The chapter describes five ways in which followers need to use courage.
Posts of 2 classmates, Please provide meaningful responses in minimum 100 words each.
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Classmate 1: Ishan
Strategies for managing up and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs were the two most valuable topics I have learned after studying chapters 7 and 8 this week. It made me realize that managing the people above you is just as important as it is to manage the people below you. Striking the right balance between the two can be key to becoming a successful leader. The strategies one can use to effectively manage-up are:
Being a valuable resource to a leader.
Help them to be a good leader.
Build a relationship with the leader.
View the leader realistically (Daft, 2018).
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an inspirational theory in psychology which comprises of a five-tier model of human needs, which is often represented as the hierarchical levels within a pyramid (Daft, 2018). The needs which are lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before people can address the needs which are higher up.
These valuable concepts are key in becoming a successful leader because the first concept helps you manage the expectation of your boss, while you are managing your subordinates. Whereas the second concept can help in determining the motivational factors for your employees, to continue inspiring them so that they can improve their personal and organizational performance.
1.One organizational observer suggested that bosses who will not give negative feedback to followers who need it cause even more damage in the long run than those who fly off the handle when a follower makes a mistake. Do you agree? Discuss.
The statement presented here is true and I agree with it. Today, we live and work in a highly competitive world and in such a world, the leader needs to give their employees good feedback whether is positive or negative. Because it allows the employees to work on themselves and improve their personality, work ethic, which eventually helps them to grow. The leaders who only look at the positive aspect of their employees and shy away from giving negative feedback can hamper the development of the individual (Kurter, 2020). The most common example which comes to my mind and fits this scenario is when through the course of the year managers sings praises of their employees, but at the end of the year particularly during compensation/bonus time, they bring up everything he/she didn’t perform correctly. If this feedback were given during the appropriate time, the employee would have had the opportunity to rectify their mistakes and learn from it early on (Daft, 2018).
2.The chapter describes five ways in which followers need to use courage. Which do you feel is most important? Least important? How might a follower derive the courage to behave in new ways to be more effective? Discuss.
Out of assuming responsibility, challenge, participation in transformation, serve and leave, the one quality which I find the most important is assuming responsibility. Followers need to use courage to assume responsibility, their personality can have a direct impact on the performance of the organization (Daft, 2018).
The least important factor for me would be participating in transformation because there could be a lot of changes going on in the company at any given time and it can be difficult for a follower to participate in every one of them. Instead, they can standby and support their direct reports during any transformative changes in the company.
3.Google wants employees to mingle more but not to waste a lot of time. So as part of its “people strategy,” Google analyzes reams of data to determine the optimal size and shape for the cafeteria tables and the best length for the lunch line. If hygiene factors, as defined in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, will not provide increased satisfaction and motivation, why do you think Google would try to increase lunchtime mingling? Discuss.
The reason behind why Google would be increasing lunchtime mingling is that they want the employees to get to know one another, get acquainted, run by ideas, and get the opinions from their peers. Build professional relationships, when such social conversations occur at lunch hour, the employees will stay focused when they are working at their desks. This would help the company build a family-style environment where the employees work together for the greater good and keep productivity high at the same time (Editors, 2018).
4.One small business owner says she does not offer her sales representatives incentives because people try to sabotage one another to get more business and stop paying attention to smaller accounts. As a leader, how would you develop a program to motivate and reward high performers without promoting the wrong type of behavior?
Equity theory of motivation (Daft, 2018). can be implemented to address the problem in this organization. Pairing the employee with high performance and moderate performance rate to build unity. This would also act as a cross-training mechanism. Sharing the sales number of the high performer would encourage and motivate him to keep working hard, at the same time the less performing employee would not be shamed. Coming to the compensation plan, reward the employees not purely on the sales number but also for the longest-held account. no matter whether the account is big or small. This way the smaller accounts are still being attended and the performers are still motivating to increase their sales.
References:
Daft, R. (2018). The Leadership Experience, 7th ed. Cengage Learning, Stanford, CT.
Kurter, H. L. (2020, February 18). 7 Successful Tips to Help Leaders Give Negative Feedback Effectively. Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidilynnekurter/2020/02/17/7-successful-tips-to-help-leaders-give-negative-feedback-effectively/#cbc024490209
Editors, F. T. C. (2018, February 8). Council Post: 13 Reasons Google Deserves Its ‘Best Company Culture’ Award. Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/201…
Classmate 2: Herdeek
Empowerment is the most important aspect of my learning in the chapters this week. It involves the delegation of power in the organization to motivate and empower people’s ability in their performance and well-being. The psychological model of motivation was essential and worthy of my reading as I understood how it plays a significant role in the workers. It creates awareness among employees and equips them with skills and knowledge, enables them to make substantive decisions, and improve their performance. However, the concept of empowerment is important in business to Structure jobs in a way to attain higher-level requirements and enhance motivation toward the achievement of goals. (Daft, 2016). Hence, empowerment and motivational approaches increase and improve job responsibility, recognition, and opportunities for growth, learning, and success in society and businesses.
Question 1
I agree. Providing negative feedback is a great way to learn and improve despite how the majority of workers hate haring it. Leaders who evade providing negative feedback attain compassion in the short term but unkindness in the long run. Negative feedback should be productive and center on the particular unwanted performance, not to anyone. Regardless of how it’s hard, it may be the only way the employees will be able to develop the company provided; they recognize the areas they need to improve (Fields, 2019). However, negative feedback is a crucial element towards growth and improvement to increase employee engagement and productivity.
Question 2
Assuming responsibility is then the most crucial demand as it involves taking control of a situation, group, and establishments. Followers initiate opportunities for individual satisfaction, growth, and the fullest use of their capabilities. On the other side, the courage to leave is the least essential demand for active followers. A follower derives courage and power to be effective by having skills that complement the leader’s weaknesses. Hence, this makes followers work together in support of the mission.
Question 3
I think Google would increase lunchtime mingling to allow employees to interact, share ideas, and views to be more collaborative in the workplace. This approach is much useful as it is not against the policies of the organization and does not allow the employees to slow down production. It will enable people to create a personal relationship with one another. I believe that enabling lunch moment friendlier to the workers allowing them improved cafeteria tables and extra time in the lunch row will allow individuals to communicate more. This will allow employees to communicate more while eating, making friendships focus on their work, and building a pleasant collaborative working environment.
Question 4
As a leader, I would focus on building relationships among the employees in the organization. The program of a leader as a relationship builder would effectively motivate and reward employees without encouraging the incorrect form of performance. This program will ensure that the job is designed to increase empowerment and enhance employee engagement to find and recognize the meaning of their jobs. However, the most motivated workers have engaged individuals who take pleasure in their jobs and feel they are creating a helpful contribution (Fields, 2019). Therefore, through empowerment and active engagement, the leader can effectively motivate and reward high performers without supporting the wrong type of behavior.
References
Daft, R. L. (2016). The leadership experience. Nelson Education.
https://doi.org/10.2172/1575753 Fields, J. M. (2019). Leadership development experience.
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