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Simon Price works as an accounts clerk in a large manufacturing organization and has worked there for seven years. He is known as an unassuming...

Simon Price works as an accounts clerk in a large manufacturing organization and has worked there for seven years. He is known as an unassuming individual who quietly goes about his work. Over recent months his workload has increased dramatically. Many members of the accounting team have been away from work due to discontentment and Simon has had to do their work also.
Simon has tried explaining to his line manager, David Lowe, how he and the accounting team feel about the absenteeism and the increase in workload. The feeling among the accounting employees is that the manager is not listening and ‘is following his own agenda’. Effective working relationships within the accounting department are now breaking down.
Last week Simon Price had influenza and was away from work. He returned on Monday feeling tired and miserable. He has spent the last three days catching up on last week’s work in addition to undertaking the work of Sally Simpson, the purchase invoice clerk, who is currently away from work.
It is 15.30 on Thursday and his line manager has just asked him to update the cashbook and reconcile it with the most recent bank statement. At this moment in time Simon is working on inputting sales invoices and has approximately two hours work left on this project. Stopping now would mean that he would have leave the sales invoicing work and return to it tomorrow. He really does not want to do the new task now. Simon feels that he has had enough pressure. He has endeavoured to communicate with David Lowe and although Simon and the accounting department regard David Lowe as possessing poor interpersonal skills, Simon feels that he must now do something.
Required:
With reference to the above scenario:
(a) When he communicates his feelings to David Lowe, the line manager, Simon Price needs to distinguish between aggressive and assertive behaviour. In this situation, explain:
(i) the inappropriateness of aggressive behaviour;
(ii) the appropriateness of assertive behaviour.
(b) Explain whether Simon Price has been displaying passive behaviour.
(c) Explain why David Lowe, the line manager, needs to possess effective interpersonal skills.
(d) Explain why David Lowe, the line manager, needs effective interpersonal skills in the following specific areas:
(i) Motivation;
(ii) Negotiation;
(iii) Team Building.

Answers

To get the best out of people, managers need to have effective communication skills. However, these skills are not always understood or practiced correctly. In an accounting department where communication and accuracy are a vital part of the work managers need good individual communication skills.
Professional accountants as managers need to understand the difference between aggressive and assertive behaviour. Often an exchange of communication can be interpreted as, or result in, a belligerent response from an employee. However, a slight difference in approach can communicate different feelings and achieve a more positive result.

(a) (i) Aggressive behaviour is competitive and directed at ‘defeating’ someone else. It is standing up for oneself at the expense of other people. It is defending one’s rights but doing so in such a way that violates the rights of other people. Aggressive behaviour ignores or dismisses the needs, wants, opinions, feelings or beliefs of others.
Characteristics of aggressive behaviour include:
- Excessive ‘I’ statements
- Boastfulness
- Opinions expressed as fact
- Threatening questions
- Sarcasm and other throw-away remarks
- Blame put on others
Aggressive behaviour can be self defeating. It may cause such antagonism in the other party that they will refuse all cooperation.
(ii) Assertive behaviour is based on equality and co-operation. It involves standing up for one’s own rights and needs but also respects the rights and needs of others. It is not ‘overbearing’ or aggressive but can be described as clear, honest and direct communication.
Assertive individuals defend their rights in a way that does not violate another individual’s rights. They express their needs, wants, opinions, feelings and beliefs in direct and appropriate ways.
Characteristics of assertive behaviour include:
- Statements that are short, clear and to the point
- Distinctions are made between fact and opinion
- Suggestions are not weighted with advice
- Constructive criticism without blame or assumptions
- Questions to establish the wishes, opinions and thoughts of others
- Ways of getting round problems
- No ‘ought’ or ‘should’
- Sticking to first statement
- Own feelings are expressed
Assertive behaviour can achieve its objectives if it displays a willingness to deliver a mutual compromise as an aid to achieving a clear objective.

(b) People who display passive behaviour do not stand up for their rights because they think that other people are more important. The main aim of passive behaviour is to avoid conflict and to please others. Passive behaviour includes long, rambling statements, frequent justification, many apologies and self put-downs; phrases that dismiss own needs such as ‘It’s not really that important’ and very few ‘I’ statements.
From an employers’ point of view these passive people do as they are told, ask no questions and get the work done. However in some cases passive people can turn and then become aggressive rather than assertive. Passive employees often see other employees as better than themselves and can get frustrated which frequently leads to demoralization and demotivation.

(c) Interpersonal skills are those individual skills needed in any situation in which two or more people are involved. David Lowe, the line manager, needs interpersonal skills:
- to inspire confidence in himself and subordinates
- to be able to motivate individuals
- to lead and control people to achieve the organizations goals
- to understand and manage the many and diverse roles and perceptions in the workplace
- to handle different relationships within the workplace
- to understand individual attitudes to work and problems therein
- to communicate clearly, effectively and competently

(d) Motivation: is a fundamental task of management and good interpersonal skills ensure that staff know what is required of them.
Negotiation: such skills are important in a business environment where traditional power or command structures do not exist or are inappropriate.
Team Building: good interpersonal skills are used to inspire trust because a team works only where there is open and honest communication.

Kavungya answered the question on April 30, 2021 at 08:02

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