Nitin Bhai

Work With People: Interpersonal Relationships, Conflict Resolution Want to work more effectively with people at work? Whether your relationship is with your supervisor, manager, customer or coworker, you want to make your interpersonal relationships positive, supportive, clear, and empowering. Get work relationship advice and improvement ideas. Use these resources for interpersonal relationship problem solving and conflict resolution. Work Tips @ Diversity Issues @ Dealing With a Bad Boss (6) Customer Service @ Dress Codes for Work (5) Difficult People (5) Inspirational Quotations (18) Personality Tests (11) Negativity (12) Employee Surveys (4) Conflict Resolution (22) How to Get Along With Your Boss At one point or another in your career, you will report to a manager, the person you fondly or not - call boss. The relationships that you create and manage, with both your immediate supervisor and other employees who have managerial or leadership responsibility in your company, are critical for your work success and career progress. And, face it, whether you like it or not, you're in charge of your relationship with your boss. HR Ads Leadership Training Soft Skills Work Life Balance Basic Skills Sexual Relationships Dress Code for Customer Interaction and Trade Shows Even if you work in a casual dress code environment or a business casual work environment, the rules may change when you hit the road for your company with a business mission. Whether you are exhibiting at a trade show, attending a conference or training session, or visiting a customer, the dress code in effect at your \office may change for travel and meeting customers. Take a look at this sample dress code for travel and customer interaction. To Drink or Not to Drink? To drink or not to drink at work related events is a question every employee has to ponder for one occasion or another. Whether the business occasion is lunch during an interview, the company holiday party, or a staff networking event on Friday afternoon, alcohol is usually an option. My limit is two. How about you? Make your decision about how much to drink before you are faced with choices. Stop Being Miserable at Work Are you miserable at work? Do you never feel good about heading to work? Do you feel unchallenged, unhappy, or not in control? Is your boss the worst? Do your coworkers engage in unjustifiable complaining. If you continue to participate in any of these situations, you will ensure that you will continue to hate your job. And, hating your job is the centerpiece for a miserable life. Why go there? Top 10 Toughest Questions - Asked and Answered Regular emails from readers ask hundreds of questions each year. Patterns emerge about the toughest situations you face in your organizations. These are the ten toughest, but most frequent, questions you send my way. I’ve written a how-to piece to answer each question you’ve asked. These articles address and answer your toughest questions. Poll: How Much Trust Exists in Your Organization? Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. How much trust do you have in your organization? Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret About Trust Without trust, you have nothing. Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. When trust is present, everything else is easier. Learn more about how to build trust in your workplace. Play Well With Others: Develop Effective Work Relationships You can submarine your job and career by the relationships you form at work. No matter your education, experience, or title, if you can't play well with others, you won't succeed. Effective relationships create success and satisfaction on the job. Learn more about seven effective work relationship musts.

Tips for Minimizing Workplace Negativity Your workplace is seething with negativity and hostility. No matter where the bad vibes came from, it's your reponsibility, to help make the atmosphere less negative and more positive, productive, stress-free and supportive. Tips for Managing Stress and Change at Work Stress is normal. Everyone feels stress related to work, family, decisions, your future, and more. Stress is both physical and mental. It is caused by major life events such as illness, the death of a loved one, a change in responsibilities or expectations at work, and job promotions, loss, or changes. Read on to understand the impact of stress and stress in the workplace. Interpersonal Skills Job Interview Questions The following sample job interview questions about interpersonal skills enable you to assess your candidate’s skill in interpersonal and work relationships. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews. Why Sexy Isn't Better: How Sexual Behavior Can Submarine Your Career Women who wear short skirts that display a lot of leg may be overlooked for promotion and pay increases. So says a recent study conducted by Tulane University. Overt sexual behavior at work, whether men and women are consciously aware of it, or not, can submarine your career. Learn more about sexual behavior and its impact at work. Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Respect Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These respect quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about respect will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life. How to Demonstrate Respect at Work Ask anyone in your workplace what treatment they most want at work. They will likely top their list with the desire to be treated with dignity and respect. You can demonstrate respect with simple, yet powerful actions. These ideas will help you avoid needless, insensitive, unmeant disrespect, too. Read more about respect. Leadership and Management Success Tips: Business Management Success Tips – You Need to Set Limits These leadership and management tips will help you create effective interpersonal relationships. This leadership and management tip about interpersonal relationships will speed up your progress and profitability. Rise Above the Fray: Options for Dealing With Difficult People at Work Difficult people do exist at work. Difficult people come in every variety and no workplace is without them. How difficult a person is for you to deal with depends on your self-esteem, your self-confidence and your professional courage. Dealing with difficult people is easier when the person is just generally obnoxious or when the behavior affects more than one person. Dealing with difficult people is much tougher when they are attacking you or undermining your professional contribution. Bad to the Bone: Dealing With a Bad Boss or Bad Managers You're weary. You're frustrated. You're unhappy. You're demotivated. Your interaction with your boss leaves you cold. He's a bully, intrusive, controlling, picky and petty. He takes credit for your work, never provides positive feedback and misses each meeting he schedules with you. He's a bad boss, bad to the bone. Dealing with less than effective managers, or just plain bad managers and bad bosses, is a challenge too many employees face. These ideas will help you deal with your bad boss. Why "Blink"Matters: The Power of First Impressions Professional speakers and trainers have long asserted that people make up their minds about people they meet for the first time within two minutes. Others assert that these first impressions about people take only thirty seconds. As it turns out, both may be underestimates. According to Malcolm Gladwell, in [i]Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking[/i], the decisions may occur much faster - think instantaneously or in two seconds. His findings have serious implications for organizations. Directory to Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration in business and at work.

Inspirational Quotes for Business: Leadership Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation about leadership for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These leadership quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration at work. These quotes about leadesrship will help you create business and management success. Inspirational Quotes for Business: Goals, Goal Setting, Dreams Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. Why You Need Allies at Work: Tips About Developing Work Alliances Do you want to effectively accomplish your work mission? If so, you need allies, people who support your ideas at work. Forming these alliances takes time and energy, but they are worth the investment for the payback they provide. A positive, successful alliance is a collaboration that accomplishes great good for you and for your organization. Nix Political Discussion at Work In a workplace that honors diversity, every person’s politics, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and opinions about non-work issues, should, for the most part stay home. Unless you work in a setting that is dependant on a particular set of beliefs, political discussion potentially causes conflict and hard feelings. Nix politics and political discussion at work. Personal Courage and Conflict Resolution at Work Practicing personal courage is necessary if you want to really resolve conflicts at work. Many people are afraid of conflict resolution. They feel threatened by conflict resolution because they may not get what they want if the other party gets what they want. Even in the best circumstances, conflict resolution is uncomfortable because people are usually unskilled. Your Image Is You Successful people believe their success is attributable to a pattern of mutually beneficial interpersonal relationships, as much as it is due to technical skills or business knowledge. Your communication and the image you present create the first impression - often the lasting impression - on the people you meet. Want a more professional image? Taking the Suck Out of the Information Vacuum The report from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board is in, and it's not pretty. NASA recently concluded that the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy had as much to do with failed management practices and a work environment that discourages upward feedback and open communication, as the foam that hit the shuttle's side. This should be a wake up call for all businesses. When Generations Collide at Work - Quiz In every workplace, at least three generations, with all their different needs and wants, try to peacefully co-exist. This quiz, from the authors of "When Generations Collide," will give you insight into the needs and wants of Boomers, Gen Xers, Traditionalists and Millenials. Curious? Receive Feedback With Grace and Dignity Interested in hearing about how others view your work? Make it easy for them to tell you. If they think you'll appreciatively consider their feedback, you'll get lots more. And, that is good, really. Just Like Me: Search for Similarities Want to develop effective working relationships with people at work? Start with similarities, not differences, among people when you build relationships. As a human resources professional, manager, supervisor, co-worker, staff member or business owner, effective work relationships are critical for your success. Provide Feedback That Has an Impact Make your feedback have the impact it deserves by the manner and approach you use to deliver feedback. Your feedback can make a difference to people if you can avoid a defensive response. Group Meeting Management - Competing Conversations Want to develop effective working relationships with people at work? Effective interaction by people in business meetings can create effective work relationships. Effective group meetings manage the interaction of difficult people holding competing conversations. Progressive Discipline Progressive discipline is a process for dealing with job-related behavior that does not meet expected and communicated performance standards. The primary purpose for progressive

discipline is to assist the employee to understand that a performance problem or opportunity for improvement exists. Find out more about progressive discipline. Fight for What's Right: Tips for Meaningful Conflict Conflict avoidance is most frequently the topic when conflict in organizations is discussed. Conflict resolution - as quickly as possible - is the second most frequent topic. This is bad news because meaningful conflict is a cornerstone in healthy, successful organizations. These tips will help you initiate and encourage positive conflict. Tips About Dating, Sex, and Romance at Work What's love got to do with dating, sex, and romance at the office? Plenty. Get tips about how to address dating, sex, and romance at work. Communicate Effectively Good resources for communication are linked by About Career Planning Guide, Dawn Rosenberg McKay. Building Effective Relationships That Work "Relationships can often seem like fragile things – especially in the workplace where they are often built and destroyed by the actions we take. However, as Nick Heap explains, by underpinning those relationships with a few simple principles, they can grown into something secure and lasting." Good article. Customer Centered Communications There are five steps to employee communication that is customer-centered. One is to tie customer goals to employee outcomes and another is to involve the customer. Good reminder thoughts that to bring the customer back, customer service means everything. (PDF) 14 Workplace Personalities and How to Handle Them Know a locomotive? An ice-person, a pessimist, a rumormonger or a crybaby at work? Dr. Gary S. Topchik tells you about the personalities of the people you may meet at work. He offers strategies for how to deal effectively with each type. How to Give Good Feedback Knowing how to give effective feedback can make or break performance feedback, according to this "Fast Company" article. Good pointers. How To Set Boundaries With Problem Employees At what point does an employee's behavior get in the way of accomplishing work? What do you do to manage the problem behavior of others? Read this excellent article by Dr. Joni Johnston. How to Conduct Employee Focus Groups Michael Zimet offers insights into conducting effective focus groups to obtain employee feedback. Good article. Mangling Interpersonal Relationships I know, you were expecting something serious here. Not! Check out this post from rec.humor.funnyjokes to learn everything you need to know about building effective interpersonal relationships at work. How to Reach Night Shift Workers Reaching night shift workers without working 24 hours a day is a challenge. Michael Zimet offers several ideas for communicating 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Check them out. International Association of Business Communicators Site offers resources in business communication. Much of the information requires membership. Measure Your Communication Skills Online test lets you measure your communication skills. The test is scored and an online interpretation of results is provided.

Sponsored Links Learn what we taught Tony The term group dynamics implies that individual behaviours may differ depending on individuals' current or prospective connections to a sociological group. Group dynamics is the field of study within the social sciences that focuses on the nature of groups. Urges to belong or to identify may make for distinctly different attitudes (recognized or unrecognized), and the influence of a group may rapidly become strong, influencing or overwhelming individual proclivities and actions. The group dynamics may also include changes in

behaviour of a person when he is represented before a group, the behavioural pattern of a person vis-a-vis group. Group dynamics form a basis for group therapy. Politicians and salesmen may make practical exploitations of principles of group dynamics for their own ends. Increasingly, group dynamics are becoming of particular interest because of online, social interaction made possible by the internet. Niccolò Machiavelli, ca 1500, became the key figure in realistic political theory, crucial to political science Political Science is the systematic study of the allocation and transfer of power in decision making. ... Sales, or the activity of selling, forms an integral part of commercial activity. ... Compare: crowd psychology. Ordinary people typically can gain direct power by acting collectively. ... A group, according to the Bruce Tuckman (1965) proposed the 4-stage model called Tuckman's Stages Tuckman's model states that the ideal group decision making process should occur in 4 four stages: forming (pretending to get on or get along with others); storming (letting down the politeness barrier and trying to get down to the issues even if tempers flare up ); norming (getting used to each other and developing trust and productivity); and performing (working in a group to a common goal on a highly efficient and cooperative basis). It should be noted that this model refers to the overall pattern of the group, but of course individuals within a group work in different ways. If distrust persists, a group may never even get to the norming stage. see [1] ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... The Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing model of team development was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, who maintained that these phases are all necessary and inevitable - in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to... Wilfred Bion studied group dynamics from a psychoanalytic perspective. Many of his findings were reported in his published books, especially Experiences in Groups, London, Tavistock, 1961. Tavistock Institute has further developed and applied the theory and practices developed by Bion. Wilfred Ruprecht Bion, 18971979, was a British psychoanalyst. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Tavistock Institute is an outgrowth of the Tavistock Clinic, which was founded in 1920 in Tavistock Square in London. ...

An interpersonal relationship is a relatively long-term association between two or more people. This association may be based on emotions like love and liking, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships take place in a great variety of contexts, such as family, friends, marriage, acquaintances, work, clubs, neighborhoods, and churches. They may be regulated by law, custom, or mutual agreement, and are the basis of social groups and society as a whole. Although humans are fundamentally social creatures, interpersonal relationships are not always healthy. Examples of unhealthy relationships include abusive relationships and codependence. A relationship is normally viewed as a connection between two individuals, such as a romantic or intimate relationship, or a parent-child relationship. Individuals can also have relationships with groups of people, such as the relation between a pastor and his congregation, an uncle and a family, or a mayor and a town. Finally, groups or even nations may have relations with each other, though this is a much broader domain than that covered under the topic of interpersonal relationships. See such articles as international relations for more information on associations between groups. Most scholarly work on relationships focuses on romantic partners in pairs or dyads. These intimate relationships are, however, only a small subset of interpersonal relationships.

Intimate relationships are one type of interpersonal relationship. All relationships involve some level of interdependence. People in a relationship tend to influence each other, share their thoughts and feelings, and engage in activities together. Because of this interdependence, anything that changes or impacts one member of the relationship will have some level of impact on the other member. [1] The study of interpersonal relationships involves several branches of social science, including such disciplines as sociology, psychology, anthropology, and social work. Contents: 1. Varieties 2. Theories 3. Development 4. See also 5. References 6. External links

1. Varieties

Close relationships are important for emotional wellbeing throughout the lifespan. Interpersonal relationships include kinship and family relations in which people become associated by genetics or consanguinity. These include such roles as father, mother, son, or daughter. Relationships can also be established by marriage, such as husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, uncle by marriage, or aunt by marriage. They may be formal long-term relationships recognized by law and formalized through public ceremony, such as marriage or civil union. They may also be informal long-term relationships such as loving relationships or romantic relationships with or without living together. In these cases the "other person" is often called lover, boyfriend, or girlfriend,

as distinct from just a male or female friend, or "significant other". If the partners live together, the relationship may resemble marriage, with the parties possibly even called husband and wife. Scottish common law can regard such couples as actual marriages after a period of time. Long-term relationships in other countries can become known as common-law marriages, although they may have no special status in law. The term mistress may refer in a somewhat old-fashioned way to a female lover of an already married or unmarried man. A mistress may have the status of an "official mistress" (in French maîtresse en titre); as exemplified by the career of Madame de Pompadour. Friendships consist of mutual liking, trust, respect, and often even love and unconditional acceptance. They usually imply the discovery or establishment of similarities or common ground between the individuals. [2] Internet friendships and pen-pals may take place at a considerable physical distance. Brotherhood and sisterhood can refer to individuals united in a common cause or having a common interest, which may involve formal membership in a club, organization, association, society, lodge, fraternity, or sorority. This type of interpersonal relationship relates to the comradeship of fellow soldiers in peace or war. Partners or co-workers in a profession, business, or common workplace also have a long term interpersonal relationship. Soulmates are individuals intimately drawn to one another through a favorable meeting of minds and who find mutual acceptance and understanding with one another. Soulmates may feel themselves bonded together for a lifetime and hence may become sexual partners, but not necessarily. Casual relationships are sexual relationships extending beyond one-night stands that exclusively consist of sexual behavior. One can label the participants as "friends with benefits" or as friends "hooking up" when limited to sexual intercourse, or regard them as sexual partners in a wider sense. Platonic love is an affectionate relationship into which the sexual element does not enter, especially in cases where one might easily assume otherwise.

2. Theories Psychologists have suggested that all humans have a basic, motivational drive to form and maintain caring interpersonal relationships. According to this view, people need both stable relationships and satisfying interactions with the people in those relationships. If either of these two ingredients is missing, people will begin to feel anxious, lonely, depressed, and unhappy. [3] According to attachment theory, relationships can be viewed in terms of attachment styles that develop during early childhood. These patterns are believed to influence interactions throughout adulthood by shaping the roles people adopt in relationships. For example, one partner may be securely attached while the other is anxious and avoidant. Thus, early childhood experience (primarily with parents) is believed to have long lasting effects on all future relationships. Social exchange theory interprets relationships in terms of exchanged benefits. It predicts that people regard relationships in terms of rewards obtained from the relationship, as

well as potential rewards from alternate relationships. [4] Equity theory stems from a criticism of social exchange theory and suggests that people care about more than just maximizing rewards. They also want fairness and equity in their relationships. Relational dialectics regards relationships not as static entities, but as continuing processes, forever changing. This approach sees constant tension in the negotiation of three main issues: autonomy vs. connection, novelty vs. predictability, and openness vs. closedness.

3. Development Interpersonal relationships are dynamic systems that change continuously during their existence. Like living organisms, relationships have a beginning, a lifespan, and an end. They tend to grow and improve gradually, as people get to know each other and become closer emotionally, or they gradually deteriorate as people drift apart and form new relationships with others. One of the most influential models of relationship development was proposed by psychologist, George Levinger. [5] This model was formulated to describe heterosexual, adult romantic relationships, but it has been applied to other kinds of interpersonal relations as well. According to the model, the natural development of a relationship follows five stages: 1. Acquaintance - Becoming acquainted depends on previous relationships, physical proximity, first impressions, and a variety of other factors. If two people begin to like each other, continued interactions may lead to the next stage, but acquainance can continue indefinitely. 2. Buildup - During this stage, people begin to trust and care about each other. The need for compatibility and such filtering agents as common background and goals will influence whether or not interaction continues. 3. Continuation - This stage follows a mutual commitment to a long term friendship, romantic relationship, or marriage. It is generally a long, relative stable period. Nevertheless, continued growth and development will occur during this time. Mutual trust is important for sustaining the relationship. 4. Deterioration - Not all relationships deteriorate, but those that do tend to show signs of trouble. Boredom, resentment, and dissatisfaction may occur, and individuals may communicate less and avoid self-disclosure. Loss of trust and betrayals may take place as the downward spiral continues. 5. Termination - The final stage marks the end of the relationship, either by death in the case of a healthy relationship, or by separation. Friendships may involve some degree of transitivity. In other words, a person may become a friend of an existing friend's friend. However, if two people have a sexual relationship with the same person, they may become competitors rather than friends. Accordingly, sexual behavior with the sexual partner of a friend may damage the friendship (see love triangle). Sexual relations between two friends tend to alter that relationship, either by "taking it to the next level" or by severing it. Sexual partners may

also be classified as friends and the sexual relationship may either enhance or depreciate the friendship. Legal sanction reinforces and regularizes marriages and civil unions as perceived "respectable" building-blocks of society. In the United States of America, for example, the de-criminalization of homosexual sexual relations in the Supreme Court decision, Lawrence v. Texas (2003) facilitated the mainstreaming of gay long-term relationships, and broached the possibility of the legalization of same-sex marriages in that country.

1. Define the term group, and explain the significance of cohesiveness, roles, norms, and ostracism in regard to the behavior of group members. 2. Identify and briefly describe the six stages of group development. 3. Summarize the relevant research insights about organizational politics, and explain how groupthink can lead to blind conformity. 4. Define and discuss the management of virtual teams 5. Discuss the criteria and determinants of team effectiveness. 6. Explain why trust is a key ingredient of teamwork and discuss what management can do to build trust. • •

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What Is a Group? – Two or more freely interacting individuals who share a common identity and purpose. Types of Groups – Informal groups: a collection of people seeking friendship and acceptance that satisfies esteem needs. – Formal groups: a collection of people created to do something productive that contributes to the success of the larger organization.

Attraction to Groups

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– Attractiveness of the group – Cohesiveness of the group Roles – Socially determined ways of behaving in a specific position. – A set of expectations concerning what a person must, must not, or may do in a position. – The actual behavior of a person who occupies the position.

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Norms – The standards (degrees of acceptability and unacceptability) for conduct that help individuals judge what is right or good or bad in a given social setting. – Are culturally derived and vary from one culture to another. – Are usually unwritten, yet have a strong influence on individual behavior. – May go above and beyond formal rules and written policies.

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Reasons that groups enforce norms – To facilitate the survival of the group. – To simplify or clarify role expectations. – To help group members avoid embarrassing situations. – To express key group values and enhance the group’s unique identity. Ostracism – Rejection by the group for violation of its norms

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Characteristics of a Mature Group – Members are aware of each other’s assets and liabilities. – Individual differences are accepted. – The group’s authority and interpersonal relationships are recognized. – Group decisions are made through rational discussion. – Conflict is over group issues, not emotional issues. – Members are aware of the group’s processes and their own roles in them.

Six stages of group development •

Stage 1: Orientation – Uncertainty about most everything is high.

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Stage 2: Conflict and change – Subgroups struggle for control; roles are undefined. Stage 3: Cohesion – Consensus on leadership, structure, and procedures is reached. Stage 4: Delusion – Members misperceive that the group has reached maturity.

Stage 5: Disillusion – Subgroups form; disenchantment, diminished cohesiveness and commitment to the group. Stage 6: Acceptance – A trusted and influential group member steps forward and moves the group from conflict to cohesion so that it becomes highly effective and efficient. – Member expectations are more realistic.