Chapter 1: Making OB work for me

Three-Step Approach (Step 3—Make Recommendations and (if Appropriate) Take Action:

Be certain your recommendations address the causes you identified in Step 2—make sure you are not biased toward action just for the sake of taking action. Action you take should improve the situation or at least do no harm.

Common Sense:

Common sense is simple (and ineffective) decision making model based on biased individual perceptions, an over reliance on hindsight, lack of rigor, and lack of objectivity.

Three-Step Approach (Step 1—Define the Problem):

Define the problem in terms of desired outcomes or end states—the difference between what you want and what you have. Make sure you define the actual problem. If a solution, even an elegant one, is in response to the wrong problem, the solution adds no value and becomes a confound to the situation.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness refers to knowing yourself and having knowledge of your own skills, abilities, weaknesses, strengths, and preferences—without becoming crippled by your shortcomings.

Organizational behavior (OB):

Is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to better understanding and managing people at work. OB focuses on effectiveness.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are the technical expertise and knowledge required to do a particular task or job function, such as financial analysis, accounting, or operations

Soft Skills

Soft skills are interpersonal skills and personal attributes related to our human interactions. Soft skills are portable.

Three-Step Approach (Step 2—Identify Potential Causes Using OB Concepts and Theories):

Test your causes by asking, "Why or how does this cause the problem?"—make sure you identify most, if not all, of the symptoms. Identifying potential symptoms will help you identify the potential causes, but identifying the symptoms is just the beginning phase of identifying potential causes.

Dunning-Kruger Effect

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people mistakenly assess their cognitive ability as being greater than it is until they have an awakening in the 'valley of despair'. Following this painful cognitive awakening, they begin to climb the 'slope of enlightenment'.

Contingency Approach

The contingency approach calls for using OB concepts and tools as situationally appropriate, instead of trying to rely on "one best way." This approach assumes there is no single best way to manage people, teams, and organizations. Rather, the best or most effective course of action depends on the situation, making the contingency approach both pragmatic and demanding. The contingency approach allows effective managers to consider the many factors that influence behavior and performance within and among individuals, groups, and organizations.