Formation of a favorable climate. Psychological climate in a team: what is it?
The conditions in which the members of the work group interact influence the success of their joint activities, satisfaction with the process and the results of their work. In particular, these include the sanitary and hygienic conditions in which employees work: temperature, humidity, lighting, spaciousness of the room, availability of a comfortable workplace, etc. The nature of the relationships in the group and the dominant mood in it are also of great importance. To designate the psychological state of a group, concepts such as “socio-psychological climate”, “psychological atmosphere”, “social atmosphere”, “climate of the organization”, “microclimate”, etc. are used.
When talking about socio-psychological climate(SPK) of the team imply the following:
a set of socio-psychological characteristics of the group;
the prevailing and stable psychological mood of the team;
the nature of relationships in the team;
integral characteristic of the state of the team.
Favorable SEC characterize optimism, joy of communication, trust, a sense of security, safety and comfort, mutual support, warmth and attention in relationships, interpersonal sympathy, openness of communication, confidence, cheerfulness, the ability to think freely, create, grow intellectually and professionally, and contribute to the development of the organization , make mistakes without fear of punishment, etc.
Unfavorable SPC characterized by pessimism, irritability, boredom, high tension and conflict in relationships in the group, uncertainty, fear of making a mistake or making a bad impression, fear of punishment, rejection, misunderstanding, hostility, suspicion, distrust of each other, reluctance to invest effort in a joint product, in the development of the team and the organization as a whole, dissatisfaction, etc.
There are signs by which one can indirectly judge the atmosphere in the group. These include: the level of staff turnover; labor productivity; product quality; number of absenteeism and tardiness; the number of complaints received from employees and clients; completing work on time or late; carelessness or negligence in handling equipment; frequency of work breaks.
The leader can purposefully regulate the nature of relationships in the group and influence the SEC. To do this, it is necessary to know the patterns of its formation and carry out management activities taking into account the factors influencing the SEC. Let us dwell on their characteristics in more detail.
Factors that determine the socio-psychological climate
Global macro environment: the situation in society, the totality of economic, cultural, political and other conditions. Stability in the economic and political life of society ensures the social and psychological well-being of its members and indirectly influences the socio-psychological climate of working groups.
Local macro environment, those. an organization whose structure includes a workforce. The size of the organization, the status-role structure, the absence of functional-role contradictions, the degree of centralization of power, the participation of employees in planning, in the distribution of resources, the composition of structural units (gender, age, professional, etc.).
Physical microclimate, sanitary and hygienic working conditions. Heat, stuffiness, poor lighting, constant noise can become a source of increased irritability and indirectly affect the psychological atmosphere in the group. On the contrary, favorable sanitary and hygienic conditions increase satisfaction from work in general, contributing to the formation of a favorable SPC.
Job satisfaction. Of great importance for the formation of a favorable SPC is how interesting, varied, creative a person’s work is, whether it corresponds to his professional level, whether it allows him to realize his creative potential and grow professionally. The attractiveness of work is increased by satisfaction with working conditions, pay, the system of material and moral incentives, social security, vacation distribution, working hours, information support, career prospects, the opportunity to increase the level of one’s professionalism, the level of competence of colleagues, the nature of business and personal relationships in the team vertically and horizontal, etc. The attractiveness of work depends on the extent to which its conditions meet the expectations of the subject and allow him to realize his own interests, satisfy his needs for good working conditions and decent material remuneration; in communication and friendly interpersonal relationships; success, achievements, recognition and personal authority, having power and the ability to influence the behavior of others; creative and interesting work, opportunities for professional and personal development, realization of one’s potential.
The nature of the activity performed. The monotony of the activity, its high responsibility, the presence of a risk to the health and life of the employee, the stressful nature, emotional intensity, etc. - all these are factors that can negatively affect the SEC in the work team.
Organization of joint activities. The formal structure of the group, the way powers are distributed, and the presence of a common goal influence the SEC. The interdependence of tasks, unclear distribution of functional responsibilities, employee incompatibility with his professional role, and psychological incompatibility increase the tension of relationships in the group and can become a source of conflict.
Psychological compatibility is an important factor influencing the SPC. Psychological compatibility is understood as the ability to work together, which is based on the optimal combination of the personal qualities of the participants in the team. Psychological compatibility may be due to the similarity of characteristics of the participants in joint activities. People who are similar to each other find it easier to interact. Similarity promotes a sense of security and self-confidence and increases self-esteem. Psychological compatibility may also be based on differences in characteristics based on the principle of complementarity. In this case, they say that people fit each other “like a key to a lock.” The condition and result of compatibility is interpersonal sympathy, the attachment of the participants in the interaction to each other. Forced communication with an unpleasant subject can become a source of negative emotions.
The degree of psychological compatibility of employees is influenced by how homogeneous the composition of the work group is in various social and psychological parameters:
There are three levels of compatibility: psychophysiological, psychological and socio-psychological:
Psychophysiological level Compatibility is based on an optimal combination of features of the sensory system (vision, hearing, touch, etc.) and temperamental properties. This level of compatibility becomes especially important when organizing joint activities. Choleric and phlegmatic people will complete the task at different paces, which can lead to disruptions in work and tension in relations between workers.
Psychological level assumes the compatibility of characters, motives, types of behavior.
Socio-psychological level compatibility is based on the consistency of social roles, social attitudes, value orientations, and interests. It will be difficult for two entities striving for dominance to organize joint activities. Compatibility will be facilitated by the orientation of one of them towards subordination. For a quick-tempered and impulsive person, a calm and balanced employee is more suitable as a partner. Psychological compatibility is promoted by self-criticism, tolerance and trust in relation to the interaction partner.
Harmony is the result of employee compatibility. It ensures the highest possible success of joint activities at minimal cost.
The nature of communications in the organization acts as a factor of SPC. The lack of complete and accurate information on an issue important to employees creates fertile ground for the emergence and spread of rumors and gossip, weaving intrigues and behind-the-scenes games. The manager should closely monitor the satisfactory information support of the organization's activities. Low communicative competence of employees also leads to communication barriers, increased tension in interpersonal relationships, misunderstanding, mistrust, and conflicts. The ability to clearly and accurately express one’s point of view, mastery of constructive criticism techniques, active listening skills, etc. create conditions for satisfactory communication in the organization.
Leadership style. The role of the manager in creating an optimal SPC is decisive:
Democratic style develops sociability and trusting relationships, friendliness. At the same time, there is no feeling of decisions being imposed from the outside, “from above.” The participation of team members in management, characteristic of this leadership style, contributes to the optimization of the SPC.
Authoritarian style usually breeds hostility, humility and ingratiation, envy and mistrust. But if the style results in success that justifies its use in the eyes of the group, it contributes to a favorable SOC, such as in sports or the military.
Permissive style results in low productivity and quality of work, dissatisfaction with joint activities and leads to the formation of an unfavorable SPC. A permissive style may be acceptable only in some creative teams.
If the manager makes excessive demands, publicly criticizes employees, often punishes and rarely encourages them, does not value their contribution to joint activities, threatens, tries to intimidate with dismissal, deprivation of bonuses, etc., behaves in accordance with the slogan “the boss is always right”, does not listen to the opinions of subordinates, is inattentive to their needs and interests, then he creates an unhealthy working atmosphere. The lack of mutual respect and trust forces people to take a defensive position, defend themselves from each other, the frequency of contacts is reduced, communication barriers and conflicts arise, there is a desire to leave the organization and, as a result, there is a decrease in productivity and product quality.
Even if a manager uses an authoritarian management style, he can be positive if, when making a decision, he takes into account the interests of employees, explains his choice to them, makes his actions understandable and justified, in other words, he begins to pay more attention to establishing a strong and close connection with subordinates.
Thus, the manager can significantly influence the nature of interpersonal relationships in the work team, the attitude towards joint activities, satisfaction with the conditions and results of work, i.e. socio-psychological climate, on which the effectiveness of the organization as a whole largely depends.
SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL CLIMATE IN THE WORK TEAM
Kalashnikova Anastasia Evgenievna
Kuban State University
student of the Department of Sociology
annotation
The article presents various aspects of the socio-psychological climate as an element of the personnel management system. The work examines the main levels of compatibility, as well as the role of the manager in creating a favorable socio-psychological climate in the work team.
SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL CLIMATE IN THE WORKPLACE
Kalashnikova Anastasia Evgenjevna
Kuban State University
student of the department of sociology
Abstract
The article presents the various aspects of socio-psychological climate as an element of the personnel management system. The paper discusses the basic levels of compatibility, as well as the role of leader in creating a favorable social and psychological climate in the workplace.
In modern conditions, among the factors influencing the effectiveness of teamwork of the workforce, the socio-psychological climate occupies an important place. According to some experts, among the factors contributing to a productive work process, a favorable climate in the team ranks first in importance. The relevance of the problems of the socio-psychological climate determines the need to create a favorable atmosphere in the team in order to create conditions for employees to fully realize their abilities. It is also important to note that different enterprises have their own requirements for the personnel management system, depending on their specifics. The most important and basic condition for the effective functioning of any enterprise is the formation of an integrated approach to the personnel management system, which is based on the need to combine the functional components of this system in various areas, including socio-psychological.
The socio-psychological climate is usually understood as the holistic state of the team, a relatively stable emotional mood for it, reflecting the real situation of work activity (nature, conditions, organization of work) and the nature of interpersonal relationships. Its specificity lies in the fact that it represents an integral and dynamic characteristic of the mental states of all members of the team. The relationships that have developed in a team, acting as objective conditions for labor interaction and communication, require a very specific style of behavior from a person. The emotions of one group member in a certain way motivate the behavior of other members, directing them not only to achieve the goals of the activity, but also to eliminate frustrating influences.
To the greatest extent, the existence of a particular socio-psychological climate in a team depends on the leader, since it is he who makes the choice in favor of a certain leadership style. Thus, the role of the manager in creating an optimal work atmosphere is decisive. To improve performance, it is necessary to take into account the degree of homogeneity of the composition of the work team relative to its social and psychological characteristics. It is customary to distinguish three levels of such compatibility: psychophysiological, psychological and socio-psychological. The psychophysiological level is responsible for the compatibility of the temperaments and senses of employees. For example, a choleric person and a phlegmatic person are not able to establish a common pace of work, which can lead to tension in their relationships and in the performance of common work. The psychological level is the level of compatibility of characters and types of behavior of workers. A team where it is customary to adhere to generally accepted norms of behavior is not useful for a person with a different system of behavior values - he will only violate work discipline. The socio-psychological level of compatibility of the work team is based on the consistency of social roles and attitudes. For example, in a team, people with an equally high thirst for power will not be able to cooperate harmoniously: consistency in teamwork will be facilitated by the interaction of a power-hungry person and a person capable of obeying. The result of compatibility of employees at all three levels is harmony, ensuring the success of the team’s work at minimal cost.
The behavior of the head of the work collective plays a significant role. A leader must have such characteristics as integrity (unity of word and deed), discipline, responsibility not only towards business, but also towards people, activity in interpersonal relationships, as well as responsiveness and social energy (the ability to infect others with one’s energy). The above characteristics can be summarized by the concept of “organizational flair.” Unacceptable elements of a manager's behavior are inconsistency, disrespect for the interests of others, selfishness, exceptional careerism, and rudeness towards employees. A competent organizer of joint activities performs a number of functions in a team. Firstly, this is a function of integrating individuals through familiarizing them with a common task, determining the conditions for achieving goals, and coordinating joint work. Secondly, this is a communicative function, which is associated with the establishment of horizontal communications within the team and external vertical communications with organizational units located above. Thirdly, this is a function of training and education of team members.
Thus, creating a favorable socio-psychological climate in the work team is the path to the highest possible efficiency of joint activities. The most important conditions for achieving success are, firstly, the manager’s ability to competently combine team management styles, and secondly, the manager’s “organizational sense”. When these conditions are met, the effectiveness of collective work in the work team becomes more noticeable.
The socio-psychological climate in a team is defined as the emotional state of the group, reflecting the real situation of the work environment (character, conditions, organization of work) and interpersonal relationships. The collective mood can easily move from a positive phase to a negative one, from hidden to open, from subconscious to conscious. Often drastic changes are caused by the slightest reason, an elementary reason.
Important! Studies report that a negative team mood reduces productivity by 20%. One unbalanced person can ruin the mood of the majority and paralyze the normal activities of the group.
What is socio-psychological climate (SPC)
The microclimate in a team is a set of moral values, official and informal relationships and assessments that influence the emotional mood. SEC contributes to the activation or suppression of the life processes of the collective.
In the structure of the socio-psychological climate, there are two key sections: the attitude of employees to work and to each other. In both situations, there are emotional and objective elements (work environment, time of action).
Interpersonal relationships are differentiated by levels: horizontal – between employees; vertical – between management and subordinates. Manifestations of SPC also depend on the attitude of individuals towards themselves and the world around them; they can be direct or indirect (which are determined by a person’s lifestyle).
What role does it play?
The internal corporate culture emphasizes the individuality and style of companies. The orientation of labor, service, and everyday traditions can be positive and negative. The working atmosphere influences the actions and behavior of people, discipline and organization, team unity, and work results. A strong corporate culture is impossible without a favorable SPC.
Signs of a favorable socio-psychological climate
Signs of an ideal balance between the moral and psychological climate and team performance:
- creative approach to business;
- coordination of actions;
- lack of formalism;
- trusting, relaxed relationships between team members;
- emotional inclusion, mutual assistance between people;
- positive attitude of group members;
- objective assessment of performers’ work;
- full and clear awareness of employees about the tasks and state of affairs;
- mutual demands and responsibility of employees;
- business criticism;
- free expression of opinion when solving common problems;
- absence of destructive behavior, quarrels that impede the optimization of the common cause.
Important! The concept of socio-psychological climate in a team differs from the psychological atmosphere in that it has more stable features of the phenomenon. The second option is characterized by situational, changing indicators.
Factors that determine the socio-psychological climate of an organization
The moral and psychological aspects of labor organization are determined by the composition and characteristics of organizations, the socio-demographic composition of personnel, the interests of employees, and management style. The individual attitude of employees and the general atmosphere of the team are of greatest importance.
Personal (each employee)
Daily work activities are accompanied by stable personal contacts between employees. They form the emotional basis of relationships. Moral values, needs, interests, views, and attitudes are revealed. An employee’s knowledge and skills, personal adaptation potential, communication skills, and level of anxiety are reflected in social and labor relations and the results of general activities in the life of the team.
General (team)
The socio-psychological climate is influenced by the size of the group, the degree of centralization of power, the participation of workers in the planning and distribution of resources, and the composition of departments (by age, professional skills, ethnic level).
Physical, sanitary and hygienic conditions are also important for creating a positive attitude among employees. Low levels of ventilation, lighting, and sound insulation provoke irritability and can indirectly affect the psychological climate of the group. Comfortable workplaces and compliance with sanitary and hygienic conditions increase satisfaction from work processes and contribute to a favorable safety and health situation.
Job satisfaction is of great importance in the formation of corporate culture. The indicator is determined by a number of factors:
- material reward;
- friendly interpersonal relationships;
- creative, interesting activities;
- the opportunity to attend advanced training courses, trainings, master classes;
- the likelihood of professional and personal growth.
The nature of work is also subject to correction. Monotonous activity, an increased level of responsibility, the presence of a risk to the health and life of workers, emotional intensity - factors that negatively affect the working mood of the team.
Team management should be based on the correct organization of joint activities. Thoughtful group structure, distribution of powers, and setting common goals help improve the microclimate of the organization. Unclear distribution of tasks, inconsistency of workers with their professional roles, and lack of psychological compatibility of participants in the process increase tension in relationships.
Creating a favorable moral and psychological climate in the team
There are various methods and trainings that allow you to maintain a positive microclimate in the team. Many enterprises employ full-time psychologists and take care of organizing role-playing games, tests, and individual work with staff. Some companies hire outside specialists to temporarily work with staff. Improved working conditions, moral and material stimulation of employees have a beneficial effect on the industrial complex.
Group work with a team
Among the effective measures to reduce social tension, psychologists identify:
- Staffing a team taking into account the psychological compatibility of workers (psychologists recommend first determining the level of leadership in subordinates, then combining people with different types of behavior: followers with leaders).
- Careful selection, placement, training and testing of managers.
- Limitation of the number of employees subordinate to the manager (5-7 people);
- Elimination of unnecessary employees and vacancies.
- Using the substantive elements of climate (rules, norms, values, general opinion and attitude).
- Preventing and resolving interpersonal misunderstandings.
- Engaging employees with personal experience, using brief examples, conducting business games, and using persuasion methods.
The main task of managers should be to set goals, objectives, and fair labor standards. Recognize the need to maintain a balance between business, family, personal, and group interests of employees.
Individual work with team members
Satisfaction indicators are considered the most important; the state of the SPC can be directly determined by the mood of individual employees, Therefore, management needs to know exactly:
- employees are satisfied or dissatisfied with their working conditions, relationships with colleagues, status in the team;
- Do employees discuss personal matters?
- whether the team agrees to maintain cohesion;
- is the employee ready to take responsibility for the actions of colleagues;
- what position would you like to take in the overall cause?
The study of subjective satisfaction is carried out on the basis of tests, psychology questionnaires, and personal interviews. Harmony is the result of employee compatibility. The phenomenon promotes maximum success of teamwork at minimal cost.
Video
Psychological climate is the mood of the team, the moral and psychological atmosphere that permeates the relationships of its participants. We are not necessarily talking about the work collective, although more often this is the case. The psychological climate exists in an interest group, in the family, in school, and in any collective activity. The success of this activity and the health of each of its participants depend on the atmosphere prevailing in the group. Creating a favorable psychological climate is included in measures to prevent psychosomatic diseases, conflicts, and neuroses.
The term “psychological climate” was first uttered by N. S. Mansurov in the context of studying a production team. A little later, psychologists began to distinguish between socio-psychological and moral-psychological climate. Psychological climate is a broad concept, the rest are included in it.
Psychological climate is the character that arises in relationships between people, based on their sympathies, coincidence of interests, and inclinations. The psychological climate includes 3 areas:
- Social climate – awareness of goals and objectives by all participants, respect for rights and responsibilities.
- Moral climate - values accepted in the group. Their unity, acceptance, consistency.
- The actual psychological climate is informal relationships in the team.
There are 4 approaches to studying the psychological climate in a team:
- Climate is a collective consciousness. Awareness by each member of society of relationships in the team, working conditions, methods of stimulating it.
- Climate is the mood of the team. That is, the leading role is given not to consciousness, but to emotions.
- Climate is the style of interaction between people that influences their condition.
- Climate is an indicator of the compatibility of the group, the moral and psychological unity of its participants. The presence of common opinions, traditions and customs.
The peculiarity of the psychological climate as a phenomenon is that it is created by the person himself, he is able to influence the climate, improve and change.
Favorable and unfavorable climate
The psychological climate can be favorable or unfavorable. The first is characterized by:
- friendly attitude of participants towards each other;
- camaraderie;
- adequate mutual exactingness, which determines creative efficiency;
- mutual assistance;
- joy from communication and openness of communications;
- safety and comfort;
- optimism;
- self-confidence and team confidence;
- the opportunity to think freely and creatively, to discover and realize one’s own potential.
But it is worth noting that a combination of mutual demands and mutual assistance is mandatory. Mutual assistance alone will turn into permissiveness, a “brotherly” attitude, which over time will create an unfavorable climate.
An unfavorable or unhealthy climate includes the opposite characteristics:
- pessimism;
- mistrust and disrespect;
- coldness and secrecy in relationships;
- inhibition of personal potential;
- irritability;
- tension and conflict;
- uncertainty;
- misunderstanding;
- fear of error, punishment and rejection;
- suspicion.
It has been noted that a healthy climate increases productivity and labor efficiency. Unfavorable climate causes frequent incidents of safety violations and reduces productivity by 20%.
A healthy climate satisfies its participants and does not contradict social norms and values. For example, in a criminal group there may be a unity of opinions, views and beliefs, but for society the activities of its members are harmful, in fact, as in the end for the participants themselves (they just don’t know it).
Climate structure
The psychological climate in a team has a certain structure:
- Horizontal relationships. This implies team cohesion, the nature of interpersonal relationships, and ways to resolve conflicts.
- Relationships “vertical” (with the boss and administration).
- Attitude to work. Job satisfaction and intention to stay in the job.
Climate levels
Climate has two levels: static and dynamic.
Static
This is a stable attitude of employees towards work, constant interpersonal relationships. The climate is stable and tolerates external influences well. It is not easy to create a climate at this level, but then it is easy to maintain. Team members feel this stability, which makes them more confident in their own position. Climate correction is practically not required, control is occasional. This level is also called the socio-psychological climate.
Dynamic
This is the changing nature of the team. The climate changes daily due to the changing moods of its participants. This level is also called the psychological atmosphere. It changes faster and is less felt by the participants. As changes accumulate, it can create an unhealthy climate in the team.
Climate diagnostics
The socio-psychological climate in a team is an indicator of the level of development of the team. Therefore, it is important to regularly carry out diagnostics and monitor dynamics, to identify the properties that hold the team together or destroy it. For this purpose, the method of assessing the level of psychological climate of A. N. Lutoshkin’s team is suitable.
The subject is asked to answer 13 statements regarding the team in which he is located. The score can be from -3 to 3.
Answer form
22 points and more – highly favorable climate.
8-22 points – moderately favorable climate.
0-8 points – low favorable climate.
From 0 to -8 – initial unfavorability.
From -8 to -10 – moderately unfavorable climate.
From -10 and more – pronounced unfavorability, unhealthy climate.
Each team member takes the questionnaire. When summing up, all points are summed up and divided by the number of people surveyed. The final number is the overall score of the team. You can also calculate an overall score for individual criteria.
Signs characterizing climate
Externally, you can judge the climate of a team by the following signs (useful for those applying for a job):
- staff turnover;
- product quality;
- level of discipline;
- claims and complaints, negative feedback from employees;
- frequent breaks from work;
- negligence and carelessness.
The better these indicators, the more favorable the climate. Signs of a favorable climate also include:
- trust and high demands in relationships;
- kind and constructive criticism;
- freedom of speech and opinion;
- providing initiative to employees, lack of managerial pressure;
- awareness of participants in team issues;
- satisfaction from belonging to this group;
- mutual assistance and highly developed empathy;
- responsibility for yourself and the entire team.
What affects climate
The climate is influenced by a number of factors:
- Type of organization, team. Open or closed, private or public, scientific or industrial organization. Family, class, criminal group, charitable association.
- The image and standard of living of the team members.
- Micro (everyday for a particular person) and macro (city, country, culture of society) conditions: normal, complicated, extreme.
- Rational organization of work, compliance with the regime and rights, taking into account the capabilities and characteristics of each team member.
- Team structure.
- Informal leaders or groups in a team.
- Leadership style and features. A favorable climate requires attention from the manager not only to production issues, but also to the personal problems of team members. That is, the democratic style.
- Individual psychological and personal characteristics of team members. Personal opinion, mood and behavior of a person contribute to the overall climate. This is based on passing external factors and events through the prism of one’s own character and personality.
- The combination of the characteristics of all participants forms a new collective quality - the psyche of the collective. Therefore, the psychological compatibility of the participants, primarily in terms of temperament, plays a big role. Psychologically, people must be compatible in terms of psychomotor reactions, emotional and volitional manifestations, the work of thinking and attention, and character. Incompatibility causes antipathy, hostility, and conflicts.
- Self-assessment of each participant. His and the correspondence of claims and achievements.
The leader has a great influence on climate formation. You should pay attention to his personal qualities, attitude towards other participants, authority, leadership style. A positive climate is created by a leader who:
- principled;
- responsible;
- active;
- disciplined;
- kind, responsive and sociable;
- has organizational skills.
Rudeness, selfishness, inconsistency, disrespect, and careerism have a negative impact on the health of the climate.
The conditions that dictate the climate also depend on the leader. Necessary:
- be friendly and respectful in relationships;
- provide employees with the opportunity to choose their own area of activity;
- notice and celebrate the activity and creativity of employees;
- promote employee interest in self-development;
- motivate employees for career advancement with the aim of not only material gain, but also to gain prestige and recognition from the team;
- be a good qualified leader and a kind mentor.
What a leader can do for a favorable climate:
- It is justified from a psychological standpoint to select personnel.
- Organize regular training and certification.
- Study and practice the theory of psychological compatibility, that is, have a good understanding of people.
- Contribute through practical activities (through organizing events) to the development of interaction and relationship skills.
Creating a favorable climate
A favorable climate is formed where participants clearly see the goals of the team, clearly understand and accept them. At the same time, they have a flexible system of means and ways to achieve them.
The higher the level of development of the team, the more favorable the climate. However, even at a low level of development, a favorable climate can be created.
It is important to maintain the unity of motives, interests, beliefs, ideals, attitudes, needs of the participants and correctly combine their individual characteristics.
A favorable psychological climate cannot arise by itself. This is the product of the coordinated and hard work of the entire team, and the competent organizational activities of the leader.
Purposeful work must be carried out to create a favorable climate. This is a responsible and creative undertaking that requires knowledge of human psychology, the ability to predict likely situations in relationships, and understand emotions and their regulation.
Creating climate begins with changes in each individual person. In order for interpersonal relationships to develop favorably, you need to:
- work on your own negative character traits;
- to form positive moral qualities (respect for people, recognition of their dignity and honor, attention, recognition of the beliefs and interests of other people, trust, observance of politeness and rules of behavior, objective assessment and self-esteem, tact);
- use polite words and phrases, observe etiquette;
- master emotional and mental methods (necessary for the prevention and elimination of irritation, resentment, burnout, nervousness, anger, fatigue, agitation, apathy);
- know behavioral strategies and be able to solve them competently;
- avoid maximalism in judgments and behavior, labeling, categoricalness, inflated expectations and ideas.
Each member of the team should be valuable, unique and positive in their own way, and in a group setting they should complement each other, not interfere or overshadow each other.
Satisfaction as a criterion
The basis for climate assessment is people’s satisfaction/dissatisfaction with relationships in the team and the activity itself. However, you need to understand that satisfaction can be subjective and objective.
It often happens that one person is completely satisfied with the team, while another is not at all satisfied with the working conditions. This is subjectivity in assessment. Differences in experience, conditions and quality of life, interests, character of people and other individual characteristics contribute. The principle of subjective satisfaction is the relationship between the parameters “I give” and “I receive.”
Dissatisfaction with delayed wages, regular punishments, non-compliance with labor standards, violation of rights is an objective indicator.
Afterword
Psychological climate is sometimes identified with socio-psychological or moral-psychological, which further emphasizes its basis. The basis of a favorable climate is the unity and similarity of values among team members.
The nature of the climate affects the individual: whether or not it stimulates work, joint activities, raises or lowers the mood, instills faith or self-doubt in one’s own strength, cheerfulness or despondency, stimulates or suppresses activity.
It is very easy to guess the nature of the climate. It is enough for its participants to only answer the questions “like - don’t like”, “satisfied - doesn’t suit”, “would like - don’t want to be in a team.”
Learn about what the psychological climate in a team is and how to create a favorable climate from the specialists of the Synergy University of Self-Development.
The efficiency of the workforce depends on socio-psychological climate in the organization- as a set of interconnected, stable socio-psychological characteristics of a group, organization (dominant characteristics in relation to the goals and motives of joint activities, in relationships between people, in moral and intellectual attitudes, as well as in the prevailing mood).
Psychological climate- the emotional mood of the team, which reflects the relationships that have developed between its members.
Most often, the following components of the socio-psychological climate are distinguished:
1) vertical relations between employees (leadership style, degree of participation in decision making);
2) horizontal relationships between employees (team cohesion, the nature of interpersonal relationships, etc.);
3) attitude towards work.
Social psychologists K. where Vrie and D. Miller defined the moral and psychological climate in teams of various organizations, as well as the characteristics of their behavior, in terms that are used in psychiatry:
o dramatic (demonstrative) organization - to a certain extent, “ostentatious” behavior, demonstration of vigorous activity, concern for the impression that is formed about them. Typically, such organizations are at the stage of active growth, which is associated with “expansion” in the market. Leadership style is cooperative;
o depressed the organization is conservative, bureaucratic, “regulated”, which tries to maintain the “status quo” in the market; is essentially a bureaucratic organization. Such an organization is able to survive only in conditions of market stability and weak competition. The prevailing management style is authoritarian-bureaucratic;
o schizoid organization - low external activity, internal life predominates ("split of the mind"); the influence of top management is not felt, the goals and development strategy are not clear, middle management is focused on its own well-being. Careers are made by opportunists, “the favorites of management.” Management style - connivance;
o paranoid The organization experiences a constant fear of control and tries to “insure itself” for all occasions. The strategy focuses on protecting the status quo. Much attention is paid to justification, regulations, instructions and their approval “at the top.” Bureaucratic management style;
o forced The organization is also characterized by a desire to avoid mistakes, strict adherence to hierarchy, inertia, and excessive attention to detail. The management style is patriarchal.
The optimal state of the socio-psychological climate in the work team can be achieved provided that primary teams are staffed, taking into account the factor of psychological compatibility (psychosocial factors taken into account when forming a team: age, gender, character, temperament, abilities) and through the use of socio-psychological methods that promote developing skills of effective mutual understanding among team members; organization of continuous professional retraining, clear distribution of roles.
The interaction of a person with a group can be either merging or conflicting. The influence of a group on a person is manifested as follows:
1. In a group, a person receives a certain weight (position). This role (weight) of a person in a group can be no less important in terms of its formal position (status).
2. A person begins to identify himself with the group, which leads to changes in self-perception and in awareness of his place in the world and his purpose.
3. Collaboration with a group generates ideas, judgments and proposals in a person under the influence of brainstorming (joint problem solving) that are not available when working independently.
4. In a group, a person is more inclined to perceive risk and make risky decisions; a person’s behavior becomes more active.
The most important signs of a positive socio-psychological climate in the workforce are the following:
o trust and high demands of group members towards each other;
o friendly and businesslike criticism;
o pluralism of opinions when discussing issues affecting the entire team;
o sufficient awareness of team members about its tasks and the state of affairs in their implementation;
o satisfaction with belonging to a team;
* lack of pressure from managers on subordinates and recognition of their right to make decisions that are significant for the group;
o a high degree of emotional inclusion and mutual assistance in situations that cause a state of frustration in any of the team members, etc.
If the socio-psychological climate reflects the features of social and psychological phenomena in the team, then socio-psychological atmosphere - situational, change. The conditions of social interdependence of participants in the labor process, as well as the problems of selecting personnel and staffing compatible production groups capable of effectively solving the tasks assigned to them, are of particular importance today.
Psychological compatibility - mutual perception of partners during communication and joint activities, based on optimal similarity or complementarity of value guidelines, social attitudes, motives, needs, characters, temperaments, pace and rhythm of psychophysiological reactions and other individual psychological characteristics significant for interpersonal interaction.
A person can take a conformist position in a group - avoid making independent decisions, passively accept ready-made group standards of behavior. Conformity can perform both positive and negative functions in interpersonal relationships. The positive function is that conformism is able to balance the individual with the social environment around him (it can help correct erroneous actions and behavior if the behavior and actions of the majority are more correct).
To psychologically assess the compatibility of participants in a group process, they use the criterion of partners’ satisfaction with the result and, most importantly, with the process of interaction, when each of them met the requirements of the other and there is no need to spend special efforts on establishing mutual understanding.