AxTenk Blog

Methods of Decision Making:

1) Input to others    Leader provides input, and others decide
2) Input to leader    Others provide input to the leader, and the leader decides
3) Autocratic    Leader decides
4) Consensus    Everyone supports the decision
5) Self-directive    Others decide without leader input

While we understand that no organization typically uses only one style, we suggest that you examine your organization’s predominant decision-making styles.
At various meetings, assess how decisions are made. Observe and Develop a pattern out of what you’re observing. You’re likely to see one or two basic styles emerge. How does this compare to your own way of making decisions? Being politically savvy means adjusting your decision-making style after the organization’s style.

If there is a highly participative decision-making process, study key members’s behaviours, focusing on how they like to receive information. If a committee structure is involved, decision making is likely to be slower. If driving/dominating individuals are at the decision-making hub, the process will be faster. Adapt your style accordingly. Demonstrate the appropriate behavior of a proactive political leader.

When a colleague appears to be more focused on a personal agenda than on a team goal, tension soars. Often the person’s behavior may shift from a competitive to a collaborative position.

Competitive Behaviors:
Threats and bluffs
Focus on stereotypes
Pursuit of own goals
Irrational perspectives
Secrecy
Misrepresentation of need
Unpredictable actions

Collaborative Behaviors:
Negotiation
Pursuit of common goals
Logical and innovative perspectives
Openness
Focus on positive feelings
Accurate representation of need
Predictable actions

Sometimes lack of cooperation is a form of passive-aggressive behavior. By staying distant and not communicating, you may be acting out of frustration and even anger toward you. Left unresolved, these emotions could even lead to active sabotage of your efforts, particularly if you have status in the company. Aim to reduce the appearance of threat you may present. It’s critical to move quickly toward having a conversation with him about what you are experiencing and then extending an invitation to work together to improve your relationship.

Conflict Management Styles and Their Best Uses

1) HARMONIZE    Conflict situations are handled by accommodating the other party. Pursuing an issue is seen as selfish behavior. Always strive to maintain friendly relationships with other people
Best use:    When it is more important to preserve the relationship than to deal with the issue.

2) BARGAIN    Conflict is seen as an opportunity to negotiate, utilizing the idea that “half a loaf is better than none.” Bargaining involves willingness to give up something if the other side does, too.
Best use:    When conflict is of moderate importance or when collaboration fails.

3) PROBLEM-SOLVE    Conflict is perceived as mutual problem solving through which the needs and interests of all parties are equally considered. The goal is to achieve a solution upon which all can agree.
Best use:    To gain support, build trust, and integrate viewpoints.

4) RETREAT    Conflict is not addressed, and withdrawal is the dominant behavior. Conflict is viewed as useless and punishing. The retreater does not pursue his or her concerns or those of anyone else.
Best use:    When issue and timing are not critical.

5) BATTLE    Conflict is viewed as a challenging and exciting experience. The individual believes in the correctness of his or her position and actively pursues those beliefs in a competitive fashion.
Best use:    In crisis and when under extreme time pressure.

Many organizational situations can promote or inhibit effective conflict management. Rate your organization using the following questions in order to determine your organization’s chances of managing conflict successfully.

Organizational Conflict Predictor:
1. Does each department have a clear understanding of its major responsibilities and how they relate to other departments?
2. Are staff members willing to collaborate with one another rather than protect their own domains?
3. Is participative decision making encouraged when important organizational issues are addressed?
4. In your organization, is conflict treated as a permissible, resolvable difference of opinion?
5. Does each employee have an updated job description outlining his or her major responsibilities?
6. Do specific channels, informal and formal, exist for managing conflict in a structured manner?
7. Does management serve as an effective model of good conflict management skills and methods?
8. Do staff members at all levels have effective conflict management skills?
9. Are employees solution oriented and optimistic rather than problem focused and negative?
10. Are policies written specifically and clearly enough to provide a guide for making decisions that are uniform and fair to all employees and departments?

Team Work & Team-ability Assessment Toolkit
Assess/Rate your team according to the following questions:
1. We regularly evaluate our team performance.
2. We demonstrate creativity in our approach to doing work
3. Conflict between individuals typically gets resolved.
4. We have taken time to build relationships through activities that help us to know one another better.
5. We approach problem solving by looking at a wide range of alternatives and then selecting the best based on objective analysis.
6. Team members’ skills are complementary.
7. We are recognized by the organization for our work.
8. We have clear goals.
9. Communication among team members is open, allowing for free flow of information in a timely manner.
10. We encourage all team members to express their ideas.
11. We work well with others in our organization.
12. We organize tasks well.
13. We have established a way of measuring our progress on goals.
14. Team members’ roles have been clearly defined.
15. We have challenging team-performance standards.
16. We have established team guidelines/norms for how we want to work together.
17. Our team meetings are productive.
18. Team members trust each other.
19. We regularly celebrate our accomplishments.

Here are Tips on How to conduct Interview more effectively:

 Use structured interview guidelines
 Ask open-ended questions
 Discuss future dreams and expectations
 Ask about prior roles and responsibilities
 Challenge their decision-making technique
 Probe for analytical ability
 Measure candidate’s tolerance level
 Focus on achievements and failures
 Don’t get personal and don’t get even
 Identify behavioral moods and attitudes
 Discuss their dream job and their reason
 Ask about relationship and team building
 Discuss past performance appraisals and accomplishments
 Place candidate in a role-playing situation
 Give a character testing questionnaire
 Discuss all critical information areas
 Discuss real workplace issues and solutions
 Ask fact-finding questions
 Use silence to gain more insight
 Beware for the ‘I’ person
 Start with 10-minute phone interview
 Give out your company literature
 Conquer skepticism; don’t prejudge
 Take candidate on a workplace tour after interview
 Assign homework prior to next interview
 Use panel or cluster interviews for final interview

Resumés were used managers to get their first real glimpse at a potential hire. The resume organization, the flow of information, and the way the information is shared indicates how the candidate will perform in future. The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior.

Following is a listing of “trigger” points that you should consider when reviewing an applicant’s résumé:
    Summary of work history by type rather than listing company name, job title and contact information
    Accomplishments do not describe where and when they were made
    Gaps between employment (covering or misrepresentation of facts)
    Résumé seems too duty-oriented rather than focused on accomplishments
    Accomplishments separate from work history so it’s not clear what was done where
    Leaving out dates either in education or employment
    Positions out of line with level of personal qualifications
    Entitlement mentality: Job duties listed but no measurable accomplishments
    No chronological listing of work
    No contact information for past managers/supervisors
    Exaggeration of accountabilities and responsibility
    Poor representation of qualifications (over or under qualified)
    Pages and pages of task details
    Inaccurate information about schooling and degrees received
    Unsubstantiated overview of personal strengths
    Performance results are hard to identify

Excellent Customer Service are essential to enable business to:
 increase productivity;
 increase customer satisfaction and retention;
 increase employee satisfaction and retention;
 create a reputation for being a caring, customer-oriented company;
 differentiate itself from the competition;
 foster internal customer/supplier relationships;
 encourage employee participation;
 improve staff morale;
 bring about continuous improvements to the operation of the company.
 improve its image in the eyes of the customer;
 ensure products and services are delivered ‘right first time’;
 minimize price sensitivity;
 improve profitability;
 achieve a maximum number of advocates for the company;
 enhance its reputation;
 reduce costs;

Successful service organizations will constantly strive to achieve higher levels of customer service and finding innovative ways to enhance the customer experience.