Reference no: EM133024640

BSBLDR502 Lead and manage effective workplace relationships

Assessment 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