Human Relations Part 1

Human RelationsPart 1

By

Michael Milone, Ph.D.

Author Acknowledgement

Dr. Michael Milone, your course author, brings the authority of experience to the HumanRelations course. As an educator, his teaching experiences provide insight concerningproblem areas in his students development. As an author, he addresses these areas sothat his students and others can succeed. Developing Reading Powers, texts designed toteach reading comprehension, and Scoring High, texts designed to improve student per-formance on achievement tests, are just two series authored by Dr. Milone to supplementthe educational curriculum.

Dr. Milone has also co-authored or written chapters in textbooks dealing with giftededucation, special education, reading management, research on handwriting, and learn-ing styles. In his award-winning monthly column in Technology and Learning, he reportson computer hardware and software topics that are of interest to school administrators.

Dr. Milone holds active memberships in over a dozen professional associations in educa-tion and psychology. He has served as chairperson of the Technology and ReadingCommittee of the International Council of Teachers of English, the Association forSupervision of Curriculum Development, the Council for Exceptional Children, theAssociation for Children with Learning Disabilities, the National Association for theEducation of Young Children, TALMIS, Educational Computer Conferences, and theEducational Press Association of America.

Copyright 1998 by Penn Foster, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or util-ized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyrightowner.

Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to Copyright Per-missions, Penn Foster, 925 Oak Street, Scranton, Pennsylvania 18515.

Printed in the United States of America

First Impression 1999

All terms mentioned in this text that are known to be trademarks or service marks have beenappropriately capitalized. Use of a term in this text should not be regarded as affecting the va-lidity of any trademark or service mark.

Human Relations is designed to help you learn many of the people skills needed in life. Peoplewho are truly successful in life are sincere, determined, hard working, and know how to getalong with others. Its this final skill, getting along with others, thats the main focus of thiscourse.

This study unit will introduce you to human relations. This is the term for the skills that helppeople get along with one another. As youll see, theres no secret to learning human relations.In fact, youll probably find that human relations is mostly good old common sense. This unitwill also help you discover more about yourself. Youll learn how human relations can help youin your personal life and your job. The unit will discuss attitudes, how they affect your behav-ior, and how you can develop a winning attitude. Youll learn that you are the major ingredientin human relations.

As you work through this study unit, youll read some examples of events that can happen inreal life. Some of the examples might even sound like something that happened to you or afriend. Studying these examples will let you apply what you learn to your own experiences andincrease your understanding of human relations.

When you complete this study unit, youll be able to

Define the term human relations

Describe how human relations works

Define the term reinforcement

Describe how risk-taking is part of human relations

Discuss positive and negative self-talk

Describe how to build and maintain positive relationships

Discuss the benefits of good human relations

Explain how a positive attitude affects human relations

Define productivity

Explain how a positive attitude affects productivity

Preview

iii

HOW HUMAN RELATIONS WORKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction to Human RelationsReinforcementRisk-TakingPracticing Positive Self-Talk

THE PART YOU PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Your Present Human Relations Skills RatingBuilding Positive RelationshipsHow Good Human Relations Affect Your Personal LifeHow Good Human Relations Affect Your StudiesHow Good Human Relations Affect Your CareerAttitudes and LearningExpressing AttitudesThe Importance of Attitude

WHAT IS PRODUCTIVITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Effectiveness and EfficiencyAttitude and Productivity

INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Improving Your Productivity at WorkThe Right Start: Ten Suggestions for Being Productive in a New Job

TEAM PRODUCTIVITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

How Your Productivity Affects OthersWorking toward Group GoalsWorking with a Variety of People

SELF-CHECK ANSWERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Contents

v

HOW HUMAN RELATIONS WORKS

Introduction to Human RelationsHuman relations is the study of how people get along with one another.Human relations can involve something as simple as how a brotherand sister share the last pancake at breakfast. Or, human relations canhelp world leaders handle an international dispute. Whenever peoplecome in contact with one another on a personal or professional level,human relations is at work.

The goal of human relations is to help people associate with one anotherin positive ways. When good human relations are practiced, peoplefeel good about themselves. They can work together better, and theycan accomplish more in their personal lives and in their jobs.

Like so many other skills, human relations is something we learn.From the day were born, we learn how to get along with others. Welearn by our experiences that some things make people happy andother things make them sad or angry (Figure 1).

Human Relations, Part 1

1

FIGURE 1You learn how toget along with others fromthe day youre born.

For most people, learning human relations is easy. If you want to, youcan learn the basic rules. But the most important ingredient in humanrelations is you. Your willingness to learn about yourself and otherpeople will determine your success. And like most other skills, themore you practice good human relations, the greater your rewardswill be.

What are some examples of good human relations? Well, here are justa few.

Think of a time you met someone and hit it off just right. Whatwere some of the things that seemed to go well? Did you havesomething in common? Did you find that you could easily talkto one another?

Think about the people with whom you feel the most comfort-able. What are some of the things you have in common? Whenyoure together, do you feel relaxed and not stressed out? Canyou almost guess how these people will feel in a certain situation?

Think of a time when a personal problem occurred and eitheryour actions or those of a friend or family member helpedstraighten things out. Some examples are arguing with someoneyou dont like, poor service in a store or restaurant, or beingcut off in a line. What kept the situation from exploding? Didsomeone make a joke of the problem? Were you able to solvethe problem by giving in a little? Did someone say, Maybe theyhad a bad day?

These three examples show that human relations has an impact onalmost every aspect of our lives. This is reason enough to learn allyou can about human relations. The more you know about humanrelations, the more likely youll enjoy success in life. If you pay atten-tion to your actions with others and try to improve them, youllstrengthen your human relations skills.

ReinforcementOne part of human relations is reinforcement. Reinforcement is nothingmore than a reward that follows something you do. An example ofreinforcement that anyone can understand is a state lottery. If youbuy a lottery ticket and win, youre likely to buy another. Winning isthe reward for buying a lottery ticket.

Reinforcement comes in many forms. Getting an A on a test isreinforcement for studying. Having money to spend on a vacationis reinforcement for saving money each week. Feeling good inside isreinforcement for helping someone who is in a jam.

2 Human Relations, Part 1

Sometimes reinforcement is obvious, like buying a winning lotteryticket. In other cases its not so obvious. Imagine that youre walkinginto a store and see a woman struggling through the door with a babycarriage. You hold the door for her and give her a hand. When shefinally gets through the door, she thanks you. You notice that otherpeople are looking at you and smiling. You feel slightly embarrassed,but you also have a good warm feeling inside. You know you did theright thing, and its wonderfully reinforcing. The next time you seesomeone who obviously needs help, its likely youll give it.

Risk-TakingHuman relations is reinforcing for everyone involved, but it also in-volves some risk. This example shows the type of risk you could face.

On a ski trip, Carol found herself riding on the chairlift with astranger. Carol is shy, but the ride would be a long one, and justsitting there beside a stranger would make them both feel un-comfortable. Carol decided to risk beginning a conversation.She asked the stranger how he liked his skis. He responded bysaying they were new and that he was pleased with them. Thenhe asked Carol about her skis. Soon they were deep in conversa-tion. They discussed everything from the weather to where theylived. The ride on the chairlift seemed to fly by. By the end of theride they were on their way to becoming friends (Figure 2).

Human Relations, Part 1 3

FIGURE 2Carol found atopic that she had in com-mon with someone and waswilling to take a chance bybeginning a conversation.

What made this situation such a success? Carol followed several rulesof good human relations.

She was willing to take a chance and begin a conversation

She recognized a common interest they had, skiing

She gave the other person a chance to talk about something hethought was important, his new skis

She continued the relationship by talking about her own skisand where she lived

Risk-taking is a necessary part of human relations. Its especially im-portant in situations where youre meeting new people. In fact, beingafraid to take chances like meeting people is the chief reason whymore people dont develop good human relations.

Negative Self-Talk

Theres a difference between true risks like parachuting from an air-plane and the imagined risks of human relations. Imagined risks areonly in a persons mind. Another name for imagined risks is negativeself-talk. Here are some imagined risks:

I cant start a conversation with him. What if he tells me to get lost?

If I say anything at this meeting, Ill make a fool of myself. Noone will ever forget it.

If I give in on this, everyone will think Im a loser.

Asking for help now will make people think I cant handle the job.

She is so much better than I am. I cant talk to her about theproblem.

Im not sure I can handle this. Id better just quit now.

Positive Self-Talk

Overcoming the fear of imagined risks is one of the keys to successfulhuman relations. To do this, you should stop using negative self-talk andreplace it with positive self-talk. Here are some examples of positiveself-talk that can be used to replace the negative self-talk listed above.

People only say get lost in the movies. Most people are happyto talk to others.

Most people will respect me for making a suggestion, even ifthey disagree with me.


Compromising now will show Im flexible.

If I ask for help, people will know I want to do a good job.

She might be good at this, but there are other things Im good at.Ill just give it a try and discuss the problem with her.

Several different things can happen in this situation. Some aregood and some arent so good. Quitting wont get me anywhere,so I might as well give it my best try.

The next section explains how to use positive self-talk. And youshould practice positive self-talk often. The next time youre in asituation that makes you feel nervous, use positive self-talk. Youllbe surprised at how well it works.

Practicing Positive Self-TalkThink about a time you might feel nervous. It might be talking to some-one for the first time, speaking in public, going to a job interview, orany other situation that comes to mind.

Think of the worst things that can happen in the situation. Say thesethings aloud or discuss them with a close friend or family member.Its important that you actually hear your negative self-talk.

Now, consider the situation again. Is it really as bad as you thought?Consider your negative self-talk words. Didnt you exaggerate yourfears a little?

Next, try describing the situation by replacing the negative self-talkwords with positive self-talk. Be realistic about the fears and thinkabout the good outcomes that might result.

Heres an example of practicing positive self-talk. Notice how Franwas able to talk herself out of her fear.

Fran had a job interview where she had to make a presentationbefore a group of people. She was terribly afraid of speaking inpublic, but really wanted the job.

First she wrote down the worst things that could happen. Illsay something so stupid that everyone will laugh at me. Thenshe looked at the situation more realistically. I do a poor joband dont get hired. Finally, she used positive self-talk. I speakclearly, make sense, and get the job.

When Fran went for the interview, she felt nervous. She startedby saying, Im very nervous, but I really want this job. I hopeyoull listen to what I say and not let my being nervous botheryou.


The people there smiled and said they would listen carefully to her.They also said she had made a good start by being so honest. Fran feltbetter and was able to get through the interview easily. She got thejob and learned that positive self-talk and being honest are two veryimportant human relations skills.

Take a few moments now to complete Self-Check 1 now.


Self-Check 1

At the end of each section of Human Relations, Part 1, youll be asked to pause and checkyour understanding of what youve just read by completing a self-check. Writing the an-swers to these questions will help you review what youve studied so far. Please completeSelf-Check 1 now.

1. How persons get along with one another is called

a. reinforcement. c. risk-taking.b. human relations. d. self-talk.

2. Another name for reinforcement is

a. strength. c. being thoughtful.b. taking risks. d. reward.

3. An example of reinforcement is

a. getting an A on a test. c. buying a lottery ticket.b. getting an F on a test. d. paying a parking fine.

4. Another name for imagined risks is

a. thoughtfulness. c. negative self-talk.b. positive self-talk. d. confidence.

5. Which one of these is an example of positive self-talk?

a. I wont get this assignment finished. c. This is going to be a bad day.b. This job is too hard for me. d. This looks like something I can handle.

Check your answers with those on page 33.

THE PART YOU PLAYMost people dont have a very good picture of themselves. Theyvenever truly taken a personal snapshot, so theyre not really sure whattheir strengths and weaknesses are. As a result, they sometimes mis-understand themselves or others.

Take a few minutes to rate your present human relations skills. Thereare no right or wrong choices, and you dont send them in to the school.You should be as truthful as possible. Write one number in each blankon the list below.

Your Present Human Relations Skills RatingOn a scale of 1 to 9, with 5 being average, where do you rate yourselfon the following human relations skills?

_____ Honesty (being truthful in dealing with other people)

_____ Self-confidence (believing that you can face new situations orchallenges and succeed)

_____ Responsibility (accepting the consequences of your actions)

_____ Desire to succeed (doing what it takes to accomplish your goals)

_____ Drive (keeping at a job until its finished)

_____ Flexibility (the ability to adapt to changing situations)

_____ Consideration (being thoughtful of others)

_____ Communication (the ability to share thoughts with others)

_____ Sharing (expressing your thoughts and feelings clearly toothers)

_____ Listening (encouraging others to talk openly to you)

_____ Tolerance (the ability to accept people for what they are)

Can you see the relationship between these characteristics and gettingalong with others? These qualities arent the only ones that affecthuman relations, but theyre among the most important skills to im-prove. Based on your ratings, where do you place yourself on thehuman relations scale? Are there qualities you now lack totally or thatyou need to improve? Its okay! Remember, the purpose of this courseis to help you build and improve on human relations skills. If you havesome below average ratings, theres room for improvement. Yourebeing honest, and honesty is a very necessary quality for improvinghuman relations. Also, in making a decision to complete the highschool program, youve shown self-confidence and a desire to succeed,two other very important human relations qualities.


The next section will help you learn how to improve the qualities onthe scale, even if youre already at the high end. Youll also learn howto build positive relationships. Before beginning, however, rememberthat your desire to succeed in human relations is very important. Thehuman relations skills you develop during this course will help yousucceed in the other courses in the high school program. Also, theyllcontinue to help you long after you receive your diploma.

The suggestions that follow will be helpful, but youre clearly the keyingredient in the recipe for good human relations. If youre willing tomake the effort, the rewards of human relations are many.

Building Positive Relationships

Self-Confidence

Among the qualities included on the Human Relations Scale, the mostimportant for building new relationships is self-confidence. In order totake the risks necessary to build new relationships, you must believein yourself and in your ability to succeed. Heres something you cantry to help build your confidence.

The next time youre paying for your purchases at a supermarket orconvenience store, say something pleasant to the check-out person.Try something like, How has your day been, or Thats a niceshirt youre wearing. Pay attention to how you feel about makingthe comment, and how the person responds (Figure 3). Continuethis activity on a regular basis until youre comfortable doing it.Youll probably notice that you have an easier time thinking ofthings to say.


FIGURE 3Initiating a brief,

pleasant conversation be-

comes easier with practice.

Consideration and CommunicationConsideration and communication are two other important qualitiesfor good human relations. Here are just a few suggestions that willhelp you show consideration toward others. Youll surely be able tothink of others.

Lend a hand when you can. Even the simplest help you can givesomeonefor example, opening a door for someone whose hands arefullis appreciated. In your job, you might volunteer to do somethingsuch as mailing a letter for a friend or volunteering for overtime or atask that others might find unpleasant.

Notice the nice things about people. Little comments such as, Youlook great today, or You did a terrific job, let people know thatyou notice the good things about them.

Meet other peoples needs before your own. At a party where food isbeing served, you might ask new friends if you can get them some-thing, or you might allow them to go before you. After the party, youmight ask the host if you can help clean up. During a meeting atwork, you can comment on what a good job a coworker has done.

Good Listening SkillsBeing a good listener encourages others to communicate, or to openup to you. Your willingness to listen makes them feel important, even ifthey dont know it, and feeling important is very reinforcing. Becauseyoure a good listener, people will want to talk to you. Moreover, theyllsoon become good listeners themselves.

Becoming a good listener requires practice because most of us arebetter talkers than listeners. Here are three suggestions that will helpyou become a better listener.

When someone is talking to you, think about what theyre saying,not how you plan to respond. In order to be sure you know whata person is saying, try repeating what theyve said to yourselfbefore you answer them.

When youre in a conversation, dont interrupt the speaker anddont rush your response as soon as they finish speaking. If youlisten and think before you speak, youll make it clear that youvethought about what the person said and how you want to answer.

If youre not clear about what a person has said, try repeatingtheir words with a slight variation. For example, if someonesays, Cliff really annoys me when he acts like such an experton everything, you might respond with, So Cliff really getsunder your skin? This comment is neither critical nor negative.It shows youve listened, and it gives the other person a chanceto tell you more.


Key Factors in Building Positive Relationships

Self-confidence, consideration, and communication are three key fac-tors in building positive relationships. But building relationships isjust the beginning. In good human relations, maintaining good tieswith other people is just as important, and it may be even more chal-lenging. Remember, meeting the challenge of good human relationsis rewarding both personally and throughout your career.

In the following sections, well discover how the benefits of usinggood human relations appear in three areas: your personal life, yourstudies, and your career. The benefits might seem simple, yet theylldo much for your success in all three areas.

How Good Human Relations Affect Your Personal LifeGood human relations affect you as much as they affect others. Youllnotice that youre more open to new things and feel comfortable innew situations more quickly. Youll look at the brighter side of eventsand the better side of people. In other words, your attitude will bepositive. And when problems arise, youll handle them without muchdifficulty.

In your personal life, youll find it easier to make friends. Using goodhuman relations skills helps you get to know people. Theyll feelcomfortable with you and will enjoy your company. Practicing goodhuman relations helps friendships grow so they can stand up to chal-lenges. Youll find that your friends seem closer. The time you spendtogether will be more fun and youll feel better about one another.

Growing self-confidence is another benefit of good human relations.Youll learn your strengths and weaknesses and youll develop anI can attitude. This means that when youre faced with a challenge,youll say to yourself, I can do this, rather than, Im not sure I canhandle this. Using positive self-talk in challenging situations allowsyou to dig right in and begin doing the job. Instead of worrying aboutthe task or questioning your own ability to handle it, youll develop awinning attitude.

How Good Human Relations Affect Your StudiesA winning Can do attitude will carry over to your studies in thehigh school program. With each lesson you complete, youll gainmore confidence. Your I can attitude will help you master even thehardest subjects. Before you know it, youll see that mathematics orEnglish course youve been fretting about as a challenge youre pre-pared to take on. It will no longer seem too tough to handle.


How Good Human Relations Affect Your Career

Many people make a mistake and dont use good human relations onthe job. They dont enjoy their work as much as they should and theymight not get promotions they deserve. If you want to succeed inyour job, you should practice human relations there as well (Figure 4).

By using positive self-talk and practicing good human relations skillson the job, youll accomplish a number of important goals:

Youllenjoyworkmore

Youllgetalongbetterwithyourcoworkers

Youllgetalongbetterwithyoursupervisors

Youllbebetteratyourjob

Youllfindtheproblemsatworkeasiertomanageandlesslikelytoaffectyourpersonallife

Also, youll discover that good human relations skills can lead to finan-cial success. The ability to do a job is only one part of a successful career.Other ingredients are also needed, and most of them are people skills.They include getting along with coworkers, helping other workerssucceed, being honest and loyal to your employer, and expressing apositive attitude toward your job. Making good human relations partof your career improves your people skills and makes it easier for youto progress to better paying jobs.


FIGURE 4Developing and

maintaining good human

relations with coworkers and

supervisors makes work

more enjoyable.

Attitudes and LearningEveryone seems to recognize a good or bad attitude. However, fewpeople can put a finger on what makes an attitude good or bad. Evenpeople who study thinking and behavior have a difficult time agreeingon the definition of attitude.

In general terms, an attitude is a set of beliefs that a person holds. Thebeliefs may be obvious or hidden. An example of an obvious attitudeis a thought like: I dont like Chinese food. Chances are, if the personhas the chance to taste a new variety of Chinese food, he or she wonttake it.

Hidden attitudes are much more difficult to figure out becausetheyre buried deep inside our minds. Suppose you had a wonderfulsecond-grade teacher who often wore a certain perfume. You mighthave a hidden, positive attitude toward women who use the sameperfume. When you meet a woman wearing that perfume, youremore likely to warm up to her quickly.

Attitudes act like a filter for information that passes through our senses.In other words, what we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch are influencedby our beliefs. Attitudes also influence how we understand informationand how we respond to it.

An example here will show how attitudes can color the way we see asituation.

Imagine that youre the owner of a store and today is your grandopening. Your attitude is one of great hope. When you look out-side and see the crowd waiting to shop, you feel excited and con-fident. You rush to open the door and do everything you can tomake the day a great success.

Now imagine that youre an employee at the same store. Yousent out a dozen applications and this store was the only onethat offered you a job. Of the 12 jobs you applied for, this onewas at the bottom of the list. Its a salesclerks job. Youve hadsalesclerk jobs before and disliked every one of them. But youreally needed a job, so you took this one, intending to send outmore applications as soon as possible. You see the same crowdof people at the door that the store owner sees, but as a sales-clerk, all you can think of is how unpleasant the day is probablygoing to be.

The situation is the same for both people, but they have opposite atti-tudes. The owner of the store has a positive attitude. The employee hasa negative attitude. This attitude is apparent in his negative self-talk.As the example shows, the way these people think and act is oppositebecause of their attitudes.


Attitudes are acquired in several ways. They can be learned from otherpeople, they can be the product of experience, or they can be created inour own minds. Attitudes can also be changed. Youll see in the next fewsections that attitudes play a critical part in how well we learn.

How Attitudes Affect Learning

Studies have shown that positive attitudes help you learn faster andbetter. Negative attitudes slow learning. The following situations willdemonstrate this.

Did you ever notice how quickly someone learns the phone numberof a new friend when there are romantic possibilities involved? Thisshows that positive attitudes improve the learning process.

Did you ever notice how difficult it is for some people to remember adentist appointment? Some people have a negative attitude aboutgoing to the dentist. As a result, they put off going as long as possibleand have a hard time remembering when theyre supposed to go.

Having a positive attitude toward life in general will help you learnwell. Having a positive attitude toward learning itself is an even bet-ter way to boost the learning process. A positive attitude towardlearning includes several beliefs:

I can learn.

I can enjoy learning.

I know a great deal already and Im capable of learning a greatdeal more.

Learning will improve my life in many ways.

These beliefs or attitudes open up our minds to information. Theyhelp us understand information faster and remember it better. We canthen improve our actions by doing well on a test, getting along withpeople better, enjoying a hobby more, or raising our job performance.

The chief obstacle to learning most people face is a negative attitude.Sure, some people appear to have a special knack for subjects such ashistory or science. Others seem to have an impossible time with math orEnglish. But by and large, almost everybody can learn if they set theirminds to it. What stands in their way is a poor attitude toward learning.

Everyone starts life with a positive attitude toward learning. Youngchildren are the most eager learners in the world. But, sometimestheyre limited by their environments or their capabilities. Some-where along the way a negative attitude develops. This negativeattitude is accompanied by negative self-talk. They begin saying tothemselves, I cant learn so I wont learn. By the time they becometeenagers, theyve convinced themselves that theyre poor learners.


If you have any negative attitudes toward learning, you can solve theproblem. As we mentioned before, attitudes can be changed. You cantalk yourself into becoming a good learner by changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk. Here are just two examples of what youmight say to yourself.

I have an enormous ability for learning. I havent used mymind to the fullest. Starting right now, Im going to be a betterlearner in all parts of my life.

Im a capable person. In fact, Im more capable than many peo-ple who are more successful than I. From now on, Im going toimprove my learning abilities. Ill reach for the success I know Ican achieve.

Im going to discover and change whatever obstacles are causingmy negative attitudes.

Its good to repeat positive self-talk often. Its a true motivator andwill help lead you to success.

Human relations skills can be spread from person to person. Your posi-tive attitude toward learning can also be given to others. You can helpyour family, friends, and coworkers improve their attitudes towardlearning. One way is to help others to eliminate negative self-talk andto replace it with positive self-talk. Another way is to offer encourage-ment and a pat on the back.

Expressing AttitudesWe cant see, hear, or touch our attitudes because theyre inside ourheads. Even so, attitudes influence our behavior, especially the waywe communicate with others. Our attitudes make themselves knownto others when we speak, write, and use body language.

Expressing Attitudes in Written LanguageHave you ever heard of a Dear John letter? This is a letter sent froma woman to a man saying their relationship has ended. Her attitudetoward the man and their relationship has changed from positive tonegative. A Dear John letter is one example of expressing an atti-tude in writing.

Other examples of attitudes in writing can be found in the letters tothe editor page of a newspaper. Here, people who are for or againstcertain issues express their opinions in writing. If youve never readthe Letters to the Editor section of a paper, you really should. Inaddition to learning what others think about current issues, youmight even find the letters entertaining. All types of people with dif-ferent attitudes use the newspaper to express their beliefs. You may


want to consider writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper nearyou to get some practice in expressing your attitude in writing.

In addition to what we say with our words in writing, we communi-cate by how we say something. Here are two examples of a businessletter. One is pleasant and the other isnt.

Dear Mr. Lewis:

We appreciate the opportunity to do business with you once again.The shipment you ordered was filled yesterday and should arrive to-morrow. If there are any problems with the order, please call our 800number. Well be happy to help.

Dear Customer:

Your order was shipped yesterday and will arrive soon. If there areproblems with the order, please call the complaint department. Describethe problem exactly and well decide if its our fault or the shippingcompanys.

The first letter is personal, sincere, and helpful. It will make the custo-mer feel important. The customer will also believe that the companyvalues his or her business.

The second letter is callous. The person receiving the letter wont feelimportant. Instead, he or she will believe that the company isnt inter-ested in solving any problems. Likely, the individual wont want todo business with the company again.

When youre writing a letter, especially for business purposes, youshould always think about the content of the letter in two ways. Askyourself, What do the words say? What kind of feelings does the lettershow? If the feelings of your letter dont match the words, then changethe letter. Remember, attitudes arent always obvious, so you mustpay very close attention to what youre writing. Hidden attitudesmight be sneaking through.

Expressing Attitudes in Spoken LanguageBecause people speak so much more often than they write, attitudesplay a much more important role in spoken language than in writtenlanguage. Attitudes greatly influence the hidden messages that weexpress when we speak. These hidden messages can be positive ornegative. Attitudes also affect how we interpret what other peoplesay. If we want to maintain good human relations, we must be awareof how attitudes affect spoken communication.

Attitudes affect spoken language in many ways. Here are some of themore important ones:


Tone. Inflection is the word used to refer to a change in the tone of aspeakers voice. Speakers who are trying to persuade listeners to take acertain action or adopt a particular point of view often use inflectiongoing from a soft tone to a loud tone, or vice versato emphasize keyparts of their speeches.

Common examples of using inflection to help communicate an attitudeinclude raising our voices when were angry, or when our team is do-ing well; and speaking softly when we talk to babies or when were inromantic situations. Ones tone of voice might indicate other things aswell: things like bashfulness, confidence, embarrassment, or contempt.

A careful communicator will try to be sure that her or his tonematchesthe message to be communicated (Figure 5). A tentative or uncertaintone of voice should usually be avoided, because it may tend to confusethe hearer.

Volume. The loudness of our speech conveys a great deal, also.Mumbling or speaking too softly canweaken the effect of a spokenmessage. It may even annoy the person to whom youre speaking.Speaking too loudly at the wrong time can be interpreted as falseconfidence. It might say to others that youre all talk, no action. Thisisnt to suggest that speaking quietly or loudly is always wrong. Theimportant point to remember is that the volume of your speech shouldmatch the situation and the message you want to get across.


FIGURE 5A pleasant,

smiling voice communi-

cates the speakers desire to

be helpful and cooperative.

Pace. The rate at which we speak is called pace. Everybody has theirown speaking pace. Some people speak faster or slower than others.Our speaking pace changes as a result of certain attitudes, stress, andworries.

When we discuss a topic we know well and enjoy, our speaking paceis quick but not too fast. This is especially true when were speakingto others who share our knowledge and interest in the topic. Whenwere unsure of what we want to say, lack confidence, or dont knowthe topic very well, our speaking pace slows down. Were strugglingto make ourselves understood. As was true of tone and volume, thereshould be a match between the pace of what were saying and themeaning of what we want to communicate.

Word choice. Our attitudes are also conveyed by the words wechoose to describe people or situations. Saying that you like to watchMichael Jordan play basketball is evidence of a personal preference.It isnt an attitude, nor is it necessarily evidence of an underlyingattitude. But if you say youve always believed Michael Jordan is agreat basketball player, youre probably expressing an attitude.

Attitudes reflect lasting feelings about people, objects, issues, andevents. By lasting, we mean the feelings tend to remain unchangedfor long periods of time, in contrast to moods, which may changequickly and often.

The comparison described above is an obvious situation of attitudeaffecting spoken language. Attitude also affects language in otherways. Business people sometimes use violent terms (destroy the com-petition, hostile action against a company) to describe what they hopeto do. They dont realize that relying on such violent language sends amessage about the strength of their feelings and the stress theyre feel-ing.

Taking turns. Our attitude can also be expressed by how willing weare to let others talk. Sometimes we interrupt people before theyvefinished speaking. When we do this, we send a subtle message thatwhat we have to say is more important than what they have to say. Ifit happens often enough, the other person will simply stop speaking tous. Knowing when to talk and when to listen is an important humanrelations skill that many people neglect. How do you practice goodturn-taking? Just listen, wait, and watch to be sure the other personhas finished before you begin speaking.


Expressing Attitudes Nonverbally

In addition to expressing our attitudes through our spoken language,we may do so nonverbally as well. What we dont say may some-times be as important as what we do say. Our grooming, dress, facialexpressions, postures, movements, and the distance we keep betweenourselves and others may all reveal things that our words dontreveal.

People communicate through their body movements. This bodylanguage carries a great deal of information. Most of its related toattitudes and emotions.

The most obvious examples of body language are ones we all know:smiling when were pleased, frowning when were displeased, ormaking faces when we smell something awful. Other examples arehugs to show affection, and nodding when we agree with someone.

Other forms of body language are less easily seen. Looking awaywhen someone is speaking to us sends a message that were not inter-ested. Leaning forward in a chair when someone is speaking showswere interested. And did you ever notice that when youre tense yourbody just seems to wrap around itself? You cross your legs, cross yourarms on your chest, and maybe even turn sideways in your chair.Attitude and emotion have affected your body language.

Another interesting aspect of body language is the distance you putbetween yourself and other people. When you know someone welland are comfortable with them, youll sit or stand near them. Withstrangers, youll usually keep your distance.

Beware not to underestimate the role that body language plays in com-munication. You can learn more about body language by observingother people. You can also pay attention to your own body language.Once again, you should try to be sure that your body is communicat-ing whats in your mind. This will keep your attitudes or emotionsfrom interfering with your message. You should also be aware of otherpeoples body language so you can understand their hidden attitudes.

The Importance of AttitudeThink about some of the things in life that are truly important: family,friends, health, job satisfaction, and personal goals. All of these things,and many more, are affected by a positive attitude. The more positiveyour attitude, the more youll enjoy life.


When you have a positive attitude, your mental filter works in yourfavor. You interpret situations hopefully and you act with confidence.Your positive attitude sets a tone for your life. It tells others thatyoure a winner.

Thats not to say that only good things happen when you have apositive attitude. Life is never free of problems. Even if you have a posi-tive attitude, youll experience ups and downs. Your positive attitude,however, will help you enjoy the high points more and handle the lowpoints better.

Others will be affected by your positive attitude. Theyll become morepositive themselves. Also, theyll recognize that youve contributed totheir own feeling of well-being. Your winning attitude will rub offon others. Their positive attitudes will then spread even further.

One of the most important benefits of a positive attitude is goodhealth. People who have a positive attitude enjoy better health thanthose who are more negative. A positive attitude helps you overcomeillnesses and injuries when they do occur. Just think of how many sportsstars or celebrities have overcome health problems with a positiveattitude. Their victories make headlines, but for every one of them,there are many other just plain folks who have done just as well intheir own lives.

A Positive Attitude and Your Career

A strong relationship exists between a positive attitude and career suc-cess. Not everyone with a good attitude becomes chairman of a majorcorporation, but people who are cheerful and enthusiastic are happieron the job. They usually go further in their career than coworkers whoare negative.

Here are just a few ways that a positive attitude can help you build asuccessful career.

Youll get along better with your coworkers.

A positive attitude will help you build the good relationshipwith your supervisor which is necessary for success.

If youre supervising others, youll find that you can motivatethem better and they accomplish more.

Youll accomplish more yourself.

Youll enjoy your work more.

When challenges occur, youll be more likely to meet themsuccessfully.

Work-related injuries will occur less frequently.


Its important to note that a successful career isnt limited to being adoctor, lawyer, or high-powered businessperson. It has been said thatall honest work is good work. Many jobs that are neither glamorousnor high-paying are exceedingly important. Farming, collecting trash,driving a truck, fixing automobiles, working in a bank, and countlessother jobs rarely make headlines. Yet these jobs are the heart of theeconomy. The people who perform them make up the vast majorityof the population. When these jobs are done well by people with posi-tive attitudes, everyone benefits and our quality of life improves.

Maintaining a Positive Attitude

A positive attitude doesnt happen by accident. First, you must lookon the bright side when things happen that cause others around youto be negative. Then, you must keep a positive attitude when othersstart the negative self-talk.

We mentioned before that good health is one of the benefits of a posi-tive attitude. Good health and physical condition are also importantto keeping a positive attitude. Getting enough sleep, eating well, andexercising regularly all contribute to a general sense of well-being. Thissense of well-being gives you the energy to maintain your positive at-titude, especially when there are more downs than ups in your life.

Consider times youve argued with others or times youve feltdepressed about situations. Almost always, you were also tired, sufferingfrom stress, or were generally feeling poorly. When people becometired or their physical health suffers because of overeating or lack ofexercise, they simply dont have the energy to maintain their positiveattitude.

One way to keep your positive attitude is to avoid abusing substancessuch as alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Its impossible to measure thehuman misery thats tied to substance abuse. In every imaginable way,from serious illnesses through the most horrible crimes, substanceabuse has hurt more people than all the wars that have ever beenwaged. To maintain your positive attitude and experience successin life, you should control your use of the substances that affect yourmind.

Volunteering for community or church-related activities also helpsyou keep a positive attitude. Associating with others and feeling thatweve done the right thing seem to energize us. Joining in groupactivities with family and friends also can have a healthy effect onpositive attitudes.


Finally, we all need to relax in order to restore our spirits. Taking awalk in the woods, sitting on a jetty and watching the sea, fishing,playing with the dog, and sitting by the fire are just a few ways torelax. Such activities just seem to build our spirits in a special way. Inorder for you to keep your positive attitude, you must find the time todo the personal things that build your inner strength.


Self-Check 2

Questions 15: Select the one best answer to the following questions.

1. The most important quality for building new relationships is

a. consideration for others. c. being a good listener.b. self-confidence. d. avoiding embarrassment.

2. Which one of these is not part of spoken communication?

a. Volume c. Word choiceb. Body language d. Pace

3. An example of body language is

a. sweating after a work-out.b. accidentally bumping into someone on a crowded street.c. frowning when you disagree with someone.d. indigestion after eating too much.

4. In spoken communication, taking turns means

a. knowing when to speak and when to listen.b. speaking only when youre spoken to.c. taking your turn to speak before the other person.d. interrupting before the other person has finished speaking.

5. Which one of the following statements illustrates a characteristic of a persons attitudes?

a. Theyre unaffected by a persons beliefs.b. Theyll be open and obvious, not hidden.c. They act like a filter for information a person receives.d. They rarely influence a persons understanding.

(Continued)

WHAT IS PRODUCTIVITY?

The term productivity means the ability to complete a job. The job maybe building cars, cleaning a house, or doing a home study assignment.Productivity is a concern of individuals, businesses, and even entirenations. Being productive is tied to success, satisfaction, and qualityof life.

To understand productivity, you need to consider two terms, effec-tiveness and efficiency. People often think they mean the same thing.Actually, they have very different meanings.

Effectiveness and EfficiencyEffectiveness is the ability to reach a goal or complete a task. An effec-tive farmer, for example, is successful at raising crops. At the end of thegrowing season, theres a good harvest. In football, the most effectiveplay is one that results in a touchdown. Measuring effectiveness isusually easyyoure effective if you reach your goal.

Efficiency has to do with completing a task or reaching a goal, with aminimum expenditure of time and effort. Some measures of efficiency are

Time: (It takes three hours to mow the lawn.)

Cost: (It costs $25.00 to plow your driveway.)

Materials: (It takes one gallon of gas to drive fifteen miles.)


Self-Check 2

Questions 611: Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.

_____ 6. When you have a positive attitude, your mental filter works in your favor.

_____ 7. Being involved in community activities doesnt help to build a positive attitude.

_____ 8. Keeping in shape and avoiding drugs can help to build a positive attitude.

_____ 9. Persons with positive attitudes are usually more successful than those withnegative attitudes in achieving their career goals.

_____10. Youre the only one who benefits when you do your job well.

_____11. Good health is one benefit of positive attitude.


True productivity is determined by both effectiveness and efficiency.In other words, its not good enough to simply get the job done. Youmust also evaluate the time, energy, and cost involved.

The following examples will help you understand the relationshipbetween effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.

Imagine that youre assigned the job of copying a manual thats50 pages long. You carry the pages to the copy machine, placethem in the automatic feed tray, and press the start button. Inabout five minutes, the job is finished.

Now consider the same task if the copiers automatic feed is bro-ken. You must copy the manual one page at a time. It takes youalmost 25 minutes to finish.

Suppose now that the copy machine breaks down. You must exitthe building and walk to the nearest copy center, which is about20 minutes away. You must also pay 10 cents per page to havethe manual copied. The job takes almost an hour and costs $5.00.

In each situation, the effectiveness was the same: the manual got cop-ied. The first situation was the most efficient and effective. Therefore,it was the most productive. In the second situation, the pages werecopied manually, one at a time. Therefore, efficiency was lost andproductivity was lowered. In the final situation, many resources wererequired to do the same job. Copying the manual required more time,effort, and money. It was an example of low efficiency. The thirdsituation was the least productive.

Attitude and ProductivityPeople who have a positive attitude toward work are effective, efficient,and productive. Whether theyre studying at home to better them-selves, or working overtime on the job, they use their time well andwork at a good pace. Theyre careful to produce quality products andmake the best use of the equipment and resources that are available tothem. Moreover, because they have a positive attitude, they enjoy theirwork and feel good about what they do. From flipping a burger tomanaging a large corporation, productivity is improved by a positiveattitude.

A negative attitude toward life or work lessens productivity. Unhappypeople with attitude problems are neither efficient nor effective. Theyoften dont reach their goals. When they do get the job done, they takelonger, use more resources, and create goods or provide services thatare of low quality. For these people, work is a burden. Their negativeattitudes affect them and the others around them. The effects of nega-tive attitudes can be seen in the following examples.


Suppose your boss has asked you to perform some additionaltasks. A positive response to the situation is, This is a chancefor me to show I can handle greater responsibility. A negativeresponse to the situation is, This is just more work and Im toobusy already.

Now suppose that youre at work when a machine breaks downand must be repaired. Youre asked to finish a job for a goodcustomer over the weekend.

A positive response is, This is an inconvenience, but so-and-sois a good customer. Its important that we get this job done ontime. Ill do whatever it takes. A negative response to the samesituation is, No way. I was planning to go out with my friendstonight and sleep late tomorrow. Let somebody else work thisweekend.

By examining the situations just mentioned, you can see how yourattitude does truly affect how well you work. Your attitude affects notonly your work, but your studies and your personal life as well. Ifyou maintain a positive attitude and work productively toward yourgoals, youll develop a winning attitude. However, if you fill yourmind with negative self-talk, you reduce your productivity and hurtyour chances of success in all areas of your life.

Theres one other very important thought about productivity and atti-tudes. Dont confuse true productivity with false productivity, alsoknown as spinning your wheels. Some people have a hidden nega-tive attitude that causes them to do things that seem productive butarent. The following example shows this.

Peter gets all his study materials together on the desk in hisroom and clears a place to work. He reads his assignment and isready to begin writing the required paper. He decides to go tothe library to write, so he packs everything and heads out.

At the library, Peter decides to take a quick look at his favoritemagazine. Half an hour later he decides that he should findmore books to use for the writing assignment. He looks them upand checks them out. Now its ten oclock and the library is about toclose. Peter goes home, but now its too late to begin. Peterdecides to get up early the next day and do his assignment.

Peter is kidding himself if he thinks he is productive. He is simplyspinning his wheels by putting off the actual work of writing the paper.Chances are, he wont finish the paper and will explain to his friendsand the teacher how hard he worked. He may even develop a negativeattitude toward studying and school in general. Of course, all of thiscould have been avoided if he had simply begun writing his paper.


INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Up to this point, weve stressed the importance of developing goodhuman relations skills. Weve shown how a positive attitude can helpyou succeed in your personal life and in your studies. Also, wevementioned how a positive attitude can help you be more productiveat work. The next two sections focus on individual and team produc-tivity in the workplace.

Being productive means that you meet or surpass productivity require-ments at work. And no matter where you work, there are standardsof performance, or in positive self-talk, performance goals. One job-related performance goal might be producing a given number of tiresin a manufacturing plant. Another might be waiting on customerspromptly in a restaurant. Sometimes performance goals arent directlystated. When they arent, you need to ask your boss what they are.Your ability to meet performance goals will help determine yoursuccess at work.


Self-Check 3

Match Column A with the correct meaning in Column B.

Column A Column B

_____ 1. Efficiency

_____ 2. False productivity

_____ 3. Time, cost, and materials

_____ 4. Negative attitudes

_____ 5. Productivity

_____ 6. Effectiveness

a. Depends on both efficiency andeffectiveness

b. Reaching a goal

c. Reaching a goal with a minimumexpenditure of time and effort

d. Things you should consider whenmeasuring efficiency

e. Performing many actions withoutmoving toward your goal

f. Interfere with productivity in yourpersonal life and at work


But meeting a performance goal is only part of productivity. Youmust meet your goals following efficiency guidelines. That is, you mustaccomplish your goal within a specified period of time, at a givencost, or by consuming a given amount of resources such as raw mate-rials or energy. Using the job-related performance goals describedabove, here are some productivity requirements.

Improving Your Productivity at WorkHow can you become more productive at work? Find out whats ex-pected of you. Ask your boss about productivity requirements. What areyour performance goals and efficiency guidelines? Once you findthese answers, youll become more productive.

Sometimes the productivity requirements that have been set for a jobare long-range goals. What should you do when the efficiency guide-lines might not be clear enough to guide you during the workday?Study them and figure out how to make them fit on a daily basis. Forexample, if youre expected to make 100 tires in a five-day workweek, you should make 20 tires by the end of each day.

You could even break down the efficiency guideline even further. Forexample, to make 20 tires in an eight-hour work day, you shouldprobably finish five tires every two hours. Setting short-term goalswill make it easier to achieve your overall goal. It also makes theworkday go faster. Plus you get a sense of satisfaction each time youmeet your short-term goal.

So, if you need to develop efficiency guidelines, ask the followingquestions:

Is there a time deadline?

What kinds of materials are used?

What resources are available?

Is there a budget I must follow?


Productivity Requirements

Performance Goal Efficiency Guidelines

Making 20 tires With less than 100 feet ofrubber

Waiting on customers Within 2 minutes of theirbeing seated

Also, find out who is going to evaluate the performance of the indi-viduals involved. Try to get answers to these important questions:

Who is going to evaluate my work?

When will the evaluation take place?

What measurements will be used to evaluate me?

Finally, being productive means making as little waste as possible. Ina manufacturing job, waste can be material thats damaged but notused in finished products. Or, it can be finished products that arentgood enough to be sold. If you must cut an eight-foot piece out of a10-foot board to make a shelf, the two feet you didnt use is waste. Ifyou make a tire and discover that it doesnt have enough tread, youmust throw it in the scrap pile. It has become waste.

Waste in a service job is an action that doesnt help you meet yourgoal. In a shoe store, for example, if a customer asks for shoe A in size10 and you get shoe B or size 9, youve wasted time. Your productiv-ity will suffer because it will take you longer to accomplish your goal,which is selling shoes.

The Right Start: Ten Suggestions for BeingProductive in a New Job

Following is a list of the top 10 suggestions for getting off to a produc-tive start in a new job. Theyre simple, practical, and easy to follow. Youcan apply them in your current job, too. And remember, theyll beespecially helpful if you decide to change careers.

Make a commitment to do the best job you can. This probably wontbe your last job, and it might not be the perfect job. But if you do thebest job you can, youll enjoy your work and learn from the experi-ence. Perhaps it will help you move on to bigger and better things.

Be prompt. Starting on time, ending on time, and taking breaks at theright time will help you make the most of your work day. Yourpromptness will be noticed by your supervisor and will set a goodexample for your coworkers.

Find out the jobs productivity requirements. Ask your coworkersand supervisor questions, read any printed material thats available,and keep your ears open. The only way that you can meet expectationsis to know what these expectations are.

Find out what efficiency guidelines you should be following. Remember,meeting your goal is only half of productivity. You must also be awareof time limitations, cost limitations, and so on. You may have to do alittle digging to uncover this information, but the effort will be worth it.


Dress for success. Dont be a careless dresser, and dont dress like amodel. Dress in a manner that follows the written or unwritten rulesof the workplace. Being neat and clean and following the dress codeof your company creates a good impression on your coworkers andsupervisors.

Stay professional. Every business has a set of rules that you learn bybeing with other people. This code varies from job to job, and some-times from situation to situation in the same job. Learn whats accept-able and professional for your job and stay within bounds.

Respect others. The people you meet on the job might not be thepeople you choose to associate with. Nonetheless, everyone deservesto be treated fairly and youre all working toward the same goal.Showing that you respect others will lead them to respect you.

Be a good listener. Use positive human relations skills to encouragepeople to talk openly with you. Youll benefit in two ways. Theyll bemore willing to share their knowledge of the job, and theyll respondmore favorably to you as a person.

Be part of a team. Its rare that an individual works alone. Even injobs that seem to be loners, there are other people involved in the or-ganization. Recognize that youre part of a team and that you dependon others and they depend on you.

Find a good balance between work and the rest of your life. Work isimportant, but its not your whole life. Try to find a comfortable placein your life for work so that what you do for a living helps you to livethe way you want to. Work is a means to an end; it helps you live lifeto the fullest.


Self-Check 4

Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.

_____ 1. Waste isnt a problem if you get the job done.

_____ 2. Efficiency is often measured by the time it takes to complete a job.

_____ 3. Long-range goals are good enough to guide your work each day.

_____ 4. A worker who meets or surpasses productivity requirements is a productive worker.

_____ 5. To succeed in your job, its important to know who will evaluate you and howyoull be evaluated.

_____ 6. There are specific questions you can ask to determine your efficiency guidelines.


TEAM PRODUCTIVITY

Practicing good human relations skills and having a positive attitudeincrease your productivity. But what effect do they have on groupproductivity and teamwork? It should come as no surprise that theyalso improve group productivity. What might amaze you is that groupproductivity is improved even more than individual productivity.

How Your Productivity Affects OthersYour productivity affects others, your teammates, in several ways. Themost obvious is that your productivity sets an example for others.Modeling, behaving as you would like others to behave, is a powerfulforce that improves productivity. The efforts of one good worker canoften motivate others to reach their potential. And when severalproductive individuals work together in harmony, their positive attitudesspread. Others catch on and a spirit develops.

Working toward Group GoalsWere all familiar with group goals. The goal of a college basketballteam is to win the championship. The goal of a political party is towin an election. The goal of a construction crew is to build a housethat makes the customer happy. These goals, and all other groupgoals, will be achieved only when the individual members of theteam pull together.

Working as a member of a team involves some sacrifice. Sacrifice mightinvolve working late to finish an assignment or to teach a fellow employeehow to operate a new machine. When someone sacrifices for the good ofthe team, he or she earns respect. And individuals who respect one an-other develop a sense of togetherness. They work better as a team.

Working with a Variety of PeopleTolerance is accepting people for what they are. Its important todeveloping good human relations. Tolerance is also necessary forthe success of a work group because you cant always choose yourcoworkers.


When youre with others, treat them as individuals and not membersof a given race, nationality, religion, or other group. Keep in mindthat these people are members of your team and that you share com-mon goals. Your job isnt to make a person your best friend, only toget your job done. The way to do this is through a positive attitude,good human relations skills, and teamwork (Figure 6).

Treat other people with the same level of respect you expect from them.Rich or poor, black or white, the list could go on and on. People arestill people and respond well when you show them respect. Youllincrease your group productivity by showing respect for your coworkers,no matter what their background.

And dont block group success by expecting less of others becausetheyre different. For a team to succeed, everyone must contribute.

If things are going well, share your good feelings with the other mem-bers of your team. If things arent going well, discuss the situationhonestly with your team and try to solve problems. Honest communi-cation will prevent you from bottling up your feelings, blaming oth-ers for your problems, or taking all the credit for a successful project.


FIGURE 6Meeting andworking with people fromdifferent cultural back-grounds can be an interest-ing learning experience.

One closing thought remains about negative attitudes toward peoplewho are different. Negative attitudes are caused by misinformationor a lack of knowledge about a group of people. If you keep an openmind and practice good human relations skills, youll learn moreabout people who are different from you. Youll find that in manyways theyre much like you.


Self-Check 5

1. Practicing good human relations skills and having a positive attitude will

a. increase individual productivity more than group productivity.b. increase group productivity more than individual productivity.c. increase neither individual productivity nor group productivity.d. lower group productivity more than individual productivity.

2. One productive person in a workplace can

a. do little to influence productivity.b. usually influence only one other worker.c. influence a number of other workers to work harder.d. discourage poorer workers from doing their jobs.

3. Modeling is

a. acting like a show-off.b. behaving as you would like others to behave.c. something your coworkers wont like.d. a form of negative self-talk.

4. Part of being a good team worker is

a. being best friends with your fellow workers.b. expecting less of your fellow workers.c. keeping your feelings to yourself.d. overlooking differences to achieve group goals.

5. Achievement of group goals

a. requires that workers be able to pick their coworkers.b. is unaffected by a team members willingness to make sacrifices.c. can be affected by a workers tolerance of her or his coworkers.d. wont be influenced by a single workers attitudes.


NOTES


11. b

2. d

3. a

4. c

5. d

2

1. b

2. b

3. c

4. a

5. c

6. True

7. False

8. True

9. True

10. False

11. True

3

1. c

2. e

3. d

4. f

5. a

6. b

4

1. False

2. True

3. False

4. True

5. True

6. True

5

1. b

2. c

3. b

4. d

5. c

Self-Check Answers

33

Documents

Human Relations Part 1