Homework: Tone Testing
This homework is separate from your course project. An important task that leaders perform is setting the tone of an organization. Tone, climate, and culture are several ways that organizational experts talk about the organizational atmosphere, values, beliefs, and norms that can contribute to or hinder productivity in organizations. Various "tones" can be a part of the organizational setting, including trust, mistrust, hope, despair, faith, fear, conflict, and many more.
For this homework, observe two actual, different leaders in your life as they conduct a meeting, practice, class, or other group activity. As you observe the event, consider the following questions:
I. How did the leader make goals clear to group members?
II. How were different members and their talents utilized?
III. What were some of the positive norms of the group? Negative norms? How did the leader contribute to or reinforce those norms?
IV. How would you assess the cohesiveness of the group?
V. What are your observations of the general tone and climate of the meeting? How did the leader contribute to or reinforce the tone (Northouse, 2009, pp. 120- 121)?
After you have observed the two meetings and considered the reflective questions above, write a summary of your findings. In particular:
I. Compare and contrast the two leaders' tone setting style. Focus on the people issues.
II. How did the leaders' different tone setting style seem to contribute to the norms, reactions, climate, and group outcomes?
Additionally:
I. Assess your own tone-setting style.
II. Evaluate what you can learn and apply from your observations of the leaders and from the organizational literature to enhance your tone-setting style.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.