Reference no: EM132786775

MPM731 Business Communication for Managers - Deakin University

Learning Outcome 1: Identify, utilise and apply appropriate communication styles and channels.

Learning Outcome 2: Engage with diverse stakeholder groups using appropriate communication strategies

Report

The aim of this assessment task is to practice the STAR method to communicate skills you are developing as part the Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes and to experience the process of providing peer review feedback about a short piece of your writing, and then incorporating this feedback into an edited final draft of the piece of writing.

In a group of four (4) students you need to review the following common Skills and Key Selection Criteria (KSC) (see Table 1 below). Each team member will choose one (1) Skill and one (1) corresponding KSC. Note that a Skill cannot be selected by more than one team member.

Key Selection criteria listed in job descriptions can be described as key attributes and skills that employers look for when assessing applicants and their employability skills. Key Selection Criteria can be addressed in several ways throughout a job application process, e.g. indirectly through tailoring cover letters or resumes, by preparing a Key Selection Criteria Statement and by answering behavioural interview questions which are formulated on the basis of selection criteria.

To address KSC you need to think about what the KSC is asking you to demonstrate (in the context of the organisation and the role you are applying for). For example, when a job description asks about high level of communication skills, the role might require you to communicate with a range of stakeholders, including reporting quarterly results superiors and colleagues, or to provide help desk services to clients over the phone or to conduct client training sessions and present on a range of topics to audiences with different levels of technical understanding.

Self-management 1. Demonstrated ability to organise and plan to meet conflicting deadlines.
2. The ability to work in and enjoy a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.

Communication and understand industry trends 3. The ability to understand and communicate industry trends in the ever changing nature of our community (eg. New trends emerge in the way people live, commute, socialize and work which have significant implications for the industry).

4. Demonstated high-level communication skills including the ability to design, write, edit and publish in a professional setting both verbally and written.

5. Demonstrated ability to interpret and translate complex and technical content into appropriate language for different audiences.

Ability to work in a team 6. The ability to be a resourceful team player who forges good friendships with colleagues.

7. Possess strength in building trusting relationships, cultural sensitivity and the ability to build rapport with a diverse workforce.

8. Capacity to build strong working relationships, maintain effective networks, influence a range of stakeholders and being a positive contributor to the team.

Organisational & Problem solving 9. The ability to actively listen, organise and seek all relevant facts and liaise with different stakeholders.
10. The ability to analyse issues from different perspectives and draws sound inferences from available data.

The STAR technique

To address the KSC you should use the STAR technique to construct your responses and include recent and relevant examples as evidence of how you meet the selected key selection criteria.

S - Situation What was your situation, involvement or your role? T - Task What was the exact task you were required to do? A - Action What did you do and how did you do it?
R - Result What was the result? How was it received?

Remember that the audience for this assessment is a prospective employer. Employers want to know how you resolved a challenge using professional skills and behaviour. They also want to know the actions you took to resolve the situation or to complete the task (this provides evidence of your professional behaviour) and that your actions had a positive result.
Examples to illustrate how you meet these KSC should be sourced from previous or current employment (professional and part-time), course related activities or extracurricular activities.
To write a good STAR reflection:
• Focus on one situation and stick to the facts; avoid generalising about several events;
• Be specific and provide detailed examples;
• Use positive language and avoid qualifiers like ‘quite good', ‘some', ‘a little', ‘average';
• Where possible, highlight and quantify results and outcomes;
• Focus on personal growth, not perfection (sometimes the results are learnings).

Assessment requirements
1. For this assignment, each student needs to prepare a Key Selection Criteria statement (~500 words) that effectively communicates your skills and experiences using the STAR method (first draft). As a group, you need to address four different KSC statements which cover all four skills listed in Table 1; e.g. you submit one KSC for self-management, communication and understand industry trends, ability to work in a team and organisational & problem solving.
2. You then need to share your statement with your group members and provide each other with constructive feedback on the draft statement that will be submitted in the Appendix of your assessment (~100 words each). You will find a sample feedback form at the end of this assessment document.
3. On receipt of the feedback you will need to re-write your KSC statement incorporating the suggestions of your group members as a final draft.

Individual Reflection

Each student is required to reflect on their own contribution to the group assignment and submit a written reflection which answers the following questions:
1. What was my most significant contribution to the group project (e.g. think about the process, not just the output)?
2. What have I learnt from working in this project in terms of providing and receiving peer feedback?
3. What else have I learned that is relevant to my future plans (e.g. with regards to cross-cultural issues; problem- solving; communication; ethical concerns; group dynamics)?

Individual task
Using the Describe, Interpret, Evaluate and Plan (DIEP) formula (Dwyer 2016; pp. 596-597), provide your individual reflection on the process (this does not have to be shared with the other members of your group).

The individual reflection must be typed, using 12-point font and a line spacing of 1.5. Pages should be numbered. As this is a personal reflection, students may write in the first person (ie. use of "I" is acceptable). Where the words and ideas of other authors are included, these should be acknowledged with correct use of the Harvard style of referencing.

Note: Need only organisational and problem solving

Attachment:- Business Communication for Managers.rar