Working in teams in an organization is normally essential into establishing success within the company. It is in the best interest of the organization, for productivity purposes, and the best interest for the individual worker, for satisfaction purposes to establish good group work skills. to do this, one must understand the workings of a group and how to utilize the aspects to better work in them.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROUP. Understanding characteristics of a group are important. It is critical to know what these traits do and how to deal with them to create success.
NORMS Norms are the rules established within a group that define behavior. It normally is a collective consensus and is the basic foundation on the purpose of actions and how those actions are to be carried out. this leads into an important aspect of the decision-making process. Know the norms of your group.
COHESIVENESS cohesion is also an essential understanding that must be known. coming together as a group takes skill, understanding, and communication. Remember to communicate with your partners and links will become much stronger.
DIVERSITY Diversity will bring a plethora of ideas to the table. This spark of creativity is a key ingredient to success in a group setting. The more the diversity of ideas the better chance that the group will understand concepts and be able to reach their intended goal.
SATISFACTION Happy workers = productive workers. Enough said
Unless you’re a lone astronaut, or a hippie living in the middle of the jungle with apes, most likely you’ll tend to interact with other people at work. These interactions further develop into significant relationships that have meaning to your life. I would like to take a closer look into these relationships and define some of the factors that are involved in this. With this information maybe you can further develop a co-worker relationship that benefits you.
“An organization’s best interest is to foster co-worker relationships”(Modaff and DeWine, p193.) This is because research has shown that when workers are happy they tend to be more effective in the organization. There are two types of relationships that tend to form in a working environment: and organizational interpersonal relationship and a personal relationship.
Organizational interpersonal relationship: This type of interaction stems from people basing a connection on the organizational structure of work. I’m sure everyone has had a relationship with an individual at work that sticks only to what pertains as work. No chit-chatting about what auntie did last week when the septic tank broke and started flooding the kitchen sink, just constant jabber about the peak numbers for the next quarter. This would be an example of organizational interpersonal relationships.
Personal relationships: These types develop when coworkers spend much time together and share “emotional needs”. According to Modaff and DeWine a main foundation that sets these two relationships apart is voluntariness. In personal relationships one would most like exert effort into getting to know the person outside of a work setting. This in turn normally develops a mutual understanding and an equal and opposite (Newton’s 3rd law of physics) effort from the other individual.
What are the principles of developing work relationships?
1.Proxemics Proxemics is the distance element in an interaction. The tendency is that when you spend more time with an individual the more likely you are to develop a closer relationship with them.
2.Symmetrical or complementary It is important to understand that relationships can be either symmetrical, when “two partners are equal in the relationship (coworker to coworker), and complementary, meaning “that one person’s behavior complements the other person’s behavior as in a managerial to subordinate connection (dominant vs. Submissive). (Modaff and DeWine p. 196)
3.Different interpersonal needs Normally people have the same psychological needs for affection, inclusion and control but many vary in the strengths and amounts needed in each need. It is just up to you to determine how the person you are interacting with needs each.
4.“MOB MENTALITY” Finally, I think it is important to understand that coworkers will normally have a deeper impact on other coworkers than managers do.
All this crap doesn't mean anything unless it is utilized in a positive to increase your satisfaction and the people around you at work. Keeping the principles above in mind you should use them in strengthening work relationships.
PROVIDE POSITIVE FEEDBACK Once in awhile letting coworkers know their flaws may be essential, but you want to build an overall good cloud around yourself and the people you work with. providing positive feedback to anyone will always be beneficial. A confident worker will increase his or her satisfaction and them makes a better environment for everyone in the organization.
MEDIATE CONFLICT of course arguments and incongruent values and beliefs will clash but learning how to mediate conflicts will be a useful skill in organizational communication. Using this skill will often launch you into a leader role. Learning to mediate will also allow a plethora of different ideas and creativity to flow through. This will surely increase productivity and satisfaction among thou who art working.
DISCUSS COMMUNICATION talking about way you talk to each other may sound a little, umm, lame. But in is essential in building a strong connection with the people at work. It is much more effective to understand the better conduits of communication and then utilize them to your benefit.
HELP MANAGE RELATIONSHIPS Last but not least managing relationship is surely one of the most difficult tasks in maintaining and building positive work relationships. With this skill you must be very diligent in remembering that there are only fine lines that separate professional relationships, from platonic one to romantic. It is essential that these lines stay clear and sharp to you. managing your relationships will be difficult enough but leaders tend to be able to manage others' relationships as well.
"SEcond Life" is exactly what it implies, an interface where users can lead a life that mirrors the real. Avatars have been using this MUVE as a positive in many ways, i.e. business, real-estate, gaming, social...pretty much a benefit for all people who have capable software and hardware that supports this online world environment. But what about the rest of the world, stricken by poverty and are uncapable of this 'high-tech' opportunity? Well avatars haven't forgot about them. Check out this article about 'MensajerosDeLaPaz Jubilee'...
" Alex sez, "From December 4 on, the Spain-based NGO Mensajeros de la Paz will be present in the virtual world of Second Life as a homeless teenager avatar named MensajerosDeLaPaz Jubilee. The kid hasn't any land nor properties, except for a cardboard box, some newspapers and a sign that says: 'Help a child have a second oportunity in his First Life.'" "The action is intended to reach out for young people, and ask for help for abandoned and abused children in developing countries in South America and Africa," says Ana de la Calle, a communications representative of the organization. "We think Second Life and other forms of new technologies can be a great way to connect with young people and make them a little more conscious about the huge population in the real world needing help, and it doesn't cost much to guarantee the future of another human being", says Salvador Dinez, art director of the ad agency ArnoldFuel and one of the designers of the project. The action also includes getting broadcasting online videos of the reaction of the Residents. "
When you pour hot liquid into the mug that has the Bill of Rights printed on it, the amendments that have been invalidated by Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Reagan disappear. - courtesy of: http://www.boingboing.net/
Hey, Have You Seen My Civil Liberties Recently? DISAPPEARING CIVIL LIBERTIES MUG
Drink your decaf in this dazzling mug - and watch your civil liberties disappear and reappear! Simply pour in your coffee or any hot beverage and watch the painstaking work of the founding fathers vanish before your eyes and then reappear after drinking up or cooling down. A great way to amaze and entertain a guest with satire. Imported.
In the 1960's art schools were teaching students how to draw. In the 1980's art schools were teaching students how to design. Now students are making animation films. MFA is one of those schools. I was surprised to find out that there are so many schools around the U.S. that specialize mainly on design, just because it is a major industry that the world can't seem to get enough of. My advice, if you are interested in attaining some knowledge and experience in design is to check out some of the specialized design schools that are abundant in the U.S. You could be doing something like this...
It's amazing what some amateur animators can accomplish now!
Exbibitor online is an syndicated web-based magazine that showcases different imaging industry conferences. It is a good resource to explore the graphic design industry for jobs, postings, ops, tips, hints, news and much more.
Adobe is creating a new contest for designers around the world. It's a competition that involves different types of design categories. Online entries are welcome until April 2007. Taking home 5,000 isn't too shabby for winning designs. Check out the contest and showcase some talent, if you're not into submitting your work just yet there should be a lot of sick visuals to inspire your creativity.
For more info on the categories and discussion forums, check out:
the interaction between a manager and a subordinate can be very complicated. I know i have been in situations where the communication between the myself and my superior have been fuzzy, which leads to not only an awkward environment but a displeasing and less effective workplace. Inherent in the relationship you have with anybody, especially a superior at work, are differences. To deal with these differences it is essential to maintain an effective yet sustainable and pleasant environment in the workplace. To do this the right process and technique of communication must be applied
While working at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu, i found that my socialization that i had into the corporation was slow, and because of this the relationships that i had with my superiors suffered. According to the Dyadic view of the superior-subordinate relationship, i fell deep into the out-group membership of the relationship spectrum. It seemed as thought the only interaction that my superior had with me was very regulative and direct. This was good in a sense that it kept me busy, but as far as accomplishing the right tasks, it had no bearing.
I remember one day, after working on the newsletter for a whole week, I realized i had to compile certain information about and from other employees in the company. I took the initiative to contact each employee on my own and finished the issue of the newsletter. Later on in the week when i was editing with my superior, she told me that it was foolish to contact all the employees without first consenting her. On the next issue, i did just as she instructed, and in the end never got sufficient information from the other employees to fill up the newsletter, and i was punished for it.
I never really understood her logic with this, but because of such a out-group relationship i had with her, it was hard for me to challenge her word and actually do what i thought was right.
This instance shows the importance of the proper way to communicate within a superior-subordinate relationship. There are so many factors that are involved with the communication effectiveness of the subordinate and the superior, but Modaff and DeWine outline a few important aspects to pay attention to.
TRUST: It is important to remember that this is a "relational construction of both parties" and "must contribute to the development, maintenance, and growth of trust." (Modaff and DeWine 184) This means that trust is a key ingredient to building a successful relationship with your co workers.
IMMEDIACY: This foundation is also key. This measures the devotion each employee has to the organization. The higher the devotion each employee has the greater the success of the company. These values must be in congruent with the manager and the worker.
FEEDBACK: Feedback is such an important aspect to the functionality of the worker and his/her effectiveness. Not held in such high regard to the manager, because it does not impact them directly, feedback is a source of fuel for the subordinate. It is a bar with their progress is kept and needs to be known to the worker in order to achieve higher productivity.
COMPLIANCE-GAINING: Finally, this is the behavior acted by the superior in order to make subordinates comply with directives, policies, and procedures. There are a few techniques that would achieve this goal. The tactic used is directly reflected on the communication style that the superior has with the subordinate, this is essential as to create a positive work environment.
Organizational socialization - the dual engaging process by which both the mutually new employer and employee attempt to assimilate the employee into a productive worker for the organization. This process involves many factors as outlined in Modaff's and DeWine's Organizational Communication, but to simplify it I will explain this systematic process in two categories; the responsibility of the employer and the responsibility of the employee.
When entering a new work environment, normally the new worker experiences an uneasiness. According to Modaff and DeWine, this uneasiness is due to 'misunderstandings' (Chapts 1,6 p 140). To relinquish this uneasiness is essential to create a productive environment which benefits both the employee (worker satisfaction) and the organization (productivity increase). Two important aspects go into this process of Organizational socialization.
The responsibility of the employee: The responsibility of the worker in a new organizational environment is important to assimilating into the new company. He or she must collect new information about the organization as possible. This can be done in many ways, formal/informal conversation, and certain techniques in inquiry. Another responsibility of the employee is to assess the congruencies of the organization's values with their own and to establish a sense of loyalty to those values. These will further lead to a sense of understanding about the new employee's tasks.
The responsibility of the employer: As an organization companies have a duty to provide the new employer with an effective environment which causes him or her to perform to their potential. To assimilate their workers managers need to survey and act according to the needs and work progress of a new employee. This is to decrease misunderstanding. Secondly employers need to determine what is the best working environment for a new worker. Adjustments need to be made accordingly to allow this increase in effectiveness.
Personally, I have experienced these feelings of awkwardness and uneasiness as mentioned in the book. Not too long ago i was employed by the public relations department of an organization. This new job was a great opportunity for me to understand the industry in which i was trying to explore. I quickly realized that not fully understanding my duties on a daily basis made the productivity of my work greatly decline. As well as this misunderstanding i had a discrepancy of values with the organization as a whole on their regard for employees. The company, on the other hand, provided no extra explanation on the tasks that i had to fore go, hence creating more uneasiness. Work for myself continued to pile up even though certain tasks weren't even supposed to be performed by me. Therefore, from the start things weren't as optimal for myself as well as for the organization.
Organizational socialization is key! It allows for greater advantages for both the new employee and employer and makes sense to implement.
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.7){kind=small}
jamcaleda's journal
Previous
