Untitled Flashcards Set

Slides 1

Why Many People Are Bad Managers

• Common Issues:

  • Self-interest centered – focus on personal gains over team success.

  • Directive management & punishment – easier but ineffective leadership style.

  • Lack of awareness – many do not realize they are poor managers.

Key Management Skills (Google’s Quest)

1. Be a good coach – support and develop team members.

2. Empower the team; avoid micromanagement – trust employees.

3. Show interest in team members’ success & well-being.

4. Be result-oriented & productive.

5. Be a strong communicator – listen and share information.

6. Help with career development – provide growth opportunities.

7. Have a clear vision & strategy – guide the team effectively.

8. Possess technical skills – necessary for advising and decision-making.

Additional Leadership Insights (Harvard Business Review)

• Effective Leaders:

  • Set direction vs. plan & budget.

  • Align people vs. organize & staff.

  • Motivate people vs. control & problem-solve.

• Leadership Traits:

  • Selectively show weaknesses (humanize leadership).

  • Rely on intuition for decision-making.

  • Manage employees with tough empathy.

  • Highlight individual uniqueness.

Challenges in Self-Improvement

• Barriers to Change:

  • Lack of self-awareness – not recognizing areas for improvement.

  • Low motivation – belief that current methods are adequate.

  • Difficulty in behavior change – requires continuous regulation & feedback.

More Than One Path to Leadership

• Diverse Leadership Styles:

  • Herb Kelleher (Southwest Airlines) – freewheeling & direct.

  • Bill Gates (Microsoft) – quiet & innovative.

  • Churchill vs. Gandhi – differing political leadership.

  • Lombardi vs. Belichick – contrasting coaching styles.

Contextual Leadership

• Effectiveness varies based on people and environment.

• Strengths can become weaknesses (and vice versa).

• Adapt leadership approach based on situation and team needs.

Self-Management & Positivity

• Happiness & Success: Success does not necessarily lead to happiness.

• High-Quality Relationships: Critical for long-term well-being and leadership.

Slides 2

Key Question: What Differentiates a Team from a Group or Club?

• Groups (Clubs):

  • Single leader.

  • Individual focus.

  • Short, coordination-focused meetings.

  • Information-sharing as primary function.

• Teams (Project-Based):

  • Shared leadership.

  • Mutual accountability with collective goals.

  • Open-ended discussions and active problem-solving.

  • Performance greater than individual contributions (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993).

Examples of Successful Teams

• 1980 Miracle on Ice – US hockey team defeating the Soviet Union.

• IDEO Design Thinking – innovative product development teams.

• Apollo 11 Moon Landing – 400,000 people collaborated on the project.

Team Effectiveness Model (Prof. Li)

1. Knowing Your People

   • Member abilities: technical, decision-making, interpersonal.

   • Personality and values influence teamwork.

   • Diversity – leveraging similarities and differences.

   • Motivation – driving team engagement.

   • Establish behavioral norms and manage conflicts.

2. Structuring the Task

   • Define roles and interdependence.

   • Clarity and accountability – minimize ambiguity.

3. Managing People as Individuals

   • Performance Evaluation & Rewards – prevent social loafing.

   • Set SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound).

   • Ensure resources, feedback, and support.

   • Work design: autonomy, task variety, significance.

4. Transforming People into a Team

   • Team Efficacy – confidence in collective success.

   • Establish a shared vision and purpose.

   • Foster a strong culture and trust.

   • Small wins help build momentum.

Types of Team Interdependence

1. Pooled Interdependence – independent tasks contribute to a common goal.

2. Sequential Interdependence – output of one person affects another.

3. Reciprocal Interdependence – tasks flow back and forth between members.

4. Comprehensive Interdependence – high coordination and shared decision-making.

• Key Trade-off: Efficiency vs. Effectiveness – complex tasks need higher interdependence.

Slides 3

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

1. Self-Awareness – Understanding emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals.

2. Self-Regulation – Controlling impulsive reactions and moods.

3. Empathy – Recognizing and understanding others' emotions.

4. Motivation – Pursuing goals beyond money/status with persistence.

5. Social Skills – Managing relationships and networking.

• EI is twice as important as technical skills for workplace success.

• 90% of the difference between "star" and "average" performers is due to EI.

Improving Self-Awareness

• Self-analysis: Reflection on values, strengths, weaknesses, and behaviors.

• Personality Assessments: Big Five Personality, Myers-Briggs (MBTI), Emotional Intelligence Tests.

• Seeking Feedback: Others' perceptions help uncover blind spots.

• Diverse Experiences: Exposure to new environments broadens perspectives.

Self-Regulation Strategies

• Internal Regulation:

  • Small changes & rewards for progress.

  • Public accountability – announcing changes to others.

  • Repetition & feedback-seeking to reinforce habits.

• External Regulation:

  • Relying on trusted individuals for guidance and accountability.

  • Common challenges: Procrastination, emotional control, decisiveness.

Empathy & Tough Empathy

• Empathy – Understanding and valuing others’ perspectives (e.g., Satya Nadella’s leadership at Microsoft).

• Tough Empathy – Balancing understanding with necessary tough decisions (e.g., layoffs for long-term success).

Personality Traits: The Big Five (OCEAN)

1. Openness – Creativity, curiosity vs. consistency, caution.

2. Conscientiousness – Organization, efficiency vs. procrastination, carelessness.

3. Extraversion – Outgoing, energetic vs. solitary, reserved.

4. Agreeableness – Cooperative, compassionate vs. competitive, tough.

5. Neuroticism – Sensitivity, anxiety vs. emotional stability, confidence.

Implications of the Big Five on Leadership

• Conscientiousness – Strongest predictor of job performance and leadership success.

• Extraversion – Effective in sales and leadership but may hinder proactive employee engagement.

• Openness – Enhances creativity and intellectual exploration.

• Agreeableness – Beneficial for relationship-building but less effective in crisis leadership.

• Neuroticism – Higher stress levels, leading to difficulties in handling change.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• Introvert vs. Extravert – Energy source (internal vs. external).

• Judging vs. Perceiving – Structure (orderly vs. flexible).

• Sensing vs. Intuition – Detail-oriented vs. big-picture thinking.

• Thinking vs. Feeling – Logic-based vs. values-based decision-making.

Power & Leadership

• Stanford Prison Experiment – Does power corrupt, or does it expose true character?

• Research Findings:

  • Power can reduce empathy and lead to self-serving behaviors.

  • Humility is critical for maintaining ethical leadership.

  • Machiavellianism & Narcissism – Traits linked to manipulative, self-centered leadership.

Leadership & Personality Context

• Extraverted Leaders:

  • Enhance performance when employees are passive.

  • Hinder performance when employees are proactive – dominance prevents idea-sharing.

• Agreeable Leaders:

  • Good for long-term relationships but struggle in crisis situations requiring decisiveness.

• Leadership Style Must Adapt based on the team and context.

The Big Five in Teams

• Communication:

  • Extraverts should allow introverts space to contribute.

  • Less agreeable members should be mindful of tone.

  • More agreeable members should set boundaries to avoid passive behavior.

• Planning:

  • Conscientious members may struggle with spontaneous teammates – balance is needed.

• Work Approach:

  • High openness fosters creativity, but low openness can ensure efficiency.

Slides 5

Managing Diversity and Values

• Core Focus: Understanding how cultural diversity and personal values impact teamwork, leadership, and decision-making.

• Key Question: How do cultural values and ethical perspectives shape management and workplace dynamics?

Cultural Awareness and Diversity

• Cultural Shock: Reflection on personal experiences of cultural differences.

• Culture Quiz: Assessment of cultural awareness among classmates.

Key Cultural Dimensions

1. Collectivism vs. Individualism – Prioritizing group harmony vs. individual goals.

2. Power Distance – Hierarchical vs. egalitarian workplace structures.

3. Context of Communication – Explicit/direct vs. implicit/indirect messaging.

4. Work-Life Balance – Live to work (work as passion) vs. work to live (work as a means to enjoy life).

The Diversity Iceberg

• Surface-Level Diversity: Visible differences (e.g., race, gender, age).

• Deep-Level Diversity: Differences in values, beliefs, and personality.

• Diversity Benefits:

  • Enhanced creativity and decision-making.

  • Better customer understanding.

  • Broader skill sets in teams.

  • Diversity alone is not enough—inclusion and integration are essential.

Challenges in Managing Diversity

• Common Barriers:

  • Stereotyping & Discrimination: Judging based on group affiliation rather than individual skills.

  • Glass Ceiling & Pay Gap: Barriers preventing career progression for certain groups.

  • Bias in Expectations: Gendered views on leadership and negotiations.

• Workplace Microaggressions:

  • Often unintentional but harmful remarks or behaviors.

  • Require awareness and sensitivity training to prevent exclusion.

Integration Challenges in Diverse Teams

• Faultlines: Natural subgroups emerge within teams based on demographics or values.

  • Limits knowledge sharing.

  • Creates in-group vs. out-group divisions.

  • Causes tension and conflicts.

• Short-term challenge: Surface-level diversity can create friction.

• Long-term challenge: Deep-level diversity (values, styles) affects cohesion.

Strategies for Managing Diversity Integration

1. Encourage cross-subgroup communication.

2. Set norms to align expectations.

3. Ensure equal opportunities for input and feedback.

4. Leverage individual strengths while balancing team dynamics.

5. Actively manage and resolve conflicts professionally.

Values and Leadership

• Values Definition: Core beliefs that guide attitudes and decisions.

• Types of Values:

  • Tangible vs. Intangible: Money & possessions vs. relationships, growth, impact.

  • Ethical vs. Non-Ethical: Justice, fairness vs. personal gain, status.

  • Theory X vs. Theory Y:

    • Theory X: People are lazy; require control and supervision.

    • Theory Y: People are self-motivated and responsible.

  • Task-Oriented vs. Relationship-Oriented Leadership:

    • Task: Focus on efficiency, competition, and results.

    • Relationship: Focus on team well-being and collaboration.

Aligning Leadership with Values

• Identify personal leadership values.

• Explicitly communicate values to the team.

• Hire employees whose values align with the organization.

• Set up reward and accountability systems based on values.

• Lead by example ("Walk the talk").

Ethical Decision-Making: The Vanatin Case

• Scenario: A pharmaceutical company must decide whether to continue selling a controversial drug (Vanatin) in the U.S. and foreign markets.

• Discussion Questions:

  • What should be done in the U.S. market (recall, stop advertising, or continue sales)?

  • What should be done in foreign markets (same options as above)?

• Ethical Breakdown Issues:

  • Ill-conceived goals: Incentives encourage unethical actions.

  • Motivated blindness: Ignoring unethical behavior for personal gain.

  • Indirect blindness: Overlooking unethical actions when done by a third party.

  • Slippery slope: Gradual ethical compromise.

  • Overvaluing outcomes: Justifying bad behavior if the result is good.

Workplace Scenario: Work-Life Balance Conflict

• Situation: Employee does not check work messages on weekends; boss insists on weekend communication.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • What are each person's priorities and bottom lines?

  • How should the employee communicate boundaries?

  • What is an appropriate leadership response?

• Role-Playing Exercise:

  • Practice handling values conflicts professionally.

  • Consider strategies such as assertion, negotiation, and emotional control.

Voicing One’s Values in the Workplace

1. Values conflicts are common in organizations.

2. Different approaches to speaking up:

   • Assertively stating opinions.

   • Asking strategic questions.

   • Persuading or negotiating.

3. Situational Awareness Matters:

   • Control emotions.

   • Observe leadership styles.

   • Avoid public confrontations; address issues privately.

   • Consider timing and coalition-building.

Slides 6

Motivation

• Core Focus: Understanding what drives motivation at work and how leaders can effectively inspire employees.

• Key Framework: Expectancy Theory – motivation depends on effort, performance, and outcomes.

Types of Motivation

1. Intrinsic Motivation – Internal rewards (personal satisfaction, accomplishment).

2. Extrinsic Motivation – External rewards (pay raises, promotions, bonuses, recognition).

Expectancy Theory of Motivation

• Expectancy: If I work harder, will I perform better?

  • Goal-Setting Theory: Use S.M.A.R.T. goals and provide feedback.

  • Self-Efficacy Theory: Build confidence through small wins, modeling, encouragement.

• Instrumentality: Will better performance lead to rewards?

  • Performance Evaluation: Objective vs. subjective assessment.

  • Organizational Justice:

    • Distributive Justice – Is the outcome fair?

    • Procedural Justice – Were the processes used fair?

    • Interactional Justice – Were employees treated with respect?

• Valence: Do I value the reward?

  • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: (Physiological → Safety → Belonging → Esteem → Self-Actualization).

  • Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory: Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction) vs. motivators (drive satisfaction).

  • McClelland’s Theory of Needs: Achievement, Power, Affiliation.

Intrinsic Motivation: Autonomy, Purpose, and Mastery

1. Autonomy – Giving employees control over:

   • What they work on (Google’s 20% Time).

   • When they work (Flexible schedules).

   • How they get tasks done.

   • Caution: Too much autonomy without accountability can lead to abuse.

2. Purpose – Employees find meaning when:

   • Leaders communicate a strong vision.

   • They see their work’s positive impact on others.

   • Customers or beneficiaries share appreciation. (More effective than leaders’ speeches).

   • Internal appreciation – Simple "thank you" boosts motivation.

3. Mastery – Growth and progress:

   • Foster a culture where failures are learning experiences.

   • Encourage frequent updates on progress and setbacks.

   • Position managers as coaches rather than micromanagers.