Lecture 8: Human Resource Management

Managing Human Resources involves many aspects. Disorganization among people is inevitable and a part of being in the workplace, but a cohesion and balance can be found.

         

Conflict can arise in all the following areas of necessary people management:

• Decision-making
• Listening and gathering information
• Motivating & Leading (Effective Communication)
• Mediating
• Delegating
• Disciplining

Communication is the CENTRAL component. Nothing should come as a surprise in a performance review; it is a formalization of a thousand smaller conversations. 

The Art Lustberg video Perfecting Presentations can be extrapolated to apply in daily work interactions. It proposed that you give people 4 choices when speaking to them: like you, dislike you, neutral, feel sorry for you. These affect how you are perceived and whether you are able to get your message across or not.  People do turn their attention buttons on and off.  So the importance of likability is key. 

The consideration and thought put into managing and inspiring groups or teams is part and parcel of most library work environments. Getting work done takes many different approaches:

• Getting the work done quickly or Giving people a chance to learn and enjoy training
• Pushing people into a project and engendering resentment and lack of motivation or Seeking volunteers and including people in "our project" (talking people into it)
• Wanting to control everything or Encouraging team opportunity (facilitating success and not being on a power trip)

How others and yourself react to being managed depends, in large part, on the non-verbals. Non-verbal cues act in the following ways:

1. Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making verbally
2. Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is trying to convey
3. Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. 

For example, a person's eyes can often convey a far more vivid message than words and often do.

Self-Assessment
Another large part of Human Resource Management is identifying individual conflict management styles. Dr. Feehan provided us a self-assessment to identify our different styles.

This was really interesting! I got mostly Cs (4) and Bs (3).  So I guess, I am a collaborator, with a bit of compromiser. I definitely agree about how the situation defines our reactions. Taking a test like this is difficult to really imagine the situation and how you would react. But I guess, we do our best!

~Kathleen

I do think these results are descriptive of my style, in a group when others are bright and responsible (like this one!), but I would score much higher on the dominator and placator in a different situation.

~ Amy

I had 6 Cs and 4Bs -- none from any other category! So I am also a collaborator/compromiser. 

~ Katie

     "Communication is the immediate transfer of information from one mind to another" really stood out to me. I think the Lustberg video made good points that made sense.  

-Think before you speak. (The silent pause-um, uh, uh is so annoying, and yet I think it is something I need to work on myself.)

-Eye contact (look at those you are speaking too, lips should never be moving when you are looking up, down, or at inanimate objects)

-Body language: open/closed

-Information should be: simple, brief, concise, easy to understand, and designed for the ear=instant understanding/memorable

-Speak: openly, warmly, quietly

-Focus on the audience: who; what can I talk about; give them a new idea, perspective, something to think about

~Tina

     Giving people a chance to learn gives them respect and attachment to a process. In this way, training can always be built on. The challenge, I’ve found, occurs when someone else who’s removed from the direct situation is only looking for the result. When a supervisor or director isn’t necessarily concerned with the fact that you are trying to let someone learn it puts pressure on to just do it yourself. 

~ Amy