Reference no: EM133637348 , Length: word count:1000

Professional Practice and Communication

Assessment Title: The professionalism of IT teams

Type - Video recording and slide deck analysis

Your Task

Working individually in the trimester's final class, create a video presentation supported by a slide deck examining the following concepts in the context of a case study to be made available 30 minutes prior to the class: (i) interpersonal conflict; (ii) team-based performance; and (iii) stakeholder management.

Assessment Description

Thirty minutes prior to the commencement of Week 12's class, you will be granted access to a case study on MyKBS under the Assessments tab. This document will contain all the necessary facts you need to answer the following questions for this assessment.

Question 1: What are the primary evidence-based causes of your team's underperformance?

Question 2: Which risks will be exacerbated if this issue remains unresolved and how will these be mitigated?

Question 3: What steps will you take to resolve the conflict with your colleague and in which sequence will you perform those steps?

Question 4: How will you repair the relationship with your most critical internal customer and what specifically makes them your most critical internal customer?

Question 5: How will you prevent the recurrence of this situation?

Learning outcome 1: Determine the factors of success for IT professionals that align with the expectations of diverse stakeholders.
Learning outcome 2: Plan for the mitigation of risks associated with ethical, societal, legal and privacy-related IT issues.
Learning outcome 3: Communicate complex IT-related concepts, problems, solutions, and outcomes to diverse stakeholders via the use of various communication methods.

Assessment Instructions

Your face must be visible throughout the video recording.
The sound quality must be such that your voice is clearly audible.
Ensure background noise and interruptions are minimal.
Incorporate the slides throughout the recording.
Avoid the reading of notes or slides by talking instead to the camera.
Creativity is important: it's not just what you say but how you say it that matters.
Proofread your slides to make certain they are free of errors and inconsistencies.

Case Study

Isabella is the head of the marketing department at a rapidly growing e-commerce company that focuses on organic and sustainable products. The department comprises five marketing specialists, a content creator, two social media experts, and a digital analytics expert. Over the past few months, Isabella has observed a decline in the engagement rate across the company's online channels, and sales are not hitting the projected numbers. To make matters worse, a major brand partner has expressed dissatisfaction with the company's promotional efforts, indicating that they may not renew their contract.

Within Isabella's team, Samuel, one of the social media experts, has been a point of contention. Samuel frequently challenges the strategies devised by his peers and is openly critical of other's ideas in team meetings. This has resulted in unease within the team, and two members have formally expressed their discomfort to Isabella. She had previously held a meeting with Samuel regarding his confrontational behaviour, but there hasn't been any discernible change.

Isabella identifies three primary areas that require immediate attention to rectify the department's performance and alleviate external stakeholder concerns:

Communication Issues: Isabella notes that Samuel's attitude has been detrimental to the team's cohesiveness. The negative environment has suppressed open communication and creative brainstorming, which is essential for a marketing team. Several team members feel demotivated and are hesitant to voice their ideas, fearing criticism.

Operational Efficacy: The dip in online engagement and sales indicates a flaw in the marketing team's strategies. Isabella believes that the current internal discord has distracted the team from focusing on effective campaigns and identifying market trends, leading to less-than-optimal results.

Partnership Management: The concerns raised by the significant brand partner cannot be ignored. Their collaboration has been profitable for the company and losing them can have financial ramifications. Isabella understands the need to reevaluate the promotional strategies for this partner and re-establish confidence in the company's marketing efforts.

To tackle these concerns, Isabella plans to initiate an in-depth review of the current marketing strategies, evaluate the team dynamics, and engage in open dialogue with the concerned brand partner. She must gather data-driven insights into the team's operational shortcomings, devise a comprehensive plan to address internal communication barriers, and renew the faith of their valued partner.