![Understanding workplace behaviour: we are
all individuals and at work we act in different
ways. Luckily there are some identifiable
trends which managers can use to promote
workplace harmony and productivity
by Dick McCann | Feb, 2003 | 0 Comments
• f
• t
One of the greatest challenges facing managers and leaders is to understand people's motives. If we know why
people do the things they do we can develop greater understanding, better relationships at work, a happier
environment and improved individual, team and organisational performance. This, of course, leads to bottom-line
benefits.
Over a period of 25 years I have tried to develop behavioural models that can help leaders assign jobs, put together
effective teams, motivate staff and deliver outstanding results.
The Pyramid of Workplace Behaviour (Figure 1) shows the three levels that build a complete picture of the different
ways that people approach work.
[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]
Values
Values are fundamental concepts or beliefs which people use to guide their behaviour in the workplace. Values will
drive our decision making and cause us to summon up energy to preserve what we believe in.
Values go beyond specific situations and determine how we view people, behaviour and events. Often major sources
of conflict and disillusionment are due to mismatched values. Whereas we are often willing to work on tasks that we
dislike, we are much less likely to compromise when our values are under threat.
Values are difficult to observe in others, as they are inner concepts often buried in the human psyche and not readily
accessible by the conscious mind. When these values are violated, the conscious mind takes over and appropriate
behaviour occurs to defend this attack.
Workplace values can be measured by the author's Window on Work Values. This is a model that groups values
together in clusters of eight `value types' which are depicted as window panes, rather like those in the rose windows](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/workplacebehavior-101005224727-phpapp01/85/Workplace-behavior-3-320.jpg)
![obstacles' people are also more comfortable with the present and past. To them the future is not a rosy place but one
that is fraught with difficulties. Some hanker for `the good old days' when life was much better than it is now.
Preferences
We all approach our work in different ways--we think in different ways, we plan in different ways and we
communicate in different ways. Some aspects of our work might interest us more than others and therefore we will
tend to place more emphasis on these activities. Preferences are another name for what we like doing. We value our
preferences but they are not `values'.
Preferences guide our behaviour, but if we have to work outside them at various times then we can usually cope.
Values, on the other hand, are deep-seated determinants of behaviour and we are more likely to react negatively
when these values are violated.
Preferences are usually transparent and are often the first thing we notice in others: `He's rather quiet, isn't he?' or
`She never stops talking'. Some people prefer to think things through on their own, whereas others need to talk out
loud to clarify their ideas. Preferences are at the apex of the pyramid because they are readily visible to others and
are usually the basis of first impressions. They are also subject to a degree of variability, depending on the situations
faced.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Australian Institute of Banking and Finance
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
In a team, work preferences can be well understood by using the model of the Margerison-McCann Team
Management Wheel (Figure 3).
[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]
This model describes eight different roles that people like to adopt when working in a team.
Reporter-advisor: Prefers gathering information and likes to fully understand situations before acting
Creator-innovator: Enjoys thinking up new ideas and new ways of doing things rather than focusing on delivering
outputs on a regular basis.
Explorer-promoter: Likes to take ideas and promote them to others, not worrying too much about any details
involved.
Assessor-developer: Enjoys analysing and developing different possibilities before decisions are made
Thruster-organiser: Likes to make things happen and get results rather than `waste' too much time debating issues
Concluder-producer: Practical people who like to carry through things to the end by working to a plan](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/workplacebehavior-101005224727-phpapp01/85/Workplace-behavior-6-320.jpg)
Workplace behavior
- 1. Workplace behavior Definition Pattern of actions and interactions of the members of an organization that directly or indirectly affects its effectiveness. Human Behavior and Organization Development the Workplace: Core Theories THEORY X and THEORY Y – McGregor
- 2. THEORY X THEORY Y People by nature generally: 1. Do not like to exert themselves and try to work as little as possible 2. Avoid responsibility 3. Are not interested in achievement and outputs 4. Are incapable of directing their own behavior 5. Are indifferent to organizational needs 6. Prefer to be directed by others. 7. A void making decisions whenever possible 8. Cannot be trusted or depended on 9. Need to be supervised and controlled 10. Are motivated at work by money and other gains given them 11. When they mature-do not change People by nature genera11y: 1. Work hard toward objectives to which they are committed 2. Assume responsibility within these commitments 3. Desire to achieve and attain outputs
- 3. Understanding workplace behaviour: we are all individuals and at work we act in different ways. Luckily there are some identifiable trends which managers can use to promote workplace harmony and productivity by Dick McCann | Feb, 2003 | 0 Comments • f • t One of the greatest challenges facing managers and leaders is to understand people's motives. If we know why people do the things they do we can develop greater understanding, better relationships at work, a happier environment and improved individual, team and organisational performance. This, of course, leads to bottom-line benefits. Over a period of 25 years I have tried to develop behavioural models that can help leaders assign jobs, put together effective teams, motivate staff and deliver outstanding results. The Pyramid of Workplace Behaviour (Figure 1) shows the three levels that build a complete picture of the different ways that people approach work. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Values Values are fundamental concepts or beliefs which people use to guide their behaviour in the workplace. Values will drive our decision making and cause us to summon up energy to preserve what we believe in. Values go beyond specific situations and determine how we view people, behaviour and events. Often major sources of conflict and disillusionment are due to mismatched values. Whereas we are often willing to work on tasks that we dislike, we are much less likely to compromise when our values are under threat. Values are difficult to observe in others, as they are inner concepts often buried in the human psyche and not readily accessible by the conscious mind. When these values are violated, the conscious mind takes over and appropriate behaviour occurs to defend this attack. Workplace values can be measured by the author's Window on Work Values. This is a model that groups values together in clusters of eight `value types' which are depicted as window panes, rather like those in the rose windows
- 4. of many European cathedrals. The value types close to one another in the window are related, whereas those on opposite sides of the window are unrelated. The Window on Work Values has two independent axes. Running east-west through the window is the axis which focuses on either the self or the group. The self-focus value types govern the dominance of personal over group goals. The defining motivations for the self-focus value types are actions that further individual gain and foster a hierarchy of differentiation within an organisation. The group-focus value types have defining goals where the individual is subordinated to the wishes, needs and goals of the group. Although many people can do both, the results suggest that most people will have a bias one way or the other. Running north-south through the model is the axis defining the organisational environment that people value. On the north side are the values associated with organisational constraint, while on the south side are the values associated with organisational freedom. Organisational constraint as a motivational type is derived from the prerequisite for some groups to ensure smooth interaction and group survival, thereby developing a prescriptive set of norms for group members to restrain impulses and inhibit actions that might hurt others. Organisational freedom, on the other hand, is a motivational type with defining goals of independence of thought and action, where individual behaviour is unrestricted and people are free to choose their pathways, unfettered by organisational constraints. As such these two value types are unlikely to share equal portions of the human psyche, as the behaviours associated with each are conflicting. The Window on Work Values helps explain why problems exist within any group of people working together. Value types define core frameworks that people hold and for which they are prepared to expend considerable energy in either promoting or defending. Most people will hold three or four of the values reasonably strongly. Because of the structure of the model, these values are more likely to be concentrated in one particular section, giving rise to key value patterns which are useful in understanding and predicting individual and group behaviour. Risk orientation The middle layer of the Workplace Behaviour Pyramid addresses the way people approach risk. The behaviours associated with this operate at the middle level of the human psyche. They are not so fundamental as values, as they can be influenced to some extent by the work environment and the attitudes of colleagues.
- 5. All through our life we are faced with opportunities and obstacles; they crop up in every project we undertake no matter how much forward planning is done. What determines people's risk profiles is the different emphasis they place on either `seeing the opportunities' or `seeing the obstacles'. Some people treat obstacles as an opportunity to take a new direction, whereas others use them as an excuse to give up. Some people treat obstacles as a stumbling block, but for others they are stepping-stones to the future. The risk-orientation scale The risk-orientation scale enables us to measure someone's approach to risk. At one extreme, people can focus most of their energy on seeing opportunities. They are always positive when new ideas are presented and will look optimistically at most situations. The downside is the energy they assign to seeing obstacles. They don't always see potential difficulties and this can cause them to misjudge situations. At the other end of the scale, people may focus most of their energy on seeing obstacles. When working on a project, they are more likely to put a lot of effort into looking at all the things that might go wrong. When faced with potential opportunities they may well ignore them, presenting cogent arguments to support their view that the risks are too great. Opportunities versus obstacles The Opportunities-Obstacles Quotient is a useful measure to quantify a person's position on the risk-orientation scale. It is defined as the ratio of the energy put into seeing opportunities to the ratio of the energy put into seeing obstacles. It is measured by a 50-item questionnaire which assesses people's responses to various statements. People who map strongly towards the `opportunities side' of the scale have a high `moving towards goals' energy; that is, they set challenging goals and regularly achieve them. When difficulties occur or blockages to their goals arise, they are quick to generate alternative pathways and move around the blockage, still focusing on the goal. As well, they are generally optimistic and full of hope that everything will turn out for the best. They tend to put less energy into finding faults with proposals, projects and people and usually have a positive attitude that can enthuse those around them. For them, the future is a rosy place and one they want to be part of, because it is likely to be better than where they are now. People who are strongly at the `seeing obstacles' end of the scale have a lower energy and are less able to generate pathways around obstacles. When blockages occur they are more likely to keep pressing forward down the same pathway and will quickly give up when their energy is expended. As well, they tend to be more pessimistic and will anticipate the worst scenario when problems arise. They will usually put a lot of effort into fault finding, and this can be both a strength and a weakness. When faced with a new idea they are more likely to identify all the difficulties that might prevent the idea from becoming a reality. `Seeing-
- 6. obstacles' people are also more comfortable with the present and past. To them the future is not a rosy place but one that is fraught with difficulties. Some hanker for `the good old days' when life was much better than it is now. Preferences We all approach our work in different ways--we think in different ways, we plan in different ways and we communicate in different ways. Some aspects of our work might interest us more than others and therefore we will tend to place more emphasis on these activities. Preferences are another name for what we like doing. We value our preferences but they are not `values'. Preferences guide our behaviour, but if we have to work outside them at various times then we can usually cope. Values, on the other hand, are deep-seated determinants of behaviour and we are more likely to react negatively when these values are violated. Preferences are usually transparent and are often the first thing we notice in others: `He's rather quiet, isn't he?' or `She never stops talking'. Some people prefer to think things through on their own, whereas others need to talk out loud to clarify their ideas. Preferences are at the apex of the pyramid because they are readily visible to others and are usually the basis of first impressions. They are also subject to a degree of variability, depending on the situations faced. COPYRIGHT 2003 Australian Institute of Banking and Finance COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning In a team, work preferences can be well understood by using the model of the Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel (Figure 3). [FIGURE 3 OMITTED] This model describes eight different roles that people like to adopt when working in a team. Reporter-advisor: Prefers gathering information and likes to fully understand situations before acting Creator-innovator: Enjoys thinking up new ideas and new ways of doing things rather than focusing on delivering outputs on a regular basis. Explorer-promoter: Likes to take ideas and promote them to others, not worrying too much about any details involved. Assessor-developer: Enjoys analysing and developing different possibilities before decisions are made Thruster-organiser: Likes to make things happen and get results rather than `waste' too much time debating issues Concluder-producer: Practical people who like to carry through things to the end by working to a plan
- 7. Controller-inspector: Quieter, reflective people who enjoy the detailed side of work and like dealing with facts and figures. Upholder-maintainer: Enjoys working in support of others ensuring that tasks are delivered to high standards Linkers can come from any of the roles mentioned above. Linking is not a preference but a set of skills and, as such, it is independent of the role preferences. Why people do what they do The Pyramid of Workplace Behaviour is a model that explains why people `do what they do' at work. It addresses three levels of behaviour that give an accurate picture of how team members are likely to approach tasks and react to situations that occur in the day-to-day running of an organisation. By identifying where team members map into the three levels of the pyramid, a team leader can unleash a powerful set of techniques to deal with potential conflict, solve problems, motivate team members, assign tasks, and develop the team to a high level of performance. DICK MCCANN IS A RESEARCHER AND TEACHER IN PERSONAL, TEAM AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. HE IS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TEAM MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS BASED IN BRISBANE. CONTACT: WWW.TMS.COMAU OR NETWORK@TMS.COM.AU