You will have one discussion to complete in this unit on the topic listed below. Your postings should sound as if you are having a conversation with your classmates rather than making a report on the topic... 1. What insight did you gain about how you might improve the effectiveness of your work relationships by using the assertive communication techniques as described in the People Skills chapters? 2. What benefits can accrue to you as a leader within your organization when you know your own style, are aware of the styles of the people with whom you communicate, and you become adept at flexing your style to match others? 3. Think about a particular person at work who has a different style than yours and with whom you have had difficulty communicating. Indicate which style each of you has and then discuss some specific techniques you can use to flex your style to that person's style. How can your flexing improve the quality of your relationship with that person and what are the benefits you as a leader will gain as a result? What insights did you gain about how your network of relationships can help you become a more effective leader and how toxic relationships might derail your career? By doing the exercise \"My Social Web,\" I found it very eye opening on my relationships with some of my co-workers and peers. To provide some insight, I had very positive results with the following relationships: my parents, my brothers and sisters-in-law, and my spouse. I feel that we all communicate very honestly and effectively with one another. On the section with my work relationships, I also saw a majority of positive results. My relationships with my CEO and Regional CFO are both very strong and we maintain relationships with very little stress, very encouraging, and open. As for those that are direct reports to me three out of four of these relationships are positive. I did see one report that I felt is more of a negative relationship. As for my relationships with my friends, I was not as surprised by the results. I have a group of friends that I have known for many years and we still remain very close. These relationships are very strong and positive. We are very encouraging and honest with one another. However, my other group of friends that I met later on in life, I feel is both negative and positive. I feel that sometimes those relationships are not as uplifting and bring me down more times than lifting me up. The areas that I believe will assist me in becoming a more effective leader are my relationships with my bosses. I am very influenced by their personal successful and like to reach out to them for guidance in all areas that I can from a work perspective. They have been great leaders to me whom I respect and look up to. Another area I really focus on is with my family. My parents and older brothers have always been my role models in their relationships, marriages, friends, career success, and morals in life. They are always positive and uplifting no matter what the situation is. Last but not least, my spouse is my number one support for guidance and support. I know that I can always reach out to him for honest and encouraging advice. He provides me with the confidence boost that I need and reminds me of the best person that I am daily. I feel very blessed to have such a large number of positive than negative and feel by embracing this, I will be a more honest and effective leader. On the alternative view, I do have some negatives within \"My Social Web\" which are: one of my employees that reports to me and a few friends. The direct report that I feel is more of a negative, I feel is due to a communication issue between the two of us as well as a respect factor. I feel that we have completely different work styles and he does not respect me in the position I am in. I think that I need to make it a priority to mend this working relationship and figure out with him the root of the issue on why we are not working together positively and effectively. Next, with my friends that I feel are more negative aspects in my life, I need to decrease the amount of time I spend with them. I do believe that I should surround myself with positive individuals and those who are not; I need to distance myself from at times