Mastering People Management in the Modern Workspace
Author: Patrick Otieku-Boadu
Pages: 101
Publishers: Spearhead Consult
Advertisement
We all have values, nurtured by our belief systems and developed as we go through the phases of the life of learning, leisure, pleasure, grief and work.
These values play out in the strong beliefs and assumptions we hold dear and defend.
For people, values shape perceptions, guide attitudes and are the core of individual beliefs.
They are intrinsic parts of individuals, and personal, becoming evident in public engagements, like at workplaces.
Institutions too have values upon which they build their cultures, which then have a bearing on profitability, market share and brand equity.
Thus, the alignment of differing individual values to the values of an institution is vital for the growth, financial stability of people, as well as the institutional growth, progress, financial stability, bottom line and equity of companies.
Mastering People Management in the Modern Workspace by Patrick Otieku-Boadu seeks to detail how this alignment of individual and institutional values can be achieved.
Values
Values are foundational, and according to the author, Patrick Otieku-Boadu, “they are an integral part of every individual’s life, and living without them is simply impossible”.
Other Trending Stories
"Values serve as the driving and directing force behind all decisions and actions… essential for making sense of the world.”
Personal values motivate individuals “to pursue or avoid certain outcomes”.
They are the filters through which individuals act for gain or to avoid pain or a negative consequence.
Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Otieku-Boadu, explains the characteristics of personal values that we all hold dear.
Characteristics of personal values are the levers that motivate individuals towards gain or towards avoiding pain.
“Values serve as the driving and directing force behind all decisions and actions… values act as filters through which we perceive and interpret the world, make choices and take action. Values provide the answers to the fundamental question of why we do what we do,” he states.
Apart from that, values can be concrete or abstract; thus, the desire to be rich and have lots of money is concrete; however, there are other abstract values derived from having lots of money, such as having respect, power, influence and other opportunities.
Although these are termed abstract by the author, he explains that often they hold more significance for individuals than the money itself.
Another interesting characteristic of personal value is its deep connection to the heart; thus, it becomes a feature of individuals’ "emotions and compassion".
Oteiku-Boadu then moves on to explain the various levels of value, giving four primary levels that define dreams, aspirations and ambitions.
Thus, institutions, he states, would do well to begin the alignment of individual values with those of a company at orientation, when staff are recruited, keeping at it over the period of tenure with “deliberate and intentional orientation efforts”.
He also presents a hierarchy of personal values that individuals hold dear, and the violation of which would negatively impact corporate practices, like the day-to-day workings of an institution.
The hierarchy affords institutions the prongs around which an organisational system can be built to motivate staff to elicit their utmost best.
Otieku-Boadu then delves into corporate values, explaining that professionalism, customer focus, excellence, integrity, trust, commitment, staff development, profitability, teamwork, innovation, sustainability and more, are what institutions hold dear.
They are foundational principles guiding the company.
Institutional values, thus, present the harmonising effects of individual diverse values for an effective organisational culture.
Thus, corporate values present common principles for all to adhere to.
Some of the characteristics of corporate values are clarity and memorability, most importantly, exemplified by the leaders of an institution and assuring to customers.
Insights
The chapter on behavioural Insights for Effective Leadership teaches that behaviour is shaped by a complex interplay of factors, internal processes, internal states and physiology.
Advertisement
These, the author states, “are intrinsically linked and constantly influencing each other.”
However, behaviour with all these underpinnings are the bridges linking values, purposes.
“Understanding the relationship between behaviour and it’s underlying determinants is essential for personal and corporate success,” Otieku-Boadu asserts.
Explaining, he says that behaviours concretely manifest intentions, with time repetitive behaviours becoming habits. Behaviours, according to the author, are deeply rooted in personal values, beliefs and a sense of purpose; shaped by "a complex interplay of factors: internal processes, internal states and physiology," states Otieku-Boadu.
Advertisement
Using the NLP Communication Model, Otieku-Boadu teaches how values can be used in changing behaviours.
"Changing a value which reflects what is important to us is the most effective way to alter behaviour."
Power
Balancing power and responsibility is the chapter that deals with how those with responsibilities can balance the power and the influence they wield for a harmonious work environment, with identity and confidence of an individual being the bedrock of their performance.
Under these chapters, Otieku-Boadu offers practical advice on how individuals can maintain their confidence at workplaces, which invariably feeds into optimum performance.
Advertisement
He follow that up with the chapter on Performance Optimisation in Corporate Environments, where he shares ideas on how individuals can mark daily improvements in their work-life and hop out of the various limitations, including the limitation of just doing what is required at the workplace.
Read, learn
Read Mastering People Management in the Modern Workspace to learn about all the factors undergirding behaviours and how they are intricately linked and influence each other.
It helps even in private settings and relationships, to know the right buttons to press for the right behaviours.
Also learn about the Hawaiian cultural principles for the right attitudes, behaviours and posture if you are a worker or staff of any corporate organisation.
The book is a practical work by Otieku-Boadu, who has used his experiences as a staff in the corporate world, his skills as a consultant and knowledge as a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) in writing.
Corporate organisations worth their salt ought to have copies in their libraries for their staff and those under mentorship.
Students of management cannot do without this book. It can be obtained in all leading bookshops or by directly contacting Spearhead Consult on their website: www.spearheadconsult.com
Reviewer’s E-mail: caroline.boateng@graphic.com.gh