Leaders must understand what motivates people to do certain things. They must strive to understand why people behave the way they do, otherwise, they may not succeed in influencing them towards the preferred direction. As such, leaders must study human behavior since two people are bound to act or respond differently in a similar situation. Clawson (2001) argues that leaders that take their time to understand human behavior are effective in influencing their followers. The essay, therefore, provides a description of my understanding of Clawson`s article and how I can apply the learning in my professional and personal life.
An Understanding of the Article on a Personal Level
On a personal level, it is apparent that people act the way they do due to the treatment they receive since infantry (Clawson, 2001). Parents, friends, and other social forces have an impact on how an individual behaves from an early stage of development. As children grow, they learn about their individuality through the treatment they receive, making them aware of their personality. From the article, I get to understand the reason why some people are negative towards life. Individuals that receive poor treatment from an early age from their immediate environment have their personality adversely affected (Clawson, 2001). Such individuals have large gaps in their personality that were created during their early development stage. The article responds to the reason why, during interactions, some people dominate the conversation talking about their achievements and success, not knowing that they are actually filling the personality gaps that have emanated from their infantry. Although people are born with innate and unique characteristics that are inherited from parents, the behavioral tendencies of people are written by family and relatives as they are being nurtured (Clawson, 2001).
An Understanding of the Article on a Business Level
The article is a guide for leaders to understand the behavior of their followers before influencing them. Clawson (2001) explains why some leaders are successful while others encounter continuous failure in their efforts to influence teams. Managers or leaders drive the objectives of the organization through the employees, hence should treat the followers individually to learn their personality and where their personality fits best in supporting the organization`s goal (Clawson, 2001). In the bid to inspire the followers, they need to learn what motivates each of the team members. Managers need to be active and have energy that pushes the followers into doing the right things by appealing to their emotions. A leader`s deeper understanding of individual employees avails more generic influence models to inspire them in a certain direction (Robbins " Judge, 2015). Similarly, when business executives are making a pact, it is necessary that each of them understand how each other`s personality may influence decisions. Considering what motivates the other party can help the executives reach an agreement during the negotiations.
Key Points from the Article
The article utilizes the rational emotive model to explain how values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations (VABEs) shape the behavior of individuals. The VABEs denote the beliefs that people hold concerning the world and their thinking regarding how the world should operate (Clawson, 2001). A successful leader has to understand the core meaning of the VABEs to understand why a team member behaves in a particular manner. The VABEs are inherent among all individuals although they do not match amongst each individual. People carry the VABEs along with them and an effective manager must be alert when managing the employees (Clawson, 2001).
Another important point from the reading is that leaders must take into account the similarities and the dissimilarities among individuals (Clawson, 2001). A level, such as humanity streamlines all individuals as similar. However, regional cultures and national cultures tend to differentiate people based on region and nationality respectively. Identical twins may have a similar genetic ability but tend to differentiate themselves. As such, there are ways that humans need to be treated equally and the ways they should be handled differently.
It is also vital to note that people often make a comparison between what they observe and the beliefs they have about the way things should be, before behaving or acting in a certain way (Clawson, 2001). The events occurring on a daily basis do not determine how people behave. Rather, the comparison of actions that take place in the surrounding and the individual basic assumptions or VABEs of the right things that should happen motivates a person to exhibit the behavior. However, for two different people, the event can be the same but the individuals tend to generate varying behavior. The comparison occurs within a fraction of a second. A comparison that generates matching results means that everything is right. A mismatch between the observed activity and the inherent beliefs and assumptions concerning an individual indicate that there is a problem (Clawson, 2001).
Applying the Learning to Professional Life
In a professional setting such as leadership position, one needs to be attentive to his or her motivations and be always alert to detect signals from other people that indicate what motivates them (Robbins " Judge, 2015). For instance, when an employee is angry, the leader should find out the triggers of the anger. The trigger denote the event that has caused the disappointment. Notably, the anger is formed since the triggers or event that has happened goes contrary to the VABEs of the employee. On learning about the VABE of the employee, one can evaluate whether their assumptions and beliefs that form the basis for their behavior are in line with the mission of the organization (Clawson, 2001). In the case where the employee`s beliefs and assumptions do not match the company`s objectives, it is essential that as the manager one should engage the employee through coaching and mentoring. Engaging employees empowers them to realize their potential, they feel valued, and they are willing to work diligently (Robbins " Judge, 2015).
Applying the Learning to Personal Life
Individuals interact with friends and relatives on a daily basis. Each individual is a unique being. To conquer in personal life, one needs to understand that every person has a unique personality and therefore he or she should be treated independently. It is necessary that when interacting with colleagues, one should avoid judging them and jumping into conclusions (Clawson, 2001). However, one must be patient to observe the basic assumptions of the other person and generate evidence that can help learn the functionality of the individual. Such considerations help to enhance the relationship with people, thus improving the quality of personal life.
Summing up, the article is of importance for individuals in their personal and professional lives. Leaders must be willing to understand their VABEs and those of their followers. They must develop the most appropriate strategies to influence the followers. Treating people individually helps to know them better and identify how the assumptions they hold match the happenings or occurred events. Leaders can use such knowledge to ensure the employees` VABEs are aligned to the mission and objectives of the company. Conversely, individuals can advance their interactions and relationship with one another.
References
Clawson, J. G. (2001). A leader's guide to why people behave the way they do.
Robbins, Stephen P. " Judge, Timothy A. (2015) Organizational Behavior. 17th Edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice-Hall.
