ASSESSMENT TASK 1
Presentation
Instructions
Plan and deliver a 10-15-minute presentation to senior managers (your classmates) on your proposed communications planning (completed in the previous task).
In your presentation you will need to identify your audience's needs and deploy the relevant interpersonal skills you will need to deploy to win support for your ideas.
Arrange a time and location to deliver your presentation to the senior management team.
Your presentation must cover the following:
- lack of an overarching approach to information management that helps to promote common understanding of team goals and organisational values and to build strategic relationships
- slow responses to internal and external customer needs
- slow and ineffective communication of and implementation of ideas for improved processes
- ineffective or no use of modern communication technologies and social platforms
- inadequate consultation, resulting in risks to compliance (particularly WHS consultation requirements) and too little bottom-up information flow from employees to management - this results in poor organisational take-up of improvement ideas identified by teams and individuals at lower levels of the organisation and by customer-facing managers and employees
- inconsistent application by managers of grievance procedures posing a risk to employee relations
- poor sense of employee engagement, empowerment and accountability for work performance
- poor general awareness of (and therefore poor support of) organisational goals, ethics, values.
- external regulatory or legal requirements, such as for WHS consultation, anti-discrimination or industrial relations
- business ethics requirements
- proposed communications strategy, policies and procedures and how such communications systems and policies can support a coordinated approach to developing effective work relationships.
During your presentation your assessor will be looking for evidence of your ability to:
- provide leadership through your own behaviour including professional conduct that promotes trust with a business audience
- explain how your communications strategy addresses the issues identified in the case study
- explain how communications systems, policies and procedures can support the development of effective work relationships
- explain how your communications strategy addresses legislative or regulatory requirements
- interact with others
- develop processes to manage ideas and information.
ASSESSMENT TASK 2
Case Study
Instructions
Read the case study provided in Appendix 2 (following). Place yourself in the position of the new Brisbane Branch Manager and answer the four (4) questions accordingly.
You will need to complete the Networking Plan template (found in Appendix 3) to complete question four.
Questions
Place yourself in the position of the new Brisbane Branch Manager and answer the questions accordingly.
Question 1:
An employee has complained to you that some members of your team have not made any effort to accommodate non-Christians in this year's Christmas celebrations. The employee feels excluded and disappointed that an opportunity to bring the team together has instead divided the team along religious lines.
How would you address the employee's complaint?
In your written response to the above question:
- Describe two (2) pieces of JKL Industries' policy or procedure that conflict with the team's behaviour towards the employee.
- Identify the relevance of one (1) piece of relevant legislation.
- Describe how policies and processes can help to promote cultural diversity, ethical values and relationship-building.
- Describe any changes or additions you would make to JKL Industries' policies, processes or communications to further promote cultural diversity and ethical values.
- Describe how you would approach the team and any suggestion you would make to resolve the issue fairly and consistent with organisational policy.
Question 2:
To respond to the issue described in question one, you have decided to meet with the team to directly address the behaviour.
How would you prepare for and approach this meeting?
In your written response to the above question:
- Describe what potential problems you anticipate from the team.
- Describe how you would confront the team with their unacceptable behaviour, while maintaining trust and avoiding the impression of taking sides.
- Describe your standard or default communication style. What communication style would you consider adopting for this scenario?
- Describe a previous situation in which you adapted your communication style to meet the needs of others in the workplace or achieve a work goal.
Question 3:
As a manager new to the Brisbane area, you feel that you need to develop contacts with people internal to the organisation, such as managers, and external people, such as suppliers, business networks, managers' networks and mentors.
How would you approach networking to achieve goals?
In your written response to the above question:
- Describe how networking with internal and external people could help build positive relationships (through use of interpersonal styles, cultural and social sensitivity) and to achieve organisational and professional goals.
What networking or networks would you suggest?
- Describe a situation in which you joined a network to achieve an organisational or professional development goal. Describe the network. How did you build stronger relationships within the network? What was the result of the networking for you and your organisation?
Question 4:
Your sales team is relatively new and inexperienced. You feel that they would benefit from networking. Sam and Alex need to build relationships with customers, suppliers and fellow salespeople to achieve personal development and organisational goals.
- Sam: Has issues with internal and external suppliers who consistently miss delivery dates and won't cooperate in keeping costs down for customers. Consequently, he has issues with his own customers; he feels suppliers don't understand his needs as a client. Sam finds conflict really hard and avoids getting angry, hoping the problem will resolve itself. Sam feels he would benefit from hearing how others negotiate terms with suppliers. Right now, however, he has very little respect for them as they've let him down.
- Alex: Has issues with customers who obviously don't understand a good deal when they see it. He's also tired of chasing 'deadbeats' for settling accounts on credit. Alex would like to know how others deal with such 'fools' and still maintain a sense of self-respect.
How would you lead Sam and Alex to realise their professional goals and related organisational goals over the next three months?
Using the Networking Plan template provided in Appendix 3:
- Prepare a plan to develop and maintain internal and external relationships, including a schedule for the next three months.
- Include at least two (2) activities for each salesperson.
- Provide a rationale for each activity.
ASSESSMENT TASK 3
Role Play
Instructions
In this task you will need to you will plan and conduct a role-play in which you provide a colleague with guidance regarding a dispute between the colleague and a member of their team. You will then develop an action plan in consultation with the colleague.
Read the scenario and role-play information found in Appendix 4 (following), taking note of what the organisation does, how it does it, what its goals and objectives are, and who its stakeholders and customers are.
Complete the first activity in the action plan template provided in Appendix 5. The action plan must include at least three (3) activities for the manager to take.
Plan how you will:
- Build trust with your colleague through assuming a calm, professional and emotionally receptive attitude and demeanour.
- Adjust your personal communication style appropriately to meet the needs (both emotional and technical) of your colleague.
- Discuss relevant grievance policies and procedures for resolving conflict in accordance with organisational and legislative requirements.
- Discuss strategies for identifying root causes of conflict and for resolving the conflict.
- Collaborate with your colleague to develop an action plan (completing the one from Appendix 5 you have already begun to implement by leading this session), including at least three actions your colleague to take to resolve the issue with their employee.
Arrange a time and place with your assessor to perform the role-play.
During your role play your assessor will be looking for evidence of your ability to:
- demonstrate professional conduct that promotes trust with internal and external contacts
- adjust your own interpersonal communication style to meet the organisation's cultural diversity and ethical environment
- develop and/or implement processes and systems to manage difficulties, including:
o identifying and resolving conflicts and other difficulties according to organisational policies and procedures
o planning how to address difficulties
o providing guidance, counselling and support to assist co-workers in resolving their work difficulties.
- explain and discuss procedures for conflict resolution
- discuss relevant legislation
- interact with others through:
o adapting your personal communication style to model behaviour and build trust and positive working relationships
o playing a lead role in situations requiring effective collaboration
- get the work done through:
o taking responsibility for planning in collaboration with others
o developing an action plan.
Attachment:- Case.rar