CONTRIBUTE TO EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS FACILITATOR MANUAL & ASSESSMENT BSBFLM303C

Transcription

1 CONTRIBUTE TO EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS FACILITATOR MANUAL & ASSESSMENT BSBFLM303C

2 Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd 9 Koppen Tce, Cairns, QLD, info@precisiongroup.com.au Website: BSBFLM303C Contribute to Effective Workplace Relationships ISBN: Copyright Notice No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information retrieval system without written permission from Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd. Legal action may be taken against any person who infringes their copyright through unauthorised copying. These terms are subject to the conditions prescribed under the Australian Copyright Act Copying for Educational Purposes The Australian Copyright Act 1968 allows 10% of this book to be copied by any educational institute for educational purposes, provided that the institute (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. For more information, info@copyright. com.au or visit for other contact details. Disclaimer Precision Group has made a great effort to ensure that this material is free from error or omissions. However, you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book. Precision Group (Australia) Pty Ltd is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this material. Information in this module is current at the time of publication.

3 Table of Contents 2 Legend 3 Qualification Pathways 4 Qualification Rules 5 Introduction 7 BSBFLM303C/01 Seek, Receive and Communicate Information and Ideas Key Points Collect information associated with the achievement of work responsibilities from appropriate sources Communicate ideas and information to diverse audiences in an appropriate and sensitive manner Seek contributions from internal and external sources to develop and refine new ideas and approaches in accordance with organisational processes Facilitate consultation processes to allow employees to contribute to issues related to their work, and promptly communicate outcomes of consultation to the work team Promptly deal with and resolve issues raised, or refer them to relevant personnel 17 True or False Quiz 19 BSBFLM303C/02 Encourage Trust and Confidence Key Points Treat people with integrity, respect and empathy Encourage effective relationships within the framework of the organisation s social, ethical and business standards Gain and maintain the trust and confidence of colleagues, customers and suppliers through competent performance Adjust interpersonal styles and methods in relation to the organisation s social and cultural environment 25 True or False Quiz 27 BSBFLM303C/03 Identify and Use Networks and Relationships Key Points Identify and utilise workplace networks to help build relationships Identify and describe the value and benefits of networks and other work relationships for the team and the organisation 31 True or False Quiz 1

4 33 BSBFLM303C/04 Contribute to Positive Outcomes Key Points Identify difficulties and take action to rectify the situation within own level of responsibility according to organisational and legal requirements Support colleagues in resolving work difficulties Regularly review workplace outcomes and implement improvements in consultation with relevant personnel Identify and resolve poor work performance within own level of responsibility and according to organisational policies Deal constructively with conflict, within the organisation s established processes 47 True or False Quiz 48 Summary 49 Bibliography 51 Assessment Pack Use considered risk taking in your grey area...and others will Legend This symbol indicates the beginning of new content. The bold title matches the content of the competency and they will help you to find the section to reference for your assessment activities. Activity: Whenever you see this symbol, there is an activity to carry out which has been designed to help reinforce the learning about the topic and take some action. This symbol is used at the end of a section to indicate the summary key points of the previous section. This symbol is used to indicate an answer to the Candidate s questions or notes to assist the Facilitator. 2

5 Qualification Pathways There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it s easy. Source Unknown This unit of competency is provided to meet the requirements of BSB07 Business Services Training Package although it can be used in a range of different qualifications. The BSB07 Business Services Training Package does not state how a qualification is to be achieved. Rather, Registered Training Organisations are required to use the qualification rules to ensure the needs of the learner and business customer are met. This is to be achieved through the development of effective learning programs delivered in an order that meets the stated needs of nominated Candidates and business customers. 3

6 Qualification Rules You re either part of the solution or part of the problem. Eldridge Cleaver Qualification requirements include core and elective units. The unit mix is determined by specific unit of competency requirements which are stated in the qualification description. Registered Training Organisations then work with learners and business customers to select elective units relevant to the work outcome, local industry requirements and the qualification level. All vocational education qualifications must lead to a work outcome. BSB07 Business Services Training Package qualifications allow for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to vary programmes to meet: Specific needs of a business or group of businesses. Skill needs of a locality or a particular industry application of business skills. Maximum employability of a group of students or an individual. When packaging a qualification elective units are to be selected from an equivalent level qualification unless otherwise stated. 4

7 Introduction Whether as an individual, or as part of a group, real progress depends on entering whole-heartedly into the process and being motivated to make you a more deeply satisfied human being. Source Unknown This unit of competency is all about being able to make a positive contribution to your workplace relationships. It will help you with the skills you need to demonstrate competency for the unit BSBFLM303C Contribute to effective workplace relationships. This is one of the units that make up the Certificates in Business. This training is broken up into four distinct sections. They are: 1. Seek, receive and communicate information and ideas: First we will examine how you should seek and communicate information to others in your workplace. 2. Encourage trust and confidence: Then we will examine the nature of trust and how you can use it to build your relationships with others in your workplace. 3. Identify and use networks and relationships: Next we will examine the nature of workplace networks and how you can use these to your advantage. 4. Contribute to positive outcomes: Finally we will examine the nature of working outcomes and how you can contribute to these by reviewing the performance of yourself and others. At the conclusion of this training you will be asked to complete an assessment pack for this unit of competency. The information contained in this resource will assist you to complete this task. On conclusion of this unit of competency you will have demonstrated your ability to gather information and maintain effective working relationships and networks, with particular regard to communication and representation. 5

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9 PART 1: Seek, Receive and Communicate Information and Ideas Key Points Section 1 Information is a crucial factor in any business decision. When providing any form of information for use in making management decisions, it is important to determine the information requirements. The key information requirements that you should look for when gathering your information are: Information purpose Scope Form Presentation Resources available. Information for management decision making can come from two different sources. External information sources come from outside the immediate organisation. Internal information sources come from within the organisation. 7

10 In this unit of competency we are looking to examine all the ways in which you can attempt to build effective relationships with those around you. This can be accomplished in a wide range of ways, and in this section we will be examining how you can gather information to assist in decision making in your organisation. This skill is crucial to effective relationships because of the major contribution you will be making by gathering the appropriate information and assisting others in your workplace. What Do I Need To Find? Information is a crucial factor in any business decision. The provision of sufficient accurate information will allow managers to make important decisions that will affect the organisation as a whole. Information gathering and processing in many ways is an art form. You need to know where to look, what to look for and how to present it in order to assist managers in making their decisions. When providing any form of information for use in making management decisions, it is important to determine the information requirements. This initial stage of the process allows you to ensure that the information that you compile will actually be useful to the end user. When attempting to determine information requirements, you should look at the specifications that you are provided by your managers. These may come in many forms, the three most common forms are: Specifications: Generally these are the most formal type of information requirements. It will provide you with a brief that states exactly what information you are required to gather. Often specifications will also provide you with other information such as budgets, information sources, and your terms of reference. Specifications may also state to you how the information is to be presented at the conclusion of the project for interpretation by the managers involved. Job Instructions: Again, these are quite formal in their approach; however they generally will not be as strict as a set of specifications. They may allow you to approach a problem using your own knowledge and skills rather than telling you how to accomplish the task. Consultation with end users: This final type is in many ways the most useful. It allows you to discuss exactly what the end user will require from the information. It will allow you to work towards finding the exact requirements and will enable the end product to meet their needs as closely as is possible. Information Sources Information for management decision making can come from two different sources. The information can be generated from internal or external sources. Put simply information sources internal to the organisation come from inside the boundaries of the organisation. They come from its staff, and the information systems in use within the organisation. External information 8

11 sources come from outside the immediate organisation. They may be from industry, government, suppliers, or other general sources. Each of these information sources has their own merits and disadvantages. When looking at your information project, it is important to determine exactly what sources of information you should use. In this section we will examine the two major forms of data, and then discuss how to select the most appropriate data and information sources for your needs. Internal Sources Any information source that comes from within your organisation such as internal reports, observations and financials. External Sources Any information source that is outside your organisation census data, books, and magazine articles are all good examples. Internal Sources Internal information sources are any resources that you utilise from within your organisation. These may be personal sources (such as your own knowledge), interpersonal sources (relying on the expertise of others) or documented sources from the information systems within your organisation. A company s internal accounting records and control systems provide the most basic data on management inputs and the resulting outcomes. The principle advantages of this type of data are that the data is readily available, reasonably accessible on a continuous basis and that it is particularly relevant to the organisation s situation. Data on the inputs to the management system can range from budgets and schedules to costing reports and materials planning information. Extensive data on outcomes can be obtained from billing records, shipment information, and other aspects of the accounting information system. The internal information from an organisation can be used for many reasons. Some questions that could be easily answered using this type of data include: Are current human resources expenditures above or below the levels set in the annual budget and sales plan? Is our sales performance within key market segments improving or deteriorating? Would it be wise to open a new plant to meet our production needs? This type of information can be found, however there are some issues related to the use of the accounting information and management information systems. The first problem is that these systems are designed to satisfy many different information needs. As a result the reporting formats frequently are too rigid and may be inappropriate for the given decision you are trying to make. You may find that, for instance, accounting data is too highly aggregated into summary results and it is not available for specific applications within the organisation. 9

12 A second problem with using this type of data is that it may not be as accurate as it could be. For example you may find salespeople over-exaggerate their activities. This may lead to some problems in the data when it comes to analysing the data for managers. However for the most part internal data sources are an excellent source of information for management decision making. External sources External sources are wide ranging, and include any information that does not come from official organisation sources. It may come from information providers such as the government, published data sources or from primary research conducted for the organisation by market research houses. Published Data Sources: These sources are by far the most popular source of external information. Not only is the data readily available, but often it is sufficient to answer a decision question. For example, a manager may be asked to determine whether the market for a given product exists. By consulting statistics available from various sources they may be able to answer this question. The major published sources are the various Government publications, periodicals and trade journals, industry associations, and other companies. Of all these sources, one of the most effective decision making tools comes from Census data - this is particularly true for marketing decisions. Primary Research: Primary research involves employing an organisation to conduct a research project on your behalf to gather the information you need. While this can pinpoint the exact piece of data you may need, it is a very costly expense. Often marketing decisions utilise this type of service, however there may also be a need for this type of research and data gathering for other reasons as well. The most important consideration is cost, and time. This type of data collection is expensive and time consuming, however given that it can provide you with tailor-made information, you may find it useful for specific tasks. Market research and analysis of such data is a good example of secondary information being used for decision making. We have looked at the two major types of information source. Now we need to consider determining the most appropriate source of information for a given project. This decision comes back to the overall question that the information you are gathering asks. Is it related to a purely internal process, or does it involve external factors? Purely internal processes can usually be addressed using information from internal sources. For example, answering the question of whether a given piece of machinery needs replacement can be achieved by looking at maintenance records, defect rates and the like. If other processes, such as consumer demand, demographics of the marketplace and the economy are an important consideration, using external sources of information will be required so that the information can include the effects of all these many and varied factors. 10

13 How Good Is My Information? When selecting the information that you will present to assist with decision making, there are a range of questions that you may ask yourself to ensure that the information you are supplying is relevant and can be relied on. The questions you should consider are: Question Who? How to Assess This question applies especially to the reputation of the agency collecting the data. Can you be assured that their work will be entirely honest? A related question you might ask yourself is whether the agency collecting the data has the resources necessary to do a proper job. Why? Data collected to further the interests of a particular group are suspect. It is easy to choose unconsciously those methods and questions that will create results that favour particular groups; therefore you should look at why a piece of data was gathered. How? What research methods were adopted? If the information source you are using does not explicitly state the manner in which such data was gathered, be suspicious. It is important that you are entirely happy with the way that the information was gathered before you should consider using it. What? Even if the information that you have gathered is of a good quality, it is important to determine whether it is likely to be difficult to use, or inadequate for your needs. With information being generated from secondary sources (that is information that has not been gathered specifically for a given project), you need to consider the data fit problem. Most of the data that you will be using for a given project will have been gathered for purposes other than those of the project at hand. This means that they will rarely serve the information needs of the project entirely. The degree of fit can range from completely inadequate to very close. There may also be problems related to the recency of data you are using. Management decisions typically require very up-to-date information. Many sources of data have long time periods between the collection and publication of data. For example you may find that some government sources such as census data can be as many as three years old before they are published. The usefulness of such information diminishes rapidly over time. You also need to attempt to determine whether the data you are using is accurate enough for the purposes of the information project at hand. A serious limitation of some types of data (in particular secondary data - which is data generated for another project) is the difficulty in gauging their accuracy. There are a number of sources of possible data errors, including data collection issues, sampling issues and analysis complications. All of these can directly influence the data s accuracy. 11

14 The source of the data and information you are using will also be important in determining its accuracy. Information from sources such as textbooks, sources such as the Government or from industry bodies are likely to be trustworthy. However gathering data from the Internet or other non-acknowledged sources may mean the integrity and accuracy of the data should be questioned. Data sources such as quoting from documents designed to make sales or advance the interests of a particular company or organisation should also be carefully questioned. The data sources that you use should maximise the value that you are getting from them. Some data sources can be extremely expensive to source, for example subscriptions to news cutting services can run into hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, as can other sources such as employing a market or commercial research house. It is therefore important to ensure that the money that you will spend utilising a service will be paid back by the information you receive. For example if you are only likely to use the service once for a minor piece of data, paying thousands of dollars for it is likely to be frowned on. However if it is a source you will refer back to over and over again, the reverse is likely to be true. 12

15 Recording Information All information that you gather must be recorded in such a way that it assures that the information is accurate, and stored ready for easy access and retrieval. Accuracy Information is only useful to managers if it is accurate. Having inaccurate information is often worse than having no information at all. Therefore it is extremely important that you record information in such a way that its accuracy can be assured. This includes the security measures that we will discuss later in this section. Data should be checked and double checked if entered on to a computer, as the old saying goes garbage in garbage out. If the information is not accurately recorded or entered then the resulting analysis that you or others conduct is likely to be garbage. Storage Ensure that you file away all information that you gather in a manner that will allow it to be easily found as required. This may be in a special file for information for a given project. Using a list of references is an excellent way of listing what is in each file. Attach the list of references to the front of the file, and place information into the file in that order. This will enable you to locate and use the information quickly and easily. Now that we have examined the types of information that you will gather for your end user, let s look at how you should organise and present the information. In order to be useful to managers, you must ensure that the information that you are producing does a number of things. The requirements of the information that you provide are: Conciseness: The report that you produce needs to provide the information in a concise manner. After all if this wasn t required we could just provide pages and pages of raw data and allow the manager to process it. However this is not what is required. What is required is a report that provides the information in a condensed format to allow the manager to make decisions based upon it. Concise presentation needs writing and information that is simple to understand, and gets to the important points quickly. This results in the information being of more use to the end user. Conciseness is an aid to understanding. Addressing Needs of the User: The report that you provide is useless unless it addresses the information that they asked for. Therefore once you have gathered the information you will be presenting, carefully examine the information and ensure that it addresses the aspects that you were asked to research. Ask yourself If I didn t understand what this information was, would I be able to answer the questions from it? Add any supplementary explanations that you feel are required in order to allow the manager to be able to understand the logic involved. Accuracy: As we mentioned earlier, accuracy of information is vitally important. You should consider once again the source of the data, and attempt to verify that the information that 13

16 you are presenting is completely accurate. If it is not, you should consider attempting to locate other sources of data that you can use. If some items of information are not accurate it may cause flaws in the logic of the argument that you are putting forward. Therefore check and recheck any facts to look for errors of logic. Implications Explained: A major part of a logical argument is putting forward the implications of the information that you are providing. Therefore, it is important that where required you provide brief commentary on the information being presented. This brief commentary should address any implications that arise from the data. This may include an explanation of how the data was gathered, and where possible any limitations of the data. These limitations may impact on decision making in a significant manner. You may also like to briefly interpret the results, in order to facilitate a better understanding of the data in question. By doing this, the manager can grasp what the information is saying, and then make informed decisions based on this information. Presentation Meets with Needs of the End User: Ensure that the manner in which you produce your report meets the needs of the end user. The end user is essentially the only person who will be requiring the information, and thus it is extremely important that you ensure that you have their needs in mind more so than others within the organisation. Information is Prioritised: You should ensure when creating your report, that you organise it to ensure that the most important information is presented as early as possible. A very useful means of doing this is to provide an executive summary at the beginning which states (before the report is even read) the most salient points of the report. When writing conclusions always state these in order of importance, from most important to least important. Organisation: It is also of vital importance that the relevant material, facts, data, and information that you are provided is organised in a logical manner. Organise material into various sections, and sub-sections to make the information that you are providing easier to understand. The manner in which you present the data will assist with a logical understanding of it. For example you should start out with a broad overview of your findings, before you begin to examine specific aspects of it. This makes the data better organised. It is also important to order your information in such a way that one section follows on from the previous section. If you do not organise information in this way you may find that the reader becomes confused about the points that you are trying to make. A logical progression should be followed in your final presentation. Do not jump around from subject to subject, rather add linking sentences that relate topics together. Attempt to build your report up into a statement of logical thought, that if read from start to finish will build the understanding of the end user to a point where they feel that they are in a position to be able to make a decision. Assumptions When considering your research method, model, formulation or approach to the research problem it is likely that you have taken certain conditions, states, or requirements for granted. These are known as the assumptions that you have made. Another question you may like to ask yourself when determining what assumptions you have made is: Are there certain fundamental conditions or states the researcher takes to be true? 14

17 Any assumptions that you have made regarding what your end user will require, what knowledge they may already have, or on any other matter with regards to the approach you have taken to providing the information, should be listed in an assumption section. One useful location to state assumptions (and limitations for that matter) is in the introduction. Limitations Like assumptions, limitations may impact on the manner in which a manager can use the data. Some limitations may not be immediately obvious, and thus you may need to spell out the limitations in special sections. When considering what limitations may exist, ask yourself: Is there any factor, condition or circumstance that prevented me from achieving all of my objectives? This may result from your own lack of knowledge, budget or even time constraints. Wherever possible list any limitations down in a section for consideration by managers. Information is not knowledge. Albert Einstein 15

18 Activity One Describe the difference between primary and secondary information giving an example of each. Facilitator s Notes for Activity One Primary information is an external form of information gathering that has been conducted by the author of the research this may include interviews with customers, or market research, for example. Secondary information is published information such as the information contained in magazines, textbooks or television programs. 16

19 Section 1 - True or False Quiz True False When compiling information into a report, you will not be given any guidance as to what you should be gathering. You should always be provided with guidance as to the type of information you need to gather. Senior management is an example of an internal data source. A company policy manual is an external information source. It is an internal document. Internal data sources will always be accurate. Just because something comes from your organisation doesn t mean you should take it as gospel. How and why are important questions to ask when evaluating data but who is not. All of these questions should be considered. Concise writing aids understanding. Logical organisation means making a logical progression from one subject to the next. Assumptions and limitations of information and research should always be considered. You should aim to use the presentation method that is easiest for you to prepare. Always aim to present the information in a way that aids user understanding. The report that you provide is useless unless it addresses the information that they asked for. 17