BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional … · 2017. 9. 28. · BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional development Learner Guide Student

BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional development

Learner Guide

Student Name:

HEAD OFFICE SETsolutions

Unit 4, 46 Hartnett Drive Seaford Vic 3198

Phone: 1300 100 429 Facsimile: 1300 139 783

www.setsolutions.com.au

http://www.setsolutions.com.au/

LEARNER GUIDE 2

SETsolutions BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional development

Page 2 of 40

Development

SETsolutions applies a professional approach to ensure that its learning and assessment resources

are current, valid, fair and flexible assessment tools that accurately relate to the elements and

performance criteria to meet competency standards.

SETsolutions ensures that all resources comply with the appropriate training packages, released on

www.training.gov.au.

All SETsolutions resources are written by qualified industry trainers or current industry experts

employed or contracted by SETsolutions. To ensure they are kept current and fair they are validated

annually by qualified trainers. Feedback from our clients, students and trainers is encouraged to

maintain currency and reflect any upcoming changes within the industry.

General information

There is a summative approach to assessment designed for a learning environment that enables

simulation in workplace environments or employment seeking activities when required. The

timeframe for assessment generally allows for sufficient time for practice and reinforcement of the

skills and knowledge.

Resources needed for the assessment

SETsolutions ensures that all assessments are written in line with the assessment guidelines of the

relevant training package. When all tasks of the assessment are carried out to the required

specifications competency will be achieved and will produce sufficient evidence to meet all the

requirements of the individual units of competency when completed in full.

User guide to assessment methods and tools

SETsolutions uses a range of different assessment methods which may include:

Question / Answer Written

Work Sample / Supplementary Assessor Skills Observation

Third Party Report

The unit and industry you are currently studying will determine which assessment tools your trainer

will recommend you complete. Your input is encouraged when it comes to selecting which

assessment tools will be used, but it will be your trainers’ decision as to the tools that are practical

to your training. Your trainer will explain each assessment method and tool in further detail prior to

any work being completed.

Further information regarding assessment is detailed in your Assessment Workbook.

Please Note:

SETsolutions have a zero tolerance approach to cheating and plagiarism. If any student is found by SETsolutions to have cheated on any forms of assessment, including plagiarism another’s work, they will be required to re-sit an alternative assessment under the supervision of a SETsolutions assessor to confirm competence in the unit.

You must complete all assessment tasks in this Assessment workbook.

It is important that you keep copies of all work that you submit.

Evidence provided by you to SETsolutions is retained for our records and not returned to you.

LEARNER GUIDE 3


Page 3 of 40

BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional development On successful completion of these units you will be able to:

Organise and complete own work schedule

Monitor own work performance

Coordinate personal skill development and learning

In order to be assessed as competent in these units you need to provide evidence which demonstrates that

you can perform the required behaviours, skills and knowledge to the required standard. Competency

depends on consistently demonstrating the skills, attitude and knowledge that enable you to complete

activities and tasks, confidently and in a variety of situations.

To complete this unit you must:

Successfully complete all of the activities in your Assessment Workbook

Successfully answer the questions in your Assessment Workbook

Successfully complete all of the projects in your Assessment Workbook

If you find you need additional support when completing your training or assessment tasks, you will have

access to your allocated Trainer who can offer you guidance and support to complete your tasks.

This Learner Guide contains Learning theory based on the required skills and knowledge, elements and

performance criteria for this unit. Employability Skills – Employability skills are recognised as an important

part of your development along with the task-specific skills and knowledge that you will learn in this program.

When to ask for Help!

If at any time you are unsure of tasks you are required to complete or need additional support, please speak to

your Trainer. No question is a silly question except for the one that is not asked.

LEARNER GUIDE 4


Page 4 of 40

Employability Skills

Employers in Australia and overseas have made it very clear that the task-specific skills and knowledge people

develop in learning programs needs to be combined with the development of specific behaviours or skills that

enable employees to be productive and valued. These types of skills are known as employability skills and also

play an important part in the way that you will be assessed in this unit. The following table outlines the

employability skills for your qualification. Your Trainer/ Assessor will assess your development of these skills in

the context of this unit. You should record your own key learning’s in your Learning Journal.

BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional development

Employability Skill How this skill applies to your role

Communication Communication skills to: communicating with colleagues and customers to gather information about

their needs and to provide services

listening to and following complex oral instructions

proofreading and editing

writing clear and detailed instructions

Teamwork Teamwork skills to: agreeing on the purpose and structure of documents, spreadsheets and

databases with colleagues and clients

collecting feedback from customers and colleagues

coordinating and consulting with meeting participants

referring queries to colleagues

Problem Solving Problem Solving skills to: analysing document requirements and using online help, manuals and user

documentation

determining appropriate strategies to respond to user requests

diagnosing customer service complaints and taking steps to improve the service

making decisions about classification and storage of records

Initiative and Enterprise Initiative and Enterprise skills to: designing complex documents, databases and spreadsheets

evaluating tasks to improve efficiency

suggesting improvements to the structure and design of existing systems

Planning and Organising Planning and Organising skills to: organising resources, equipment and time lines

organising work schedules and meetings

planning future business technology requirements

planning task organisation to meet time lines

Self-management Self-management skills to: evaluating own performance and identifying areas for improvement

managing time and ensuring ergonomic requirements are met

planning and reviewing own work

using judgement and discretion with confidential information

Learning Learning skills to: actively participating in coaching and mentoring sessions to improve

standards of service provision

attending training/induction in the use of administrative systems

LEARNER GUIDE 5


Page 5 of 40

Technology Technology skills to: maintaining existing business technology and planning for future

requirements

using business technology such as computers, word processing programs and printers

LEARNER GUIDE 6


Page 6 of 40

Introduction

A goal can simply be defined as, an end to which our efforts are directed towards. We are naturally

goal setting machines. From the moment that we decide to set the alarm to wake up at a certain

time in the morning, until the time we decide to go to bed we have set hundreds of goals every day.

By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your

efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

Goals should always answer the

following questions:

What?

Why?

Who?

How?

When?

Where?

Goals are set to establish a direction, identify expected results, improve team work and provide a

sense of purpose by setting targets and therefore improving team and individual performance.

Setting goals at work is just as important as setting goals for our personal lives. In business, goal

setting is critical to ensure profitability and sustainability of business growth. If businesses do not

have well communicated, clear goals and objectives, it is difficult to for employees to prioritise their

tasks. Employees need to understand the direction of the business to help take it there.

Take some time to think about this question:

How would business goals be communicated in the

warehouse?

LEARNER GUIDE 7


Page 7 of 40

Goals in Business

In business, goal setting has the advantages of

encouraging employees to put in substantial effort;

and, because every member has defined

expectations or key performance indicators (KPIs)

set upon them, little room is left for inadequate

effort going unnoticed.

Managers cannot constantly drive motivation and

keep track of an employee’s work every moment of

the day. Goals are therefore an important tool for managers since goals have the ability to function

as a mechanism that offers an employee a certain amount of guidance, without having the manager

needing to consistently supervise all team members.

Employees need to understand the business direction and strategy to ensure that their efforts are in

line with the bigger picture.

There are four mechanisms through which goal setting is able to affect individual performance:

Goals focus attention towards relevant activities and away from irrelevant activities

Goals serve as an energiser, they motivate people to do better

Goals activate knowledge and strategies that allow employees to cope with the situation at

hand


Why do team members need to be in charge of completing

the goals set by team leaders?

LEARNER GUIDE 8


Page 8 of 40

Setting Goals

Goal setting is an everyday event in the warehouse, to prioritise our workloads to make sure that all

deadlines are met.

To set goals for work:

Write a list and number it

Eliminate time wasters

Organise tasks from urgent/important, to not urgent/not important

Delegate tasks, if you can

Make sure all goals are realistic

Some good goals to set for work would be those that focus on being a better employee. Better time

management and being more punctual, can make you feel better about yourself at work.

Time Goals

Work goals can include a time element. For example, stock receivals may need to be done in the

morning, before lunch, so that goods can then be picked and despatched in the afternoon.

Education Goals

Your personal goals may include reaching certain educational or professional development goals

that can aid your career. If are a public accountant, your goal may be to pass the CPA exam. If you

are a general store person, your goal may be to move into being a forklift operator.

Personal Income

Goals can relate to personal income. You may have a specific income level you want to reach after

each year. If you are a commissioned sales person, you might want to reach a specific level of

commission or a number of units sold by the end of the year. You could also look to increase sales by

a certain percentage for each year you are in business.

LEARNER GUIDE 9


Page 9 of 40

The Goal Setting Process

The following steps can be used to help with setting daily schedules and goals.

1. Identify a key task or job – Goals setting should begin with defining what it is you want to

accomplish. Your job description will detail the jobs that you are required to perform, how

these tasks are to be done and what outcomes are expected of you.

2. Set specific deadlines for each goal – just like your morning routine before you get to work,

you would usually allocate a timeframe for having a shower and eating breakfast. And then

you would set another; get to work within, say, half an hour from leaving home. These are

daily goals.

3. Prioritise goals – there is no point, in a warehouse environment, to commence despatch

operations if the goods that need to be despatched have not been received yet!! To help

with this step you may need to co-ordinate with other departments in the warehouse to

ensure that the flow of work is correct.

4. Build in feedback mechanisms – Getting feedback from team leaders or other team

members will help you in identifying where you need to improve and it will help with

working out easier ways in doing tasks, within given timeframes.

5. Have a contingency plan - Unfortunately there may be events that can happen in the

warehouse that will stop you from completing your goals. For these types of situations it is

always a good idea to have contingency plans in place, so that you may still be able to meet

work deadlines. Look at the following table for some common solutions.

PROBLEM CONTINGENCY

Competing work demands

Job descriptions are a great indicator of what tasks are actually

expected of you. It is very common to get caught up in the day to

day grind and have extra tasks be assigned to you, which are simply

not your job.

For this situation you have to learn to say no!

LEARNER GUIDE 10


Page 10 of 40

Environmental factors

Areas such as workplace hazards, controls and risks can sometimes

restrict you from completing tasks on time. You need to ensure

your safety and the safety of those around you at all times. Do not

take short cuts to avoid environmental factors, adjust work

conditions to allow for them.

Budget and resource

constraints

These include constraints such as deliveries being late, not enough

equipment for demand and suppliers not sending the correct

goods. Often they are outside of your control, but you can have

plans in place like adjusting re-order quantities and having goods

shipped straight from suppliers to customers to cut down on lead

times.

Technology

Machinery breakdowns and computer malfunctions can be an

everyday event. You need to ensure that machinery can be

replaced or fixed quickly and that all staff are fully trained in using

computer software.


Why is having contingency plans important?

LEARNER GUIDE 11


Page 11 of 40

SMART Goals

There are several methods that can be followed to assist you with putting your goals into action. The

acronym SMART has a number of slightly different variations, which can be used to provide a more

comprehensive definition for goal setting, once you have identified your developmental needs and

career goals.

Specific or Significant

Goals should be straightforward and emphasise what you want to happen. Specifics

help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. Specific is

the What, Why, and How of the SMART model.

WHAT are you going to do? Use action words (verbs) such as direct, organise, coordinate,

lead, develop, plan, build etc.

WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?

HOW are you going to do it? (By…)

LEARNER GUIDE 12


Page 12 of 40

Measurable or Meaningful

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. In the broadest sense, the whole goal

statement is a measure; if the goal is accomplished, there is success. However, there

are usually several short-term or small measurements that can be built into the goal.

Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when

you reach your goal?

Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.

Attainable or Action-Oriented

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out

ways you can make them come true. You develop that attitudes, abilities, skills, and

financial capacity to reach them. Your begin seeing previously overlooked

opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

Goals you set which are too far out of your reach, you probably won’t commit to doing. Although

you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it’s too much for you means your

subconscious will keep reminding you of this fact and will stop you from even giving it your best.

A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you feel you can do it and it will need a real commitment from

you. For instance, if you aim to lose 20kgs in one month, we all know that isn’t achievable. But

setting a goal to loose 5kg and when you’ve achieved that, aiming to lose a further 5kg, will keep it

achievable for you.

Relevant or Realistic

Realistic, in this case, means “do-able.” It means that the learning curve is not a

vertical slope; that the skills needed to do the work are available. A realistic goal may

push your skills and knowledge but it shouldn’t break you.

Devise a plan or a way of getting there which makes the goal realistic. The goal needs to be realistic

for you and where you are at the moment. A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, crisps and

chocolate may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys these foods.

LEARNER GUIDE 13


Page 13 of 40

Be sure to set goals that you have to get with some effort! Too difficult and you set the stage for

failure, but too low sends the message that you aren’t very capable. Set the bar high enough for a

satisfying achievement!

Timely or Trackable

Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, by the end of the

year. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.

Everyone will benefit from goals and objectives if they are SMART. SMART, is the instrument to

apply in setting your goals and objectives.

How to Write Work Goals

1. Take your goals apart. If a goal is large enough to include several others, it's better to list

each separately. This allows you to look at each task on its own. It also draws your attention

to the smaller steps toward achieving the personal work goal and a sure formula for making

the larger goals fall into line.

2. Honestly address your strengths and weaknesses. Your goals should not be lopsided.

Choose goals that allow you to improve in places where your performance has been lacking.

3. Talk to your employer. On your own, have a brief chat with your supervisor about your

goals, and see what they have to say. Don't expect them to write your work goals for you,

but any feedback you receive will be valuable. If there are any colleagues you have a

mentoring relationship with, discuss the matter with them, briefly and informally. A co-

worker familiar with your day-to-day work habits may provide more insights, especially in

terms of self-assessment, than a supervisor.


Can you use SMART goals for creating your development and

career goals?

LEARNER GUIDE 14


Page 14 of 40

Achieving your work objectives

So your goals are written down. Now what?

Reviewing your goals regularly is a crucial part of

your success and must become part of your

routine.

Every time you make a decision during the day, ask yourself this question, "Does it take me closer to,

or further from my goal." If the answer is "closer to," then you've made the right decision. If the

answer is "further from," well, you know what to do.

Some of the factors that may influence the achievement of your work goals or work plans may

include:

Changing business priorities

Changing staff or management

Lack of access to knowledge or resources

External changes in the market

Changes in technology

Changes in budgets

Problem Solving

Problem-solving consists of using methods, in an orderly manner, for finding solutions to problems.

There may be problems that you come across along the way to achieving you daily or long term

goals.

The following is an easy strategy for problem solving to be able to stay on track to your goals.

1. Develop a positive attitude to thinking about your problems

You might imagine yourself as a good problem solver, and think about how you are going to

solve the problem rather than if you can solve the problem.

2. Understand the problem and set realistic goals

Break the problem down into smaller chunks and look at realistic ways of dealing with each

one.

LEARNER GUIDE 15


Page 15 of 40

3. Think of as many solutions as possible

Be creative, ask other people how they might deal with it, think of something you have

never tried before.

4. Evaluate all the alternative solutions

Be bold, don’t just favour your usual strategy, try to think ‘outside the square’.

5. Carry out the best solution

See what happens. Did it work? Troubleshoot if necessary. Don’t be discouraged if it didn’t

work; simply move onto your next strategy.


Why do goals need to be flexible?

LEARNER GUIDE 16


Page 16 of 40

Time Management

Time management is the act or process of planning and using control over the amount of time spent

on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity.

Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time

when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals complying with deadlines.

When you know how to manage your time you gain control. Rather than busily working here, there,

and everywhere (and not getting much done anywhere), effective time management helps you to

choose what to work on and when.

1. Eliminate the Unnecessary

Anything that prevents you from reaching your particular goal or deadline is an unnecessary task. If

your goal is to clean out your email inbox, then don’t spend 45 minutes on Facebook. If you have a

deadline to make at work, don’t spend 25 minutes per day talking or gossiping with team mates.

2. Plan Your Work

If you go into work every day having no idea what you want to accomplish, then guess what? You’ll

probably accomplish nothing. Set aside ten to fifteen minutes before work and either write down or

mentally plan what you want to accomplish. After you decide what you want to accomplish, then

execute the plan.

3. Multitasking

Multitasking skills are a talent that not all of us possess. Realising whether you are the type of

person that can do it or not is important. If you’re able to multitask, great. If you’re not, then don’t

bother trying. Many people make themselves less effective by trying to multitask when they simply

can’t do it. This leads to multiple projects being started and none of them being finished, sloppy

work, and discouragement.

4. Know When To Multitask

So, for us multitaskers, does that mean that we should just multitask our way through every single

minute of every day, constantly having four or five things going at once? Absolutely not. You also

have to know when not to multitask.

LEARNER GUIDE 17


Page 17 of 40

5. Reduce Interruptions

And finally, reduce the number of interruptions in your life. Realistically, you can’t reduce the

number of things that are going to interrupt you, but you can alter the fashion in which you deal

with them


Why is effective time management especially important for

the warehouse environment?

LEARNER GUIDE 18


Page 18 of 40

Managing & monitoring completion of work tasks

There are a variety of business technologies available to assist with efficiently and effectively

scheduling and monitoring of work tasks. Work plans, goals and strategies are typically documented

so that they can be communicated and reviewed. It is common for employees to set work goals with

their manager and then set performance KPI’s as targets for achievement.

All workplaces have deadlines that must be met. We automatically set goals to ensure that all tasks

get done, but it is a good idea to use tools or systems to help with this process. Several systems are

available to track tasks, monitor performance and prioritise deadlines.

Systems such as:

Microsoft Office Outlook includes a function for recording tasks, allocating tasks and tracking

completion. Outlook also enables you to schedule your time and make time available for

when you need to be focused on a task.

A Diary or IPad is a portable device that can hold contacts, emails and schedules.

Using your phone to track your to do list in the calendar.

MS office can create professional documents to help with daily scheduling in the templates

section.

These systems or tools must have the ability to be adjusted throughout the day to ensure that

deadlines are met and that they can account for changes in priorities.

When tasks need to be adjusted throughout the day, use the following strategy to help with re-

prioritising goals.

1. Ask for feedback from a team leader

2. Look at your personal and team KPI’s

3. Delegate tasks, if you can

4. Don’t agree on timeframes that you cannot meet


What other strategies have you used for keeping track of your

work priorities?

LEARNER GUIDE 19


Page 19 of 40

Guidelines to Manage Yourself

While at work it is important to keep a check on yourself and ensure that you can manage your work

requirements. Each person finds his or her own way to "survive".

The following guidelines may help you keep your perspective and your health.

Monitor your work hours

The first visible, undeniable sign that things are out of hand is that you're working too many hours.

Note how many hours you are working per week. Set a limit and stick to that limit.

Recognise your own signs of stress

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance

in some way. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into

high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress

response.

It’s important to learn how to recognise when your stress levels are out of control. The most

dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it. It starts to feels

familiar even normal.

Sources of stress, for example, can come from being:

Understaffed

Underpaid

Not appreciated

Over worked

In a conflict with someone at work

Time poor

Unrealistic about setting deadlines

Financially stressed

In a strained relationship

The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body,

and behavior in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently.

LEARNER GUIDE 20


Page 20 of 40

These include:

Some people have "blow ups"

Some people get very forgetful

Some people lose concentration and get headaches

For many people, they excel at their jobs, but their home life falls apart

And some get sick due to exhaustion

Know your signs of stress. Tell someone else what they are. Everybody has the power to reduce the

impact of stress as it’s happening in that moment. With practice, you can learn to spot stressors and

stay in control when the pressure builds.

What can you do about stress?

There are some simple tips to help you reduce and deal with stress in your life.

Sort out relationship problems

Stress in relationships – whether this is with a partner, friends or your work team mates – is a major

cause of stress. Job rotation can help give you some time out from team stressors.

Take time out

Don’t spend too much time worrying about things that are stressing you out. Take some time to do

something distracting or something you enjoy. You can take annual leave to give you a break from

the workplace.

Keep things balanced

Try to make sure you have a balance in your day between work and doing the things that you enjoy.

This might mean learning to say ‘no’ more often so that you don’t take on new things that will add to

your to-do list, or your stress levels.

Exercise

Physical activity can help reduce the tension in your muscles and your mind. Try to do some exercise

every day, even if it’s just walking around the block.

Get a mentor or a coach

Ideally, your supervisor is a very good mentor and coach. Many people have "been there, done that"

and can serve as great mentors to you.

LEARNER GUIDE 21


Page 21 of 40

Learn to delegate

Delegating is giving others the responsibility and authority to carry out tasks. You maintain the

accountability to get them done, but you let others decide how they will carry out the tasks

themselves.

Communicate as much as you can

Have at least one person in your life with whom you

are completely honest. Hold regular meetings with

staff - all of them in one meeting at least once a

month, and meet at least once every two weeks

with each of your direct reports.

A common problem among new managers and supervisors (or among experienced, but ineffective

ones) is not meeting unless there's something to say. There is always something to communicate,

even if to say that things are going well and then share the health of your pets.

Recognise what's important from what's urgent - fix the system, not the problem

One of the major points that experienced managers make is that they've learned to respond to

what's important, rather than what's urgent. Phone calls, sick employees, lost paperwork,

disagreements between employees all seem to suddenly crop up and demand immediate attention.

It can seem like your day is responding to one crisis after another.

As you gain experience, you quit responding to the crisis and instead respond to the problem that

causes the crises. You get an answering machine or someone else to answer the phone. You plan for

employees being gone for the day - and you accept that people get sick.

You develop a filing system to keep track of your paperwork. You learn basic skills in conflict

management. Most importantly, you recognise that management is a process - you never really

"finish" your to-do list - your list is there to help you keep track of details. Over time, you learn to

relax.

LEARNER GUIDE 22


Page 22 of 40

Recognise accomplishments

Our society promotes problem solvers. We solve one

problem and quickly move on to the next. Once a problem is

solved, we quickly move on to the next to solve that one,

too. Pretty soon we feel empty. We feel as if we're not

making a difference. So in all your plans, include time to

acknowledge accomplishments.

There are also several relevant legislation and work

processes to guide in managing yourself in the workplace.

These include:

The anti-discrimination legislation

Ethical codes or principles

Codes of practice

Privacy laws

Health and safety legislation

The anti-discrimination legislation is an “act to promote equality of opportunity for everyone by

protecting them from unfair discrimination in certain areas of activity and from sexual harassment

and certain associated objectionable conduct.”

Ethical codes or principles are adopted by organisations to assist members in understanding the

difference between 'right' and 'wrong' and in applying that understanding to their decisions.

Codes of practice are a set of guidelines and regulations to be followed by team members.

Privacy laws regulate the handling of personal information about individuals. This includes the

collection, use, storage and disclosure of personal information.

Health and safety legislation provides a framework to protect the health, safety and welfare of all

workers at work. It also protects the health and safety of all other people who might be affected by

the work.

LEARNER GUIDE 23


Page 23 of 40

Managing performance

Performance management (PM) includes activities which ensure that goals are consistently being

met in an effective and efficient manner. Performance management can focus on the performance

of an organisation, a department or individual team members.

What is Employee Performance Management?

Employee Performance Management is a process for establishing a shared understanding about

what is to be achieved in the warehouse.

It is about looking at the organisational objectives and matching them with:

the employees' agreed measures and skills

competency requirements

development plans

the delivery of results.

Organisational and individual performance requirements may be included in:

Goals, objectives, systems and processes

Legal and organisational policy/guidelines and requirements

OHS policies, procedures and programs

Confidentiality policies

Business and performance plans

Anti-discrimination and related policy

Access and equity principles and practice

Quality and continuous improvement processes and standards

Defined resource parameters

Awards and contracts

The emphasis is on improvement and learning and development in order to achieve the overall

business strategy and to create a high performance workforce.

Recently, warehouses have been faced with challenges like never before. Increasing competition

from businesses across the world has meant that all businesses must be much more careful about

the choice of strategies to remain competitive. Everyone (and everything) in the organisation must

LEARNER GUIDE 24


Page 24 of 40

be doing what they're supposed to be doing, to ensure that the warehouse stays working at the

expected level of service for our customers.

Performance management on all levels is a great tools for getting feedback on:

Individual work outputs

The team environment

Systems that need to be improved

Training required by individuals and the team as a whole

Benefits for performance management

There are many benefits to managing team and individual performance. These can include:

Open lines of communication to help with team members feeling uncertain about

expectations

Team members will be more focused when they have specific targets and direction

To improve performance

And to help identify training needs

Ongoing Activities of Performance Management

Achieving the overall goal requires several activities. These include:

identification and prioritisation of results

establishing means to measure progress toward those results

setting standards for assessing how well results were achieved

tracking and measuring progress toward results

exchanging ongoing feedback among those participants working to achieve results

periodically reviewing progress

reinforcing activities that achieve results and intervening to improve progress where needed

Ways that organisations can measure employee’s performance

Workers benefit from performance measurement and appreciate fair productivity assessments to

help with setting developmental goals and identify training needs. This can only happen when

performance is measured consistently across an organisation.

This can be done by:

Setting KPI’s and targets

LEARNER GUIDE 25


Page 25 of 40

Ensuring all team members understand their job description

Make sure that all team members have a contract to work to

Implement policies and procedures

Give team members career plan worksheets

Introduce performance management plans

Induct all team members

Get feedback on all types of employee measurements

When performance management is applied to an employee or group of employees, a development

plan can be initiated in a variety of situations, such as:

When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is needed, that is, that

there is a "performance gap"

To "benchmark" the status of improvement so far in a development effort

As part of a professional development for the employee or group of employees, in which

case there is not a performance gap as much as an "growth gap"

As part of succession planning to help an employee be eligible for a planned change in role

in the organisation, in which case there also is not a performance gap as much as an

"opportunity gap"

To "pilot", or test, the operation of a new performance management system

Performance Management applies to more than Employees

Typically, we think of performance in organisations, we think on the performance of employees.

However, performance management should also be focused on:

The organisation

Warehouse departments

Processes

Programs

Products or services to internal or external customers

Projects

The overall goal of performance management is to ensure that the organisation and all of its systems

are working together effectively to achieve the overall goals. There must be measures in place to

identify and report on variations in the quality of products and services to ensure that our sales and

customer service goals are being met.

LEARNER GUIDE 26


Page 26 of 40

Of course identifying these variations is as simple as asking for or collecting feedback from

customers. Once we gather the feedback we then need to ensure that we report findings to

management to help with setting new organisational goals. This can be done formally in writing or

informally in a discussion.


When was the last time you had a performance review, and

how did it go?

LEARNER GUIDE 27


Page 27 of 40

A Story about Performance Management

A Common Misunderstanding: "I'll Know Results When I See 'Em'"

Employee Ed is a new employee at a print shop. He has been hired to run a machine that prints out

high-quality pictures. The pictures go to other departments, including the Catalogue

Department, to use in brochures, catalogues, advertisements, etc.

Ed's new supervisor, Supervisor Sam, is new on the job, too. He's worked hard to get where he's at.

He was an expert at running the collating machine. Sam's machine took printed images from

machines like Ed's and organised them into the Catalogue Department's final product, a catalogue.

Sam doesn't like Ed at first. Ed looks just like Sam's brother whom Sam does not like at all. Still, as a

new supervisor, Sam tries to give Ed a chance.

Sam wants to be sure that Ed does a good job. He isn't all that sure what "good job" means, but he

thinks he'll know it when he sees it. So Sam sends Ed to a course to learn how to run the print

machine. The description of the course said students would learn all about the machine. That should

work out fine.

Training for Skills - or a Good Time?

Teacher Tom wants to convince supervisors to send employees to his course. Tom claims the result

from his course is that each student will know how to run the printing machine. Tom hasn't really

thought about how to achieve that result. He knows a lot about the machine and likes to tell people

about it. So he thinks he'll be a fine teacher.

Tom includes a lot of lectures in the course. He tells students all about the machine's history, some

tough times he had learning about the machine and how students can get a lot done with the

machine if they know what they're doing. The rest of the time, Tom tells students how to do the

various procedures needed to run the machine. After reviewing the last procedure, Tom tells his

students that the course is over. He tells them that they've been a good audience; he enjoyed

teaching them and hopes they got a lot out of the course. Tom wants to be sure the course achieves

its result, so he has the students fill out a questionnaire.

LEARNER GUIDE 28


Page 28 of 40

Ed now likes Tom a lot and feels very good about the course so he gives the course a very high

rating. Tom seemed to know a lot about the machine. Tom told a lot of jokes, the room was nice and

the materials were very impressive. With all the stuff Tom told Ed, Ed now feels he could do anything

with the machine. Later that day, Ed tells Supervisor Sam that the course was very good. Sam is very

pleased about his decision and is glad the course accomplished strong results.

What Are You Doing? What Should You Really Be Doing?

The next day, Sam briefly notices that Ed is much happier at his job. "Great", Sam thinks. "A satisfied

employee is a productive employee! Right?" (Wrong. Job satisfaction doesn't mean job performance.

Some research indicates job satisfaction can actually decrease productivity.)

Later that afternoon, Sam has more time to watch Ed at his job. Soon Sam is horrified! It doesn't

seem like Ed knows what he's doing at all! Sam thinks to himself, "I knew Ed wouldn't work out! I

just knew it!" Sam glances through several of the prints from Ed's machine. He finds one that's

smeared and torn. Sam concludes that Ed didn't learn anything at all. He confronts Ed. "What are

you doing? You're slow and all your prints are ruined! You've wasted the company's money!" Ed

feels scared and stupid.

Sam and his company have a typical performance management problem. If Sam had followed the

principles of performance management, he would have been clearer to himself and to Ed about

what Sam wanted as results from Ed's job. Sam would have been clearer about how he would

measure Ed's results. Sam would have been clearer about his expectations, or performance

standards, for Ed.

Teacher Tom has a similar problem. If he had thought more about performance results, measures

and standards, he would have thought about what knowledge and skills his students would need to

run the machine. He would have thought about how he'd know if the students could actually run the

machine or not. Also, he would have thought about how well students should be able to run the

machine by the end of the course. It's likely that Tom would have included time in the course for

students to actually practice on the machine. He would have included some way to test students'

skill levels to ensure they achieve Tom's preferred result. He would have included some way to later

get supervisors' feedback about employees' skills on the job. It's very likely that Tom's course would

have achieved its result: students who can operate their machines to some specified performance

standard.

LEARNER GUIDE 29


Page 29 of 40

Reasons for a Performance Management System

Back at work, Sam discusses the situation with his Boss Bob. Sam wants to fire Ed - and do it now.

Bob calmly disagrees. He tells Sam, "We can turn this thing around. I'll tell you how."

He begins to give Sam a broad overview of a performance management system. "Basically, a

performance management system is a way to ensure we get results from all our employees. Heck, if

Ed's teacher knew about performance, Ed might have learned something! They don't call it training

any more, you know. They call it Performance Technology or something like that."

Sam interrupts, "Look. I can tell if Ed's doing a good job or not. I've got his job description. I've used

the performance appraisal form. Besides, I don't feel good about those performance appraisals.

They're just something you do once a year, usually to fire somebody. They're just paperwork. The

guys are scared of them. I dread them. I'm trying to build a team here!"

Bob responds, "You don't understand. A performance system is more than job descriptions. A job

description lists what duties, what responsibilities a certain job has. It doesn't tell the employee

what results are really expected of him, what he's supposed to produce. It doesn't keep telling you,

the supervisor, how well you expect the employee to be doing at his job. It doesn't make sure that

what you're doing is what your boss - and their boss's boss and their boss' boss -want you to be

doing."

Bob went on to explain. "A performance system makes sure we're fair to our guys. They're getting

paid what they're worth. They know what we want from them. They know what we think about

what they're doing. In the long run, all of us in the company end up working toward the same thing.

We're all pulling on the same rope. Maybe the biggest advantage is that we're talking to each other

about what we're doing, if we're doing it right and if it's really what the company needs. Besides, we

managers should have to earn our own keep around here, too. I want you to take part in our

performance system, Sam. I'll help you."

Key Terms: Results, Measures and Standards

Bob explains, "In the performance system, the first thing you do is figure out what results you want

from the employee.

"Results are what you want Ed to produce so customers can do their jobs well. For example, Ed's

internal customer, the Catalogue Department, needs high-quality prints to do its job. Right?

LEARNER GUIDE 30


Page 30 of 40

"Measures are what you use to know if Ed is achieving the results or not. For example, how many

prints is Ed making in an hour? Are Ed's prints smeared, are they torn?

"Standards are what you consider when thinking about how well Ed is doing at his good job. For

example, the standard for "excellent" should be at least as many high quality prints an hour as your

best people are producing.

"After we've decided the results, measures and standards, we'll work together to track Ed's progress.

We'll make sure that we're all exchanging feedback around here, including with the Catalogue

Department. That's the most important part.

"Any needs that Ed might have, we'll record on a development plan. That might include more

training. This time, we'll make sure that the teacher knows about performance management!

Sam heard everything Bob said. He was sceptical, but he decided to try the performance stuff

anyway. Anyway, Bob was the boss.

Performance Problem: Vague Priorities

Over the next month, Sam thought more about what he specifically wanted from Ed. He talked to

Ed, too. They both decided that Ed would shoot for 500 high-quality prints an hour, 8 hours a day,

Monday through Friday. High quality would mean no smears or tears. In fact, the Director of the

Catalogue Department would judge whether Ed produced this result or not.

Sam was a little surprised at Ed's reaction. He thought Ed would be a little leery. Heck, Ed didn't

seem concerned at all. He was actually excited! Sam actually felt better now, too.

Over the next week, Sam carefully considered the measurements for Ed's result. He realised that Ed

really needed more training. "Thank goodness I found this out now," Sam thought. Sam realised this

whole situation wasn't Ed's fault. He reminded himself that Ed was new, too. Sam talked to the

Training Department. They suggested that Ed go to a workshop where he could actually get practice

with the machine. Also, they helped Ed find some free time on another machine during second shift.

That way, Ed could get in some more practice.

Ed attended the workshop. He told Sam it was hard, but he learned a lot more about actually

running the machine. He said the teacher showed him several things that he could be doing a lot

LEARNER GUIDE 31


Page 31 of 40

better. Ed was eager to get back to work. Sam felt very relieved. This performance stuff seemed to

be working out -and it wasn't nearly as hard as he'd imagined.

Weighting Results

Several months later, Sam's boss, Bob, told all employees that he wanted them to take part in a

Quality Circle. Sam told Ed all about it.

Ed complained to Sam that he just wanted to run his machine. That's why he accepted the job.

That's what he wants to do.

Sam is now smart about results, measures and standards. He sends Ed to a seminar on Quality

Circles. Maybe that'll get Ed going in the Circles. Ed took the seminar and, sure enough, came back

all excited about Quality Circles. Now he spends a lot of time around the coffee machine, telling

other employees how great Quality Circles are, where they started, etc.

Soon Sam tells Ed that he's not running his machine anymore. How's he going to produce his results?

Ed explains that he's doing his part for his Quality Circle. Ed complains that Sam needs to make up

his mind about what he wants Ed to do.

Sam goes back to Boss Bob, asking for advice. How can he get Ed to work the machine and be a good

member of the Circle?

Bob explains that Sam needs Ed to run the machine and take part in the Quality Circle. Bob notices

that Sam seems puzzled. Bob explains, "Ed can do both: run the machine and be a good Circle

member. You just need to let him know what your priorities are. Let Ed know how much time he can

spend on his machine and how much time in the Circle. Be as clear as you were before about his

results and how you'd measure them. In the performance system, this is called weighting the

results."

Measures: Some You Can Count and Some You Describe

Sam nods that he understands Bob. "But how can I measure what he does in Quality Circles?"

Bob explained, "Remember when we talked about measures? There are a couple of ways to look at

measures. You can count them or you can describe them - hopefully you can do both. With the

LEARNER GUIDE 32


Page 32 of 40

machine, you could count the number of prints Ed produced, right? You noticed if the prints were

high quality or not. High quality meant the images were clear and the paper was not torn. Right?"

Sam nodded.

Bob went on to explain, "About Ed's Quality Circle, though, it's really hard to count something - at

least not without going crazy! Sure, you can count how many suggestions he makes. But if you do

that, he'll be talking all the time and not saying anything! What other ways can you realistically

measure what Ed is doing in his Circle”?

Sam thought this for a minute. "Maybe I'm making this harder than it is. How about if I notice the

attendance record for Ed, you know, you make sure he goes to meetings. I don't want to write down

everything that Ed says. Heck, Ed only talks in conclusions anyway!"

Bob responded that Sam seemed on the right track.

Sam explained the new situation to Ed. Ed seemed pleased. "That straightens things out. Sure, I'll try

it".

Performance Problem: Inconsistent Results Across the Organisation

Over the next few months, Ed ran his machine just fine. His Quality Circle made lots of good

suggestions to Sam and Sam's boss, Bob. Soon, though, Ed and Sam notice that nothing was really

being done about the suggestions.

Sam confronted his boss, Bob. "You've got plenty of ideas from us. How come nothing is being done

about them?" Bob replied, "I know. I'm wondering about that myself. I'll find out."

Bob talked to his boss, Management Mike. Mike looked puzzled. Then he remembered, "Oh, that's

right! The Quality Circles! Yeah, those Circles are sure keeping people happy. Keep up the good

work, Bob!"

Bob replied, "I thought the Circles were to improve quality, not to keep people happy. What am I

missing here?"

Mike explained that he really couldn't implement any of the suggestions from the Circle. "They'll

probably just cost more money. Right now the company needs to cut costs as much as possible."

Now Bob was getting really irked. He said, "I thought our performance system was supposed to

make sure that everyone was working toward the same goals. Why not have the Circle guys focus on

cost-cutting ideas?"

LEARNER GUIDE 33


Page 33 of 40

Mike warned, "That could scare them big time! No, keep 'em coming up with good ideas. They're

doing great!" Mike looked at his watch and said, "I've got to take off. Sorry. Keep up the good work,

Bob!"

Bob left Mike's office feeling very disappointed and sad. He thought, "We have a performance

management system. Ed's doing fine. Sam's doing fine. I'm doing fine. Our department's doing fine.

We're performing, right? Sure doesn't feel like it, though."

So: All the Parts Are Doing Just Fine -- Yet the Organisation Isn't Performing!

Employees, the department and management are all very committed and very busy. Sam's focused

on getting the most from his people, including Ed. So is Bob. They all know the results they want,

how they'll measure them and what they consider to be great work. Yet the organisation really isn't

performing. It's idling along.

This situation is not uncommon.

LEARNER GUIDE 34


Page 34 of 40

Professional Development

In workplaces, professional development refers to

getting new skills and gaining knowledge, both for

personal development and for career advancement.

Professional development includes all types of

learning opportunities, ranging from university

degrees to formal coursework, conferences and

informal learning opportunities situated in the workplace.

So why should you be concerned about developing yourself in your profession? It is your career, you

spend most of your day at work, you may as well enjoy it with learning all you can, so that you have

the opportunity to advance or move into different departments.

The workplace has been affected by a variety of changes over the past years. These include:

Less job security

Up is not the only way

Less technical knowledge and skills needed

Professional development is a continuous cycle of reflecting, planning and doing.

1) Reflect on where you are now and where you want to be

2) Plan development activities to help you meet your goals

3) Carry out and log your activities

4) Reflect on what you have achieved and where to go next.

What type of activities count as professional development?

Anything that helps you develop your skills, knowledge or competence in the workplace can count as

professional development. Professional development can involve, but is not limited to, the following

activities:

In-house courses

External courses

Job rotation into different warehouse departments

Distance learning programs

Self-directed private study

LEARNER GUIDE 35


Page 35 of 40

Preparation and delivery of lectures and presentations

Attendance at lectures, seminars or conferences

Coaching, tutoring, monitoring, teaching

Relevant voluntary work

How do I fit Professional development around my work?

Professional development doesn’t always have to be additional to your work. Anything that helps

you learn something new or develop your skills or competence can count as professional

development.

You should speak to your managers about your professional development plans. They may be able

to help you fit in professional development activities around your day-to-day responsibilities or

suggest new areas you can get involved in to further your development.

Why is professional development important?

It ensures that you maintain high levels of competence

It increases your ability to cope with challenges and changes

It helps you plan your own development and make the best use of resources

It shows employers that you are serious about your career

It helps you keep up to date with changes in the sector

It increases your job satisfaction

And it may mean that you earn more than your peers

To help in identifying career advancement and training needs and to develop professionally it is

essential to do a skills gaps analysis. A skills gap analysis is an evaluation tool for determining

training needs of an individual, group or organisation. The analysis reveals the differences between

the required and the existing skill levels and the recommended strategies for reducing the

differences or closing the gap.

Tools

Performance assessments, questionnaires, interviews and group discussions are main tools

for assessing current skill levels.

LEARNER GUIDE 36


Page 36 of 40

Evaluation

Comparing the two findings reveals the gaps in competencies. Areas evaluated include

responsibilities, duties, tasks, functions and knowledge.

Some essential skills for a warehouse environment include:

Demonstrated ability to organise stock efficiently

Ability to understand goods retrieval system

Good customer orientation and ability to deal with complaints

Able to operate a pallet jack and fork lift

Proven ability to stand for long hours

Ability to lift and move heavy weights

Good understanding of floor plans or site maps

Strong mathematical skills

Thorough understanding of properly handling hazardous material

Excellent understanding of safety precautions and procedures

Ability to use pneumatic ladders

Good understanding of document maintenance

Excellent understanding of basic computer operations

In a warehouse it is a good start for career advancement if all of the above points are covered.

Feedback

As covered in other units, feedback is a process in which information about the past or the present,

influences the present or future.

It is essential for professional development and goal setting to gather feedback from a variety of

sources in the warehouse. This includes customer feedback, which will help any warehouse in

identifying gaps in customer service processes to aid in preparing training programs for all team

members.

Other sources of feedback include:

Peer to peer feedback

Performance appraisals

One on one’s

Mystery shopping results

LEARNER GUIDE 37


Page 37 of 40

KPI’s and targets

The benefits of gathering feedback and implementing strategies to improve processes because of

feedback is many and varied. When correctly given, feedback helps improve job performance while

promoting professional and personal growth in employees.

Providing feedback can improve employee morale and reduce confusion regarding expectations and

current performance. Think of feedback as guidance that will enable team members to learn as well

as improve the quality of their work. There will also be a difference in how feedback enhances

interpersonal relationship with the team.


Why is it more important for some people to develop

professionally, while others are good with going with the

flow?

LEARNER GUIDE 38


Page 38 of 40

Take Responsibility for Your Own Learning

What Is Take Responsibility for Learning?

Taking responsibility is:

doing away with excuses for not performing

accepting that you must take action or make a change.

In order to take responsibility for learning, adults need to be able to understand their learning style

and the styles of others, value differences between individual styles, and learn from these

differences. You need to be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, identify strategies for

learning, and know when existing strategies are not working or when they are challenged.

Purpose of Taking Responsibility

Taking responsibility for learning prepares us for the unexpected and for the future.

The following are benefits for assessing you own learning needs.

Adapt to or prepare for change — Be proactive instead of reactive.

Respond to new challenges — Resistance to change is almost always a dead-end street.

Gain information—Try to get all the information that you can about the subject. Learn how

and where to access it.

Help make decisions and take action — Make better decisions when solving problems or

planning and be in control, of the situation.

Achieve goals.

Perform one’s responsibilities

Now let’s take a closer look at the following components that will help with taking responsibility for

your own learning.

A. Establish learning goals that are based on an understanding of one’s own current and future

learning needs.

B. Identify own strengths and weaknesses.

C. Become familiar with a range of learning strategies to acquire or retain knowledge.

LEARNER GUIDE 39


Page 39 of 40

D. Identify and use strategies appropriate to goals, task, context and the resources available for

learning.

E. Monitor progress toward goals and modify strategies or other features of the learning

situation as necessary to achieve goals.

F. Test out our new learning in real-life applications.

Take responsibility for learning means that you have decided to take charge of your work or personal

life. It means that you have:

(1) Set goals

(2) Are aware of your strengths and weaknesses

(3) Have a range of learning strategies

(4) Use those strategies

(5) Monitor your progress and make changes when necessary

(6) Test out your new learning in real-life applications.

Self-assessment

Self-assessment is the first step of the career planning

process. During a self-assessment you gather information

about yourself in order to make an informed career decision.

A self-assessment should include a look at the following:

values, interests, personality, and skills.

Values: the things that are important to you, like

achievement, status, and autonomy.

Interests: what you enjoy doing, i.e. playing golf, taking long walks, hanging out with friends.

Personality: a person's individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes.

Skills: the activities you are good at, such as picking and packing goods or despatch

documentation.

Value Inventories

Value inventories measure how important different values are to you. Examples of these values,

which play an important role in one's job satisfaction, include autonomy, prestige, security,

LEARNER GUIDE 40


Page 40 of 40

interpersonal relations, helping others, flexible work schedule, outdoor work, leisure time, and high

salary.

Interest Inventories

The questions in an interest inventory ask about your likes and dislikes regarding various activities.

The purpose of this self-assessment tool is that people who share similar interests will also enjoy the

same type of work. Examples of interests are reading, running, playing golf, and knitting.

Personality Inventories

A personality inventory looks at one's individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes. The

most frequently used personality inventory is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI).

Skills inventories

When deciding what field to enter, you need to determine what your aptitudes or skills are. An

aptitude is a natural or acquired ability. In addition to looking at what you're good at doing, you

should consider what you enjoy. You may be very adept at a particular skill, but despise every

second you spend using it. Generally speaking, though, you usually enjoy what you do well.

While you're assessing your skills, you should also consider the time you are willing to spend on

acquiring more advanced or new skills. A question you could ask yourself is this — if a career holds

all the qualities I find appealing but it takes X years to prepare for it, would I be willing and able to

make this time commitment?

Additional Considerations

When going through the self-assessment process it's important to take into account other

considerations that will influence your professional development. For example, you should consider

your family responsibilities and your ability to pay for education or training. You also have to

remember that self-assessment is the first step in the planning process, not the last. After

completing this phase, you have to go on to the next one, which entails exploring the options you

have before you.

With your self-assessment results in mind, you will have to next evaluate a variety of development

opportunities, to see if there's a match. This can be done by communicating self-assessment results

with your team leader in a performance appraisal or informal catch up.

Documents

BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional … · 2017. 9. 28. · BSBWOR301B Organise personal work priorities and professional development Learner Guide Student