Interpersonal competence and service leadership
-
Daniel T.L. Shek
,
Lu Yu
Abstract
According to the Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management, interpersonal competence is an important component of an effective service leader. The present paper introduces a lecture embedded in a service leadership subject that focuses on promoting students’ interpersonal competence. Several topics are covered in this lecture. First, concepts and theories about interpersonal competence are introduced. Second, the relevance of interpersonal competence to service leadership is outlined. Third, methods of developing interpersonal competence are presented, particularly different conflict management strategies and assertiveness skills. Finally, conclusions and reflections on students’ own interpersonal competence and its relevance to the service leadership in one’s professional field are discussed. Different activities have been designed and incorporated in the lecture to facilitate students’ active learning and self-reflection. Students are also encouraged to explore their own ways to promote the development of interpersonal competence.
Acknowledgments
The Service Leadership project at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University was financially supported by the Victor and William Fung Foundation. The authorship of this paper is equally shared by the first and second authors.
Appendix 1
Lecture Five: Basic Leadership Competences: Interpersonal Competences
The Art of Assertiveness
Assign each group one of the following scenarios by drawing lots. Students in each group are requested to figure out a desirable way to cope with the situation they have drawn and role-play the scene by collective efforts.
Scenario A:
Jennifer always feels that George is a nice guy who cares about her. She really wants to start a romantic relationship with him. One day after class, Jennifer asked George to have dinner with her and left him a note, “Would you be my boyfriend?” Now George is very much entangled. He has no romantic feelings for Jennifer, but he doesn’t want to hurt this friend. How could George convey this message to Jennifer with minimum harm caused to her?
Scenario B:
You are working hard on a group project with several classmates, but Paul appears to be a free rider. To avoid the group progress from being hindered, you decide to tell Paul that he should take his part of the responsibility. In what way(s) can you remind Paul of his responsibility effectively and properly?
Scenario C:
Carrie is a member of your group. She just submitted her part of the work for a group presentation to the group leader. Although everybody can see the great efforts Carrie has made, her PPT is really not up to standard. How could the group leader convey this message to Carrie in a supportive manner?
Scenario D:
Linda is your classmate, whom you get along with. Today, when you are having lunch together, Linda asks you to lend your assignment to her for “reference”, hinting that she won’t have enough time to finish her work before the deadline and might copy from yours. How would you respond to convey the message that she can only refer to, but not copy your work?
Scenario E:
You and your friend, Jason, are taking the same course. He just called you and begged you to do him a favor, signing for his attendance in the lecture tomorrow night, because he plans to go for dinner with his girlfriend to celebrate her birthday. How would you tell Jason that such a behavior is not only improper but in essence a criminal offence?
Appendix 2
Lecture Five: Basic Leadership Competences: Interpersonal Competences
Irritating Habits of Listening
| Below is a checklist of bad listening habits. Please discuss in your group and pick THREE habits that you feel the most irritating by ticking in the corresponding boxes. Then, role-play a conversation scenario in which the listener shows all the three habits you have selected. Other classmates will be invited to guess what the three habits are from your performance. | ||
| 1. | Doesn’t give me a chance to talk when I present a problem. | □ |
| 2. | Interrupts me when I try to talk. | □ |
| 3. | Never looks at me when I talk. | □ |
| 4. | Treats me like an inferior. | □ |
| 5. | Never smiles. | □ |
Note: only the first 5 of the 13 items are listed here due to copyright concerns.
Source: Fritz SM, Brown W, Lunde JP, Banset EA. Interpersonal skills for leadership, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, 2004.
Appendix 3
Lecture Five: Basic Leadership Competences: Interpersonal Competences
Which Strategy Would You Use?
Recall the conflict coping strategies you just learned (avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition and collaboration). Think about which strategy should be used to cope with the conflict in each of the following situations.
Scenario A:
It is the end of the semester, and you are working on a group project with Sally. You need one more meeting before the deadline tomorrow. Due to an examination, you are a half hour late for your meeting. Sally shouts at you, stating that you have wasted time and if the project fails, you are responsible for it. You try to explain, but she doesn’t listen. Now you have only 3 hours to finish the final part. Which strategy would you use to solve the conflict? Why?
Scenario B:
You just gave a wonderful presentation on a topic that you had prepared for a long time. The audience includes several professors in your department, who also praised your work. Now, one person stands up and asserts that your work is no more than repeating what others have done, and there is no innovation, which is obviously not true. You feel very offended. Which strategy would you use to deal with the situation? Why?
Scenario C:
You, Jim, and Anna, went hiking. After getting off the bus, it was time to find a place for lunch. You expected a big seafood meal at a restaurant nearby, and Jim also showed similar interest. However, Anna said she felt queasy because of carsickness and suggested eating congee. Which strategy would you use? Why?
Scenario D:
Leon is your friend. Both of you are interns at an electric appliance company. You were just assigned a task to make a marketing plan for a new product. While you emphasize early promotion for attracting as many customers as possible, Leon is more concerned about after-sale service to keep clients. Which strategy would you choose? Why?
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©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Service leadership education for university students: the Hong Kong experience
- Reviews
- Manufacturing economy vs. service economy: implications for service leadership
- How unique is the service leadership model? A comparison with contemporary leadership approaches
- Core beliefs in the service leadership model proposed by the Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management
- Evolution and realms of service leadership and leadership models
- Intrapersonal competencies and service leadership
- Interpersonal competence and service leadership
- Adolescent developmental assets and service leadership
- Nurturing university students to be social entrepreneurs: relevance of service leadership education
- Book Review
- Reinventing American Health Care: How the Affordable Care Act Will Improve Our Terribly Complex, Blatantly Unjust, Outrageously Expensive, Grossly Inefficient, Error Prone System
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Service leadership education for university students: the Hong Kong experience
- Reviews
- Manufacturing economy vs. service economy: implications for service leadership
- How unique is the service leadership model? A comparison with contemporary leadership approaches
- Core beliefs in the service leadership model proposed by the Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management
- Evolution and realms of service leadership and leadership models
- Intrapersonal competencies and service leadership
- Interpersonal competence and service leadership
- Adolescent developmental assets and service leadership
- Nurturing university students to be social entrepreneurs: relevance of service leadership education
- Book Review
- Reinventing American Health Care: How the Affordable Care Act Will Improve Our Terribly Complex, Blatantly Unjust, Outrageously Expensive, Grossly Inefficient, Error Prone System
