2 Part Assignment due tonight by 11pm Central time

Part 1

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. (Respond to each with at least 100 words)

Respond to two colleagues, preferably ones that have yet to receive a response, in the following way:

· Provide two suggestions on something your colleague can do in the future to positively change the behavior. Provide rationale for your suggestions based on your experience and the Learning Resources for the week.

1st Colleague to Respond to:

One behavior I would like to change in my professional life is the way I deliver information. Many times, I have been told that I am very harsh when speaking to people, and it seems very abrasive. I like to think that this isn’t something I do purposefully, and many times I’m unaware that it’s happening until it’s brought to my attention. “A third-party perspective...can be extremely helpful in assisting a feedback giver in designing more actionable feedback.” (Cannon, 2005.) My third party perspective comes from my colleagues and close ones telling me when my feedback wasn’t as productive as it could have been. 

When managing a team, I am a very detailed oriented leader, and I ensure that all details are distributed to my team members well in advance. One year, I was the event planner for a celebrity basketball game. I had a team of 75 volunteers to assist during the game with different tasks: ticket sales, escorts for players to/from locker rooms, etc. I sent an email with all instructions on when to arrive (2hours prior to the start of the event), what to wear (all black, no bags or purses) and what your assigned position would be for the day. To my surprise, volunteers showed up late and not in uniform, and I sent them home. A colleague of mine had to pull me to the side because the “way I told them to go home was unprofessional and could’ve been handled better.” When delivering the news to them, I truly didn’t see the issue, however after seeing it from someone else’s viewpoint I could see where I could have used different words, tones, etc. I suffer from the cognitive and emotional dynamics involved with feedback, as Cannon and Witherspoon discussed. “They (cognitive and emotional dynamics) also interfere with the ability of feedback givers to formulate and deliver feedback that is high quality and does not produce defensiveness.” (Cannon, 2005.)

References:

Cannon, M. & Witherspoon, R. (2005). Actionable Feedback: Unlocking the Power of Learning and Performance Improvement. Academy Of Management Executive, 19(2), 120–134.

2nd Colleague to Respond to:

Personal behaviour

I have identified one personal behaviour that significantly impacts how I manage and relate to others in my professional life as being my Impatience and intolerant of excuses.

As a consequence of my past experiences and the mission critical environments that I have been called upon to not only operate but to excel, I have evolved into a leader who can be impatient. I have an insatiable thirst for flawless execution on time, on budget all the time and can be very intolerant of excuses. I am extremely driven and passionate about contributing to something bigger than me and whenever persons around are not moving at a similar pace or in the same direction, I can get agitated. This has impacted how I relate to others professionally where I will advise, coach mentor and assist with the most complex of scenarios but at the end of the day for me, success is binary; it either happened or it did not.

Behavior impact

The traditional view of impatience is being redefined in today’s corporate environment where being impatient for the efficient and timely completion of tasks is a desirable quality. Though this change is eminent, a majority within the work environment still harbors the old mindset and therefore a leader perceived as impatient, risks alienating subordinates, breeding fear and ultimately hindering open communication. According to Shore (2016) Impatient leaders are more likely to be aggressive instead of assertive when communicating with others, attempting to further their ideals at any cost. With the perceived lack of regard for the feelings of others, the outcome is usually negative (resentful, angry, hurt, etc.) and while the leader usually gets compliance from subordinates, it is often at the expense of long-term loyalty, enthusiasm, creativity, extra effort and motivation. Hicks & McCracken (2013) suggests that good leaders should patiently steer subordinates, allowing them time and space to discover solutions. This approach requires persistence and tolerance.

 

References

Hicks, R., McCracken, J. (2013). Popcorn coaching. Physician Executive. Jan/Feb2013, Vol. 39 Issue 1, p85-87.  Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org.

Shore, H. (2016). How does impatience affect leadership? Retrieved from  

https://activategroupinc.com/2016/02/how-does-impatience-affect-leadership/

Part 2 Please answer all questions at least 250 words – This is a discussion question

Post a response that addresses the following:

· Compare and contrast the value of feedback from the formal performance review with more immediate and often less formal types of feedback communication— such as mentoring or coaching—that managers provide.

· Explain the effect of the feedback on your motivation as an employee. Explain whether you understood the feedback you had received and the steps you took to develop your skills as a result of the performance review.

· After considering the effect of feedback on your own motivation, discuss how you would handle situations where you, as a manager would need to provide negative feedback and the steps you would take to ensure you could maintain a positive work environment and help your employee continue to develop professionally.

*Reference the Learning Resources to support your conclusions.

Reference:

Cannon, M. D., & Witherspoon, R. (2005). Actionable feedback: Unlocking the power of learning and performance improvement. Academy of Management Executive, 19(2), 120–134. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org