Activity 1

1. What Characteristics do you believe a positive role model in the workplace should demonstrate?

A positive workplace should demonstrate the following 10 characteristics according to Cox(2002)

These are:

1. Uncompromising integrity
2.High energy
3.Good at working priorities
4. Courageous
5. A committed and dedicated hard worker
6. Unorthodox and creative
7. Goal Orientation
8. Inspired and contagious enthusiasm
9. Staying level headed
10. A desire to help others grow and succeed

2. Describe a person you have looked up to as a positive role model. What qualities in them did you admire? What made them a suitable role model? What did you learn from them?

Sir Richard Branson is one of the worlds most intriguing, succesful and enduring entrepreneurial business leaders. The founder of the Virgin Group, he has established a very interesting background and approach to both leadership and where he chooses to put his resources to work. He is an extremist in serial entrepreneurship and has a very interesting and exciting leadership style.

Qualities:Creativity : Richard Branson’s ventures portray creativity, venturing into airliners using new creative measures such as touch-screen ordering of food and comfortable planes. This comes in an era where most other airliners are figuring out how to remove the last remaining frills to cut costs.Adaptability : One of his strong characteristics, besides his charisma, seems to be his adaptability to situations. It is strongly developed and witnessed by him turning the situation named as the “dirty tricks affair” in which he had a battle with British Airways.

Sir Richard’s leadership style and characteristics are based on some very simple and down-to-earth rules:
Sir Richard’s leadership style and characteristics are based on some very simple and down-to-earth rules: Smile, everything gets much easier if you show a friendly face Have fun at work Believe in your ideas, employees and colleagues

Branson’s main efforts during his day are put into effective time management. He divides his days equally between trouble shooting, new projects and promoting his businesses(12). He is considered being a genius at handling and preparing PR activities and is never afraid of being in the front line of it, to bring maximum momentum to the PR event

He is definitively a relationship-oriented leader who is good at aligning people and giving them emotional support and encouragement. He seems to fall into the segment of being a participative and consultative leader. His very strong charisma seems to make anyone listen and follow him

3. Can a person be a positive workplace role model if they are poorly organised and do not operate effectively?

One of the role of the leader is to prepare people and organise them to work effectively in order to achieve organisation goals. A role model sets a good example for others to follow. Therefore it is important to have these two qualities to to achieve a positive role model.

Assessment Activity 2

1. How would you ensure that your personal work goals reflect the organisations plan and you own responsibilities? Do not limit your ideas to those provided in the text.

Organisation and personal goal need to go hand in hand. Therefore it is necessary to ensure that every step which is undertake go parallel with the organisation goal. This can be done by proper Goal Setting and realistic goals.

-The Goal setting should express at least 90% success of organisation
- Precise stating actual time period for the completion
- Priorities focusing on the one which is of greater importance
- Written format easy to understand
- Breaking up of Complex structure so as can be accomplished easily in parts.

2. A member of your team has presented you with their work goals for the next quarter. You are surprised to see that they all focus on this person pursuing a particular project that they raised with you last month. You need to have this person working on the new product launch and you cannot see how they will have time to spend on a project that does not contribute in any way to the new product getting to market.

What strategies could you use to help the team member understand the goals of the organisation and the team, and realign their work goals to reflect the organisation's plans and goals?

The following are some of the ways by which can get importance in the new project:

-In order to explain about the new project to the team member it would be beneficial if a plan is designed with numbers as it would have a greater effect in explanation and this would try to attract the team members attention

- Discussion with the team member and stating the importance of new project requiring his attention would be beneficial by having a conference so as can be discussed by, a large group of the team members.

- Delegation of existing work (responsibilities)so as attention can be focused on the new project.

- Work Balance card or Balanced score sheet in which the two project (Existing and the new one) can demonstrate the Targets and profits so as then can prioritise which is of the greater importance.

Assessment Activity 3

2. Make a list of any other contingencies that might directly impact on your personal performance and explain how these things can be accommodated in work plans.

Interruptions and Changes will always intrude- Sufficiently flexible to incorporate new things into the plan doing so will eradicate those things that, for whatever reason, are no longer necessary, without panicking or becoming over-stressed.

Unscheduled or unexpected important tasks- Need to design the plan with certain gaps in between so as it would not cause stress. If our time plan is doomed and concrete we would be subject to diseases, disasters, and distractions.

Family Commitment: Need to have a work life balance and in terms of avoiding house work at work this should be better taken care of so as our attention is focus on work rather than house hold activity.

3. Make a list of five KPIs that might be used to measure personal performance.

KPIs are a list of characteristics or dimensions associated with effective or superior performance in a particular job role. Performance indicators vary according to the nature and goals of an organisation and the nature and responsibilities of specific jobs.

1. Quality and Quantity of Work
2. Cost control
3. Intiative
4. Job Knowledge
5. Achievement of outputs

Assessment activity 4

1. What do you do to take initiative to prioritise and facilitate competing demands? These competing demands might relate to your personal or work life.

Competing demand is not easy to achieve hence requires planning and requires more priority than any other task. To take the initiative to prioritize and facilitate competing demands, need to set and meet own work priorities. By doing this, will be able to achieve personal, organisational and team goals and objectives, need to take a SWOT analysis of the resources and determine the best prioritisation process. A good idea would be to use project value and time constraints to handle the competing demands.

2. Procrastination is one of the biggest hurdles to achieving personal, team and organisational goals and objectives. Discuss the types of tasks that you have a tendency to procrastinate over, explain why this is and then develop and record a strategy for ensuring that you do not procrastinate in the future. These tasks might relate to your personal or work life.

Why do Today what you can put off until tomorrow? The truth is, the more we make excuses, the more we buy into them. Eventually, procrastination becomes integrated into our identity. We actually become a procrastinator.
Task which I generally try to procrastinate over are the basic task which I think is not a priority although in long term it piles up to be a mess. For example, house cleaning leave it for weeks and then would be a disaster.
Procrastination is habit forming even though I put something off temporarily. The very act of f procrastinating sets up a chain reaction that makes it easier to do it again. Why? Because it’s habit forming! and eventually enlarges the task.
Strategies to help you overcome procrastination1.Make a commitment – Don’t leave things floating in the indecision zone, go ahead and make a decision to commit to doing it. There is power associated with a commitment. Once you commit to doing something, you will have access to the energy required to do it. Tasks are rarely as difficult as procrastination makes them seem. Once we’ve actually committed to producing our desired result we unleash the resources needed to take action and follow through to completion.

2. Know your reasons – Sometimes we get so caught up in our busy routine, running from one task to the next, that we forget to clarify the reasons we are doing something. Ask yourself “Why is this important to me and how does it contribute to my life?” Understanding the reasons behind your actions helps you appreciate the value of each task. Seeing the big picture also helps put the effort required in perspective with benefits you will receive.

3. Use pain and pleasure anchors – It is well established that we are hardwired to move toward pleasure and away from pain. If you associate the accomplishment of a task with pleasure and procrastination with pain, you will be motivated to take action. What do you stand to lose if you don’t complete this task? How will your life be better when you do complete it? Pain and pleasure paradigms have a powerful influence on what actions we will take and what actions we will avoid taking.

4. Focus on long term benefits – In our modern world the tendency is to choose instant gratification over long term benefits. While there is nothing inherently wrong with instant gratification it is only one form of satisfaction. While quick results may seem preferable, they are often devoid of any real sense of achievement. Adopting a goal setting mentality will add a dimension of depth and gratification that can only be achieved by getting involved in a more involved process.

5. Visual Reminders – It can be very helpful to use visual reminders to pull our attention back to the task at hand. I think that’s the reason post-it’s were invented. You can write a one or two word message on them and stick them almost anywhere. This can be an effective way to help counteract the many distractions that bombard us on a daily basis. A word of warning, this doesn’t work if you have too many reminders plastered all over everything. So limit this strategy to no more than a couple of different tasks for optimal results.

6. Stop thinking and start doing – Quite often all that is required is to take that first step, even if you are not sure what the next step will be. Action has a way of simplifying things because it gets us out of our heads and into the real world. I am reminded of the Ready, Fire, Aim approach used by many successful people. If you tend to over think things, try this approach to get things moving. It can be a real procrastination breaker.

Assessment activity 5

1. What technology can be used to efficiently and effectively to manage priorities and commitments?

Business technology can include computers, networks and software applications, electronic whiteboards and smart boards, facsimile machines, telephones-land line, satellite and mobile, personal digital assistants, palm pilots, television and video equipment, a wider range of sound equipment, cameras, photocopiers, scanners and printers.

2. Write a short report discussing the pros and cons of using technology managing work priorities and commitments.

Technology is as much a part of the modern business world as coffee machines and water coolers. Computers are ubiquitous, and procedures such as billing and shipping rely on automation, at least in part.

Saving Money
Technology limits the need for people to be in the same physical location, for example when companies hold a teleconference with several employees located in different branches or when they allow employees to telecommute from home. In some cases, this can save companies money because they do not have to pay travel expenses. When employees use technology for telecommuting, they can work in the comfort of their home instead of travelling to a workplace.

Saving Time
Technology can decrease the time it takes to accomplish a task, which can ultimately save money and increase productivity. Communication speed also increases. Instead of sending a message by postal mail, using email or fax can deliver it instantaneously. Technology can also speed up various manufacturing processes, as machines and computers can do work that was once performed by humans more quickly and efficiently.

While technology offers an array of benefits to businesses, it also comes with many potential drawbacks.

Over dependentOn the downside, the use of technology doesn't always result in greater efficiency. Companies that depend heavily on computer systems to conduct business can come to a virtual standstill if the system breaks down. There is typically a learning curve that accompanies the introduction of a new process, which can lead to a loss in productivity and disgruntled employees. For employees who telecommute and experience computer problems, it may be more difficult to receive timely technical support.

Upgradation
Some technologies contain features that need to be upgraded regularly, which can result in an additional expense for the company. For example, companies may need to change computer software frequently just to keep up with industry trends. Entire computer systems may also need upgrading every year or two. Companies that employ telecommuters may face the additional expense involved with sending a computer technician to a worker's home to install new equipment or programs.
Effects on CustomersTechnology can have both a positive and negative effect on your customers. While some customers may enjoy the convenience of paying bills online, others may see this as a possible invasion of their privacy. Some may consider being routed through a phone tree standard operating procedure in modern business, but others may be frustrated when they cannot reach a live person to help them with a problem.

Assessment activity 6

1.

2. Redraw the segments of the circle to reflect their relative size as you perceive your life/work balance.

3. Is your life/ work balance how would like it to be? Why? Why not?

4. Redraw the circle showing the work/ life balance that you would like to have. What changes do you need to make to achieve this balance?

Assessment activity 7

Think about a job you hold now or one you would like to hold in the future. Identify the personal knowledge and skills requires in this job. What competencies would you require? Which of these skills, knowledge and competencies do you currently have? What could you do to develop these skills, knowledge and competencies?

Job: C

Personal Knowledge and Skills required in this job:

Assessment activity 8

Seek feedback from people that you know about a task that you regularly carry out. This might be a task that you carry out at work. If so, you should seek feedback from employees, clients and colleagues. Alternately, this might be a task you carry out in your day to day life, such as driving a car or making dinner. If so you should seek feedback you receive is useful? How would you use this feedback to identify and develop ways to improve competence in the task you have selected?

Assessment activity 10

Identify a network that you are involved in or a network that you might become involved in. How does/would your participation in this network enhance personal knowledge, skills and work relationships? What learning opportunities does it provide? What can you learn from the network?

Assessment activity 11

1. How would you go about developing the new skills needed to achieve and maintain a competitive edge? Be specific and do not limit your ideas to those provided in the text.

2. Explain how you think developing new skills can contribute to the development of a competitive edge for your organisation.

Assesment tool 2

1. Identify and describe three strategies you can use to manage your time.
2. Identify and describe five traits of effective leaders.
3. Describe the importance of continually developing professional competence.
4. Explain what action learning sets are and how they allow people to develop new skills.
5. Explain KPI in detail,
6. What are preferred learning styles? Describe some preferred learning styles.
7. What is the individual encouraged to do in the balanced scorecard model?
8. Describe how you would develop your own set of competencies.