HRM611 Official Handouts

Lesson 01

Human relations seem to be an easy and a common sense subject. It can make our lives easy and comfortable or difficult and miserable. Human relations are at work not only in our work lives but also in our family and in our personal lives. The term Human Relations in its broadest sense covers all types of interactions among people. It is a study of WHY our beliefs, attitudes and behaviors some times CAUSE interpersonal conflicts in our personal lives and in work related situations. This subject focuses on the systematic analysis of human behavior, preventing conflict, and resolution of behavioral problems.

The subject can help in the development of interpersonal relations and produce those abilities which promote good working relations with people at work and also in personal life. This course aims to develop the abilities to resolve conflicts amicably and to address the various interpersonal issues congenially. An American research suggests that for personal success, only 15 percent contribution comes from technical skills and 85 percent contribution comes from interpersonal skills. This finding from a Western environment may not be that applicable to Pakistani environment but it is quite certain that the major contribution towards personal success comes from interpersonal skills.

In an organization, managers are concerned with three types of resources,

1. Physical resources; · 2. Financial resources; · 3. Human resources;

Physical and Financial resources are the building, furniture, environment, money etc. Human resource is the most important resource that managers have to deal with efficiently and effectively. Good human resource is capable and will be profitable for the organization. Suppose a situation arises that people within an organization don’t get along with one another. There are conflicts over small and large issues, day in and day out. Resolving these conflicts uses most of the energy of the employees and as a result physical and financial resources are not used to the optimum level.

How human relations or interpersonal skills affect the people in an organization and how they relate to one another and get things done in a congenial manner, not only affects its work environment but also have an impact for the profits/outcomes of the company.

The main question now arises is HOW TO DEVELOP GOOD HUMAN RELATIONS?

Some Guidelines for Effective Human Relations:

1. Keep a positive approach.
2. Be an optimistic person.
3. Be genuinely interested in others.
4. Call people politely by name.
5. Help other people whenever possible.
6. Create a Win-Win situation.
7. Think before you act.
8. Have open communication.
9. Develop a pleasant work environment.

One main question to develop and improve human relations is to understand yourself. There are three aspects of a person:

1. Private Self: The personal life of a person.
2. Projected Self: What the person would like to project in public.
3. Perceived Self: The way people see us.

The Perceived self is important because people will behave the way they identify you. If you ask them to do something for you in a work place or in an office there behavior will be determined by what they perceive of you. If they know for example: that you mean business and want the work done in your particular way they won’t ignore you but will act according to your instructions. Our relations with others will affect our perceived self and vice versa.

Communication has 3meanings, in any form

1. Pure Meaning: The meaning which I use through words e.g. dictionary.
2. Intended Meaning: Which I want to convey to another person in written or spoken form.
3. Perceived Meanings: Those messages that we convey and how these are taken by the different people.

“Pure meaning” may not be as important as the other two. The most important one is perceived meaning because the actions of others depend on the meaning they take of our words. The “Intended Meaning” and “Perceived Meanings” should be the same that is people should comprehend what we say as we say and mean it. The problem occurs when there is a difference in the “intended meaning” that is what we want to say and “perceived meaning” that is what others understand about what we have said.

In an organization it is important to get the message through. Good communication can result in improved human relations if the message is adequately communicated the employees will know what is required, how it is to be done and so on.

Group behavior is dependent upon clear cut exchange of views among group members. To produce goods and services best results can be obtained if people work optimally and optimistically. To make this happen communication can play a critical role. e.g. Taking the example of Japan, leaders in manufacturing. How did they achieve this? This simply added the human component in business. Automobiles manufacturing was not so profitable in America so it was shifted to Japan, Where they turned this unprofitable business into a huge success. In car manufacturing a worker does the same job monotonously day after day. They broke this monotony, introduced variation in the work and congenial work environment which resulted in improved work output resulting in increased company output.

The concepts of Empathy and Apathy are cardinal to improve human relations. Apathy refers to an unconcerned state in which a person is un-interested in what is happening, and feels that nothing will happen even if he puts an effort. The person is not interested in the affairs of an organization and is just doing his job. Empathy refers to the state when you can “put your self in the shoes of another person”. You can understand why someone said or did a particular thing or act in a certain way. When an organization hires a person, he is hired as a total person comprising of both technical and human skills. Working in an organization not only does the person or an individual become a part of the company/organization, the company also becomes the part of a person, e.g. in Japan every company has its own song, in the morning all the employees get together and recites the company song giving them a sense of unity and oneness.

There is a strong link between the individual and the company even though they have different ends in their minds. For this reason it is difficult to get work done by people. People may face problems with the organization or with the people working in the organizations at the management or at the individual level.

Humans are complex thinking machines. They have all sorts of problems even those outside the organizations like family problems etc. which makes it difficult or challenging to manage them and to get work done. Technically speaking it is easier to work with a machine, just press a button and get the desired results, but working with humans is a complex issue. They have social, psychological, and emotional issues.

The workers and organizations can benefit from a win-win situation. Such a situation in which both the employer and the employees are happy. A healthy relationship means that both parties’ needs are met, and satisfied in such a way that each achieves its goals. There is a strong link between personal life and work life. People work to have good life and work for a better living. If one performs well on job the employer is satisfied, this satisfaction will affect his personal life also. Similarly if a person is satisfied with personal relations within family, friends and his social circle, he will do well on the job as well. He may be rewarded for his good work. Therefore there is strong link between a job life and a home life, both effecting each other.

Human beings are Social animals who like to live in groups and not in isolation. If they are happy, sad, depressed, lonely etc they want some sort of human support around. If people do not know how to get along with others then they can’t get the required work done. Loneliness effects person’s performance. Some people can’t relate adequately to the others and as a result end up with problems in relating to other people. There are still others who don’t accept people for what they are? e.g. if we have a friend we are usually critical about him or some of his habits. We want to change him and make him the way we are it is important to understand that all humans are different. Every one has some negative and some positive traits. This trait gives humans the individuality.

In organizational work diversity among workers is now considered to be a plus point as organizations have to get several types of work done, they need people who are good at different things and have different skills through which the organization can achieve its goals. e.g., some people are good in their written discourse while others are better in spoken discourse. Some are good financial managers while others are excellent team leaders.

Major themes in “Effective Human Relations”: ¾ Self awareness. ¾ Self acceptance. ¾ Motivation. ¾ Trust. ¾ Self discourse. ¾ Conflict management. ¾ Communication.

Major forces “Influencing Worker Behavior”: ¾ Organizational culture mission value standards. ¾ Work group Influence Social support. ¾ Personal characteristics of worker abilities interests, Aptitudes, Value expectations. ¾ Supervisory management influence, philosophy leadership Style. ¾ Job influence meaningfulness responsibility knowledge of results.