Dealing with defensiveness
ASE STUDY 9-3 Preventing Defensiveness
Spencer, Jeff�s manager, needs to talk to Jeff about his poor performance over the previous quarter.
Jeff enters the room and sits across the desk from Spencer.
Jeff:Spencer, you wanted to talk to me?
Spencer:Yes,Jeff, thanks for coming by. I wanted to talk about your performance last quarter.
(Spencer�s phone rings and he answers it. Five minutes later Jeff is still waiting for Spencer. Jeff finally
gets frustrated and Spencer notices Jeff looks at his watch several times.)Sorry for the interruption Jeff, I
know it is frustrating to be kept waiting.
Jeff:I am very busy. Can we get on with this?
Spencer: Yes, absolutely. As you know you had some problems meeting all of your goals last quarter.
Jeff:Now wait a second. I met the most important goal.
Spencer: Yes, you did, but you missed the other four.
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Jeff:Just by a little, and it wasn�t my fault.
Spencer:Jeff, you need to accept responsibility for your own performance and not push blame onto
others. You need to meet your goals this coming quarter or I will have to take more serious action.
Jeff:One bad quarter, and you threaten to fire me? I can�t believe this!
Spencer:Just meet all of your goals, and I won�t have to take that action.
Then answer the following questions:
1)Identify and evaluate the actions that the individual could have taken to handle the issue of
defensiveness, as presented in the case study.
Dealing with employee defensiveness
Managers as well as business leaders in general encounter myriads of unusual behaviors
from employees which they ought to handle carefully. Such behaviors include defensiveness
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which is demonstrated in the case involving Jeff and Spencer, his manager. Lloyd (2010)
acknowledges that; it is crucial that managers understand the common causes of such behavior
for them to be able to handle them when they arise. In the case of Jeff, Spenser should be able to
understand the cause of the defensive behavior demonstrated by this employee. Besides this, it is
evident that, even the behavior of the leaders can fuel the defensiveness or the other behaviors
associated with employees with defensiveness tendencies. For instance, Spencer, the manager,
takes long in taking the call while he keeps Jeff waiting. This is not acceptable as he keeps the
employee tensed on what could be the cause of the need to talk.
The manager should have created good environment for talk without interruptions, for
instance by putting the phone on silent mode or by keeping the calls on hold. In case the call was
very important, he could have considered requesting the caller to wait for some moment so that
he attends to Jeff first. Gan & Chong (2015) suggests that; the manager should aim at creating a
better environment for the talk such as extended salutations and invoking the employee to know
more about them before indulging into the issue at hand. This view emanates from the view that;
Jeff’s defensive behavior has been fueled by the kind of behavior demonstrated by the manager
which denotes little regard for the employee.
For individuals to be able to handle employees with defensiveness, it is crucial that they
understand the root causes of the defensiveness. When this is understood, it becomes easy to
incorporate in coaching such that defensiveness is reduced or prevented. This view is based on
the understanding that, employees do not develop defensive behavior the moment they encounter
confrontation or when they are faced with the issue at hand. The defensiveness is a deep rooted
behavior which only manifests when the circumstance arises. It is therefore easy to tame the
behavior when it is earlier noticed and measures of controlling it taken. To detect the behavior,
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individuals have to interact well with the targeted people. Nowack (2014) discloses that; when
the weak areas of the persons that are likely to develop defensiveness are identified, the
individual embarks on coaching that aims at preventing such behavior. For instance,
defensiveness is associated with people who have little self esteem or a negative one. When such
is detected, the individual embarks on efforts of ensuring that the person improves in their self
esteem level. When the level of their self esteem improves, or when the person achieves positive
self esteem, it becomes possible for them to live a life that is not full of defensiveness.
It is understood that; such achievements cannot be reached in a short while. It is therefore
crucial that individuals cultivate a culture of interacting with the employees so as to mentor then
in ways that are able to prevent defensiveness as the one demonstrated by Jeff. In the event that
an employee has already demonstrated defensiveness, like in the case of Jeff, it is crucial that the
individual involve show understanding despite the fact that they are supposed to exercise
authority of the employee, thus they should not take offence for the defensiveness, rather they
should deal with the issue at hand and focus on how to help the person to improve in their
behavior especially when confronted with an issue.
In the couching relationship, it is crucial that individuals understand the essence of
cultural transvergence. This aspect denotes the situation whereby, the individuals are able to
understand their own culture, that of the firm and the culture of other people related to the
organization in one way or the other, for instance, understanding the culture of the fellow
employees as well as the clients. Burris (2012) notes that; the bottom line is not just about
understanding, rather, here should e an aspect of being able to integrate the different cultures in
the firm such that everyone feels appreciated despite their different culture. This view emanates
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from the realization that; difference in culture is a positive element in business which should help
in improving performance if it is articulated in a viable manner.
On the other hand, if the aspect is not deliberated on well and in the right manner, there
lies a potential of destroying the operations of the business. According to Kim & Kuo (2015) it is
crucial that the coaches understand the aspects of cultural transvergence, and inculcate it in the
coaching relationship such that businesses are able to achieve maximum performance. This is
because; if the coaches do not articulate the aspects of cultural transvergence well in coaching
relationship, there ought to be little or no progress in the productivity of the organization. When
the issues of cultural transvergence are articulated in coaching, there is bound to be fewer issues
especially of unhealthy behaviors such as defensiveness.
Dwivedi, Kaushik & Luxmi (2014) maintain that; in the wake of globalization, there is
increased need of coaches to understand the perspectives of coaching in line with cultural
transvergence. This view emanates from the understanding that; globalization has come with
increased diversified cultures in the workplace. In as much as this is a potential factor of
increased profitability, if there is no articulation of understanding and taking of the right measure
in coaching relations, there is bound to be downfalls associated with poor incorporation of
different cultures. The coaches therefore have to portray understanding of different factors in
their coaching relationships in regard to cultural transvergence. Hough (2011) asserts that; in the
articulation of the coaching relationship, the coach must understand that the employee is the root
of change in the organizations. There should therefore, be provision of room for the employee to
give their views on intended changes. This way, there will be little resistance in the
implementation of changes in which the employees have feelings of ownership.
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In the coaching relationship, the coaches must cultivate a tendency of taking the
employees as individuals and not generalizing them. The coach ought to understand that the
employees are individuals who have unique qualities as well as needs. On this note, it is crucial
that the coach aims at maximizing on the strong sides of the employee and helps them to
improve on their weak areas. This is done, not in a general manner but in an individualized
manner such that every employee is taken care of. This is achievable only with realization that
the coach is the facilitator of the employee’s growth and therefore, endeavors to help the
employees tackle the barriers which they encounter.
References
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BURRIS, ER 2012, ‘THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF SPEAKING UP: MANAGERIAL
RESPONSES TO EMPLOYEE VOICE’, Academy Of Management Journal, 55, 4, pp.
851-875, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2015.
Dwivedi, S., Kaushik, S., & Luxmi. (2014). Impact of Organizational Culture on Commitment of
Employees: An Empirical Study of BPO Sector in India. Vikalpa: The Journal For
Decision Makers, 39(3), 77-92.
Gan, G, & Chong, C 2015, ‘Coaching relationship in executive coaching: a Malaysian study’,
Journal Of Management Development, 34, 4, pp. 476-493, Business Source Complete,
EBSCOhost, viewed 30 June 2015.
Hough, K 2011, The Improvisation Edge : Secrets To Building Trust And Radical Collaboration
At Work, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost),
EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2015.
Kim, S, & Kuo, M 2015, ‘Examining the Relationships Among Coaching, Trustworthiness, and
Role Behaviors: A Social Exchange Perspective’, Journal Of Applied Behavioral Science,
51, 2, pp. 152-176, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 30 June 2015.
Lloyd, J 2010, ‘Effective Feedback Reduces Defensiveness: Help employees succeed’,
Receivables Report For America’s Health Care Financial Managers, 25, 4, pp. 8-10,
Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2015.
NOWACK, KM 2014, ‘take the sting out of feedback’, TD: Talent Development, 68, 8, pp. 50-
54, Professional Development Collection, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2015.
