Communicating for Results 9e 10 Key Ideas Communication skills needed by team members Define team member roles Describe leadership types Identify leader responsibilities 1 Copyright Cengage © 2011

Consider this... The real test of leadership lies not in the personality and the behavior of the leaders, but in the performance of the groups they lead. Bass & Stodgill, Handbook of Leadership, Free Press, 1990, p. 39 2Copyright Cengage © 2011

Leadership in Hurricane Katrina Leadership in Hurricane Katrina  Read or describe the case study  Answer the following questions:  What factors made handling evacuees difficult?  What leadership style did Brown use and was it appropriate?  What organizational model describes FEMA and what role did the model play in the disaster? LEE CELANO/Reuters/Corbis Copyright Cengage © FEMA Case Study FEMA Case Study

Communication Skills  Commitment and participation  Active listening  Open-mindedness  Flexibility 4Copyright Cengage © 2011

Commitment and Participation  Be committed to meetings  Prepared for meetings  Support majority opinion when a decision is reached even if you disagree 5Copyright Cengage © 2011

Active listening  Receive the speaker’s total message  Interpret the speaker’s meaning closely  Check the interpreted meaning for accuracy 6Copyright Cengage © 2011

Personality types  Extroversion –  Comfortable with interpersonal relationships  Sociable and talkative  Agreeableness  Focusing on Team goals  Cooperative and trusting  Emotional Stability  How secure the team member is  Calm and enthusiastic Personality factors important to groups include... 7Copyright Cengage © 2011

Personality types  Conscientiousness  Focusing on getting team goals done  Responsible and dependable  Open to experience  Broad range of interests  Creative and imaginative Personality factors important to groups include... 8Copyright Cengage © 2011

Open-mindedness  Listen with an open mind  Respect the views of others  Reach a decision that benefits the entire group or company 9Copyright Cengage © 2011

Group Task Functions  Initiate  Give information  Seek information  Give opinion  Seek opinion  Elaborate  Energize  Review  Record 10Copyright Cengage © 2011

Group maintenance functions  Encourage  Harmonize  Relieve tension  Gatekeep 11Copyright Cengage © 2011

Dysfunctional behaviors  Blocking  Aggression  Storytelling  Recognition seeking  Special-interest pleading  Distracting  Withdrawing  Dominating  Confessing Copyright Cengage ©

Handling dysfunctional behaviors  Plan opening remarks carefully  Seat the person next to the leader  Avoid direct eye contact  Assign dysfunctional members specific tasks  Ask members to speak in a specific order 13Copyright Cengage © 2011

Handling dysfunctional behaviors  Break in when person displaying dysfunctional behavior stops to summarize and go on  Place extremely talkative members between two extremely quiet members  Encourage withdrawers  Give praise and encouragement when possible 14Copyright Cengage © 2011

Leadership Theories  Behavioral theories  Situational Theories  Recent Theories 15Copyright Cengage © 2011

Behavioral theories  Trait  Function  Three-dimension 16Copyright Cengage © 2011

Trait Theory of Leadership Successful leaders are more likely to be...  Ambitious  Trustworthy  Motivated  Self-confident  Knowledgeable  Creative Problem: Can these traits be learned in a reasonable length of time? Unlikely! © Jason Harris 17Copyright Cengage © 2011

Function Theory of Leadership “Any time you perform a task or maintenance function, you are the leader for that period of time.” Task & maintenance functions CAN BE learned in a reasonable length of time! Thank goodness! Basic task & maintenance functions needed for group success... © Jason Harris 18Copyright Cengage © 2011

Three Dimension Theory  Authoritarian Style  Central authority figure  High degree of control  Minimal member participation  Democratic Style  Decisions made together  Members viewed as equals  Laissez-faire Style  Leaders not involved in decisions  Blind communication style 19Copyright Cengage © 2011

Situational theories  Situational contingency  Situational leadership  Path-goal 20Copyright Cengage © 2011

Situational Constituency theory  Situation dictates leadership style  Leadership depends on:  Position of power (powerful?)  Task structure (organized?)  Leader-follower relations (liked?)  Time is also a situational variable  Time to reach a decision  Time to get group commitment  Time to implement the decision 21Copyright Cengage © 2011

Situational Leadership Theory  Delegating style  Participating style  Telling style  Selling or coaching style Includes the following four styles... Digital Vision/Getty Images 22Copyright Cengage © 2011

Path-goal leadership theory  Leader effectiveness depends on leaders abilities and group needs  Leader is responsible for assisting followers in attaining their goals  Leader provides needed direction  Direction makes a path to the goals clear 23Copyright Cengage © 2011

Recent theories  Normative decision – step by step guide for selection decision making strategies  Transformational  Inspire followers  Articulate a vision  Provide plan for attaining vision  Mobilize commitment 24Copyright Cengage © 2011

Leader responsibilities  Lead virtual meetings  Lead face-to-face meetings 25Copyright Cengage © 2011

Lead virtual meetings  Select team members carefully  Avoid micro-management  Provide detailed training  Encourage regular and extensive communication 26 Bruce Ayers/Stone/Getty Images Copyright Cengage © 2011

 Inform members of meetings  Select place for meeting  Check that everything needed is in place  Welcome people as they arrive  Start & end meeting on time Leader in Regular Meetings Responsibilities include... 27Copyright Cengage © 2011

 Preview & stick to agenda  Verify recorder is present  Encourage discussion  Ask questions skillfully  See to task & maintenance functions Leader in Regular Meetings (Continued)Responsibilities include... 28Copyright Cengage © 2011

 Listen carefully  Summarize  Thank participants & audience  Disseminate results Leader in Regular Meetings (Continued) Responsibilities include... 29Copyright Cengage © 2011

Communicating for Results 9e 10 Key Ideas Communication skills needed by team members Define team member roles Describe leadership types Identify leader responsibilities Informative Presentations 30 Copyright Cengage © 2011