Interpersonal

Question 1

What are the key components of the Interpersonal behavioral competencies?

Answer 1

networking; building and maintaining professional relationships and teams; successfully managing conflict and negotiations; clearly and effectively communicating with stakeholders; operating within a global workforce; and advocating for a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace.

Question 2

What is Relationship Management?

Answer 2

Defined as the KSAOs needed to create and maintain a network of professional contacts within and outside of the organization, to build and maintain relationships, to work as an effective member of a team, and to manage conflict while supporting the organization.

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Key Concepts
⊲ Types of conflict
⊲ Examples include relationship; task; interorganizational and intraorganizational
⊲ Conflict resolution strategies
⊲ Examples include accommodation; collaboration; compromise; competition; avoidance
⊲ Negotiation tactics, strategies and styles
⊲ Examples include perspective taking; principled bargaining; auction; interest-based bargaining; position-based bargaining
⊲ Trust-building techniques
⊲ Examples include emotional intelligence; relatability; vulnerability; transparency; recognizing individual strengths

Question 3

What is networking?

Answer 3

Effectively builds a network of professional contacts both within and outside of the organization.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Develops, maintains and leverages a network of professional contacts within the organization, including peers in both HR and non-HR roles, HR customers, and stakeholders (such as the IT department).
⊲ Develops and maintains a network of external partners (such as vendors).
⊲ Develops and maintains a network of professional colleagues in the HR community at large for professional development and to fill business needs (such as the identification of new talent).

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Creates opportunities for HR employees to network and build relationships with higher-level leaders in the organization and in the HR community at large.
⊲ Develops, maintains and leverages a network of contacts within the organization (such as leaders from other business units) and outside of the organization (examples include members of legislative bodies, community leaders, union heads, external individual strengths

Question 4

What is relationship management?

Answer 4

Effectively builds and maintains relationships both within and outside of the organization.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Develops and maintains mutual trust and respect with colleagues.
⊲ Develops and maintains a pattern of reciprocal exchanges of support, information and other valued resources with colleagues.
⊲ Demonstrates concern for the well-being of colleagues.
⊲ Establishes a strong and positive reputation, within and outside the organization, as an open and approachable HR professional.
⊲ Ensures all HR team member and stakeholder voices are heard and acknowledged.
⊲ Identifies and leverages areas of common interest among stakeholders to foster the success of HR initiatives.
⊲ Develops working relationships with supervisors and HR leaders by promptly and effectively responding to work
assignments, communicating goal progress and project needs, and managing work activities.
⊲ Understands the interests of executives and leaders within the organization.
⊲ Uses technology to build and maintain strong relationships with individuals who work at other work locations (such as
remote workers).

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Develops HR’s objectives and goals for relationship management.
⊲ Develops and maintains relationships in the HR community at large through leadership positions in other organizations.
⊲ Leverages relationships to learn about best practices for and new approaches to building competitive advantage.

Question 5

What is teamwork?

Answer 5

Participates as an effective team member, and builds, promotes and leads effective teams.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Builds engaged relationships with team members through trust, task-related support, decision-making and direct communication.
⊲ Fosters collaboration and open communication among stakeholders and team members, regardless of location or
employment type.
⊲ Supports a team-oriented organizational culture.
⊲ Creates and/or participates in project teams made up of HR and non-HR employees.
⊲ Embraces opportunities to lead a team.
⊲ Identifies and fills missing or unfulfilled team roles.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Fosters an organizational culture that supports intraorganizational teamwork and collaboration (such as silo-busting).
⊲ Creates and leads teams with senior leaders from across the organization.
⊲ Designs and oversees HR initiatives that promote effective team processes and environments.

Question 6

What is negotiation?

Answer 6

Reaches mutually acceptable agreements with negotiating parties within and outside of the organization.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Maintains a professional demeanor during negotiation discussions.
⊲ Applies an understanding of the needs, interests, issues and bargaining position of all parties to negotiation discussions.
⊲ Offers appropriate concessions to promote progress toward an agreement.
⊲ Adheres to applicable negotiation- and bargaining-related laws and regulations.
⊲ Evaluates progress toward an agreement.
⊲ Identifies an ideal solution or end state for negotiations, monitors progress toward that end state and ends
negotiations when appropriate.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Negotiates with stakeholders within and outside of the organization in complex and high-stakes negotiations.
⊲ Defines the parameters of negotiating boundaries on behalf of the HR unit.
⊲ Achieves a mutually acceptable agreement in difficult and complex negotiations.

Question 7

What is conflict management?

Answer 7

Manages and resolves conflicts by identifying areas of common interest among the parties in conflict.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Resolves and/or mediates conflicts in a respectful, appropriate and impartial manner, and refers them to a higher level when warranted.
⊲ Identifies and addresses the underlying causes of conflict.
⊲ Facilitates difficult interactions among employees to achieve optimal outcomes.
⊲ Encourages productive and respectful task-related conflict and uses it to facilitate change.
⊲ Serves as a positive role model for productive conflict.
⊲ Identifies and resolves conflict that is counterproductive or harmful.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Designs and oversees conflict resolution strategies and processes throughout the organization.
⊲ Facilitates difficult interactions among senior leaders to achieve optimal outcomes.
⊲ Identifies and reduces potential sources of conflict when proposing new HR strategies or initiatives.
⊲ Mediates or resolves escalated conflicts.

Question 8

What is communication?

Answer 8

Defined as the KSAOs needed to effectively craft and deliver concise and informative communications, to listen to and address the concerns of others, and to transfer and translate information from one level or unit of the organization to another.

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Key Concepts
⊲ Elements of communication
⊲ Examples include source; sender; receiver; message; feedback
⊲ General communication techniques
⊲ Examples include planning communications; listening actively; checking for understanding; asking questions
⊲ Communication techniques for specialized situations
⊲ Examples include giving feedback; facilitating focus groups; facilitating staff meetings; using skits or storytelling; creating communication plans; translating technical jargon; facilitating communication from an anonymous source; informal communication
⊲ Communications media
⊲ Examples include phone; e-mail; face-to-face; report; presentation; social media; town hall meetings; videoconference
⊲ Elements of nonverbal communication
⊲ Examples include eye contact; body language; proximity; gestures

Question 9

What is the purpose of delivering effective messages?

Answer 9

Develops and delivers, to a variety of audiences, communications that are clear, persuasive and appropriate to the topic and situation.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Presents needed information to stakeholders on a regular basis and refrains from presenting unneeded information.
⊲ Uses an understanding of the audience to craft the content of communications and choose the best formal or informal medium.
⊲ Uses appropriate business terms and vocabulary.
⊲ Ensures the delivered message is clear and understood by the listener.
⊲ Crafts clear, organized, effective and error-free messages that are consistent with the organization’s brand.
⊲ Creates persuasive and compelling arguments.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Demonstrates fluency in the business language of senior leaders.
⊲ Communicates difficult or negative messages in an honest, accurate and respectful manner.
⊲ Comfortably presents to audiences of all sizes and backgrounds.

Question 10

What is the purpose of exchanging organizational information?

Answer 10

Effectively translates and communicates messages among organizational levels or units.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Effectively communicates HR programs, practices and policies to both HR and non-HR employees.
⊲ Helps non-HR managers communicate HR issues.
⊲ Voices support for HR and organizational initiatives in communications with stakeholders.
⊲ Effectively communicates with HR leaders.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Communicates HR’s vision, strategy, goals and culture to senior leaders and HR staff.
⊲ Articulates to senior leaders the alignment of HR’s strategies and goals with the organization’s.
⊲ Implements policies and initiatives that create channels for open communication throughout the organization, across and within levels of responsibility.
⊲ Prepares and delivers messages on important, high-visibility HR and organizational issues to senior- and board-level audiences.

Question 11

What is effective listening?

Answer 11

Understands information provided by others and seeks feedback.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Listens actively and empathetically to others’ views and concerns.
⊲ Welcomes the opportunity to hear competing points of view and does not take criticism personally.
⊲ Seeks further information to clarify ambiguity.
⊲ Promptly responds to and addresses stakeholder communications.
⊲ Interprets and understands the context of, motives for and reasoning in received communications.
⊲ Solicits regular feedback from employees and leaders, and adjusts as necessary.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Develops an organizational culture in which upward communication is encouraged and leaders are receptive to staff views and opinions.
⊲ Establishes processes to gather feedback from the entire organization about the HR function.

Question 12

What is global mindset?

Answer 12

Defined as the knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) needed to value and consider the perspectives and backgrounds of all parties, to interact with others in a global context, and to promote a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace.

Key Concepts
⊲ Cultural norms, values and dimensions
⊲ Examples include models from Hall, Hofstede, Schein and Trompenaars
⊲ Techniques for bridging and leveraging individual differences and perceptions
⊲ Examples include employee resource groups; reverse mentorship; sensitivity training; focus groups
⊲ Best practices for creating and managing globally diverse workforces
⊲ Examples include translating policies and procedures into local languages; accounting for multiple time zones when scheduling meetings.

Question 13

What does it mean to operate in a culturally diverse workplace?

Answer 13

It demonstrates openness and respect when working with people from different cultural traditions.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Demonstrates a general awareness and understanding of and respect for cultural differences.
⊲ Adapts behavior to navigate different cultural conditions, situations and people.
⊲ Demonstrates acceptance of colleagues from different cultures.
⊲ Promotes the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
⊲ Promotes inclusion in daily interactions with others.
⊲ Conducts business with an understanding of and respect for cross-cultural differences in customs and acceptable behaviors.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Drives a culture that values diversity and inclusion.
⊲ Demonstrates an understanding of and advocates for the strategic connection between diversity and inclusion practices and organizational success.

Question 14

What does it mean to operate in a global environment?

Answer 14

Effectively managing globally influenced workplace requirements to achieve organizational goals.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Demonstrates an understanding, from a global perspective, of the organization’s line of business.
⊲ Tailors HR initiatives to local needs by applying an understanding of cultural differences.
⊲ Conducts business with an understanding of and respect for differences in rules, laws, regulations, and accepted business operations and practices.
⊲ Applies knowledge of global trends when implementing or maintaining HR programs, practices and policies.
⊲ Operates with a global mindset while remaining sensitive to local issues and needs.
⊲ Manages contradictory or paradoxical practices, policies and cultural norms to ensure harmony.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Creates an HR strategy that incorporates the organization’s global competencies and perspectives on organizational success.
⊲ Uses expert knowledge about global HR trends, economic conditions, labor markets and legal environments to set
HR’s strategic direction and to inform development and implementation of HR initiatives.
⊲ Uses expert knowledge about global HR trends, economic conditions, labor markets and legal environments to
evaluate the impact of diversity and inclusion on the organization’s HR strategy.

Question 15

How can organizations/HR professionals Advocate for a Culturally Diverse and
Inclusive Workplace?

Answer 15

By Designing, implementing and promoting organizational policies and practices that encourage cultural diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

PROFICIENCY INDICATORS FOR ALL HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Supports an organizational culture that values diversity and promotes inclusion.
⊲ Uses the organization’s policies and philosophy toward diversity and inclusion to inform business decisions and the implementation of HR programs, practices and policies.
⊲ Designs, recommends, implements and/or audits HR programs, practices and policies intended to promote
diversity and inclusion.
⊲ Ensures that HR programs, practices and policies are applied consistently and respectfully to all staff.

FOR ADVANCED HR PROFESSIONALS
⊲ Evaluates the organization’s current cultural climate and identifies areas for improvement.
⊲ Develops HR initiatives, programs and policies that support the organization’s efforts to be more diverse and
inclusive.
⊲ Ensures that learning and development programs or other interventions about diversity and cultural sensitivity are provided to employees at all levels of the organization.
⊲ Develops HR initiatives that will be applied consistently and fairly to all staff.
⊲ Drives an HR strategy that leverages and celebrates diversity, inclusion and cultural differences for organizational
success.

Question 16

What is cultural quotient (CQ)?

Answer 16

A system consisting of 3 interactive components:

1. cultural knowledge
2. cross-cultural skills
3. cultural metacognition (Described as cultural mindfulness. This is the ability to recognize cultural context, analyze the cultural issues, and develop strategies to work within them).

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Question 17

What is cultural metacognition?

Answer 17

Described as cultural mindfulness. This is the ability to recognize cultural context, analyze the cultural issues, and develop strategies to work within them.

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Question 18

What are 3 areas of labor law that have different expectations?

Answer 18

1. Laws on paid time off
2. Laws on paid vacations
3. Laws limiting hours worked.

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Question 19

What are some of the elements found to have the strongest impact on cross-cultural or multicultural business?

Answer 19

Communicating
Evaluating
Leading
Deciding
Disagreeing
Persuading
Scheduling
Trusting

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Question 20

What are 7 tips recommended by Juliette C. Mayers to build strong cross-cultural partnerships?

Answer 20

1. Seek to understand
2. Keep an open mind
3. Start with “who you know”
4. Attend multicultural networking events
5. Get involved
6. Keep your word
7. Assume positive intent

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Question 21

What is interest-based bargaining?

Answer 21

Interest-based bargaining is a process that enables traditional negotiators to become joint problem-solvers. It assumes that mutual gain is possible, that solutions which satisfy mutual interests are more durable, that the parties should help each other achieve a positive result.

Question 22

What is position-based bargaining?

Answer 22

Positional bargaining is a negotiation strategy that involves holding on to a fixed idea, or position, of what you want and arguing for it and it alone, regardless of any underlying interests.

Question 23

What is the Hall model of culture?

Answer 23

In 1976, Hall developed the iceberg analogy of culture. If the culture of a society was the iceberg, Hall reasoned, than there are some aspects visible, above the water, but there is a larger portion hidden beneath the surface.

Just as 90% of an iceberg is out of sight, very little can be determined about a person based off what you see.

Question 24

What are Hofstede’s 6 dimensions of culture?

Answer 24

Professor Hofstede defined it as: The programming of the human mind by which one group of people distinguishes itself from another group. Culture is learned from your environment and is always a shared, collective phenomenon.

Hofstede model of six dimensions of national cultures:

1. Power Distance - powerful members of organizations and institutions (including the family) accept and expect unequal power distributions. This dimension is measured not only from the perspective of the leaders, who hold power, but from the followers. Significantly correlated with wealth.
2. Uncertainty Avoidance - the degree to which individuals avoid ambiguity and uncertainty. In societies with high uncertainty avoidance, citizens typically follow strict rules and avoid taking risks
3. Individualism/Collectivism - the emphasis lies on personal achievement and rights, prioritizing the needs of oneself and one’s immediate family. Collectivism indicates that there is a greater importance placed on the goals and well-being of the group.
4. Masculinity/Femininity - Masculine cultures value competitiveness, assertiveness, material success, ambition, and power. Female cultures place more value on relationships, quality of life and greater concern for marginalized groups (e.g., homeless, persons with disabilities, refugees).
5. Long/Short Term Orientation - A long-term orientation fosters virtues directed toward the future—in particular, perseverance and thrift and ordering relationships by status. A short-term orientation fosters virtues related to the past and present—in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of “face,” and personal steadiness and stability
6. Indulgence/Restraint - An indulgent society is one which values the satisfaction of human needs and desires; a restrained society sees the value in curbing ones’ desires and withholding pleasures to align more with societal norms.

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Question 25

What is Schein’s model of Organisational culture?

Answer 25

Schein’s model highlights the importance of underlying assumptions in shaping organizational learning and knowledge management practices. Organizations can promote a learning culture by encouraging open dialogue, questioning assumptions, and fostering a growth mindset.

Question 26

What are Trompenaars 7 cultural dimensions?

Answer 26

Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions Model, also known as The 7 Dimensions of Culture, can help you to work more effectively with people from different cultures.

1. Universalism versus particularism - In countries that have high universalism, such as the UK and U.S., there are a lot of formal rules that everyone’s expected to follow, and relationships come second. Particularism is for people who believe that the relationships and circumstances are more important than rules, such as China and South Korea.
2. Individualism versus communitarianism - Individualism refers to people regarding themselves as individuals, while communitarianism refers to people regarding themselves as part of a group.
3. Specific versus diffuse - This dimension is concerned with how much people allow work into their private lives. Specific cultures keep work and private lives separate, like countries in the U.S., UK, and Germany. Diffuse cultures mix work and private life, as in Russia, India, and China
4. Neutral versus emotional - In emotional cultures, people freely express their emotions, even at work. We find this in countries like Italy and Spain. However, in neutral countries, emotions are controlled as much as possible, as in Germany and Sweden.
5. Achievement versus ascription - In an achievement culture, people are accorded status based on how well they perform their functions. In an ascription culture, status is based on who or what a person is.
6. Sequential time versus synchronous time - This dimension is all about how people manage their time. In a sequential culture, people like to do things one by one and in order, like in Germany, the UK, and the U.S. In a synchronic culture, people are flexible and are likely to work on several projects at the same time
7. Internal direction versus outer direction - Inner Direction implies that virtue is inside each one of us, inside our souls, desires, convictions, principles, and beliefs. Inside we know what is right. As such, we need to follow conscience. Outer direction implies that virtue is outside of ourselves, in natural rhythms, and in the beauties and powers of nature.

Question 27

What is relationship building?

Answer 27

Effectively building and maintaining relationships both within and outside of the organization.

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Question 28

Impactful communicators create strategies for critical and/or complex communications

Answer 28

How will the communication take place?

When will the communication take place?

Where will the communication take place?

Who will communicate?

What form of media will be used?

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Question 29

Framing vs reframing

Answer 29

Framing is often used in discussions of communication. The term reflects the process of getting and audience to see communicated topics and facts in a particular way.

Reframing is changing the way an audience sees or feels the intended message.

Effectively framing the message requires clarity and explanation:
—articulating the objective and desired outcome of the communication
—identifying the benefit to the intended audience
—identifying the key points of the message and placing them in a logical order
—providing an explanation for each point that helps the intended audience see these facts in the desired frame

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