BSBLDR502-Lead and Manage Effective Workplace Relationships Assessment Task
Task summary
For this assessment task you are required to assume the role of General Manager of Accountancy Victoria and develop workplace policies and procedures.
Required
• Computer and Microsoft Office
• Access to the internet for research and to review relevant legislation, for example:
* https://www.fairwork.gov.au/how-we-will-help/templates-and-guides/best-practice-guides/effective-dispute-resolution
Assessment Instructions: Carefully read the following:
Accountancy Victoria is based in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne, and provides accountancy and book keeping services for a range of clients.
Accountancy Victoria was established by two Directors who are the Senior Accountants for the company. Other staff employed are: three accountants, a bookkeeper and an Officer Manager. The company is expanding due to the demand for accountancy services and will employ a further three senior accountants in the next 2 months, as well as an Officer Manager and Client Services Coordinator.
You have recently been appointed as the General Manager of Accountancy Victoria. Your role is to manage the day to day operations of the company. The first task you have been allocated is to establish formal systems and processes for a range of areas, as currently most of the company’s systems and processes are informal.
To start the process of creating formal systems and processes, you have been asked to develop systems and processes for workplace communication, consultation, as well as a Code of Conduct and dispute resolution processes.
Each document must be written in clear and concise English, be professionally presented, grammatically correct and error free. The document should also be written according to the Style Guide and be of approximately 2 pages.
Now complete the following activities:
PART 1:
Research and develop a Code of Conduct
You are required to research and develop a Code of Conduct. The purpose of the Code of Conduct is so that the staff at Accountancy Victoria are aware of, and follow the standard of behaviour expected of them in relation to their fellow employees, as well as clients. Use the Internet to identify and review staff Codes of Conduct from other organisations.
Your staff Code of Conduct must be in your own words and include:
• Introduction: purpose of the Code
• Scope: who it applies to
• Details of expected personal and professional behaviour (as a minimum, this should address a range of ethical behaviours, as well as behaviours appropriate to working within a diverse workplace)
• Conflict of interest requirements
• Gifts, benefits and hospitality
• Outside employment and consulting
• Use of social media
PART 2:
Research and develop a Workplace Communication and Consultation Policy and Procedure
The next part of the assessment task requires you to research and develop a workplace communication and consultation policy and procedure. Your policy and procedure should describe the mechanisms that will be used for internal communications, as well as how staff can provide input into a range of workplace related matters. Your research could include a review of other workplace communication or consultation policies and/or procedures. The document you develop must be in your own words.
The policy and procedure should include the following minimum information:
• Purpose
• Scope
• Communication strategies for communicating with staff: type, purpose and frequency. You should include at least four strategies in your policy and procedure.
• Communication protocols for meetings in relation to sending out of agendas and writing up of minutes.
• Consultation process: ways in which staff can contribute to workplace issues (e.g. surveys, suggestion forms, etc.). You must include at least three. Provide specific detail about the consultation mechanism. For example, for a suggestion box indicate the location of the box and how suggestions will be recorded and actioned.
PART 3:
Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedure
The final document you are required to develop is a dispute resolution procedure. This needs to be established so that all staff are aware of what dispute resolution procedures are in place. The dispute resolution policy and procedures needs to address the following:
• Purpose of the policy
• Scope: who it applies to
• What constitutes a dispute
• Responsibilities of managers in disputes
• Responsibilities of employees in disputes
• The process by which a dispute will be handled.
You may review dispute resolution policies and procedures to guide the development of your document. However, the document must be in you own words. Ensure that you review the link provided under “Required” to ensure that your policy and procedures considers relevant legislation.
PART 4:
Seek feedback from staff
Assume that you are required to seek feedback from staff on the documents you have developed. When you have completed all of the above documents, you must submit them via email to staff (this will be your assessor).
The email should provide a clear and simple summary of the documents attached and invite staff to provide feedback. As the staff have varying levels of education and the bookkeeper’s first language is not English, ensure your email is written in plain English so as to be easily be understood by all recipients.
The staff (this will be your assessor) will provide you with feedback, which you should incorporate into your documents.
When you have revised your documents based on the feedback provided, you will need to send the final versions to the staff (your assessor) via email again, indicating in a covering email of the feedback that was provided and how this has been incorporated into the revised documents.
PART 5:
Identify networks
In this part of the assessment task you are required to research at least three networks that may be relevant to yourself in the role of General Manager of Accountancy Victoria. This could be an association for managers or a local business network. It could also be a Facebook Group set up specifically for managers. You will record these networks/events in the next part of the assessment.
For each of the networks that you have selected, identify events provided by the network over the next 12 months. Identify at least 4 events that are of interest to you in the role of General Manager of Accountancy Victoria and that would be of benefit to the team and/or company.
Bear in mind that when you complete your networking plan, one of the opportunities that you identify must be a networking opportunity that you participate in and report on as part of this assessment task. This networking opportunity can be something as simple as identifying and reviewing a relevant LinkedIn group or participating in a free webinar.
Make notes to use in your networking plan.
PART 6:
Develop a networking plan
Complete the networking plan template provided by your assessor for the next 12 months. You will need to complete the plan in full to show the details of the networking events you have identified are relevant to the role of General Manager of Accountancy Victoria.
The plan should show full details of the event, including the name of the event, where it will be held, date and time and the cost of the event. You should also provide a brief description of the expected benefit to yourself (in the role of General Manager), as well as for the team of staff that you are responsible for in the role of General Manager of Accountancy Victoria.
PART 7.
It is six months later at Accountancy Victoria. The new Administration Assistant, Beth, has been employed and has been in the position for 2 months. Beth is from Somalia but she has been in the country for 1 year and speaks good English.
The Officer Manager, Sarah, asks to see you to discuss the Administration Assistant’s performance. She mentions that the Beth has not been completing her tasks on time or to the standard she expects. She refers to a few examples, including stationary not been ordered on time, agendas for meetings not sent out in the correct format or to the required timelines and providing clients with incorrect information.
Now complete the following activities:
1. Prepare for meeting to resolve workplace difficulties
Before you commence this assessment, read the following guide about managing underperformance. You will be assessed on your demonstration of the skill referred to under key points for employers to remember.
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/policies-and-guides/best-practice-guides/managing-underperformance
Send an email to your assessor (as though they are Beth) requesting her to attend a meeting with you to discuss her work. Include a date and time for the meeting.
2. Conduct meeting to resolve workplace difficulties
Conduct the meeting with Beth (with your assessor playing the role of Beth), explaining to her what the problem is, why it is a problem, how it impacts on the workplace, and why there is a concern.
At the meeting you must:
• Explain the purpose of the meeting
• Explain to Beth what the problem is
• Explain how this behaviour impacts on the workplace and why it is a concern. Ensure that you focus on the issue, not the person.
• Demonstrate your interpersonal and communication skills by:
• Keeping your communication clear and simple
• Listening to Beth and confirming and clarifying information shared
• Asking questions to confirm information
• Emphasizing Beth’s strengths as per the scenario information
• Discuss and agree on a solution
3. Follow up meeting
Send a follow up email to Beth within 1 day of the meeting, summarizing the meeting and the solution agreed to.