diploma of management bsbwor501a – manage personal work priorities and professional development

Diploma of ManagementBSBWOR501A – Manage personal work priorities and professional development

Date: 2012Presenter: Sarah Lean

At the end of this session you will be able to:

Establish personal work goals Set and meet own work priorities Develop and maintain professional competence

BSBWOR501B – Manage personal work priorities and professional development

Serve as a positive role model in the workplace through

personal work planning and organisation

Role modelling can serve to reinforce the desired behaviour in the role model themselves, as well as encourage others to emulate them

A role models actions, values and behaviours are upheld as the ideal

1. Establish personal work goals

Employees will only choose to look up to those who consistently display standards of work performance that they identify as:◦ Desirable◦ Superior to their own◦ Being consistently applied◦ Congruent with the organisation’s values and desired

behaviours

Personal qualities are largely determined by attitude; formed through our past experiences and learning

Attitude is important to our work, our work situations and our ability to set and achieve goals

Establish personal work goals

The attitudes and behaviours of ourselves and the others with whom we interact affect our relationships

Those whose attitudes and behaviours most closely reflect our own are usually the closest to us

Difficulty often arises with those whose are dissimilar to us

Understanding of our own attitudes and being willing to acknowledge and respect differences in others will work towards developing productive relationships


Behavioural and attitude consistency are important to credibility

In a management/leadership role credibility is important

It contributes to modelling appropriate behaviours, leading by example and gaining and maintaining the trust and confidence of employees

A demonstrated and consistently positive attitude towards work and employees in the workplace will be emulated by others in the workplace


Characteristics of leaders and role models

◦ Uncompromising integrity◦ High energy◦ Good at working priorities◦ Courageous◦ A committed and dedicated hard worker◦ Unorthodox and creative◦ Goal orientation◦ Inspired and contagious enthusiasm◦ Staying level headed◦ A desire to help others grow and succeed


The behaviours of a good leader/manager will impact greatly on workplace efficiency and effectiveness

Good leaders will model behaviours that encourage employees to endorse organisational goals and objectives

Leaders/managers need to inspire employees to act ethically and with integrity

You need to demonstrate what should be done and how it should be done to achieve organisational objectives


You need to prepare people for change – as new ideas are suggested, improvements are made, innovations are proposed and as the organisation strives for sustainability over time

A good manager/leader:◦ Is able to make staff feel that they are valued◦ Can aid staff in developing career pathways and in making

active contributions to organisational success◦ Will inspire and enthuse others◦ Act as a positive role model◦ Ensure staff derive job satisfaction◦ Ensure the organisation benefits from the skills and knowledge

of its diverse employees


A role model is a person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others

Role models provide a reference for the behaviour and performance of others.

Good leaders lead from the frontline – that is where the action is

They are visible, known and approachable

They give employees the responsibility, authority and resources to operate effectively


They should be seen and be seen to be listening and observing

Observing means: Building relationships with employees

Noticing the things people do

The problems they have to deal with

Giving feedback

Acknowledging the good work that people do


Managers who are effective leaders will: Talk to their people/customers to make them aware they

are actively listening

Keep the lines of communication open and enable information sharing

See and understand what employees do

Work with staff/clients to find out what they really think of the organisation and ensure that product/service quality meets the staff/client’s value perceptions


Take people and their concerns seriously

Give credit and recognition when & where required


Smart/secure managers/leaders: Hire competent, effective employees and let them do their

job

Delegate responsibility and authority to staff

Involve people in decision making

Treat everyone with respect

Spread the power in the organisation so that they are, in effect, answerable to their staff


Good leaders plan their work so the most important tasks are completed first

They do not forget to carry out necessary tasks

They are well organised and encourage members of their team to be well organised


Management performance and behaviour will serve as a role model and encourage positivity in others if managers:

Have a positive attitude

Are enthusiastic and involved

Accept responsibility

Learn to understand others and to value diversity

Provide appropriate feedback and reinforcement to staff


Demonstrate competence with regards to job and management skills

Provide opportunities for employees to develop their skills and knowledge

Are honest, credible and act ethically

Participate in suitable personal and professional development programs and activities


Good leaders need to develop their own skills and knowledge including skills relating to:◦ Communication◦ Active listening◦ Interpersonal interactions◦ Cultural awareness◦ Acceptance of and management of diversity


As a manager, you usually have a greater degree of discretion in how to go about achieving the outcomes required of you than your staff

Rather than being told how, when and where to perform a job, you are more likely to be given a broad direction of what is to be accomplished

You are required to set your own goals and plan your activities to ensure your goals are realised


This flexibility can be liberating

It can encourage creativity

However, it requires innovation, discipline and the ability to prioritise.


Goal Setting The way in which you set goals strongly affects their

effectiveness

1. Express your goals positively2. Be precise3. Set priorities4. Write goals down5. Keep operational goals small


Many people spend their day in a frenzy of activity, but achieve little because they are not concentrating on the right things

You can be extremely efficient, but achieve very little

Efficiency is necessary so that tasks are completed within a timeframe.

Ensure that the tasks you are completing are actually achieving or at least working towards the achievement of your goals


Look for results

Focus on the purpose of your activities

Be effective

Identify and remove time wasters from your schedule

Do the right thing right

Doing the right thing is more important than doing things right


Doing the right thing is effectiveness

Doing things right is efficiency

Focus on effectiveness, and then concentrate on efficiency

You are the source of your own time wastage

Time wastage is not forced upon you

Monitor the ways you use your time and make conscious changes to your behaviour


Strategies for overcoming time wastage to maintain personal performance:

Ensure that the goals you set are realistic

When planning and prioritising, write the required activities onto a “to do list” in numbered order of importance

Prioritise tasks/objectives in terms of usable results – purpose

Include a time-based safety margin in your list


Delegate effectively

Take appropriate action

Learn to say “no”

Plan time for yourself

Leave the office at lunch time

Manage papers and paperwork

Use effective filing processes and filing systems


Consider your biological prime time

Avoid being a perfectionist

Arrange set times for jobs

Fix definite times when you would like not to be disturbed

Plan your telephone calls

Hold and participate in effective meetings


Interruptions and changes will always intrude

A task list does not require absolute and rigid adherence

Unexpected important tasks should be accepted as part of your work life and should not place undue stress on your prioritisation


Measuring personal performance

Measurement implies developing criteria against which your performance can be mapped and evaluated

These criteria might relate to:

Your job description

Team goals

Objectives you have set yourself


Initiative

Speed of work

Commitment / attitude to work

Development potential

Reliability

Contributions to teamwork


Most of us feel that there will never be enough hours in the day to complete all of the tasks we have to do

We all have competing demands that will impact on our ability to achieve personal, team and organisational goals

Dealing with competing demands is a matter of prioritising tasks

By prioritising tasks you ensure that the most important tasks get completed first and the less important tasks are completed later

2. Set and meet own work priorities

A “to do list” can help you determine what needs to be accomplished for the day

It can make large tasks seem smaller and more manageable

Know what is important and what is urgent


Questions to ask when prioritising:◦ What is the most important thing for me to do right now?◦ What deadlines have I got?◦ What happens if I do not do this?◦ Is this important?◦ Is this urgent?◦ Do I have to do this?

Busy managers are always on the go

Being busy is not the same as being effective

Be effective and be efficient


How to prioritise: Start with a list of what you (or your team) need to do

Group related tasks into projects, which represent your ultimate outcomes rather than just the actions you need to take

At the start of the day, select the most important tasks that would make the most difference to productivity and goals

Identify any other tasks that are important or have been neglected and need attention


Schedule time in which you will work on the most important tasks on your list

During the rest of the day, continue working on your listed tasks normally

Determine what is important

Good relationships with staff are important

Effective managers make time for people because they know in the long run it will pay back many more times


Work/Life Balance This does not mean an equal balance

Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each day of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic

Your ideal individual work/life balance will vary over time, sometimes on a daily basic

There is no perfect, one-size fits all


It is balance you should be striving for

The best work/life balance is different for all of us because we all have different priorities and different lives.

At the core of an effective work/life balance are two everyday concepts:◦ Achievement◦ Enjoyment

Enjoyment means pride, satisfaction, happiness, celebration, love, a sense of well being – all the joys of living


A good working definition of work/life balance is: “meaningful achievement and enjoyment in each of

the four life quadrants”


Professional development: Is one of the cornerstones of our working lives

It keeps us interested in our work

Gives us the drive to progress our careers

Keeps the industry competitive

Makes us employable

3. Develop and maintain professional competence

By taking ownership of your career, assessing your knowledge and skills and focussing on your professional development you will be:

◦ Able to identify the standards to which you should aspire◦ Able to determine your own development needs, priorities and

plans◦ Better able to recognise opportunity◦ Increasingly effective in the workplace◦ Able to help, influence and lead others by example◦ Confident of your future employability◦ Have a fulfilling and rewarding career◦ Able to demonstrate continuing commitment to your profession


When considering your professional development plan consider:

When and where you learnt best

The types of activities that will be most effective for you

The financial and time resource implications of your plan


Learning styles

Visual learning – involves the use of seen or observed things including pictures, diagrams etc.

Auditory learning – involves the transfer of information through listening to the spoken word of self or others. They learn best through listening and speaking

Kinaesthetic learning – involves physical experience – touching, holding, doing. They learn best through experiencing and doing things


Left Brain Right BrainIs verbal Is visualResponds to word meanings Responds to tone of voiceIs sequential – needs to follow a logical sequence

Is random – assimilates from a variety of sources and sequences

Processes information linearly Processes information in varied order

Responds to logic Responds to emotionPlans ahead Is impulsiveRecalls people’s names Recalls people’s facesSpeaks with few gestures Gestures when speakingIs punctual Is less punctualPrefers formal study design Prefers sound/music background

while studying


Work involves goal setting, planning, taking action and monitoring.

The more you know about yourself and others, the more likely it is that you will be able to achieve your goals


Feedback from colleagues, staff and clients can assist you in identifying opportunities for growth and development.

Effective forms of feedback from your workplace can include:

Formal/informal performance appraisals Feedback from managers and colleagues Feedback from suppliers Personal reflection and self-assessment

Be proactive in seeking feedback


Standing still in today’s business world results in going backwards.

We all must continually grow and develop if we are to remain current and competitive

Creating and maintaining a competitive edge does not take luck but rather some solid strategic planning.

You need to be continually scanning your business horizon, taking note of the changes and then ensuring that you develop new knowledge and skills in order to maintain your currency


diploma of management bsbwor501a – manage personal work priorities and professional development

Documents

personal work priorities

personal work planning

personal work goalsbehavioural

personal work goalsset

personal work goalsemployees

work prioritiesdevelop

work situations

standards of work performance