Unit competence 08 Develop Teams and Individuals INTRODUCTION This training course is based on the national unit of competency Develop Teams and Individuals. This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to determine individual and team development needs and to facilitate the development of the workgroup. This unit applies to individuals with a broad knowledge of learning and developments, who apply their skills in addressing development needs to meet team objectives. Objectives Dear learner! At the end of this session you will be able to: Identify Learning and development needs systematicallyand implemented in line with organizationalrequirements Develop and implement Learning plan to meet individual and group training anddevelopmental needs is collaboratively developed andimplemented Encourage Individuals to self-evaluate performanceand identify areas for improvement Collect Feedback on performance of team members from relevant sources and compared with established teamlearning process Identify learning and development program goals and objectivesto match the specific knowledge and skillsrequirements of competency standards Learning delivery methods are appropriate to the learninggoals, the learning style of participants and availability ofequipment and resources Provide workplace learning opportunities and coaching/ mentoringassistance are facilitate individual and teamachievement of competencies Identify resources and timelines required for learning activities and approved in accordance with organizationalrequirements Use feedback from individuals or teams to identify andimplement improvements in future learning arrangements Assess outcomes and performance of individuals/teams and recorded to determine the effectiveness ofdevelopment programs and the extent of additional support Negotiate modifications to learning plans to improvethe efficiency and effectiveness of learning Records and reports of competency are maintained withinorganizational requirement Open communication processes to obtain and shareinformation is used by team Reach decisions by the team in accordance with itsagreed roles and responsibilities Develop mutual concern and camaraderie in the team Actively participateteam members in team activities andcommunication processes Develop team’s members’ individual and jointresponsibility for their actions Sustain collaborative efforts to attain organizationalgoals 1. Provide team leadership 1.1 Learning and development needs are systematically identified and implemented in line with organizationalrequirements IDENTIFY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS In order to effectively organise learning and development, you will need to identify where it is needed. The training needs will differ for individuals at different levels and may include: Career planning/development. Coaching, mentoring and/or supervision. 1 Formal/informal learning programs. Internal/external training provision. Personal study. Performance appraisals. Recognition of current competence/skills recognition. Work experience/ exchange/opportunities. Workplace skills assessment. TASK ANALYSIS The first step in identifying training needs is to perform a task analysis. You need to identify the key skills and knowledge requirements of the tasks that you need completed. Next, you need to compare employee/worker performance to expectations. To do this, you will need to observe employee(s)/worker(s) perform their tasks. You need to identify any discrepancies between the expected processes and the way that tasks are actually completed. When you identify a discrepancy, consider the reason for it. It may be due to: Next you should ask employee(s)/worker(s) for their ideas on where training is required. During these consultations you should share your own opinions and seek feedback as well as solicit the ideas of the employee(s)/worker(s). Once you have identified all of the training needs, you should categorise them. Group particular skills or knowledge together. Use the categorised lists to prioritise your training needs. You will need to refer to the organisation’s objectives and determine which needs are most critical. Learning and development needs • Coaching, mentoring and/or supervision • Formal/informal learning program • Internal/external training provision • Work experience/exchange/opportunities • Personal study • Career planning/development • Performance appraisals • Workplace skills assessment • Recognition of prior learning ORGANISATIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS The training needs you identify need to be consistent with the organisation’s purpose and objectives. You will need to ensure that you are familiar with relevant organisational and legislative requirements. The following are some examples: Anti-Discrimination. Privacy Laws. Occupational Health & Safety/Work Health & Safety (OHS/WHS). Business plans. Codes of practice. 2 Quality standards. Ethical Principles. Organisational policies and procedures. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION Laws about anti-discrimination are made at all levels. These laws provide a range of grounds for a person to lodge a complaint if they feel they have been discriminated against on the basis of: Race. Age. sex. Disability. PRIVACY LAWS There are federal and state and territory legislation and regulations surrounding privacy. Under these laws, you will need to be careful how you handle, store and dispose of personal information. You may also be required to keep certain information confidential. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY/WORK HEALTH & SAFETY Safety in the workplace is critical to every organisation. Any work conducted should be undertaken is a safe manner. There are various federal and state and territory legislation and regulations surrounding OHS/WHS. To find out more about OHS/WHS, go to the website for your state or territory workplace health authority. Harmonisation aims to develop consistent, reasonable and effective safety standards and protections for all Australian workers through uniform WHS laws, regulations and codes of practice. Key Elements of the Work Health & Safety Legislation The following key elements of the WHS legislation will impact the way you do your job, and the responsibilities of your workplace: 1 There is a primary duty of care requiring persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others who may be affected by the carrying out of work. 2 A requirement that officers of corporations and unincorporated bodies exercise due diligence to ensure compliance. 3 Workers must exercise reasonable care that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of persons at a workplace. The legislation also outlines requirements for: The reporting requirements for modifiable incidents. Licences, permits and registrations (e.g. for persons engaged in high risk work or users of certain plant or substances). Provision for worker consultation, participation and representation at the workplace. Provision for the resolution of health and safety issues. Protection against discrimination. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY/WORK HEALTH & SAFETY Many specific details relating to WHS will be negotiated within the workplace in accordance with the legislation. It is important that you speak with your Health and Safety Representative or supervisor for more information on how these elements will affect your day-today operations, or if you have any concerns relating to health and safety. 3 Organizational requirements • Quality assurance and/or procedures manuals • Goals, objectives, plans, systems and processes • Legal and organizational policy/guidelines and requirements • Safety policies, procedures and programs • Confidentiality and security requirements • Business and performance plans • Ethical standards • Quality and continuous improvement processes and standards CODES OF PRACTICE Codes of practice are a set of ethical principles guiding the way the organisation operates. They may use an industry code of practice. These codes are not mandatory like laws but are honorary codes. Alternatively, the organisation might have its own code of practice that it expects you to operate within. QUALITY STANDARDS Many organisations comply with international or industry quality standards, such as ISO9001. These standards focus on continual improvement and involve reviewing and monitoring work processes in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. Quality standards such as ISO9001 have a strong focus on identifying and meeting customer needs and development of personnel/worker. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES Ethical principles are focused on values such as trust, good behaviour, fairness and kindness. Organisations usually set their own ethical standards. ORGANISATIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Your organisation’s policies and procedures should provide a framework for its activities. Topics covered should include: BUSINESS PLANS Your organisation’s business plan should detail the organisations: • Goals. • Objectives. • Strategies. • Resource plan. • Key performance indicators. • Budgets. The business plan will provide you with guidance on your key objectives and targets. All team goals and objectives should relate to the business plan. 1.2 Learning plan to meet individual and group training and developmental needs is collaboratively developed and implemented Once you have developed your learning plans you will need to select and apply the appropriate methods of learning/training delivery. The methods that are applied must be appropriate to the learning goals and learning styles of the participants. 4 Training delivery can include various techniques, including: • Group Work. • Case Studies. • Demonstration. • Discussion. • Role Plays. • Work experience. • • Formal courses. • • Induction. • Coaching and mentoring. Some training can be conducted on-the-job and some training will need to be conducted externally If you intend on providing the training internally, you will need to consider the equipment and resources needed. Your considerations may include: Facilities. Funding. Guest speakers. Technological tools and equipment. Time. Training equipment such as whiteboards and audio-visual equipment. There are various ways to find an appropriate training provider to conduct the training. You can try searching on the internet using a search engine. There are numerous training providers. When choosing a training provider, look for accredited training providers. Training providers may either be accredited through your state or territory safety authority, as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), or both. Try searching the website for your state or territory work safety authority or contacting them for recommendations. In some cases, training may be part of licensing requirements. This will mean that there are strict provisions on who may conduct the training and/or perform the required assessments to issue a licence. If this is the case, check with the body who issues the licenses about the requirements for training organisations. In most cases they will be able to put you in touch with appropriate training organisations. IDENTIFY RESOURCES AND TIMELINES To effectively implement your training you will need resources. Resources are anything you need to achieve your goals. This can include everyday items or specific resources required for particular tasks. In most cases, the resources needed will fall into these categories: Work and storage space. Communications. Equipment. Financial. Purchasing. Human resources. HUMAN RESOURCES One of the most important resource requirements is human resources. These are the people who help to achieve your goals and objectives. When determining the resource requirements, the following questions need to be considered: 5 What is the current workload of personnel/workers? Will the workload of the team allow them to complete all of their required tasks? What are the required skills? What are the current skills of the team? Will training be required in order for the work to be completed? Would it be more cost effective to outsource work? Can the workload of the existing resources be balanced differently? A good way to do this is to use a skills sheet that matches the skills of individuals to the required activities. Remember to include their names, start dates and the cost of their labour. PHYSICAL RESOURCES You will also need to consider the physical resources required to complete the work. Consider the following questions: Do you know where you can get the necessary resources? Will you need to hire equipment? What resource costs are involved? Are there limitations to the size or types of resources you can use? Are there safety considerations or requirements regarding the resources? PHYSICAL RESOURCES To determine the requirements for the physical resources, use an availability sheet similar to the one below: Activity Workplace inspection Staff inductions Develop of safe work instructions MEETING TIMELINES Often your training will be required to be completed within a designated timeline. This may be: If you have a deadline for your training, you must meet it. To help do this, you will need to schedule your time. You need to look at the time you have available and plan how you will use it to complete your training. Effective scheduling will help you to: • Understand what you can realistically achieve. • Make the best use of your time. • Leave enough time to meet you highest priorities. • Leave enough time to manage contingencies. • Minimise stress. SELECT AIDS AND SUPPORT MATERIALS In providing learning opportunities in the workplace you may be required to use appropriate aids and support materials. You will need to consider the aids, materials and techniques that you will use to support your key concepts. These should enhance the audiences’ understanding and illustrate your key points. The following are some examples of the aids, materials and techniques that you could use: Computer simulations and presentations, including animation. Diagrams, charts and posters, which may be in colour. White boards. Guest speakers. Models. Paper-based materials. Music and sound effects. Humour. 6 1.3 Individuals are encouraged to self-evaluate performance and identify areas for improvement ENCOURAGE SELFEVALUATION When you are determining the learning needs of teams or individuals, it is important to get them involved in the process. A good way to start is to encourage them to perform a self-evaluation. This involves getting them to consider how they are progressing towards meeting their goals and objectives. A self-assessment may be as simple as having them check their progress against specified targets. If they do not have specific targets to meet, ask them to consider their objectives and how they are meeting them. You could also ask them to check: Their ability to stick to their budget. The quality of their work. Their ability to satisfy their clients. Their ability to stick to schedules. One way to assess performance is to benchmark. This involves having them compare their own performance to others in the team or in similar work roles. GAIN TRUST AND CONFIDENCE You will need to establish effective relationships with individuals or teams if you want them to discuss their own performance and ways of improving with you. If they do not trust you, they will not be willing to speak openly about their own strengths and weaknesses. To gain trust and confidence from your team you will need to demonstrate high standards of business practices. Fair and ethical behaviour and following through on your promises are crucial in gaining trust and confidence. Confidence is the ability of others to believe in your business. It is this confidence that you will need to succeed. To instil trust and confidence, you need to be accountable for your actions. This involves: Knowing your responsibilities. Facing facts honestly. Admitting your mistakes. Doing something about your mistakes. Being accountable will help people to trust you. They will see that you are being honest and telling them the truth. You need to be honest and direct at all times, and maintain a consistent approach. This will help develop a sense of integrity. You also need to ensure that you follow the quality standards of your organisation and produce consistently high quality products and services. If your products or services fall below your quality standards, you will lose the trust and confidence of your customers. 1.4 Feedback on performance of team members is collected from relevant sources and compared with established team learning process As part of developing a learning plan, you need to collect feedback on the individual or team’s performance. There are several ways that you can do this: • Consultation. • Monitor staff. • Performance appraisals. • Communicating with individuals and team. 7 CONSULTATION You can collect feedback by consulting with relevant parties. Relevant parties may include: All staff. Internal and external stakeholders. Senior management. Specific teams or business units. Technical experts. Clients. Consultation is a two-way exchange of information. It should involve: Sharing information with employee(s)/worker(s). Giving employee(s)/worker(s) the opportunity to express their views or concerns. Taking those views into account and reporting back to employee(s)/worker(s) on the final decisions. Consultation does not mean simply handing out information, telling employees/workers what is required or listening to the views of the employees/workers. Employee(s)/worker(s) must play a genuine part in the consultation process. Involving relevant parties in the allocation of work activities helps those parties to feel that they have a say. This then helps to build trust and a sense of ownership and responsibility. The first stage in consultation is to provide information to those being consulted about: o What is being considered. o The process for consideration. o How a final decision will be made and who will make this decision. There are varying degrees of formality in consultative processes. Consultation may be as informal as a one-off meeting between a manager and a team member. However, it could also be a more formal process where all team members are canvassed. MONITOR STAFF Many organisations monitor staff to ensure they are following procedures and meeting standards. Monitoring staff can be used to: • Check that staff are following your organisation’s policies and procedures. • Check the quality of customer service. • Find out if staff need more training. • Review staff skills and knowledge. • Check that staff are safe. • Check that legal and regulatory requirements are being met. You can monitor staff by: Reading staff emails. Checking logs of websites visited by staff. Observing them while they are working. Recording telephone calls. Listening to voice messages. Checking logs of telephone numbers called. Looking at the work area, desks or equipment. Looking at service records, such as number of customers, sales margins, timesheets etc. 8 Staff can feel mistrusted or uneasy if they are monitored frequently. To avoid this, you must first think about: The purpose of monitoring staff. The benefits of monitoring staff. Any personal information that will be reviewed. Minimising the intrusion. Making the process fair. What will be achieved as a result of the monitoring. When monitoring staff, you need to: Tell staff why you are monitoring them. Make sure the monitoring is justified. Ensure the monitoring is proportionate. Tell staff they are being monitored and what information you are collecting. Take care to balance the intrusion with staff privacy. Always remember the purpose of what you are doing and the information you are trying to obtain. This will help you to stay on track. PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS There are numerous ways to conduct appraisals, including: Types of performance appraisals: Description: Self-appraisals The employee/worker is asked to evaluate his/her own work. Peer appraisals Staff of equal rank within the organisation evaluate each other. Team appraisals Employee(s)/worker(s) within a specific team evaluate the team. Types of performance appraisals: Description: Assessment centre Employee(s)/worker(s) are evaluated by professional assessors using assessments such as work simulations and activities. Full circle appraisals Information is gathered from all groups the employee/worker interacts with and is used to review the employee(s)/worker(s) work. The employee’s/worker’s work objectives are set in Management by objectives collaboration between the manager and the employee/worker. COMMUNICATING WITH INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS In order to collect and supply feedback with individuals and teams you will need to have effective communication skills. These skills will include: Maintaining eye contact, except where eye contact may be culturally inappropriate. Speaking clearly and concisely, using appropriate language and tone of voice. Using appropriate non-verbal communication (body language). Actively listening to the other person. Questioning and paraphrasing to clarify. Responding in the necessary manner. You may have individuals in your team from diverse backgrounds or with diverse abilities. You need to be able to communicate with all of these people. Without clear communication you do not have understanding. There are many barriers to communication that can create difficulties. These barriers can occur in many ways and may be verbal or non-verbal barriers. VERBAL COMMUNICATION BARRIERS Even if two parties speak the same language, there can still be verbal communication barriers. Local slang or sayings may make communication difficult. To avoid verbal communication barriers, you can: Speak slowly and clearly. Use simple words and avoid using jargon/local expressions. 9 Use short sentences. Ask questions. Paraphrase to check understanding. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION BARRIERS Non-verbal communication barriers relate to: Touching. Facial expressions. Gestures. Personal space. Posture. In different cultures, non-verbal communication cues we are used to may have different meanings. For example, in some cultures individuals signal “no” by nodding their head. Also, in some cultures raising your thumb is a vulgar sign. To avoid problems, watch your non-verbal communication cues. Be courteous and polite and stay aware that the person you are communicating with may have different meanings or social norms for communication. DEVELOP LEARNING PLANS Once you have identified the learning and development needs, you will need to consult with the team or individual to determine an appropriate learning plan for them. The learning plan should include all the information that the team or individual need to understand the proposed learning opportunity. This should include: • The goals and objectives of the learning. • The competencies or performance criteria to be covered. • The learning strategy. • Timeframes for completing the learning and achieving the competency. • Location of training. • Details of who will be providing the training. • Details of who will be participating. • The learning plan needs to be documented and reviewed with the individual or team regularly. COMPETENCY STANDARDS Reviewing competency standards can help you to determine the skill level required. A competency standard is a document that specifies how people should complete their job. Competency standards are used by organisations to: Nominate how they expect work roles to be performed. Judge how competent individuals are in their job role. There are 2 common types of competency standards: Nationally recognised standards that are used throughout the country as a basis of assessment for formal qualifications. Standards developed internally at specific organisations. To locate any internal competency standards, ask your employer/PCBU or your human resource manager to help you. To locate nationally recognised competency standards, you can search on the training.gov.au website. REVIEW THE LEARNING PLAN After the learning plan has been developed, it will need to be proofread and reviewed to ensure it meets your requirements. 10 To do this you will need to use your literacy skills to: Read through the document first to check it meets your requirements. Check through the document more thoroughly for errors or inaccuracies. Read it aloud to gauge how it flows. Read backwards through the document looking at the headings. Double-check the names that were used. Double-check any numbers in the document. To proofread thoroughly, it may be easier to print the document first. Feedback on performance • Formal/informal performance appraisals • Obtaining feedback from supervisors and colleagues • Obtaining feedback from clients • Personal and reflective behavior strategies • Routine and organizational methods for monitoring service delivery 2. Foster individual and organizational growth 2.1 Learning and development program goals and objectives are identified to match the specific knowledge and skills requirements of Competence standards Once you have identified the learning and development needs, you will need to consult with the team or individual to determine an appropriate learning plan for them. The learning plan should include all the information that the team or individual need to understand the proposed learning opportunity. This should include: • The goals and objectives of the learning. • The competencies or performance criteria to be covered. • The learning strategy. • Timeframes for completing the learning and achieving the competency. • Location of training. • Details of who will be providing the training. • Details of who will be participating. • The learning plan needs to be documented and reviewed with the individual or team regularly. COMPETENCY STANDARDS Reviewing competency standards can help you to determine the skill level required. A competency standard is a document that specifies how people should complete their job. Competency standards are used by organisations to: • Nominate how they expect work roles to be performed. • Judge how competent individuals are in their job role. There are 2 common types of competency standards: • Nationally recognised standards that are used throughout the country as a basis of assessment for formal qualifications. Standards developed internally at specific organisations. To locate any internal competency standards, ask your employer/PCBU or your human resource manager to help you. To locate nationally recognised competency standards, you can search on the training.gov.au website. 11 REVIEW THE LEARNING PLAN After the learning plan has been developed, it will need to be proofread and reviewed to ensure it meets your requirements. To do this you will need to use your literacy skills to: Read through the document first to check it meets your requirements. Check through the document more thoroughly for errors or inaccuracies. Read it aloud to gauge how it flows. Read backwards through the document looking at the headings. Double-check the names that were used. Double-check any numbers in the document. To proofread thoroughly, it may be easier to print the document first. 2.2 Learning delivery methods are appropriate to the learning goals, the learning style of participants and availability of equipment and resources Delivery Methods: Description: Presentation/Demon stration Presentation or demonstration involves physically showing the audience how to do something. This may be a work process or use of a product. This is a visual training method that allows the audience to see how things work. It is used to: Appeal to more than one sense. Set performance standards. Emphasise sequences. Provide guidance. Delivery Methods: Description: Case Studies Case studies tell the story of a real person or group to explain a problem and how they dealt with it. They can be used to: Provoke interest. Help the audience identify with the information. Illustrate key points. Provide a context for a particular point. Motivate the audience to take action. Discussion Facilitating a discussion is a good way for you to encourage your audience to participate and for you to interact with them. It also helps you to determine their understanding of your key points and to clarify any points of confusion. Delivery Methods: Group Work Role Plays Description: Group work can be used to encourage discussions and audience interaction. It allows the audience to support each other and fosters an informal peer learning system. Role plays generally involve the audience acting out defined roles in a set scenario. The scenario is usually set around a point that needs to be more closely examined. Role plays can be used to: Convey core information in a way that is easy to understand. Appeal to more senses to help the audience remember the information. Entertain the audience. Delivery Methods: Role Plays Description: Inject humour into the training. Simulate questioning. Present multiple arguments. Analyse problems from different perspectives. Convey complex ideas relating to ethical or emotional decisions. Provide insight and sympathy. Stimulate audience to present opinions. Delivery Methods: Description: Work Experience Work experience, as the name suggests, involves an individual gaining experience performing a type of work that they are unfamiliar with. In a workplace setting, work experience may relate to the individual working alongside or under a more experienced peer to develop their skills and knowledge. Formal courses Often in a workplace, individuals and teams will be encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities. Professional development includes attending conferences and seminars, and participation in formal learning courses. Most professional development will be conducted externally to the workplace, and will often be organised by the workplace. Delivery Methods: Induction Description: Before starting a new position, or a new role within your workplace, you may be required to participate in an induction. The induction process is designed to familiarise new employee(s)/worker(s) to the business, their roles and responsibilities, legal requirements, and the workplace processes. The induction process should 12 allow an individual to become an integrated member of a team quickly, rather than being ‘thrown in the deep end.’ Learning delivery methods • On the job coaching or mentoring • Problem solving • Presentation/demonstration • Formal course participation • Work experience • Involvement in professional networks • Conference and seminar attendance • Induction 2.3 Workplace learning opportunities and coaching/ mentoring assistance are provided to facilitate individual and team achievement of competencies MONITOR STAFF Many organisations monitor staff to ensure they are following procedures and meeting standards. Monitoring staff can be used to: Check that staff are following your organisation’s policies and procedures. Check the quality of customer service. Find out if staff need more training. Review staff skills and knowledge. Check that staffs are safe. Check that legal and regulatory requirements are being met. You can monitor staff by: Reading staff emails. Checking logs of websites visited by staff. Observing them while they are working. Recording telephone calls. Listening to voice messages. Checking logs of telephone numbers called. Looking at the work area, desks or equipment. Looking at service records, such as number of customers, sales margins, timesheets etc. Staff can feel mistrusted or uneasy if they are monitored frequently. To avoid this, you must first think about: The purpose of monitoring staff. The benefits of monitoring staff. Any personal information that will be reviewed. Minimising the intrusion. Making the process fair. What will be achieved as a result of the monitoring. When monitoring staff, you need to: Tell staff why you are monitoring them. 13 Make sure the monitoring is justified. Ensure the monitoring is proportionate. Tell staff they are being monitored and what information you are collecting. Take care to balance the intrusion with staff privacy. Always remember the purpose of what you are doing and the information you are trying to obtain. This will help you to stay on track. 2.4 Resources and timelines required for learning activities are identified and approved in accordance with organizational requirements IDENTIFY RESOURCES AND TIMELINES To effectively implement your training you will need resources. Resources are anything you need to achieve your goals. This can include everyday items or specific resources required for particular tasks. In most cases, the resources needed will fall into these categories: Work and storage space. Communications. Equipment. Financial. Purchasing. Human resources. One of the most important resource requirements is human resources. These are the people who help to achieve your goals and objectives. When determining the resource requirements, the following questions need to be considered: What is the current workload of personnel/workers? Will the workload of the team allow them to complete all of their required tasks? HUMAN RESOURCES What are the required skills? • What are the current skills of the team? • Will training be required in order for the work to be completed? • Would it be more cost effective to outsource work? • Can the workload of the existing resources be balanced differently? 3. Monitor and evaluate workplace learning 3.1 Feedback from individuals or teams is used to identify and implement improvements in future learning arrangements FORMAL EMPLOYEE/WORKER FEEDBACK When you conduct a formal feedback session you need to be prepared and make sure that you have notified the person in advance of the meeting. Before the meeting date, talk to supervisors or other key parties to seek their input on the employee(s)/worker(s) performance. In some cases, you might also ask the employee/worker to complete a self-assessment. If you identify areas where improvement is required, gather samples of their work. This will help to illustrate your point. You could also gather samples of work that does meet the performance requirements. You may also need to gather other records of the employee(s)/worker(s) performance, including: Attendance logs. Minutes from meetings. Feedback from clients. Emails. 14 Documentation completed by the employee/worker. It is a good idea to also collect samples of good work completed by the employee/worker. This will help them to see where they are on track and performing to the required standard. When you conduct the meeting, you need to: • Let the employee/worker have an active role in assessing their performance and determining their own goals. • Keep performance feedback well documented. • Keep the review focussed on behaviours and results. Design a meaningful system of coaching conversations that employee(s)/worker(s) find meaningful and valuable. Investigate causes that underlie poor performance – ask questions, don’t just assume you know the reason for it. Put a follow-up plan into place at the end of the meeting – keep it positive and practical. Avoid making the review process about both compensation to decide salary increase and coaching to improve development – it should be one or the other. Ensure the meeting is conducted by someone who has regular day-to-day contact with the employee/worker. The information and data gathered when evaluating the learning and development training provided can also be used to determine the effectiveness of development programs and make improvements. MODIFY LEARNING PLANS As you review learning, you may find you need to make changes to the original learning plans. These changes will be made to reflect the progress the learner has made, and the effectiveness of the training provided. NEGOTIATING LEARNING PLANS When negotiating it is important to separate the person from the problem. You should be aiming to reach an agreement with the learner that is mutually acceptable. For this reason the focus should not be on the learner as the problem, but what can be done to assist them. Make sure that you are flexible, that you actively listen to the learner and that you acknowledge their ideas and opinions. They may be able to broaden the options available for improving learning. When you are negotiating changes to learning plans, remember your goal of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of training, and developing the individual to the required competency levels. MAINTAIN RECORDS All learning and development undertaken will need to be recorded. This includes maintaining any reports or records of competency, as well as other required documentation in accordance with the systems used by your organisation, and following your organisational requirements. Organisational documentation systems may include: • Electronic systems. • Paper-based systems. ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS Here are many ways to store electronic records. All records should be backed up for security and the back-ups stored in a different location. There are many different storage platforms that can be used for files, including an organisation’s intranet. An intranet is a set of interconnected computers or networks within an organisation. It usually consists of: Internal email system. Message board. • Web sites or databases containing company news. • Forms. 15 • Personnel/workers information and contact details. • Ensure that you are familiar with the electronic systems used in your organisation, including how information and data must be input, saved, stored and maintained. PAPER-BASED SYSTEMS Paper-based systems can be used to record and maintain learning development files. It is important that you understand your requirements for completing pre-filled reports and other documentation, and use effective literacy skills such as clear and legible writing. Most organisations choose to store the bulk of their information electronically. Paper-based systems require a large amount of physical storage space. This can become costly. The other problem with paper-based files occurs when more than one person wants to access the file at the same time. Unless you photocopy the entire file and store it in another location, creating further costs, it is not possible to back up a paper-based file. Being highly flammable and easily damaged by water, insects, vermin or other natural causes, paper is increasingly seen to be less reliable than electronic records. If your organisation uses a paper-based approach, ensure that you understand how to complete reports, as well as your requirements for having the documents signed off, duplicated, and filed. 3.2 assess outcomes and performance of individual /teams Measuring the performance of your employees is a necessary measure if you need to improve business or simply build upon your current success. There are a wide variety of ways in which performance can be measured, whether individually, as a whole, internally, or from an external perspective. If you are looking to measure performance in your company, consider some steps that have proven effective. Steps 1Set up random methods of quality control throughout your company. While your employees are aware of the checks, they don't know when they will occur, so if they are slacking in some way or not performing to par, that will surface eventually. Suggested areas of quality control include spot checking products, reviewing phone calls, and inspecting log books. 2Survey your clients about their customer service experience as a way of assessing employee performance. Ask them if they are satisfied with their product or service. Getting an outside perspective on performance is smart as it offers an objective analysis. In addition, client satisfaction should be your ultimate mission, and if your clients are genuinely satisfied, then your employees are getting something right 3. Evaluate performance of employees by considering all areas of their work ethic and individual achievements. This method of assessment would look at each employee as a whole and most likely on an annual basis. If an employee is lacking, this assessment would give her an opportunity to improve. If an employee is excelling, then the assessment would recognize that, but still suggest ways of improvement. Under this criteria would be the following: How much an individual is able to produce either in product or sales. The quality of that product or service. How fast an employee produces a product or makes a sale. How reliable an employee is, including how often they are absent or late for work. How well an employee adheres to company policies. How an employee presents him or herself physically and intellectually. 16 4 Opt to initiate basic employee appraisals to indicate performance levels in various areas of the workforce, and both general and job-specific responsibilities. For example, manager appraisals are intended for supervisors to evaluate the performance of their subordinates. Peer and team appraisals are intended for employees to appraise each other as individuals or within a team environment. Self-appraisals are also an option, in which employees are given the opportunity to appraise themselves. 5 Resort to more comprehensive employee assessment methods if you fear for the future of your company. Options include hiring a professional assessor who can appraise the everyday functionality of your business, as well as the performance of your employees. An outside assessor can provide impartiality and, therefore, feedback that is devoid of personal relationships and feelings. A 360 appraisal is a second option that subjects an employee to appraisals by all his or her direct superiors and peers. 3.3 negotiate modification to learning plan A Learning Plan is a document (possibly an interactive or on-line document) that is used to plan learning, usually over an extended period of time. Any entity can have a learning plan. They are often used by individuals to plan and manage their own learning, but they can also be used by teams, communities of practice or organizations. An organizational level plan can be the aggregate of its individual’s plans or it can add information on the emergent learning needs of the overall organization. The active development and maintenance of a learning plan can enrich a person's life and the sharing of learning plans can help to strengthen a community. Components of a Learning Plan A good learning plan is a well-articulated document with the following components: A set of 'learning goals' that the person (or organization) hopes to achieve within a specific period of time. It is often useful to divide larger goals into more manageable sub-goals that can be realized within weeks or months. Each learning goal (or sub goal) should have a series of concrete steps or actions that the person will take to move towards the goal. Actions should be actual behaviours. Writing a quality article for Wikipedia is an example of an action. Or, if the learning goal is "understand Indian cooking", preparing and serving a masala to a group of East Indian friends might be an appropriate action. Each action should be associated with one or more resources and with evidence. Resources are anything that can be used to realize the actions to be taken towards the learning goal. One of the best resources is a mentor or coach, but there are many others, including books, courses, travel, the Internet and especially Wikipedia. Once a resource has been applied to a goal it is often helpful to rate the effectiveness of the resource, especially in cases where the learning plan will be shared. Evidence is used to demonstrate that an action has been taken, that progress towards the goal has been made, and finally that the goal has been achieved. Evidence can be private, when the person does not need to demonstrate to other people that the goal has been achieved, or public, when evidence is required. Modes of learning A learning plan can be used for many modes of learning. One taxonomy is as follows: Culture - learning about one's own or other people's cultures 17 Financial - learning how to manage money and how money works in the economy Physical - physical fitness can be a form of learning and a learning plan can be used to improve and track a person's fitness Political (Citizen) - learning more about one's polity and the rights and duties of citizenship Relationship - things that one wants to learn about people in key relationships, and how to be more effective in relationships Spiritual - deepening one's understanding of the spiritual dimension of life; a prayer or meditation journal can be part of a learning plan. Work - professional learning A learning plan will often have parts that are strictly private, others that are only shared with one's intimates, others that are for various groups, and it may have some parts that are public. Maintaining a Learning Plan Learning plans are most effective when reviewed and maintained regularly, for devoted learners daily. One way to do this is to use the learning plan to track a daily activity, preferably one associated with some learning goal. A cyclist might track how far they cycle each day, a blogger might maintain a learning plan in the form of a blog, and so on. The key is to integrate learning, and maintenance of the learning plan, with daily activities. Learning Plans, Learning Records and the ePortfolio As a learning plan evolves, goals are attained, evidence is collected and becomes a learning record. There has been much attention to learning records or the Electronic Portfolio in recent pedagogy and andragogy. Whereas a learning plan looks forward to what is to be achieved, a learning record looks backwards to the past and what has been accomplished. Two sides of the same coin. 3.4 maintain records and reports of competence You need to know that: 1 You identify legal, organisational and inter-agency policies and protocols for recording and reporting 2 You clarify any uncertainties about recording and reporting with your line manager or professional supervisor 3 You use recording and reporting procedures, including the use of information and communication technology, to produce records and reports that: • reflect best practice • are accurate, concise, objective, understandable, legible and accessible • promote the participation of service users and others in planning, carrying out and reviewing the effectiveness of provision and services in: _ meeting their needs _ identifying and exposing gaps in resources and services and unmet need _ promoting human growth, development and independent living _ countering disadvantage, discrimination and social exclusion • document conflicts, disagreements, unmet needs and any risks associated with these 4 You maintain and update records according to legal, organisational and inter-agency policies and protocols You clearly and accurately record: judgements and decisions the evidence on which the judgements have been based 18 where judgement is based on informed opinion You record other evidence and reports which: o support your judgements and decisions o conflict with your judgements and decisions o clarify events and decisions You check and agree the accuracy of the records and evidence with all concerned in the decision making process, and acquire the appropriate signatures, if required You record and report any disagreements and actions taken to resolve these Implement legal and policy framework and protocols for access to records and reports Competent practice is a combination of the application of skills and knowledge informed by values and ethics. This specification details the knowledge and understanding required to carry out competent practice in the performance described in this unit. When using this specification it isimportant to read the knowledge requirements in relation to expectations and requirementsof your job role. Values 1 Awareness of your own values, prejudices, ethical dilemmas and conflicts of interest and their implications on your practice 2 Respect for and the promotion of: • each person as an individual • independence and quality of life for individuals, whilst protecting them from harm • dignity and privacy of individuals, families, groups and communities 3 Valuing, recognising and respecting the diversity, expertise and experience of individuals, families, groups and communities 4 Maintaining the trust and confidence of individuals, families, groups and communities by communicating in an open, accurate and understandable way 5 Listening to, respecting, promoting and balancing the views and wishes of individuals, families, groups, communities and other practitioners 6 Challenging, through your practice: discrimination, racism, disadvantage and other forms of inequality and injustice • Direct observation by assessor and/or an expert witness is required for some of the performance criteria for every element in this unit. • Prior to commencing the unit you should agree a plan with your assessor regarding the types of evidence to be used. • You must provide your assessor with evidence for ALL the performance criteria, and ALL the knowledge requirements and the relevant parts of the SCOPE as applicable to your workplace. • The evidence must, at all times, reflect the policies and procedures of the workplaces as linked to current legislation and valued and principles for best practice within the Health and Social Care Sector. This will include the National Service Standards for your area of work or client group. • Reflective accounts: you describe your actions in (a) particular situation(s) and reflect on the reason(s) for you practicing in that way, in relation to key people and others. • Questioning/professional discussion: you and your assessor may agree on questions or discussion to demonstrate your knowledge, to supplement the knowledge demonstratedthrough observations, products and reflective accounts. These can be oral or written but evidence of this must be recorded. NB Confidential records are not required in your portfolio, they can remain where they are normally stored and be checked by your assessor and internal verifier. 19 4.1. Open communication processes to obtain and share information All enterprises and organisations deal with information. This unit is concerned with the correct handling and communication of information. You are required to gather, store and communicate information relevant to your particular job role. This may simply entail the accurate passing on of a message, or the completion of standard records. Alternatively, it may entail the formal processing of information. Records may relate to production, health and safety or sales, for example. Throughout this unit, you are expected to communicate clearly and effectively with those that you come into contact with, whether they are colleagues, suppliers, customers, contractors, supervisors or managers. You must be aware of the range of ways in which information can be handled. Open Communication Defined Communication, the flow of information between people, is a very important part of the workplace. Managers must be able to communicate with employees and employees must be able to communicate with managers in order to have a profitable business. Communication can be broken into two main types: Verbal: Verbal communication requires the spoken word. Nonverbal: Nonverbal communication involves communicating without speaking, such as in writing or body language. The subtypes of communication include the following: Open and closed: Open communication occurs when all parties are able to express ideas to one another, such as in a conversation or debate. On the other hand, closed communication occurs when only one person is actively communicating, like a lecture from your professor. Positive and negative: Positive communication occurs when all parties involved feel that they were heard. Negative communication occurs when people feel like they were not heard or feel that they were attacked. Yelling, name-calling and arguing are some examples of negative communication. Effective and Ineffective: Effective communication occurs when all parties feel that they have reached a desired outcome, like a meeting with your supervisor to discuss a new process. Hopefully, you would leave that meeting knowing what the new process is, and your supervisor would feel confident that you understood the new process. Ineffective communication occurs when one or both parties feel that they have not reached a desired outcome. For example, if you walk away from that meeting with your supervisor not knowing what the process is, the meeting was ineffective. Creating Open Communication in the Workplace Open communication gives everyone equal participation in the success of the business. Creating an atmosphere of open communication allows for the flow of energy and creativity. It establishes an environment where all employees have a good understanding of the goals and what needs to be done to accomplish those goals. There are five ways to create open communication in the workplace: Step one: Ensure that all managers are committed to open communication. Step two: Keep your message positive. Step three: Let everyone know what you're doing and why. 20 Step four: Take notice of the diversity in your workplace. Some groups receive information differently. Step five: Establish a grievance system. Let employees know that their complaints will be kept confidential. 4.2 reach decisions by the team in accordance with its agreed roles and responsibilities Consensus is defined as "an opinion or position reached by a group as a whole" by the American Heritage Dictionary. Consensus decision making is the process used to generate widespread agreement within a group. These instructions will guide you through that process. Steps 1. Understand the principles of consensus decision making. There are five requirements of consensus decision-making: Inclusion. As many community members as possible should be involved in the process. Nobody should be excluded or left out (unless they ask to be excluded). Participation. Not only is every person included, but each and every person is also expected to participate by contributing opinions and suggestions. While there are various roles that others may have, each person has an equal share (and stake) in the final decision. Co-operation. All the people involved collaborate and build upon each other's concerns and suggestions to come up with a decision or solution that will satisfy everyone in the group, rather than just the majority (while the minority is ignored). Egalitarianism. Nobody's input is weighed more or less than anyone else's. Each has equal opportunity to amend, veto, or block ideas. Solution-mindedness. An effective decision-making body works towards a common solution, despite differences. This comes through collaboratively shaping a proposal until it meets as many of the participants' concerns as possible. 2. Understand the benefits of using a consensus process. Consensus decision making involves a collaborative discussion, rather than an adversarial debate. Thus a consensus process is more likely to result in all parties reaching common ground. The benefits include: Better decisions- because all perspectives in the group are taken into account. The resulting proposals are therefore able to address all the concerns affecting the decision as much as possible. Better group relationships- through collaborating rather than competing, group members are able to build closer relationships through the process. Resentment and rivalry between winners and losers is minimized. Better implementation of decisions- When widespread agreement is achieved and everyone has participated in the process there is usually strong levels of cooperation in follow through. There are not likely to be disgruntled losers who might undermine or passively sabotage effective implementation of the group's decision. 3. Decide how your group will finalize a decision. A consensus process allows a group to generate as much agreement as possible. Some groups require everyone to consent if a proposal is to be passed. Other groups, however, allow decisions to be finalized without unanimous consent. Often a super-majority is deemed sufficient. Some groups use a simple majority vote or the judgment of a leader. They can still use a consensus process to come up with their proposals, regardless of how they finalize a decision. 21 4. Understand what it means to give consent. Consenting to a proposal does not necessarily mean it is your first choice. Participants are encouraged to think about the good of the whole group. This may mean accepting a popular proposal even if it is not your personal preference. In consensus decision making participants voice their concerns during the discussion so that their ideas can be included. In the end, however, they often decide to accept the best effort of the group rather than create factions or an "us against them" mentality. 5. Clearly outline what needs to be decided. You may need to add something or take something away. You may need to start something new or amend something current. Whatever it is, make sure that the entire issue is clearly stated for everyone to understand. It's always a good idea to address why the issue is being raised in the first place (i.e. what is the problem that needs to be solved?). Briefly review the options that are available. 6. List all the concerns participants want their proposal to address. This sets the groundwork for collaboratively developing a proposal that most people will support. 7. Test the waters. Before attempting a lengthy discussion, take a straw polls to see how much support a proposal idea has. If everyone agrees on a position, move on to finalizing and implementing the decision. If there is disagreement, discuss the concerns that are not yet met by the proposal. Then adapt the proposal, if possible, to make it more broadly agreeable. Sometimes a solution is reached by finding a middle ground between all parties. Even better, however, is when a proposal is shaped to meet as many needs as possible (win-win) rather than through compromise. Remember, to listen to each and every dissenter in the effort to get full agreement. 8. Apply your final decision rules. After a strong attempt has been made to get full agreement, poll the group to find out if the support in the group is sufficient to pass the proposal. The threshold of support necessary depends on the group's choice of decision rule. The decision rule used by your group should be decided well in advance of any contentious proposal being brought before it for consensus-building. There are several options: 9. Implement the decision. Keep in mind that the goal is to reach a decision the group can accept, not necessarily a decision that fulfils every member's wishes. Emphasize the role of the team in finding a solution to various issues together, not pitting stakeholders' interests against each other. Set aside some time for silence during the discussion. Participants will give more measured and well-reasoned opinions if they have time to think before they speak. For a decision that will require a lengthy amount of time and many people, establish roles for the discussion. Make sure these people are responsible members of the group. Also, ensure that participants understand that these individuals are considered responsible members of the group and the suggestions are to be taken respectfully and seriously. The role-playing individuals have equal votes among the decisionmakers, their vote counts no more or no less than anyone else. Here are a few roles that might help: 22 o Facilitators make sure that the decision making process adheres to both the rules of consensus building (as described above) and a reasonable schedule. There can be more than one facilitator, and a facilitator can "resign" from their responsibility if they feel they're becoming too personally involved with the decision. o Timekeepers keep their eye on the time. They let the facilitators and group know how much time is remaining and can help with steering the discussion back on track. A separate timekeeper is not always necessary, unless the facilitators are too busy moderating to keep checking the time. o Empathizers gauge the "emotional climate" of the discussion to make sure that it doesn't get out of hand. The goal is to anticipate emotional conflicts, prevent them or resolve them, and get rid of any kind of intimidation within the group. o Note takers document decisions, discussions, and action points of the group so that leaders or facilitators or any member of the group can recall previously stated concerns or statements and keep track of their progress. This role is especially important in a long, varied and drawn-out discussion, where it's hard to remember who said what. Make sure that everyone understands what is meant by "consensus" (see Steps above) since everyone will want to know when consensus is reached. Be patient with people as they learn about the consensus climate. It is often much different for people (especially individuals from Europe and North America) from democratic lifestyles. Some decision-makers may want to "stand aside". This usually means the individual does not support the proposal being discussed, but will allow the decision to pass if necessary. Sometimes, however, a person chooses to stand aside simply because they don't feel that they are knowledgeable enough about the subject to participate constructively. 4.3 develop mutual concern and camaraderie The most successful workplaces are those built on strong relationships between employees and each other, as well as strong relationships between staff and management. This is also one of the most challenging goals to accomplish, given the diverse nature of many workforces. Camaraderie begins from the first day an employee starts a new job. Here are some of the way how to Createcamaraderie in the Workplace Have Fun on the Job People who are happy tend to work harder and show a higher commitment to their jobs and employers. Use games in the workplace to motivate workers and stimulate social activity, both of which contribute to higher camaraderie in the workplace. Define a secret mission one day and award prizes to the workers who discover the mission and complete the tasks first. Hold a treasure hunt one day, with prizes hidden in places where workers must pass throughout the day, such as near the copier, in the break room or under a stack of folders in a common area. Get creative and assign a committee to come up with new challenges once a month. Welcome Newcomers with Official Greetings Assign a committee to welcome newcomers on their first days at the workplace. Get involved as a manager or company owner by allowing time for a tour of the work facility and introductions to new colleagues. Pay for lunch for an entire department or for a team when it starts a new 23 project with a new employee. Create a sense of camaraderie on the very first day so new employees feel welcome and comfortable and can avoid the awkward first few weeks when they don’t know anybody. Encourage Friendships In one of its studies, Gallup discovered that people who make close friends at work are 50 percent happier with their jobs than those that do not, which contributes to a much higher retention rate for the company. Allow friends to have input into their schedules so they can coordinate work shifts together. Also, let friends share breaks and lunch periods and even choose their desks and offices so they can be near each other. Allow Employees to Participate in Decision-Making Empower employees to take ownership of their work and feel better about what they do each day by allowing them to provide feedback when you are going to initiate changes or when you need to make a business decision that affects their work. Hold brainstorming sessions where workers can share ideas and get to know each other better outside of their normal duties. By fostering an inclusive culture, you create an atmosphere in which employees feel like they truly are a part of a team, working together toward common goals 5 facilitate accomplishment of organizational goals The overall objectives, purpose and mission of a business that have been established by its management and communicated to its employees. The organizational goals of a company typically focus on its longrange intentions for operating and its overall business philosophy that can provide useful guidance for employees seeking to please their managers 5.1 team members actively participated in team activities Commitment means acceptance of the responsibilities and duties and cooperation means help and assistance. By developing team commitment and cooperation in a work team you are assisting the team to meet its goals and objectives. Work teams that are committed and cooperative are more likely to achieve the goals the business has set. As team leader you are responsible for the direct support and development of each member of your designated team of supported employees. This is to be achieved by direct supervision of all team members, communication with other team leaders and support staff as well as the monitoring of supported employees' goal achievement as documented in their appraisal. You are also responsible for addressing day-to-day performance and behavioural issues of members of your team using agreed strategies. Should members of your work team be temporarily transferred to duties with other work teams, you will remain responsible for their support through continuous communication with other team leaders. Team commitment and cooperation is developed through good communication and effective decision making, as well as fostering mutual concern and camaraderie between team members. There are a number of signals that indicate the work team is committed and cooperating. These include: maintaining or increasing quality reaching or exceeding production targets decreasing complaints from team members limited conflict between team members fewer workplace injuries. Activity: Gaining team commitment What are the signals that team members in your work team are committed and cooperative? Take note of the Hint below when developing your response. 24 Who can you speak to about gaining team commitment and cooperation in your workplace? Take note of the Hint below when developing your response. Hint An important part of gaining commitment and cooperation is getting information from people. These people could be supported employees, or other supervisors and managers. Information could also be sought from specialists available to your workplace such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists or occupational health and safety trainers. Good communication skills are essential for any team leader. An ability to communicate with supported employees according to their preferences is a first step in developing team commitment and cooperation. Without the skills and knowledge to talk and act in ways that acknowledge the needs of supported employees in the work team, obtaining commitment and cooperation in the work team is difficult. Knowing how each member of your team prefers to gather information and how each member prefers to get advice and to be given instructions will help you to communicate the team goals appropriately to each team member. Activity: Work Talk Take some time now to read the Work Talk series. Your organisation will have copies of these available. In particular read any parts of the series that are relevant to you and supported employees in your team. What additional information or skills do you need to help you communicate effectively with supported employees? Who can provide the information? How can you gain the skills? What can influence a team member's communication requirements? A number of things can affect how a team member communicates with you and with other team members. A specific style of communication, as a consequence of the supported employee's disability, may be a constant factor. There may be other situations which may arise, however, which have unexpected results. These could include such things as a change in the medication or the side effects of a medication, the team member may be ill, or there may have been changes in the work routines. Are team leaders always the best people to identify communication preferences and requirements? Team leaders are the people who spend the most time working with and observing team members in the workplace, therefore they are usually the best person to identify communication preferences and requirements. There will be situations where you are unable to determine a supported employee's needs and will need to seek advice from other people. How can team leaders help teams make effective decisions? Team commitment and cooperation is also based on the team's capacity to make effective decisions. Many teams need assistance to learn how to make effective decisions and it is part of a team leader's role to provide this assistance. Team leaders can help teams make effective decisions by encouraging a work environment that supports the team and its members to make considered choices, act on them and review the results of the action. Activity: Provide examples of where you were part of a team that: Operated with an appropriate and fair value system 25 Encouraged the team and team members to act confidently Identified meaningful levels of responsibility for team members Trusted team members to act responsibly and autonomously Presented opportunities for team members to test and stretch their abilities Recognised and rewarded excellent performance Provided support and encouragement Provide examples of how can you contribute to ensuring that your current team: Operates with an appropriate and fair value system Is encouraged to act confidently Has meaningful levels of responsibility identified for team members Knows that you trust team members to act responsibly and autonomously Is presented with opportunities for team members to test and stretch their abilities Is recognised and rewarded for excellent performance Is provided with support and encouragement When should supported employees be involved in decisions relating to the team? There are degrees of team involvement in decision making. Your knowledge of the skills and abilities of the team members will guide your decision about the extent supported employees can contribute to making a decision. There are no rules for when and how team members should be involved. It is a matter for your judgement. The following diagram shows the degrees of involvement team members may have. At the highest level of involvement the team identifies and solves problems, and brings recommendations to the supervisor. At the lowest level of involvement the team plays no role in the decision making at all. Between these two extremes the supervisor and team may make the decision together, or the supervisor may outline the problem and constraints for solving it (time, money,etc) and hand it over to the team to solve. 26 Involving team members in decision making, which can include problem solving, should be based on whether one or more of the following is met: The need for acceptance. The greater the need for the team to accept your decisions, the more you should involve them. The effect the decision will have on the team. The more the problem or decision affects the team, the more you should involve them. Their involvement in implementing the decision. If the team will be implementing or carrying out the decision, involve them. The ability and desire of the group to become involved. If the team wants to be involved, consider involving them, particularly if they have sufficient knowledge or expertise in the issue involved. Even if they do not, it could be useful for training and development purposes. Case Study: Morning tea chaos Henry, a team leader, was annoyed. He had tried to involve the team in a decision about when to take a morning tea break and the discussion had ended in two of the supported employees yelling at each other. He spoke to Lisa, another team leader about the experience. 27 'It was awful, I thought I was doing the right thing and asking everyone. We need to get everyone's input into how we do our work otherwise it's always the team leaders making all the decisions.' Lisa's reply gave Henry some ideas about how he would approach similar situations in the future. She said, 'Henry, you're right that supported employees should be involved with decisions about their work life. We need to hear and act on what our team wants, it makes us a better team but sometimes it's the team leader's job to make a decision. This morning you asked people to change their routine quite significantly but did you really want them to make a team decision? It sounds as though you had already done that. Jocelyn always takes her medication at 10.30am and Valerina calls her mother, the change you were suggesting wouldn't have meant much difference in the team's output for the morning but it meant a lot for some of the members. We need to choose the times we ask supported employees to be involved in decisions and we have to be prepared for their responses'. Do you think Lisa's advice should be useful to Henry? Why? 5.3 sustain collaborative efforts to attain organizational goals Collaboration is working with others to do a task and to achieve shared goals. It is a recursive[ process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective determination to reach an identical objective— for example, an endeavourthat is creative in nature[ by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus. Most collaboration requires leadership, although the form of leadership can be social within a decentralized and egalitariangroup. In particular, teams that work collaboratively can obtain greater resources, recognition and reward when facing competition for finite resources. Collaboration is also present inopposing goals exhibiting the notion of adversarial collaboration, though this is not a common case for using the word. Structured methods of collaboration encourage introspection of behavior and communication. These methods specifically aim to increase the success of teams as they engage in collaborative problem solving. Forms, rubrics, charts and graphs are useful in these situations to objectively document personal traits with the goal of improving performance in current and future projects. Collaboration and Resource Sharing When looking at policy or program implementation, it is important to understand that often the success of a policy or program is dependent upon interagency or intergovernmental collaboration and cooperation. Key to collaboration and cooperation is the ability of agencies to share resources. The essence of collaboration is resource sharing since organizational priorities and institutional pride are based in resource allocation and utilization. Resource sharing represents commitment to something larger than the single focused organizational goals and objectives and a shift to enter into relationships with other agencies to achieve shared goals, visions and responded to mutual interest and obligations. Resource sharing requires development and enhancement of relationships and commitment to achieve something through that relationship, which may not otherwise be achievable by an individual agency or organization. Collaboration: literally means working together. Coordination: arrangement in proper order or proper relation. Communication: a giving of information. Consultation: the act of seeking information or advice. 28 Cooperation: the act of working together in united effort or labor. Clarity: clearness. Creativity: the quality of being creative (inventive, productive, constructive). Courage: bravery, meeting danger without fear. Why collaborate? Perhaps the most important concepts around the issue of collaboration and resource sharing are found in understanding why collaboration should occur in the first place. To start with, no program can provide all things to those who are in need of services. No budget can provide the resources to assist all of those in need. Therefore, it is important to note that: Collaboration enhances services, especially for underserved populations such as Indian children, youth and families. Collaboration increases the quantity of resources available to serve clients Collaboration increases better use of available resources. Collaboration increases the quality of available services. Collaboration enables agencies to address their common interests and common goals in providing services to Indian constituents. Collaboration increases opportunities for cultural exchange, thereby increasing cultural awareness, sensitivity and competence. Collaboration helps to view everyone as a resource. When should resource sharing occur? Resource sharing should occur whenever it is needed or desired. There are times when resource sharing or collaboration needs a formal process to accomplish the collaboration. This occurs when the collaboration is defined by statute (using mandatory or non-mandatory language), agency policy or procedure, or by intergovernmental agreement. Some examples of intergovernmental agreements are for information sharing, cross-deputization, multi-disciplinary team investigations, and special response teams or to transfer cases, share in the development of predisposition reports, or treatment planning. Interagency collaboration is not always a formal process. Informal processes may establish patterns of collaborative behavior, such as protocols, which allow for invitation or active participation by members outside the agency. The culture of an agency or organization may traditionally encourage positive interagency relationships. There are also informal agreements that allow for participation via committees, boards and task forces that informally allow for joint problem solving. Round table discussions, training events, convocations, and conferences are some examples for information exchange and cross-training to occur. Summary Many organisations comply with international or industry quality standards, such as ISO9001. These standards focus on continual improvement and involve reviewing and monitoring work processes in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. Ethical principles are focused on values such as trust, good behaviour, fairness and kindness. Organisations usually set their own ethical standards. There are various ways to find an appropriate training provider to conduct the training. You can try searching on the internet using a search engine. There are numerous training providers. When choosing a training provider, look for accredited training providers. 29 In providing learning opportunities in the workplace you may be required to use appropriate aids and support materials. As part of developing a learning plan, you need to collect feedback on the individual or team’s performance. Many organisations monitor staff to ensure they are following procedures and meeting standards. Monitoring staff can be used to: The learning plan should include all the information that the team or individual need to understand the proposed learning opportunity. This should include: The goals and objectives of the learning. , The competencies or performance criteria to be covered. The learning strategy, Timeframes for completing the learning and achieving the competency and Location of training. Reviewing competency standards can help you to determine the skill level required. A competency standard is a document that specifies how people should complete their job. Many organisations monitor staff to ensure they are following procedures and meeting standards. Monitoring staff can be used to: To effectively implement your training you will need resources. Resources are anything you need to achieve your goals. This can include everyday items or specific resources required for particular tasks. Check list You have now completed the competency of Develop Individual and Teamand you need to check whether you have understood the basic content in this course. If you have a ‘no” answer for any of the following, you have to go back and read the appropriate section again until you grasp the important point Yes No Identify Learning and development needs systematically and implemented in line with organizationalrequirements Develop and implement Learning plan to meet individual and group training and developmental needs is collaboratively developed and implemented Encourage Individuals to self-evaluate performance and identify areas for improvement Collect Feedback on performance of team members from relevant sources and compared with established team learning process Identify learning and development program goals and objectives to match the specific knowledge and skills requirements of competency standards Learning delivery methods are appropriate to the learning goals, the learning style of participants and availability of equipment and resources Provide workplace learning opportunities and coaching/ mentoring assistance are facilitate individual and team achievement of competencies Identify resources and timelines required for learning activities and approved in accordance with organizational requirements Use feedback from individuals or teams to identify and implement improvements in future learning arrangements 30 Assess outcomes and performance of individuals/teams and recorded to determine the effectiveness of development programs and the extent of additional support Negotiate modifications to learning plans to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of learning Records and reports of competency are maintained within organizational requirement Open communication processes to obtain and share information is used by team Reach decisions by the team in accordance with its agreed roles and responsibilities Develop mutual concern and camaraderie in the team Actively participate team members in team activities and communication processes Develop team’s members’ individual and joint responsibility for their actions Sustain collaborative efforts to attain organizational goals Assignment Choose the best answer from the given alternatives 1. Learning and development needs A. Coaching, mentoring and/or supervision B. Formal/informal learning program C. Internal/external training provision D. Work experience/exchange/opportunities E. Personal study F. Career planning/development G. Performance appraisals H. All of the above 2. A. B. C. D. E. F. 3. A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. Identify methods of Feedback on performance Formal/informal performance appraisals Obtaining feedback from supervisors and colleagues Obtaining feedback from clients Personal and reflective behavior strategies Routine and organizational methods for monitoring service delivery All of the above One of the following is Learning delivery methods On the job coaching or mentoring Problem solving Presentation/demonstration Formal course participation Work experience Involvement in professional networks Conference and seminar attendance All of the above 31 4. The training needs will differ for individuals at different levels and may include: A. Career planning/development. B. Coaching, mentoring and/or supervision. C. Formal/informal learning programs. D. Internal/external training provision. E. Personal study. F. Performance appraisals. G. Recognition of current competence/skills recognition. H. All of the above 5. laws provide a range of grounds for a person to lodge a complaint if they feel they have been discriminated against on the basis of: A. Race. B. Age. C. sex. D. Disability. E. All of the above 6. Your organisation’s business plan should detail the organisations: A. Goals. B. Objectives. C. Strategies. D. Resource plan. E. Key performance indicators. F. Budgets. G. All of the above 7. Monitoring staff can be used to: A. Check that staff are following your organisation’s policies and procedures. B. Check the quality of customer service. C. Find out if staff need more training. D. Review staff skills and knowledge. E. Check that staff are safe. F. Check that legal and regulatory requirements are being met. G. All of the above 8. You can monitor staff by: A. Reading staff emails. B. Checking logs of websites visited by staff. C. Observing them while they are working. D. Recording telephone calls. E. Listening to voice messages. F. Checking logs of telephone numbers called. G. Looking at the work area, desks or equipment. H. All of the above 9. Non-verbal communication barriers relate to: A. Touching. B. Facial expressions. C. Gestures. D. Personal space. 32 E. Posture. F. All of the above 10. The learning plan should include all the information that the team or individual need to understand the proposed learning opportunity. This should include: A. The goals and objectives of the learning. B. The competencies or performance criteria to be covered. C. The learning strategy. D. Timeframes for completing the learning and achieving the competency. E. Location of training. F. Details of who will be providing the training. G. Details of who will be participating. H. All of the above 11. After the learning plan has been developed, it will need to be proofread and reviewed to ensure it meets your requirements. To do this you will need to use your literacy skills to: A. Read through the document first to check it meets your requirements. B. Check through the document more thoroughly for errors or inaccuracies. C. Read it aloud to gauge how it flows. D. Read backwards through the document looking at the headings. E. Double-check the names that were used. F. Double-check any numbers in the document. G. All of the above 12. Check that staffs are following your organisation’s policies and procedures. A. Check the quality of customer service. B. Find out if staffs need more training. C. Review staff skills and knowledge. D. Check that staffs are safe. E. Check that legal and regulatory requirements are being met. F. All of the above 33