Office Politics for Managers Instructor Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ..............................................................................................................................................5 What is Courseware? ................................................................................................................................ 5 How Do I Customize My Course? .............................................................................................................. 5 Materials Required ................................................................................................................................... 7 Maximizing Your Training Power .............................................................................................................. 7 Module One: Getting Started .............................................................................................................9 Housekeeping Items.................................................................................................................................. 9 The Parking Lot ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Workshop Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 10 Pre-Assignment Review .......................................................................................................................... 11 Action Plans and Evaluation Forms ........................................................................................................ 11 Module Two: New Hires ................................................................................................................... 12 Company Core Values ............................................................................................................................. 12 Building Relationships............................................................................................................................. 13 Encourage Respect.................................................................................................................................. 14 Setting Ground Rules .............................................................................................................................. 15 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 16 Module Two: Review Questions.............................................................................................................. 17 Module Three: It’s About Interacting and Influencing........................................................................ 20 Dealing with Different Personalities ....................................................................................................... 20 Build a Culture of Collaboration.............................................................................................................. 21 Be Nice to Everyone (Not Just Those Who Can Help You)....................................................................... 22 Be a Team Player .................................................................................................................................... 23
Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 24 Module Three: Review Questions ........................................................................................................... 26 Module Four: Dealing with Rumors, Gossip, and Half - Truths ........................................................... 29 Its Effects on Morale ............................................................................................................................... 31 Reinforce the Truth with Facts ................................................................................................................ 32 Deal With it Swiftly ................................................................................................................................. 33 Do Not Participate .................................................................................................................................. 34 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 35 Module Four: Review Questions ............................................................................................................. 36 Module Five: Office Personalities (I) ................................................................................................. 39 Complainer.............................................................................................................................................. 39 Gossiper .................................................................................................................................................. 40 Bully ........................................................................................................................................................ 41 Negative Ned / Nancy ............................................................................................................................. 42 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 43 Module Five: Review Questions .............................................................................................................. 44 Module Six: Office Personalities (II) .................................................................................................. 47 Information Keeper ................................................................................................................................. 47 Know-It-All .............................................................................................................................................. 48 The Apple - Polisher ................................................................................................................................ 49 Nosey Neighbor ...................................................................................................................................... 50 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 51 Module Six: Review Questions ................................................................................................................ 53 Module Seven: Getting Support for Your Projects ............................................................................. 56 Gain Trust Through Honesty ................................................................................................................... 56 Be Assertive............................................................................................................................................. 57
Blow Your Own Horn............................................................................................................................... 58 Make Allies.............................................................................................................................................. 59 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 60 Module Seven: Review Questions ........................................................................................................... 61 Module Eight: Conflict Resolution..................................................................................................... 64 The Importance of Forgiveness ............................................................................................................... 64 Neutralizing Emotions ............................................................................................................................ 65 The Benefits of a Resolution ................................................................................................................... 66 The Agreement Frame ............................................................................................................................ 67 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 68 Module Eight: Review Questions ............................................................................................................ 70 Module Nine: Ethics ......................................................................................................................... 73 Benefits of an Ethical Environment......................................................................................................... 73 Lead by Example ..................................................................................................................................... 74 Ensuring Ethical Behavior ....................................................................................................................... 75 Addressing Unethical Behavior ............................................................................................................... 76 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 77 Module Nine: Review Questions ............................................................................................................. 79 Module Ten: You Are Not an Island .................................................................................................. 82 Never Burn a Bridge ................................................................................................................................ 82 Take the High Road................................................................................................................................. 83 Trust is a Two-Way Street....................................................................................................................... 84 Don’t Hide in Your Office ........................................................................................................................ 85 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 86 Module Ten: Review Questions .............................................................................................................. 87 Module Eleven: Social Events Outside of Work ................................................................................. 90
How to Decline Politely ........................................................................................................................... 90 Rules When Attending ............................................................................................................................ 91 Meeting New People............................................................................................................................... 92 Conversation Dos and Don’ts.................................................................................................................. 93 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 94 Module Eleven: Review Questions .......................................................................................................... 96 Module Twelve: Wrapping Up .......................................................................................................... 99 Words from the Wise .............................................................................................................................. 99 Review of Parking Lot ............................................................................................................................. 99 Lessons Learned .................................................................................................................................... 100 Completion of Action Plans and Evaluations ........................................................................................ 100
The only limits are, as always, those of vision. James Broughton
Preface What is Courseware? Welcome to Courseware.com, a completely new training experience! Our courseware packages offer you top-quality training materials that are customizable, user-friendly, educational, and fun. We provide your materials, materials for the student, PowerPoint slides, and a takehome reference sheet for the student. You simply need to prepare and train! Best of all, our courseware packages are created in Microsoft Office and can be opened using any version of Word and PowerPoint. (Most other word processing and presentation programs support these formats, too.) This means that you can customize the content, add your logo, change the color scheme, and easily print and e-mail training materials.
How Do I Customize My Course? Customizing your course is easy. To edit text, just click and type as you would with any document. This is particularly convenient if you want to add customized statistics for your region, special examples for your participants’ industry, or additional information. You can, of course, also use all of your word processor’s other features, including text formatting and editing tools (such as cutting and pasting). To remove modules, simply select the text and press Delete on your keyboard. Then, navigate to the Table of Contents, right-click, and click Update Field. You may see a dialog box; if so, click “Update entire table” and press OK.
(You will also want to perform this step if you add modules or move them around.)
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If you want to change the way text looks, you can format any piece of text any way you want. However, to make it easy, we have used styles so that you can update all the text at once. If you are using Word 97 to 2003, start by clicking the Format menu followed by Styles and Formatting. In Word 2007 and 2010 under the Home tab, right-click on your chosen style and click Modify. That will then produce the Modify Style options window where you can set your preferred style options. For example, if we wanted to change our Heading 1 style, used for Module Titles, this is what we would do:
Now, we can change our formatting and it will apply to all the headings in the document. For more information on making Word work for you, please refer to Word 2007 or 2010 Essentials by Courseware.com.
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Materials Required All of our courses use flip chart paper and markers extensively. (If you prefer, you can use a whiteboard or chalkboard instead.) We recommend that each participant have a copy of the Training Manual, and that you review each module before training to ensure you have any special materials required. Worksheets and handouts are included within a separate activities folder and can be reproduced and used where indicated. If you would like to save paper, these worksheets are easily transferrable to a flip chart paper format, instead of having individual worksheets. We recommend these additional materials for all workshops:
Laptop with projector, for PowerPoint slides
Quick Reference Sheets for students to take home
Timer or watch (separate from your laptop)
Masking tape
Blank paper
Maximizing Your Training Power We have just one more thing for you before you get started. Our company is built for trainers, by trainers, so we thought we would share some of our tips with you, to help you create an engaging, unforgettable experience for your participants.
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Make it customized. By tailoring each course to your participants, you will find that your results will increase a thousand-fold. o
Use examples, case studies, and stories that are relevant to the group.
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Identify whether your participants are strangers or whether they work together. Tailor your approach appropriately.
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Different people learn in different ways, so use different types of activities to balance it all out. (For example, some people learn by reading, while others learn by talking about it, while still others need a hands-on approach. For more information, we suggest Experiential Learning by David Kolb.)
Make it fun and interactive. Most people do not enjoy sitting and listening to someone else talk for hours at a time. Make use of the tips in this book and your own experience to keep your
participants engaged. Mix up the activities to include individual work, small group work, large group discussions, and mini-lectures. 
Make it relevant. Participants are much more receptive to learning if they understand why they are learning it and how they can apply it in their daily lives. Most importantly, they want to know how it will benefit them and make their lives easier. Take every opportunity to tie what you are teaching back to real life.
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Keep an open mind. Many trainers find that they learn something each time they teach a workshop. If you go into a training session with that attitude, you will find that there can be an amazing two-way flow of information between the trainer and trainees. Enjoy it, learn from it, and make the most of it in your workshops.
And now, time for the training!
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People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. Mary Kay Ash Module One: Getting Started Office politics, or work politics, are the strategies and procedures that employees use to function and advance in a work setting. It is important for managers to learn and understand the office environment and the employees that make it tick. Since the manager interacts with several aspects of the workplace, one should learn how to effectively work with colleagues, supervisors, and upper management in order to help keep the department functioning as a whole.
Housekeeping Items Take a few moments to cover basic housekeeping items.
If you need an opening or a way to introduce the participants to each other, utilize the Icebreakers folder to begin or between breaks during the day.
Let participants know where they can find washrooms, break facilities, and fire exits.
Ask participants to turn off their cell phones or at least turn them to vibrate. If they must take a call, request that they do it outside.
Take this time to encourage the group to ask questions and make this an interactive workshop.
Write the words Respect, Confidentiality, and Practice on a piece of flip chart paper and tape it to the wall. Explain to participants that in order to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn!
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The Parking Lot Explain the concept of The Parking Lot to participants.
The Parking Lot is a visible place where you will “park” ideas that arise which are not on the agenda, may be off topic, or are better addressed outside of the program.
At the end of the session, we will review parked ideas and follow up, or make suggestions for your own investigation when you are back at work.
Suggestions for the trainer: 1. If you are working with a large group of participants, you may wish to nominate a recorder to park items as you are facilitating. 2. It’s a good idea to note the name of the contributor along with the parked item. 3. Items noted on the parking lot can be useful to you later as you plan future training sessions.
Workshop Objectives To effectively deal with office politics, you must first accept the reality that they exist in every environment. Once accepted, the manager can learn the different ways to successfully manage employees as well as build the support they need to grow.
Understand the purpose and benefits of office politics.
Setting boundaries and ground rules for new employees.
Learn to interact and influence among colleagues.
Learn how to manage various personality types in the office.
Determine how to gain support and effectively network.
Recognize how you are a part of a group and how you function.
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Pre-Assignment Review The purpose of the Pre-Assignment is to get participants thinking about their current feelings and thoughts about to Office Politics. You will also find a PreAssignment handout in the Activities folder.
Explain how you feel about the positive aspects of Office Politics? _______________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
Explain how you feel about the negative aspects of Office Politics? _______________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
Action Plans and Evaluation Forms Pass out the participant action plans and course evaluation forms. They are located in the activities folder. Ask participants to fill these out throughout the day as they learn new things and have ideas on how to incorporate the things we discuss into their lives. The action plan uses the SMART system. This means that your goals must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
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Hire character. Train skill. Peter Schutz
Module Two: New Hires Once new employees are brought onboard, they are often given vital information and skills needed to succeed in the group. While this information can help them get started, the new hire will need to learn the inner workings of the office and the environment they are now a part of in order to thrive and be successful. As a manager, you can help new employees realize how the office functions and what they can do to fit right in.
Company Core Values Learning a company’s core values is a common first step during an employee’s first orientation. Having this information allows the employee to build a base knowledge of the company and how it works. Some important points to include are:
What the core values are.
How these values are enacted.
What kind of results and productivity are valued.
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Review company value topics for new hires Company Core Values
Topic Summary Explaining the company’s core values and how they are performed Materials Required
01-Company Core Values Review
Planning Checklist
None
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Recommended Activity
Complete the worksheet individually. Briefly discuss answers with the rest of the class.
Stories to Share
Share a personal experience of welcoming a new hire to the office
Delivery Tips
Encourage participants to share their ideas. Volunteers only on this exercise.
Review Questions
Why is it important to learn a company’s core values as a new hire?
Building Relationships Building key relationships with new hires ensures they will feel confident in what they do in the office and that they can come to you if they need assistance. Establishing a connection from the beginning and throughout the duration of the person’s stay with the company helps them to establish their own ground while learning the politics of their environment. Keys to building better relationships among employees:
Create self-awareness: Identify how you appear to others.
Establish roles as manager and employee.
Encourage communication between colleagues as well as management (i.e. open door policy).
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Identify Relationship building techniques Keys to Building Better Relationships Among Employees
Topic Summary Identify and discuss examples of building better employee relationships Materials Required
Flipchart/Markers/Pens
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Show a couple of pre-determined techniques and examples of ways management can build employee relationships. Then have participants contribute additional ideas and techniques. Document all ideas on the flip chart for a class display.
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Stories to Share
Share personal experiences or ideas pertaining to building better employee/manager relationships.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What is one method of encouraging better relationships between employee and management?
Encourage Respect As a manager, it is important to encourage respect and etiquette among employees. Not only should you respect your workers, but respect from them is just as crucial. Any new hire is especially encouraged to respect their new coworkers and managers and establish a relationship from the beginning. An equal amount of respect should be shown to each employee and etiquette guidelines should be established. Respect includes consideration for:
Other people's privacy
Employee’s physical space and belongings
Different viewpoints
Philosophies and beliefs
Personality
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Recognizing different forms of respect Encourage Respect
Topic Summary
Identify different methods of respect and how they can be encouraged in the work place
Materials Required
02-Recognizing Respect
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Fill out the worksheet individually; Discuss answers and thoughts with the rest of the class.
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Stories to Share
Share relevant personal encounters with a respectful or disrespectful employee situation.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What is one method of encouraging respect among the office?
Setting Ground Rules When a new employee is hired, they are expected to come into the workplace and learn to work with peers and contribute to the team. Setting ground rules before they are released to the group is a key step to ensuring they can work with others while knowing what is, or isn’t, expected of them. While most of this information can be found in an employee manual or handbook, a review from the manager can make the information easily accepted and allows for any questions that may arise. Ground rules should touch on various topics of the office, including:
Dress code and attire
Behavior and tolerance
Chain of command (i.e. for complaints, questions, etc.)
Productivity guidelines (i.e. deadlines, processes, quotas)
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Getting Started with Ground Rules Setting Ground Rules
Topic Summary Discuss various guidelines and boundaries Materials Required
Flipchart/Dry erase board, markers
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Discuss with the class the different rules/guidelines/boundaries of the office that would need to be discussed with a new hire. List the results on the flipchart or dry erase board.
Stories to Share
Personal sets of guidelines used in one’s own office.
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Delivery Tips
Ask every participant for an example.
Review Questions
What is the importance of ground rules for a new hire?
Case Study James recently hired an accountant, Jenny, to join their busy team during a peak of the season. Within the first week, Jenny’s productivity was low and she was often seen working alone in her office. Some of the other workers in the office started to complain that she wasn’t working well with the group. James approached Jenny and discovered that she had been unaware of the office’s productivity guidelines and did not know who to turn to wither questions. In turn, she wasn’t building a good working relationship with her peers or the manager. James took time to review the office rules and guidelines with her personally and encouraged more team meetings to help improve colleague relations. He also made it a point to add these topics to employee orientation.
Estimated Time
5 minutes
Topic Objective
Outline the new hire case study. Case Study
Topic Summary Discuss how new hire information can affect their time on the job. Materials Required
None
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Discuss the results of the case study. How would Jenny’s first week at the office been different if the information had been delivered more clearly?
Stories to Share
Share any relevant personal/professional story.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
Why did James hire Jenny?
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Module Two: Review Questions 1. What information should be included when talking about a company’s core values? a) b) c) d)
How they are enacted Their origin Who created them When they were instilled
When speaking of a company’s core values, it is important to cover how they are enacted in the company and immediate work space. 2. When is the best time to introduce a company’s core values? a) b) c) d)
During the first week on the job After their first assignment During the employee’s orientation At their first evaluation
An employee’s orientation can start after a job interview or during the first few weeks on the job. This is the best time to educate a new hire about core values since they are new to the company and they will need the information to move on through their position. 3. Identifying how you appear to others is also known as: a) b) c) d)
Title management Self-awareness Relationship block Conversation starter
Self-awareness first establishes who you are to yourself so that you can portray that image onto your employees. Having this confidence is the key when managing a group. 4. ____________ is one way of encouraging relationship building. a) b) c) d)
Isolation Competition Documentation Communication
Communication opens doors between colleagues and allows people to build a professional relationship.
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5. Honoring an employee’s personal beliefs is a sign of __________. a) b) c) d)
Prejudice Favoritism Respect Profiling
Recognizing an employee’s personal beliefs, such as religion or philosophies, is a form of respect. A manager can encourage respect between themselves and employees by doing this. 6. How much respect is due over a manager’s entire group of employees? a) b) c) d)
An equal amount Amount based on merit None at all Amount based on gender
Among manager and employees, an equal amount of respect should be shown to everyone. Any shifts in respect can result in a sense of favoritism and create a hostile relationship among coworkers. 7. Besides providing the information upon orientation, where else can a new hire find company ground rules and guidelines? a) b) c) d)
Posters in the employee break room On the public company website Nowhere else Employee manual or handbook
Company ground rules/guidelines/boundaries should be covered and introduced when an employee is just hired. However, they should still be listed in an employee manual or handbook for future reference. 8. Which of the following is a set of ground rules introduced to new hires? a) b) c) d)
Parking lot regulations Dress code and attire Companies recycle options Payroll and benefits
Dress code and attire are a basic set of ground rules regarding appearance in the work place. The other options are general office/position information that does not have to be shared during an employee orientation.
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9. What position did James hire Jenny into? a) b) c) d)
Sales Associate Cashier Accountant Data Analyst
James hired Jenny as an accountant to help out during a busy time of the season. 10. What did James do to correct the situation? a) b) c) d)
Reassigned the employee to another department Reprimanded the employee Instructed the employee to review her handbook Reviewed the information with the employee personally
James confronted Jenny in person about the problems on the job since talking face to face is the best method when addressing a problem. This way he was able to find out firsthand what was wrong and what to fix.
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Strength lies in differences, not similarities. Stephen Covey
Module Three: It’s About Interacting and Influencing As stated before, office politics exist in every office environment. Offices are normally made up of a wide range of people and personality types. They key to maintaining good politics is to know how to interact with each other and influence the employees under your management.
Dealing with Different Personalities Good relationships among employees can build the base for a better team. Different personalities have different strengths and weaknesses, which can be paired together to complement each other. Knowing the different types of personalities and how to deal with them can make any office situation easy to manage. You’ll learn more about types of personalities in modules five and six. Common office personality types:
Complainer
Gossiper
Bully
Negative Ned/Nancy
Information Keeper
Know-it-all
The Apple Polisher
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Nosey Neighbor
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Identifying various personality types Dealing with Different Personalities
Topic Summary Understand the variety of office personalities and how to deal with them. Materials Required
03- Personality Type Characteristics
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Review and complete Worksheet Three. Meet in small groups to discuss the answers. Review results as a class.
Stories to Share
Share any relevant professional stories
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What is the benefit of having different personality types working together?
Build a Culture of Collaboration When companies grow, the group culture grows and cliques can begin to form. With so many conflicting visions, a company can lose sight of its original purpose. The goal for a manager is to form a collaboration that features every person’s talents and visions. Tips:
Listen and observe your employees
Be diplomatic
Keep private matters private
Don’t get emotional – keep a professional standing
Estimated Time
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10 minutes
Topic Objective
Identify collaboration problems and solutions Build a Culture of Collaboration
Topic Summary
Identify various problems that can arise during collaboration and ways to resolve them.
Materials Required
04-Building a Culture of Collaboration
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Complete the handout in small groups and discuss the results. Select a few groups to share their results with the class.
Stories to Share
Share any professional experiences with collaboration.
Delivery Tips
Choose a few groups or allow volunteers to share their results.
Review Questions
What is one thing a manager can do to help build collaboration?
Be Nice to Everyone (Not Just Those Who Can Help You) It’s important to be nice to everyone in the office. As a manager, people should feel free to approach you with their problems or concerns. If they feel as though you’ve picked favorites or excluded others, it could not only affect their performance on the job, but yours as well. Treating everyone equally is the best way to help prevent cliques and out casting in the office. Useful Tips:
Stay neutral
Don’t get involved in office gossip or hype
Watch for red flags among employees
Monitor how you approach employees and delegate tasks
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Share tips on employee equality.
Topic Summary
Be Nice to Everyone
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Review and learn ways of ensuring you treat employee’s equally and fairly. Materials Required
05-Be Nice to Everyone
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Complete the handout individually. Discuss your answers with the rest of the class.
Stories to Share
Share goals and planned activities with the group.
Delivery Tips
Encourage participants to share their ideas.
Review Questions
Why is it important to treat all employees equally in the workplace?
Be a Team Player A team player believes that they can (or the group can) get ahead by working hard and participating toward advancing the goals of the team. They know to put the team’s needs ahead of their personal needs and usually follow the path needed to get the job done right the first time. As a manager, you are an important part of the team and an influential team member. Following our previous exercises, we’ve learned it’s important to identify your team’s differences and similarities in order to have the team run not only smoothly, but successfully. Characteristics of being a team player:
Do not make pre-judgments about your team members. Base your observations on their current work habits and behaviors.
Provide encouragement and motivation to your employees.
Show empathy for another worker’s problems or needs.
Keep an open mind about every member. Respect their values and opinions.
If problems should arise with an employee or among the team, take care of it right away. Allowing them to go unsettled can cause problems among the team.
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Explore keys ways of being a team player
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Be a Team Player Topic Summary
Review various team building exercises that can benefit a group of employees working together.
Materials Required
Computer or pictures/posters, flipchart or dry erase board
Planning Checklist
Find a list of common team building exercises with overviews and instructions. Create a presentation on the computer or make a list of them on a flip chart or dry erase board. Use pictures or posters to demonstrate how the exercises are done.
Recommended Activity
Use the presentation and discuss the benefits of each exercise and how they can be carried out.
Stories to Share
Share any personal team exercises that have been done before.
Delivery Tips
Review each exercise with the class and ask if anyone has done them before. Discuss variations that can be performed and how they will help the team.
Review Questions
What is one characteristic of a team player?
Case Study Everett gathered a new team of employees together to design a new company logo. He held several meetings to explain the tasks and ordered that the employees work together to pull it off, although he delegated most of the work to his top two performers. Soon, the group’s personalities clashed and many of them began to argue. The project fell behind and they were past due on their deadlines. Everett realized he was favoring some employees and not giving enough attention to others. In turn, the group wasn’t sure how to act together, and failed to work as a team. He made sure to re-delegate the task equally among the group and listen to each employee’s input. Once everyone felt equal to one another, they were able to think together and complete the project as planned.
Estimated Time
5 minutes
Topic Objective
Outline the Team Player/Collaboration case study
Topic Summary
Case Study
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Discuss being a team player in the workplace. Materials Required
None
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Discuss the results of the case study. What could Everett have done to improve the group effort?
Stories to Share
Share any relevant personal stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What is one mistake Everett made when he formed the new team?
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Module Three: Review Questions 1. Which of the following is a common office personality type? a) b) c) d)
Gossiper Manager Coworker Ugly Betty
Gossiper is a common personality type. A gossiper usually feeds on rumors and usually claims to know the latest scoop on anyone. 2. What is the benefit of having different personalities working together? a) b) c) d)
They fight more Their different opinions clash Different personalities make interesting meetings Their strengths and weaknesses complement each other
When different personality types come together as a team, their strengths and weaknesses work together to complement each other. Since projects usually have various aspects and parts, having a variety of personality types ensures each task can have its own ‘expert’. 3. What is a common problem that arises when companies increase their number of employees? a) b) c) d)
Employees form friendships outside of work Cliques can form and exclude other employees Employees work together on more team projects Employee discounts increase
When a company increases its number of employees, the group diversity then increases. When differences aren’t handled correctly, employee cliques can form and make other workers left out. 4. What is the primary goal when forming a collaboration? a) b) c) d)
Making sure there is enough work to go around Using the employee’s arguments against them Using employee’s talents and visions together Making sure the employees get enough breaks
When a manager first forms some sort of collaboration, the first thing to think about are the employee’s talents and visions. Finding employees that work together and can share talents ensures a project’s success.
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5. As a manager, employees should feel comfortable enough to do what? a) b) c) d)
Leave work early on Fridays Approach you with questions or concerns Work together without supervision Ask for more time off
Part of treating employees equally and ‘being nice to everyone’ is making sure your employees feel comfortable enough to approach you with their problems or concerns. If you show favoritism or discrimination, some employees may see you as unapproachable. 6. What is one method of preventing cliques and groups in the office? a) b) c) d)
Assigning more work for everyone Discourage socializing at work Separating people with similar interests Treating employees equally
As said before, managers that treat employees equally are more likely to prevent cliques in the workplace. Managers are not only nice to their hardest working employees; they are nice to every employee and makes sure they feel as though they are a part of the team. 7. What is one key point to being a team player? a) b) c) d)
Providing motivation and encouragement Being the first to arrive at team meetings Focusing on individual achievements Downplaying other member’s achievements
Providing motivation and encouragement to other team members is a key sign of a team player. Team players put the good of the team before themselves. 8. How does the team player believe the group can get ahead? a) b) c) d)
Waits for other team members to do all the work Making someone else do all the work Taking on most of the work themselves By working hard together
Team members know that to get ahead and be successful, they need to work together rather than depending on one person to pull them through.
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9. What is Everett’s team in charge of? a) b) c) d)
Cleaning out the office storage room Settling the account books Designing a new company logo Taking pictures at the company Christmas party
Everett gathered a new team in order to design a new company logo. 10. What was one of the consequences for Everett’s mistakes? a) b) c) d)
Some of the employees quit The employees were missing their deadlines The office ran out of sticky notes The employees began to argue more
When Everett over-assigned some employees and neglected others, the team spent more time arguing than getting any work done. Therefore, the team began to miss their deadlines and hindered their job performance.
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