Reference no: EM132310115 , Length: word count : 4366

Unit Assessment 1

Complete the following activities individually or in a group (as applicable to the specific activity and the assessment environment).

Task 1

Case Study A – School meeting

Rosslyn Wood High School holds a fortnightly staff meeting to review the previous two weeks and develop plans and share information regarding upcoming events. The meetings take place after school on a Wednesday at 4pm, and they usually last for between forty-five minutes to an hour.

Teachers are asked to take it in turns to prepare a meeting agenda, which ought to be emailed to the other teachers at least 24 hours prior to the meeting taking place.

For the next meeting, Mrs Holloway has been asked to prepare the agenda. She has been advised that the key topics of discussion are a review of the recent parents evening, a discussion about recognising student’s achievements in assemblies, and planning for a Year 8 and 9 trip to a local business.

The following information ought to be included in a meeting agenda:

The date and time of the meeting

The location of the meetings

The list of attendees

Outline the key meeting purposes

The order that matters will be discussed

Key points for each topic

Other information, such as materials or documents to bring to the meeting.

Meetings will usually be chaired by the school head teacher or deputy head, depending on availability. Organisational conventions state that the chair should:

Welcome the attendees and check that everyone is present

Ensure someone is taking minutes

Briefly discuss the meeting objectives

Go through each key topic in detail, allowing all participants to contribute

Leading a brainstorm session, if necessary

Make sure that meeting etiquette is followed, e.g. ensuring people do not speak over each other.

Task 2

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to ensure style and structure of meeting are appropriate to its purpose.

Provide three examples of different types of meetings. Briefly describe each one.

Task 3

Case Study B – Employee list

A manufacturing company is having a meeting to discuss new machinery and equipment which is being introduced to the workplace. There is a need to talk through the uses of the machinery and equipment, health and safety matters, and plans for training. This will last for approximately two hours.

A supervisor has asked a member of the administration team, Rose, to identify those who will be attending. Rose has been provided with an employee list from the previous meeting regarding production matters, as well as additional information regarding current availability.

In addition, the following information should be taken into account:

Marie Porter and Curtis Arnold are on annual leave

Mason Verney (Quality control operator) and Kate Hogg (Production supervisor) have returned from annual leave

Kirk Eales is currently signed off work sick and will not attend the meeting

A new employee has been hired to the role of Production worker, called Josh Cronk

There are currently two people on work experience from a local school, called Felise Gagai and Aaron Green.

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to identify meeting participants and notify them in accordance with organisational procedures.

Refer to Case Study B

You are Rose, the administrative worker. Read through the information and come up with a list of all personnel who should be attending the meeting and would require a meeting agenda. Include the role of the individual in the list.

Task 4

Case Study C – Meeting arrangements

The following is a transcript of a conversation between a supervisor (Grace) and employee (Josh) at an accountancy firm.

Grace: Hi Josh, has anyone spoke to you yet about the staff meeting next Monday?
Josh: No, they’ve not, is that the 13th?
Grace: Yes it’s the 13th at 9:00am. It’s our quarterly meeting to discuss performance and to hand out tasks for the coming months.
Josh: Okay. I have a meeting arranged at 11:30 with a client, do you think I need to rearrange?
Grace: Well the meetings in the main conference room and should be over by 10:30, so as long as it’s on-site or not too far away you’ll be fine.
Josh: Great. Is there anything I need to bring with me or prepare?
Grace: Make sure to bring your diary or your work phone if you write down your jobs and tasks on there. You’ll need a notepad and pen as usual. Also, if you have any issues that you’d like to raise, then you’ll have a chance to, so have a think over the next week.
Josh: I will, thanks for letting me know.
Objective    To provide you with an opportunity to confirm meeting arrangements in accordance with requirements of meeting.

Refer to Case Study C

Read the transcript. Identify at least three meeting arrangements which have been provided to Josh by Grace.

Task 5

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to dispatch meeting papers to participants within designated timelines.

Refer to Case Study A

Send the agenda that you created in Activity 1A to at least one individual via email, such as to a fellow Student or the assessor. Your email should contain a subject and suitable message.

Task 6

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to describe the organisational requirements that state how to chair meetings of different types, and follow legal and ethical requirements.

Refer to Case Study A

Role play scenario. In groups of three, take it turns to chair the meeting. This should take place in line with organisational requirements, agreed conventions for type of meeting and legal and ethical requirements.

Each Student should focus on ONE of the objectives as set out in the case study. This should last for approximately 10-15 minutes. You will need to use your judgements to develop suitable information, or reference material provided by the assessor.

Of the two Students who are not taking the lead as the chair, one should take notes on what is being said. Each Student should perform this role during the role play, and the notes should be attached to their workbooks.

A signed observation by either an approved third party or the assessor will need to be included in these activities as proof of completion.

Task 7

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to recognise how to conduct meetings to ensure they are focused, time efficient and achieve the required outcomes.

1. Provide three examples of responsibilities of a chairperson to ensure a meeting remains focused.

2. What should you do when leading a meeting to ensure it remains time efficient? Provide two examples.

Task 8

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to ensure meeting facilitation enables participation, discussion, problem-solving and resolution of issues.

1. Provide four examples of positive and professional actions or character traits that could facilitate the participation of attendees in a meeting.

2. Describe (in no more than 250 words) how meetings could be used to as a problem-solving method.

Task 9

Case Study D – Minute taking

A retail company which sells a range of gardening equipment and furniture, called Blooming Landscaping, is holding a meeting with a potential supplier. There has been initial contact with the supplier via email to determine product options and price ranges, and a meeting has been organised in person so that products can be demonstrated and tested. Initial planning indicates that six individuals from the retail company and three from the supplier will be present at the meeting.

An area manager for Blooming Landscaping, Anne, has asked a senior sales assistant, Chris, to take minutes at the meeting. Although he has been present at meetings in the past, Chris has never been given the role of taking minutes.

Anne has given him a copy of previous meeting minutes, as well as the following organisational requirements about what must be included:

Meeting details (e.g. title, date, time, location)

Agenda items

Apologies

Names of absent and attending participants

Approval of the record of the previous minutes

Matters arising from the previous meetings

Decisions made

Actions to be taken

Items to be discussed

Date of the next meeting.

In addition, Chris has been informed that minutes should be taken using a tablet and the template provided. When they are unable to keep up with the key things being said, shorthand notes should be taken.

Procedures for checking the accuracy of meeting notes are as follows:

The meeting notes should be checked as soon as possible after the meeting has concluded

Shorthand notes should be converted into their intended meanings

An edited transcription of the meeting will be sufficient – where only important or relevant parts of the transcription are included

The notes should be checked by at least one other person who was at the meeting

The checked and edited minutes should be sent to the meeting chair within 24 hours.

In addition, workplace procedures state that minutes ought to be saved on the workplace hard drive and should be password protected.

The document will be placed on the system by the meeting chair once it has been sent to them. All personnel from the organisation who were present at the meeting should be made aware of the password.

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to brief minute-taker on method for recording meeting notes in accordance with organisational requirements and conventions for type of meeting.

Refer to Case Study D

1. Lift at least five things which need to be included in meeting minutes.

2. Identify the organisational requirements for completing minutes.

Task 10

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to check transcribed meeting notes to ensure they reflect a true and accurate record of the meeting and are formatted in accordance with organisational procedures and meeting conventions.

Refer to Case Study D

Identify at least three organisational procedures for checking meeting notes for accuracy.

Task 11

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to recognise how to distribute and store minutes and other follow-up documentation within designated timelines, and according to organisational requirements.

1. What are the key reasons for distributing minutes following a business meeting? Provide at least one.

2. Refer to Case Study D

Briefly outline the organisational procedures for storing minutes.

Task 12

Objective   

To provide you with an opportunity to report outcomes of meetings as required, within designated timelines.

Refer to Case Study C

In no more than 100 words, summarise the outcomes of the meeting which the Assistant Store manager should report to the Store Manager.

Unit Assessment 2

Report Writing

Objective: To provide you with an opportunity to show you have the required skills for this unit.

This activity will enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of the following foundation skills:

Reading

Writing

Oral Communication

Numeracy

Navigate the work of work

Interact with others

Get the work done.

A. Identify and read legislation and organisational policies and procedures that describe how meetings should be carried out. In about 500 words, describe the laws and policies that you must abide by when preparing for and conducting a meeting.

For Students without a suitable workplace, the assessor should provide example organisational policies and procedures for managing meetings, as stated in the assessment conditions.
   
B. Refer to Case Study A

Look back at the notes you made in Activity 2A regarding the key things being said in the meeting. Make sure everyone in the group swaps their notes and read through them. Compare the notes with the original meeting and highlight any aspects that you feel are inaccurate or have not been included.

Attach the highlighted/annotated notes of the other Student to your workbook.

C. Refer to Case Study B

Prepare an agenda for this meeting. This should include the following:

Meeting purpose

Intended participants

Absent individuals

An estimate of timings.

D. Refer to Case Study E

Case Study E – Meeting review

A staff meeting has just taken place involving eight employees in a small electronics and gadgets store to discuss the recent product launch of a new smartwatch, which is currently on sale for $449. The aim of the meeting was to talk through sales figures and gain feedback from the sales personnel to understand the feelings of customers. The store manager, Harvey, is away on annual leave and unable to attend.

The assistant store manager, Alicia, shares the following details with the employees:

In the first two weeks of sales, a total of thirty-five watches have been sold in store (thirteen in the first weeks and twenty-two in the second)

Three watches have been placed on hold after order being placed over the phone

After an initial order of 50 items from the manufacturer, a further order of 75 items has been placed.

The following is a summary of the information provided by the sales employees:

A number of customers have heard about the product launch through word of mouth but have seen little in terms of store promotion

A number of customers placed an interest in the smartwatch but could not currently afford it

Of those that expressed an interest in the product, three people claimed that they would purchase the product if a payment plan could be put in place.

In pairs, conduct a meeting whereby one person plays the role of Alicia, the Assistant Store Manager, and the others plays Harvey, the Store Manager. The Store Manager should be brought up to speed regarding the release the product, including the feedback of employees.

Make sure to:

Use appropriate style, tone and vocabulary for  audience, context and purpose

Listen for specific information

Ask questions and listen to answers.

By the end of the meeting, you should come to a conclusion regarding possible future sales approaches. Each Student should take the lead as the Assistant Store Manager and should swap roles after approximately five minutes.

E. In no more than 200 words, describe the numerical information that you must take into account in relation to timeframes and budgets when preparing and conducting meetings.

F. In roughly 400 words, explain how explicit and implicit organisational procedures and protocols and legislative/regulatory requirements could impact on your actions when preparing for and leading a meeting.

For Students without a suitable workplace, the assessor should provide example organisational procedures and protocols for managing meetings, as stated in the assessment conditions.

G. Refer to Case Study F

Case Study F – Leisure centre facilities

Simon is the Centre Manager of Greenfield Leisure Centre. The centre has been open for over thirty years and currently employs twelve full time and sixteen part-time staff members. Facilities include a gym, tennis and badminton courts, a swimming pool, and three different fitness rooms.

Over the past six months, the centre has seen a 65% increase in the number of member complaints made. The most common issue is that the facilities and equipment are not kept clean, especially the swimming changing rooms.

Simon has asked the facilities supervisor, Leanne, to organise and coordinate a meeting involving the cleaning team and pool supervisors. Pool supervisors are expected to take it in turns to monitor and clean the changing rooms.

Organisational policies and procedures for meetings include the following:

They should be organised so that all necessary members of staff can attend

Employees should be paid at their usual rate if they are expected to travel to work outside of their scheduled shifts

Meeting agendas should be created in advance, and sent to attending employees and the facility manager

They should take place with a positive mindset and approach, focusing on solutions rather than blame and negativity

Everyone should have the chance to share their opinions, especially during brainstorming sessions

Key findings and outcomes should be shared with the Centre manager.

1. Role play scenario. Imagine that you are Student, the facilities supervisor. You should prepare for and undertake a meeting with a group of fellow Students and the assessor, who should play the roles of cleaners and pool supervisors. These groups should ideally range from 4 to 6. It should take place according to organisational policies and procedures.

The Student will need to:

Create an agenda and provide a copy to attendees

Chair the meeting and talk through the objectives

Open up a discussion and come up with at least three solutions or procedures to enforce moving forward

Allow all attendees to contribute

Take notes on suggestions that are made.

Each meeting should last for approximately 10-15 minutes, and every Student in the group should have the chance to play the role of the facilities supervisor.

A signed observation by either an approved third party or the assessor will need to be included in these activities as proof of completion.

2. Following the conclusion of the meeting, the Student should send an email directed to the Centre Manager with a summary of what took place and the solutions or procedures to enforce moving forward.

Evidence of completion should come in the form of a screenshot of the email being sent or a signed observation by the assessor.

Unit Assessment 3

Assessment type: Written Questions

Objective: To provide you with an opportunity to show you have the required knowledge for this unit.

The answers to the following questions will enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of:

Outline meeting terminology, structures, arrangements

Outline responsibilities of the chairperson and explain group dynamics in relation to managing meetings

Describe options for meetings including face-to-face, teleconferencing, web-conferencing and using webcams

Identify the relevant organisational procedures and policies regarding meetings, chairing and minutes including identifying organisational formats for minutes and agendas.

A. Define the following meeting terms:

Agenda

Apologies

Chairperson

Proposal

Quorum.

B. List four examples of responsibilities of the chairperson in relation to managing meetings.

C. Provide two examples of meeting types or formats that they may take place in.

D. Using the example organisational policies and procedures for managing meetings as provided by the assessor, identify and summarise how to do the following in no more than 300 words:

Chair meetings

Take minutes

Identify organisational formats for minutes and agendas.