Communications Chapter 08 Homework Where Does The Advice Fall Short Does

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Instructor Resource

Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e

SAGE Publishing, 2018

Class Activities

Chapter 8: Establishing a Constructive Climate

Guide to the Class Activities

Each activity is designed based on Fink’s Learning Taxonomy and is tagged with the following

tags under the taxonomy’s learning and assessment structure:

1. Foundational Knowledge (F)

2. Application (A)

4. Human Dimension (H)

6. Learning How to Learn (L)

These activities may be used in either small-group or large-group settings, depending on class

size and time available. Some may also be suitable as homework.

Activities

Constructive Feedback Role Play (A, I, H)

Use the scenarios provided or create your own. Ask for volunteers to act out the various roles

and practice giving constructive feedback to improve a person’s work performance. The rest of

the class observes the interaction and afterwards points out what feedback was effective or not.

Afterwards, discuss: How comfortable are you in using the strategies enacted in the role play?

How realistic was the response of the person receiving feedback in the role play? How would

you change your approach if the person receiving feedback from you became defensive? What

else could have been done in the role play to make the conversation more satisfying for both

parties? What feedback is hardest for you to give? To receive?

1. Susan was recently hired as a project manager for a car battery plant. She and her team

are charged with developing a longer lasting battery for electric cars. Her supervisor

estimates the project will take about 14 months. Because this is a growing industry, there

is great competition with rival companies but also potentially great reward for developing

Instructor Resource

Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e

SAGE Publishing, 2018

2. Your small group is working on a community service project for your leadership class.

Unfortunately, one of your group members is not doing his share of the work. He doesn’t

Marshmallow Tower (A, L)

This activity requires a bag of marshmallows and a box of toothpicks per small group. (Other

supplies can be substituted, e.g. straws and tape, Tinkertoys, construction paper and scissors, but

may require more time to assemble). Assign students into groups of at least 7. Give instructions

first before allowing students to ask questions, see the supplies or strategize together. Take one

of the small groups aside; they will receive different instructions. Explain to the others that each

group is charged to build as tall a tower as possible, using the supplies you will give them. Tell

them that once the supplies are given to them, they have three minutes (or more, instructor’s

Create Your Own Group Project (A, C)

Form students into groups of 4-5 and ask them to use the principles discussed in this chapter to

create the guidelines for a group project related to this course. They should address each of the

elements: structure, norms, cohesiveness, and standards of excellence. Have each group present

Instructor Resource

Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e

SAGE Publishing, 2018

Advice Columns (A, I)

Advice columns are a good resource for discussing how to manage difficult co-workers. The

instructor can bring a column to class, read the letter to the columnist and then ask the class how

Standards of Excellence (A)

In small groups, have students discuss how each of the six factors of promoting standards of

excellence applies to a group they are currently part of – at college or work:

• What group members need to know and what skills they need to acquire

• How much initiative and effort they need to demonstrate

• How group members are expected to treat one another

• The extent to which deadlines are significant

• What goals they need to achieve

• What the consequences are if they achieve or fail to achieve these goals

Sketch-noting (F, A, I)

Sketch-noting is described in the Class Activities for chapter 1. Making sketch notes is not about

drawing, or artistry, but about making marks on paper (or a white board) to help oneself think.

There is no right or wrong way to do this. Everyone will do it differently.

Option #1) For chapter 8 ask students to map out the people in their lives they would consider

their support network. They should put themselves in the center of the map (within a box, circle,

or other shape) ) and then place other shapes around them indicating the people who listen to

them, offer good advice, coach or mentor, etc. These can be family members, co-workers, sports

team members, and so on. This should take about 10 minutes.

Have them share in pairs what they have (directly or indirectly) learned from their

supporters about earning trust, being fully present with others, respecting different opinions, and

accepting each other’s idiosyncrasies. Ask students whether they are “paying it forward” by

showing the same kind of support to others in their work or school networks?

Option #2) For chapter 8 have students map out the people in their lives who have the most

effect on their performance – in college, at work, on a sports team, volunteer organization, or

Instructor Resource

Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e

SAGE Publishing, 2018

Personas – Act II (A, I, H)

How to develop a user profile or persona is explained in the Class Activities for chapter 3. This

is a common technique used in marketing for thinking about potential customers and clients. The

profiles are then used as “target audiences” for developing new products and testing marketing

campaigns.

If you have done this earlier, ask students to bring the visual representation of their persona to

class, along with descriptive details. Sample profile:

Photo (from magazine or web)

Jim, American

Age 30

Retail manager

Baseball fan

Writing Assignments

Setting the Tone in Film (F, A, I)

Have students write a 2- to 3-page reaction paper to a contemporary film showing how a leader

sets the tone for a group, either positively or negatively. Students should identify which of the

Instructor Resource

Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e

SAGE Publishing, 2018

Managing Up (A, H, L)

In this chapter, setting the tone is presented as a leadership responsibility. Ask students to

One-minute Paper Topics (F, A, I)

How does providing an agenda for a group constitute leadership? Are there any drawbacks to

providing structure for a group? (A, L)

Is it possible to have too much cohesiveness in a group? What are the outcomes? (A, L)