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According to Denis Waitley, an expert in motivation and performance, self-discipline
includes breaking bad habits and replacing them with new ones. This can be
accomplished through positive self-talk. Waitley reminds us that the kind of self-talk
we do creates our self-image—either better or worse. The choice is ours. If people are
stuck in negative self-talk and having trouble thinking of things that are right with
them, Waitley suggests that they should write a list of their professional and personal
VI. Self-Motivation, Self-Direction, and Success
Psychological studies show that the strongest kinds of motivation come from internal
rewards, not external ones. Self-motivation is the central to this idea of self-direction,
which is the ability to set short-term and long-term goals for oneself.
Short-term goals are the specific plans of action for things people would like to
accomplish right now or in the immediate future. Long-term goals are those things
people decide to work for after developing a life plan for the future. Both short- and long-
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VII. Fear: The Enemy of Success
Fear is a negative emotion that can stop people from carrying out their plans and working
toward their goals. One of the most common fears in the business world is the impostor
phenomenon, in which successful people are afraid that they did not really succeed
People can eliminate these fears by practicing emotions that are just the opposite, such as
courage and self-confidence. It is impossible to feel two opposite feelings at the same
time, so people can probably outweigh the fear with something more positive.
VIII. Positive Psychology
One of the newest and most exciting developments in psychology in recent years is a
movement called positive psychology. This new area came about as a result of some
leading psychologists thinking that psychology is too focused on what’s wrong with
people, rather than what is right with them.
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IX. Finding Your Niche
To be successful throughout life, people must find a place where they thrive and are most
content. This is called finding your niche, which includes finding the kind of job or
career where you will be most satisfied. Richard Bolles, an expert on job hunting
describes three essential families of skill:
• Skills with information or data include gathering or creating data, managing it,
computing it, storing it, and putting it to use. People with these skills may become
data entry technicians, computer programmers, research analysts, or demographers.
• Skills in working with people include helping and serving others, counseling,
X. Prepare For a Career Choice
Some people seem to know, from very early on, what type of job they will eventually do.
They select high school classes and decide on their educational plan on that basis. Other
people are not so sure what they will “be” when they grow up. They may decide to return
to school later, or go through years of education and still not have a career figured out.
Review Questions
1. What is your definition of a productive workplace? What factors make a workplace
productive? Why is productivity an important issue?
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Productivity can be increased, in general, by focusing on input and output separately.
2. Briefly explain the importance of positive workplace morale, along with suggestions
for improving it. What factors make an effective appraisal system? How are these
two concepts related?
Answer: It is traditional in the field of human relations to point out that morale and
productivity are closely related. “Morale” is defined as “the overall mood of an
The following steps can help improve the morale of the workplace:
• The first step is to understand the morale of your environment.
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Several other factors encourage a productive workplace. One factor is the manner in
3. Do you procrastinate? Can you identify specific tasks or situations that seem to
increase your procrastination? Describe steps you can take to reduce procrastination.
Answer: Students’ answers will vary. Steps that one can take to reduce
procrastination:
• Get going on the task—don’t wait for motivation to appear on its own. Once
you get started with a task or project, the motivation will begin to come.
• Make a plan—instead of putting it off, make a plan. Include points like when
to start the project, at what time, what pieces of the project to do on the first
Chapter 16 A Productive Workplace and Success
4. What are some physical signs of employee alcoholism along with some behavioral or
other warning signs? What are some suggestions for statements that should be
included in company policies to combat alcohol and drug abuse at work?
Answer: Students’ answers will vary. Physical signs of employee alcoholism may
include:
• Unsteady walking
Behavioral or other warning signs of employee alcoholism may include:
• Slurred speech
• Missing work
Regarding workplace substance abuse policies:
• Companies must determine their stand on substance abuse with input from
human resources representatives, as well as medical, security, safety, and legal
staff.
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5. What are some warning signs that family violence may be occurring to an employee?
Why is violence occurring in the home identified here a problem in the workplace?
What other types of workplace issues may be related to family violence?
Answer: Students’ answers may vary. Family violence, which can be defined as
physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual violence against a family member, is another
problem that spills over into the workplace. About one out of every four women is
6. Nearly every strategy for success in human relations that we’ve discussed in this
textbook can be tied in with time management. Thinking about any of the topics to
date (e.g., working in teams, conflict management, ethics, stress, and so on), select
three, and explain how more effective use of time would result in more effective
human relations.
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7. Why is the work-family issue considered so important and how are employers are
dealing with this issue?
Answer: Students’ answer will vary. So-called work/life balance is one of the most
important issues of today’s workforce. This importance is partly because of the
increasing diversity of the workforce, especially with women working at all levels in
greater numbers than ever before, and with the many different compositions of
8. What is meant by the impostor phenomenon? What is one way to eliminate fears
such as this? How does a fear of failure differ from a fear of success? Think of an
example for each.
Answer: Students’ answer will vary. One of the most common fears in the business
world is the impostor phenomenon, in which successful people are afraid that they
did not really succeed because of their own talents and hard work. They are afraid
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9. What is positive psychology? How is it different from regular psychology—that is,
what does it emphasize?
Answer: One of the newest and most exciting developments in psychology in recent
years is a movement called positive psychology. This new area came about as a
result of some leading psychologists thinking that psychology is too focused on
Critical Thinking Questions
10. What is included in the idea of self-discipline? What are some examples of everyday
behaviors you are currently engaging in that require self-discipline? Can you succeed
without these behaviors?
11. What is meant by finding your niche? What is one suggestion to help you in doing
this? What are you doing in order to find your niche?
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12. What are your goals for the future? What do you want to accomplish in the short
term and in the long term? How do YOU define success? How well does your
definition fit with the textbook’s definition?
Answer: Students’ opinions will vary. Short-term goals are the specific plans of
action for things people would like to accomplish right now or in the immediate
Case Study
Case Study 16.1: Whose Job is it?
Sanjay Patel offers to help Robyn, his assistant, to complete a budget report. He also
offers to assist Phil, a sales associate, to generate the sales projections. Later that day,
Robyn and Phil enquire on the status of what Sanjay had agreed to do for them. Sanjay
reflects on this turn of events when he, as the manager, became responsible for reporting
back to his assistants.
Questions
1. Explain the type of time use issue that has become problematic in this case. How
could this situation, if left to continue, lead to even more interference with workplace
productivity in the future?
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2. Who has a greater time-management problem: Sanjay, or the two other employees
who report to him? What would you suggest Sanjay do to improve the situation and
increase productivity? What should Robyn and Phil do differently?
Suggested Answer: Students’ suggestions may vary. Sanjay seems to be having a
3. Has a situation like this ever happened to you? What did you do at the time? What
would you do differently if it happened to you again?
Suggested Answer: Students’ answers will vary. Each would have a different
Case Study 2: Absent on the Job
Amir Abali observes Yvonne Williams and Janelle Thompson talking without getting
much work done at the small advertising business where he supervises 10 employees.
Janelle’s performance declines and she seems distracted, which also affected Yvonne.
Acting upon his friend’s suggestion, Amir meets Janelle to offer assistance. Janelle
denies any difficulty and refuses to accept any assistance. Amir observes that Janelle’s
performance has not improved even after a few weeks.
Questions
1. What is going on with Janelle? Do you agree with Amir that she is probably having
personal family problems? Could anything else be going on here?
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2. What are Amir’s responsibilities here? What should he do?
3. What could and what should the company do to see that Amir, Janelle, and the other
employees are all treated fairly and responsibly?
Suggested Answer: To see that Amir, Janelle, and the other employees are all
treated fairly and responsibly, the company should develop a company policy on
substance abuse and put it into place. The policy should clearly state all testing and