Interpersonal_Week.pdf

7/29/2019 Interpersonal_Week.pdf

1/5

MANAGING ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE

Dr Richard Winter

MNGT2035

InterpersonalInterventions

Organisation Development & Change 12-2

Week 8: Questions

What is meant by socio-technical systems(STS) theory? How is it relevant to humanprocess interventions?

What is a T-group and what are its threemain goals?

How does the Johari Window improve

interpersonal consultation? What is meant by process consultationand what kinds of questions facilitate thisprocess?


Week 8: Questions

What are the characteristics of a team

and how can teams be classified?

What is meant by team building? Give

an example of a typical team building

intervention


Socio-Technical Systems (STS)

A work organisation is a complex socio-technicalsystem. STS theory originated at the TavistockInstitute in London and underlies many work design,employee involvement and team-basedinterventions.

Whenever people are organised to perform a task,there are always two interdependent partsoperating: the social part (relationships between

people) and the technical part (the tools,techniques and methods for task performance). Inaddition, this STS is open in relation to itsenvironment.


Socio-Technical Systems (STS)

A project group is set-up between members of thedesign and marketing team. The task of the teamis to improve product reliability (reduce productrecalls). The team reports to the Director ofCustomer relations this is the teams externalenvironment.

The team is more likely to reach its goal if itworks well as a team (supportive relations) andexchanges support, information and workmethods (high task performance) referred to asjoint optimisation.


What are T-Groups?

T-groups (T for training) are unstructuredsmall-group situations in which participantslearn from their own actions

T-groups evolved from the laboratorytraining research of Kurt Lewin (1945)

T-groups focus on the what, how and why ofinterpersonal communication.

T-groups are used by consultants to helpmanagers learn about the effects of theirbehaviour on others


2/5


Goals of T-Groups

To increase understanding aboutones own behaviour and thebehaviour of others (sensitivitytraining)

To increase interpersonal diagnosticskills (diagnostic skills)

To support coaching and increaseability to transform learning intoaction (group action skills)


Sensitivity training

Aim is to: (1) encourage participants to

recognise the effects of their behavior

on others (e.g. by developing good

observation and listening skills) (2) get

participants to know themselves (e.g.

by asking others for feedback) and toshare aspects of themselves to others

(self-disclosure)


Diagnostic skills

Encourage participants to perceiveaccurately relationships between eachother

The focus is on recording/observingwho is taking an active role in thediscussion (and who is not and WHY)

How satisfied do participants feel inthe group discussion?


Group action skills

Encourage participants to select and act out

(role play) behaviors required by the

situation to learn from the experience

Aim is to support coaching/counselling skills

Common interventions are role plays, team

building meetings, adventure games


Johari Window

Technique for illustrating the quality ofinterpersonal communication identifiers apersons interpersonal style ofcommunication

Process consultants use the model to helppeople process data about themselves interms of how they see themselves and howothers see them

Interpersonal communication judged more

effective when there is fit (congruence)between how we see ourselves (private face)and how others see us (public face).


Johari Window

Unknown to Others Known to Others

Known toSelf

Unknownto Self

HiddenSpot

OpenWindow

Unknown

Window

Blind

Spot


3/5


nknown to Others Known to Others

Known toSelf

Unknownto Self

OpenWindow

Improving CommunicationsUsing the Johari Window

Reduce

Hidden AreathroughDisclosure to

Others

Reduce Blind Spotthrough Feedback fromOthers


Process Consultation

A set of activities on the part ofthe consultant that helps theclient to perceive, understand,and act upon the process events

which occur in the clientsenvironment. (See Application12.2)


Process Consultation

In process consultation, theconsultant observes individuals andgroups in action helping them learnto diagnose and solve their ownproblems

Often used in conjunction withteambuilding, self-directed work

teams, quality circles, and otherinterpersonal interventions


Process Consultation: How is it

Done?

Consultant observes the

communication processes between

individuals and workgroups

Interventions used such as listening,

probing, questioning, clarifying,

reflecting, synthesizing andsummarising


Process Consultation:

Key Questions

How well do group members seek and giveinformation? Ask questions? Summarize? Listen toothers?

How well do group members perform groupmaintenance roles such as compromising?Harmonizing? Supporting?

How well do group members solve problems? Makedecisions?

How well do group members deal with power and

authority issues? How well do group members exercise leadership?


Characteristics of a Team

Two or more members

Members contribute their respective

competencies (knowledge, skills)

Members actively exchange information and

support towards shared goals

A team identity distinct from individual

members

Structure is explicit, task and goal oriented,organised and purposeful


4/5


Types of Teams

Groups reporting to the same manager

Groups involving people with common goals

Temporary groups formed to accomplish aspecific, one-time task

Groups consisting of people whose workroles are interdependent

Groups with no formal links but whosecollective purpose requires coordination


Team Building Activities

Activities Related to One or MoreIndividuals

Activities Oriented to the GroupsOperations and Behaviours

Activities Affecting the GroupsRelationship with the Rest of theOrganisation


Team Building Meetings

A set of diagnostic activities designed to

understand the current structure, process,

and effectiveness of the team (i.e. task

and relationship areas)

A set of relationship activities design to

address and improve a specific aspect of

team functioning (e.g., meetingdeadlines, sharing information)


Team Building Activity

Typically held from 1 day to 3 days and off-

site where all team members can focus on

the purpose of the meeting

Often senior manager welcomes the team,

restates purpose of meeting and introduces

consultant

Consultant facilitates a discussion of teamfunctioning and then gets team engaged in

an activity (e.g. Four Faces of a Team)


Team Building Activity

Consultant reviews the findings of the activity,summarizes the data and clarifies the issues teammembers need to consider (e.g. teams may havestrong internal functioning but are not satisfyingneeds of customers external function is poor)

Team members work through ways to improve theirperformance

The team makes an action plan including who willdo what specific task and when

Follow up meetings are planned to ensure actionplans are being carried out.


Intergroup Team Building

Aim is to build the working relationship

between two teams. Works well when

teams depend on each other (i.e. high

task interdependence). Instead of

improving working relations within a

group (as like a family team), you

focus on improving relations between

teams.


5/5



Step 1: Managers of the two teams believethat the working relationship between theteams could be improved decide to involvea consultant in the process. Group decides tohow and when to set up an interventionmeeting

Step 2: Managers meet with their respectiveteams to get input and get some idea ofwhat might be accomplished at the meetingwhen it is held



Step 3: Managers give a brief introduction and outlinefor the meeting. The consultant, acting as a meetingfacilitator, lays down a few ground rules (e.g., nopersonal attacks, break-out rooms, timing)

Step 4: The consultant introduces a few processquestions for each team to answer (what are thethings about the other group that you think they do

well?, what are things you would like to see theother group do differently that would improve yourworking relationship?)



Step 5: The teams are given flipchart

paper and sent into separate break-

out rooms to answer the questions

Step 6: The teams return with their

responses. No debate is allowed.

Questions can be asked to clarify whatthings mean so everyone has a clear

understanding.



Step 7: The teams return to their rooms to: (1) discuss whatthey have learned about how they are perceived, and (2) builda list of issues that need to be resolved. They prioritize thislist.

Step 8: The teams return and share the lists once again witheach other. The consultant encourages members to come upwith a combined list of issues that need to be addressed and toprioritize this list. They set up action plans, make assignments,and set deadlines for resolution of the issues. The teamsdecide on a follow-up meeting.

Step 9: A follow-up meeting is held to assess how things are

going and to make any corrections to stay on track until goalsare achieved.


Summary

Interpersonal interventions aim to helpindividuals and group members assess theirsocial interactions (diagnosis) and devisemore effective ways of working together(relationships)

Process consultants observe groups andpeople in action they are skilled in helpingpeople diagnose the causes of their problems

and helping them learn to solve their ownproblems


Summary

Team building consists of a series of plannedactivities to help groups improve the waythey accomplish tasks (task focus) and tohelp group members get along with eachother (relationship focus) teamperformance maximised when the socio-technical system is jointly optimised.

A key focus of team building is to enhance

members interpersonal and problem solvingskills

Interpersonal_Week.pdf

Documents

Transcript of Interpersonal_Week.pdf