NVQ IN MANAGEMENT
Workshop 3: Communications
and Working Relationships
Kate Fairweather
CMCAust Marketing
07802 250508
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Session 3 Objectives
• By the end of this session you will be able to:
– Apply equal opportunities and diversity policy to developing
working relationships
– Draw up flow diagrams to define the suppliers and customers of
your team and stakeholders you need to take account of
– Identify key colleagues and stakeholders, and develop plans for
effective communication with them
– Identify key barriers to communication and methods to
communicate effectively verbally and in writing
– Develop plans for creating a common sense of purpose and an
atmosphere of trust and mutual respect
– Research opinions and present information and arguments
effectively
– Use negotiation and resolution methods for dealing with
disagreements and conflicts of interest
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Links to other sessions
Other sessions covered:
• Leadership and motivating people – requires good
communications
• Operational Planning and managing change – requires
negotiation and developing new ideas
• Team performance management and development – requires
fairness and conflict resolution
• Personal development and managing yourself –
communications and working relationships may need to be
part of your own development plan
This session looks at the need to develop good working
relationships to put new ideas into practice, looking at
colleagues and stakeholders as customers and suppliers, and
how to communicate effectively, negotiate to achieve your
goals and resolve conflicts
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•
Equal Opportunities and Diversity
It is unlawful to discriminate on the
• There are generally four types of
grounds of:
discrimination:
• sex, including pregnancy and
• direct discrimination - treating
maternity
somebody less favourably on the
grounds of their sex, race, etc
• marital status, including civil
partnership status
• indirect discrimination - applying an
apparently general rule which in
• gender reassignment
practice disadvantages one sex, race,
• a person's disability
etc
• race
• harassment – bullying and other
• age
forms of harassment
• sexual orientation
• victimisation - treating someone
• religion/belief
unfairly because, for example, they
plan to raise a discrimination-related
• trade union membership or nongrievance
membership
• status as a fixed-term or part-time
worker
Most businesses have an equal opportunities policy governing recruitment,
access to training and development, access to opportunities, flexible working,
equal pay, support for people with disabilities. Some also have diversity policies
promoting the value of a diverse workplace.
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Equal opportunities and diversity
• What is the importance of equal opportunities and diversity in
your workplace?
• How do ensure you are upholding equal opportunities and
diversity policies in your working relationships?
Research your organisation’s Equality Discrimination and
Diversity policies and write a report on your main obligations
and responsibilities.
Employment legislation is being updated all the time, so go to
the ACAS website www.acas.org.uk (stands for the Advisory,
Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the Government agency
that advises on good work practice) to investigate further
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Activity 1 Discrimination and supporting diversity
Describe a situation where you felt that you or someone else were discriminated against in the
workplace – particularly in terms of a working relationship.
Describe a situation where you felt that diversity was of real benefit in the workplace – where people
with backgrounds or ways of working that were different to yours made what you did at work better.
Read the ACAS Model Workplace leaflet attached:
In what ways could you improve your working relationships by paying more attention to diversity/equal
opportunities?
Produce a case study on how you have applied this in the workplace.
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Who are the people you need good
working relationships with?
• The workplace has a complex network of working
relationships and people you need to influence
• Who are your customers, who are your suppliers?
• What other stakeholders do you need to take account of –
customers, board of directors, quality assurers, inspectors,
agencies checking compliance with legislation (Data
Protection, Environment, Health and Safety etc.)
• You can use a flow diagram to show who you deal with at
each stage in the process – put your team in the middle in a
box, write other departments or organisations in boxes
around your team, link into or out of your team with an arrow
to show if they are people who provide things to you, or
people you supply things to
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Activity 2 Process diagram
Draw a Flow Chart for the warehouse process below.
The sales office sends the team a sales note which shows which items to put in the customer
order.
We check the warehouse for the items on the list. If we have them we put them in the parcel.
If we don’t have them we ask manufacturing to deliver another batch to us.
Manufacturing will give us a timescale for supplying the items that are not in stock. Sometimes
they tell us they cannot provide that product, and we have to tell sales that it is not available so
they can contact the customer.
We pack up the items that we have, list them on a dispatch note for the customer and ask the
post room to mail them out for us. We copy the dispatch note to the sales team so they know
what has been sent out, and to accounts so they can bill the customer.
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Activity 2
Look at each stage of your team’s job – identify who provides you with a product or service
and who do you provide products or services or information to?
Use a flow diagram to show each stage of the process and who you get things from, who you
hand things on to.
List the key working relationships you have to develop, include the members of your own
team!
Write up actions for improving working relationships using the SMART format attached from
the Leadership Workshop – do you need regular formal communications with them, or just
ensure you are in communication on a regular basis?
Report results to
Customer 1
Provider 1
Your Team
Customer 2
Provider 2
Notify action
to/ask for support
from
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Stakeholder
records/reporting
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Activity 2 SMART Objectives Format
Use this format to create your key or new objectives for developing working relationships:
Who is
responsible
Objective and target
E .g. Meet with Finance Manager to ensure all
orders are allocated to the correct account
Me
When must be
complete
15th
By the
of
each month
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Measure
Meetings
diaried
annually,
meeting took
place
How to monitor
Check monthly that
reported income
matches department
results
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Communications
• Communication consists of:
Source/
Message/
transmitter
content
Receiver
• What can go wrong?
–
–
–
–
Receiver not listening
Transmitter does not communicate clearly
Interference – attitudes, environment, situations
Body language
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Berne’s Transaction Analysis
• Based on the idea that we all carry sets of communication
responses based around:
– Parent: Behaviours, thoughts and feelings copied from parents
and parent figures (controlling)
– Adult: Behaviours, thoughts and feelings which are direct
responses from the here and now (rational)
– Child: Behaviours, thoughts and feelings replayed from
childhood (impulsive, irresponsible)
• Parent mode words typically contain value judgments,
Adult words are clear and definable, and Free Child mode
words are direct and spontaneous
• Parent mode leaning forward, Adult mode stay upright,
Child mode lean away
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Ernst’s OK Corral
One-down
Get away from
Helpless
I’m to blame
Healthy
Get on with
Happy
No fault, let’s fix it
Hopeless
Get nowhere with
We’re both to blame
One-up
Get rid of
Angry
You’re to blame
You are not OK with me
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I’m OK with me
I’m not OK with me
You are OK with me
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Effective Transactional Modes
Effective – I’m OK, You’re OK
Ineffective - You’re not OK
Structuring – constructive criticism
Criticising – I can do this better than you
Inconsistent – Unpredictable reactions
Supporting - affirming
Interfering – I’ll do that for you
Co-creational – co-operative
Over-adapting – I don’t know, are you
sure you do? (I’m not OK)
Oppositional – Whatever it is, the
answer’s no!
Playful - creative
Reckless – Who cares, I’ll do my bit
regardless
Effective communications are rational reactions to what’s in front of you, no baggage!
You can choose how you react, if someone invites you into ineffective modes don’t go
there!
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Activity 3
What modes of communication are being demonstrated in these situations? Make notes
about your choice, and describe how you would respond effectively:
• You go to see the Office Manager about your expenses claim. Last month you checked
with her on how to calculate your mileage allowance and she showed you the calculation,
but this month she has rejected your claim saying you are trying it on.
• You meet with the HR Manager about a member of your team who has been late on
several occasions. He tells you that you should have given them a verbal warning and says
that he will see the person the next day to have it out with them.
• The Mail Room Manager calls you to say that none of your team are following the new
rules about the last collection time, customers are complaining about getting their goods
a day later than promised by your team and she is getting all the blame.
• You are in a monthly management meeting when the new Finance Manager is introduced.
You present your monthly report with updates on three important projects and check for
on-going support for them to proceed as agreed in the Business Plan. The Finance
Manager says that she cannot agree to any of the projects going any further until one of
her team has checked through them in detail and she has signed them off.
• A member of your team comes to you saying that a colleague has been telling everyone
about a confidential issue that only you knew about and he feels everyone is laughing at
him.
• A member of your team goes to see your manager to present her ideas about a new team
structure which you only find out about when your manager mentions it to you as an odd
thing to have happened.
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Good Communications
• Clear communication – exactly what do you want to say?
• Plain English
• Well argued – introduction, concise explanation of the problem, possible
solutions with pros and cons, your proposal for solving it, ask for feedback
• Accurate grammar, spelling, proof read
• Body language – Mehrabian’s communication model
– 93% of emotional response to communication is how you say it and your body
language/facial expression
• Choose the right method, tone, style, level of formality
• Assertiveness – do your research, have the facts ready, discuss the issue
with key people to see what they think and what support they will offer,
anticipate objections and prepare reasoned responses, prepare open
questions to ask to clarify issues others may have, have confidence in your
proposal
• Get feedback and evaluate it, improve
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Plan Communications
Communications Plan For New Shop Launch
Overall Communication Objective: To make current internet and potential customers aware of the new shop and
achieve 30 customers attending the launch event on April 1st, plus 3 local newspaper journalists
Audience
Communication Objectives
Message
Channel
Timing
Current
customers
20m radius
Generate 15 customers visiting
the launch event
New local shop available for
browsing, collections and to see
wider range, get advice from expert
team
Website, Facebook, leaflet,
email, telesales team
January
onwards
All AB
households in
East Kent
Generate 15 new customers
visiting the launch event
The Kitchen People are coming to
you, launch event with special offers
for new customers
Local press advertising,
internet advertising in
housewares with vouchers
February
onwards
3 Local
journalists
Key local journalists to attend
the launch event
Prestigious brand launching outlet in
East Kent, employment and
regeneration
Press release, phone calls
March 1st
Webmaster
Achieve promotion of the
launch on all web platforms
Key priority update to the web
platforms to promote the launch
Meeting
November
15th
Telesales
team
Add launch information and
voucher offers to all sales
Make sure your customers are
aware of the launch offers and
vouchers at each sale
Presentation to telesales
team
December
20th
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Activity 4
As a result of a business-wide Health and Safety review you are implementing a
new health and safety risk assessment procedure which means that each
department of your car repair company will be responsible for risk assessing on a
quarterly basis and reporting the outcome to you. This change has been made
because your team cannot visit every department often enough cover the whole
business effectively. The reception and MOT departments have customers coming
on site, in the repair and body shop areas the staff are using heavy machinery and
chemicals which require training and protective clothing/equipment. The training
of staff members and testing of equipment and processes will remain your
responsibility, but the departments will need to ensure staff are put on courses
and that they maintain a complete list of equipment and provide this to you
quarterly. You have developed a simple risk assessment format and will train two
people in each department to do this. You have also provided an online course for
every member of staff to take which enable them to risk assess their own work on
an informal basis and report any issues to you. You will make spot checks on each
department over the year to ensure no risks are being underestimated.
Using the communications planning tool below, plan how you will communicate
this change to all concerned using abroad range of communication methods.
Make notes on why you have selected specific communications methods and
issues you anticipate, the language, tone and style you would choose.
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Communications Plan For ….
Overall Communication Objective:
Audience
Communication Objectives
Message
Channel
Timing
Develop a communications plan for two areas in your workplace and write case studies
on how you implemented these, how they went and what you learned from this.
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Developing an Atmosphere of
Common Purpose, Trust and Mutual
Respect
• Develop empathy and trust – Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
covers:
– Think Win-Win, work cooperatively
– Seek to understand then to be understood, listen, diagnose the issue and then
find a solution
– Creative cooperation, always see the potential in the other person’s
contribution
•
•
•
•
Active, empathetic and facilitative listening
Fulfil agreements
Set up agreed communication routes
Develop a sense of common purpose – Consult about changes and issues
– Network with key people, check the grapevine, monitor reports and trends
– Track changes in the environment that mean you need to develop new
relationships or change the ones you have
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Activity 5
Go back to your communications actions in Activity 2 and review
which relationships you need to work on in terms of developing
a sense of common purpose and an atmosphere of trust and
mutual respect: Add new objectives on the format below
Objective and target
Who is
responsible
E .g. Hold an informal weekly team
meeting
Me
When must be
complete
By the first
week of next
month
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Measure
How to monitor
Diary for
Friday
afternoons
after last
post has
gone
Full team
attendance at each
meeting
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Presenting at meetings
•
Effective meeting behaviour:
– Prepare by researching your information, discussing the issue with your team,
colleagues, key influencers before the meeting
– Prepare and practice your pitch, use diagrams or a short paper or presentation to
support, be concise
– Prepare by being aware of other points of view and why you feel your view is the right
one
– Be prepared to negotiate – what would you give up for what concessions
– Present your information clearly and confidently to promote understanding, use open
body language, do not be defensive
– Listen to other points of view, represent your view in another way – often people say no
because they do not understand what you meant
– Ask questions to find out what the person’s issues are and give ideas how you can assist
them
– Ensure you state what has been agreed and that the meeting agrees to it and make sure
it is noted or minuted (paper does not forget)
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Activity 6 Information Presentation
Analyse the following information and prepare a brief presentation of the case with your recommendations to
a managers’ meeting. Think about the different points of view you think people at the meeting might have and
plan how to gain their support or allay their fears. Identify where you might be prepared to negotiate and
where you would fight your corner.
You work in the toy department of a department store. Your sales figures have been reducing over the last 6
months. A proposal has been made to move your department to the second floor with the china and glass
sections and replace your ground floor space with a new DVD and CD section. Your department was moved 6
months ago from the front of the store to the back, and at the same time the store stopped advertising special
offers for the toy section. The business was taken over eight months ago by a furniture retailer, and the new
managing director is an accountant who has been trying to find ways to reduce costs from the department
store to improve profits from the overall business. The furniture department tends to suffer from low cash flow
because people only pay for their goods after the furniture has been delivered, which can take 4 weeks.
Make notes covering the following:
What are the negatives to the proposed move?
What alternatives would you propose?
Who could be your allies?
Who will you need to convince?
What would you be prepared to concede as part of a negotiation?
What are your critical success factors as a toy department that you could not concede?
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Produce a case study from your workplace
on how
you have
effectively
presented to a meeting.
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Dealing with disagreements
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Disagreements happen – we don’t all see everything the same way
Open up a dialogue early – with an independent 3rd party there if required
Consider any personal or political issues that may be playing a part in the problem
Ask for the other person’s point of view and listen well – active listening
Explain your point of view
See if you can negotiate a solution that suits both of you, give way on things that
are easy for you to do but the other party values, ask for concessions in return
Use an appropriate resolution approach
–
–
–
–
Force your own view and defeat the other party
Compromise between your and the other party’s view and reach an agreement
Accommodate the other party’s view so they have their way
Collaborate to solve the problem together so everyone feels the outcome is fair
Be tough on the problem not the people, challenge inappropriate behaviour
Empathise with different perspectives and show respect for the other point of
view
Maintain a balanced approach, don’t make the issue personal, ensure the outcome
meets your organisation’s overall objectives/goals and is fair
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Activity 7
Communications assignment: You have been asked to meet with colleagues concerning a
team member who unusually has been absent for four weeks. You know the people there
have the following ways of working:
The Finance Manager always follow the rules to the letter.
The HR Manager is mainly concerned for staff welfare.
The Sales Manager is responsible for achieving targets.
You are seeking to find a compromise between the needs of the business and concern for
the individual.
Make notes covering the following:
How would you go about finding a solution, what would you do before the meeting, how
would you present to your colleagues at the meeting?
What key points would you want to make, where would there need to be compromise, what
concessions would you be prepared to make?
What barriers to communication would you anticipate?
How could you overcome these communications problems?
Research your organisation’s policies about grievances, bullying, disciplinary action,
discrimination and write a report on your responsibilities for applying these in your
workplace
Produce a case study from your workplace covering how you have handled two conflict
situations.
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Review of this session
What we have talked about
• Diversity issues in working relationships
• Identifying key people you need to develop good working relationships
with
• How to communicate well, avoid problems
• Building a common sense of purpose, an atmosphere of trust and mutual
respect
• How to be effective in meetings
• How to deal with disagreements
• Now choose from the notes you have made the specific actions you want
to take. If you are taking a Management NVQ with CMC Aust then now
email your work from Activities 1 to 7 to Kate Fairweather at
kate@cmcaustmarketing.co.uk for assessment of learning and feedback
Places to find out more – search internet on any subject or theorist, these web sites
are useful: Equal opportunities and diversity www.acas.org.uk ,
communications skills http://www.mindtools.com , transaction analysis,
body language, empathy and trust http://www.businessballs.com/
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Management NVQ
•
•
This workshop provides the underpinning knowledge for Unit 4,20 of the Management NVQ Diploma at
Level 5 and Unit 409, 428 of the Business Administration Diploma at Level 4 – Management Option, plus
NVQs at Level 3 and 2 in Management Business Skills and Business Administration
For the Units you will need to produce for your NVQ Assessor:
– A copy of your organisation’s Equality, Diversity, Grievance and Disciplinary policies with a statement of
how you were trained on these issues, how you have or would follow the policies
– A statement of who your key colleagues and stakeholders are and how you ensure you communicate
effectively with them plus an evaluation of the working relationships you have with them and how you
plan to improve these, support with an organisation chart showing where your job fits within this set
of working relationships
– Several examples of a variety of written communications with explanations of what they were for,
what you wanted to achieve, how you planned them to be effective
– Opportunities to observe you communicating verbally plus two written examples of your verbal
communications/presentations/meetings supported by a witness statement to support your
statements
– Two examples from your experience to demonstrate that you have developed a sense of common
purpose, an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect
– Two examples of dealing with disagreements and negotiating solutions
If you would like to take a Management NVQ please contact me, Kate Fairweather 07802 250508, email
kate@cmcaustmarketing.co.uk or go to our website www.cmcaustmarketing.co.uk/nvq_qualifications.htm
where you will find details
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