|
||
To return to the Table of Contents click here. To print copies of the CAPS materials click here. |
Student name: ______________________________________Date:_____________
MODULE 7
Demonstrate ways to resolve conflict.
Objectives:
A. List problem solving steps and decision-making
skills.
B. Identify coping skills used to deal with different
types of problems.
C. Identify
ways an employee can get along with
co-workers, employees, and customers.
MODULE 7: INFORMATION SHEET
TO THE STUDENT: Read and study this information sheet and complete
the student activities at the end of this module.
Getting Along With Others
A person can be extremely well qualified, have a lot of technical skills, be honest and hardworking, and still fail to achieve goals in life or be satisfied. A reason for this is that there is virtually nothing that we do that is not affected by how well or poorly we relate to other people.
Contact
with other people occurs frequently in most jobs. A worker who is unable to
get along with others may not survive on the job very long. Some of the people
an employee may have to get along with are co-workers, supervisors, and the
general public.
We
All Need Human Relations Skills
When you interact with other people, you are engaging in human relations. We all interact with other people. We cannot escape doing so in our crowded, complex, interrelated society. In a single day you relate to co-workers, salespeople, bus drivers, parents, children, sisters, brothers, bosses, teachers, customers, neighbors, friends, and police.
Some
of these relations are pleasant, some unpleasant; some satisfying, some not
so satisfying. Overall your success and satisfaction in life will be influenced
by how well you relate, by your human relations skills.
From
the time you were born, you have had to deal with people, and as you go out
into the world of work, your ability to get along with others on the job combined
with your job skills will determine whether or not you will be a successful
employee. In order to get along with others, you must first understand yourself
better and how you react to others in different situations. As you learn to
evaluate yourself in relationships with peers, co-workers, teachers, family
and acquaintances, you will develop human relations skills.
There
are many skilled people who have the technical knowledge needed to carry out
specific job duties, but they have not learned good human relations skills.
Some of the personal reasons for learning good human relations skills are:
1. You will be able to improve social relationships.
2. You will understand yourself better.
3. You will be able to assess situations with people more accurately.
4. You will enjoy interaction with people on the job more so that you will be more satisfied with your place of employment.
Human
Relations Is Communicating
Because you are involved in some form of human relations practically all of your waking hours, human relations skills are clearly important. Human relations means communicating with others.
That
involves obvious direct communication, such as talking and listening, writing
and reading. It also includes nonverbal communication using body language,
consciously or subconsciously; how you dress, how you take care of yourself.
It involves what you communicate and how you communicate.
In
most occupations an employee will be in frequent contact with co-workers.
In some jobs it is necessary to discuss tasks with other employees in order
to complete the work. Even if speaking to other workers is not required to
do the job, it is still important to be on friendly terms with other employees.
Employers prefer a friendly atmosphere because most people perform better
when they get along well with those around them. Hostility, a feeling of ill
will, can create problems that could cause a slowdown in production. A worker
who makes other people angry, for example, is interfering with their performance.
Such a worker usually does not last very long on the job.
Getting
along with supervisors is also very important in job survival. If, because
of a negative attitude, an employee doesn't cooperate with a supervisor, the
supervisor can recommend that the employee be fired. A supervisor can also
prevent an uncooperative worker from receiving a promotion.
In
many occupations it is necessary for a worker to deal directly with the general
public. They may have frequent daily contact with many people whom they have
not met before. Salespersons, nurses, and receptionists are just a few examples.
Such workers must be able to get along well with everyone they meet. A complaint
to management from a dissatisfied customer or client could place a worker's
job in jeopardy.
Getting
along with others is not difficult. There are guidelines one can follow when
dealing with co-workers, supervisors, and the general public:
1. Be courteous and polite at all times!
2. Develop a friendly attitude.
3. Don't become
involved in gossip.
4. Control
your temper.
5. Accept criticism.
Problem
Solving Steps
The way people show their feelings expresses the attitude they have. From someone's looks or actions, it is quite easy to see whether he or she feels happy, excited, or sad. People show how they feel even without saying a word. Sometimes an employee may feel hostile toward someone. It is wise not to let these feelings show. Having a positive attitude is necessary for success in any occupation.
The way in which we learn to identify and solve problems
can have a far reaching effect, not only on ourselves, but on the others around
us. If we learn how to identify the basic process of solving a problem, we
can apply it to all areas of our lives--on the job, at home, at school, and
in peer relationships.
The basic steps to solving a problem are:
1. Recognize
the problem.
2. Obtain
the facts - The more facts you gather, the better your decision will be.
3. Weigh
the facts.
4. Determine
the goal or objective desired.
5. Make
a decision based on several possible solutions - list the pros and cons to
each alternative and the possible consequences or results of each solution.
6. Take
action to solve the problem.
7. Check the results of your actions to determine whether or not your solution to the problem is working.
If we learn to identify and recognize what the real
problem is, we have a better chance of solving it rationally, but if we deny
there is a problem when there actually is one, it will only get harder to
solve.
Get
along with others on the job
More people are fired because they can't get along with others than for any other reason. No matter how good you are at your work, to survive on the job you must get along with other people.
Sometimes on our jobs we are confronted with situations
in which we are required to respond to our co-workers, our supervisor, employer
or to customers’ actions. To handle these types of problems, there are several
responses that we can take to help us get along better with others.
Some suggestions for getting along with a supervisor
include:
1. Accept the
authority of the supervisor.
2. Immediately
ask the supervisor for more responsibility when all assigned duties are completed.
3. Handle merchandise and supplies carefully - they represent an investment to the business.
4. Learn from
all supervisors, both the good ones and those less skilled. Whether the constructive
criticism by a superior is negative or positive, employees must learn to listen
to what is being said about their job performance that they need to correct
in carrying out their job duties, and not let the manner in which they are
being told overshadow the message of the supervisor.
Some of the ways you can improve your relationships
with your co-workers are to:
1. Know
all co-workers by name.
2. Introduce
yourself to the other employees if the supervisor or another employee does
not do so.
3. Greet by
name or at least smile at the other employees upon arriving at work.
In order to greet the customers or clients at your business and make them feel welcome, you should learn ways to make them feel important so they will want to return to your business in the future. You are the representative for your business, and the customers will form an opinion about the service your business offers by the way you provide them with help and information.
Following is a list of suggestions to make your customers
feel welcome:
1. Smile and
greet each customer with whom you come in contact with confidence and sincerity.
2. Treat each
customer as a guest: the customer
is your reason for being in business.
3. Help each customer with individual needs - customers
come to a business because they need the goods or services you provide.
MODULE 7: STUDENT ACTIVITIES
TO THE STUDENT: After you have read and studied the information sheet,
complete the following activities in complete sentences.
1. Sometimes a worker puts down other workers just
to see them get upset. What could you do instead of getting upset?