Working Effectively in Diverse Workplaces - Assignment Example

Requirement 1 My well developed abilities to gather and analyse information have been demonstrated during my tenure as a registered migration agent in a migration company. In my stint in the company, I was charged with the responsibility of representing clients at different forums, including migration and refugee review tribunals. The aforementioned roles required me to gather information that was relevant to individual cases, analyse and use the same information to represent my clients in the best possible way. I also worked as a team leader in aviation security at Canberra Airport and this role further honed my information gathering and analysing abilities since I was responsible for finding out the security situation in other airports around the country. I would then use the information to enhance the security preparedness of my team. I anticipate that my abilities in gathering and analysing information will be valuable in the advertised position, especially in relation to providing administrative assistance when preparing for prosecution in different courts mentioned in the position description. My abilities will also be valuable in relation to liaising with the Australian federal police and especially making enquiries from them and providing information obtained from them to courts. Additionally, my proven abilities in gathering and analysing information will be essential in the performance of administrative tasks, since as indicated in the position description, the position will involve data collection. My proven information gathering and analysing skills will also play a critical role towards helping the legal staff whenever the need to do so arises. Requirement 2 I have a detailed understanding of technology, as proven in my previous job postings where I was required to use technology in the workplace. As a registered migration agent, I would use technology to conduct research, gather, store, and retrieve information. As the team leader in aviation security at Canberra Airport, I used technology to communicate and organise the 80 staff members I was leading. Additionally, my team and I would use technology to attend to more than 5,000 passengers who needed different customer care services on a daily basis. The position description has indicated that the applicant should know how to use a variety of software applications which include spreadsheets and databases. Notably, my current technology skills set include databases, spreadsheets, word processing, instant messages, Internet, email, and presentation packages. I have proven abilities in technology use in the workplace spanning information searches, communication, presentation, calculations, and analysing, storing and retrieving data. Additionally, I am adept at using the Internet and email. My high level of technology self-efficacy has also helped me learn and adopt new technologies fast. The important of technology self-efficacy (TSE) is underscored by McDonald and Siegall (465), in a research that found out that TSE had a positive correlation with enhanced work quality, performance, satisfaction and commitment. TSE also helps in boosting one’s openness to new ideas and technology devices, thus meaning that I would be willing to learn and adopt any new technologies that I may find in the new work place, or those that might come up in the course of my job at the new workplace. Requirement 3 Having worked in different places in my career, I understand that each workplace has a set of communication strategies to follow. I also understand the importance of documenting complex workplace materials routinely and accurately, having gained such knowledge from my previous post as a registered immigration agent. Using workplace communication strategies requires a person to understand them first. For example, the communication strategy that I needed to follow when working as a registered migration agent contained rules of behaviour to be observed when interacting with internal stakeholders, who included my colleagues at work. It also included rules of interacting with external clients, and also indicated the rules of engagement when responding to questions, giving advice or contributing to group discussions. In order to fully execute the strategy in my work, I took time to understand the strategy and understand its goal. With such an understanding in mind, I was able to organise my work around that goal. Writing routine and some complex workplace materials is arguably a no-brainer for me. My position as a registered migration agent has given me enough experience writing legal briefs, some of which were ordinary legal documents. Others on the other hand contained complex terminology and content. During that experience, I learnt that they key to successfully writing routine or complex materials is to be keen and asking for clarification whenever the need to do so arose. I intend to use the same lessons in any future work that involves routine or complex writing. In the advertised position, Territory Records Act 2002 will guide how records will be kept, and the successful applicant will have to familiarise her/himself with the Act. Requirement 4 My well developed monitoring abilities were enhanced during my previous post as a team leader in aviation security at Canberra Airport. A team leader is not only charged with leading a group of employees, but also has the role of evaluating their performance. Evaluation on the other hand requires a lot of monitoring. Monitoring is the primary method through which one gets to understand if set performance indicators were met. In the advertised position, it is clear that the successful applicant will not only monitor service delivery, but will also provide support for paralegal teams working under him/her. This is a role that I can successfully accomplish. Contributing to the co-ordination of service delivery outcomes is something I have successfully handled during my work at Canberra Airport. For example, I received recognition for leading a team whose helm saw passenger satisfaction improve by ----. In my view, the co-ordination function involves working with different people who are charged with varying mandates, and whose works jointly lead to the successful realisation of a specific outcome. In the court system for example, the co-ordination function may involve working with other paralegal officers, lawyers, security officers, court staff and even judges to ensure that justice prevails at all times. Having worked at a leadership position before, I believe that my ability to support people working under me has been tested and proven. For example, I was awarded the ..... for leading a group of 80 staff during my career at Canberra Airport. Supporting my juniors required me to constantly search for knowledge, which I would then use to assist them whenever the need to do so arose. Requirement 5 My ability to display and provide high quality customer service is based on principles and attributes that I have acquired in my previous jobs as well as from the theoretical knowledge obtained in the university. In the different positions I have held in different organisations, I have learnt that different customers consider ‘good customer service’ differently. I also found out that the best way to provide high quality services is to find out what customers’ expectations are and then try to deliver to those expectations. During my stay at Canberra Airport, I also realised the need to follow up on the feedback provided by customers. Specifically, I found out that positive feedback was important for identifying the best practices to uphold, while negative feedback made us aware of what to avoid in future and areas that needed improvement going forward. I also know that good customer service is unattainable if staff members have no idea what good customer service really is. At Canberra Airport, I oversaw the training of the team of 50 people with the sole intention of equipping them with customer service skills. During the training, the need to understand the service provided, listen to customer queries or complaints, confirming the validity of the question or complaining, and responding in a satisfactory and kind manner were underscored. I also understand that building good customer relationships is essential for customer service provision. For example, besides understanding what customers need, one also should show the customer that he/she understands those needs. Requirement 6 I have a proven record of working effectively in diverse workplaces. For instance, at Canberra Airport, I handled customers from within and outside Australia. The experience at Canberra exposed me to people of different geographical, racial, national, gender and cultural origins. I also worked with people of different persuasion, yet as a leader, my role was to ensure that they worked together as a team in order to meet specified organisational goals, which they did. Additionally, I was rated APS5 as a legal officer and placed in a merit pool in the Attorney General’s department. My rating and placement in the merit pool happened when I successfully went through tough assessments that were meant to gauge my effectiveness as a legal officer. In relation to upholding and supporting the principles and values of the Australian public service, I intend to access all information on the same, confirm my interpretation of the same to the senior managers in my department, and apply the principles and values accordingly. Having had an interest in the public sector for a long time, I already understand the fundamental ethical principles applicable in all government jobs. They include responsible care, respect for people, and justice. I am also aware that diversity principles require the public service to practice equity and equal employment opportunities. Having studied law in both postgraduate and master’s levels, I have an advantage in that I am well versed with ethics-related legislation. I also know the prevailing codes of ethics, and have a clear understanding of different ethical decision-making models. In recognition that upholding and supporting the public service’s principles and values extends beyond my actions, I will also familiarise myself with procedures for reporting unethical conduct. Contributing to workplace safety is not entirely new to me, since my position at Canberra Airport involved working with other departments to minimise the airport’s level of risk exposure. Contributing to workplace safety ideally involves understanding the safety risks that the workplace is exposed to and effectively managing the risks. Work Cited McDonald, Tracy and Marc Siegell. “The Effects of Technological Self-Efficacy and Job Focus on Job Performance, Attitudes, and Withdrawal behaviours.” The Journal of Psychology 126 (1992):465-475. Read More