POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Sta. Mesa, Manila
FUNDAMENTALS OF
HUMAN RELATIONS
DEM 735 – ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RELATIONS
MARIA LEONORA E. VINOYA
Discussant

FUNDAMENTALS OF
HUMAN RELATIONS

DEFINE HUMAN RELATIONS
In its broadest sense, covers all the types of
interactions among people – their conflicts,
cooperative efforts and group relationships.
It is the study of why our beliefs, attitudes and
behaviors sometimes cause relationship problems in
our personal lives and in work-related situations.

What are Interpersonal Skills?
Interpersonal skills are the life skills that we use every
day to communicate and interact with other people, both
individually and in groups. People with strong
interpersonal skills are usually more successful in both
their professional and personal lives.

A list of Interpersonal Skills
Verbal Communication - What we say and how we
say it.
Non-Verbal Communication - What we
communicate without words, body language is an
example.
Listening Skills - How we interpret both the verbal
and non-verbal messages sent by others.

Negotiation - Working with others to find a
mutually agreeable outcome.
Problem Solving - Working with others to identify,
define and solve problems.
Decision Making – Exploring and analyzing options
to make sound decisions.
Assertiveness – Communicating our values, ideas,
beliefs, opinions, needs and wants freely.

How to improve and develop
your interpersonal skills?
Learn to Listen
Listening is not the same as hearing. Take time to
listen carefully to what others are saying through both
their verbal and non-verbal communication.

Choose Your Words
Be aware of the words you are using when talking
to others. Could you be misunderstood or confuse the
issue? Practice clarity and learn to seek feedback to
ensure your message has been understood. Encourage
others to engage in communication and use
appropriate questioning to develop your
understanding.

Relax
When we are nervous we tend to talk more
quickly and therefore less clearly. Being tense is also
evident in our body language and other non-verbal
communication. Instead, try to stay calm, make eye
contact and smile. Let your confidence shine.

Clarify
Show an interest in the people you talk to. Ask
questions and seek clarification on any points that
could be easily misunderstood.

Be Positive
Try to remain positive and cheerful. People are
much more likely to be drawn to you if you can
maintain a positive attitude.

Empathize
Understand that other people may have different
points of view. Try to see things from their
perspective. You may learn something whilst gaining
the respect and trust of others.

Understand Stress
Learn to recognize, manage and reduce stress in
yourself and others . Although stress is not always
bad, it can have a detrimental effect on your
interpersonal communication.

Reflect and Improve
Think about previous conversations and other
interpersonal interactions; learn from your mistakes
and successes. Always keep a positive attitude but
realize that you can always improve our
communication skills.

Negotiate
Learn how to effectively negotiate with others
paving the way to mutual respect, trust and lasting
interpersonal relations.

Working in Groups
We often find ourselves in group situations,
professionally and socially.

Ten ways to improve
interpersonal skills

Smile
Few people want to be around someone who is always
down in the dumps. Do your best to be friendly and
upbeat with your fellow group members. Maintain a
positive, cheerful attitude about school and life. Smile
often. The positive energy you radiate will draw others to
you.
Be appreciative
Find one positive thing about everyone you work
with and let them hear it. Be generous with praise and
kind words of encouragement. Say thank you when
someone helps you. Make group members feel welcome
when they call or ask questions. If you let others know
that they are appreciated, they’ll want to give you their
best.

Bring people together
Create an environment that encourages others to
work together. Treat everyone equally, and don't play
favorites. Avoid talking about others behind their backs.
Follow up on other people's suggestions or requests.
When you make a statement or announcement, check to
see that you have been understood. If folks see you as
someone solid and fair, they will grow to trust you.
Resolve conflicts
Take a step beyond simply bringing people together,
and become someone who resolves conflicts when they
arise. Learn how to be an effective mediator. If group
members bicker over personal disagreements, arrange to
sit down with both parties and help sort out their
differences. By taking on such a leadership role, you will
garner respect and admiration from those around you.

Communicate clearly
Pay close attention to both what you say and how you
say it. A clear and effective communicator avoids
misunderstandings with coworkers, colleagues, and peers.
Verbal eloquence projects an image of intelligence and
maturity, no matter what your age. If you tend to blurt out
anything that comes to mind, people won’t put much
weight on your words or opinions.
Humor them
Don’t be afraid to be funny or clever. Most people are
drawn to a person that can make them laugh. Use your
sense of humor as an effective tool to lower barriers and
gain people’s affection.

See it from their side
Empathy means being able to put yourself in
someone else’s shoes and understand how they feel. Try
to view situations and responses from another person’s
perspective. This can be accomplished through staying in
touch with your own emotions; those who are cut off from
their own feelings are often unable to empathize with
others.
Don’t complain
There is nothing worse than a chronic complainer or
whiner. If you simply have to vent about something, save
it for your journal. If you must verbalize your grievances,
vent to your personal friends and family, and keep it short.
Spare those around you, or else you’ll get a bad reputation.

Importance of
Interpersonal Skills
At work, interpersonal skills can get us jobs, gain
promotions and enhance our personal effectiveness.
In our personal lives interpersonal skills can help in
marriage and with our social friendships.
Improving these skills build confidence, enhances our
relationships with others and thereby improves our
personal effectiveness.

People with good interpersonal skills have learn to
identify which are the best ways of interacting with
others in different situations.
Our ability to interact with people helps us identify
value in potential relationships and develop those
that will yield value in our lives.
Interpersonal skills create effective interpersonal
communication and allow us to build successful
relationships with our coworkers, managers,
employees, and customers.

Family relationships may be our strongest
relationships, but effective interpersonal skills create
maximum value within them.
A little time and effort spent working and practicing
your interpersonal skills will pay huge rewards in your
professional and personal lives.

The Challenge of Human
Relations

One-to-one
Group
Members
Self
ALL WORK IS
DONE
THROUGH
RELATIONSHIPS

Types of Relationships

1. Manage relationship with self
People who have negative feelings about their
abilities and accomplishments and who engage in
constant self-criticism must struggle to maintain a
good relationship with themselves.

2. Manage one-to-one relationship
Racial, age or gender bias serves as a barrier to
good human relations. Communication style bias is
another common barrier to effective one-to-one
relationships.

3. Manage relationships with members of a group.
Many workers are assigned to a team on either a
full-time or a part-time basis. Lack of cooperation
among team members can result in quality problems
or a slow-down in production.

Human Relations and the
“Total Person”
Human relations - the study of how people satisfy
both personal and work-related needs.
Total Person – the combination of characteristics that
make up the whole person.

The Need for Supportive
Environment
Managers do believe that total person development,
job enrichment, motivation techniques, or career
development strategies help increase productivity or
strengthen worker commitment to the job.
When such practices are tried without full
commitment or without full management support,
there is a good chance they will fail.

Human relations, when applied in a positive and
supportive environment, can help individuals achieve
greater personal satisfaction from their careers and
help increase an organization’s productivity and
efficiency.

The Forces Influencing
Behavior At Work

Organizational
Culture
•Mission
•Vision
•Beliefs
•Values
Worker
Behavior
Family
Influence
•Work-family
initiatives
•Family-friendly
culture
Job Influence
•Meaningfulness
•Responsibility
•Knowledge of
result
Supervisory-
Management
Influence
• Philosophy
•Competence
•Leadership style
Work Group
Influence
Social Support
Emotional
Support
Support for
meeting goals
Personal
Characteristics
of the worker
•Abilities
•Interests
•Aptitudes
•Values
•Expectations

Major Forces Influencing Worker Behavior
Organizational Culture
Supervisory – Management Influence
Work Group Influence
Job Influence
Personal Characteristics of the worker
Family Influence

1. Organizational Culture
Is the collection of shared values, beliefs, rituals,
stories, and myths that foster a feeling of community
among organizational members.

Mission Statement vs Vision Statement
About
A Mission
statement talks about
HOW you will get to
where you want to be.
Defines the purpose and
primary objectives
related to your customer
needs and team values:
Answer:
It answers the question,
“What do we do? What
makes us different”
A Vision
statement outlines
WHERE you want to be.
Communicates both the
purpose and values of
your business
It answers the question,
“Where do we aim to
be?”

Time:
A mission
statement talks about
the present leading to its
future.
Function:
It lists the broad goals for
which the organization is
formed. Its prime function
is internal, to define the
key measure or measures
of the organization's
success and its prime
audience is the leadership
team and stockholders.
A vision statement talks
about your future.
It lists where you see
yourself some years from
now. It inspires you to
give your best. It shapes
your understanding of
why are you working
here

Change
Your mission
statement may change,
but it should still tie
back to your core values,
customer needs and
vision.
Developing a statement
What do we do today?
For whom do we do it?
What is the benefit?
Your vision should
remain intact, even if
the market changes
dramatically, because it
speaks to what you
represent, not just what
you do.
What do we want to do
going forward? When do
we want to do it? How
do we want to do it?

Features:
Purpose and values of
the organization. Who
are the organization's
primary "clients"
(stakeholders) What are
the responsibilities
of the organization
towards the clients?
Clarity and lack of
ambiguity Paint a vivid
and clear picture, not
ambiguous Describing a
bright future (hope)
Memorable and
engaging expression
Realistic aspirations,
achievable Alignment
with organizational
values and culture

Vision:
Francisco G. Nepomuceno
Memorial High School is a
school of CHOICE that
promotes national culture of
excellence and develops Filipino
students who are God-loving,
morally upright and equipped
with knowledge and skills.
Where there is
…………………………. Child friendly
atmosphere, Holistic
development of students,
Optimum use of resources,
Innovative instructional styles,
Committed educators and
Empowerment of spiritual and
moral values.
Mission:
To provide a learning
environment that is Child-friendly
that will produce
young citizens who are
values-oriented, active
doers, effective communi
cators, critical thinkers
and nature stewards.

2. Supervisory-Management
Influence
The supervisors and managers are the spokepersons
for the organization. Their philosophy , competence
and leadership style establish the organization’s
image in the eyes of employees.

Philosophy
a theory or attitude held by a person or organization
that acts as a guiding principle for behavior:
Principle
a rule or code of conduct (2) : habitual devotion to
right principles <a man of principle>
an ingredient that exhibits or imparts a characteristic
quality

3. Work Group Influence
 Social Needs > When employees feel more
connected to their colleagues at work, they are
generally more productive. Many people find the
hours spent at work enjoyable because coworkers
provide needed social support.
Emotional Support > The work group can provide
coworkers the support needed to deal with pressures
and problems on or off the job.
 Assistance in solving problems and meeting
goals >A cohesive work group lends support and
provides the resources we need to be productive
workers.

4. Job Influence
When we find meaning and fulfillment in our jobs,
we become more complete as human beings.
Work has taken center stage in the lives of most
people.
Unfortunately, many people hold jobs that do not
make them feel good.
Some workers experience frustration because they are
powerless to influence their working conditions.

5. Personal Characteristics of
the worker
Every worker brings to the job a combination of
abilities, interests, aptitudes, values and expectations.
Worker behavior on the job is most frequently a
reflection on how well the work environment
accomodates the unique characteristics of each
worker.
Today’s better-educated and better-informed workers
value identity and achievement.
They also have a heightened sense of their rights.

Attitude vs Behavior
Attitude is a person's inner thoughts and feelings,
while behavior is usually an outward expression of
attitude.
Basically, attitude is the way in which we think.
Behavior is the way we act.
Attitude is internal, although it often shows on the
outside - as behaviour. Behaviour is external - and can
be observed.

Distinction:
1. ‘Behavior’ is an inherent trait of an organism while
‘attitude’ is a human trait.
2. Our behavior is controlled by our
endocrine system while our attitude can be
influenced by factors that can be internal or external.
3. Our behaviors are set by our social norms while our
attitudes are set by how we perceive things.
4. Organisms may have similar behavioral patterns
while humans have attitudes that are distinct and
different from each other.

6. Family Influence
Marital distress often has a negative impact on
organizational productivity.
Many organizations have found that family problems
are often linked to employee problems such as
tardiness, absenteeism, and turnover.