WELCOME

MODULE – 2
Dynamics at WorkPlace
 Introduction to dynamics at workplace
 The term “WORKPLACE DYNMAICS” refers to the way
people interact when they work together. Workplace dynamics
refers to the way your people interact, engage, and collaborate.
This includes their behavior, assumptions, and entire
understanding of the workplace environment
 This is a complex mix that includes the actions of individuals,
but also the relationships between them, as well as a group’s
pattern of behavior.
 Some teams tend naturally to be helpful and nurturing, while
others may be more fragmented and dysfunctional. It all comes
down to the way individual team members see themselves and
their colleagues.
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 Why do workplace Dynamics matter?
 Good workplace dynamics exist when employees remain
respectful to one another despite individual differences and
distinct working styles. More so, ideal workplace dynamics
exude trust from the upper management down to the lower-
level employees.
 Strong workplace dynamics, on the other hand, can help a

team perform at its best and deliver extraordinary results.

Positive workplace dynamics happen when each person feels
that they are making a meaningful contribution to the goals of
the group and are being properly recognized for it.
 workplace dynamics matter in shaping a positive work culture
and work relationships. It’s what keeps employees motivated
and fulfilled, no matter how challenging the job may be. 3
What makes employees happy and satisfied at work?
According to research, these are the four factors that make employees feel
happy and satisfied at their work:
 Sense of belonging
 Inclusion at work
 Autonomy
 Flexibility

Although some business leaders may deem compensation and appreciation

as not that effective, they also have big implications on employees’ well-
being.

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Workplace dynamics: How to spot an unhealthy
workplace environment

 Lack of proper communication

 Verbal abuse

 Biased workloads

 Negativity

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Key Components of Effective Teams
 Work Design
 Composition

 Context

 Process

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Key Components of Effective Teams
1. Work Design
The work design category includes variables like freedom and autonomy, the
opportunity to use different skills and talents, the ability to complete a whole and
identifiable task or product, and working on a task that substantially impacts others.
The evidence indicates that these characteristics enhance member motivation and
increase their effectiveness.
These work design characteristics motivate because they increase members’ sense of
responsibility and ownership over the work and make it more interesting to perform.
2. Composition
This category includes variables related to how teams should be staffed. In this section,
we will address the ability and personality of team members, allocating roles and
diversity, the size of the team, member flexibility, and members’ preference for
teamwork.
 Abilities of members

 Personality

 Allocating roles and diversity

 Size of teams
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 Member flexibility

 Members’ preferences
Key Components of Effective Teams
3. Context
The four contextual factors that appear to be most significantly related to team
performance are the presence of adequate resources, effective leadership, a
climate of trust, and a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects
team contributions.
 Adequate Resources

 Leadership and Structure

 Climate of Trust

 Performance Evaluation and Reward Systems

4. Process
The final category related to team effectiveness is processed variables. These include
member commitment to a common purpose, establishing specific team goals,
team efficacy, managing conflict, and minimizing social loafing.
 A common purpose

 Specific goals

 Team efficacy 8

 Conflict levels

 Social loafing
How to improve workplace dynamics

 Determine how individual personalities affect workplace dynamics

 Strong leadership is crucial
 Communication is always the key
 Be aware of cultural sensitivities and diversity

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Measures to consider to form and maintain team
1. Set your team’s goals
 Begin with an end in mind. Setting your team’s mission, vision, and goals
will help you clearly define everyone’s roles. Knowing what you want to
achieve within your team will help establish an innate sense of
accountability in each member. This will make it more convenient for you
to measure the productivity of each group member and give you some
clarity on how you can enhance group performance.
 When faced with issues and conflicts, having a shared goal aligned with
your team’s values will enable you to think of solutions that reflect what the
team and company stand for.

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2. Establish your rules and guidelines
 Your rules will set the tone for employee interactions. You can base the
rules, regulations, and guidelines of your team through the goal you have
set.
 Setting technical rules and creating policies will give your employees a
sense of order. Will you allow your employees to work remotely? Will you
allow them to work flextime?
 On the other hand, setting performance guidelines aimed at keeping
everyone accountable for each other will help your team gain a need for
continuous improvement. How will you measure performance? When will
you ask for updates and meetings? Team organization through rules and
guidelines will make management more convenient.

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3. Identify your communication process
 Everyone must be able to speak their mind. With everyday interactions in
the office, having open communication lines will have a wide array of
tangible and intangibles benefits.
 In some cases, being democratic can be difficult, especially when faced
with a project that requires the team leader to be authoritative.
 Allowing your team to have the right to express their thoughts and opinions
will make it easier for everyone to conceptualize solutions when dealing
with a problem. It also gives your team members a sense of inclusion that
will help make them feel valued at work.

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4. Encourage trust and cooperation among employees on your team.
 Remember that the relationships team members establish among
themselves are every bit as important as those you establish with them. As
the team begins to take shape, pay close attention to the ways in which team
members work together and take steps to improve communication,
cooperation, trust, and respect in those relationships.
5. Encourage listening and brainstorming.
 As supervisor, your first priority in creating consensus is to stimulate
debate. Remember that employees are often afraid to disagree with one
another and that this fear can lead your team to make mediocre decisions.
When you encourage debate you inspire creativity and that's how you'll
spur your team on to better results.

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CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership may be defined as a process of influencing group activities
towards the achievement of certain goals. Thus, the leader is a person in a
group who is capable of influencing the group to work willingly. He guides
and directs other people and provides purpose and direction to their efforts.
The leader is a part of the group that he leads, but he is distinct from the rest
of the group.
As defined by George R. Terry “Leadership is the activity of influencing
people to strive willingly for group objectives”. Leadership naturally
implies the existence of a leader and followers as well as their mutual
interaction. It involves interpersonal relation, which sustains the followers
accepting the leader’s guidance for accomplishment of specified goals.

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Leadership role in a team management
 A Team Leader is a professional in charge of guiding, monitoring and
leading an entire group. They are responsible for motivating their
teammates as well as inspiring positive communication within them so that
they can work together toward achieving goals.
 The responsibility of a team leader is to establish a set of expectations,
monitor progress, motivate and provide guidance and support so teams can
complete tasks successfully. Team leaders are not usually tasked with
employee discipline or annual performance reviews. They do, however,
perform as a communicator, problem-solver and resource for teams to reach
set goals. Here are five important responsibilities of a team leader:

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Leadership Has The Following Characteristics
 It is a continuous process whereby the manager influences, guides and
directs the behaviour of subordinates.
 The manager-leader is able to influence his subordinates behaviour at work
due to the quality of his own behaviour as leader.
 The purpose of managerial leadership is to get willing cooperation of the
work group in the achievement of specified goals.
 The success of a manager as leader depends on the acceptance of his
leadership by the subordinates.
 Managerial leadership requires that while group goals are pursued,
individual goals are also achieved.

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TEAM LEADER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
 Create a Positive Team Environment
 Establish Clear Goals and Objectives

 Set Clear Expectations for Performance

 Delegate Tasks and Assign Roles

 Monitor Progress and Resolve Conflicts

 Facilitate Communication Among Team Members

 Leverage Individual Strengths in the Group

 Lead Regular Team Meetings

 Provide Constructive Feedback and Coaching

 Foster Innovation and Creativity in the Group

 Ensure Accountability for Results

 Recognize Successes When They Occur

Leadership Styles
 The dominant behaviour pattern of a leader-manager in relation to his
subordinates is known as leadership style.
There are three basic styles of leadership as follows:
1) Autocratic or Authoritative Style
2) Democratic or Participative Style, and
3) Laissez-faire or Free-rein Style

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Leadership Styles: Autocratic or Authoritative Style

Autocratic or Authoritative Style: An autocratic leader centralises power and

decision making in himself and exercises complete control over the
subordinates.
In this style subordinates are compelled to follow the orders of the leader
under threat or penalties.
They have no opportunity to take part in goal setting, or take initiative or
make suggestions.
They are subject to close supervision and, thus have a tendency to avoid
responsibility.
The autocratic manager has little concern for the well being of employees,
who suffer from frustration and low morale.
They do not have any sense of belonging to the organisation and try to work
as little as possible.
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Leadership Styles: Autocratic or Authoritative Style

Limitations: It should be clear from the above that there are several
limitations of the autocratic style of leadership.
• It results in low morale due to the inner dissatisfaction of employees.
• Efficiency of production goes down in the long run.
• It does not permit development of future managers from among capable
subordinates.
Despite the above limitations:
autocratic leadership can be successfully applied in the following situations: •
When subordinates are incompetent and inexperienced.
• The leader prefers to be active and dominate in decision-making.
• The company endorses fear and punishment for disciplinary techniques.
• There is a little room for error in final accomplishment.

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Leadership Styles: Democratic or Participative Style

The democratic style is also known as participative style. In this style,

decisions are taken by the leader in consultation with the subordinates and
with their participation in the decision-making process. The participative
leader encourages subordinates to make suggestions and take initiative in
setting goals and implementing decisions. This enables subordinates to
satisfy their social and ego needs, which in turn, lead to their commitment
to the organisational goals and higher productivity. Frequent interactions
between the manager and subordinates help to build up mutual faith and
confidence.
Several benefits can be derived from the participative style of leadership
as listed below:
• It helps subordinates to develop their potential abilities and assume greater
responsibilities.
• It provides job satisfaction and improves the morale of employees.
• The group performance can be sustained at a high level due to the satisfied
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and cohesive nature of the group.
Leadership Styles: Democratic or Participative Style

Limitations :
• Decisions taken through consultation may cause delay and require
compromises to meet different viewpoints.
• A few vocal individuals may dominate the decision-making process.
• No one individual may take the responsibility for implementing the decision
taken by the group as a whole.
Despite the above limitations, democratic style is suitable in the following
situations:
• When subordinates are competent and experienced.
• The leader prefers participative decision-making process.
• Rewards and involvement are used as the primary means of motivation and
control.
• The leader wishes to develop analytical and self-control abilities in his
subordinates.
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• The organisation has clearly communicated its goals and the objectives to the
subordinates.
Leadership Styles: Laissez Faire Leadership Style

Laissez faire leadership style is just the opposite of autocratic style.

A manager, who adopts this style, completely gives up his leadership role.
The subordinate group is allowed to make decisions and it is left to the
members of the group to do as they like.
The role of any leader is absent. The group members enjoy full freedom as
regards goal setting and acting on it. Hence, there is chaos and
mismanagement of group goals.
However, laissez faire leadership is found to be quite suitable where the
subordinates are well-trained, competent and the leader-manager is able to
fully delegate the powers of decision-making and action to the
subordinates.
Laissez faire style is suitable in the following situations:
• when leader is interested in delegating decision-making fully.
• Subordinates are well trained and highly knowledgeable.
• Organisation goals have been communicated well.
FUNCTIONS OF LEADER / LEADERSHIP

A leadership functions of a managers are closely related with his managerial

functions. But they are somewhat different as well as overlapping. Essentially, the
leader as a manager has to set the group goal, make plans, motivate and inspire
subordinates and supervise performance. But has to perform several other
functions as leader.
The more important to these functions are given below: :
1) To develop team work : One of the primary functions of the leader is to develop
his work-group as a team. It is his responsibility to create a congenial work-
environment keeping in view the subordinates competence, needs and potential
abilities.
2) To act as a representative of the work-group : The leader of a work-group is
expected to act as a link between the group and top management. When
necessary, the leader has to communicate the problems and grievances of his
subordinates to the top management.
3) To act as a counsellor of the people at work : Where the subordinates face
problems in connection with their performance at work, the leader has to guide
and advise the subordinates concerned. The problems may be technical or
emotional in nature
FUNCTIONS OF LEADERSHIP

4) Time management : The leaders’ functions include not only ensuring the
quality and efficiency of work performed by the group, but also checking
on the timeliness completion at different stages of work.
5) Proper use of power : While exercising power or authority in relation to
his subordinates, the leader must be careful about using his power in
different ways according to the situation. It may be necessary to use reward
power, coercive power, or expert power, formal or informal power,
depending on what will stimulate positive response from the subordinates.
6) Secure effectiveness of group-effort : To get the maximum contribution
towards the achievement of objectives the leader must provide for a reward
system to improve the efficiency of capable workmen, delegate authority,
and invite participation of employees in decision-making, ensure the
availability of adequate resources, and communicate necessary information
to the employees
QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEADER

• Mental and physical health: To be able to bear the pulls and pressures of
leadership, it is essential for the leader to have sound health both mental
and physical. Along with a balanced temperament and optimistic outlook,
he must possess stamina and sound health.
• Empathy: A leader must have the capacity to appreciate others and look at
things from his subordinates’ angle. This attitude of the leader motivates his
subordinates.
• Self-confidence: Confidence about one’s leadership ability makes it possible
for a leader to analyse and face different situations and adopt a suitable
style. Lack of self-confidence often prevents managers to adopt
participative style and repose trust in his subordinates.
• Awareness of others’ opinion about himself : A leader having self-
confidence should not ignore how others perceive him as a leader. He must
be aware of his strength and weakness in relation to his subordinates.
• Objectivity: A leader who is effective does not get carried away by
emotions. He is fair and objective in his dealings with subordinates.
QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEADER

• Knowledge and Intelligence: A leader to be effective must have knowledge of group

behaviour, human nature, and activities involving technical and professional
competence. He must have intelligent perception of human psychology and ability
to think clearly and argue cogently on points of dispute.
• Decisiveness: Decision making is a necessary but difficult task for every leader. A
leader often has to take initiative, exercise mature judgement while taking decisions.
Besides, he has to have foresight, imagination and creative ideas for effective
decision making. Open mindness is yet another essential quality for that purpose.
• Ability to Communicate: The skill of effective communication of goals and
procedure of work is extremely important in leadership. To achieve desired results
and coordination of efforts in a group, oral communication is of great significant.
• Sense of purpose and responsibility: A leader must have clarity of purpose and
responsibility to be able to inspire his subordinates to achieve specific goals.
• Other Qualities : Enthusiasm, courage, sense of direction, judgement, tact, courtesy
and integrity are also regarded as necessary qualities for a leader to be effective.
Job of a team leader
 Coach team members: An effective team leader coaches members on
appropriate methods of achieving goals and developing necessary skills
for desired results. Coaching involves developing team members'
performance, offering constructive feedback and demonstrating the
desired skills and expected work ethic. A coach-style team leader works
alongside their members to develop their skills and facilitates progress.
 Develop team strength and improve weakness: It's the responsibility
of the team leader to identify the team's strengths and weaknesses. By
determining which team member excels at which task, you can delegate
the needed tasks to the appropriate person. It's also helpful to determine
areas of opportunity and the apt steps to improve on them. This can help
your team develop professionally and individually, which can lead to
greater success in the future. Team members want to feel that they are
progressing both as a team and as individuals, which can help the team
and company move forward faster. 28
 Resolve conflict: Because teams are made up of different personalities,
work traits and motivation conflict can sometimes occur. The team leader is
responsible for preventing conflict if possible and helping to resolve conflict
and miscommunication when it does arise. By establishing fundamental
rules and clearly assigning tasks, as a team leader you can prevent many
sources of conflict. If you notice differences, it's best to resolve them before
they escalate. Meeting with involved team members can give you insight
and help you to facilitate an understanding between all stakeholders.
Conferencing with the members as a team can give everyone the
opportunity to come up with a solution that works for both sides.

 Organize team initiatives: With many team members working together,

having an established organization system is important to make sure
communication stays open, everyone understands their role and that there
are minimal disagreements. It's the responsibility of the team leader to
organize team meetings, select topics of discussion and communicate the
progress toward the goal. 29
 Identify team goals and evaluate team progress: In order to measure
team success, it's important to identify what success means. Evaluating
goals and determining how the team will measure success can prevent
miscommunication. This also gives team members a clear understanding of
the expectations of the team leader. Setting clear team goals and
communicating how progress will be evaluated allows teams to work
collaboratively. By being clear in both the setting of team goals and the
evaluation process, teams have a clear view of the target and can better
reach it in an appropriate amount of time.

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 The team leader also plays a monitoring role. While work is underway,
the team leader should make sure everything is going smoothly and that
team members are satisfied with how the project is going. When they notice
a challenge or something that isn't working right, they should address the
issue right away. They should also keep track of the team's work in progress
reports. These reports update the company on the team's progress.
Versatility is key when monitoring a project. Adapting to problems and new
challenges is extremely important.

 Team leaders need to take on a number of communication roles in order

to ensure project success. They need to provide clear, easy-to-understand
instructions and listen to team member feedback to address issues as soon
as they arise. Team leaders also serve as an intermediary between higher-
ups and team members.

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Qualities of good leader in team
1. Acknowledge, appreciate and give credit
Great leaders publicly express appreciation and acknowledge their team for
their contributions. When you show appreciation for team members’
contributions and provide positive feedback, you help encourage a positive
work environment.
To inspire employees to give their best, they need to know that they are on the
right track, and that their work will be valued and appreciated.

2. Active listening
While setting ground rules or implementing new approaches to various work
processes is essential, taking a step back and listening to your team is also
highly crucial. A good leader must stay attuned to what is going on with their team
and company to make informed decisions.
Good leaders are proactive and intuitive listeners. To be an active listener, you
must never interject or interrupt, always maintain eye contact, and use visual cues
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like nodding to show you genuinely listen. Employees want to feel listened to, not
patronised or, even worse, ignored.
3. Communicate effectively
 Communicating clearly, concisely and tactfully is a crucial leadership
skill. Communication involves more than just listening attentively to others
and reIt also includes sharing valuable information, asking intelligent
questions, soliciting input and new ideas, clarifying misunderstandings, and
being clear about what you want. The best leaders also communicate to
inspire confidence, drive motivation and energize their employees.
 sponding appropriately.

4. Show commitment
 No one likes to work for a non-committed leader or in a non-committed
team. Your commitment as a leader can help foster team spirit that will
differentiate an outstanding team from a mediocre one. A committed leader
is more likely to gain their team’s trust. Importantly, showing commitment
keeps team morale high.

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5. Embrace failure
 Failure is part of success, and good leaders don’t shy away from failure –
they use it as an opportunity for growth. Whether it’s a personal setback or
a challenge within your team, understanding moments of failure is helpful
as it encourages your team to improve and innovate.
 Encourage your team to embrace failure by publicly acknowledging your
setbacks and sharing how you grew from every situation.

6. Lead with empathy

 Empathy is a complex skill to quantify. Being empathetic is to be able to
see and understand situations from various viewpoints of employees of
different seniority in the company, and comprehend the consequences of
their decisions on everyone in the company. It also means that the leader
can look beyond to inspire, encourage and strategies in ways that will
motivate employees at all levels.

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7. Lead by example
 As a leader, the best way to build credibility and gain the respect of others is to set
exemplary examples. Demonstrate the behavior that you want people to follow. If you
demand a lot from your team, you should also be willing to set high standards for yourself.
Aligning your words and actions will help build trust and make your team more inclined to
follow your example.

8. Invest in your team’s future

 A clear career progression plan is essential to employees. Along with planning your direct
reports’ career paths in the company, a good leader also creates leadership opportunities for
their direct reports. Leaders need to invest in their team by rewarding good work with
appreciation, respect and opportunities for growth.

9. Possess Self-awareness
 One of the most important qualities of a good leader is self-awareness. The leader needs to
be constantly aware of how they are acting, what they are saying and what message their
nonverbal communication is sending. Although they may not always realize it, team
members constantly observe leaders and model their actions and reactions by how they see
the leader react.
 This is especially important in times of change or extreme stress. Employees will look to the
leader for formal and informal guidance on how to react to the change or stress and 35
consciously or unconsciously react in the same way.