Team Dynamics, Communication, Diversity, Persuasion, Bad News, Research, and Business Proposals

Flashcards covering team dynamics, communication, diversity, persuasion, delivering bad news, research methods, and business proposals.

Team culture

Shared perceptions and commitment to collective values, norms, roles, responsibilities, and goals.

Elements of Promoting Team Culture

Focus on performance, create a team charter, meet often, psychological safety, avoid group think, evaluate performance, bond/common sense of purpose.

Divergence

Work independently to solve problems.

Convergence

Work dependently/collaboratively to solve problems by evaluating proposed solutions/ideas.

Forming (Stages of Team Performance)

Members focus on gaining acceptance and avoiding conflict; getting to know one another.

Storming (Stages of Team Performance)

Team members open up with competing ideas on how to complete work; the less productive and most conflicting stage.

Norming (Stages of Team Performance)

Has a work plan that includes roles, goals, and accountabilities.

Performing (Stages of Team Performance)

Operate efficiently towards accomplishing team goals; all in agreement of future actions.

Coordination Meeting

Discussing roles, goals, and accountabilities.

Problem-Solving Meeting

Addresses and solves a particular work problem and is typically more fluid.

Facilitator Role

Get each person to participate in the conversation and ensure all agenda items are properly discussed.

Principles for Managing Difficult Conversations

Embrace difficult conversations, assume the best in others, adopt a learning stance, stay calm/overcome noise, find common ground, disagree diplomatically, and create a shared story.

Identities of Origin

Characteristics at birth that are typically classified in demographic terms (race, sex).

Identities of Growth

Emerge from experimental diversity (hobbies, affinities, abilities).

Identities of Aspiration

Emerge from cognitive diversity (how we think about issues, solve problems, and set our goals/aspirations).

Professional Identity

Sense of self in the workplace.

Authenticity

When employees feel they can bring their whole selves (multiple identities) to work.

Code Switching

Altering of one’s communication style, appearance, and behaviors to avoid negative stereotypes associated with one’s group.

Stereotypes

Simplistic, overgeneralized beliefs about a group of people; a subconscious attempt to make sense of other people’s backgrounds.

Othering

People are implicitly or explicitly separated into members of another groups, creating an 'us vs them' mentality.

Stigma

A person, trait, situation, or condition that is associated with disgrace or dishonor.

Self-Stigma

Individuals internalize/accept negative stereotypes, making them feel broken.

Public-Stigma

Negative attitudes in society towards certain groups of people.

Structural Stigma

Negative attitudes embedded in cultural norms and institutional practices.

Socialization

The process where people grow up learning beliefs, norms, values, and expectations from family, friends, and communities.

Social Constructs

Ideas we form through social interactions (ex: race).

Affinity Bias

People favor (consciously or subconsciously) other people who are similar to them.

Halo Effect

People notice one strength in another person and see everything else they do in a positive light.

Horn Effect

People notice one weakness and see everything else a person does in a negative light.

Attribution Bias

People attribute their successes to own efforts, but attribute their failures to external factors.

Confirmation Bias

People focus on information that aligns with pre-existing opinions or beliefs.

Only

The single person of diversity.

Voice

Degree employees feel comfortable expressing their views, ideas, and criticisms with their managers and leaders.

Projected Cognitive Similarity

Tendency to assume others have the same norms and values as your own cultural group; people project own cultural norms and values to explain behaviors in others.

Outgroup Homogeneity Effect

Tendency to think members of other groups are all the same.

Cultural Dimensions

Helps understand underlying motivations and goals that impact acceptable behaviors in a culture.

Individualism

Prioritizes independence; individual goals are greater than group goals (choice/obligation).

Collectivism

Prioritizes interdependence; group goals are greater than individual goals (obligation/choice).

Egalitarianism

Distribute and share power evenly, minimize status differences, minimize special privileges/opportunities for people just because they have higher authority; more participatory/open management styles.

Hierarchy

People expect power differences, follow leaders without question, and feel comfortable with leaders receiving special treatment.

Performance Orientation (PO)

Extent a community rewards innovation, high standards, and performance.

Future Orientation (FO)

Degree a culture is willing to sacrifice current wants to achieve future needs.

Assertiveness

Level of confrontation and directness that is considered appropriate and productive.

Human Orientation (HO)

Degree an organization/society encourages and rewards individuals for being fair, altruistic, friendly, generous, caring, and kind.

Uncertainty Avoidance (UA)

How cultures socialize members to feel in uncertain, surprising, or extraordinary situations.

Gender Egalitarianism

Men and women are encouraged to occupy same professional roles/leadership positions; more equal.

Monochronic

Schedule activities sequentially; time is to be used efficiently.

Polychronic

Casual and relationship-oriented view of time.

Persuasion

Communicating with someone who does not think or feel the same way as you.

Direct/Explicit Message

Begin with main idea/argument and then provide supporting reasons.

Indirect/Implicit Message

Provide rationale for request before making request.

Reciprocation (Methods of Influence)

Influence based on returning favors.

Consistency (Methods of Influence)

Once people make an explicit commitment, they tend to follow through.

Social Proof (Methods of Influence)

People determining what is right, correct, desirable by seeing what others do.

Liking (Methods of Influence)

People are more likely to be persuaded by people they like.

Authority (Methods of Influence)

People follow authority figures.

Scarcity (Methods of Influence)

People think there is limited availability of something they want/need so they need to act asap.

Followers (Decision-Making Styles)

Make decisions based on things that have worked in the past; risk-averse and follow how other successful executives have made similar decisions.

Charismatics (Decision-Making Styles)

Get excited when they hear new ideas; enthusiastic and talkative.

Skeptics (Decision-Making Styles)

Suspicious of every data point, especially those that counter own views; argumentative.

Thinkers (Decision-Making Styles)

Data-driven arguments; want to see all data to conduct cost-benefit analysis.

Controllers (Decision-Making Styles)

Dread uncertainty; want all facts in structured manner, but want to form own conclusions (resent being pushed/persuaded).

Manipulation

Attempting to influence others through deception to achieve own interests (unethical!).

Character in Bad News Delivery

Shows character; bearing responsibility for own role in causing bad news (commitment to transparency and honesty).

Caring in Bad News Delivery

Do what you can to lessen the burden of bad news on others and forward thinking to consider their needs.

Competence in Bad News Delivery

Track record of success in tough situations and demonstrates good plan to address challenges.

Buffer

Softens blow when delivering bad news.

Teaser Message

Messages, typically written, that signals a conversation may involve unpleasant news (prepares recipients emotionally).

Indirect Bad-News Messages

Ease in with buffer -> Provide rationale -> Deliver bad news -> Explain impacts -> Focus on future (as appropriate) -> Show goodwill.

Direct Bad-News Messages

Ease in with a buffer -> Deliver bad news -> Provide rationale -> Explain impacts -> Focus on future (as appropriate) -> Show goodwill.

Mum Effect

Chain of messages within organization is filtered to leave out/inaccurately state bad news.

Primary Research

Analysis of data that you, people from your organization, or others under your direction have collected.

Business Proposals

Explain why business goals are beneficial and how you will use resources to meet goals.

Precision-Oriented Process

Business report -> facts -> conclusions -> recommendation.

Objectivity

Sense you are providing information/advice that is sound, reliable, and unbiased.