Employee Empowerment and Interpersonal Interventions

Recognize the need for employee empowerment interventions in an OD program. Experience the dynamics involved in interpersonal communication. Practice giving and receiving feedback on personal communication style. Describe career life planning and stress management as OD techniques.

 The process of giving employees the power to make decisions about their work. Power and decision making delegated to lower levels of employees. Interventions aimed at enhancing development of individual members. Helping organization members improve:
Communications. Interpersonal skills. Managerial performance.

 Helps the organization move from the traditional I just work here, I dont make the rules mentality. Helps unleash human potential in organizations. Helps employees become more proactive and self-sufficient. Requires management to be more supportive and remove barriers. Promulgation of shared vision of future. Engaging employees so they develop sense of pride and responsibility. In many organizations empowerment is basic cornerstone of change. Empowerment concepts interwoven through OD interventions including:
Team and system interventions. Total quality management. Self-managed work teams, learning organizations. High-performance systems.

Laboratory Learning Johari Window Model Transactional Analysis Career Life Planning Stress Management

 Sometimes called:
Encounter groups. Sensitivity training. Training groups.

Objective is to increase managers interpersonal skills in leadership, group, and organization situations. Programs usually include:
10-12 participants, typically unknown to each other, 1 or 2 experienced trainers.

Focus is on what transpires in group and the interpersonal dynamics between group members. Can be conducted independently of an OD program, but the possibility of FADE OUT is greater. Evolved from work of Kurt Lewin and programs conducted by the National Training Laboratories.

Insights into managerial and personal style. Determine impact upon others. Awareness of group functioning. Analyzing and coping with change.

 Conceived by Joe Luft and Harry Ingram. Communication is critical in determining effectiveness of organizations. It is technique for identifying interpersonal communication style. Model presents:
2 dimensional, 4 cell figure. Based on interaction of self and others.

 Public area.
Behavior, thoughts, and feelings. Known both to oneself and to others.

Blind area.
Aspects of self not known to oneself. Readily apparent to others.

Closed area.
Behaviors and feelings know only to oneself. Not known to others.

Unknown area.
Aspects of self not known to oneself or others.

 Disclosure involves revealing:

Ones feelings, thoughts, and feedback to others.

Feedback is behavioral process used to:

Enlarge public area and reduce blind area.

 Developed by Dr. Eric Berne in the 1950s Model for analyzing human behavior using familiar terminology. Like Sigmund Freud, TA acknowledges that the self is not fully rational and conscious, and recognizes the importance of developmental stages and the impact of caretakers' messages during childhood. Unlike Freud, TA is more concerned with a "here-andnow" practical approach to treating personality and communication problems than with establishing the historical origin of symptoms.

 A transaction is basic unit of communication. Every interaction among people involves transaction between ego states.

 Complementary. Crossed. Ulterior.

 Occurs when a message sent from one ego state receives an expected response from other persons appropriate ego state.

 Occurs when a message from one ego state receives response from inappropriate or unexpected ego state.

 Involves two ego states simultaneously:

Literal words of transaction means one thing. Underlying intent means something entirely different.

 A stroke is any form of recognition. Includes physical, verbal, and visual messages. Strokes are conditional and unconditional.

 Conditional strokes.
Tied to some type of performance by receiver of stroke.

Unconditional strokes.
Given with no strings attached.

Both types of strokes are appropriate.

 Strokes in TA may be:

Positive. Negative. Crooked.

Positive strokes.
Transactions that provide expected response and reassure a persons worth. Results in a Youre OK feeling.

Negative strokes.
Critical transactions resulting in unexpected, unreassuring response. Results in Youre not OK feeling.

Crooked strokes.
Transactions that have double meaning. Transmits message different from words a person uses.

 Psychological position is persons general outlook on life. It is how he or she relates to others.

 Im OK, youre OK.

Acceptance of self and others. A healthy outlook.

Im OK, youre not OK.

Tendency to mistreat, blame, and put down others.

Im not OK, youre OK.

Feelings of low self-esteem or lack of power compared to others.

Im not OK, youre not OK.

Feelings of low self-esteem and loss of interest in living. Feelings of confusion and depression.

 TA emphasizes open communications. Provides framework for examining how people communicate and work. Adult-to-adult transactions help develop employee involvement and empowerment.

 Help individuals better manage their career. Process of choosing occupational, organizational, and career paths.

 Prepare set of career life goals. Go through the list to:

Test for reality. Determine priorities. Look for conflicting goals.

Make list of:

Important accomplishments. Things that made participant feel satisfied.

Work through list in Step 3 looking for conflicts. Prepare detailed plan of action.

 Stress is interaction between individual and environment. Characterized by emotional strain affecting persons physical and mental condition. Excessive work and personal stress can become dysfunctional.

 External event (stressor). Emotional or physical reaction to the stressor such as:
Fear. Anxiety. Muscle tension. Increased heart rate.

 On-the-job activities. Events occurring away from work. The two are interrelated and complex issues.

Change in policy. Reorganization. Unexpected changes in schedules. Conflicts with other people. Lack of feedback. Not enough time to perform duties. Lack of participation. Job ambiguities.

 Emotional exhaustion and reduced accomplishment. Experienced by those who do people work. Response to chronic emotional strain of dealing extensively with other people.

 Helps individuals cope with negative outcomes of exposure to stress. Interventions include:
Wellness programs. Relaxation techniques. Career life planning. Stress management training. Job burnout seminars.

Wellness Program Helps employees to improve diet and exercise. Sometimes includes company-built training facilities. Relaxation Techniques

 Two commonly used techniques:

Biofeedback. Meditation.

Career Life Planning Sessions may be one-to-one or group sessions. Stress Management Training Instruction in:
Time management. Goal setting. Relaxation techniques. Conflict resolution.

Seminars on Job Burnout Workshops to help employees understand nature and symptoms of job problems.