Workplace Psychology

VUCA

Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity — describes unpredictable, rapidly changing environments.

BANI

Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible — emphasizes fragile systems, anxiety, and unpredictable changes.

Eisenhower Matrix

• A tool that divides tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance to prioritize work:

  1. Urgent & Important

  2. Not Urgent & Important

  3. Urgent & Not Important

  4. Not Urgent & Not Important

Pomodoro Technique

A time management method involving 25-minute focused work sessions followed by short breaks.

Pareto Principle

Also called the 80/20 rule: 80% of results come from 20% of efforts or causes.

Honey's Five Team Roles

1. Plant: Creative and innovative thinker who generates ideas.

2. Resource Investigator: Outgoing and enthusiastic; explores opportunities and develops contacts.

3. Co-ordinator: Mature and confident; helps focus the team's efforts and delegates tasks.

4. Shaper: Challenging and dynamic; drives the team to overcome obstacles and achieve results.

5. Completer-Finisher: Detail-oriented and conscientious; ensures tasks are completed thoroughly and on time.

Psychological Safety, Definition, 4 Levels

A shared belief that it's safe to take risks and express oneself without fear of negative consequences.

• Inclusion Safety: Feeling accepted and valued, where diverse perspectives are welcomed and respected.

  Learner Safety: Confidence to ask questions and admit gaps in knowledge without judgment.

• Contributor Safety: Feeling secure to share ideas and participate actively without fear of criticism.

• Challenger Safety: Comfort to question ideas or challenge the status quo without repercussions.

Tuckman’s Phases of Team Development

1. Forming: Team members get to know each other; initial interactions.

2. Storming: Conflicts and competition arise; team struggles with roles.

3. Norming: Team establishes norms and cohesion; collaboration improves.

4. Performing: Team operates efficiently towards goals; high productivity.

5. Adjourning: Team disbands after achieving its goals.

Project Aristotle and its Key Findings

a Google research initiative that studied team dynamics to identify what makes teams effective, emphasizing psychological safety as a key factor.

1. Psychological Safety: Members feel safe to take risks.

2. Dependability: Team members meet expectations and deadlines.

3. Structure and Clarity: Clear roles and goals are established.

4. Meaning: Work is personally meaningful to team members.

5. Impact: Team members feel their work matters and contributes to the organization.

Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team Model

1. Absence of Trust: Lack of vulnerability among team members.

2. Fear of Conflict: Avoidance of healthy debate; leads to artificial harmony.

3. Lack of Commitment: Ambiguity around team decisions; members don’t buy in.

4. Avoidance of Accountability: Team members don’t hold each other accountable.

5. Inattention to Results: Team prioritizes individual needs over collective results.

Formal and Informal Structures of a Team

• Formal Structures: Officially designated roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships within a team or organization.

• Informal Structures: Unofficial relationships and networks that develop in the workplace, often based on personal connections, shared interests, and social interactions.

Negotiation Techniques

• Preparation: Research and understand both parties’ needs and interests.

• Active Listening: Pay close attention to the other party's words and emotions.

• Building Rapport: Establish a connection to foster trust and openness.

• Clarifying and Summarizing: Ensure mutual understanding by rephrasing and summarizing key points.

• Flexibility: Be willing to adapt and explore alternative solutions.

Key Concepts in Negotiation

• Compromise: Each party makes concessions to reach an agreement, often resulting in a middle ground.

• Consensus: A collective agreement reached by all parties involved, ensuring everyone’s views are considered.

• Distributive Negotiation: A competitive approach where parties seek to divide a fixed resource, often perceived as a win-lose situation.

Phases of a Negotiation

1. Preparation: Gathering information, defining goals, and understanding the other party’s needs.

2. Opening: Initial discussions, presenting positions, and establishing a rapport.

3. Bargaining: The main phase where parties make proposals, counteroffers, and concessions.

4. Closure: Reaching an agreement, finalizing terms, and ensuring commitment from all parties.

5. Implementation: Executing the agreement and following up on commitments.

Components of Negotiation:

Parties Involved, Interests, Positions, Alternatives, ZOPA, Concessions, Outcome

Tools for Sympathy Management in Business

1. Empathy Mapping: A visual tool to understand customers' feelings, thoughts, and behaviors to foster deeper connections.

2. Active Listening Techniques: Using verbal and non-verbal cues to show understanding and validate the other party’s emotions.

3. Emotional Intelligence Training: Developing skills to recognize and manage one’s own emotions and those of others to enhance interpersonal relationships.

Stress and Burnout components

1. Emotional Exhaustion: Feeling drained and overwhelmed.

2. Depersonalization: Developing a detached or cynical attitude towards work and colleagues.

3. Reduced Personal Accomplishment: Feeling ineffective and unproductive.

Polyvagal Theory and 3 levels

Definition: A theory that explains how the vagus nerve influences emotional regulation, social connection, and fear responses.

• Basic Characteristics of the 3 Levels:

  1. Social Engagement: Engaging with others in a calm and connected state; promotes communication and social interaction.

  2. Fight or Flight: Activated during perceived threats; prepares the body for action (fight) or escape (flight).

  3. Freeze: A state of immobilization and dissociation in response to overwhelming stress or danger.

Fawning Reaction

 A response to stress or threat where an individual pleases or appeases others to avoid conflict or danger, often at the expense of their own needs.

Stress, Eustress, and Distress

• Stress: The body's response to perceived challenges or threats.

• Eustress: Positive stress that motivates and enhances performance (e.g., excitement before a presentation).

• Distress: Negative stress that can lead to anxiety and decreased performance.

Growth and Fixed Mindset Differences

• Growth Mindset: Belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning; embraces challenges and learns from feedback.

• Fixed Mindset: Belief that abilities and intelligence are static traits; avoids challenges and may feel threatened by feedback.

Locus of Control

• Refers to how strongly individuals believe they have control over the events affecting them.

  • Internal : Belief that outcomes are a result of personal actions and decisions.

  • External : Belief that outcomes are influenced by external factors beyond one’s control.

 Control Theory System

• • Individual: Personal beliefs and traits.

  • Stressor: Events or situations that cause stress.

  • Perception: How the individual interprets the stressor.

  • Experience: Past experiences shape current reactions and coping mechanisms.

Positive/Negative, External/Internal Locus Interpretation

• Positive Internal Locus: "I succeeded because I worked hard."

• Negative Internal Locus: "I failed because I'm not good enough."

• Positive External Locus: "I got lucky and found the right opportunity."

• Negative External Locus: "I failed because the system is unfair."

Causes of Lack of Control Stress in Organizations

• Micromanagement by supervisors.

• Unclear job roles and expectations.

• Inadequate resources or support.

• Rapid changes without proper communication.

Statements: Vision, Mission, Values

• Vision: A future-oriented declaration of the organization's purpose and aspirations.

• Mission: A statement that defines the organization’s core purpose, objectives, and approach.

• Values: Core principles that guide the organization’s behavior and decision-making.

• Importance: These statements align the team, motivate employees, and establish a shared culture and identity.

What is Leadership?

  is the ability to influence, motivate, and guide individuals or groups towards achieving common goals. It involves setting a vision, building a team, and fostering an environment that encourages collaboration and growth.

Lewin’s 3 Types of Leadership

1. Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic):

   • Characteristics: The leader makes decisions unilaterally, providing clear directives and expecting obedience.

   • Advantages: Quick decision-making and clear structure, especially useful in crisis situations or when tasks require strict compliance.

   • Disadvantages: Can lead to reduced team morale, lack of creativity, and dependence on the leader.

2. Democratic Leadership (Participative):

   • Characteristics: The leader involves team members in the decision-making process, encouraging collaboration and input.

   • Advantages: Fosters a sense of ownership and commitment among team members, enhancing creativity and satisfaction.

   • Disadvantages: Decision-making can be slower and may lead to conflicts if opinions vary widely.

3. Laissez-Faire Leadership (Delegative):

   • Characteristics: The leader takes a hands-off approach, allowing team members to make decisions and work independently.

   • Advantages: Encourages innovation and autonomy; suitable for highly skilled teams that require minimal supervision.

   • Disadvantages: Can lead to lack of direction, confusion, and reduced accountability if team members are not self-motivated.

Coaching Style Leadership

This leadership focuses on developing individual team members' skills and competencies through guidance, support, and encouragement.

Work / job definition, differences

The main difference is that work is a broader concept that can include unpaid activities or voluntary efforts, whereas a job typically implies paid employment with specific tasks.