Flashcards Detailed: LPO Midterm Review

What is the Performance Model?

A framework for diagnosing job performance: Performance = Ability × Motivation × Resources × Direction. Because the drivers multiply, if any one is zero, performance is zero. Both internal and external factors matter, and leaders can strongly influence all four.

Which performance drivers are internal and which are external?

Ability and motivation are internal: they sit inside the person (can they do it, and do they want to?). Resources and direction are external: they come from the situation (do they have what they need, and do they know what to do?).

What does the ability driver cover and what is the leader lever?

Ability is the person's aptitude, skills and experience, meaning whether they are capable of doing the job. Leaders improve it by recruiting, selecting and assigning the right people, and by training and coaching them.

What does the motivation driver cover and what is the leader lever?

Motivation covers the person's goals, expectations and rewards, meaning whether they want to perform. Leaders improve it by designing, dispensing and delivering rewards that encourage the right behaviour.

What does the resources driver cover and what is the leader lever?

Resources are the people, knowledge, time and money someone needs to do the job. Leaders improve it by generating resources, allocating them and prioritizing where they go.

What does the direction driver cover and what is the leader lever?

Direction means having specific goals, clear timing and an understanding of the purpose of the work. Leaders improve it by interpreting strategy for the team and setting and reviewing goals.

What is the difference between ability and resources?

Ability is inside the person: their aptitude and skills. Resources are outside the person: the tools, time, people and money they are given. A common mistake is treating a resource shortfall as an ability problem.

What is the difference between motivation and direction?

Motivation is about whether someone wants to perform, driven by goals, expectations and rewards. Direction is about whether they know what to do, driven by strategy and goals that are set and reviewed.

What is Vroom's Expectancy Theory?

A theory that breaks motivation into three parts: Motivation = Expectancy × Instrumentality × Valence. If any of the three links is broken, motivation drops.

What is the difference between expectancy / instrumentality / valence?

Expectancy asks whether my effort will lead to good performance. Instrumentality asks whether good performance will actually lead to outcomes or rewards. Valence asks whether I value those outcomes.

What are the five elements of Goal Setting Theory?

Clarity means the goal is clear and specific. Challenge means it is hard enough to motivate. Commitment means people actually buy in. Feedback means progress is reviewed. Complexity means the goal is still achievable and not overwhelming.

What are the five stages of the Feedback Model?

Formulate: decide what to say (behaviour and its impact). Practice: rehearse and anticipate reactions. Deliver: say it directly and kindly. Inquire: ask questions to understand their view and the root cause. Coach: plan improvement together, with accountability and follow-up.

How do you formulate the core content of feedback?

Use the template "When you did X, it had Y effect on Z." X is the specific behaviour you saw, Y is its impact and Z is who or what it affected. Always describe the behaviour, never the person's personality.

When should you open feedback with inquiry?

Inquiry can come first when you want to understand how the person sees the situation, when they are likely already harder on themselves than you would be, and when you are giving feedback upward to a superior (as Grace should with Landon).

What are the four skills of a good feedback giver?

Observation: describe concrete behaviour without assuming motives. Analytic: logically connect the behaviour to its impact. Interpersonal: be kind, avoid personal attacks and show good intentions. Self-regulation: manage your own emotions and prepare for their reaction.

What are the seven steps for creating readiness for change?

1 Set a realistic objective for the meeting. 2 Find ways to align your interests with theirs. 3 Leverage what motivates them. 4 Ask the right questions. 5 Build the action plan together. 6 Create accountability and provide support. 7 Plan the follow-up.

What is the Leadership Development Model (LDM)?

A model of how leaders develop over time. Inputs are what you start with (qualifications, experience). Moderators are factors that intervene (stress, context). Mediators are what you actually do (coach, develop others). Outputs are what you contribute. Outputs loop back through "Who am I becoming?" into tomorrow's inputs.

What is the difference between a moderator and a mediator in the LDM?

A moderator is an intervening factor that changes how things play out, such as stress, emotions, firm values or team states. A mediator is the process a leader uses to turn inputs into outputs, such as coaching, developing people, sharing information and recognizing contributions.

What are the six LDM questions?

1 Who am I and what can I do? (inputs) 2 What do I do? (mediators) 3 To what do I contribute? (outputs) 4 How am I? (personal moderators) 5 How do I understand my context? (contextual moderators) 6 Who am I becoming? (the development loop)

What is the LDM development loop?

The arrow from outputs back to inputs through "Who am I becoming?" It means that today's contributions and experiences become tomorrow's resources, so leaders keep developing.

What is the Team Effectiveness (IMO) Model?

Input → Mediator → Output. Inputs are what the team starts with at three nested levels (organization, team, individual). Mediators are team processes (what it does) and emergent states (how it feels). Outputs are results on multiple criteria: performance, a better team and better individuals. Outputs feed back into the next cycle.

What is the difference between a team process and an emergent state?

A team process is something the team does, such as criticizing each other or problem-solving together. An emergent state is how the team feels, such as eroding trust or psychological safety. Losing a race would be an outcome.

What are episodic cycles / spirals in the IMO model?

Outcomes feed back into the next round, so processes, states and results reinforce each other. In a downward spiral, criticism erodes trust and results get worse. In an upward spiral, support builds psychological safety and results improve.

What is the difference between task and relationship conflict?

Task conflict is disagreement about the work itself, such as ideas, plans or decisions. Relationship conflict is personal friction between people. Task conflict can be useful; relationship conflict is usually harmful.

Which mix of task and relationship conflict is the goal?

Moderate to high task conflict combined with low relationship conflict, which produces problem-solving. The goal is not zero conflict but healthy debate about the work without personal friction.

What are the three requirements for a team?

Shared goals: members work toward the same outcome. Social interaction: they actually work together. Interdependence: they rely on each other to get the work done. Friends studying at one library table are not a team.

What is the difference between performance and effectiveness?

Performance is getting valued tasks done, as judged by someone else. Effectiveness is broader: performance plus meeting members' needs plus viability (whether people want to stay). A team can hit every target and still be falling apart.

Which model fits which level of analysis?

Use the Performance Model for one person's performance, the IMO model for a team, the LDM for the leader, and the Feedback Model for scripting a key conversation in your action plan.

What are the four steps of the case-answer arc?

1 Case facts: who the characters are and what decision is due. 2 Bring · Do · Feel: for each key character, what they bring, do and feel. 3 Diagnose: use two or three models to explain why it's happening (system first, then the person). 4 Action plan: prioritized, specific steps that fix the causes.

What makes an action plan "beautiful"?

Every step says WHO does WHAT by WHEN, at what COST, to fix a cause you diagnosed. It includes a way to measure success and a backup plan. It should be feasible, timely, specific and measurable.

What is the fundamental attribution error?

The tendency to blame someone's personality or motivation for poor performance while under-weighting the situation, such as missing resources or unclear direction.

What is self-serving bias?

Taking credit for your successes (they're because of me) while blaming your failures on the situation (they're because of circumstances).

What is psychological safety?

A shared belief among team members that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. People feel they can speak up, admit mistakes and raise concerns without fear of embarrassment or rejection.

What are the three qualities that build trust?

Integrity: being honest and not manipulating or lying. Competence: being able to deliver and keep promises. Benevolence: genuinely caring about others' interests, not just your own.

What is team efficacy?

A shared belief among members that the team can successfully organize and carry out what it needs to do to reach its goals.

What is team identity?

A shared sense of oneness or belonging, where members define themselves by their team membership: "we succeed together, we fail together."

What is interdependence?

The degree to which members' tasks, goals and feedback are connected, so one person's actions affect everyone else's outcomes. Rowing is the classic example.

What is a psychological contract?

The unwritten set of mutual expectations between an employee and employer about what each owes the other. When it is broken, it feels like a betrayal.

What are the three types of organizational justice?

Distributive justice is about fair outcomes (who gets what). Procedural justice is about a fair process and having a voice. Interactional justice is about being treated with respect and dignity.

What is learned helplessness?

When people experience failure repeatedly, they come to believe nothing they do matters and stop trying, even when they could succeed.

What is risk compensation?

People become less careful when they feel protected. For example, taxi drivers with anti-lock brakes drove more riskily.

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

People tend to live up (or down) to the expectations others have of them, so expectations end up shaping performance.

What is equity theory?

People compare the ratio of what they give to what they get with other people's ratios. If it feels unfair, motivation drops. It is linked to distributive justice.

What are the five bases of power?

Position power comes from the role: coercive (can punish), reward (can give rewards) and legitimate (formal authority). Personal power comes from the person: expert (knowledge and skill) and referent (people like and admire you).

What is the Yerkes-Dodson stress curve?

An upside-down U showing how stress relates to performance. Too little stress causes boredom, so add challenge. Moderate stress (eustress) makes people energized and focused at peak performance. Too much stress (distress) causes exhaustion and burnout, so add support.

What are the four career stages?

Establishment: new employees need advice, a role model, protection and a chance to build competence. Advancement: they need new skills, exposure and sponsorship. Maintenance: they want autonomy, to guide others and to have organizational impact. Withdrawal: they need a less demanding consultative role and appreciation.

What are the five Thomas-Kilmann conflict styles?

Competing: win at the other side's expense (assertive, uncooperative). Collaborating: find a win-win (assertive, cooperative). Compromising: each side gives a bit (middle). Accommodating: give the other side what they want (unassertive, cooperative). Avoiding: sidestep the conflict (unassertive, uncooperative).

What is the toxic climate triangle?

Mistreatment is kept alive by three roles: perpetrators who do it, targets who suffer it (often silent because of power and dependence) and bystanders who see it and don't act. Impact matters more than intent, and inaction is itself mistreatment.

What is the difference between management and leadership (Kotter)?

Management copes with complexity through planning and budgeting, organizing and staffing, and controlling. Leadership copes with change through setting direction, aligning people, and motivating and inspiring. Organizations need both.

What are Hill's three leader roles?

Architect: builds a culture where everyone's "slice of genius" combines into collective genius. Bridger: builds alliances to tap other organizations' talent. Catalyst: speeds up co-creation across the whole ecosystem.

What are the four components of authentic leadership?

Self-awareness: knowing your strengths, limits and impact on others. Relational transparency: openly sharing your real thoughts and feelings. Balanced processing: fairly considering views that challenge yours. Internalized moral perspective: acting on your own values even under pressure.

What is identification?

Seeing an organization's or role's defining qualities as part of who you are, a feeling of oneness with it. It is about "who am I?" rather than how satisfied you are.

What is the leader's role in identity disclosure?

Disclosing a concealable identity is entirely the person's choice: when, how, how much and to whom. The leader's job is not to get people to disclose but to create a safe, supportive climate where they could if they wanted to.

What is intersectionality?

The idea (from Crenshaw) that a person's overlapping identities, such as race and gender, combine to shape their experience in ways that can't be understood by looking at each identity alone.

What sustains performance over time in the Performance Model?

Reinforcement and satisfaction. When good performance is rewarded and people feel satisfied, it creates a loop that keeps performance going.

What are the steps to diagnose a performance problem?

First define the performance problem. Then evaluate each driver in turn: ability, motivation (checking expectancy, instrumentality and valence), resources and direction. Check for bias such as blaming traits when the situation explains it. Finally match each intervention to the driver you diagnosed.

How does the Performance Model counter attribution error?

It forces you to check all four drivers, including the external ones (resources and direction), instead of jumping to the conclusion that the person lacks ability or motivation.

If someone can hit the target but is rewarded for the wrong thing which Vroom link is broken?

Instrumentality or valence. Their effort can produce performance (expectancy is fine), but performance doesn't lead to the right outcomes, or the outcomes aren't ones they value.

What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?

Intrinsic motivation means doing something because it is satisfying or interesting in itself. Extrinsic motivation means doing it to get something separate from the activity, such as pay, a bonus or praise.

What are the four types of resources?

Object resources are physical things like tools or a car. Condition resources are your situation, like employment, tenure or seniority. Personal resources are qualities you have, like skills, self-efficacy and optimism. Energy resources are things you can exchange, like money, knowledge and credit.

What is an example of an object resource?

Physical things that help you do the job, such as a car or the tools needed for work.

What is an example of a condition resource?

Aspects of your situation that give you security or standing, such as employment, tenure or seniority.

What is an example of a personal resource?

Qualities within you that help you perform, such as key skills, self-efficacy and optimism.

What is an example of an energy resource?

Things that can be exchanged to get other resources, such as money, knowledge and credit.

What does "clarity" mean in goal setting?

The goal is clear and specific, so everyone knows exactly what success looks like.

What does "challenge" mean in goal setting?

The goal is difficult enough to stretch people and motivate effort, rather than being too easy.

What does "commitment" mean in goal setting?

Everyone involved is genuinely committed to making the goal happen, rather than just being told to hit it.

What does "feedback" mean in goal setting?

Progress toward the goal is regularly reviewed, so people know how they're doing and can adjust.

What does "complexity" mean in goal setting?

The goal stays achievable, so it isn't so complicated or overwhelming that people give up.

What is trait activation?

Personality traits only show up in behaviour when the situation cues them. For example, someone low in agreeableness stands out in a debate club but not in a running club.

What is situation strength?

Strong situations, such as military basic training, have clear rules and pressures that constrain behaviour, so personality matters less. In weak situations personality shows more.

What happens in the Formulate stage of feedback?

You decide the core content: the specific behaviour you observed, its impact and on whom or what. This becomes "When you did X, it had Y effect on Z."

What happens in the Practice stage of feedback?

You rehearse what you'll say and think ahead about how the person might react, so you're prepared and calm.

What happens in the Deliver stage of feedback?

You share the feedback directly and kindly and state your goal for the conversation. Admitting you're nervous can lower their defensiveness.

What happens in the Inquire stage of feedback?

You ask questions to check that they understood and to explore the root cause of the behaviour from their point of view.

What happens in the Coach stage of feedback?

You move to improvement: build a plan together, agree on accountability, offer support and plan a follow-up.

What is the observation skill in feedback?

Describing concrete behaviour you actually saw, without making assumptions about the person's intentions or motives.

What is the analytic skill in feedback?

Drawing a clear, logical connection between the person's behaviour and its impact.

What is the interpersonal skill in feedback?

Delivering feedback kindly, choosing words carefully, avoiding personal attacks and making your good intentions clear.

What is the self-regulation skill in feedback?

Managing your own emotions during the conversation, getting comfortable with the process and preparing for how the other person might react.

What are the three Ask / Listen / Try steps for getting commitment?

Ask: find out what's driving their behaviour. Listen: follow up and clarify so you really understand. Try: plan the change together, decide how you'll know it worked and get their commitment.

How do you persuade the unpersuadable?

Help them notice gaps in their own understanding (e.g. ask a know-it-all to explain how something works), ask questions instead of giving answers, and praise them in a different area from the criticism rather than using a compliment sandwich.

Why is positive feedback important?

It is an underused resource. It builds morale, relationships and confidence, and expressing gratitude is linked to well-being.

What does a good feedback receiver do?

They listen and take notes, show they want the feedback, ask how to improve, don't interrupt or get defensive, notice when they're getting upset, acknowledge the other view, say thank you and follow through.

What are the LDM inputs?

The leader's starting resources: their qualifications, experience and achievements. They answer "Who am I and what can I do?"

What are the LDM personal moderators?

Personal factors that affect how a leader performs, such as stressors, emotions and wellness. They answer "How am I?"

What are the LDM contextual moderators?

Factors in the environment that affect the leader, such as firm values, team states and client needs. They answer "How do I understand my context?"

What are the LDM mediators?

The processes a leader uses to turn inputs into outputs: training, coaching and developing people, facilitating information-sharing and recognizing contributions. They answer "What do I do?"

What are the LDM outputs?

What the leader contributes: achieving goals and objectives, building the team and developing team members. They answer "To what do I contribute?"

What is authenticity?

Being self-aware and expressing your genuine beliefs, identities and values, so your actions line up with your true self.

What are the three nested input levels in the IMO model?

Organization: structure, culture, rewards and resources. Team: composition, task design and norms. Individual member: each person's skills, traits and experience. Finding the right level tells you where the problem really sits.

What are the IMO outputs?

Team results judged on multiple criteria: task performance, a stronger team that can keep working together, and individual members who learn and grow.

What are three examples of emergent states?

Trust: willingness to be vulnerable to teammates. Psychological safety: feeling safe to speak up and take risks. Team identity and efficacy: feeling like one team that believes it can succeed.

What are the three forms of conflict?

Task conflict is disagreement about the content of the work and is healthy in moderation. Relationship conflict is personal friction and clashes and is usually harmful. Process conflict is disagreement about roles, responsibilities and how to do the task.

What is process conflict?

Disagreement about how the work should get done: who is responsible for what, who does which role and what process to follow.

What results from high task + high relationship conflict?

Chaos. The team argues about the work and also has personal friction, so debate turns destructive.

What results from low task + high relationship conflict?

Blaming. There's little real debate about the work, but personal friction leads people to point fingers.

What results from low task + low relationship conflict?

Complacency or acquiescence. People get along but nobody challenges ideas, so the team settles for weak decisions.

What is trust?

A willingness to accept vulnerability based on positive expectations of another person's intentions or behaviour.

What does interdependence do to teams?

It allows teams to become greater than the sum of their parts, because members combine their efforts. But it also increases conflict, because everyone's actions affect everyone else.