and utility 2. Choose among alternatives 3. Consider the consequences 4. Select the alternative whose consequences have the greatest utility

Which of the following are the "six Cs" for effective written communication? Choose all that apply. clarity courtesy collaborative conciseness confidential controlled confidence correctness conversational tone combative

1. clarity 2. courtesy 3. conciseness 4. confidence 5. correctness 6. conversational tone

Power is a component of organizational learning. Put the following processes of organizational learning in order. 1. interpreting 2. institutionalizing 3. integrating 4. intuiting

1. intuiting 2. interpreting 3. integrating 4. institutionalizing

________________________ _______________________ is "about judging about competing values, choosing a best possible solution, and being free to extend the rights and duties of office."

Administrative discretion

Chapter 13 provides insight on guidelines that can help develop more effective relationships with legislatures. Tell about a time you used one of the three guidelines.

Build trust and confidence: At this time I have not actively established a relationship with legislators, I have however been at the table and included in city dialogue with state representatives when they have visited to speak with our city manager and mayor. At the legislative update in August, the importance of establishing a relationship with our legislature was stressed. They encouraged initiating the relationship early so that it can develop over time.

____________________ and __________________ allows public and nonprofit organizations to be responsive, to develop new and better ways of serving citizens and stakeholders, and to use resources wisely.

Creativity innovation

[x] is internalized patterns of thinking and behaving that are believed to be natural.

Culture

The U.S. Department of Labor proposed a "recipe" to be helpful for improving a team's effectiveness. Pick one of the "ingredients" and tell how it might improve your team.

Develop an improvement plan. I am in the process of rolling out an updated Records Management Program. I will need the cooperation of all senior staff/department heads. In an effort to help them help me. I have created a schedule of the key features that will be needing their attention over the next few months. I have created a spreadsheet that indicates the action needed and timeframe it is needed by. This will allow them to be aware of the various tasks needed as well as appropriately allocate staff time to get the job done.

[a] is the key to understanding others' perspectives and needs, resolving conflicts, and wielding influence.

Emotional intelligence

True or False. According to our text, power has been defined as the use of authority to influence organizational outcomes.

False

True or False. The principled approach to conflict resolution demands that people begin their negotiations by taking positions.

False

True or False. Theory X of human motivation assumes workers feel that work is natural and pleasurable.

False

[a] is associated with happy, engaged, and committed employees.

Good management

Negotiation strategies are commonly divided into three types. Indicate below by checking all three of the types below. Avoidance Collaborative Destructive Distributive Integrative

Integrative Distributive Avoidance

Choose one of the 10 guidelines that can be helpful as you seek to improve your communication skills (listed on page 304) and give examples of how you could implement the guideline in your municipality (or home).

Listen, Listen, Listen! Have a reason or purpose for listening: Remember that the person you are speaking with has value and believes what they are sharing has value. Suspend immediate judgments or evaluations: It's important to allow the speaker to complete their thoughts. I often see some people jump to conclusions because they misinterpreted the message someone was trying to convey in the middle of the message. Instead of listening to the entire dialogue they are thinking of a rebuttal and miss critical information. Resist distractions, whether the distraction is a part of the environment or a characteristic of the one with whom you are talking: Sometimes while at work someone will enter my office and interrupt what I am working on. I want to be attentive, but I also feel harassed that they do not recognize their intrusion. I have to remember to either put down what I was working on and give them my undivided attention, or kindly ask them to schedule a meeting at a time that is convenient for both of us. On another note it is amazing to me how often people will respond to their telephone as if the phone is the third person in the room. Unless it is an emergency, respond on the phone when you are alone. Wait before responding: Let the other person finish before you start making your response: As mentioned above, it's important to allow the person to have the time to finish their point. This is an area in which I struggle. I don't know why, but I find myself interrupting the conversation. I recognize it is rude and I am trying to work on this. Am I afraid I will not be given the chance to speak? Am I afraid that my comments won't be recognized or heard? When thinking about this I see that I just need to "ask for the floor". Again as I noted earlier if I'm impatiently waiting to blurt out what I want to say and focused on my retort that means I'm not listening to what they are saying. Rephrase what you hear in your own words: let the other person know you understand, and if you do not, then give him or her a chance to clarify: This is where people can "nip misunderstandings in the bud". It is a simple technique which I feel helps people feel more confident, especially if they must act on what they've been told. It's not foolproof however. I had an employee that I would use this technique with. If I was unsure she understood the task, I would ask questions to ensure she understood - sometimes even then she there would be a misunderstanding... Listen for themes rather than details or specifics: Sometimes people get focused on the minutia of the conversation. For example, when a speaker gives a statistic, the listener may be thinking of that (whether proving or disproving the statistic in their own mind - thinking of examples where that may or may not be true) instead of listening to the overall intent of the conversation. Use the thinking-speaking differential to reflect on what the other person is saying and to look for themes: The text states that people in the US speak at 150 words per minute, but think at 500 words per minute. It's important to avoid the temptation of thinking of something else during the conversation and instead work to focus your attention to the speaker and pay attention to key words and themes.

53.5 Filtering

Manipulating the information that is being sent so that it will be more favorable received by the receiver.

[x] has three components: individual differences, nature of the job, and the organization itself.

Motivation

In chapter 6 we learn that performance in any setting is a function of three things. Which of the following is NOT one of those three things? Need Motivation Ability Opportunity

Need

___________________ _________________ is the study of individual and group behavior in organizational settings.

Organizational behavior

[x] can be defined as "the ability to effectively understand others at work and to use such knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one's personal and/or organizational goals."

Political skill

13.5 Social skills

Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks to get the desired result from others, reach personal goals, build rapport, and find common ground. Includes 5 competencies 1. leadership 2. effectiveness in leading change 3. conflict management 4. influence/communication 5. expertise in building and leading teams

[x] managers seeking change are often constrained by things like public budgetary processes, transparency, and accountability standards. Public For-profit sector Synergistic Effective

Public

The basic idea of __________________ __________________ is that different situations require different styles of leadership and, correspondingly, that leaders need to be able to understand key characteristics of the organizations they lead and then adapt their own behavior to fit the situation.

Situational leadership

53.5 Jargon

Specialized "shorthand" language.

[x] may involve gathering intelligence, setting directions, uncovering alternatives, assessing these alternatives to choose a plan of action, or implementing the plan.

Strategic decisions

Page 186 of the text describes a study listing six elements that constitute employee engagement. Choose one of these elements and tell how you experience this or contribute to it in your workplace.

The City of Fair Oaks Ranch must be doing something right because I can easily pick out several of these elements that I experience at work: 2. Satisfaction with leadership, 3. Opportunity to perform well at work, 4. Satisfaction with recognition received, 5. Prospect or future personal growth. (Even 1. Pride in one's work or workplace and 6. Positive work environment/teamwork, though to lesser degrees.) The primary element that I believe every other element hinges upon is "Satisfaction with Leadership". When I speak of leadership I speak specifically of our city manager and council. Fair Oaks Ranch is blessed to have a Professional City Manager who at his core has a passion for public service. He recognizes the importance of developing his team and thoroughly encourages professional training and making sure that staff has the tools they need to get the job done. Over the past several years staff has collected metrics to substantiate requests - whether that be technology or additional FTE's. Our city council also balances staff's needs and budgetary considerations - frequently choosing to support staff. Consider this, at my last evaluation with council they expressed concern with the number of extra hours I was working - they not only gave me a raise, but also advised that I work less hours! That let's me know that they care about their employees work product and welfare.

13.5 Self-management

The ability to control or redirect disruptive imppulses and moods and regulate your own behavior, coupled with a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence. Includes 7 competencies: 1. self-control 2. trustworthiness 3. integrity 4. initiative 5. adaptability and comfort with ambiguity 6. openness to change 7. strong desire to achieve

13.5 Self-awareness

The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, and drives as well as their effect on others. Includes 3 competencies: 1. emotional awareness 2. accurate self-assessment 3. self-confidence

53.5 Distortion

The difference between the meaning that the sender intends and the meaning that the receiver decodes.

53.5 Semantics

The fact that the same word has different meanings.

What is the first step to take before a meeting to make the meeting more productive and meaningful?

The first step is to decide whether the meeting is even necessary.

53.5 Sterotyping

The receiver of the message projects their expectations of others into what they hear.

13.5 Social awareness

To understand the emotional makeup of other people and skills in treating people according to their emotional reaction. Includes 6 competencies: 1. empathy 2. expertise in building and retaining talent 3. organizational awareness 4. cross-cultural sensitivity 5. valuing diversity 6. service to stakeholders

True or False. Leadership in the public sector is different than leadership in the for-profit (private) sector?

True

True or False. The key to the organizational process model is incrementalism which posits that decisions are dependent on small incremental choices made in response to short-term conditions.

True

True or False. To help ensure successful change managers should involve people throughout the organization in the change process.

True

Jim Collins offered five essential elements for building "great" public organizations. Describe how your municipality/organization has used one of these elements.

Turning the flywheel-building momentum by building the brand. I believe our city is doing monumental things. As I mentioned in an earlier question we have a professional city manager who has been putting into place changes that allow the city to run more like a business. We are collecting the data we need to support financial decisions, which include personnel and services. Not all of the change has been popular especially by some very vocal social media savvy citizens. Throughout the past several years there was an initial growth in the number of our staff to support service level expectations; it simply was not sustainable to provide those service expectations with our small staff. We have found that this small number of vocal citizens, unhappy with the slight increase in taxes have embarked on a full fledge anti-city crusade. We believe this group is very small as a majority of the citizens are satisfied with the quality of life and the level of taxation. By way of background the city has a history of keeping taxes very low and having a very lean staff. Previous city councils neglected funding for the future needs of failing infrastructure and growth. Despite our growth in staff and the tremendous strides that we have made to initiate studies to understand what we are up against in terms of infrastructure rehabilitation, we are still the lowest taxing municipality in our area, while still performing the same services as our counterparts. To combat the "city smear campaign" council has approved the funding of an communications FTE. One who will be putting out pre-emptive messages to educate the citizens on important issues and correcting misinformation.

Organizational behavior is concerned with how people ______________ , their _________________ , and how they ___________________ with others.

act motivations interact

Leadership as [x] consists of learning how to "address conflicts in the values people hold or to diminish the gap between the values people stand for and the reality they face."

adaptive work

Changing the organization's culture may be a key step in changing the [x] of the organization's employees.

behavior

To manage others, we must start with ourselves; we must learn to manage our own _______________ and understand our __________________ and _______________________ of ourselves.

behavior motivations perceptions