Reference no: EM133024621
BSBLDR502 Lead and manage effective workplace relationships
Assessment 1 - Written Questions
1 Explain how systems, policies and procedures in an organisation can support the development of effective work relationships focusing on the following:
a. Interpersonal styles, communications and consultation
b. Cultural and social sensitivity
c. Networking
d. Conflict resolution
Your response should be no longer than 350-400 words.
2 Identify six key benefits of establishing systems, policies and procedures in the workplace.
3 Identify four ways in which networking benefits employees in a workplace.
4 What are the benefits of a diverse workplace? Mention at least three benefits each for the employer as well as the employees.
5 Complete the table with relevant commonwealth legislation relevant to managing effective workplace relationships, and a brief outline of the legislation. You have been
given one example.
6 Briefly describe the role of the following, in no more than 80 words each:
a. Fair Work Ombudsman
b. Australian Human Rights Commission
c. WHS Management System
Assessment 2 - Project 1 - Manage ideas and information in the workplace
Scenario
The Lollipop Shop is a company which supplies its customers with the best of Australian and overseas lollies, drinks, candy and party goods. The company has three stores in Victoria, and an online store, too. The company prides itself on a vast range of products as well as their exceptional customer service and product knowledge.
Your role
You are the newly appointed General Manager of The Lollipop Shop.
Your role is to manage the day to day operations of the company. Working under the direction of CEO (owner), your role is also to ensure strategic goals are met by developing and implementing operational policies, creating and maintaining budgets and managing employees.
You will need to research the topics and develop suitable policies and procedures for the company's operations.
Part A - Develop policies and procedures
1. Read the scenario of The Lollipop Shop and the given task and conducted relevant research on the Internet or other available resources.
2. Develop a draft Workplace Communication and Consultation Policy and Procedure for meeting organisational needs that includes:
• Purpose
• Scope
• Definitions
• At least three methods of communication
• At least three strategies to facilitate consultation from employees to management
• A strategy for management acknowledgement of employee feedback
• Related legislation and policies
3. Develop a Grievance Policy and Procedure which ensures that issues raised are resolved promptly or referred to relevant personnel. The dispute resolution policy and procedures needs to address the following:
• Purpose
• Scope
• Definitions
• Responsibilities of managers in disputes
• Responsibilities of employees in disputes
• The process by which a dispute will be handled
• Related legislation and policies
4. Prepare a covering email to all team members introducing the new policies and procedures across the entire organisation, briefly summarising their content and seeking feedback.
5. Attach both policies and procedures to the email and send it to the CEO (your assessor) at an email address specified by your assessor.
The CEO (your assessor) will review the documents you have submitted and provide you with feedback. If the assessor suggests any changes, you should revise your policy and procedure documents according to their suggestions and submit the final version to the assessor again for final approval. In your email, you should clearly summarise the changes you have made based on the feedback.
Assessment 3 - Project 2 - Establish systems to develop trust and confidence
Scenario
This is a continuation of the scenario in Assessment 2, Project 1.
The policies you have developed have received positive feedback and reception from the team. The CEO is also pleased with the policies you have developed and thinks you have the ability to gain and maintain the trust and confidence of the team and external contacts through your professional conduct.
Therefore, the CEO feels you would be the right person to develop other policies to address the gaps identified by the management to maintain a positive organisational culture, reduce risk and achieve organisational goals, by developing formal policies and processes for:
• encouraging and managing diversity and inclusion
• outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of employees
The CEO has asked you to review the issues identified by the management and the staff climate survey results again and develop suitable policies to address the requirements.
Part A - Develop Code of Conduct and Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Read the scenario above, and complete the following tasks. You must conduct independent research to complete this task.
1. Research and develop a draft Code of Conduct. The document should establish standards of behaviour for the organisation's management and employees, in the workplace, and guides them to make personal and ethical decisions, in accordance with the organisation's ethical values.
The Code of Conduct should include:
• Purpose
• Scope
• Responsibilities of all employees (at least eight responsibilities covering personal, ethical, and professional behaviours appropriate to a diverse workplace)
• Related legislation and policies
2. Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Procedure that describes the organisation's approach to diversity and inclusion and how these features are promoted and followed in the workplace. The policy and procedure needs to address the following:
• Purpose
• Scope
• Definitions
• Diversity statements
• Responsibilities and accountabilities
• Monitoring of policy
• Related legislation and policies
3. Prepare a covering email to all team members introducing the new policies and procedures, briefly summarising their content, and seeking feedback.
4. Attach the policies and procedures to the email and send it to the CEO (your assessor) on an email address specified by your assessor.
Submission requirements:
At the end of this task, you must submit the following, by email, to your assessor:
• Code of Conduct
• Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Procedure
• Covering email
Part B - Role-play: Develop trust and confidence
Scenario
The Code of Conduct and the Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Procedure have been approved.
Since you are new and haven't yet had the opportunity to interact with all the staff and establish a rapport with them, you decide to present the two policies to all staff during a general staff meeting.
You are aware that the staff attendees include senior experienced employees, employees from non-English speaking backgrounds, men and women. You are also told that a newly recruited staff member with a disability will also be present at the meeting along with their Job Support Officer from the Disability Employment Services, who is helping the member to settle into the new role.
The CEO will also be present at this meeting.
Task
You are to research, plan, and deliver a 15 minute presentation to all staff about the key features of the Code of Conduct and Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Procedure that you have developed.
You must:
1. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the key features of the Code of Practice and the Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Procedure. Your presentation must have no more than 8 slides which cover the main points.
2. In your presentation, you must also research and include up to 4 strategies that staff members can use to adjust their own communication styles to meet the requirements of the cultural diversity within the organisation.
3. During the presentation, explain:
• how the Code of Conduct and policy serve the organisation's strategic goals?
• how the Code of Conduct and policy address the concerns raised by staff in the climate survey?
• how the Code of Conduct and policy can support a coordinated approach to developing effective work relationships?
• how staff members can adjust their own communication styles to meet the requirements of the cultural diversity within the organisation?
4. During the presentation, you must demonstrate professional conduct that inspires trust and confidence in colleagues and external contact (Job Support Officer) by:
• welcoming newly recruited staff and their support person
• assuring newly recruited staff and support persons (external) of fair treatment and equal opportunities
• asking newly recruited staff and their support person if they require any reasonable adjustments before they start working in their role
• treating co-workers with respect and consideration for their individualities
• adjusting own interpersonal communication styles to suit the needs of diverse audience
• offering guidance and support to the work team in their personal adjustment process
• using effective interpersonal communication skills, such as:
o listening to others attentively
o showing empathy and consideration, including checking in with the staff member with disability and their Job Support Officer
o being friendly and approachable
• inviting others to contribute ideas or feedback, and acknowledging their contribution
This is a role play. You must play the role of the General Manager. Your assessor will organise your classmates into groups within the audience, which will represent workplace teams. Your assessor will organise two volunteers (other students) to play the roles of the new staff member with disability and the Job Support Officer.
Assessment 4 - Project 3 - Manage the development and maintenance of networks and relationships
Scenario
This is a continuation of the scenario in Assessment 3, Project 2.
As the General Manager of the Lollipop Shop, your responsibilities include reviewing and improving organisational effectiveness by developing processes, overseeing employees, establishing a highly motivated work environment, and creating innovative approaches for improvement.
The staff survey conducted at the Lollipop Shop has highlighted some issues staff have with regards to networking, which may impact their effectiveness.
Staff felt there was a lack of:
• awareness of internal and external networking opportunities
• understanding of how to take advantage of networking opportunities through use of interpersonal skills
• internal communities or social platforms through which teams could discuss professional issues, and share insights and perspectives
• modern communication technologies and social platforms for connecting effectively with staff and clients
In response to these findings the CEO has asked you to plan networking and professional development activities for the store managers and sales assistants across all the stores. You must refer to the position descriptions given below.
Part A - Plan networking opportunities
1. Identify one internal and one external networking activity each, for the sales team and store managers team, and identify outcomes for the teams as well as outcomes for the organisation.
2. Develop a professional networking plan of activities to ensure that effective internal and external workplace relationships are developed and maintained.
In your plan, you must identify four activities, as follows:
• One external networking event organised by industry bodies, associations or organisations in the retail industry
• One internal networking events
• At least two online networking opportunities, such as webinars or joining relevant groups on LinkedIn.com, which may include creating new contacts, groups, forums or discussion boards that you can join and contribute to
• Frequency of participation in activities identified
• Potential benefits of participation in activities identified
Use the Professional Networking Plan Template in Appendix A to create your networking plan. An example has been provided for you in the template.
Assessment 5 - Project 4 - Manage difficulties to achieve positive outcomes
Scenario
This is a continuation of the scenario in Assessment 4, Project 3.
As part of your responsibilities as the General Manager of The Lollipop Shop, you are required to:
• enforce all policies, procedures, standards, specifications, guidelines, training programs, and cultural values
• provide guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas
• resolve internal staff conflicts efficiently and to the mutual benefit of those involved
Accordingly, the CEO has asked you to prepare a range of documents to provide guidance to the staff on identifying conflicts and work place difficulties in a timely manner, to ensure that they are resolved satisfactorily.
Part A - Develop process for identifying and resolving workplace conflicts
1. Develop a one-page guide for team leaders to help them identify difficulties in workplace relationships and resolve them in a timely manner. Your guide should include at least 5 basic steps, and actions to be completed at every step.
2. Research and develop a Workplace Conflict Resolution Procedure for team leaders to follow to ensure that conflict is identified and managed constructively in accordance with the organisation's policies and procedures.
The procedure needs to address the following:
• Steps in the conflict resolution procedure, including:
- informal
- formal
- appeals
- external appeals
• Responsibilities of managers and employees
• Timeframes for actions
• Documents to be used
• Related legislation and policies
3. Prepare a covering email to all team members introducing the new procedure across the entire organisation, briefly summarising their content and seeking feedback.
4. Attach the policy and procedure to the email and send it to the CEO (your assessor) at an email address specified by your assessor.
Part B - Plan a strategy to resolve work difficulties
Scenario
Alice Smith is one of the store managers at The Lollipop Shop and leads a team of five sales assistants. She was recently promoted as Store Manager, after she brought in record sales in just one year as a sales assistant. The management considered her as a valuable employee. However, as a newly appointed manager, she is still settling down in the role.
Alice has called you to report a situation she is facing with one of the members in her team.
According to Alice, Tom Jones, a sales assistant in her team who has been with the company for nearly 10 years, has been overstepping boundaries. He often puts others in awkward positions by asking them overly personal questions or reading confidential paperwork. On a couple of occasions, he has challenged Alice's authority, saying she doesn't know any better as she's new to the role.
Tom's behaviour has started affecting the team's morale and undermining Alice's position. If this behaviour is not immediately addressed, it will surely impact on the team's performance.
Alice feels intimidated by this team member and is not confident of handling this situation on her own. She is very upset and on the verge of quitting her job.
Alice is seeking your guidance on handling the situation and has asked you for a meeting to discuss this issue.
Task
1. Refer to the two documents you have created in Part A of this task, and plan the advice and guidance for Alice.
2. Reflect on the situation Alice has reported and consider the skills Alice should acquire to manage her team better and resolve such conflicts. Also identify suitable training or activities required to develop these skills.
3. Document your plan to address this work difficulty.
Your plan must have two parts:
a. Conflict resolution
• Identify at least four strategies that Alice can use to handle the situation with her store assistant.
b. Training
• Identify three skills Alice should acquire to manage her team better and resolve such conflicts more effectively in the future.
• Identify Suitable training or activities required to develop these skills.
Part C - Role-play: Discuss action plan to address work difficulties
Following the telephone conversation with Alice, conduct a meeting with Alice to discuss how to resolve the issue she has reported.
You believe Alice needs to adopt certain strategies to develop skills to handle the current situation, as well as similar situations in the future.
During this meeting, you must:
• model leadership through own behaviour
• use the strategies you have identified in Assessment 5, Part A, to guide Alice on how to handle the conflict with her colleague
• discuss the training needs and activities you have proposed in your plan, and seek Alice's input on her agreement with the plan
• finalise an action plan with at least three activities for Alice to undertake at appropriate times and intervals to address at the three skills gaps you have identified
• make detailed notes of the action plan mutually agreed, for use in the next part
This is a role play. You must play the role of the General Manager. Your assessor will play the role of Alice.
Part D - Finalise action plan to resolve work difficulties
Following the meeting with Store Manager Alice, you must create a Work Difficulties Action Plan, based on the plan as discussed and agreed with Alice.
Use the Work Difficulties Action Plan Template in Appendix B, and complete the plan with at least three relevant activities such as:
• coaching
• resolution/ mediation meeting
• team building session
• follow-up meeting and the descriptions of skills that will be developed in these sessions, etc.
Attachment:- manage effective workplace relationships.rar