MODULE 1: Fundamental Concepts of Organizational Behavior • Biological determined (nature) – there are no specific genes that

determine personality, but twin research shows that approximately

Organization Behavior is based on a few fundamental concepts 50% of personality can be explained by hereditary factors.
which revolve around the nature of people and organizations. • Life experience (nurture) – personality can change through
experience but not in the short term.
• Individual Differences.
• Human Dignity
ASA MODEL – explains why similar people are selected by
• Perception.
organization, while inconsistent people are likely to leave these
• The value of the person
organizations due to attrition.
• Whole Person.
• Organizations are social system Accrdg to attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) model of Schneider an
• Motivated Behavior. organization attracts persons with corresponding personalities
• Mutuality of interest (attraction) and selects them (selection) while rejecting other types
• The desire for Involvement. of personalities (attrition).
• Holistic concepts
BIG FIVE PERSONALITY MODEL
Organizational Behavior Origins
- Western Electric Company (Hawthorne Works plant, in •Extraversion is the tendency to experience positive affect and to
Cicero III) ; 1920 feel good about the self and the world.
- Hawthorne Effect which describes the way test subjects’
Introversion – the other side of the continuum – is associated with
behavior may change when they know they are being
less positive feelings and less social interactions.
observed - is the best known study of organizational
behavior. •Neuroticism – there is a tendency to experience negative feelings
- Organizational behavior was not fully recognized by the about the self and the world.
American Psychological Association as a field of academic •Altruism (agreeableness) - refers to the property to be able to get
study until the 1970s along well with others; selflessness and concern and concern for the
well being of others; low scorer-antagonistic and suspicious
4 ELEMENTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
•Conscientiousness – refers to care and perseverance; A tendency
1. People
to be organized and dependable, to show self-discipline, to aim for
2. Structure
achievement, and to prefer planned rather than spontaneous
3. Technology
behavior.
4. External Environment
•Openness - is the extent to which an individual is open to new
3 LEVELS experiences and risks, has broad interests and is original. This is an
1.Individual level – involves organizational psychology and advantage in companies in which creativity and innovation are
understanding human behavior and incentives. desired.
2.Groups level – involves social psychology and sociological insights
into human interaction and group dynamics.
Other personality traits
3.Organizational level – top level; where organization theory and
sociology come into play to undertake systems-level analyses and • Locus of control - is the extent to which an individual believes to
the study of how firms engage with one another in the marketplace. have control over the situation in which he/she is located.
Internal locus of control means that events are attributed to
Common Problems personal factors and therefore that responsibility is taken for the
• lack of direction or strategic vision for a company consequences of their own behavior.
• difficulty getting employees on board with that vision External locus of control means that events are attributed to
• pacifying workplace conflict or creating more amenable work situational factors.
environment
• issues with training employees •Self-monitoring refers to the extent to which a person actively tries
• poor communication or feedback to influence how he/she presents himself to others.
•Self-confidence/self-esteem (self-esteem) - is the extent to which
MODULE 2: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, PERCEPTION AND someone is satisfied with themselves and their own skills.
ATTRIBUTES
Which three needs does almost everyone have?
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES - are the ways in which people differ from
According to McClelland, there are three characteristics that
each other.
everyone has to vary:
2 Categories of individual differences • Need for success - is the desire to perform well in challenging
• Personality Differences situations and to meet a high standard.
• Capacity differences • There is a need for solidarity (need for commitment) in efforts to
build and maintain good relationships with others. People who have
Personality Differences a strong need for solidarity are good co-workers but it is not good if
all employees in a team are like this because this can be at the
Personality – refers to the relatively stable patterns in the thinking, expense of working effectively on tasks because everyone is then
feeling, and behavior of a person. focused on ‘keeping the peace’.
• Need for power is the strong need for emotional and behavioral
Sources of Personality control over others. People who possess this property are often
managers or people in leadership positions.
 performance and expectation. If the performance exceeds the
expectation, people are pleased, but when the performance is equal
to the expectation, it results in satisfaction.
Types of capacities
The capacities of a person are the second category of individual Major Personality Attributes
differences and are decisive for the level of performance at work. Following are the five major personality attributes that influence OB
• Cognitive capacities - as general intelligence. Under intelligence, –
there are different areas of cognitive functioning. According to Locus of Control - is the center of control of an individual’s code of
research, cognitive ability is predictive of career success, provided conduct. People can be grouped into two categories i.e., internals
that the type of cognitive ability is related to work. and externals respectively. People who consider themselves as the
• Physical capacity - a distinction can be made between motor masters of their own fates are known as internals, while, those who
capacity (the ability to deal effectively with objects) and physical affirm that their lives are controlled by outside forces known as
capacity (condition and strength). externals.

Machiavellianism - is being practical, emotionally distant, and

Both cognitive and physical capacity develop through a combination
believing that ends justify means. Machiavellians are always
of hereditary factors (nature) and experience (nurture).
wanting to win and are great persuaders. Here are the significant
features of a high-mach individuals –
Emotional intelligence is a specific type of capacity. It refers to the
*High-Machs prefer precise interactions rather than beating about
ability to understand and deal with one’s own and other’s feelings
the bush.
Perception in Organizational Behavior *High-Machs tend to improvise; they do not necessarily abide by
rules and regulations all the time.
Perception is simply defined as how a person perceives the world *High-Machs get distracted by emotional details that are irrelevant
around them and interprets that information. It is a subconscious to the outcome of a project.
thing that the mind does and is dependent on your ability to pay
attention to your surroundings and your existing knowledge. Self-esteem – is the extent up to which people either like or dislike
themselves. Self-Esteem is directly related to the expectations of
Perception is a process of sensory organs. The mind receives success and on-the-job satisfaction.
information through the five sense organs, eyes, ears, nose, tongue
and skin. The incoming stimuli to these organs can be through Self-monitoring is the capability of regulating one’s behavior
action, written message, verbal communication, smell, taste, touch according to social situations. Individuals with high self-monitoring
of the product and people. skill easily adjust their behavior according to external, situational
factors.
COMPONENTS OF PERCEPTION
Risk taking - Generally, managers are reluctant on taking risks.
Stimuli: – The receipt of information is the stimulus, which results in However, individual risk-taking inclination affects the bulk of
sensation. Knowledge and behavior depend on the senses and their information required by the managers and how long it takes them
stimuli. The physical senses used by people are sight, hearing, to make decisions
touch, smell and taste. Intuition and hunch are known as the sixth
sense. These senses are affected by a large number of stimuli, which MODULE 3: MOTIVATION AND COMMUNICATION
can be actions, information, thoughts and feelings etc.
Understanding Motivation In Organizational Behavior
Attention: – People engage in stimuli selectively. Some stimuli are
reacted to while others are ignored without attention. Motivation (in an organization) refers to the positive state of mind
that drives you to achieve your objectives.
Recognition: – After noticing the stimuli, employees try to identify
whether the stimuli are worth feeling. Messages or incoming stimuli - is a huge field of study and various psychologists have studied
are recognized before they are transmitted in practice. Perception is human behavior to propose different motivation theories in
a two-stage activity, i.e., receiving stimuli and converting stimuli into organizational behavior.
action.
Motivation Theories
Translation: – The stimuli are evaluated before they are converted
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
into actions or behaviors. The evaluation process is translation.
Abraham Maslow - American psychologist, proposed the hierarchy
Behavior: – Behavior is the result of a cognitive process. It is a of needs, A Theory of Human Motivation.
response to changes in sensory inputs, i.e., stimuli. This is an - Maslow postulated that people are motivated when their needs re
obvious and covert response; Perceptual behavior is not influenced fulfilled.
by reality, but is the result of the individual’s perception process, his
or her learning and personality, environmental factors, and other Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
internal and external factors at the workplace. Frederick Herzberg - an American psychologist who became an
influential figure in business management, introduced the Two-
Performance: – Appropriate behavior leads to high performance. Factor Theory, also known as Motivation-Hygiene Theory.
High performers become a source of excitement and inspiration to Two parts:
other employees. A performance-reward relationship is established *Hygiene factors - such as working conditions, salary and job
to motivate people. security, ensure that employees are satisfied.
*Motivation factors - such as recognition, responsibility and
Satisfaction: – Higher performance gives more satisfaction. The level opportunities for growth, ensure that are people are encouraged to
of satisfaction is calculated from the difference between better their performance.
McClelland’s Theory of Needs • Emotional Awareness
David Clarence McClelland - an American psychologist, proposed -Emotions play an important role in the way we communicate at
three motivation drivers that influence our life experiences. home and work.
*Need for achievement - people with high need for achievement - Emotional awareness provides you the tools for understanding
tend to pursue objectives that hold them accountable; both yourself and other people, and the real messages they are
acknowledgement for their efforts communicating to you.
*Need for affiliation - motivated by social relationships they build Tips
*Need for power - aspire for roles that given them authority and -Understand yourself
tend to exercise their influence on others - Communicate clearly and effective in any situation
- Build strong, trusting and rewarding relationships, think creatively
The Role of Motivation in Organizations and solve problems
Motivation – is the most effective way to influence job satisfaction at
the workplace. Effective communication requires both thinking and feeling.

• Increases Productivity - The role of motivation is to understand Purposes

someone’s needs and help them find the best way to utilize their -Seeking or receiving information
true potential; a motivated employee will be willing to put more - encouragement
effort into their work. - control
• Ensures Loyal Workforce - Motivation ensures that employees are - selling proposals
loyal to the organization. This, in turn, reduces turnover rates and - confrontation
helps to retain the best of the workforce.
Organizational Communication – can be External communication
• Improves Organizational Efficiency - When people remain
and Internal communication
engaged in their professional roles and are happy about the
outcomes, they’re more likely to fulfill targets with greater Two basic channels: formal and informal (both are important and
enthusiasm. carry messages)
MODULE 4: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Benefits of Effective Communication
- To defended an interview
Communication – sharing of ideas and information between people
- To get the job
Types of Communication - To do your job well
• Verbal Communication - To beforehand in your career
• Nonverbal Communication
Success - the achievement of something desired
Effective Communication – combines a set of skills including Stronger
nonverbal communication, attentive listening, the ability to manage Upturn
stress in the moment, and the capacity to recognize and understand Clearer
your own emotions. Convincing
Enhanced
Effective Communication Skills Sound
Successful
• Listening – one of the most important aspect of effective
communication. It means not just understanding the words or Importance of Effective Communication
information being communicate but also understand how the • Communication – is the “lifeblood” of every organization.
speaker feels when they are communicating. • Effective Communication is an essential component of
Tips for Effective Listening organizational success whether it is at the interpersonal, intra-
- Fully focus on the speaker groups, organizational, or external levels.
- Concentrate and avoid interrupting
- Show your interest on the speaker.

• Nonverbal Communication – Includes wordless communication, MODULE 5: GROUP BEHAVIOR

body language, postures and gestures, body movement and tone of
your voice. GROUP BEHAVIOR
Tips - Group behavior in organizations tends to follow the organizational
- Observing people in the public place norms and rules wherein an employee are expected to be
- Be aware of individual differences disciplined, follow orders.
- Use nonverbal signals - a situation where people interact in large or small groups.
- Use body language to convey positive feelings - refers to when 2 or more people who have similar goals come
together in a group and behave the same way ( a collective action )
• Managing Stress – in small doses, stress can help you perform - critical element at the workplace
under pressure.
Tips 2 Different Types of Group Behavior
- Recognize when you’re becoming stress
- Bring your senses to rescue and manage stress by taking deep • Constructive (Positive) Group Behavior – are those groups that act
breath with maturity and a good attitude while trying to achieve their
- Look for humor in the situation objectives. Their objectives are to influence people positively,
- Be willing to compromise develop the community and for the general welfare of their
members and society at large.
> Cooperating – interested in the views and perspectives of the • Participating in a Fight - participate in a physical or verbal
other group members and willing to adapt for the good of the group disagreement, or to face something and struggle through it (fight)
> Clarifying – makes issues clear for the group by listening, • Moreover, without good organizational behavior, employees are
summarizing and focusing discussions inclined towards irrationality.
> Inspiring – enlivens the group, encourages participation and
progress. POSITIVE BEHAVIOR VS NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR
> Harmonizing – Encourages group cohesion and collaboration.
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
> Risk –taking – willing to risk possible personal loss or
- Challenges decisions based on patients/customer needs.
embarrassment for the group or project success
- Gives Credit where credit is due
> Process Checking – Questions the group on process issues such as
- Respects confidentiality of Information consistently
agenda, time frames, discussion topics, decision Methods, use of
- Understands and values cultural differences
information, etc.
- Encourages appropriate behavior
- Builds self-belief and can-do attitude
• Destructive (Negative) Group Behavior – use violence and
- Is Truthful
destruction to achieve objectives. (ISIS, Boko Haram, Cult groups)
- Develops shared vision
> Dominating – takes much of meeting time expressing self-views
NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR
and opinions. Tries to take control by use of power, time, etc.
- Makes/supports decisions without patients/clients’ needs at the
> Rushing – Encourages the group to move on before that task is
center
complete. Gets “tired” of listening to others and working as a group.
- Takes credit for others work
> Withdrawing – removes self from discussion or decision-making.
- Gossips confidential information
Refuses to participate
- Does not seek to understand or value cultural differences
> Discounting – disregards or minimizes group or individual ideas or
- Does not challenge inappropriate behavior
suggestions. Severe discounting behavior includes insults, which are
- Destroys confidence
often in the form of jokes.
- Is deceptive/dishonest/manipulative
> Digressing - rambles, tells stories, and takes the group away from
- Keeps others in the dark
the primary purpose
> Blocking - impedes group progress by obstructing all ideas and Advantages of Group Behavior in Organization
suggestions.” That will never work because...”
• Productivity – When you see others around you work hard, you’re
Classification of Group motivated to push your boundaries
• Formal Group - one defined by the organization structure with • Attendance – when you have people to talk to and collaborate
designated work assignment and established task. with, it makes work more interesting and engaging.
Types of Formal Group
> Command Group - a group composed of individual who report • Job Satisfaction – many modern organizations strive to make their
directly to a certain manager employees feel like they’re part of one big family; when a workplace
> Task Group - a kind of group consisting of persons working culture is employee-driven, you feel more engaged and are happy
together to complete a job task about your contributions

• Informal Group - this group type neither formally structured nor • Attitude – We fosters positive attitudes when organizational group
organizationally determined. behavior is constructive and supportive
- it is formed by individuals and developed around common interest
and friendship rather than around deliberated design. • Well-being – allowing more opportunities to share stories and
Types of Informal Group emotions.
> Interest Group - one that formed because of some special topic • Learning – Every person has something unique to contribute,
interest. in general, disbands when the interest declines or a goal which enhances the knowledge of other people in the group
has been achieved
> Friendship Group - one where members are brought together The Stages of Group Formation
because they share one or more common characteristics such as
age, political beliefs, or ethnic background Bruce Tuckman (1965) – an American psychological researcher,
identified five stages of group formation
Meaning and Characteristics of Types of Group Behavior
1. Forming – individuals get to know each other but there’s no real
• Mass Action - refers to the action of a large number of people at a openness though there isn’t any conflict either.
particular time; can be positive or negative; If the participants have
good motive and express their feelings in a peaceful manner 2. Storming – group members share their perspectives, opinions and
(positive) ideas in this stage. Conflict may arise and it’s important to manage
- refers to the situations where numerous people behave intra-group conflict before things get difficult
simultaneously in similar but individually and without coordination
3. Norming – everyone has a mutual understanding and abides by
(sociology)
the group’s norms and procedures. There is acceptance, agreement
• Communal Labor/Service - a gathering for mutually accomplishing
and identification of common goals
a task or for communal fundraising.
4. Performing – group work leads to self-management. Members are
• Joining a Protest/March - an occasion where people show that
not only cooperative but also autonomous and require less
they disagree with something by walking somewhere, often shouting
supervision. There is trust and loyalty
and carrying signs.
5. Adjourning – people have completed their tasks and fulfilled their * Helps an individual or group identify its goals, and then motivates
targets at this stage. They wrap up their activities and the group and assists in achieving the stated goal.
parts ways. * It is the catalyst that transforms potential into reality.

Roles within the Group Leader Vs Manager

1. Knowledge contributor – he is technically proficient enough and Leader is someone whom people follow or someone who guides or
he will be providing useful and valid information. He/she can be a directs others.
great help in task accomplishment and the value sharing technical
expertise with another member of the group Manager is someone who is responsible for directing and controlling
the work and staff in an organization, or of a department within it.
2. Process Observer – the person occupying this role forces member
to look at who the group function The main difference between the two is that a leader works by
example, while a manager dictates expectations.
3. People Supporter – some groups members are not emotionally
strong to face various difficulties heaped upon them in the Few subtle differences between the two −
performance of their function so that this role must assume by 1 - A leader is an innovator and creator whereas a manager is a
member if the group which can provides emotional support to commander.
teammates and resolve the conflict - A leader can’t be a manager but the opposite is possible, a
manager is more than a leader.
4. Challenger – the group needs someone who confronts challenges - A leader does what is right, while the manager makes things right.
and bad ideas. This will prevent complacency and non-critical - A leader deals with change whereas a manager plans for a change.
thinking - A leader gives direction to do something whereas the manager
plans for everything that is to be done.
5. Listener – this is a need for someone - A leader encourages people whereas
to listen to whatever ideas or proposal TRAITS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERS the manager controls people.
presented by any member of the group Primary Traits Second Traits - A leader handles communication,
credibility, and empowerment whereas
6. Mediator – it is not uncommon for 1.Personal drive and energy 1. Cognitive Ability
a manager deals with organizing and
group members to get involved in 2. Honesty and Integrity 2. Charisma
staffing.
disputes between each other, when 3. Desire to lead 3. Knowledge of Business
this happens, it will affect the 4.Self-confidence 4. Creativity and originality
performance of the whole group. 5. Positive affectivity(Warmth)
6. lexibility and adaptiveness
7. Gate Keeper – is to provide the
opportunity for every member to express his or her opinion. He or
she will also remind everyone.

8. Take-charge leader - the leadership vacuum cannot exist

indefinitely and for the sake of group effectiveness a team should
assume the role of take-charge leader. With the leader, the group
can then move forward by defining its mission and determining
objectives. Leadership Styles

Five different leadership styles

MODULE 6: LEADERSHIP Laissez-Faire - A laissez-faire leader does not directly supervise
employees and fails to provide regular updates to those under his
Leader - is someone who inspires passion and motivation in
supervision; Highly experienced and trained employees with
followers; someone with a vision and the path to realizing it;
minimal requirement of supervision fall under the laissez-faire
someone who ensures their team has support and tools to achieve
leadership style; blocks the production of employees needing
their goals.
supervision; implements no leadership or supervision
Leadership - ability of the management to make sound decisions and Autocratic - permits manager to make decisions alone without the
inspire others to perform well; It is the process of directing the input of others
behavior of others towards achieving a common goal. Participative - also known as democratic leadership style; values the
efforts of the team members and peers, but the responsibility of
Importance of Leadership making the final decision rests with the participative leader
Leadership is very important in a firm as it leads to higher Transactional - formed by the concept of reward and punishment;
performance by the team members, it improves motivation and Transformational - has the ability to affect employee’s perceptions
morale within the members, and helps to respond to change. through the returns that organization gets in the form of human
Leadership facilitates organizational success by creating capital benefits; these leaders have the ability to reap higher
responsibility and accountability among the members of the benefits
organization. In short, it increases value in an organization.
Three broad types of skills leaders use:
THE NATURE OF LEADERSHIP Technical Skill - refers to a person knowledge of, and ability in, any
type of process or technique.
* It is the process of influencing and supporting others to work
Human Skill - is the ability to work effectively with people and to
enthusiastically toward achieving objectives.
build teamwork.
Conceptual Skill - is the ability to think in terms of models, ability by familiarizing them with the actions and details necessary
frameworks, and broad relationships. to execute that skill in real situations.
Seek Out Feedback - There's no guarantee that you will be able to
Trust and Leadership tell what state your leadership skills are in through your own
Trust is the primary attribute associated with leadership, and trust analysis, so actively seeking out feedback from others can help you
that is broken can have an adverse effect on a group’s performance. pinpoint what needs work.
Engage Others -Engaging with others can provide a huge boost to
Trust is a positive expectation that another individual will not act the productivity and behavior in the office.
opportunistically at another’s expense. Trust is dependent on Be A Role Model -Leaders are role models for many people, whether
history, based on relevant but limited samples of experience. they realize it or not. Employees will look at the example set by
their superiors in order to improve themselves
Five key dimensions
Integrity: the honesty and integrity of the individual. Importance of Leadership
Competence: the knowledge and ability of the individual. The following points justify the importance of leadership in a
Consistency: the reliability of the individual. concern:
Loyalty: the willingness of the individual to protect the interests of * Initiates action- Leader is a person who starts the work by
another. communicating the policies and plans to the subordinates from
Openness: the individual’s willingness to be forthcoming with where the work actually starts.
others. * Motivation - A leader proves to be playing an incentive role in the
concern’s working. He motivates the employees with economic and
Types of Trust non-economic rewards and thereby gets the work from the
Deterrence-based trust - Perhaps the most fragile of all the types of subordinates.
trust, deterrence-based trust is based on the fear of reprisal if trust * Providing guidance - A leader has to not only supervise but also
is violated. A new employee might extend deterrence-based trust to play a guiding role for the subordinates. Guidance here means
his or her new manager, understanding that there is limited instructing the subordinates the way they have to perform their
experience on which to base any other trust. work effectively and efficiently.
Knowledge-based trust - This trust is the most common, and it’s * Creating confidence - Confidence is an important factor which can
based on the behavioral predictability that comes from a history of be achieved through expressing the work efforts to the
interaction subordinates, explaining them clearly their role and giving them
Identification-based trust - This is the highest level of trust achieved guidelines to achieve the goals effectively. It is also important to
between two individuals, because it’s an emotional connection hear the employees with regards to their complaints and problems.
between them. This trust is based on a mutual understanding of * Building morale- Morale denotes willing co-operation of the
each other’s intentions and appreciation of the other’s wants and employees towards their work and getting them into confidence
desires. and winning their trust. A leader can be a morale booster by
achieving full co-operation so that they perform with best of their
Qualities of a Good Leader abilities as they work to achieve goals.
Communicative -This should be a no-brainer. By this point, you * Builds work environment- Management is getting things done
should realize that good communication skills are a vital component from people. An efficient work environment helps in sound and
to organizational behavior and business success. stable growth. Therefore, human relations should be kept into mind
Problem Solving and Negotiation- The ability to take a problem and by a leader. He should have personal contacts with employees and
quickly find the best solution that serves all parties involved is should listen to their problems and solve them. He should treat
something that many leaders are going to be faced with on a daily employees on humanitarian terms.
basis. * Co-ordination- Co-ordination can be achieved through
Empathy - While some circumstances may require a more neutral reconciling personal interests with organizational goals. This
emotional state and mindset, leaders will still need to be able to synchronization can be achieved through proper and effective co-
empathize with others. Empathy allows a person to think about who ordination which should be primary motive of a leader.
their actions will impact and what the long-term consequences are.
Transparency and Honesty - One of the first things that experts list MODULE 7: EMPLOYEE COUNSELLING
for quality leadership is honesty. Leaders who are able to be honest Employee counselling is a vital part of performance review and
with their followers and transparent in their actions often follow potential appraisal, if these are to achieve their basic purpose of
ethical practices. helping employees to improve and develop.
Inspirational - Throughout society and history, leaders have been an Employee counselling is a method of understanding and helping
inspirational source for many. These are the people that the public individuals who have technical, personal and emotional adjustment
looks to when they need motivation and guidance. problems interfering with their work performance. According to Keith
Confident - Leadership is a public position in the group; you are the Davis – “Employee counselling involves a discussion of an emotional
person that everyone looks to for guidance. You need to be sure of problem with an employee with the general objective of decreasing
yourself and of your actions to be effective in that position, and it.”
people will notice if you are not confident. Leaders generate
confidence in others through their own ability to be assertive and Counselling is a two-way process in which a counsellor provides help
strong in their behavior. to the workers by way of advice and guidance; refers to the help
given by a superior to his subordinate in improving the latter’s
How to Improve Leadership Skills and Abilities performance.
Practice - You can't get better at something if you only do it when Counselling session is a meeting between the supervisor and the
it's demanded of you. Practicing can help a person improve any employee which may focus on a specific incident, a particular aspect
of an employee's performance which the supervisor has identified as
needing improvement, or the employee's overall performance or
conduct; It is a face-to-face communication between the supervisor
and the employee, conducted in private, and is intended to have a
constructive goal of providing feedback to the employee to correct
The counselling process has three important phases:
the problem
Rapport building- is essential for any effective counselling
This definition has three concepts: outcome. In this phase, a good counsellor attempts to establish
* Counselling deals with emotional problems. a climate of acceptance, warmth, support, openness, and
* Counselling involves discussion i.e., it is an act of mutuality. He/she does this by listening to the employees’
communication. Successful counselling depends on problems and feeling, by communicating his/her
communication skills, primarily face- to-face, by which one understanding to the employees, and by expressing a
person’s emotions can be shared with another. genuineness of interest in them.
Exploration - In the exploration phase, besides accepting the
* The general objective of counselling is to understand
employees, listening to them, and establishing a climate of
and/or decrease an employee’s emotional disorder. If two
openness, the counsellor attempts to understand as well as
individuals merely discuss an emotional problem of either
help the employees understand their own situational
of them, a social relationship may be established, but
strengths, weaknesses, problems, and needs. Counselling skills
hardly a counselling one, because intent is not there. For
lie in this.
counselling to exist, an employee must be seeking an
Action planning - In the action planning stage, the
understanding or help and/or the other (known as
counsellor and the employee jointly workout or plan specific
counsellor) must be offering it.
action steps for the development of the employee.
Three basic ingredients of the process are:
6 Main Functions of Employee counselling
Communication
1. Advice
Empowering, and
2. Reassurance
Helping
3. Communication
4. Release of Emotional Tension
Top 7 Types of employee counseling:
5. Clarified Thinking
Directive Counselling - full counselling; process of listening to an
6. Reorientation
employee’s problem, deciding with the employee what should be
done and telling and motivating the employee to do it; this type of Qualities of a Counsellor:
counselling mostly does the function of advice, reassurance and
1. Counsellor should be a morale booster for the employee
communication; It centers on the counsellor.
Non-directive Counselling - the employee is permitted to have 2. Counsellor should be unbiased and must never
maximum freedom in determining the course of the interview; compare one employee with other employees
process of skillfully listening and encouraging a counselee to explain 3. Counsellor should have warm manners and social etiquettes
troublesome problems, understand them and determine 4. He/she must be well versed in excellent communication skills
appropriate solutions. 5. The counsellor should possess professional
Cooperative Counselling - is the process in which both the councilor
qualifications, experienced, maturity
and client mutually cooperate to solve the problems of the client; it is
not neither wholly client centered nor wholly counsellor centered but it 6. Effective listening skill
is centered both councilor and client equally 7. Pleasing personality
Participative Counselling - Both directive and non-directive methods 8. Immense Patience
suffer from limitations. While the former is often not accepted by 9. Compassionate approach
independent employees, the latter needs professionals to operate 10. Non-judgmental towards a problem or an employee
and hence is costly; Participative is a counsellor-counselee relationship
11. Research-Oriented as counselling is an ever-evolving profession
that establishes a cooperative exchange of ideas to help solve an
employee’s problems; it is neither wholly counsellor centered nor 12. Empathetic and sympathetic towards the employees
wholly counselee-centered. 13. Discrete outlook
Desensitization: Exposure to Fear/Trauma - once an individual is 14. Ever encouraging to employees to come forward for redressal.
shocked in a particular situation, he/she gives himself/herself no
chance for the situation to recur; can be used to overcome avoidance Role of Counsellors:
reactions, so as to improve the emotional weak spots. 1. They help the employees in the following ways:
Catharsis: Cleansing - Discharge of emotional tensions; is an 2. To provide emphatic atmosphere of genuine concern about his
emotional discharge through which one can achieve a state of moral difficulties, tensions, worries, problems, etc. so that he can freely discuss
or spiritual renewal or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and
and share his views with counsellor;
stress; Catharsis is a Greek word and it means cleansing;The most
3. To understand himself better and to gain knowledge about his
common interpretation of the term ‘Catharsis’ is purgation and
purification, and are still widely used. The most recent interpretation potential, strengths and weaknesses;
of the term catharsis is “intellectual clarification” 4. To gain an insight into the dynamics of his behavior by providing
Insight - Help clients understand how past experiences can affect necessary feedback;
their current behavior. 5. To have better understanding of the environment in which he
functions;
6. To increase his personal and interpersonal effectiveness by assisting
him in analyzing his interpersonal competence;
7. To prepare alternate action plans for improving his performance
and behavior.

5 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE COUNSELING

1. ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS HEAD-ON

2. CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF COUNSELING
3. RELYING ON INNOVATIONS IN THE HR SECTOR
4. GIVING USEFUL FEEDBACK TO EMPLOYEES
5. DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW UP