Leadership

Date:  (Week 10)
Venue: BFEI | Room 108
Class:  WDM
Topic:  Leadership

Introduction:

Today we discussed "Leadership" we watched some videos resources on the mindset of leaders and we went through some powerpoints theories on the topic and finally we did an exercise with a partner for the content of our blog.

Just before we delve into the theories, principles etc, I will like to share a good quote on Leadership that came to mind while I was in the class, Martin Luther King Jr. once said and I quote:

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” ― Martin Luther King, Jr.

Before the discussion on leadership, we watched a short TED video on "How great leaders inspire action" by Simon Sinek. In the video, Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?"  His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers -- and as a counterpoint Tivo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling.

You can watch the video here, if you wish (click to play)

The summary of the main points from Simon Sinek video are as follows:

"There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders have a position of power or authority. But those who lead, inspire us." He went on to say "whether they are individual or organisation we follow those who lead, not because we have to but  because we want to" also "we follow those who lead not for them but for ourselves"

In his explanation of how great leaders inspires action, he used the story of "Apple" as a company that believes in challenging the status quo, by doing things differently and communicating differently compared to other companies and how by this simple means, inspire consumers to buy not as a result "Apple" being a better company structurally but only simply by using reverse communication that appeals to a part of our brain that controls "feelings and trust and loyalty" that part of our brain "responsible for all human behaviour and all of human decision making" yet this part of our brain has no capacity for language.

He also said "People don't buy what you do but buy why you do it" He believed that Great Leaders are those that communicate expressing what they believe not what they want to do or achieve, this explains why such leaders will always have followers "who believe what they believe". He went on to use Martin Luther King Jr. as an example of such leader with his "I have a dream" speech to inspires people of all colour who have the same dream, 

Another point he made is that , a leader should know what they believe and why they believe what they believe, otherwise there should be no reason why anyone should remain a loyal follower, Simon said "if you don't know why you do what you do and people response to what you do, why should anyone buy from you or vote more importantly remain loyal"

Finally, he believe that "when we communicate inside out we are talking directly to the part of the brain that control behaviour and we allow people to rationalise it with the tangible thing we say and do". This effective method of communication is the only reason why these leaders (whether individual or organisation) are great because their communication style drives behaviour.

Class Content  and My Reflection:
My own reading on the theories and examples of real life application of the principles:

After the video we then discussed couple of notes on leadership, we went through 32 power-points slides. Though in the class, we didn't discuss the definition of leadership but I feel it is important to define leadership for a clear understanding of what was discussed in the power-point, because in the slides, we discussed various leadership styles relating to leadership in management, we also discussed types of leaderships and why there's a gap between men and women in leadership positions.

So What is Leadership?

In my personal research, according to Wikipedia,

Leadership is both a research area and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an individual or organization to "lead" or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. Wikipedia

and in theory leadership has been regarded as:

...the process of influencing others so that they understand and agree about what actions can be taken, how the actions can be executed effectively, and how to inspire individual and team efforts to accomplish shared objectives - (Kouzes & Postner, 2002).

There are countless other definitions on leadership online, it is noted that researchers usually define leadership according to their individual perspectives and the aspects of the phenomenon of most interest to them.  An Author actually concluded after a comprehensive review of the leadership literature, “there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept.”

In this blog, I will not attempt to resolve the controversy over the most appropriate
definition of leadership. For the purposes of this study, I will stick with the above two definitions.

How we engaged with topic (class reaction, personal perspectives etc)

Developing our understanding of leadership we first examined:

Gender and Leadership: Internationally women are still under represented in positions of power, responsibility and leadership the following might have something to do with that.

• professional training
• different leadership style between men and women
• cultural values and 
• economical reason

Reflection: Things are changing, it is noted that women are currently being promoted to positions of leadership faster than men. Effective leadership is not the exclusive domain of either gender and both can learn from the other.

Self-Managed Work Teams: though leadership is different from management, in our discussion on leadership, the next point was a strange one because it is a management issue, but I supposed the point was made to explain that “managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing.”

Self-Managed Work Teams is actually a Leadership/Managerial Styles issue. Traditionally, teams are managed from the top down.A leader or manager might want his/her team members to participate more and share responsibilities.

In the discussion, our class teacher gave us an example how she was trusted by her previous boss and allowed to self managed her work, that might be because of her maturity and being skilled for a high level of involvement.

Reflection: Leaders who behave like this manage to blend concern for both people and organisation aims by using a collaborative teamwork approach, and plenty of consultation enabling the development of a shared (not imposed) motivation to achieving the organisation's goals.

So What is Self-Managed Work Teams?

In an online article written by Lynne MacDonald; "What Is a Self-Managed Team?" reviewed by Michelle Seidel, B.Sc., LL.B., MBA; Updated March 07, 2019, 

"A self-managed team is a group of employees that's responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of producing a product or delivering a service. Traditional organizational structures assign tasks to employees depending on their specialist skills or the functional department within which they work"

This describes companies run by teams of people, who are given the necessary resources and then left to get on with it. This type of team will be more autonomous than typical groups. They are responsible for determining their own goals and processes.

Members participate in important decisions and share leadership responsibilities. Because of this, members tend to be more committed and engaged in the group.

Research also shows that in Ireland, eBay, Hewlette Packard, Bord na Mona, Galtee and Aughinish Alumina are using this SMWT. I also understand it is prevalent in the production, maintenance, customer service and support, distribution, quality and administrative activities in a significant proportion of Irish-based organisations.

Reaction:  This style normally requires that followers/the group are suitably mature and skilled for a high level of involvement. This style will be difficult to use in some organisations and may be inadvisable when leading inexperienced people to produce challenging and vital results in a new or strange area.

Managing Tasks

Task management is a process where one identifies, monitors and progresses the work that needs to be done during the day.

This leadership style is task-oriented. One of the big challenges for leaders/managers is making sure that tasks are done by others.

• Initiating structure: a leader need to define leader and group member roles, initiates actions, organises group activities and defines how tasks are to be accomplished by the group.
• Setting standards and objectives: a leader need to set expectations and standards and then hold measurement against those objectives.
• Defining responsibilities and identifying roles: this means that before you even assign a task to a team member or group, always know where it fits in the grand scheme of things. Does the task need to be done in a specific order? Does it require a specific set of skills? Does the rest of the project rely on this one task’s completion? Knowing all these things about the task will give you a better sense of who to entrust it to.
•  Establishing communication networks: no matter how large or small your team size is, successful task management hinges on good communication. Whether it means constantly updating and interacting with other team members, having daily progress reports, or simply checking in with each team member personally, communication is the only way you’ll get a true sense of what’s getting done.
• Coordinating activities: a good leader is able to coordinate various efforts of different departments and their different tasks and activities in harmony to achieve the organisation's objectives efficiently.
•  Giving evaluative feedback:  effective leaders have good listening and emotional awareness – they understand the impact that their behaviour has on others. Effective leader/manager should regularly give feedback to maximise their employees/followers potential at different stages of training, raise their awareness of strengths and areas for improvement, and identify actions to be taken to improve performance. 

Managing Relationships
Leaders focus on listening, building relationships, teamwork, inspiring, motivating and persuading the followers.

•  Boosting member morale
•  Providing support and encouragement
•  Building group cohesion
•  Establishing networks of support
•  Reducing and helping to resolve interpersonal conflict 

The Managerial Grid (Blake & Mouton)
The managerial grid model (1964) is a style leadership model developed by Robert R. Blake and Jane Mouton. This model originally identified five different leadership styles based on the concern for people and the concern for production.

Blake and Mouton depicted their model as a grid with two axes:

• Concern for People
• Concern for Production or Task

The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid identified five kinds of leadership behaviour which are:

1. Leadership/Managerial Styles
2. Country Club Style
3. Impoverished Style
4. Middle of the Road Style
5. Produce-or-Perish Style

This Managerial grid is basically trying to indicate managers' or leaders's behaviour preferences, and the overall score is plotted on two dimensions: concern for people and concern for task. From this, different styles of management can be identified and managers can assess whether they need to change their style or not.

This managerial grid assumes that the most desirable style is a high concern for people and task.

This style combines a high concern for and involvement in the group with a strong well-organised and communicated focus on achieving the task. Blake and Mouton saw this as the ideal behavioural approach. Leaders who behave like this manage to blend concern for both people and organisational aims by using a collaborative teamwork approach, and plenty of consultation enabling the development of a shared (not imposed) motivation to achieving the organisation's goals.

Reflection: The approach has been criticized because it fails to take into account the needs of particular circumstances, and that the appropriateness of particular styles will vary from situation to situation.

Teamwork Exercise of the day (with a partner - Jasmine) and how we worked together on the exercise.

Exercise #8 Leadership 

1    For the exercise, we formed a group of two, some others were in a group of three.
      My partner in the group exercise was Jasmine. We were to pick one leader that we both admire most. The leader of our choice can be from a business / political / sport / religious background. In this case, we both decided to go for Martin Luther King Jr., a religious leader.

      We were to summarize his qualities etc. We did a short presentation to the rest of the group in the class.

Our Team Leader of Choice

We chose him because he demonstrated leadership qualities and championed the cause of civil right liberty in the US and he became the voice of the people and led them out of the struggle.

Below is screen grab of our discussion on his leadership qualities, you can find the full detail on our Padlet post.

Screenshot from Padlet

Link to Padlet - Click here

What did you learn from the topic?

1. I learnt that It’s not about what you you but why. A leader should know what he believe and why he believe what he believe otherwise there should be no reason why anyone should remain a loyal follower.

2. On leadership style, a good leader allow his followers to participate more and share responsibilities rather than manage or leader from top down.

3. Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing

4. A leader to be decisive, many people need decisions from you, and if you can’t make them quickly your organisation will suffer or followers will rebel.

5. Don’t agonize, over analyze or second-guess yourself. Many times, no decision is worse than a wrong decision because inaction paralyzes staff, prevents progress and destroys morale.

6. To be Inspirational especially when the going gets tough, people need to feel that everything is going to be OK. They inevitably look to their leaders for motivation and encouragement. Leaders need to project hope and positivity. Trust your talent, be bold and people will line up behind you.

7. I have learnt that to be a leader you also need to empathetic. Try to place yourself in the shoes of the other person. Having empathy is crucial to leaders, because you are going to be dealing with people management and communication.

8. A genuine leader need to be persuasive. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” Effective leaders aggressively sell their vision, and win over naysayers with substance and character. Remember, your job isn’t to please everyone -- it is to get the job done right, even if that ruffles some feathers. Celebrate positive results and have a concise message about why your path is the right one.

Communication

Date:  (Week 9)
Venue: BFEI | Room 108
Class:  WDM
Topic:  Communications

Today we are discussing communication. This is an important topic as we all use communication in every day life including in the classroom or workplace, on the bus or train. We communicate in many different forms. We all make phone calls and send email including whether you give a slight head nod in agreement or present information to a large group.

Communication is absolutely necessary when building relationships, sharing ideas, delegating responsibilities, managing a team and much more and developing good communication skills can help us succeed at work and in building network.

So it is a topic to enjoy, but the class again started with an introductory exercise in communication in pairs to help grasp the importance of communication. 

Introductory Exercise  
(communication exercise in a group of 4 and how we worked together on the exercise.)

Working in a group, one person from the pair get to talk about something very boring, this is not supposed to be a conversation, the other person is not to interrupt, the goal is to see how we demonstrate our listening skills, maintain good visual signals and eye contacts, nodding, how the other persons engage with the one talking, how we express our interest or dissatisfaction through open body language.

My group consisted of Robert, Ahmad, Jo'Art and myself. I was to talk and I talked about creating an impossible website for a business of mine, talking about it in a way that shows I lack the knowledge of how the internet works and have no clue how the website operate, I doubted it was possible to achieve and the talk was simply to put them off and discourage any offer of assistance.  It was a bit boring enough to put anyone off.

Group Picture for Communication Exercise

The point of the exercise is to lay a foundation for real meaning of communication and also to show various types of communications.

Lesson Learned
From the short exercise, it was proven that communication is supposed to be a process of passing information from one person to another and purposefully for the information to be understood. 

The exercise also provide evidence of other key elements associated with verbal communication by interaction, e.g the listening skills of the listeners, posture, gestures, and facial expressions, visual signals and eye contacts, nodding, how the other persons engage with the one talking, how we express our interest or dissatisfaction through open body language.

It might be good at this point to define communication. 

Definition

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages through verbal or nonverbal means, including speech, or oral communication;  writing and graphical representations (such as infographics, maps, and charts); and signs, signals, and behavior. More simply,  communication is said to be "the creation and exchange of meaning."  Richard Nordquist 

Further Reading on Communication Theories

Reading further on the topic, according to Mowlana and I quote "Communication theories refer to three things; a sender, a message and a receiver. It can take the form of one human being and the perceived environment through messages in the form of signs, symbols and thought" (Mowlana, 2018).

The diagram below is a screenshot from the course note which perfectly explain how the communication works between humans.

"Human communication has been conceptualized, theorized and studied mainly as a process of communication and interaction among and between two or more human beings—that is person to person with language and technology as the medium".

                                                                               (Mowlana 2018)

Further in the class discussion, our teacher threw some light on the the different types of communications and she gave us some good examples of  them so that we can develop super-keen awareness around our communication style. I must say communication styles change from person to person and by learning this it becomes easy to identify any pattern of communication in real life.

Some of the types of communication discussed are:

Verbal

Verbal communication is the use of language to transfer information through speaking or sign language. It is one of the most common types, often used during presentations, video conferences and phone calls, meetings and one-on-one conversations. Verbal communication is important because it is efficient. It can be helpful to support verbal communication with both nonverbal and written communication.

Nonverbal

Nonverbal communication is the use of body language, gestures and facial expressions to convey information to others. It can be used both intentionally and unintentionally. For example, you might smile unintentionally when you hear a pleasing or enjoyable idea or piece of information. Nonverbal communication is helpful when trying to understand others’ thoughts and feelings.

If they are displaying “closed” body language such as crossed arms or legs, or hunched shoulders, they might be feeling anxious, angry or nervous. If they are displaying “open” body language with both feet on the floor and arms by their side or on the table, they are likely feeling positive and open to information.

Written

Written communication is the act of writing, typing or printing symbols like letters and numbers to convey information. It is helpful because it provides a record of information for reference. Writing is commonly used to share information through books, pamphlets, blogs, letters, memos and more. Emails and chats are a common form of written communication in the workplace.

Visual  Visual communication is the act of using photographs, art, drawings, sketches, charts and graphs to convey information. Visuals are often used as an aid during presentations to provide helpful context alongside written and/or verbal communication. Because people have different learning styles, visual communication might be more helpful for some to consume ideas and information.

 Styles of Communication

Class Content  and My Reflection:
My own reading on the theories and examples of real life application of the principles:

Further in the class discussion, we discuss 'The Four Basic Styles of Communication' which includes Passive Communication, Aggressive Communication, Passive -Aggressive Communication and Assertive Communication.

Passive Communication: this style of communication is when an individual have developed a pattern of avoiding expressing their opinions. 

This type of communicators will often:

• fail to assert for themselves
• fail to express their feelings, needs or opinions
• tend to speak softly or apologetically
• exhibit poor eye contact and slumped body posture

Aggressive Communication: this other style of communication is when an individual express their feelings and opinions and advocate fr their needs in a way that violates the rights of others, this this type of communicators are verbally and or physically abusive.

Other traits expected from this kind of communicators are:

• try to dominate
• use humiliation to control others
• criticize, blame or attack others
• very impulsive
• speak loud, demanding and overbearing voice

Passive -Aggressive Communication: this is another style of communication in which individuals appear passive on the surface but are really acting out anger in a subtle, indirect or behind-the-scenes way. People who develop this pattern of communication usually feel powerless, stuck and resentful in other words, they feel incapable of dealing directly with object of their resentments.

This type of communicator will often:

• mutter words to themselves rather than confront the person or issue
• have difficulty acknowledging their anger
• use facial expressions that doesn't match how they feel e.g. smiling when angry
• use sarcasm
• deny there's a problem
• appear co-operative while purposely doing things to annoy and disrupt

Assertive Communication: this is a style in which individuals clearly state their opinions and feelings and firmly advocate for their rights and needs without violating the rights of others. 

This type of communicators seems to value themselves, their time, their emotion, physical needs and are strong advocates for themselves while being very respectful of the rights of others.

Assertive communicators will often:

• state needs and wants clearly, respectfully and appropriately
• express feelings clearly, appropriately and respectfully 
• listen well without interrupting
• feel control of self
• have relaxed body posture
• have good eye contact
• feel connected to others
• stand right for their rights
• not allow others to abuse or manipulate them

Video Resource

Before the end of the class, we watched a good YouTube video to bring home all the points about using effective communication together in one piece. This is called S.O.L.E.R Communication.

S.O.L.E.R. communication deals with 5 helpful tools to help us communicate better and enable us to engage and focus on the speaker as you communicate with them . It's a non-verbal listening process that can be used in communication with clients, people you meet and in relationship.

S.O.L.E.R. Powered Communication, Patrick Lengel

The summary of the main points from Patrick Lengel video are as follows:

• The communication technique called S.O.L.E.R. is an active listening model, or a way to physically demonstrate your interest and engagement in a conversation.
• S.O.L.E.R. stands for Sit squarely, Open posture, Lean towards the client, Eye contact, Relax. 
• It is believed that communication is made more effective between individuals by applying these 5 helpful tips.
• S.O.L.E.R. should be used as an integral part of active listening. By applying this technique in a non verbal communication can make an individual feel comfortable, secure and understood.
• Communication is less about what you say but how you say them.  Research has shown that 93 percent of communication is “nonverbal” in nature. 
• This SOLER communication skill encourages the listener to focus his or her full attention on the speaker. It involves repeating what the listener believes the speaker said, but in the listener's own words. The listener may also express his or her understanding of the speaker's psychological response to the situation.

What did you learn from the topic?

On this topic, I have learned a lot

1. The communication technique called S.O.L.E.R and by applying this technique in a non verbal communication setting can make an individual feel comfortable, secure and understood.
2. With this knowledge, I now have the ability to identify any style of communication.
3. Also I now have the ability to differentiate between, verbal, non-verbal, written and visual communication
4. I now have the understanding of what is involved in the process of communication.
5. Finally, I have learned the importance of using effective communication style at any given situation e.g workplace, classroom, home, on the bus or train etc.

Conflict Resolution

Date:  (Week 8)
Venue: BFEI | Room 108
Class:  WDM
Topic:  Conflict Resolution

In today's class, we discussed 'Conflict Resolution', it's another interesting topic that you will love.  There's a good quote I will to share as the start just before I go into the nitty gritty of today's topic of discussion.

“Conflict can destroy a team which hasn’t spent time learning to deal with it.”

                                                                        Thomas Isgar

By way of introduction, we discussed some of the causes of conflict in workplace and in general. It is noted that once you are in a setting that brings together many people with different personalities, attitudes and skill sets and asking them to work as a cohesive unit, it is inevitable not to have conflict springing out once in a while. The most common reasons for this include personality and ego clashes, misunderstandings, miscommunications and basic disagreements about the work etc.


Conflict exists because people don't always get along or agree and so whether you are in workplace team, or school etc when conflict is resolved effectively, it leads to many benefits, such as accomplishing goals and strengthening relationships.

What is Conflict?

Wikipedia defines organizational conflict, or workplace conflict, is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests between people working together.  There is also conflict within individuals – between competing needs and demands – to which individuals respond in different ways.

                                                                                             wikipedia.org 

We examined anatomy of conflict...

Anatomy of Conflict
In the class, we examined the fact that conflict exists everywhere because people don't always get along or agree and so whether you are in workplace team, or school etc when conflict is resolved effectively, it leads to many benefits, such as accomplishing goals and strengthening relationships. But if conflict is not resolved easily and timely they ripen into a dispute.

We are told that a dispute arises from conflict when three circumstances come together at the same time: The belief that you're being deprived of something you need or want, the belief that someone else is causing the deprivation, and the belief that deprivation violates a social norm or rule.

Further in the discussion we examined social psychology factors that influences our disputes. We began by taking how we get locked into the name, blame, and claim cycle.

Conflict Response Styles

We also learned that before we engage in an act of dispute, no matter the scenario, we have some fairly ingrained ways of responding to conflict which are deeply sourced from our culture. It's important to understand our responses to conflict should be to build awareness, and to grow our capacity to make better choices in the moment. 

As we go through each style, be on the lookout for your default responses. We will focus here on the five most typical styles we use in an effort to deal with our discomfort

These styles are:

• Suppression
• Avoidance
• Resolution
• Transformation
• Transcendence

Suppression: We suppress, we refuse to talk about certain things, and we tell others that they shouldn't talk about them either. We shut down any possible resolution because the whole process makes us uncomfortable.

Avoidance: We avoid, we don't even give voice to our true thoughts or feelings. Instead, we stew, we harbour bad thoughts, we have imaginary conversations in our heads, or we talk to someone else, trying to gain alliances and prove we are right and the other person is wrong. 

Resolution: With this style we are engaged, we are making an effort to understand why the conflict occurred, and we're brainstorming ways to solve the problem cooperatively.

Transformation: We also transform, that means we use the conflict to transform our relationships. We work to understand our conflict partner while also owning our part with the intention of shifting our behaviour in a lasting way. The word 'Conflict Partner' was used because not only does it take two to tango, it takes immense courage to take your part in the conflict. 

Transcendence: We are also capable of transcending conflict, moving past it free of bitterness and resentment, because we move past the need to engage. We've given up the hold our triggers have on us.

We all have a default response to conflict but if you operate somewhere between resolution, transformation, and transcendence, congratulations! You are way ahead of the game. On the other hand, if you notice that you travel between suppression and avoidance. Start paying attention to your triggers, the things that typically upset you. And notice how your default response alters the quality of your relationships. Here's why: You can't resolve a conflict unless you're willing to take your part in it.

Cognitive bias

Cognitive bias are universal thoughts that cloud our judgment and dominate the texture of our disagreements and they operate below the surface of our awareness, and when we are in the middle of a conflict that's escalated into a full-blown dispute, biases and buried thought patterns often cause us to cling to our positions like barnacles. 

Further in the discussion we to uncover how these cognitive biases work in our everyday conversations.

Hindsight bias: this is also called the "I knew it all along" bias. It's the tendency to view past events as being predictable. An example would be if team mate accuses another team member of intentionally excluding her from an email chain, the other might say, "I knew you'd have that reaction and wouldn't support me." Next is fundamental attribution error. This is the tendency for people to explain the behavior of others as personality defects while minimizing the role of situational influences.

Principles of influence

In our everyday conversations and disputes, we employ what is called Principles of Influence. The principles of influence are Reciprocity, Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity. 

Reciprocity, We're highly motivated to return a favor or a good deed or respond to a positive action with another positive action. This is the principle of reciprocity. As a social norm, if you're treated kindly, you're much more likely to respond with kindness, rather than self-interest. If you're treated with hostility, you're likely to match that hostility or worse.

Consistency, is really about integrity. Once we commit to something, we have a strong drive to do what we say we're going to do. That's why we're motivated to make good on financial agreements or to meet deadlines on projects. 

Social proof, it's really about conforming to custom or group behavior. You're more likely to put a tip in the jar if there's already money in it, or work overtime on a project if the whole team is doing the same. Social proof in the workplace might look like getting the ear of an influence or to support your promotion or a creative idea.

Liking, the principle of liking means that people who are similar to us are more likely to be influenced by us. If you are a mom, you are more likely to connect with and trust other moms in your organization. The next principle is authority, our tendency to obey or believe people in positions of power, like a boss or a professor. But power is not solely vested in someone's title or position. We also align with authority by the brands we buy, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, and even the people we hang out with.

Authority, We also use authority when we cite statistics or use testimonials or customer feedback to give our product or service credibility. 

Finally, scarcity. It's the idea that if something is in limited supply it will create demand.

We see this in advertising all the time, buy now, supplies are limited. In the workplace, scarcity may take the form of urgency. If you are trying to get buy-in on an idea or a project, you might stress the impact that acting immediately will have on the competition or productivity and bottom lines. 

We are taught that all of these persuasion principles can be used to deceive or manipulate, or they can be used honestly to help guide people to take positive action. 

Reflection: So the key to your success as a problem- solver is to become a student of human nature. Seek to understand what motivates people to do what they do and use the principles of influence collaboratively for the greater good.

Class Exercise

We spent some minutes watching TED Talks video by Mukul Chandhri: Conflict Negotiation and afterwards we were a questions paper to answer questions based on our opinion and the evidence provided in the TEDTalk.

Conflict resolution Week 8

Directions: Answer the following questions based on your opinion and the evidence in the TED Talks video by Mukul Chandhri: Conflict Negotiation.

If you would like to view the video from home again to get a fresher or listen more closely, here is the link:

Please answer:

1. What is the moral of the story regarding the camels?

The story speaks about the impact of the walk of Abraham on building peace. The walk, he (William Ury) says, “has the potential to change the game.” By bringing tourists into rural areas that had been economically depressed the walk has the ability to change terrorism into tourism.

2. Describe the concept of family and conflict.

Family conflict refers to active opposition between family members.
Conflicts may involve different combinations of family members: it can be conflict within the couple or between parents and children or, again, between siblings.

Conflict is defined as a clash between individuals arising out of a difference in thought process, attitudes, understanding, interests, requirements and even sometimes perceptions. A conflict results in heated arguments, physical abuses and definitely loss of peace and harmony.

3. What is the secret to peace within society? Explain.
According to the speaker the secret of peace within a society is creating common identity,              turning hostility to hospitality, non violent communication is the most superior conflict                resolution and life changing system

4. What is the 3rd side and why is it important?

• Taking the Third Side means:
• Seeking to understand both sides of the conflict
• Encouraging a process of cooperative negotiation

Supporting a wise solution – one that fairly meets the essential needs of both sides and the community

The 3rd side as he explained is a neutral position between the 2 conflicting sides, it’s a position where you can see what’s at stake, it’s important ingredient to achieve conflict resolution or reconciliation.

5. Stop fighting for a moment and start.?
let's stop fighting for a moment and start talking.

6. When you are angry you will? 
When angry you will make the best speech you will ever regret.

What does it mean to go to the balcony?
Rather than indulge in these common reactions and allow yourself to be overcome by emotion, it is much more productive to simply “go to the balcony”. The “balcony” here is simply a metaphor for detaching oneself from the conflict and assessing the situation like a third party would.

What is the role/purpose of a story?
You don’t have to take sides in a conflict, nor do you need to be neutral. No matter where your sympathies lie, you can choose to take the Third Side, in other words, the side of the whole ­ whether that is the family, the work organisation, the community, or the world.

9. What was the basic concept that came from the Middle East centuries ago?

The path of Abraham walk from his birthplace in Harran through 10 different nation

Regions of the current path:

• Urfa
• Harran
• Nablus
• Jericho
• Jerusalem
• Bethlehem
• Hebron
• Negev

The Abraham Path is a cultural route connecting the storied places associated with Abraham’s ancient journey. Story, walking and hospitality are the cultural route’s central themes. The path focusses on the diverse communities living in the region that share a common heritage in Abraham/Ibrahim as an ancestor and that may identify his story as an important component of their cultural DNA. The path also demonstrates the power of walking: giving people perspective and remembering their origins; it’s a way to connect with others. The path is also a symbol of hospitality and kindness toward perfect strangers.

10. What does walking do within a relationship versus walking up to a person face to face?

The third side possesses the power of peer pressure and the force of public opinion. It is people power. It uses the power of persuasion. It influences the parties primarily through an appeal to their interests and to community norms. In every conflict, there usually exists not just one possible third party but a multitude. Individually, we may not be able to intervene effectively, but collectively we are potentially more powerful than any two conflicting parties. Organizing ourselves into a coalition, we can balance the power between the parties and protect the weaker one.

11. What is the change that needs to be made for conflict to dissipate?
Supporting a PROCESS of dialogue and nonviolence. Silently or loudly, the Third Side says “No” to violence and “Yes” to dialogue. Thirdsiders urge disputants to sit down and talk out their differences respectfully. They focus, in other words, on the process. To them, how people handle their differences is just as important as what outcome they reach.

12. The speaker discussed conflict on a global and historical scale. How can this idea, the 3rd side, apply to your personal life? How can it apply to leadership and all that we accomplish in our school year?

The Third Side is a way of looking at the conflicts around us not just from one side or the other but from the larger perspective of the surrounding community. You can have natural sympathies for one side or the other and still choose to take the Third Side.

Interpersonal Dynamics

Date:  (Week 7)
Venue: BFEI | Room 108
Class:  WDM
Topic:  Interpersonal Dynamics

The topic of discussion topic today is Interpersonal Dynamics, this involves behaviours and tactics a person uses to interact with others effectively. In the business world, the term refers to an employee's ability to work well with others. Interpersonal skills range from communication and listening to attitude and deportment.

I was not in the class to participate in the activity but I read about the theories and course note online. I will shared the points of the subject matter with you.

Let's start with, 

Personal Dynamics is about the ability to communicate within an organisation which depends heavily upon a person interpersonal skills.

We discussed the seven main areas of interpersonal communication 

The seven areas are:

• Verbal communication
• Non-verbal communication
• Listening skills
• Negotiation
• Problem-solving
• Decision-making
• Assertiveness

We discussed the importance of interpersonal skills that's needed to perform at work.

Verbal Communication

It is essential to engage in verbal communication with his entire staff. Verbal communication is defined as how and what words are used to communicate with individuals. It is the ability to communicate through words with the correct tone and manner.

If you are not capable to engage in good verbal communication other colleagues at work will not understand your direction. It is difficult to lead or perform effectively in a team if you lack verbal communication, it will be impossible to get interact with anyone in the team.

Non-Verbal Communication

Another type of interpersonal skill is non-verbal communication, which consists of facial expressions, body language, and hand gestures. If you communicate with negative non-verbal communication, which consisted of frowns and angry stares, then there is going to be lot of confusion.

It is important to wear some professional demeanour when at work, one of best way to engage is to  speak clearly and is animated with positive non-verbal communication. You need to always wear a smile on your face and uses your hands to further explain complicated directions. 

Listening Skills

If an employee has ineffective listening skills this will lead to crisis happening at work.

Listening skills are the ability to hear attentively and process information correctly.

Negotiation

Negotiation is the next type of interpersonal skill that is important to effective business communication. This term means having the ability to discuss and reach an agreement in a professional manner.