19/11/2019 Descriptions - The Human Element

Descriptions
These descriptions are for use in your marketing. Please do not alter them.An integrated solution to the human issues in
organizations

The Human Element is a systematic approach for improving the way people work together leading to greater
accomplishment of goals and better individual, team, and organizational performance. The goal of The Human Element is to
increase openness and honesty in organizations and reduce unproductive defensive behavior in order to achieve better
business results. By dealing with root causes rather than superficial behaviors, The Human Element helps individuals, teams
and organizations eliminate the distortions that sabotage them, undermine their relationships, and lower their motivation.
The result is profound change including increased candor, greater emotional and social intelligence, enhanced creativity,
greater personal clarity, focus and conviction, more authenticity, increased trust, and greater personal satisfaction.This mark
indicates that this program is built on the foundation of our core Human Element methodology, which raises self-awareness
and understanding of human behavior. This practical foundation is essential for anyone who works with other people.
Application courses Powered by The Human Element use this basis for exploring specific issues and skills, creating a
powerful and integrated set of programs addressing the human issues in organizations.In today’s world we are more and
more challenged to produce among greater and greater pressures. The use of technology, while enabling things we couldn’t
have dreamed of a short while ago, has also created 24 hour access to all of us resulting in more stress and a constant state of
anxiety. We no longer have time to think or ruminate on the decisions we make. With more and more work being done by
virtual teams and across continents and time zones our digital communication lacks the emotional content of face-to-face
contact. This makes it harder for us to connect on a human level and in ways that ensure that our communication is clear,
understood, and effective. For these reasons, we need interaction skills more than ever before.

The Human Element is a comprehensive methodology for addressing the human issues in organizations. Unlike the
industrial model, which treats humans as interchangeable parts, The Human Element is based on sound understanding of
human motivation and dynamics. From its origins in the early 1950s with research on what makes groups productive, it
combines scientifically validated assessments with the most effective experiential methods to produce deep and lasting
change in organizations.

The Human Element is built on the principal finding of the original research: the C – P Effect, which states that productivity
of teams directly corresponds to the compatibility of the people on them. When groups are not compatible teams exhibit
blame, shame, infighting, avoidance behavior, and defensiveness, resulting in low productivity and poor performance under
pressure; when they are compatible they work together well, are innovative, respond well under pressure, and inspire each
other.

The Human Element addresses organizational issues by starting with the individual. Though counterintuitive, a strong focus
on self-responsibility actually results in giving each individual more freedom and improving the performance of the team.
The course uses the power of the group process to help people become more aware, shift their underlying emotions, and
build skills.

Because The Human Element addresses human functioning at a basic level it works very well across cultures. In different
countries and organizations the foundation of the material meets people where they are, allowing appropriate areas to be
then applied for specific organizational issues: for example, self-awareness for Japanese; teamwork for Americans.

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19/11/2019 Descriptions - The Human Element

Openness and self-responsibility, two of the foundational principles of The Human Element, have greater relevance today
than when they were introduced 30 years ago. With more ways to avoid direct conversations, it is more and more vital that
we learn these crucial skills for creating change and sustainability in our organizations.Part One: Individual Awareness

Communicating openly and candidly

Candor, the fastest route to problem resolution

Communicating what you know: your experience
Conveying messages through sharing rather than advice
Practicing real listening and asking good questions

Being fully accountable

Understanding the choices we make

The unconscious reasons for our choices
Eliminating blame and shame
Personal responsibility and accountability

Increasing self-awareness

Personal behavioral and relationship patterns

Three basic behavioral areas common to all people (FIRO Theory)
How behaviors affect individual effectiveness
Increasing personal and interpersonal effectiveness through feedback and reflection

Connecting human behavior and motivation

Emotional drivers of behavior

How others see you
Emotional traps that sabotage the workplace and undermine productivity
Understanding behavioral flexibility and rigidity

Changing ingrained behavioral patterns

The origins of our perceptual distortions

Cleaning your perceptual lens in order to see situations more accurately and make better decisions
The impact of past experiences on current behavior
Letting go of self-limiting beliefs

Getting out of your own way

The high cost of blaming others

What people don’t like about themselves and each other
Identifying what “pushes your buttons”
Reducing defensiveness in the midst of difficult circumstances

Part Two: Organizational Solutions

Understanding how teams work

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How compatibility among people affects productivity

Rigidity, the enemy of teamwork
Working with differences
Effectively working with the stages of team development

Skills-building—teamwork

Team formation
Clarifying team structure
Optimizing team functioning through dialogue and feedback
Working through difficult conversations and interpersonal conflict

Skills-building—one-on-one

Performance improvement through conversation

Getting away from evaluation that produces defensiveness
Using a common language to resolve issues and stay flexible
Improving relationships with simple action steps

Group decision-making

Incorporating everyone’s expertise, creativity, and intelligence

What buy-in really means
Getting rid of blocks that prevent implementation
The “Yes” Method

A powerful, simple, and practical methodology to help create the authentic, ideal organization, characterized by:

Accountability

People take responsibility for themselves. When two or more people are involved in a project, there is no question
of accountability — all people involved assume full responsibility for the success of the project.
Blaming is minimal. When two people have a difference they deal with it directly to learn how each is contributing
to the problem and how each may contribute to the solution.

Openness

The organization is characterized by an atmosphere of truth. You know that anytime you ask a question you get a
straight answer from everyone in the organization.
You can find out how people feel about you and about your work whenever you want to know. If you are doing
something that someone does not like, you are informed at that time. Resentment does not simmer until it bursts
forth in anger or in firing.

Self-regard

People feel good about themselves. They are fully present in what they do. They are spontaneous yet in control, and
are aware of themselves — of their strengths, their weaknesses, and of how personal issues in their lives affect
them in the workplace.

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19/11/2019 Descriptions - The Human Element

People feel significant and do not require other people to pay excessive attention to them. They feel competent and
do not demand constant praise for their work. They feel likable and are not afraid of rejection. They appreciate
personal acknowledgement but do not depend on it for their feelings of self worth.

Job Fit

The organization has the tools for successful placement, selection, and out placement procedures. They know how
to place each person in the right job, how to select the best person for each job, how to compose groups with people
who will work well together, how to reassign people so they will be more successful within the organization and, if
the person ultimately does not seem to fit, the organization has the skill to help place that employee in a more
suitable work situation outside the organization.
Employees are not anxious about their jobs. They know that if they are not satisfactory to their boss, they will be
informed immediately. They also know that they have an opportunity to tell their boss how they feel about the
situation. They know that the organization has the desire and the ability to place them in the most appropriate
position and that they will not be fired until all avenues are exhausted. In most cases, they will not be fired at all;
the decision will be obvious and mutual.
If employees are in the wrong job, the atmosphere of truth and personal confidence allows discussion leading to
place the right person in the right job. Everyone’s willingness to give an honest self-appraisal makes this an
efficient and growth producing process.

Decision Making

People are motivated to work in such a way that it is easier for other people to work well. This is a consequence of
rewarding teams for the final product of the team.
The concordance decision making process leads to strong motivation and development of creativity among all
employees. Burnout is virtually eliminated since responsibility is distributed among those most qualified to make
each decision. Employee dissatisfaction is greatly reduced since employees have a voice in all decisions affecting
them.
The positive side of competition remains — inspiration from someone doing a good job, motivation to be creative
when you see others being creative, making a product that can answer all of the objections of a sharp observer,
being inspired to be the best you can be.
The negative parts of competition are greatly reduced — the parts that lead people to fight other people’s ideas, to
sabotage them, to not find anything good in them, to show up others, to put other people down, to make life
difficult for others.

Personal Development

People find more personal pleasure at the workplace. It is an important source of personal enjoyment. The “thank
God, its Friday” club has died.
Employees know themselves better and are motivated to take care of themselves better, both physically and
psychologically. They are more aware of the condition of their bodies and of the relation between their feelings of
physical well-being and the rest of their lives.
The increase in self-acceptance for each employee carries over to their home life. They have new insights and
pleasure in their relations with family and friends.

Leadership

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Leaders model all of these characteristics. They inspire people to do their best and do not coerce, shame, blame, or
intimidate employees.
Leaders admit their mistakes and uncertainties and are open with their employees. They pay special attention to
their own feelings and inner fears, so that these don’t interfere with their work of leading.

Productivity

Since the workplace is characterized by lessened anxiety and by increased personal growth, absenteeism, illness,
and lateness are dramatically reduced.
Productivity is greatly increased because each employee is working much nearer full capacity and the coordination
among employees is highly developed.

Results

The organization produces results, financial, social, and environmental

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