APPROACHES FOR

DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

This section is designed to help the supervisor stay in control of the encounter. “Approaches for difficult situations”

are some suggestions to enhance the supervisor’s management style. A difficult situation is defined as an

encounter where one or both of the participants have a negative reaction that may cause a disturbance.

DRIVER IS DEFENSIVE OR DENIES YOUR COMMENTS:

Listen respectfully.

Repeat what you observed, emphasizing the DOT rules and your company policy.

Point out that the situation requires action, in this case testing or evaluation.

Document the encounter.

DRIVER TALKS NON-STOP:

Interrupt by asking questions that require a “yes” or “no” answer. This will help focus the

event and place you in control of the situation.

Document the encounter.

DRIVER CRIES:

Listen and respond with kindness.

Allow a few moments for the driver to regain control.

Make it clear that you are not blaming, but following the rules.

Document the encounter.

DRIVER REMAINS SILENT:

Make it clear that you are not blaming, but following the rules.

Use a non-threatening question, such as: “Is there anything you’d like to tell me?” and

then remain quiet until the person answers.

Document the encounter.

DRIVER IS AGGRESSIVE OR BELLIGERENT:

Maintain your composure by using a calm tone of voice.

Avoid yelling because it sets up a win-lose situation and could escalate the aggressive

behavior.

Ignore inflammatory remarks.

Stick to the facts, repeating them when needed.

Document the encounter.

DRIVER IS UNCOOPERATIVE:

Repeat your observations and the need for evaluation in a calm, firm voice.

Stick to the facts.

Document the encounter.

ACTIVE LISTENING

Paraphrasing
- Play back what you heard the other person say.

Paraphrasing focuses your listening and ensures clear, two-way communication. If your restatement is not quite on target, others will usually clarify what they have just said.

Statement: “I don’t really understand what top management wants. They say our order of priorities is safety, quality, and schedule. But just let a project be late and all hell breaks loose!”

Paraphrasing: “It seems to you that you’re getting mixed messages.”

Reflecting – Describe what the other person appears to be feeling.

Reflecting others’ feelings helps diffuse tension, acknowledges their right to express feelings, and lets them know you support them, even if you disagree with them.

Statement: “I don’t really understand what top management wants. They say our order of priorities is safety, quality, and schedule. But just let a project be late and all hell breaks loose!”

Reflect: “You sound pretty upset about that.”

Open-Ended Probing – Encourage someone to describe or amplify.

Open probes encourage people to talk. Examples:

“Tell me how this came about.”

“How did you decide which method to use?”

“What are your expectations at this point?”

(Closed probes, in contrast, only encourage “yes” or “no” responses or short responses with a single item content. They may also make people feel they are being interrogated.)

A Summary of 360 Degree

What is 360 Degree Feedback?

360 Degree Feedback is a method of assessment of individuals (such as employees). The name “360 degree feedback” reflects the many directions that information is provided from using this style of evaluation. You can think of the person being assessed as being in the middle of a circle, with their peers responding to the survey from 90 degrees, direct reports from 180 degrees, internal customers from 270 degrees and supervisors from 360 degrees.

360 degree feedback differs from normal evaluations in that the feedback comes from many sources, providing a more balanced evaluation that is usually more accepted by review subjects as fair and objective. As per this system, the performance of an employee will be judged based on comments from not only his superiors but also his colleagues who are with him as a team and his subordinates. Such a system of appraisal is complete in all sense. Such a system of appraisal is complete in all sense. In this system, one cannot accuse someone of making it to the higher grade, because he pleased his boss.

Why is 360 Degree Feedback Used?

360 Feedback is a method of assessment that can enrich an organisation’s human resources through the identification of individuals’ personal development needs, improved feedback and teamwork, and better career development. The end results include improved customer service and a better “bottom line”.

When it comes to evaluating their employees, executives find that accurate feedback can often be very difficult to get. People tell them what they think they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. This is where 360 degree feedback can help – because the feedback comes from multiple sources and comes anonymously, it provides executives with exactly what they need: frank evaluations.

What are the benefits of 360 Degree Feedback?

Using 360 degree feedback questionnaires can benefit all parties involved in the process. Some of the key benefits to stakeholders in the 360 degree feedback process are as follows:

Benefits to the Individual

• Process helps individuals understand how others perceive them
  
• Personal development needs are revealed
  
• Feedback is essential for learning
  
• Individuals can better manage their careers and performance
  

• Benefits to the Team Increases communication between team members
  
• Supports teamwork by involving team members in the development process
  

• Benefits to the Company Better career development for employees
  
• Improves customer service by having customers contribute to the training
  
• Drives training
  

What are additional names of 360-degree feedback?

Unfortunately, there are many names that refer to the same process, including: 360 feedback, multi-source feedback, multi-rater feedback, multi-rater assessment, full-circle appraisal, upward feedback, and peer evaluation – just to name a few

What type of information should be targeted?

· knowledge – familiarity with job, industry, company

· skills – task proficiency

· behaviors – patterns in relating to the environment (energy, optimism)

· NOT personality traits or styles

How is 360 different from personality or style assessment?

• Style tools measure traits or behavioral preferences, while 360 measures competence
  

• Style explains how you are likely to behave, while 360 explains how you actually behave
  

How many companies are using 360?

According to a recent survey by Towers Perrin, 8 percent of major companies now utilize 360-degree feedback and 69 percent plan to introduce it in the next three years

How often should 360 be rolled out?

Given that people need time to make changes and then, it takes a little while before others perceive that change has taken place, we have found that six month intervals are most appropriate. Six months allows people to create change and then get feedback on their progress so that they can develop next-level goals and action plans. However, some organizations prefer to conduct surveys of just ten to fifteen questions, focusing on a specific topic, such as Running Effective Meetings. These mini-360s are done monthly in conjunction with training on that topic.

How should confidentiality be ensured?

• Confidentiality is important to both the subject and the respondents. If the subject is not guaranteed that the results will remain confidential, they will tend to feel anxiety about the purpose of the process and the use of the data. If the respondents are not guaranteed that their names will not appear on the report or be linked to specific comments or ratings, then they may not provide accurate responses and be completely open. To ensure confidentiality
  

• Select a neutral administrator (e.g. an external consultant or human resources representative)
  

• Print only one report per person
  

• User-names & passwords should be required to access the survey and the response data should be encrypted
  
  

Is 360-degree feedback ever inappropriate?

Yes, when,

· individuals have not been in their roles long enough to provide valid feedback

· there are not enough respondents who truly understand the full scope of the individuals responsibilities

· the group or organization is experiencing or just experienced major change

·there is a high degree of mistrust in the environment

25 Off-limits Interview Questions

from the

National Institute of Business Management.

25 Off-limits Interview Questions

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal for any

employer with 15 or more workers to discriminate against an applicant on

the basis of race, color, religion, gender or national origin. (Many

state and local governments extend that prohibition to smaller

companies.) Avoid the appearance of discrimination during interviews by

avoiding the following questions:

1. Are you married? Divorced?

2. If you’re single, are you living with anyone?

3. How old are you?

4. Do you have children? If so, how many and how old are they?

5. Do you own or rent your home?

6. What church do you attend?

7. Do you have any debts?

8. Do you belong to any social or political groups?

9. How much and what kinds of insurance do you have?

10. Do you feel comfortable supervising men/women?

11. Is there any health-related reason you may not be able to perform

the job you seek?

12. Have you ever had or been treated for any of these conditions or

diseases? (followed by a

checklist of various conditions)

13. Have you been hospitalized? What for?

14. Have you ever been treated by a psychiatrist or psychologist?

15. Have you had a major illness recently?

16. How many days were you absent from work because of illness last

year?

17. Do you have any disabilities or impairments that might affect your

performance in the job you seek?

18. Are you taking any prescribed drugs?

19. Have you ever been treated for drug addiction or alcoholism?

Many companies ask female applicants questions that they don’t ask

males. Some examples of questions to avoid:

1. Do you plan to get married?

2. Do you intend to start a family?

3. What are your day care plans?

4. What would you do if your husband were transferred?

5. Do you think you could perform the job as well as a man?

6. Are you likely to take time off under the Family and Medical Leave

Act?

The application: Off-limits questions

Limit questions on your written applications to information that will

help you make a hiring decision. Avoid questions relating to:

* Names of relatives/friends

* Citizenship or natural origin

* Physical characteristics

* Arrest records

* Military discharge record

* Credit standing

* Transportation plans

* Garnishment records

* Organization memberships

_________________________________

Excerpted from Employer’s Practical Legal Guide: Plain Language About

Current Employment Law (publication N283B), published by the National

Institute of Business Management. To order, call (800) 762-4924 or visit

www.nibm.net <http://www.nibm.net/guide> /guide

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