The Concept of Leverage, Thin Shift in Attitude - Assignment Example

Management Name Institution 1. The Concept of Leverage The aspect of leverage entails influencing the other party to see things from own view through a medium of reasoned discourse. This view is particularly applied when negotiating business deals and employment terms as well. Employers also apply it when changing the terns of existing employees, either during promotion, change of job assignments among others. For example, a top executive may be striving to translate the terms of engagement and convert them into more beneficial written agreement (Milind, 1992). Today’s business world is largely complex. Executives have to make decisions in sophisticated business environments and have to consider the relative leverage that each party brings forth in a negotiation. The prime aim is to have a successful deal that is sustainable in the long-run. Gaining personal advantages begins with self-assessment to ascertain one’s promotional opportunity in a contract. Out prior employment opportunities the parties to a presumed pact assess their strengths and weaknesses and evaluate the areas on which they can capitalize on and those that they would assume a fairly passive approach. In other words, the value of each party in an engagement needs to be precisely ascertained (Milind, 1992). Business executives also need to consider the perspective of the employer and his/her approach to business and relationships with stakeholders. This entails a concern for values, cultures, beliefs and perceptions that guide decision making patterns of the employer. The two parties must coin an understanding of how to relate with one another in a way that results to mutual benefit (Milind, 1992). For example, while the employee’s greatest motivation would be high remuneration, the employer is in the market to maximize profits. This could prove a hard bone to break. In light of these a consensus must be built through understanding of each partner’s interests and limitations and out that compromise decisions made. 2. Thin Shift in Attitude Shift in attitude could be taken to refer to change in the way one looks at things, people and circumstances. Basically attitude is a factor of perception, or the way one makes judgment based either some evidence or simply out of prejudice. Shift in attitude in work place setting is paramount to achieving so many feats (Petty, & Krosnick, 1995). The ability to confront work place challenges and problems is a function of morale and self esteem. Positive shift in attitude enables employees to see their energies and efforts as valuable contributions to the work place. This consequently results to reduced absenteeism, better team performance, improved labour management relations and improved ability to cope with change in work place (Petty, & Krosnick, 1995). Better relations amongst employees enhance good communication amongst workers and departments. This promotes efficiency and learning through a process of facilitation. It can therefore, be observed that a positive change in attitude would help workers improve their career prospects. For example, a good attitude towards a trainee will enable his/her trainer to have a more personal relation with the learner thereby making smooth the process of knowledge acquisition. Shift in attitude enables workers greater appreciation of their tasks and their individual and collective contribution to the success of the organization. They also see the need to continuously invest time and effort in understanding colleagues, juniors, supervisors and managers so as to foster understanding across the Human Resource function (Petty, & Krosnick, 1995). Positive attitude towards work, fellows and management allows the worker to be more proactive in carrying out duties and responsibilities and will be willing to go extra mile just to see goals and objectives of organization realized. A motivated employee working in an environment where services of every individual are recognized and rewarded will have greater propensity to innovate. Right attitudes lead the wave of transformation that would see the organization redefine its operations and promote growth. 3. Feedback Responses in Systems Thinking System thinking refers to set of tools that one uses to address the most stubborn challenges in the work place. It is a way of understanding reality by viewing a situation in totality rather than individual parts. Out of the system thinking a feedback is coined based on evidence collected (George, 1991). System thinking enables one to design smart, devise solutions to problems and guide the process of implementing suggested solutions. When this approach is used to assess a situation, the analysis is more objective and gives a more accurate picture of reality. Feedback responses could either be positive or negative. Positive feedback encourages us to continue with the process while negative feedback prompts us to stop. For example, when negotiating a sharp corner while driving at a very speed, some visual cues tell the driver that the speed is too high such that he/she is automatically compelled to reduce it (George, 1991). Both negative and positive feedback are similar in that they instigate action - what differs is the direction of action. When one is convinced that the process is in good course, steps are taken to further the course. On the other hand, when feedback is negative, another course of action is devised to deal with the new circumstances. It can therefore, be observed that regardless of feedback some course of action is taken. 4. A shift of Mind A shift of mind refers to a provocative reframing of how we look at reality. It entails looking at one’s relationship with nature from a different angle from what normalcy has been. When the shift is bent towards critical thinking we stop accepting our fundamental beliefs as facts. In contrary one examines their validity and upon assessment one could bring new theories or perceptions. Some of the views that people hold are simply a creation of fallacy by members of a society. The views could have been largely misconceived or were arrived at out of total disregard of certain information. When such information comes to light and people make use of it to arrive at conclusions then the process of shift in mind is initiated (George, 1991). Shift in mind frees us from the York of the past and drives us towards change. The new insight that goes with it influences perceptional change enabling us to look at same things from different angles. This is followed by commitment to cultivate change in how we reason out change. The grand intention is always to make our circumstances better, reduce dogma and promote reasoned evidence in decision making. References George P.R. (1991). Feedback Thought in Social Science and Systems Theory. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Milind M.L. (1992). The Lessons of Strategic Leverage. Journal of Business Strategy. 13(4) 38 - 45. Petty, R. E. & Krosnick, J. A. (1995). Attitude Strength: An Overview: Antecedents and Consequences. Lawrence Erlbaum: Mahwah, NJ. Read More