1. No category

Assessment Cover Sheet
Please fill out the necessary information, and sign and date where required
Training & Assessment Guide for Unit of Competency
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities and Development
Student Name:
Starting Date:
Finishing Date:
Date Submitted:
Due Date: After receiving your booklet, It should take you a maximum of 4 weeks to complete.
I DECLARE THAT :

no part of this book (i.e. Answers to Questions,
Documentation etc) has been copied from
another person’s work except where referenced
accordingly

no other person has written any part of this
book/assessment, except where such
collaboration has been authorized by
Queensland Polytechnic

I hold a copy of the documentation within this
book, which can be produced should the original
be lost or damaged, or is deemed necessary

the signature is my own and/or the email that I
have sent, which includes this book, is my own
personal email address

this book has not been submitted for any other
study requirements
Name & Signature of Student:
ADDITIONALLY:

I have completed a pre-training review and have
contributed to development of my training plan /
qualification

I am aware that this assessment item/book can
be adapted to meet my individual needs if
required

I am aware that I can apply for RPL or RCC
based on my previous experience of expertise

I am aware that this assessment approach is
negotiable and by undertaking this ‘book’, I have
agreed upon this format

I am aware of my responsibilities with regards to
assessment items
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
________________________________________
Or, if submitted electronically, the receipt of the email
is sufficient for electronic submission.
Page 1 of 65
Student Number (if known):
Student Contact Details
Phone:
Email:
Name & Signature of Assessor
Marking of Assessment:
Karen Lamkin
Attempt 1 -  Successful  Unsuccessful
Attempt 2 -  Successful  Unsuccessful
Was a Re-submission granted?  Yes  No  N/A
________________________________________
(Can be handwritten or electronic)
By signing the Assessment Cover Sheet, the student agrees that if a
resubmission is required, they will make the suggested improvements
Resubmission Date Due: _______________
Was an extension granted?  Yes  No  N/A
Extension Due Date: __________________
Assessment Summary / Final Checklist
 Assessment 1, Oral/Written Questions
 Successful  Unsuccessful
 Assessment 2, Document Evidence, such as:
 a diary/planning calendar
 current job description, CV and prior qualifications/training certificates
 Successful  Unsuccessful
 Assessment 3, Practical Observation by Trainer and Third Party
 Successful  Unsuccessful
Final Result -  Competent  Not Yet Competent
Name & Signature of Student:____________________________________
Name & Signature of Assessor ____________________________________
Feedback / Comments
Please note, all assessment items are kept by Queensland Polytechnic. Constructive Feedback will be
provided by either phone call / email. By signing the Assessment Cover Sheet, the student agrees that
feedback will be provided in this manner.
This guide and all related learning resources contain material copied in reliance upon the Educational
Copying Agreement between the Copyright Agency Ltd and Queensland Polytechnic/ACIL Training under
Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968. Distribution is limited to enrolled students of Queensland
Polytechnic/ACIL Training and their partners.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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USING THIS BOOK
The Certificate IV in Business consists of 10 units of competency (subjects). The Diploma of Management consists of 8 units.
One unit within the Certificate IV in Business may be from a Diploma level. One unit within the Diploma of Management may
be from the Advanced Diploma or Certificate IV level. The Diploma of Management is broken down into a number of booklets
– generally it is one book per unit, however at times, you may have a book that covers two units. You will be given one book at
a time to complete. Within this book you will find all the materials you need to undertake your study i.e. hand-written question
and answers, supervisor and trainer third party observation forms, readings, and documentation/evidence that you need to
collect and/or further assessment instructions.
If you haven’t already got a load of documents/evidence, you have created throughout your career at Thrifty Car Rentals, or at
other positions/organisations, you may need to jump on a computer and word-process a document, create a spreadsheet
using Excel or a PowerPoint Presentation. When you do this, the document you create, will need to be attached to your
booklet in the appropriate place (ready for marking). The books and the time it should take you to complete each one, varies
considerably, depending on the requirement of the unit, your skills levels and/or previous experience and qualifications.
WELCOME TO QUEENSLAND POLYTECHNIC
Queensland Polytechnic is committed to providing you with quality training and assessment and assisting you in furthering
your career and reaching your goals. Our trainers and assessors are highly qualified, have extensive experience in their
industry, and are here to support you in your training program.
The qualification you are enrolled in is made up of units of competency (units) – such as this one-- which have been
determined by the relevant industries and categorised into National Competency Standards for specific industries. The
standards provide a framework for training and assessment and specify what competencies an employee at a particular level
within a particular industry can be reasonably expected to achieve. A competency is a skill that you have obtained or could
obtain. A competency is made up of a number of elements – normally you demonstrate competency in a skill by demonstrating
competence in each element that makes up that skill. Competency-based assessment involves collecting evidence and making
judgements about whether competency has been achieved.
Outlined below, are a number of areas that are relevant to Competency Based Learning / Qualifications. You may have already
read about this in the Student Handbook, however, it is always good to re-revisit this information to ensure you understand it,
and its relevance to you, each time you undertake a Unit of Competency. If you have any questions, concerns or issues with
any of the information, please feel free to contact your Trainer / Assessor.
Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)
The purpose of Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) is to help Trainees / Students to claim credit towards national competency
standards that form part of the program they are undertaking. Queensland Polytechnic recognises that skills and knowledge
are gained through work, educational, and life experience regardless of how, when or where it was acquired, provided that the
learning is relevant to the competency outcomes in a unit. Credit for these skills and knowledge may be given by Queensland
Polytechnic towards unit and/or programs it currently offers. Recognition will be given to any applicant who has successfully
completed units of competency which give equivalence into training programs offered by Queensland Polytechnic, and/or
which have been gained with another recognised training organisation, eg TAFE.
Queensland Polytechnic’s RPL Policy and practices are equitable and culturally inclusive. The Rules of Evidence (Sufficiency,
Validity, Authenticity and Currency) and the Principles of Assessment apply to RPL applications just as they do to any other
assessment. All RPL assessments are of the similar rigour when compared to other assessment tools and processes.
Queensland Polytechnic strives for fair, objective and transparent decisions in all aspects of its operations. It will provide
reassessment on appeal to any RPL applicant, if requested. If you believe, you have a case for your previous experience to be
recognised, please contact your Trainer / Assessor.
Exemptions, National Recognition and Credit Transfer
If a student/trainee (you) has completed units from another course/program, and the content is very similar to what has been
studied, an application for an exemption in that unit can be achieved. An assessment of the equivalence to the required
learning outcomes, competency outcomes or standards in a qualification will be undertaken by a qualified Trainer / Assessor
before credit transfer can be obtained. An application can be made for any of the above when the student believes that they
have already attained the necessary skills and competencies. If you believe, you have a case for your previous experience to be
recognised, please contact your Trainer / Assessor.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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Flexible Delivery
Flexible delivery means providing training when it best suits the participant and employer. Flexible delivery focuses on learning
rather than teaching and to provide the best possible learning experience for the student. This means that the student (you)
has greater control over what, when and how you learn.
Rules of Evidence
AQTF Standards state that assessment must be based on what is sometimes termed the 'rules of evidence' - validity, reliability,
fairness and flexibility. Refer to Table 2, below. This is also good teaching and assessment practice and ensures the best
learning outcomes for students.
Table 2, Rules of Evidence
Validity
This means that the
evidence relates to the
unit competency,
addresses essential skills
and knowledge,
dimensions of competency
and employability skills
A valid assessment
assesses what it claims to
assess
Evidence collected is
relevant to the activities
and demonstrates that the
performance criteria have
been met
Reliability
This means that the
assessment tool and
process will produce
consistent outcomes when
applied by a range of
assessors in a range of
contexts. Thus,
‘consistent’ outcomes are
achieved in assessment
regardless of who does the
assessment, when it is
conducted and in whatever
context it was conducted
Fairness
Flexibility
This means that the
assessment will not
disadvantage any person and
will take into account the
Assessment Tasks and the
Assessment Tools are
structured so that they do
not disadvantage
This means that the
assessment tool and
process allows for
assessment in a range of
assessment contexts
Assessment practices and
methods are equitable to all
learners and their
characteristics
Participants will be able to
have their previous
experience or expertise
recognized (RPL or RCC)
Assessment procedures and
the criteria for judging
performance are made clear
to all learners
The assessment approach
can be adapted to meet
the needs of all
participants and
workplaces
Opportunities will be
provided to allow
participants to challenge
assessments and have the
opportunity of reassessment
The assessment strategy
adequately covers both the
on and off-the-job
components of training
Where practical and
appropriate, assessment
will be negotiated and
agreed between the
assessor and the student
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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Types of Evidence
Evidence is information upon which an Assessor makes a judgement of competency. Evidence you may be asked to may
include:
Direct
demonstration/observation
Indirect demonstration
Products
Workplace documents
Questions - written and oral
Assignments
Third party reports
Self-assessment
Simulation
Portfolios
Performance of a task, or range of tasks, either in the workplace or in a
simulated work environment, witnessed directly by an Assessor
Use of photographs, videos, etc. showing performance of a task when the
Assessor cannot be present
Models, items, objects that have been made, fixed or repaired by the student
Rosters, budgets, reports, standard operating procedures etc. developed by
the student
Asking the student about real or hypothetical situations to check
understanding, task management and contingency management skills. May be
short answer, discussion, multiple choice, etc.
Projects, reports, essays, etc, relevant to the learning, literacy and numeracy
(LLN) requirements of the unit of competency
Documented and verified reports from supervisor, colleague, subject expert,
Trainer or others
A student’s personal statement on their performance (not generally sufficient
in isolation)
Simulated activity to accommodate difficult to demonstrate criteria e.g.
emergencies, contingencies, difficult behaviors etc.
Collections of evidence compiled by the student
Equity Groups and Reasonable Adjustment
'Reasonable adjustment, sometimes called reasonable accommodation or allowable adjustment is designed to ensure that all
students are treated equally in the assessment process – this means that, wherever possible, "reasonable", adjustments are
made
to
the
assessment
process
to
meet
the
individual
needs
of
students.'
Equity groups may include, but are not limited to:





Students with English as a second language
Students with literacy or numeracy difficulties
Indigenous students and/or students in remote locations
Women in non-traditional industries
Students with sensory impairment and/or Students with physical or intellectual disabilities
Reasonable adjustment may mean:




Making learning materials and methods accessible
Adapting the physical environment and equipment
Making adjustments to the procedures for conducting assessment
Making adjustments to the evidence gathering techniques
In the event that you have difficulties understanding the requirements for the assessment outlined in this unit, due to language
or any of the other difficulties, Queensland Polytechnic will attempt to make reasonable adjustments to the assessment in
order to afford you every opportunity to achieve competency. This may include oral questioning or demonstration of skills and
knowledge in another format. If you believe, you have a case for your needs to be adapted, please contact your Trainer /
Assessor.
Withdrawal from a Unit of Competency / Qualification
If you wish to withdraw from a unit of competency / qualification / traineeship this may be negotiated between the student,
employer and Queensland Polytechnic at any time.
Quality Improvements
Queensland Polytechnic is constantly looking for ways to improve its training and assessment services, its materials and its
processes. From time to time materials may change due to improvement.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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Learner Surveys / Questionnaires
Queensland Polytechnic requires all course participants to complete an AQTF Learner
survey, once a year. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete, and will be
distributed at the end of each year, or at the end of your studies. The survey focuses on
whether you have engaged in activities that are likely to promote high-quality skill outcomes
and includes your perceptions of the quality of your competency development and of the
support that you have received during your training.
Data collected from the surveys, will help support continuous improvement processes
ensuring that:
 Queensland Polytechnic continue to provide quality training and assessment across all our operations
 Queensland Polytechnic adhere to principles of access and equity and continue to maximise outcomes for our clients
 Queensland Polytechnic’s Management systems continue to be responsive to the needs of our clients (you), staff and
stakeholders
UNIT DESCRIPTION
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to manage own performance and professional
development. Particular emphasis is on setting and meeting priorities, analysing information and using a range of strategies to
develop further competence (skills).
This unit applies to managers and focuses on the need for managers to be organised, focussed and skilled in order to
effectively manage the work of others. As such it is an important unit for managers, particularly as managers serve as role
models and have significant influence on the work culture and patterns of behaviour.
Details of the competencies of this unit can be accessed at: www.training.gov.au
EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
Employability Skills are defined as "skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress
within an enterprise so as to achieve one's potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic
directions". Hence, skills that applies across a variety of jobs and life contexts. These are also
sometimes referred to as generic skills, capabilities, enabling skills, key competencies, key skills, core
skills, life skills, essential skills, necessary skills, and transferable skills. Industry's preferred term is
Employability Skills.
An Employability Skills Framework was developed in 2002 by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, in consultation with other peak employer bodies. This framework, includes eight (8) ‘skill grouping’
Employability Skills, which are outlined in Table 1, below.
Table 1, Employability Skills
Communication
Teamwork
Problem Solving
Initiative & Enterprise
Planning & Organising
Self-Management
Learning
Technology
that contribute to productive and harmonious relations between
employees and customers
that contribute to productive working relationships and outcomes
that contribute to productive outcomes
that contribute to innovative outcomes
That contribute to long term and short term strategic planning
that contribute to employee satisfaction and growth
that contribute to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee
and company operations and outcomes;
that contribute to effective execution of tasks
More information about employability skills for these units can be accessed at: http://employabilityskills.training.com.au/.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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AUSTRALIAN CORE SKILLS FRAMEWORK (ACSF)
Each activity/assessment in this booklet has been aligned to the ACSF’s “indicators” of competence so that they are at the
levels appropriate to the delivery of language, literacy and numeracy skills underpinning the unit of competency.
Units of Competency and minimum required levels of reading, writing, numeracy, oral communication and learning skills
The following table provides the level of reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy that is required for the Units of
the Certificate IV in Business and the Diploma of Management.
UNIT CODE & TITLE: BSBWOR501B Manage personal work priorities & professional development
PERFORMANCE
LEVEL 4
ACSF Reading
Skills Level
ACSF Writing Skills
Level
EXAMPLE OF ACTIVITIES
AT THIS LEVEL
-
-
WORKPLACE & EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION
Read text and prepare a
presentation. Read and
comment on an article about
a contemporary issue
-
Write a report on a topic of
interest
Write procedures on minute
taking
-
-
-
-
-
ACSF Oral
Communication
Skills Level
-
-
-
-
ACSF Numeracy
Skills Level
-
Communicate with people
from diverse backgrounds.
Prepare and lead a discussion
Understands vocabulary
specific to a topic
Follows oral texts which
include vocabulary that
creates shades of meaning
Responds to cues such as
change of pace and particular
words which indicate a new
or important point is about to
be made
Reflects on the effectiveness
of the interaction as it occurs
requesting clarification,
and/or variation in volume
and pace as necessary
Interprets gestures and other
non-verbal features
Responds to topic shifts and
points of clarification, and
gives non-verbal feedback
Calculate and compare
annual income options.
Calculate area of an office
-
-
Analyses, compares and contrasts information gained from tables and charts, e.g.
information on products and materials in order to determine the suitability for
use in different locations
Demonstrates understanding of texts describing interrelationships of events, e.g.
reviews conflicting incident reports to identify key issues and possible follow up
action
Prepares an induction manual or standard operating procedures to be used in
the workplace
Documents roles, responsibilities and timeframes for a project plan
Compiles a report (e.g. on sales figures) with input from a range of sources
Writes clear and detailed instructions organised sequentially, for individual
members of a group in order to complete a group activity
Prepares data for a team/group using graphs to compare production or activity
over a period of time, and includes recommendations for improvements
Gathers information from a range of sources and rewrites using headings,
instructions and layout that meet the needs of the audience and purpose of the
text, e.g. job instructions or evacuation instructions
Writes an instruction manual for a new piece of equipment or machinery
Creates a range of formal texts incorporating specific workplace proformas and
language and maintains records on a computer, e.g. memos, letters to clients,
agendas, minutes, emails or reports
Demonstrates understanding of a text describing complex interrelationships of
events, e.g. writes a letter to a customer apologising for a lost item or prepares a
report for a manager detailing a problem and steps taken to address it
Explains technological concepts to a work group unfamiliar with the concepts
involved, using visual aids such as photos and diagrams
Leads a discussion with a focus group to explore solutions to a complex
workplace problem
Determines customer requirements through open-ended questioning, active
listening, paraphrasing and summarising
Expresses own values, ideas and attributes through language choice as
appropriate to various contexts, e.g. job interview or group discussion
Negotiates a win-win outcome with a work colleague, demonstrating conflict
resolution skills
Leads and/or facilitates group discussion which explores solutions to specific
problems with new technology, e.g. implementation issues arising from changing
work practices as a result of installation of a new computer system
Uses aids (e.g. machine/equipment parts, photos, diagrams or scaled models) to
explain technological concepts or scientific phenomena to an audience or work
group
-
-
-
-
-
Collects, represents, summarises and interprets a range of statistical data
appropriately, e.g. in tables, spreadsheets, graphs, plots, measures of central
tendency (mean, median, mode) and simple measures of spread
Works in a group to investigate and report on the options and costs for the use
of a fleet of vehicles for the running of a business, e.g. comparing the use of cars
versus motor bikes for a courier service or comparing leasing cars versus outright
purchase
Works in a team to plan and develop an operating budget for a task or project,
including the income from different sources (e.g. government funding,
membership fees or sales) and expenses (e.g. staffing, materials, marketing,
overheads, travel, training or IT support)
Collects and accurately records data (e.g. measurements, quantities or digital
outputs) on to an appropriate device (e.g. graph, chart, spreadsheet or handheld device), interprets results and outcomes, identifies anomalies or errors and
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
Page 7 of 65
-
-
-
-
ACSF Learning
Skills Level
Identify and document career
goals
-
-
can respond appropriates by acting to correct processes or inputs
Interprets and uses ratios and scales to read and discuss the design and
dimensions on the plan of a property (e.g. building, workplace, office or shop) in
order to allocate working space and furniture
Represents statistical system information and data (e.g. customer satisfaction
survey results, phone enquiry data or customer profiles), and analyses and
interprets the data using graphical and numerical processes (e.g. graphs, charts
or averages) to show different interpretations and influences
Calculates, compares and interprets the probabilities of some given or described
events in both numerical and qualitative terms, e.g. production numbers or
faults, or accidents
Organise own workplace professional development/training plan to achieve a
negotiated outcome with consideration of personal priorities and demands on
time
Actively seeks feedback from others as a way of improving performance, e.g.
approaches peers, manager or customers
Makes changes to work routine to meet deadlines, drawing on insights gained
from previous experiences
Uses organisational file sharing and storage systems
Actively encourages others to learn
Initiates team problem solving sessions
Participates in and contributes to change management in the workplace
PERFORMANCE VARIABLES
These variables may influence the individual’s performance at any time
Support
Works independently and
initiates and uses support
from a range of
established resources
Context
Text Complexity
Task Complexity
Range of contexts, including some
that are unfamiliar and/or
unpredictable
Complex texts
Embedded information
Includes specialised vocabulary
Includes abstraction and symbolism
Complex task organisation and analysis
involving application of a number of
steps
Processes include extracting,
extrapolating, inferencing, reflecting,
abstracting
EXAMPLE OF TEXT DOCUMENTS WITHIN 3 DOMAINS OF COMMUNICATION
Text Type
Personal & Community
Workplace & Employment
Education and Training
Procedural
Recipe
Standard operating procedures
Instructions for completing assessment
task
Persuasive
Email to local council complaining
about cat registration bylaws
Informative
Club newsletter
Creative
Report for CEO presenting argument and
recommendations for a particular piece of
new equipment
Report of different approaches to risk
management used in the industry
Oral presentation on an issue in area of
study/expertise
Research paper on main developments
in WHS in the last 20 years
Poem
Design project
Advertising copy or short story
Technical
Explanation of parts of a camera
Instruction manual for a new piece of
equipment
Report on advantages of new computer
system in library
Regulatory
Council planning permission form
Industry standards list
Course completion requirements
Descriptive
Recount of trip to botanic gardens
Memo outlining new office furniture
Essay comparing two paintings
TRAINER / ASSESSOR
Trainer / Assessor: Karen Lamkin, [email protected]
Mobile: +61 439 817 361
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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MATERIALS & RESOURCES REQUIRED

All readings, samples, information contained within this Training & Assessment Guide and the internet, your
organization’s intranet and the Yahoo Group page, set up for your specific studies. Additional readings and
examples/templates relating to this unit can be found on the intranet and/or requested by yourself (for the trainer to
send to you via email).

All students are advised of the need for regular access to the internet, intranet and CarsPlus, and a reliable calculator,
printer and computer/laptop with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Internet Explorer (or similar)
software applications, for completion of the Certificate IV in Business and/or the Diploma of Management

Access to Thrifty’s policies and procedures as well as relevant legislation is also required. If you have problems
accessing this, please contact your Trainer or immediate supervisor, ASAP

During the Assessment Process, if sample documentation is required, and it is either not provided in this book or you
cannot locate it in the workplace, please contact your immediate supervisor and/or Trainer/Assessor, so that this can
be provided to you

Regular access to your Trainer/Assessor and supervisors at Thrifty Car Rentals
ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

Assessments must be handed in on time. Please note, Progression Reports will be provided to your supervisor on a
three (3) monthly basis.

Signed assessment cover sheets (the front page of this book), must accompany each assessment/book.

Students must complete all assessment activities for this unit/book to a satisfactory level in order to be deemed
competent in the unit.

Students will be allowed one resubmission of each assessment providing they have made a reasonable attempt on the
first submission.

Queensland Polytechnic strives for fair, objective and transparent decisions in all aspects of its operations. It will
provide reassessment on appeal to any applicant, if requested.
ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS & DETAILS
Part of your assessment for this unit is that you demonstrate you can meet designated timelines. This means submitting work
within the timeline indicated in your study schedule, outlined below. You will also have the chance to develop and practice
employability skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative and enterprise, planning and organizing, selfmanagement, learning, and technology.
In order to achieve Competency for this unit, this book, and all of its all assessment tasks must be completed to a satisfactory
level. An acceptable or satisfactory performance level for assessments will be based on what would be expected of a person
completing a similar task in the workplace. You may request feedback and advice from your Trainer/Assessor at any time prior
to submitting the completed book.
The assessment tasks for this unit will require you to complete the following:
Assessment 1, Oral/Written Questions/Activities (10 in total): answer a number of
questions and provide examples, comments or explanations to particular
incidents/activities that occur within your day to day events/thinking at Thrifty Car
Rentals. Provide as much detail as you can since the more knowledge you show, the
less time it will take you to be deemed competent in the unit.
Assessment 2, Documentation Evidence: provide hard copy evidence/documentation.
This will be required to be attached to the booklet where indicated. Such
documentation will include a diary/planning calendar and your current job
description.
Assessment 3, Practical Observation by Trainer and Third Party: have your immediate
supervisor and Trainer; sign off on your competence in the relevant areas, after
observing you in a workplace situation, serving a client/customer.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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ASSESSMENT MARKING
It is acceptable for different students to undertake the same Assessment Task in different ways and to format their finished
work differently.
Answers to questions throughout this book, may be completed in a variety of ways, appropriate to the specific question,
including:





writing continuous paragraphs of text
using headings and sub-headings to organise text
using bullet points rather than, (or as well as, continuous text
providing examples and illustrations from experience – particularly relevant work experience
submitting workplace documents that are examples of work completed in the workplace
Your Trainer / Assessor will make a decision about whether an Assessment Task has been satisfactorily
completed based on the following considerations:

all parts of the Assessment Task outlined in book, have been completed to a standard that satisfactorily meets the
competency requirements set out for the unit, on the training.gov website ie. all Elements of the Performance
Criteria, Required Skills, Required Knowledge, Critical Aspects have been meet

your work is of a standard to be acceptable in the workplace, as deemed by your immediate supervisor

your work is has acceptable formatting, expression, language, spelling and grammar

the Assessment Task is your own work, except where appropriately acknowledged by the use of referencing . Please
note, while it is not essential for VET students to include the ideas and work of others in assessment tasks –
particularly practical tasks - it is good practice to do so when appropriate to the task. It is highly likely to be necessary
to refer to texts and learning materials when answering questions which focus on knowledge and how to apply it to
specific situations. Learning to reference appropriately also helps student develop skills that will be essential should
they decide to go on to higher education/university, later.
If you are deemed ‘not yet competent’ for an assessment item, a sample/indicative answer will be shown to you, to help you
determine competency in the assessment item.
STUDY SCHEDULE & RESOURCE LIST
You will participate in a face-to-face introductory workshop and/or online conversation in Week 1, which will get you oriented
and started on the Assessment items for this unit. At this time, your Trainer/Assessor will go through this book and the
Assessment requirements/tasks. Should you not fully understand a question and/or assessment, please ask for assistance.
The remaining weeks, you will complete your study by working through the activities within this
booklet and attaching the required evidence, as instructed. NOTE: There is no need to word process
your answers to the Questions within this book.
In the last week of your program, you will need to submit this booklet to your Trainer, in hard copy
format. Make sure that all the evidence/documentation is attached to the booklet where
required/indicated.
The following schedule will tell you what you need to complete each week and what resources you need to review. If you
follow this schedule to complete and hand in your work you will have no trouble finishing the unit. It should take you about 50
hours of study over a 4 week period to complete the reading and assessment activities. Please note however, the time you
will need to spend on your learning for this unit will also vary depending on your reading skills, computer skills, modem speed
and writing skills.
Please don’t hesitate to contact your Trainer / Assessor immediately if you have any difficulties. Problems
have a way of growing bigger over time – so your Trainer who is assessing your work would much rather
hear from you early so any issues can be solved and you can move ahead with your learning. Your Trainer /
Assessor will reply within one day.
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BSBWOR501B MANAGE PERSONAL WORK PRIORITIES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ASSESSMENT 1: RECOMMENDED STUDY AND READING SCHEDULE
Week
Topic Covered
Resources and Assessments
Week
Introduction to
the unit & time
management
Time Management is a process for understanding the way we use our time and identifying
ways of improving it, It is a set of specific techniques for increasing time effectiveness. It is an
attitude we have to the way we live and the way we use our time.
1-4
Managing your time properly is like any other form of management – it benefits from analysis
and planning. Time cannot be replaced…
Advantages of time management are numerous. For example:
 You are able to meet individual and organization’s deadlines with adequate time and less
stress
 You have increased understanding of individual responsibility in keeping to deadlines
especially where the task depends on the involvement of others
 You are able to control time and tasks and not be controlled by them
 You are able to create more balance in your life – efficient management of tasks in a
timeframe leads to more time to do other things in your life
 You have increased productivity
 You will gain an increased awareness of what you do with your time. This will ensure that
your time is well-spent
Reading 1: Time Management (located at the back of this book)
Reading 2: Stress Management Techniques
Establish
personal work
goals
Critical Aspect – Systems &
Processes used to organize
& prioritize tasks, which
shows how work is
managed
Activity 1:
Option 1: You need to purchase (or develop using Excel) a calendar (purely for this assessment
item) so that you can plan and organise your time.
Option 2: You can photocopy the pages of your hard copy diary
Option 3: If possible, you can PRINT out the e-diary/calendar from your Blackberry / IPhone /
Outlook Express
Think of your job position’s responsibilities/accountabilities this coming month – what are the
activities / goals / plans /commitments? Outline all of these in your diary / calendar. Ie.
a.
When do you plan on working (Mon-Fri?)?
b.
When will train staff?
c.
When will you conduct job interviews?
d.
When will you focus on WHS?
e.
When will you have meeting with the Managing Director?
f.
When do you have to go to other locations?
g.
When do you have to hold staff meetings?
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Required Knowledge 3
Element 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
It is expected that on the calendar, you make small notes for yourself about the day/week you
had. Such things could be:
o
Any variations to the ‘plan’. Ie. cancelled meeting and rescheduling required, sickness
of staff or of yourself, items that fall on your desk that need immediate attention and
take you away from other activities you had planned for the day/week/month
o
Any work conditions worth mentioning. Ie. school holiday period so extremely busy on
front counter areas, relocation of offices, limited staffing capacity, termination of staff
leaving shifts to be filled
o
Any contingencies you had to work around that day/month
The planning calendar book will be attached to this booklet (where indicated) ALONG with your
job description.
Set and meet
own work
priorities
Required Knowledge 1E
Element 2.1
Element 2.2
Activity 2: Questions & Answers
Looking over your diary / calendar for the month, explain how you prioritised ‘competing’
demands upon yourself to make sure you achieved all the personal, team and organisational
goals you needed to achieve?
How do you use technology (ie. Computers, Electronic Diaries, Blackberry, iPhone) to manage
your work priorities and commitments?
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Element 2.3
How do you maintain a work life balance and ensure your stress levels are effectively managed
and your health is looked after?
Element 2.3
Complete the WorkLife Balance Quiz that is on the Thrifty Intranet and provide an overview of
the results, below.
Element 1.1
Thinking only about your planning and organization skills - how do you serve as a positive role
model in the workplace?
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ASSESSMENT 1: RECOMMENDED STUDY AND READING SCHEDULE
Week
Topic Covered
Week 2
Assessing
personal
knowledge &
skills &
identifying
areas for
improvement
Resources and Assessments
Complete Activity 3: Skills Self-Assessment (below). Complete the activity below,
ensuring you obtain feedback from others in regards to how you could improve your skills.
Element 3.1
Critical Aspects – Personal
development plans, career
objective, action plan
Part of our planning for the future is knowing what we are good at and where we need to improve our skills.
Using the Employability Skills Framework Table (below) consider each skill and address how you either meet,
exceed, or have to improve on each element linked with the skill. Last, determine how studies in these areas
have (and can) help you improve in this area.
SKILLS
Communication - that contributes
to productive and harmonious
relations across employees and
customers
ELEMENTS OF THE SKILL
1.
Listening and understanding
2.
Speaking clearly and directly
3.
Writing to the needs of the audience
4.
Negotiating responsively
5.
Reading independently
6.
Empathizing
7.
Speaking and writing in languages
other than English
8.
Using numeracy
9.
Understanding the needs of internal
and external customers
RATE YOURSELF ON THE ELEMENTS – DO YOU
EXCEED, MEET, OR NEED IMPROVEMENTS ON
THE SKILL & THEIR ELEMENTS?
10. Persuading effectively
11. Establishing and using networks
12. Being assertive
13. Sharing information
Team work - that contributes to
productive working relationships
and outcomes
Planning and Organizing - that
contributes to long and short term
strategic planning.
1.
Working across different ages and
irrespective of gender, race, religion or
political persuasion.
2.
Working as an individual and as a
member of a team.
3.
Knowing how to define a role as part of
a team
4.
Applying team work to a range of
situations e.g. crisis problem solving
5.
Identifying the strengths of team
members
6.
Coaching an mentoring skills including
giving feedback
1.
Managing time and priorities- setting
time lines, co-ordinating tasks for self
and others
2.
Being resourceful
3.
Taking initiative and making decisions
4.
Adapting resource allocations to cope
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with contingencies
5.
Establishing clear project goals and
deliverables
6.
Allocating people and other resources
to tasks
7.
Planning the use of resources including
time management
8.
Participating in continuous
improvement and planning processes
9.
Developing a vision and a proactive
plan accompanying it
10. Predicting – weighing up risk,
evaluating alternatives and applying
evaluation criteria
11. Collecting, analyzing and organizing
information
12. Understanding basic business systems
and their relationships
Technology - that contributes to
effective execution of tasks.
Problem Solving - that contributes
to productive outcomes
Self-management - that
contributes to employee
satisfaction and growth
Learning - that contributes to
ongoing improvement and
expansion in employee and
company operations and outcomes
1.
Having a range of basic IT skills
2.
Applying IT as a management tool
3.
Using IT to organize data
4.
Being willing to learn new IT skills
5.
Having the WHS knowledge to apply
technology
1.
Developing creative, innovative &
practical solutions
2.
Showing independence and initiative in
identifying & solving problems.
3.
Solving problems in teams
4.
Applying a range of strategies to
problem solving.
5.
Using mathematics including
budgeting and financial management
to solve problems.
6.
Applying problem solving strategies
across a range of areas.
7.
Testing assumptions taking the context
of data and circumstances into
account.
8.
Resolving customer concerns in
relation to complex projects issues
1.
Having personal vision and goals
2.
Evaluating and monitoring own
performance
3.
Having knowledge and confidence in
own ideas and visions
4.
Articulating own ideas and visions
5.
Taking responsibility
1.
Managing own learning
2.
Contributing to the learning
community at the workplace.
3.
Using a range of mediums to learnmentoring, peer support, and
networking, IT, courses
4.
Applying learning to ‘technical’ issues
(e.g. learning about products) and
‘people’ issues (e.g. interpersonal &
cultural aspects of work)
5.
Having enthusiasm for ongoing
learning
6.
Being willing to learn in any setting- on
and off the job
7.
Being open to new ideas and
techniques
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Initiative and Enterprise - that
contributes to innovative
outcomes
8.
Being prepared to invest time and
effort in learning new skills
9.
Acknowledging the need to learn in
order to accommodate change
1.
Adapting to new situations
2.
Developing a strategic, creative, long
term career vision
3.
Being creative
4.
Identifying opportunities not obvious
to others
5.
Translating ideas into action
6.
Generating a range of options
7.
Initiating innovative solutions
Look back at your answers to this activity. Make a list of the skills that you feel confident about.
Make a list of the skills that you do not feel confident about.
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Once you have finished the activity above and have identified some areas where you do not feel confident in your current
skill level put them in the list below in the order that you think are the most important for you to learn, number 1 being the
most important and identify how you will improve upon these skills ie; Mentoring, undertaking a course, practicing etc…
The areas that I need improving upon
Element 3.1
From my point of view, how will I
improve upon this skill?
Element 3.1
Required Knowledge 2 & 5
From feedback obtained from
employers, colleagues, and/or
friends, what are their suggestions on
how I can improve these skills?
Element 3.1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
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ASSESSMENT 1: RECOMMENDED STUDY AND READING SCHEDULE
Week
Week 2
Topic Covered
Goal setting
&
Personality
Types
Resources and Assessments
Reading 3: Setting Goals (this can be found at the end of the book)
Required knowledge 1c &
1d, 2
Critical aspects – personal
development plans, career
objectives, action plan
Activity 4:
After you have completed Reading 3, complete the questions below.
THINK OF SOME WORK RELATED /CAREER GOALS YOU WOULD LIKE TO
ACHIEVE AND WRITE OUT A LIST OF GOALS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SET
YOURSELF FOR THE FOLLOWING TIMEFRAMES. B E SPECIFIC AND MAKE SURE
YOUR GOALS ARE SMART .
Short Term Goals (a few days/weeks)
Medium Term Goals (several months to the end of this course)
Long Term Goals (years)
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Required knowledge 1b
Reading 4: Personality Types – Big 5 personality styles
Please visit this website: http://www.personalitypage.com/html/home.shtml
Activity 5: Complete the personality test, located at this website:
Required knowledge 1b
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp.
What was your personality type:
Then go back to this website, to read your profile:
http://www.personalitypage.com/html/home.shtml.
Make sure you look at personal growth, relationships, portraits section. Provide an
overview of your findings:
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ASSESSMENT 1: RECOMMENDED STUDY AND READING SCHEDULE
Week
Week 2
Topic Covered
Resources and Assessments
Your learning
style
Reading 5: VAK Learning Styles (at the end of the book)
Required Knowledge 4
Activity 6: Complete the VAK Questionnaire at the back of the reading.
What are your findings:
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ASSESSMENT 1: RECOMMENDED STUDY AND READING SCHEDULE
Week
Topic Covered
Week 3
Using
development
opportunities
suitable to
personal
learning styles
to develop skills
Element 3.1 (Identify)
Required knowledge 5
Element 3.1 (Evaluate)
Resources and Assessments
Activity 7: Think about the skills list from Portfolio 3, your personaltiy type and
your learning preferences/style from Portfolio 4.
What skill development /career opportunities are there available to you, in your current
position? i.e; mentoring, coaching, undertaking formal courses, induction, job rotation,
structured training programs internal to the organisation, external workshop.
Do any of these development opportunities SUIT your personality type AND learning
style? Yes / No. Why or Why not?
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Element 3.3 (Select)
You have selected to enrol in this Traineeship
YES / NO
Element 3.4 (Use)
You are using the development opportunities available to you within the organisation eg.
This traineeship opportunity
YES / NO
Element 3.5 (Developing
new skills)
Element 3.4 (Networks)
You are currently developing your skills by doing this Traineeships
YES / NO
By doing the Traineeship via Thrifty, you are participating in a network
YES / NO
Week 3
Maintaining a
competitive
edge with skills
Reading 6: Learning in the workplace
Element 3.5 (competitive
edge)
Activity 8: Questions & Answers
Why is it important to identify and develop new skills?
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Element 3.5 (Identify)
Other than the skills identified in the aforementioned Portfolio Activities, are there any
other skills you would like to develop in time? List these and provide reason why.
Required Skill
How do you use your communication skills to receive, analyse and report on feedback at
work?
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Required Skill
Some definitions of literacy consider it the ability to "read, write, spell, listen, and speak."
Since the 1980s, some have argued that literacy is ideological, which means that literacy
always exists in a context (ie the THRIFTY CONTEXT), in tandem with the values
associated with that context (ie. it is ok to swear at Thrifty in front of employees if it’s
acceptable within your branch, as we have a 'casual approach to communication' but we
would never do this in front of the customers).
What literacy skills do you have to interpret written and verbal information about
workplace requirements? Give example.
Required Knowledge
Tell me a little about your knowledge in terms of what the principles/techniques are at
Thrifty, in regards to performance management/appraisals AND how these relate to
management and organization of staff development/professional development/skills
development.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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Required Knowledge
What are some examples of performance measurements used at Thrifty?
Required Knowledge
Can you list some of Thrifty’s policies, procedures or processes.
HINT: think of all the WHS policies on the intranet
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Critical Aspect – knowledge
of relevant legislation
What are some of the legislation that relates to these policies, procedures or policies? eg.
WHS policy relate to Workplace Health & Safety Act / Regulations.
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ASSESSMENT 1: RECOMMENDED STUDY AND READING SCHEDULE
Week
Week 3
Topic Covered
Resources and Assessments
Leadership
Reading 7: Leadership Styles
Element 3.5 (Developing
new skills)
Activity 9: Write a short essay (100 words) on why you think leadership skills
are important and how you can develop your leadership skills further.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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What sort of leadership skills do you have? Why do you think this?
Element 3.4
What ‘networks’ do you participate in that helps you increase / enhance your personal
knowledge, skills and working relationships? These networks can be internal or external
(or both) to the organisation.
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ASSESSMENT 1: RECOMMENDED STUDY AND READING SCHEDULE
Week
Topic Covered
Week 4
Your career plan
Element 3.5 (Identify)
Critical Aspect – Action
plan
Resources and Assessments
Activity 10: Considering what you have learnt about yourself in this unit (i.e.
Personality types, learning styles, required skills, skills that you exceed in) – where do you
wish to go in your career within your current organisation and what skills will you need to
develop?
What is your “ACTION PLAN” to get achieve these goals?
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ATTACH YOUR PLANNING CALENDAR HERE
The candidate’s Planning Calender included and met the content and
presentation requirements for the following:
Comments and Feedback
S or US
Element 2.2 – Use technology efficiently and effectively to
manage work priorities and commitments

Only achieved if technology is used.
Element 1.2 - Ensure personal work goals, plans & activities
reflect the organization’s plans, and own responsibilities and
accountabilities

Element 1.3- Measure and maintain personal performance in
varying work conditions, work contexts and contingencies

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ATTACH YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION FROM THRIFTY CAR RENTALS HERE
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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ASSESSMENT 3: BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
Trainer/Assessor & Third Party Workplace Observation/Discussion Form
Information for Thrifty Car Rental Staff Member - Workplace Observations are a critical part of each student/trainee’ training. They provide evidence that verifies competency within the workplace. As the trainee’s immediate
supervisor, you can contribute in a meaningful manner to the training process through the accurate and timely recording of observations. It is important that evidence gathering through observation takes places over a number
of shifts, and under a range of circumstances and at various times. Observation may be undertaken in either a formal or informal setting. A ‘formal’ setting occurs when you and student/trainee arrange a fixed time when
observation will take place. ‘Informal’ settings provide opportunities for you to observe the student/trainee under a variety of conditions ranging from the ‘normal day’ to situations of ‘stress’. It is the student/trainees’ right to
be provided with timely feedback on performance. Based on the observation, you may ask the student/trainee additional questions or prompt them for clarification if they are close to the correct response, and you believe they
have the knowledge/skills to show competency in the unit. The trainee should be given every reasonable chance to show you they have the skills and knowledge through their responses.
Student/Trainee’s Name:
Student/Trainees Job Position:
Dates/Shifts/Times:
Observer (i.e. Supervisor or Senior Co-worker):
Assessor (ie. QP’s marker):
Performance
Element
Establish
personal work
goals
Set and meet
own work
priorities
Performance Criteria
S or US
Does the trainee serve as a positive role model at
Thrifty, through personal work planning and
organization?
S or US
Does the trainee ensure personal work
goals/activities reflect Thrifty’s plans and their
responsibilities and accountabilities?
S or US
Eg. As outlined on their job description
Does the trainee measure and maintain personal
performance in varying work conditions,
environments and contingencies?
S or US
Eg. Can the trainee work in all locations, under
extreme pressure at holiday time and in quite
times
Does the trainee take initiative to prioritize and
facilitate competing demands to achieve personal,
team and overall goals of Thrifty?
Does the trainee use technology efficiently and
effectively to manage work priorities and
commitments?
S or US
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
Comments
S or US
Page 32 of 65
Eg. Email, fax, phone
Does the trainee maintain appropriate work life
balance and ensure stress is managed and health
is attended to?
Develop and
maintain
professional
competence
Eg. Exercise regularly, take work breaks/lunch
breaks, participate in Thrifty bootcamps
Does the trainee access personal knowledge and
skills against competency standards to determine
their development needs?
Eg. Does he/she access their abilities against doing
this unit / their job?
Does the trainee seek feedback from co workers
and use this feedback to identify and develop
ways they can improve?
Does the trainee identify, evaluate, select and use
development opportunities suitable to their
learning styles?
Does the trainee participate in networks to ensure
he/she increases personal knowledge, skills,
relationships?
Does the trainee identify and develop new skills to
achieve and maintain a competitive edge?
Required Skills
S or US
S or US
S or US
S or US
S or US
S or US
Does the trainee have communication skills?
Eg. Can they receive, analyze and report
information and provide feedback to co workers /
managers
Does the trainee have literacy skills?
S or US
S or US
Eg. Can they interpret written and verbal
information?
Required
Knowledge
Does the trainee have organization skills to be
able to set and achieve priorities?
S or US
Does the trainee have knowledge of the principles
and techniques involved in managing and
organizing:
S or US


Performance management
Personal behavior
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
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Critical Aspects
(Evidence
Required)
 Self-awareness
 Identification of personality styles/traits
 Personal development plans
 Goal setting
 Time management
Does trainee have knowledge of professional
development opportunities / options?
S or US
Does trainee know about learning styles and how
they relate to individuals?
S or US
Does trainee know about work practices that can
help improve their performance?
S or US
Does the trainee demonstrate that they can use
systems or process to priorities tasks and show
how they/she manages their work?
S or US
Eg. Electronic or hard copy version of their work
calendar / diary
Can the trainee outline their personal
development plan?
S or US
Can the trainee outline their action plan with
career objectives?
Does the trainee have knowledge of relevant
laws?
S or US
Eg. WHS, anti discrimination
QUEENSLAND POLYTECHNIC’S STAFF MEMBER TO FILL OUT
THRIFTY CAR RENTAL’s SENIOR STAFF MEMBER TO FILL OUT
The trainee is competent in the unit:
The trainee is competent in this unit.
Satisfactory
 Unsatisfactory

Assessor: KAREN LAMKIN
Signature: .................................................Date: ..............................
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
Satisfactory
 Unsatisfactory

Thrifty Staff Member:
Signature: ..........................................Date: ..............................
Page 34 of 65
Assessment
Method
Y/N
Performance Criteria /
Elements
Underpinning
Skills (RS)
Underpinning
Knowledge (RK)
Critical
Aspects (CA)
√
√
√
√
√
√
Job Role Environment
Skills
ALL
√
√
Contingency Planning
Skills
√
√
Task Management
Skills (Variables)
√
√
Task Skills
√
Technology
CA1
√
Learning
√
Self Management
Planning & Organising
Initiative & Enterprise
√
√
RK 2 & 5
A 3: Self Assessment Test 3.1
CA 2 (partial)
RK 1c, 1d and 2
A 4: Goal Setting Activity
10 Activities
√
CA 1
Dimensions of Competency
RK 1e
A2: setting priorities - 2.1, 2.2,
2.3, 1.1
Oral/Written
Questions
Problem Solving
RS3
Teamwork
A1: 1.1 1,2, 1.3
2.2 (if technology used)
Assessment 1:
Communication
Mapping Matrix for BSBWPR501B Manage Work Priorities and PD
Employability Skills
RK 1b
A 5: Myers Brigg Personality
RK4
A 6: VAK
RK5
A 7: Skills 3.1
C A 2 (partial), CA3
A 8: (workplace learning) 3.5
A 9: Leadership 3.5, 3.4
A 10: Career Planning
3.5
Assessment 2:
Y
1.2
Y
ALL
√
Documentation
Evidence
Calender
Job Description
Assessment 3:
ALL
ALL
√
√
√
Practical
Observation by
Trainer & Third
Party
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Authentic? ie. real not fake. Direct observation of the trainee from the immediate supervisor (Supplementary Evidence) as well as the QP staff member was obtained
Yes/No
Current? ie. current date / not more than 4 years of age
Yes/No
Sufficient? Ie. there was a collection of evidence supplied such as Direct Observation of Supervisor, Direct Observation of QP Trainer, Q&A supplied by Trainee, Documentation supplied
by Trainee
Yes/No
Valid? ie. does it assess the Performance Criteria, the Essential and/or Required Knowledge & Skills, Critical Aspects. In addition, all MUST words, must be demonstrated.
BSBWOR501B Manage Personal Work Priorities & Professional Development
Yes/No
Page 36 of 65
Reading 1 – Time Management
Time management: An exercise in self-awareness, Rural Telecommunications; Washington; Jan/Feb 2002;
Vol 21, Issue 1, Don Farris;
Abstract:
The management of self, time and workload essentially are the management of one's self. With selfmastery, other things fall into line. People do not manage time: they manage our use of it. Time cannot be
expanded, reduced, suspended, stored up, distorted or discontinued - or even put off until tomorrow.
Management of the workload and workflow is the result of decisions made and implemented about one's
conduct on the job. Current leading information on time management addresses four essential processes: 1.
planning and goal setting, 2. organizing, 3. developing good work habits, and 4. eliminating bad work
habits.
The management of self, time and workload essentially are the management of one's self. With selfmastery, other things fall into line.
We don't manage time: we manage our use of it. Time cannot be expanded, reduced, suspended, stored
up, distorted or discontinued - or even put off until tomorrow. There's a solid argument for the concept
that time doesn't even exist, since all there is in nature is matter, space and energy. From this view, time is
a subjective concept imposed by humans to measure and quantify the activity of matter.
Management of the workload and workflow is the result of decisions made and implemented about one's
conduct on the job. Where do you want to be in your career one year from today in terms of earnings,
position, reputation and professional competency: in five years, in 10 or 20 years, at the time of your
retirement?
What specifically must be done and what must be avoided to bring these goals about? What are you doing
each day to increase the likelihood that your dreams will become realities? What are you failing to do, and
what are you doing that's putting obstacles between you and where you want to go? This applies not only
to your career, but also to your relationships with family and friends, and your relationship with yourself:
your peace of mind, self-respect, self-confidence and self-esteem.
Current leading information on time management addresses four essential processes: 1) planning and goal
setting, 2) organizing, 3) developing good work habits and 4) eliminating bad work habits.
Planning and goal setting: Throughout our development, most of us were strongly encouraged and
even directed to do well personally, professionally and economically and ultimately become
successful. But, were we given a curriculum or any method by which to achieve success? Except in rare
instances, we generally are not given the tools needed to maximize our potential or to achieve our
dreams.
Organizing: Being highly organized does not necessarily translate into being decidedly effective. Some
people are extremely organized, but they are not particularly proficient. Some may be able to function
well-be it at the job or in their personal lives-with sound procedures in place, yet, they still may not be
successful in accomplishing their goals. Being functional does not equate to being effective unless the
objective is met.
Developing good work habits: This involves not only an understanding of the dynamics of needs,
motivation and goal-focused behavior, but also an awareness of the circumstances and processes that
contribute to one's self-development and optimal functioning. In other words, it's not enough to know
your job; you have to know yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What situations do
you rise above, and under what circumstances do you fail? ...
Eliminating bad work habits: Achieving this is dependent on the following factors: self-awareness knowing and understanding yourself; acknowledgment - accepting the truths about yourself; and selfmastery - doing what the situation calls for. It's no easy task, however, to really know and accept the
truth about ourselves, and then take charge to become the person we are capable of becoming and to
accomplish
what
we
are
capable
of
achieving.
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Feeling Logical
Contrary to what most of us have been taught and like to believe, many of our decisions are predicated
more on feelings than on logic. We essentially make our decisions emotionally and justify them rationally.
Consider that when faced with a particular situation, most of us operate this way: We assess the situation,
draw a conclusion, make a decision and implement the decision – this accounts for human behavior. But it
only accounts for the logical process of how to conduct one's self. However, most behavior, and how we
respond to stress, stem from feelings.
Understanding Behavior
There are three fundamental issues in understanding human behavior. First, all human behavior has
purpose, is goal oriented and, from the actor's point of view, makes sense. Whenever our behavior including our thoughts, feelings or conduct - doesn't make sense to us, it means we don't have all the
relevant data.
Much as in trying to balance a checkbook, if the columns don't add up-it doesn't make sense to us. We are
missing the relevant data. Once the mistake-the relevant data-is found, the numbers add up. In the same
way, we may question why a co-worker, despite their strong character, is so hard to work with, or is so
ineffective in certain areas; we are missing relevant data.
Everything we deal with is the outcome of a stimulus-response, cause-and-- effect chain of events. Just
because we initially may be aware only of the effect or response does not mean that the cause or stimulus
is not there or cannot be accessed. The statements, "He had no reason for saying or doing that," or, "She
had no reason to feel like that," usually are better expressed as, "He had no apparent reason for saying or
doing that," or, "She had no apparent reason for feeling like that." Things are rendered unintelligible by
what we don't know about them - not by certainties or facts.
The second fundamental issue to understanding behavior is recognizing that motivations for conduct saying or doing, or not saying or not doing largely are emotional and cannot be readily understood when
we try to perceive them according to the rules of logic. Feelings do not have to be explainable or justifiable
to exist: they just are.
And third, many feelings are unconscious (including much of human motivation) and, therefore, by
definition, are not immediately accessible to conscious retrieval. This is best understood by two
phenomena. One is those occasions when we tell ourselves that we should not follow an impulse to say or
do something because in the past such behavior has been to our disadvantage. We may even remind
ourselves of the times when we have told ourselves that we will be sorry if we say or do this, and doing it
found ourselves to be right. We were sorry.
What is going on when an intelligent, well-educated, responsible and capable person on more than one
occasion knowingly engages in openly acknowledged behavior that is at least counter-productive if not selfdestructive? What are the motivations, drives or goals behind such conduct by an otherwise sensible,
effective and competent person?
The answer leads us to another way to understand unconscious motivation: interpretation. If in similar
circumstances a person's conduct consistently leads to similar results, a reasonable explanation is that the
person either sought those results or some part of them. Another explanation is that the person sought a
gain that unavoidably created conditions that are to the person's disadvantage.
Putting Off 'til Tomorrow... This often explains the almost universal problem of procrastination. Rather than
being a function of a character defect, it is the result of fear. it is a protective maneuver to avoid "certain"
failure or rejection. People resist investing themselves in activities that they feel will not result in deserved
recognition or reward, despite their best efforts and performance. (Consider the motivation of a child--or
even an adult-who is seldom recognized for a deed well done but always admonished for poor behavior)
Procrastination is not laziness, irresponsibility or incompetence. It is being so afraid of doing the wrong
thing that one does not do anything. The procrastinator experiences immobilization - a form of paralysis in
relation to the threatening demand.
Procrastination is the greatest time management problem of all. if effective time management simply were
a matter of prioritizing our objectives and identifying what needs to be done to achieve them, there would
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be no issue in time or workload management. Where there is procrastination, there is some combination of
fear, doubt, confusion, frustration and anger.
The ultimate challenge is one's self: the sensibility and realism that one invests in planning and goal setting,
the effort and concentration that one extends in organizing, the energy and self-management that one
devotes to developing good work habits, and the honesty and perseverance that one commits to
eliminating bad work habits.
FUNDAMENTALS OF TIME MANAGEMENT
Common activities and thought processes most culpable for ineffective time management:

Failure to plan and set goals

Failure to organize and plan work, i.e., prioritizes activities, assign necessary amount of time to
each activity and marshal resources

Incorrectly assuming a correlation between a task's importance and the time/energy it will require
to do it

Parkinson's Second Law: We devote time and effort to tasks in inverse relation to their importance.

Failure to control interruptions. Most people with time problems welcome interruptions because
they are looking for plausible explanations (excuses) outside themselves for their timemanagement problem.

We tend to do the little tasks before important ones, i.e., clear off a desk, return telephone calls
and memos, process mail, etc. These things can never be completely done because new ones keep
coming in.

Failure to use our "prime time" - that time of the day when we have the most energy and are the
most effective

Confusing activity with accomplishment

Confusing efficiency with effectiveness

Allowing things to pile up

Allowing ourselves to be diverted from an objective or task
Time and Self-management Tips
From: "Getting Things Done" by Edwin C. Bliss, published by Charles Scribner's Sons

Don't drink at lunch or at any time before undertaking work.

Take short breaks frequently. Do something physical.

Don't bring work home regularly - only in unusual high-priority situations.

Delegate whenever possible and appropriate.

Be effective first and efficient second.

Get daily exercise.

Avoid excessive record keeping (files, bits of information, etc.).
As in time management, stress management actually is the management of one's self. We don't manage
the issue or event, we manage our reaction to it. What happens to us in life is not nearly as significant as
how we react to it - how we cope with it. Stress often is misunderstood as a "bad" thing to be avoided, if at
all possible.
Actually, stress is the body's total response to any demand placed on it. That response begins with our
perception of it -how we define it - and include its significance or subjective meaning to us. This is the crux
of self-management. Self-awareness: knowing yourself; self-acknowledgment: accepting the truths about
yourself; and self-mastery: doing all you can with or about yourself, are integral to self-management.
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The best way to understand stress is to equate it with stimulation. Anything that stimulates you is a
stressor. Anything that stresses you is a stimulus. Something is stressful to the degree that it demands that
we adapt.
Adaptation is coping. It is the interactive process between any organism and its environment by which it
goes about getting its survival needs met and protecting itself from threat and harm. With human beings,
there is the psycho-social overlay to give and receive love and to feel worthwhile to one's self and others.
Demands that challenge our sense of certainty create great stress and promote procrastination. We cannot
adapt to that which we cannot define. This is why the unknown is so threatening and stressful to human
beings [see related time management article].
The stress arises from not beings certain of just meet the work demands, and most significantly, how to
utilize the most important resource: one's self. What threatens and reassures us - our unconscious
dynamics - are at the core of self-awareness and are imperative for self-mastery.
Growing up we are taught morals, values and how to do things. We get little of the training we need for the
self-awareness necessary to achieve our potentials as effective spouses, parents, friends, co-workers or
leaders. This is especially true in regard to managing our self-doubts and confusions when faced with our
worst adversities. Our challenge is to eliminate the stress of the unknown about ourselves.
Creating "to do" lists that work for you
Work & Family Life; New York; Mar 2001; Vol 15, Issue 3, Anonymous;
Abstract:
There is general agreement among time management experts that "to do" lists are an effective tool to help
people remember what they need to accomplish the next day and organize their time productively. Different
approaches to creating and using "to do" lists are discussed.
Do you keep a formal "to do" list every day or do you jot down items on a pad or enter them into your
electronic organizer when something pops into your head that you want to remember? There's general
agreement among time management experts that "to do" lists are an effective tool to help you remember
what you need to accomplish the next day and organize your time productively.
They don't always work, of course. "You have to be disciplined enough to pay attention to them," says
Gayle, the director of a large community agency. "My days get away from me, and so do my 'to do' lists."
No matter how carefully you may have listed your priorities for the next day, there are always unexpected
meetings or unscheduled emergencies. Or you wrote your list on an envelope and left it in the pocket of
the jacket you wore yesterday. Or you're discouraged because there hasn't been a day recently when
you've been able to get through a quarter of the items on your list.
There is no perfect formula for putting together a "to do" list. The key is to draw from the best ideas out
there and devise a system that's comfortable for you. Here are some different approaches to creating and
using a "to do" list that have the potential for saving you time, increasing your efficiency and thereby
reducing your stress level.
Alternative ways to set up a "to do" list

How you arrange your day can provide a framework for your "to do" list. Create separate sections:
Before work. During work. After work.

Put a major daily goal as No. 1 on your list, then add other items in order of descending
importance. This forces you into making some decisions about your priorities.

Keep a running list, writing down things you need to do as they come to your attention. Assign
them a priority rating at the start of the next day.
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
Break down your list by function. List the phone calls you make and the e-mails or letters you have
to write separately. If you need to does some research for a report, instead of writing "report" on
your list, break the job into manageable tasks that can be realistically accomplished in one day.

Be as specific as you can

To accomplish your priority items, try to anticipate how long it will take you to do a specific piece of
work. Make a note on your "to do" list and enter it into a time slot on your calendar. This helps you
avoid procrastination and gives you an excuse for not using your time for less important matters:
"Sorry, I can't meet with you till this afternoon. I'm working on that report most of the morning."

At the end of the day, re-examine your list and recheck your priorities. Look at your uncompleted
tasks and determine which should be transferred to the next day's list.
When to write your list
There are different schools of thought on this. Some people are "night before" list writers, who feel this is
the only time they can relax enough to recall everything that needs to be done at work the next day. This
strategy also serves to relieve anxiety and adds to sleep time. Once you get items written down, you're less
likely to lie awake thinking about them. Others keep a separate list for job and home chores and write on
either one whenever they think of something.
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Reading 2 – Stress Management Techniques
A lot of research has been conducted into stress over the last hundred years. Some of the theories behind it
are now settled and accepted; others are still being researched and debated. During this time, there seems
to have been something approaching open warfare between competing theories and definitions: Views
have been passionately held and aggressively defended.
What complicates this is that intuitively we all feel that we know what stress is, as it is something we have
all experienced. A definition should therefore be obvious…except that it is not.
DEFINITIONS
Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in 1956 was that “stress is not
necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful
work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental.” Selye believed that the
biochemical effects of stress would be experienced irrespective of whether the situation was positive or
negative.
Since then, a great deal of further research has been conducted, and ideas have moved on. Stress is now
viewed as a "bad thing", with a range of harmful biochemical and long-term effects. These effects have
rarely been observed in positive situations.
The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S Lazarus) is that stress is a
condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social
resources the individual is able to mobilize.” In short, it's what we feel when we think we've lost control of
events.
This is the main definition used by this section of Mind Tools, although we also recognize that there is an
intertwined instinctive stress response to unexpected events. The stress response inside us is therefore
part instinct and part to do with the way we think.
FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT
Some of the early research on stress (conducted by Walter Cannon in 1932) established the existence of
the well-known “fight-or-flight” response. His work showed that when an organism experiences a shock or
perceives a threat, it quickly releases hormones that help it to survive.
In humans, as in other animals, these hormones help us to run faster and fight harder. They increase heart
rate and blood pressure, delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to power important muscles. They
increase sweating in an effort to cool these muscles, and help them stay efficient. They divert blood away
from the skin to the core of our bodies, reducing blood loss if we are damaged. As well as this, these
hormones focus our attention on the threat, to the exclusion of everything else. All of this significantly
improves our ability to survive life-threatening events.
Not only life-threatening events trigger this reaction: We experience it almost any time we come across
something unexpected or something that frustrates our goals. When the threat is small, our response is
small and we often do not notice it among the many other distractions of a stressful situation.
Unfortunately, this mobilization of the body for survival also has negative consequences. In this state, we
are excitable, anxious, jumpy and irritable. This actually reduces our ability to work effectively with other
people. With trembling and a pounding heart, we can find it difficult to execute precise, controlled skills.
The intensity of our focus on survival interferes with our ability to make fine judgments by drawing
information from many sources. We find ourselves more accident-prone and less able to make good
decisions.
There are very few situations in modern working life where this response is useful. Most situations benefit
from a calm, rational, controlled and socially sensitive approach.
In the short term, we need to keep this fight-or-flight response under control to be effective in our jobs. In
the long term we need to keep it under control to avoid problems of poor health and burnout.
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MANAGING STRESS
There are very many proven skills that we can use to manage stress. These help us to remain calm and
effective in high pressure situations, and help us avoid the problems of long term stress. The most
important thing to remember though is that YOU must develop your own stress management strategies for
handling YOUR unique circumstances. Furthermore, stress can cause severe health problems and in
extreme cases, can cause death. Therefore, any stress management technique that has a positive effect on
reducing stress is beneficial however qualified health professionals should be referred to if stress is causing
significant or persistent unhappiness.
For example, keeping a Stress Diary (to help you identify the sources of your stress in your life) or carrying
out the Burnout Self-Test will help you to identify your current levels of stress, so you can decide what
action, if any, you need to take. Job Analysis and Performance Planning will help you to get on top of your
workload. While the emotionally-oriented skills of Imagery, Physical Techniques and Rational Positive
Thinking will help you change the way you see apparently stressful situations. Finally, understanding your
feelings of Anger, and reading about Anger Management will help you to channel your feelings into
performance. Some of these examples will now be explained in further detail.
STRESS DIARY
Stress Diaries are important for understanding the causes of short-term stress in your life. They also give
you an important insight into how you react to stress, and help you to identify the level of stress at which
you prefer to operate.
The idea behind Stress Diaries is that, on a regular basis, you record information about the stresses you are
experiencing, so that you can analyse these stresses and then manage them. This is important because
often these stresses flit in and out of our minds without getting the attention and focus that they deserve.
As well as helping you capture and analyse the most common sources of stress in your life, Stress Diaries
help you to understand:



The causes of stress in more detail;
The levels of stress at which you operate most effectively; and
How you react to stress, and whether your reactions are appropriate and useful.
Stress Diaries, therefore, give you the important information that you need to manage stress.
BURNOUT SELF TEST
Burnout occurs when passionate, committed people become deeply disillusioned with a job or career from
which they have previously derived much of their identity and meaning. It comes as the things that inspire
passion and enthusiasm are stripped away, and tedious or unpleasant things crowd in.
This questionnaire (below) can help you check yourself for burnout. It helps you look at the way you feel
about your job and your experiences at work, so that you can get a feel for whether you are at risk of
burnout.
Note: This tool uses an informal approach to assessing burnout, and it has not been validated through
controlled scientific tests. Please, therefore, interpret the results with common sense. Also, make
allowances for any recent events that may have a disproportionate influence on your mood at the time you
take the test!
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INSTRUCTIONS: CIRCLE WHICH BUTTON IN THE COLUMN MOST APPLIES. THEN, ADD UP YOUR
SCORE AND CHECK YOUR RESULT USING THE SCORING TABLE UNDERNEATH.
Not Rarely Some Often Very
at all
times
Often
1
2
3
4
5
#
Question
1
Do you feel run down and drained of physical or emotional energy?
2
Do you find that you are prone to negative thinking about your job?
3
Do you find that you are harder and less sympathetic with people than perhaps they
deserve?
4
Do you find yourself getting easily irritated by small problems, or by your co-workers
and team?
5
Do you feel misunderstood or unappreciated by your co-workers?
6
Do you feel that you have no one to talk to?
7
Do you feel that you are achieving less than you should?
8
Do you feel under an unpleasant level of pressure to succeed?
9
Do you feel that you are not getting what you want out of your job?
10
Do you feel that you are in the wrong organization or the wrong profession?
11
Are you becoming frustrated with parts of your job?
12
Do you feel that organizational politics or bureaucracy frustrate your ability to do a
good job?
13
Do you feel that there is more work to do than you practically have the ability to do?
14
Do you feel that you do not have time to do many of the things that are important to
doing a good quality job?
15
Do you find that you do not have time to plan as much as you would like to?
Total = ___
SCORE INTERPRETATION
Score
Comment
15 – 18
No sign of burnout here.
19 – 32
Little sign of burnout here, unless some factors are particularly severe.
33 – 49
Be careful - you may be at risk of burnout, particularly if several scores are high.
50 – 59
You are at severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently.
60 - 75
You are at very severe risk of burnout - do something about this urgently.
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JOB ANALYSIS – THE FIRST STEP IN ORGANISING JOB OVERLOAD
We have all experienced that appalling sense of having far too much work to do and too little time to do it in. We can
choose to ignore this, and work unreasonably long hours to stay on top of our workload. The risks here are that we
become exhausted, that we have so much to do that we do a poor quality job, and that we neglect other areas of our
life. Each of these can lead to intense stress.
The alternative is to work more intelligently, by focusing on the things that are important for job success and reducing
the time we spend on low priority tasks. Job Analysis is the first step in doing this.
The first of the action-oriented skills that we look at is Job Analysis. Job Analysis is a key technique for managing job
overload – an important source of stress.
To do an excellent job, you need to fully understand what is expected of you. While this may seem obvious, in the
hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is oftentimes something that is easy to overlook.
By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, you can focus on these activities
and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This helps you get the greatest return from the work you do,
and keep your workload under control.
Job Analysis is a useful technique for getting a firm grip on what really is important in your job so that you are able to
perform excellently. It helps you to cut through clutter and distraction to get to the heart of what you need to do.
To conduct a job analysis, go through the following steps:
1. Review formal job documentation:
o
Look at your job description. Identify the key objectives and priorities within it.
o
Look at the forms for the periodic performance reviews. These show precisely the behaviors that will be
rewarded and, by implication, show those that will be punished.
o
Find out what training is available for the role. Ensure that you attend appropriate training so that you
know as much as possible about what you need to know.
o
Look at incentive schemes to understand the behaviors that these reward.
2. Understand the organization’s strategy and culture:
o
Your job exists for a reason – this will ultimately be determined by the strategy of the organizational unit
you work for. This strategy is often expressed in a mission statement. In some way, what you do should
help the organization achieve its mission (if it does not, you have to ask yourself how secure the job is!).
Make sure you understand and perform well the tasks that contribute to the strategy.
o
Similarly, every organization has its own culture – its own, historically developed values, rights and
wrongs, and things that it considers to be important. If you are new to an organization, talk through with
established, respected members of staff to understand these values.
o
Make sure that you understand this culture. Make sure that your actions reinforce the company’s
culture, or at least do not go against it. Looked at through the lens of culture, will the company value
what you do?
o
Check that your priorities are consistent with this mission statement and the company culture.
3. Find out who the top achievers are, and understand why they are successful. Inside or outside the organization,
there may be people in a similar role to you who are seen as highly successful. Find out how they work, and what they
do to generate this success. Look at what they do, and learn from them. Understand what skills make them successful,
and learn those skills.
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4. Check that you have the people and resources to do the job. The next step is to check that you have the staff
support, resources and training needed to do an excellent job. If you do not, start work on obtaining them.
5. Confirm priorities with your boss:
By this stage, you should have a thorough understanding of what your job entails, and what your key objectives are.
You should also have a good idea of the resources that you need, and any additional training you may need to do the
best you can.
This is the time to talk the job through with your boss, and confirm that you share an understanding of what
constitutes good performance in the role. It is also worth talking through serious inconsistencies, and agreeing how
these can be managed.
1.
Take Action:
o
You should now know what you have to do to be successful in your job. You should have a good idea of
the most important things that you have to do, and also the least important.
o
Where you can drop the less-important tasks, do so. Where you can de-prioritize them, do so.
o
Where you need more resource or training to do your job, negotiate for this.
o
Remember to be a little sensitive in the way you do this: Good teamwork often means helping other
people out with jobs that do not benefit you. However, do not let people take advantage of you: Be
assertive in explaining that you have your own work to do. If you cannot drop tasks, delegate them or
negotiate longer time scales.
SUMMARY:
Job analysis is a technique for:

Understanding and agreeing how to achieve peak performance in your job;

Ensuring that you and your boss agree on the areas you should concentrate on when time gets tight; and the
areas that can be de-emphasized during this time; and

Making sure that you have the resources, training and staff needed to do a good job.
By using the Job Analysis technique, you should gain a good understanding of how you can excel at your job. You
should also understand your job priorities. This helps you to manage the stress of job overload by helping to decide
which jobs you should drop.
Job Analysis is just one of many practical action-oriented techniques for reducing the stress of job overload. These and
other types of technique help you to resolve structural problems within jobs, work more effectively with your boss
and powerful people, improve the way your teams function and become more assertive so that other people respect
your right not to take on an excessive workload. These are all important techniques for bringing job stress under
control, for improving the quality of your working life, and for achieving career success.
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Reading 3 – Goal Setting
Source: Getting it done: Set achievable goals. Credit Union Management; Madison; Aug 2002; Vol 25, Issue
8, Anonymous;
Top achievers know that the wording, structure, timing, and format of a goal can make its achievement much easier or far more difficult. They understand the basic skills for setting and reaching their goals, every time. They also know
how to design goals that create success. To set and achieve your goals, make sure they are: specific, simple,
significant, strategic, measurable, rational, and tangible.
It's been said that everyone has goals, whether we know it or not. We have goals to keep our current job, or to get a
different one; to save for the future, or purchase the things we need and want to make our lives more enjoyable. An
important distinction, however, is that top achievers are very intentional and focused on their goals, while many of
the rest of us are not.
Top achievers know that the wording, structure, timing and format of a goal can make its achievement much easier-or
far more difficult. They understand the basic skills for setting and reaching their goals, every time! They also know
how to design goals that create success.
To set and achieve your goals, make sure they are:
SPECIFIC - TOP ACHIEVERS KNOW T HAT TO REACH THEIR G OALS, THE BRAIN MUST KNOW
EXACTLY, PRECISELY, WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. NEVER WORD A GOAL WITH
VAGUE TERMS LIKE "SO ME" OR "A LITTLE BIT" OR "MORE." BE SPECIFIC! YOU R BRAIN CAN HELP
YOU ACCOMPLISH ALMOS T ANYTHING IF IT KNOWS PRECISELY WHAT YO U ARE AIMING FOR.
SIMPLE - MANY PEOPLE DESCRIBE THEIR GOALS IN COMPLEX TERMS OF RETIRING ON THE
BEACH IN HAWAII, WITH NICE CARS AND LOTS OF MONEY, AND ... THEIR LIST GOES ON AND ON.
ANY ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS A GREAT GOAL, BUT THE COMBINATION BECOMES
OVERWHELMING AND THE BRAIN GETS CONFUSED. KEEP YOUR GOALS SIMPLE, CLEAR AND
FOCUSED.
SIGNIFICANT - NO ONE CAN MUSTER TH E ENTHUSIASM, HARD WORK AND COURAGE TO REACH
A GOAL HE DOESN'T RE ALLY CARE ABOUT. A REACHABLE GOAL IS ONE YOU REALLY, REALLY
WANT! IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL CHANGE YOU R LIFE, ENHANCE YOUR HEALTH OR WEALTH,
AND MAKE YOU PROUD. IT GETS YOUR JUICES FLOWING, GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING, AND
KEEPS YOU GOING ALL DAY LONG, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT! SET GO ALS WORTH ACHIEVING!
STRATEGIC - HIGH ACHIEVERS KNOW THE BEST GOALS ACCOM PLISH MANY GREAT OUTC OMES,
ALL AT ONE TIME. DES IGN YOUR GOALS TO STRATEGICALLY IMPACT AS MANY AREAS OF YOUR
LIFE AS POSSIBLE. YO U'LL HAVE MORE REASONS TO REACH YOUR GOAL AND MORE EXCITEMENT
WHEN YOU DO!
MEASURABLE - A GOAL WITHOUT A MEASURABLE OUTCOME IS JUST A PIPE DREAM. Y OU CAN'T
ACHIEVE A POUND OF "HAPPINESS" OR SIX IN CHES OF "SELF ESTEEM," BUT YOU CAN RUN A MILE
IN UNDER SEVEN MINUT ES OR GET A NEW JOB. DEFINE YOUR GOALS IN TANGIBLE TERMS, SUCH
AS BY HEIGHT, WEIGHT, DOLLARS, INCHES OR HOURS. THEN MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS UNT IL
YOU ACHIEVE YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME.
RATIONAL - TO REACH YOUR GOAL, YOU WILL NEED A PLAN, A PATH AND A VEHICLE FOR
GETTING THERE. YOUR GOALS MUST MAKE SENSE! YOUR GOALS SHOULD BE JUST OUT OF REACH ,
BUT NOT OUT OF SIGHT! YOU WANT TO STRETCH TO BE YOUR BEST, NOT STRAIN AFTER
IMPOSSIBLE DREAMS. SET GOALS YOU CAN AND WILL ACHIEVE!
TANGIBLE -CHOOSE GOALS THAT YOU CAN SEE, HEAR, SMELL OR TOUCH. BE SURE TO GO FOR
THINGS YOU WILL ENJO Y AND THAT YOU CAN C LEARLY VISUALIZE. DE FINE YOUR GOALS IN TERMS
THAT EXCITE THE SENSES; THEN GO FOR IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART!
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SIX STEPS TO MEETING YOUR GOALS
Source: Nursing; Horsham; Aug 2002; Anonymous; Vol 32, Issue 8, Adapted from Get Paid More and
Promoted Faster B. Tracy, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2001.
If you have clearly written goals and know exactly what you want to accomplish in each area of your life,
you can achieve more than you ever imagined. Don't know where to begin? Try step one for starters.
Step one: Decide exactly what you want. Think about what you want out of your career. What's your ideal
income? Your desired lifestyle? Your perfect family situation? What do you expect to gain from studying
this module? This Certificate Program? Step one is the highest hurdle to jump.
Step two: Write it down. When you write down your goals on paper, something amazing happens between
your head and your hand.
The act of writing actually programs these goals into your subconscious mind. Then they begin to take on a
power of their own, attracting people and possibilities into your life.
Step three: Set a deadline. If your goal is large, set interim deadlines as well. If you miss your deadline for
any reason, set another one. Deadlines have a way of motivating us to do things we'd otherwise put off.
Step four: Make a list. Write down every task you can think of that you'll have to complete to achieve your
goal. As you think of new tasks and activities, add them to your list.
Step five: Organize your list into a plan. What should you do first? What tasks can wait? Once you have a
goal and an organized set of plans, you will have created a blueprint for success.
Step six: Take action. Get started on your tasks. Remember those deadlines you set for yourself? They're
looming! The more tasks you can cross off your list, the closer you'll be to achieving your goals.
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GOAL SETTING
Often people associate the term “Goal Setting” with overachievers, businesspeople or football coaches.
However, this is not right, goal setting is for everyone. We set goals every day, but do not necessarily label
them as goals.
By knowing what we want to achieve we can focus our attention on that path, avoiding other distractions.
If you do not know the goal you are working towards, it will be hard for you to focus your attention on the
things that are important to you.
Goals apply to all parts of our life. We can set daily and weekly goals, or even life goals.
By setting goals you can

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Achieve more
Improve your performance
Increase your motivation to achieve
Increase your pride and satisfaction in what you do
Improve your self-confidence
Research has shown that people who use goal setting effectively
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
suffer less from stress and anxiety
concentrate better
show more self-confidence
perform better
are happier and more satisfied.
SMART GOALS
Goals should be clearly written and should be





SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ACHIEVABLE
REALISTIC
TIME-FRAMED
SPECIFIC
Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Being specific will help you to
focus your efforts and clearly define what you are going to do. Specific is the What, Why, and How of the
SMART model.
WHAT are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead, develop, plan, build
etc.
WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to accomplish?
HOW are you going to do it?
Ensure the goals you set are very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to be a better student, set
a specific goal to study for two hours every day or read one chapter of your textbook every night.
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MEASURABLE
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. For a goal to be measurable you need a way to measure the
progress and some specific criteria that will tell you when you can stop and you have achieved your goal.
Feeling the progress is very important for you to stay motivated and enjoy the process of achieving the goal.
Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. How will you see when you reach
your goal? Be specific! "I want to read 3 chapters of my textbook before the end of the month” shows the
specific target to be measure. "I want to be a good student" is not as measurable.
ATTAINABLE
When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to work out ways you can make them
come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities and skills to reach them. Your start 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, knowing it is too much for you means you will worry about this and this
might stop you from ever 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 read your entire textbook this week, you know that isn't achievable. However,
setting a goal to read one chapter this week and when you've achieved that, reading another chapter, will
keep it achievable for you.
The feeling of success, which this brings, helps you to stay motivated.
REALISTIC
This is not a synonym for "easy." Realistic, in this case, means "do-able
A realistic goal is a goal for which you see a realistic path to completing, and a reasonable chance that you will
achieve your goal. This does not mean that the lower you aim the more likely you reach success. Goals that
work best have a challenge in them. They are chosen as ambitious as possible, but still realistic. Then they will
give you more motivation and a sense of achievement.
TIMELY & TIME-FRAMED
Time is important when making a plan to achieve our goals. Goals can be expressed in three timeframes:
 short-term
 medium-term
 long-term
Short-term goals are typically goals you want to achieve in days or weeks; medium-term in months or a
year/year and a half; and long-term goals in excess of a year.
Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, by the end of semester, by the end of your Diploma. Putting an
end on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.
If you don't set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at
any time. Without a time limit, there's no urgency to start taking action now.
Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.
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HOW TO SET YOUR GOALS
The following steps will help you to define and develop your goals.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Identify your goal and write it down (what)
List the benefits of achieving your goal (why)
Set a time frame with a specific date (when)
List the obstacles to overcome in reaching your goal (how)
Identify the people who you will have to work with to achieve you goal
List the resources you will need
List the skills and/or knowledge required
Develop a plan of action
WHAT CAN GO WRONG?
If goal setting can solve some of your problems and goal setting is a good thing, what could possibly go wrong?

Setting goals that are too high
Setting standards that are too high (or unachievable) will ultimately discourage you from indulging in further
goal setting.

Setting goals that are too low
If your goals are too low to inspire you or take you to new heights of achievement, then you are just kidding
yourself that you are goal setting. You should use your goals to move forward, not remain stationary.

Not having enough time
Allocating too little time to complete the goal, or not realizing exactly how long the goal will take to reach.

Making your time frame too short
The goal may take a certain length of time to achieve success, and leaving too short a time frame for reaching
the goal will only lead to frustration.

Not having resources you need
This is sometimes confused with TOO HIGH a goal, but isn’t necessarily the same. You may have other goals
to reach in sequence and resources to attain prior to achieving a bigger goal that may fail if the intermediate
stages fail.

Sometimes goals change
It may become necessary during the course of your working day, week, year and life to reassess your goals.
You may discover that your original goals were too ambitious, not challenging enough or merely are no
longer appropriate. You should not see this as failure, but as a necessary part of life as it changes.
Now you have decided on your goals, it is time to make an action plan to help you take the steps needed to achieve
all your goals.
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ACTION PLANS
What should be in an Action Plan?
An action plan should contain the following information:
WHAT is this action you want to accomplish? List the goal as the first item on the action plan worksheet. Clearly
defined goals help you to work out the steps you need to take to reach your goal.
HOW are you going to achieve your goal? What are the actions or critical steps (objectives) you will
undertake? Outlining each critical step or task breaks the goal down into individual components. When the goal
gets broken into smaller steps, the goal becomes easier to manage. Detailing the critical steps also helps you to
plan for things that might change during each action step.
WHO will carry out these steps or actions? Who will be responsible for carrying out which step? This section
also refers to who should be included and who is responsible for making decisions if any decisions are required.
WHEN will these actions take place and for how long? You will work more efficiently when you have a
timeframe. Placing a timeframe also helps you to plan your time better and more realistically, and will help you
to work toward achieving your goal and reach the completed target date.
WHAT resources do you need to carry out the steps? Resources can include books, money, time, people,
locations, events, etc.
HOW will you know when you have achieved your goal?
Just like when you set your goals, you should review your action plans on a regular basis. Depending on your goals,
timeframes, and resources, your action plan may need more information or less. Regardless of how you plan to reach
your goals, the key to success is having clearly defined goals and action plans.
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MY WORK-RELATED / CAREER GOALS
THINK OF SOME GOALS YOU WOULD LIKE TO AC HIEVE AND WRITE OUT A LIST OF GOALS YOU
WOULD LIKE TO SET YO URSELF FOR THE FOLLO WING TIMEFRAMES. BE SPECIFIC AND MAKE SURE
YOUR GOALS ARE SMART .
Short Term Goals (a few days/weeks)
Medium Term Goals (several months to the end of this course)
Long Term Goals (years)
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Reading 4 – Personality Styles – The Big 5
Personality style has been defined as "an individual's relatively consistent inclinations and preferences
across contexts."[ Personality can be defined as a dynamic and organized set of personal traits and patterns
of behavior. "Personality includes attitudes, modes of thought, feelings, impulses, strivings, actions,
responses to opportunity and stress and everyday modes of interacting with others." Personality style is
apparent "when these elements of personality are expressed in a characteristically repeated and dynamic
combination."
According to Oldham and Morris, "Your personality style is your organizing principle. It propels you on your
life path. It represents the orderly arrangement of all your attributes, thoughts, feelings, attitudes,
behaviors, and coping mechanisms. It is the distinctive pattern of your psychological functioning—the way
you think, feel, and behave—that makes you definitely you."
The origin of personality style is in some combination of genetic inheritance and environmental influence.
The concept of personality style includes the concepts of "personality traits", "personality type", and
"temperament".
BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS
In contemporary psychology, the "Big Five" factors (or Five Factor Model; FFM) of personality are five
broad domains or dimensions of personality which are used to describe human personality.
The Five Factor Model is a purely descriptive model of personality, but psychologists have developed a
number of theories to account for the Big Five.
The Big Five factors and their constituent traits can be summarized as follows:
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Openness – (inventive / curious vs. consistent / cautious). Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure,
unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience. Some disagreement remains about how to
interpret the Openness factor, which is sometimes called "Intellect".
Conscientiousness – (efficient / organized vs. easy-going / careless). A tendency to show selfdiscipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement; planned rather than spontaneous behavior.
Extraversion – (outgoing / energetic vs. shy / reserved). Energy, positive emotions, surgency, and
the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others.
Agreeableness – (friendly / compassionate vs. competitive / outspoken). A tendency to be
compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others.
Neuroticism – (sensitive / nervous vs. secure / confident). A tendency to experience unpleasant
emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, or vulnerability. The Neuroticism factor is
sometimes referred to as Emotional Stability.
Each factor consists of a cluster of more specific traits that correlate together. For example,
extraversion includes such related qualities as sociability, excitement seeking, impulsiveness, and
positive emotions.
Identifying the traits and structure of human personality has been one of the most fundamental goals in all
of psychology. The five broad factors were discovered and defined by several independent sets of
researchers (Digman, 1990). These researchers began by studying known personality traits and then factoranalyzing hundreds of measures of these traits (in self-report and questionnaire data, peer ratings, and
objective measures from experimental settings) in order to find the underlying factors of personality.
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The initial model was advanced by Ernest Tupes and Raymond Cristal, but failed to reach an academic
audience until the 1980s. In 1990, J.M. Digman advanced his five factor model of personality, which
Goldberg extended to the highest level of organization (Goldberg, 1993). These five over-arching domains
have been found to contain and subsume most known personality traits and are assumed to represent the
basic structure behind all personality traits. These five factors provide a rich conceptual framework for
integrating all the research findings and theory in personality psychology.
Below is a brief explanation of each of the 5 Domains:
Openness to experience - a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination,
curiosity, and variety of experience. The trait distinguishes imaginative people from down-to-earth,
conventional people. People who are open to experience are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and
sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more creative and more aware of their
feelings. They are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs.
People with low scores on openness tend to have more conventional, traditional interests. They prefer the
plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and
sciences with suspicion or even view these endeavors as uninteresting.
SAMPLE OPENNESS ITEMS
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I have a rich vocabulary.
I have a vivid imagination.
I have excellent ideas.
Conscientiousness is a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement. The trait
shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior. It influences the way in which we
control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Conscientiousness includes the factor known as Need for
Achievement (NAch).
SAMPLE CONSCIENTIOUSNESS ITEMS
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I am always prepared.
I am exacting in my work.
I follow a schedule.
I get chores done right away.
I like order.
I pay attention to details.
Extraversion is characterized by positive emotions, surgency, and the tendency to seek out stimulation and
the company of others. The trait is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts
enjoy being with people, and are often perceived as full of energy. They tend to be enthusiastic, actionoriented individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups
they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves.
Introverts lack the social exuberance and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to seem quiet, low-key,
deliberate, and less involved in the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted
as shyness or depression. Introverts simply need less stimulation than extraverts and more time alone.
They may be very active and energetic, simply not socially.
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SAMPLE EXTRAVERSION ITEMS
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I am the life of the party.
I don't mind being the center of attention.
I feel comfortable around people.
I start conversations.
I talk to a lot of different people at parties.
Agreeableness is a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic
towards others. The trait reflects individual differences in general concern for social harmony. Agreeable
individuals value getting along with others. They are generally considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and
willing to compromise their interests with others. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human
nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.
Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally
unconcerned with others’ well-being, and are less likely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes
their skepticism about others’ motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.
SAMPLE AGREEABLENESS ITEMS
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I am interested in people.
I feel others' feelings.
I have a soft heart.
I make people feel at ease.
I sympathize with others’ feelings.
Neuroticism is the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression. It is
sometimes called emotional instability. Those who score high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive and
vulnerable to stress. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor
frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long
periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can
diminish the ability of a person scoring high on neuroticism to think clearly, make decisions, and cope
effectively with stress.
At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less
emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings.
Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings.
SAMPLE NEUROTICISM ITEMS
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I am easily disturbed.
I change my mood a lot.
I get irritated easily.
I get stressed out easily.
I get upset easily.
I have frequent mood swings.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits
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Reading 5 – ‘VAK’ Learning Styles
The Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic learning styles model or 'inventory', usually abbreviated to VAK, provides a
simple way to explain and understand your own learning style (and learning styles of others). According to
the VAK model, most people possess a dominant or preferred learning style, however some people have a
mixed and evenly balanced blend of the three styles.
LEARNING
STYLE
DESCRIPTION
Visual
seeing and
reading
Auditory
listening and
speaking
Kinesthetic
touching and
doing
N.B. Kinesthetic style is also referred to as 'Physical', or 'Tactile', or 'Touchy-Feely'.
The original VAK concepts were first developed by psychologists and teaching (of children) specialists such
as Fernald, Keller, Orton, Gillingham, Stillman and Montessori, starting in the 1920's. VAK theory is now a
favorite of the accelerated learning community because its principles and benefits extend to all types of
learning and development, far beyond its early applications.
The VAK learning styles model provides a very easy and quick reference inventory by which to assess
people's preferred learning styles, and then most importantly, to design learning methods and experiences
that match people's preferences:



Visual learning style involves the use of seen or observed things, including pictures, diagrams,
demonstrations, displays, handouts, films, flip-chart, etc.
Auditory learning style involves the transfer of information through listening: to the spoken word,
of self or others, of sounds and noises.
Kinesthetic learning involves physical experience - touching, feeling, holding, doing, and practical
hands-on experiences. The word 'kinesthetic' describes the sense of using muscular movement physical sense in other words. Kinesthesia and kinesthesis are root words, derived from the Greek
kineo, meaning move, and aisthesis, meaning sensation. Kinesthetic therefore describes a learning
style which involves the stimulation of nerves in the body's muscles, joints and tendons. This
relates to the colloquial expression 'touchy-feely' ('kineo-aisthesis' = 'move-sensation').
The VAK Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic model/test below provides a free quick easy way to assess your own or
other people's preferred learning styles. Please note the test below is a simple indicator of preferred
learning styles - it's not meant for rigorous scientific research.
Source: http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm
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PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY 4: VAK Questionnaire
1. If I have to learn how to do something, I learn best when I:
(V) Watch someone show me how.
(A) Hear someone tell me how.
(K) Try to do it myself.
2. When I read, I often find that I:
(V) Visualise what I am reading in my mind’s eye.
(A) Read out loud or hear the words inside my head.
(K) Fidget and try to “feel” the content.
3. When asked to give directions, I:
(V) See the actual places in my mind as I say them or prefer to draw them.
(A) Have no difficulty giving them verbally.
(K) Have to point or move my body.
4. If I am unsure how to spell a word, I:
(V) Write it in order to determine if it looks right.
(A) Spell it out loud in order to determine if it sounds right.
(K) Write it in order to determine if it feels right.
5. When I write, I:
(V) Am concerned how neat and well spaced my letters and words appear.
(A) Often say the letters and words to myself.
(K) Push harder on my pen or pencil and can feel the flow of the words or letters as I form them.
6. If I had to remember a list of items, I would remember it best if I:
(V) Wrote them down.
(A) Said them over and over to myself.
(K) Moved around and used my fingers to name each item.
7. I prefer teachers who:
(V) Use the board or overhead projector while they lecture.
(A) Talk with a lot of expression.
(K) Use hands-on activities.
8. When trying to concentrate, I have a difficult time when:
(V) There is a lot of clutter or movement in the room.
(A) There is a lot of noise in the room.
(K) I have to sit still for any length of time.
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9. When solving a problem, I:
(V) Write or draw diagrams to see it.
(A) Talk myself through it.
(K) Use my entire body or move object to help me think.
10. When given written instructions on how to build something, I:
(V) Read them silently and try to visualize how the parts will fit together.
(A) Read them out loud and talk to myself as I put the parts together.
(K) Try to put the parts together first and read later.
11. To keep occupied while waiting, I:
(V) Look around, stare or read.
(A) Talk or listen to others.
(K) Walk around, manipulate things with my hands, or move/shake my feet as I sit.
12. If I had to verbally describe something to another person, I would:
(V) Be brief because I do not like to talk at length.
(A) Go into great detail because I like to talk.
(K) Gesture and move around while talking.
13. If someone were verbally describing something to me, I would:
(V) Try to visualize what she was saying.
(A) Enjoy listening by want to interrupt and talk myself.
(K) Become bored if her description got too long or detailed.
14. When trying to recall names, I remember:
(V) Faces but forgot names.
(A) Names but forgot faces.
(K) The situation that I met the person other than the person’s name or face.
Scoring Instructions: Add the number of responses for each letter and enter the total below. The area
with the highest number of responses is probably your primary mode of learning.
Visual
V= ____
Auditory
A=____
Kinaesthetic
K=____
Source: Beatrice, J. (1994). Learning to Study Through Critical Thinking.
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Clues
Learning Tips
Visual Learners Usually:
• Need to see it to know it.
• Have strong sense of color.
• May have artistic ability.
• Often have difficulty with
spoken directions.
• May over-react to sounds.
• May have trouble
following lectures.
• Often misinterprets words.
Visual Learners Should:
• Use graphics to reinforce learning; films,
slides, illustrations, diagrams & doodles.
• Color code to organize notes & possessions.
• Ask for written directions.
• Use flow charts & diagrams for notetaking.
• Visualize spelling of words or facts to be
memorized.
Auditory Learners Usually:
• Prefer to get information
by listening-needs to hear it
to know it.
• May have difficulty
following written directions.
• Difficulty with reading.
• Problems with writing.
• Inability to read body
language & facial expressions.
Auditory Learner Should:
• Use of tapes for reading & for class &
lecture notes.
• Learning by interviewing or by participating
in discussions.
• Having test questions or directions read aloud or
put on tape.
Kinesthetic Learners Usually:
• Prefer hands-on learning.
• Often can assemble parts
without reading directions.
• Have difficulty sitting still.
• Learn better when
physical activity is involved.
• May be very well
coordinated & have athletic
ability.
Kinesthetic Learners Should:
• Engage in experiential learning (making models,
doing lab work, & role playing).
• Take frequent breaks in study periods.
• Trace letters & words to learn spelling
and remember facts.
• Use computer to reinforce learning through sense
of touch.
• Memorize or drill while walking or exercising.
• Express abilities through dance, drama or
gymnastics
Source: http://home.att.net/~tmjordan/academic_support/lstyles.htm
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Reading 6 – Learning in the Workplace
GAINING COMPETITIVE EDGE THROUGH LEARNING
Source: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Gaining-Competitive-Edge-Through-Learning.html
Organizations today are faced with an ever changing global business environment that requires a
competitive edge. A major strategy many organizations have adopted is turning their organizations into
“learning organizations.” This approach creates a major advantage for organizations that can learn and
adopt to change faster than their competitors. Despite much research focused on the return on investment
for learning organizations, some organizations are hesitant to adopt this structure. This is partly due to the
fact that a strategy focused on learning within organizations changes the dynamics within every part of that
organization. However, this change is one that should be embraced and not feared.
Organizations create a competitive advantage by initiating a learning organization structure. The benefits of
the learning organization structure include the following:
• Attracting and retaining quality employees with similar values,
• Enjoying higher revenue growth and employee performance,
• Providing better response to consumer needs, and thus retaining them, and
• Having a better chance at becoming or maintaining leader status in the industry.
Famous organizational theorist Peter Senge, who wrote The Fifth Discipline, defined learning organizations
as "Organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire,
where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and
where people are continually learning to learn together." Organizations start the journey towards
becoming a learning organization by understanding what this structure actually is. Learning organizations
are identified by the following characteristics:
• A “pancake” organizational structure in which power is evenly distributed based on knowledge in
employees,
• Organizational purpose and goals reflect employee values,
• Goals allow for voluntary cooperation in participating in organizational learning,
• Employees share knowledge and make more decisions with minimum management supervision, and
• A tight knit community of learners who control and conform to the organization because they hold the
same views and goals as the organization.
Essentially a learning organization will support a competitive edge because employees:
• Have the capacity for change,
• Can work across boundaries with the free flow of information and values,
• Have the ability to learn rapidly, and
• Have the ability to engage in “systems thinking.” Systems thinking includes diagnosis and fundamental
culture change as part of the organization’s ongoing management process.
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Developing and maintaining a competitive organization requires making changes that generate innovation
and constant improvements. Learning is what produces this competitive edge. When an organization
develops into a competitive learning organization, employees succeed by solving problems in an efficient,
constructive manner. Although there is no set formula, organizations should know that they need to
maintain a “forward thinking” perspective in which opportunities and potential vulnerabilities can be
foreseen.
There will be times that an industry will be faced with changing goals such as creating more cost effective
processes during a slow period, or increasing up customer service during busy times. In these cases,
organizations must have a plan in place to change learning strategies to direct employees. Employees must
develop skills to make them well-rounded workers with the ability to understand and solve potential
problems that exist in a world of change. “Technology, equipment, and supplies can be duplicated,”
comments Astron’s National Director Jennifer Loftus. “People are the one organizational aspect that can’t
be copied. Structures and systems that allow organizations to tap into and enhance the power of those
people are the keys to growth and success in the future. HR is strategically poised with the requisite skills
and expertise to bring learning structures into their organizations to make positive change for all.”
MAINTAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE IN THE WORKPLACE ESSENTIAL
Source: www.aces.edu/dept/extcomm/newspaper/.../oct4b02.doc - United States
To maintain a competitive edge in today's global economy, companies must have competitive workers.
What gives a worker a competitive edge? What skills or competencies do workers need? Employers have
identified five competencies vital to success says Dr. Jacquelyn Robinson, a workforce development
specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Utilizing resources or having the ability to allocate time, money, materials and staff

Working with others or possessing the skills and desire to participate in teams, teach others,
serve customers, and negotiate and work well with people from culturally diverse backgrounds

Using information or knowing how to acquire and evaluate data, organize and maintain files,
interpret and communicate information, and use computers to process information

Understanding systems or comprehending social, organizational and technical systems;
monitoring and correcting performance; and designing or improving systems

Working with technology--knowing the equipment and tools to select; applying technology to
specific tasks; and maintaining and troubleshooting equipment
Hiring managers agree that these five competencies are as important as basic academic skills, higher-order
thinking skills, and good personal qualities, says Robinson. "Employers need reliable, responsible workers
who can solve problems and who have the social skills and attitudes to work together with other workers.
Creative, energetic employees are desired by employers who are trying to create an empowered, highperformance workforce. Employees with these skills are in demand and are considered valuable human
capital assets to companies," says Robinson.
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Reading 7 – Leadership Styles
Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating
people. Kurt Lewin (1939) led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership. This early
study has been very influential and established three major leadership styles. The three major styles of
leadership are:
1.
Authoritarian or autocratic
2.
Participative or democratic
3.
Delegative or Free Reign
Although good leaders use all three styles, with one of them normally dominant, bad leaders tend to stick
with one style.
AUTHORITARIAN (AUTOCRATIC)
This style is used when leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it
accomplished, without getting the advice of their followers. Some of the appropriate conditions to use it is
when you have all the information to solve the problem, you are short on time, and your employees are
well motivated.
Some people tend to think of this style as a vehicle for yelling, using demeaning language, and leading by
threats and abusing their power. This is not the authoritarian style, rather it is an abusive, unprofessional
style called “bossing people around.” It has no place in a leader's repertoire.
The authoritarian style should normally only be used on rare occasions. If you have the time and want to
gain more commitment and motivation from your employees, then you should use the participative style.
PARTICIPATIVE (DEMOCRATIC)
This style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process (determining
what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this
style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect.
This is normally used when you have part of the information, and your employees have other parts. Note
that a leader is not expected to know everything — this is why you employ knowledgeable and skillful
employees. Using this style is of mutual benefit — it allows them to become part of the team and allows
you to make better decisions.
DELEGATIVE (FREE REIGN)
In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible
for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the situation and
determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You must set priorities and
delegate certain tasks.
This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go wrong, rather this is a style to be
used when you fully trust and confidence in the people below you. Do not be afraid to use it, however, use
it wisely!
NOTE: This is also known as laissez faire (or lais·ser faire), which is the noninterference in the affairs of
others. [French : laissez, second person pl. imperative of laisser, to let, allow + faire, to do.]
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FORCES
A good leader uses all three styles, depending on what forces are involved between the followers, the
leader, and the situation. Some examples include:

Using an authoritarian style on a new employee who is just learning the job. The leader is
competent and a good coach. The employee is motivated to learn a new skill. The situation is a new
environment for the employee.

Using a participative style with a team of workers who know their job. The leader knows the
problem, but does not have all the information. The employees know their jobs and want to
become part of the team.

Using a delegative style with a worker who knows more about the job than you. You cannot do
everything and the employee needs to take ownership of her job! In addition, this allows you to be
at other places, doing other things.

Using all three: Telling your employees that a procedure is not working correctly and a new one
must be established (authoritarian). Asking for their ideas and input on creating a new procedure
(participative). Delegating tasks in order to implement the new procedure (delegative).
Forces that influence the style to be used included:

How much time is available?

Are relationships based on respect and trust or on disrespect?

Who has the information — you, your employees, or both?

How well your employees are trained and how well you know the task.

Internal conflicts.

Stress levels.

Type of task. Is it structured, unstructured, complicated, or simple?

Laws or established procedures such as OSHA or training plans.
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POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE APPROACHES
There is a difference in ways leaders approach their employee. Positive leaders use rewards, such as
education, independence, etc. to motivate employees. While negative employers emphasize penalties.
While the negative approach has a place in a leader's repertoire of tools, it must be used carefully due to its
high cost on the human spirit.
Negative leaders act domineering and superior with people. They believe the only way to get things done is
through penalties, such as loss of job, days off without pay, reprimanding employees in front of others, etc.
They believe their authority is increased by frightening everyone into higher levels of productivity. Yet what
always happens when this approach is used wrongly is that morale falls; which of course leads to lower
productivity.
Also note that most leaders do not strictly use one or another, but are somewhere on a continuum ranging
from extremely positive to extremely negative. People who continuously work out of the negative are
bosses while those who primarily work out of the positive are considered real leaders.
Source: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html
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