Locus of Control
External locus of control involves placing blame or credit on ______.
Others or something other than yourself
Name one way to show enthusiasm when working with others.
Ex: Smiling, encouraging, sharing ideas
Give 2 examples of non-verbal communication.
Ex: eye contact, body language, facial expressions, tone of voice
Any time a difficult situation occurs where there is no clear solution. Something is in the way and you’re not sure exactly how to fix it.
Role play an example of you demonstrating an external locus of control: You are in a work situation where you are being criticized by a coworker for working slowly.
Ex: "I'm working slowly because you keep bugging me"; "I'm only working slow because I didn't sleep well after you hurt my feelings."
Apologizing to your coworker demonstrates an ______ locus of control.
Internal
Why is asking questions important when working with a team?
To avoid confusion; show interest in others' ideas, understand other team members
Define one-way communication.
When one person is doing all the talking and others don't ask questions or interact.
Why is it important to be honest on the job?
Ex: You could be fired, people lose respect for you if you're not honest, it shows that you are responsible, it demonstrates an internal locus of control.
Role play working as a team in this scenario: A group member is confused and not participating.
Ex: Ask them if they need help; Explain the task to them; Ask them what they are confused about
Define "firecracker" as used when referring to a person's self-control.
A word, statement, or action that makes a person "go off" and begin to lose self-control.
What are 3 characteristics of a good team leader?
Ex: flexible, positive, organized, friendly, good communicator, gives directives without being controlling
What is the value of two-way communication?
Ex: You can interact, clarify, and ask questions. Two or more people can work together to understand.
Why is it important not to just react to a problem you are faced with before stopping to think about it?
Ex: You could react emotionally, you haven't taken time to think through your response, you might lose control and not react logically.
Role play a situation where you use self-control when a coworker or boss criticizes your work
Ex: "Thanks for the feedback"; "I want to make sure I understand you"; "I will work to improve that"
"My boss hates me!" shows a person has what type of locus of control? Why?
External. Because it sounds like they don't think they could be the reason for their boss' opinion.
Make a positive and true statement to each member of your team.
Answers vary
Why is asking questions important when communicating with your boss or coworkers?
Ex: It clarifies, shows interest, helps to better understand, to avoid making mistakes.
Why is is important to recognize a problem from the other person's perspective and not just your own?
Ex: So you can decide on an alternative that wont cause problems, so that you understand the other person, so that you can plan to solve the problem for both people.
Role play how you would effectively communicate to your boss that you want a raise.
Ex: "I have been working very hard and I think that my work is worth more"; "I want to talk about my salary and and discuss a raise"; "I've taken on some additional work and think an increase in my pay is the next step"
Give 3 examples of showing internal locus of control on the job.
Ex: admitting you made a mistake; apologizing to a coworker; taking credit for your good work.
How can you demonstrate self-control when a team member blames you for their mistakes?
Talk to them in private about how it upsets you and stay calm.
Come up with a team motto that reflects hope and optimism.
Answers vary
A coworker keeps trying the same solution even when it fails. What’s the problem?
They aren't being flexible, they aren't evaluating the solution, they aren't understanding what will work to solve the problem
Role play 2 coworkers disagreeing on how to complete a task. After demonstrating the disagreement, fix it with effective problem solving.
Problem Ex: "Your way doesn’t make sense.”
Solution Ex: “We both want the project done efficiently. Can we compare the pros and cons of each approach and decide what works best?”