Chapter 8 Establishing a Constructive Climate 2015 SAGE

Chapter 8: Establishing a Constructive Climate © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Chapter Objectives • Understand the concept of constructive climate. • Review factors considered to establish constructive climate. • Explain the process for providing constructive feedback to employees. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Discussion Questions • How important is structure to group success? • How can you promote group cohesion as a leader? © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Constructive Climate Explained • Climate refers to the atmosphere of a team or an organization. • Related to climate are the rituals, values, procedures, and underlying assumptions of a group. • A constructive climate provides an atmosphere that promotes group members’ satisfaction and achieving their personal best. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Constructive Climate Components • In establishing a constructive climate, leaders need to: 1. Provide Structure 2. Clarify Norms 3. Build Cohesiveness 4. Promote Standards of Excellence © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Provide Structure • Providing structure gives people a sense of security, direction, & stability. o They know where they “fit in. ” o They have an “architectural drawing” that gives form & meaning to their activities. • Group work without structure is more difficult for everyone involved. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

How Can Leaders Provide Structure? • Telling people the goals of the group o Gives a clear picture of assignments & responsibilities o Gives group members a sense of direction • Identifying the unique ways that each member can contribute to the group o Synergy o Challenge: to find how each individual group member can contribute to the group’s mission © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Discuss • How would you go about finding out the unique ways that each member can contribute to the group’s mission? © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Clarify Norms • Norms are the rules of behavior that are established & shared by group members. o What is appropriate/inappropriate, right/wrong, & allowed/not allowed in groups o Develop early in a group & are difficult to change o Ex. : Matt Smith coaching brother’s baseball team • Leaders need to try to shape norms that will maximize group effectiveness. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Discuss • How have you experienced leaders trying to shape group norms? • How effective were they? • Why are norms sometimes difficult to change? © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Build Cohesiveness • Cohesiveness is the sense of “weness, ” or the esprit de corps, that exists within a group. • Allows members to: o Express their personal viewpoints, give and receive feedback, accept differing opinions, & feel free to do meaningful work (Corey & Corey, 2006) o Appreciate the group & to be appreciated by the group © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Positive Outcomes of Cohesiveness • Increased participation and better interaction among members • Group membership is more consistent • Group exerts strong influence on members • Member satisfaction is high • Members are more productive © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

How Can Leaders Build Cohesiveness? • To Build Cohesiveness: o Create a climate of trust. o Invite members to be active participants. o Encourage passive members to become involved. o Listen and accept group members for who they are. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

How Can Leaders Build Cohesiveness? • To Build Cohesiveness, cont’d: o Help group members achieve their goals. o Promote the free expression of divergent viewpoints. o Share leadership responsibilities. o Foster and promote member-to-member interaction. o Ex. : group raising funds for Special Olympics © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Promote Standards of Excellence • Standards of Excellence are the expressed & implied expectations for performance that exist within a group or organization. • Standards of excellence indicate: o What group members need to know o What skills group members need to acquire © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Promote Standards of Excellence • Standards of excellence indicate, cont’d: o How much initiative and effort they need o How group members are expected to treat one another o The extent to which deadlines are significant o What goals they need to achieve o What the consequences are if they fail to achieve goals © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Promote Standards of Excellence • La. Fasto and Larson (2001) identified several ways that leaders can influence performance and promote standards of excellence 1. Require results 2. Review results 3. Reward results • Based on studies of more than 600 team leaders & 6, 000 team members • Ex. : The Upjohn Company © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Requiring Results • Leaders need to articulate their concrete expectations clearly for team members. o Groups must establish mutual goals & identify specific objectives for achieving results. o This is the first critical step in managing performance. • Without expectations, members are uncertain about what is required of them & flounder. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Reviewing Results • Leaders must give constructive feedback & resolve performance issues. • Constructive feedback is honest, direct communication about member performance. o Not mean-spirited, nor is it overly nice or patronizing o Lets group members know how to maintain or improve • Resolving performance issues is critical for effective leadership. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Discuss • What are some of the challenges in giving constructive feedback to an employee? • To a coworker? © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Rewarding Results • Effective leaders reward group members for achieving results. • Rewarding results is a practical process that every leader can do. o Includes paying attention to members, offering encouragement, & giving personalized appreciation o Can be in dramatic or simple actions • Members feel valued & there is a greater sense of group identity & community spirit. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Leadership Snapshot, Meg Whitman • Fourth CEO of HP, Whitman took over a company in HP that was described as a complete mess. • Graduate of Princeton and Harvard universities. • Took e. Bay from $86 million in sales to $7. 7 billion a decade later. • She is described as blunt, folksy, and persistent. • Intent on reviving the integrity, innovation, and loyalty in HP. • Removed barbed wire that separates parking between employees and executives and moved all VPs including herself to cubicles from large offices. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Leadership Snapshot, Meg Whitman • Whitman is a team builder focused on the myriad of small problems facing HP rather than looking for one big solution or miracle. • Her philosophy is “Run to the fire, don’t hide from it”. • Hasn’t brought HP out of the woods yet; says turnaround will take five years. • Likes being CEO of HP and intends to revive an iconic company. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Case Study: A Tale of Two Classes • In establishing a constructive climate for his or her class, what kind of structure has each professor put in place? • How would you describe the group norms for each class? • What actions has each professor taken to establish cohesiveness in the classes? • What standards of excellence has each professor established for the courses? • Which class atmosphere would you do best in? Why? © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

Summary • Setting the tone is a complex process that involves a great deal of work on the leader’s part. • Leaders who set the tone in positive ways will find payoffs in remarkable group performance. © 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.