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In module 1 we learned about Human Relations in business. In this module we contemplated the relationship of Human behavior within a business setting

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Humanizing Business, In this module we learned how business should treat employees and overall how employees should behave in a work environment. We looked into real world evidence and studied how human relations can improve the workflow and progressiveness of the business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mq2TiJmqCI

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Putting the human back into human resources | Mary Schaefer | TEDxWilmington

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Engaging With Conflict, In this module we looked at another  aspect of human relations that involved internal conflicts. Understanding what to do in certain scenarios and being able to create them into a learning experience

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/assertive/art-20044644

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Being assertive: Reduce stress, communicate better

Assertiveness can help you control stress and anger and improve coping skills. Recognize and learn assertive behavior and communication.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Being assertive is a core communication skill. Assertiveness can help you express yourself effectively and stand up for your point of view. It can also help you do this while respecting the rights and beliefs of others.

Being assertive can also help boost your self-esteem and earn others' respect. This can help with stress management. It may especially help you reduce stress if you tend to take on too many responsibilities because you have a hard time saying no.

Some people seem to be naturally assertive. But if you're not assertive, you can learn to be.

Why assertive communication makes sense

Because assertiveness is based on mutual respect, it's an effective and diplomatic communication style. Being assertive shows that you respect yourself because you're willing to stand up for your interests and express your thoughts and feelings. It also demonstrates that you're aware of others' rights and willing to work on resolving conflicts.

Of course, it's not just what you say - your message - but also how you say it that's important. Assertive communication is direct and respectful. Being assertive gives you the best chance of successfully delivering your message. If you communicate in a way that's too passive or too aggressive, your message may get lost because people are too busy reacting to your delivery.

Assertive vs. passive behavior

If your style is passive or nonassertive, you may seem to be shy or overly easygoing. You may routinely say things such as "I'll just go with whatever the group decides." You tend to avoid conflict. Why is that a problem? Because the message you're sending is that your thoughts and feelings aren't as important as those of other people. In essence, when you're too passive, you allow others to ignore your wants and needs.

Consider this example: You say yes when a colleague asks you to take over a project, even though you're already busy. The extra work means you'll have to work overtime and miss your daughter's soccer game. Your intention may be to keep the peace. But always saying yes can poison your relationships. And worse, it may cause you internal conflict because your needs and those of your family always come second.

The internal conflict that can be created by passive behavior can lead to:

Stress

Resentment

Seething anger

Feelings of victimization

Desire to exact revenge

Doubting or questioning our own judgment

Assertive vs. aggressive behavior

Now consider the other side. If your style is aggressive, you may come across as a bully who ignores others' needs, feelings and opinions. You may appear self-righteous or superior. Very aggressive people embarrass, intimidate and scare others and may even be physically threatening.

You may think that being aggressive gets you what you want. However, it comes at a cost. Aggression weakens trust and mutual respect. Others may come to resent you, leading them to avoid or oppose you.

Assertive vs. passive-aggressive behavior

Now consider passive-aggressive behavior. If you communicate in a passive-aggressive manner, you may say yes when you want to say no. You may be sarcastic or complain about others behind their backs. Rather than confront an issue directly, you may show your anger and feelings through your actions or negative attitude. You may have developed a passive-aggressive style because you're uncomfortable being direct about your needs and feelings.

What are the drawbacks of a passive-aggressive communication style? Over time, passive-aggressive behavior damages relationships and weakens mutual respect. This makes it difficult for you to get your goals and needs met.

The benefits of being assertive

Being assertive is usually viewed as a healthier communication style. Assertiveness offers many benefits. It helps you keep people from taking advantage of you. It can also help you from acting like a bully to others.

Behaving assertively can help you:

Gain self-confidence and self-esteem

Gain a sense of empowerment

Understand and recognize your feelings

Earn respect from others

Improve communication

Create win-win situations

Improve your decision-making skills

Create honest relationships

Gain more job satisfaction

Learning to be more assertive can also help you effectively express your feelings when communicating with others about issues.

Learning to be more assertive

People develop different styles of communication based on their life experiences. Your style may be so ingrained that you're not even aware of what it is. People tend to stick to the same communication style over time. But if you want to change your communication style, you can learn to communicate in healthier and more effective ways.

Here are some tips to help you become more assertive:

Assess your style. Do you voice your opinions or remain silent? Do you say yes to additional work even when your schedule is full? Are you quick to judge or blame? Do people seem to dread or fear talking to you? Understand your style before you begin making changes.

Use 'I' statements. Using I statements lets others know what you're thinking or feeling without sounding accusatory. For instance, say, "I disagree," rather than, "You're wrong." If you have a request, say, "I would like you to help with this" rather than, "You need to do this." Keep your requests simple, specific and clear.

Practice saying no. If you have a hard time turning down requests, try saying, "No, I can't do that now." Remember that no is a complete sentence and you don't need to explain why you choose to say no. Don't hesitate - be direct. If an explanation is appropriate, keep it brief.

Rehearse what you want to say. If it's challenging to say what you want or think, practice general scenarios you encounter. Say what you want to say out loud. It may help to write it out first, too, so you can practice from a script. Consider role-playing with a friend or colleague and asking for clear feedback.

Use body language. Communication isn't just verbal. Act confident even if you aren't feeling it. Keep an upright posture, but lean forward a bit. Make regular eye contact. Maintain a neutral or positive facial expression. Don't cross your arms or legs. Face the person. Practice assertive body language in front of a mirror or with a friend or colleague. In addition to what you say, your body language and facial expressions are also important.

Keep emotions in check. Conflict is hard for most people. Maybe you get angry or frustrated, or maybe you feel like crying. Although these feelings are typical, they can get in the way of resolving conflict. If you feel too emotional going into a situation, wait a bit if possible. Then work on remaining calm. Breathe slowly. Keep your voice even and firm.

Start small. At first, practice your new skills in situations that are low risk. For instance, try out your assertiveness on a partner or friend before tackling a difficult situation at work. Evaluate yourself afterward and adjust your approach as needed.

When you need help being assertive

Remember, learning to be assertive takes time and practice. If you've spent years silencing yourself, becoming more assertive probably won't happen overnight. Or if anger leads you to be too aggressive, you may need to learn some anger management techniques.

If despite your best efforts you're not making progress toward becoming more assertive, consider formal assertiveness training. And if certain issues such as anger, stress, anxiety or fear are getting in your way, consider talking with a mental health professional. The payoff will be worth it. By becoming more assertive, you can begin to express your true feelings and needs more easily. You may even find that you get more of what you want as a result.

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Show references

1. Seaward BL. Simple assertiveness and healthy boundaries. In: Essentials of Managing Stress. 5th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2021.

2. Seaward BL. Healthy boundaries: Behavior modification. In: Managing Stress: Skills for Self-Care, Personal Resiliency and Work-Life Balance in a Rapidly Changing World. 10th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2022.

3. Bourne EJ. Being assertive. In: The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. 7th ed. New Harbinger Publications; 2020.

4. Olpin M, et al. Social support, relationships, and communication. In: Stress Management for Life. 5th ed. Cengage Learning; 2020.

See more In-depth

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Learn the importance of assertiveness and how to be more assertive.

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Reimagining Problem Solving, Similar to last module this one focuses on progressive change and analyzing things for what they really are and how they could be improved. Striving for better within the company and building a good atmosphere in the work place.

https://www.ideo.com/post/what-defining-a-common-purpose-can-do-for-a-company?

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Before, we were focused on products, and now we're focused on patients, which has led to a whole line of services that go beyond the pill, and it's taking off in the India business. Now there is a whole group of people constantly thinking about what can we do to make the patient journey better. What can we do with other things to make patients want to work with us. So those kind of things in effect are helping us and having an impact on the strategy.

The other part is that internally, the fact that empathy is being dialed up is helping people work together. The hope is that this thinking and dynamism gets ingrained in people. As we grow in size, we don't get paralyzed by bureaucracy. We'll be agile and build a unique culture. To a certain extent, it helps everybody to think very clearly now.

Other values we've been talking about are quality and safety, and all of this has a place in this journey, in service of the patient. It's all falling very nicely together: the brand, the brand values, our own values.
Click here to learn more about this partnership.

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What Defining a Common Purpose Can Do for a Company

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Before, we were focused on products, and now we're focused on patients, which has led to a whole line of services that go beyond the pill, and it's taking off in the India business. Now there is a whole group of people constantly thinking about what can we do to make the patient journey better.

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Creativity in Business, We learned how vital creativity can be in the workplace especially in the situation of trying to innovate. Creativity can be crucial in many ways of business. It can be a very important tool to have when trying to problem solve internal and external business conflicts, as well as trying to keep an edge on your competition.

https://www2.deloitte.com/xe/en/insights/topics/innovation/unshackling-creativity-in-business.html

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Pursuing creativity through new ways of engaging with groups inside and outside the organization unlocks value beyond inventing new “things” alone.

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Connecting With Customers, There is no business if there is no customers, which is why lasting relationships with customers is so important. We learned the techniques to have improved relationships with customers which can be vital for a businesses performance.

https://www.cio.com/article/288945/14-proven-ways-to-connect-with-customers.html

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Today, there are more ways than ever to connect with customers. There’s email, social media, mobile, meetings, focus groups, trade shows. The list goes on. But which ways are the most effective? CIO.com asked dozens of business owners, managers and customer relationship experts to find out. Following are their top 14 recommendations for how to connect with customers–and what makes those methods effective.

Note: The success of a method depends largely, if not entirely, on the business you are in and who or where your customers are. While social media sites–e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube–may work great for some organizations, they may not be the best option for others. Similarly, while some customers may prefer to be contacted via email, others may want or appreciate a phone call or a face-to face meeting.

So before you invest too much money or time in one particular method of customer outreach, ask your customers how they prefer to be contacted or engaged. As for prospective customers, all the experts we queried suggested organizations try multiple forms of outreach and track which one(s) worked best.

1. Survey your customers. “Surveys allow businesses to identify user needs directly,” says Reuben Yonatan, CEO, analyst and editor-in-chief of GetVoIP, which provides guidance and assistance to voice over IP consumers.

“Once customers’ needs are known, companies can steer their offerings towards filling these needs,” he says. “Surveys are also a good tool to bring in prospective customers who are on the fence about a product/service–i.e. surveys can be used as a platform for prospective customers to voice their wants/needs,” Yonatan says

2. Use newsletters. “Send out a newsletter about 10 times per year,” says Stan C. Kimer, president, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer. “It should have a table of contents up front so people will at least take three seconds to scan it, and the five to six articles should be short (two to three sentences) and include links to useful resources.”

“We segment our [newsletters] according to business verticals and construct targeted content to those verticals,” says Maciej Fita, SEO director, Brandignity, an Internet marketing services company. “Our newsletters are filled with free information,” not lots of advertising, he adds. “It is a good way to stay on people’s radar screens.”

“And don’t forget to integrate social media functionality!” adds Keith Trivitt, director of Marketing and Communications, MediaWhiz, a performance marketing agency. Include “share” buttons for Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, whichever are relevant. “Not only will you increase the social shares of your content but you’ll give your customers and prospects an easy way to spread your company’s expertise,” he says.

3. Blog. “One of the best ways to connect with customers is by blogging,” says Deborah Sweeney, CEO, MyCorporation.com, an incorporation and trademarking service. “If you actively keep up a quality blog, not only will your customers read your blog, but they will respond to your blog,” she notes. “This creates a positive flow of communication”–and helps build customer loyalty.

4. Pick up the phone. “There’s nothing more direct than picking up the phone to call a customer or client,” states Gil Effron, cofounder, The Growth Team, a coaching and consulting firm. “Whether following up on a delivery, apologizing for something that went amiss, or wondering why you haven’t received an order in a while, there’s no better way to build or strengthen a relationship,” he says. Moreover, “in a world saturated with one-way communication, the phone provides instant feedback.”

5. Go visit. “In a recent study SAS sponsored we asked marketers ‘What are your company’s most effective channels for customer engagement both now and in three years?'” says Jonathan Moran, product marketing manager at SAS, which provides business analytics and business intelligence software. “The top response: ‘face to face,’ from 59 percent of respondents.” That said, when visiting customers, it is critical to listen–and not walk in the door trying to sell them something.

6. Respond to email. “At our company, we make it our goal to respond to customer emails within five minutes, and the response we receive from our customers is usually something like ‘Wow, that was fast’ or ‘Fastest response I’ve ever received. Thanks so much,” says Giancarlo Massaro, the cofounder of ViralSweep, which provides businesses tools to create giveaways on their website. “How has this helped us? People love amazing customer service and in turn have been referring people to our service, all because of our customer service.”

7. Send a personalized note or a postcard. “I love sending personalized cards by snail mail to let customers know I’m thinking of them,” says Kathy DalPra, the owner of Bride Appeal Web Design & SEO.

“Physical mail is so uncommon these days, it’s remembered,” DalPra says. “When customers receive a card from me, they know I’ve put thought and time into it, which translates into feeling valued. And when customers feel valued, they buy and refer their friends.”

8. Be active on Twitter and Facebook. “One of the best ways to connect with customers is through social media, such as Facebook and Twitter,” says Ian Aronovich, cofounder and president, GovernmentAuctions.org, a site that compiles and provides information about government auctions of seized and surplus merchandise from all over the country.

“With social media, you can reach out to your customers at any moment rather than wait for customers to send you emails or phone calls with feedback,” Aronovich says. Use your company’s Facebook fan page or Twitter account to “engage your followers and keep conversations going. Social media can also be used as a form of customer service, where company representatives can directly answer customer questions and concerns,” he says.

“It’s critical to have a social media listening post to quickly respond to each issue that arises,” notes Chuck Wall, founder and CEO, Customer CEO Consulting. “You may not be able to solve their specific problem, but don’t ignore them. They will give you credit for listening and acknowledging their situation.”

Similarly, a great way to connect with customers at trade shows and events is to “participate in any ‘Twitter parties’ using the event hashtag,” says Niquenya Fulbright, the president and CEO of Building Bridges Chicago LLC, a small business consulting and executive coaching firm.

“Tweet quotes from the speakers as well as your own tips and advice–and respond to and engage others who are also tweeting,” Fulbright says. Why is this important–and how can it help you connect with prospective customers? “One, it establishes you as an expert on the subject, and two, it connects you to potential customers who you can follow-up on later.”

9. Use Instagram. “Instagram helps us stay connected and engaged with our customers and fans,” says Julie Pocino, co-owner and director of Communications & Development at Barnabas Clothing Co.

“We can post pictures and information regularly, and post contests and giveaways,” she says. “For our contests and giveaways, we ask our followers to repost and hashtag to enter,” Pocino says. “When our followers tag us, we can then go and comment on their posts too. It has been a great way to interact with our fans, and it allows us to post new pictures and content about our brand frequently.”

10. Offer webinars. “Webinars–seminars delivered over the Internet–are a great way to keep the spice in your customer relationship,” says Marc Gutman, chief meeting officer, Lighthouse Conferencing, the provider of audio, video and Web-based conferencing services. To get customers interested, “invite a well-known speaker in your industry to present on a topic your customers want to hear.”

11. Empower salespeople. “Salespeople can make or break the retail experience,” says Joseph Cecere, president and chief creative officer, Little & Company, a provider of design services. “Empowering them with access to real-time answers and information beyond what the consumer can find online provides value that brings shoppers back to the store again and again,” he says. “Concierge-like services and expert advice create truly personalized experiences, which are the hallmark of the brick-and-mortar experience. In truth, sales associates are underleveraged store assets.”

12. Provide exceptional customer service. “One of the most powerful tools an organization has to connect with its customers is its employee base,” says Rick DeMarco, managing director, West Coast Operations, Inward Strategic Consulting, a marketing, branding and positioning firm.

“Every interaction between a customer and employee, whether that is pre-sale, the actual sales process, after sales support or billing, provides an opportunity to either add or detract from the equity of your brand and company,” DeMarco says. “Significant empirical evidence exists that makes a direct connection between employee engagement and satisfaction and customer satisfaction and loyalty.” So one of the best ways to connect and engage with customers, he says, is to “turn your employees into company ambassadors and brand advocates who deliver on your brand promise and business strategy at every single customer touch point.”

13. Go mobile. “Almost everyone is carrying some kind of mobile device today–92 percent of Americans have a mobile phone,” says Nur Sharina Shariff, cofounder, Mobile Sales Systems. And “the use of SMS/text messages is instant, cost effective and a tried and tested communication medium that every mobile phone user knows about and knows how to use,” she adds.

“In our modern mobile society one can reach with SMS almost anyone at anytime and anywhere in the world within seconds, making text messaging an easy way for a local businesses to connect with their customers,” she says.

“What better way to connect with loyal customers than with a branded app that integrates location technology, allowing automatic, personalized delivery of messages to consumers near stores?” asks Eric Newman, vice president of products and marketing at Digby, a mobile commerce and marketing technology solutions provider. “Location-aware apps open an entirely new channel for customers and brands to personally connect before, during and after a shopping experience.”

14. Monitor review sites. “Whether it’s Yelp, TripAdvisor or Angie’s List, find out what customers are saying about your business [on review sites],” says Lisa Parkin, president of Social Climber, LLC, a social media consultancy.

“Responding to customer reviews on these popular sites shows that your company is aware of any problems and is willing to fix them,” Parkin says. However, she urges caution when replying to negative comments. Instead of being defensive or picking a fight, try to understand and offer to fix the problem or provide an inducement for the customer to try your product, service or establishment again.

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14 Proven Ways to Connect With Customers

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There are many ways to connect with customers, but which ways are the most effective? Business owners and managers as well as customer relationship experts share their tips on how and where to best engage with existing and prospective customers.rn

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Team Building, To build a progressive business you need structure and relationships with your employees. We learned the importance of balance within segments of a business to have optimal productiveness in the work place.

https://hr.mit.edu/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development

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Team effectiveness is enhanced by a team's commitment to reflection and on-going evaluation. In addition to evaluating accomplishments in terms of meeting specific goals, for teams to be high-performing it is essential for them to understand their development as a team. Most of us are familiar with the concept of "the terrible twos" in early childhood; understanding that developmental stage makes it easier to accept the constant stream of "No No No No No" that we might hear from a two-year old.

Teams go through stages of development. The most commonly used framework for a team's stages of development was developed in the mid-1960s by Bruce W. Tuckman. Although many authors have written variations and enhancements to Tuckman's work, his descriptions of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing provide a useful framework for looking at your own team.

Each stage of team development has its own recognizable feelings and behaviors; understanding why things are happening in certain ways on your team can be an important part of the self-evaluation process.

The four stages are a helpful framework for recognizing a team's behavioral patterns; they are most useful as a basis for team conversation, rather than boxing the team into a "diagnosis." And just as human development is not always linear (think of the five-year old child who reverts to thumb-sucking when a new sibling is born), team development is not always a linear process. Having a way to identify and understand causes for changes in the team behaviors can help the team maximize its process and its productivity.

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Team effectiveness is enhanced by a team's commitment to reflection and on-going evaluation. In addition to evaluating accomplishments in terms of meeting specific goals, for teams to be high-performing it is essential for them to understand their development as a team.