Mange People's Performance - Assignment Example

1. Assignment one: Case Study Analysis 1: Allocate Work and Assess Performance A basic administrative role covers the support aspect to the major administrative roles that run administrative activities within the organization. Basic administrative roles relate to roles of an office assistant that information for the role is obtained from the administrative head this person serves. The administrator knows what they seek in their assistants. They provide the jobs for them and hence they would provide the best information about the general job roles of the position. However, since the administrative assistant deals with almost all the official duties of the administrator, it is imperative for proper consultations to take place among all the concerned stakeholders, both within the business and outside the business, before coming up with a preferred choice of an administrative assistant. Some of the people needed for consultation within the business environs include other office administrators, the Human Resources department, the finance department, as well as the immediate junior officers of the administrator operating under his or her administrative span of control. As for the case of stakeholders outside the business, it is imperative to consider the direct business partners and associates of the administrator, considering his or her role and position within the company. This consultation is necessary just in case the administrator assistant fails to meet the much-needed professionalism and work performance ethics as expected from the office he or she is serving. Basing on this line of information, the job is well understood and proper work allocation is derived in a cost effective way that also ensures efficiency, and effectiveness. Work Plan Position Start Date Task/Activity/Responsibilities Details Timeline Company Standards and KPIs for the position Answered all telephone enquiries Done with courtesy and have directed calls and recorded messages accurately. Weekly Less 5% of the calls are missed. Picks up the phone within 3 rings. Recorded, detailed and easy to understand messages with return call information. Directed at least 95% customers to the right person. Entered all data provided for the day on a regular basis. Done correctly with through rereading of the contents entered before saving. Daily Accuracy required is 100%. All data entered must be approved by the administrator through his signature and stamp. Proper storage of data in the right data centers is mandatory. Ensure the offices are cleaned on time and always clean and ready for consumption. Done with utmost dedication and supervision skills to ensure the staff handling the role does it well. Daily All office cleaning activities should be complete 30 minutes before office occupants arrive and supervised by their assistants. All items in the office should be arranged in order and placed in the right places. Scheduling appointments for the administrator. Courtesy applied and professionalism in ensuring first come first served basis Daily Ensure all appointments remain timely and work related. All appointments need to follow the basic steps and should allow time for the administrator to conduct other activities. Developing reports on work done on a regular basis and filing them after approval by administrator. Ensuring that all vital information is captured and reflects the actual events conducted during the time covered. Weekly Regular reporting to superiors on activities and their implications to the organization. Proper addressing of the offices. Scheduling meetings and organizing the venues earlier for provision of conducive environments for meetings. Done in a timely manner to avoid inconvenience during meetings. As deemed fit by the office Ensure meeting venues are ready an hour to the meeting. Ensure that all items needed for the meeting are delivered earlier to avoid disruptions during the meeting. Risk analysis and management plan for the position Risk Factor Impact Description Impact (Low, Medium, High) Probability (Low, Medium, High) Priority (low, Medium, High) Proposed Actions/Solutions Estimated Cost The employees may incur more costs than budgeted e.g not being able to meet customer enquiries and an extra person is therefore needed. L/M L (if interview was through and training was provided) M Give more training and evaluate work load. A quality assurance process has been defined and is in place? Poor quality services that may affect the quality of work that the administrators produce affecting their performance. L/M L (if the interviews were conducted thoroughly and evaluation was accurate) M Evaluation of employee’s performance and quality attachment to roles served. Training for quality requirements of the organization. Has version control systems been established? Version effects will affect the quality of work produced by the employees. L/M L if the control systems in place prove efficient for application of version control by the staff. M Training and enhanced support systems. Have all customers been served professionally and satisfied with the service delivered? Poor customer service will impact on the satisfaction levels of the customers and lead to loss of customers that will affect the company. L/M L if the training on company standards with regard to customer service was provided. M More training on customer service management and company standards on customer management. Does the employee provide timely information to the administrator? Untimely information provided may prove irrelevant and less applicable in the organization. L/M L if the staff understands the essence of providing timely information for decision-making. M More training on basic communication channels and information analysis. List of steps of the training process and the contents In order to have an effective and efficient office administrator, it is imperative to take the person through a series of training in order to improve his or her skills. The following guidelines explore the different steps that the training process will take, and last. As for the case of an office administrator, the training process will take six consecutive weeks. The contents of training that this position covers includes the computer systems in place for use, the telephone systems and its applicability, the organization’s policies and procedures in relation to telephone use and the needs of the office of the administrator. In developing training process and the contents, two major items need considering. These include the task analysis aspects and the design and development process. The task analysis includes for steps that are the definition of the target population, listing the actual tasks involved in the training. Skills and the actual knowledge that will provide support for the role and the identification of the skills that the training should add to the employees. These steps aid in developing the training objective (WHO HTM, 2005). The design and development process may involve six steps that are: development of training units from the identified skills to train the employees in, develop the different modules through which the training will take place, development of examples, drafting of the complete guide, field testing of the material developed and revision of the material as the final step. Steps to performance reviews In developing an employee review and appraisal program, it is imperative to consider the following items specifically for the post of an office administrator. These items involve an evaluation form developed that will record all information needed, the identification of the different measures of performance, the setting of guidelines essential in developing feedback, development of different disciplinary procedures and those for termination and involving a schedule for evaluation (Capko, 2003). In evaluating the office administrator, constant recording of information with regard to the employee will provide a way of ensuring their performance meets the company’s needs. Weekly assessments for the first 3 months at work will ensure that the employee understands his or her role in the company as an office administrator followed by monthly evaluations to ensure proper work ethics and yearly assessments that will cover all aspects of the job role. The employee will undergo regular appraisals to ensure that their job roles are well served and any mistakes are identified earlier to avoid gross implications to the company. 2. Assignment Two: Provide Feedback and Manage Follow-up: Conversation feedback on Linda’s performance Considering the performance of the four months from March to June, the performance has been below expectations and your quality of service keeps deteriorating. When Linda first joined the company, her performance was close to the target and instead of working towards improving she is on a downward trend. The need to improve on her service quality seems to provide an answer to her failure to meet expectations with regard to the targets set. Based on these, the employee needs approaching in the context of indicating to her that her performance needs to improve. She needs to understand that she is performing on a negative based on the targets set and the quality of her services is diminishing. As Linda’s boss, I called her to my office one morning before undertaking our daily responsibilities to enquire into her diminishing output in work at the office. Boss: I have noticed that your work has been good for the past four months, but it is now undergoing a downward trend. What could be the problem? Linda: I am very sorry boss. I have personal problems. Boss: But why do you let your personal problems affect your performance at work? Do you know this can lead to your losing this job? Linda: please do not fire me boss. I really need this job. I will do my best to improve my work. Boss: what exactly is troubling you, can you share it with me? Linda: I am sorry boss, but my child was involved in an accident while playing at school and has been hospitalized for three weeks now. The doctors need money for an operation but I am unable to raise the amount. This is why I have been running up and down to raise the money to foot my son’s hospital bills. This is the cause of my stress and unrest at work. Boss: I am sorry to hear that. I wish your son quick recovery. Linda: Thank you boss Boss: Anyway, since the company still needs you and your great services, we shall assist you to clear the bills so that your son can get the operation done, and that you may have peace and concentrate on your work which is very important to the company… Linda: Thank you very much boss! Thank you very much, God will bless you. Boss: It is OK Linda…it’s Ok. Take this note, go with it to the Finance department. Tell them I have given instructions for you to access an emergency loan from the company to cover your adept medical bills. You can pay it later at a pace you will discuss and agree with them on what is most comfortable with you. Linda: Thank you very much boss. I will attend to my son immediately and report to work. Boss: Please do so immediately as your services are indispensible for the company. And please ensure you improve on your quality and performance soon as you get back. For advising people about Linda’s performance, the Human resource department, the supervisor and the employees will all be advised about Linda’s performance. The Human resource will obtain the advice about Linda’s performance to help in devising means of helping Linda improve in their job roles. The Human resource team will also help Linda understand the effects of her declining performance to the company and the actions that might follow if she fails to improve. The employee will then attain training to help her improve. The supervisor will also need to learn about the performance issues Linda faces as a way of ensuring a close watch on her to provide her with the necessary guidance she need to improve. The other employees will need to understand the performance issues so as to watch their won performance. Steps description Support services and on the job coaching topics/methods How does it contribute to better performance Timeframe Type of documentation and maintaining records method Do I need assistance form HR specialist? Why not? Constant communication support Workload details and the effects. Relevant job needs that would help her perform better. Provision of an immediate supervisor to help in answering any questions arising or guiding Linda’s working. Close supervision of Linda’s work will help in identifying the actual causes of her declining performance. This will also help in constantly motivating Linda in her job roles and ensuring that she is empowered to perform better. Weekly Supervision reports that will detail the findings No need. The supervision teams will provide the necessary support for the activity. Weekly updates on her performance through performance reports Ensuring that the reports contain all information on her job and the details of any challenges met. This will provide areas where she needs help and will help her keep a close detailed approach to work so as to perform better. weekly Work reports indicating all roles handled and the resulting effects No need for assistance from the HR since the immediate superior understands Linda’s roles too. Provision of motivational speaking Encouraging the employee to perform better and appreciating their efforts to perform better. The employee will feel supported to perform better hence helping her perform better. The employee feels supported and part of the team making her performance improve. The employee will also realize the essence of performing better that will force them to perform better. Weekly sessions Most of these will be verbal communications that will aim at provision of support to the employees. It will also follow documented visits that will keep track of the attendance of the employee. There is need for HR support in this for provision of mental support to the employee. Examples on how to enforce good performance Reward/reinforcement examples to Linda Description and justification Provision of training The additional training of an employee may help them gain confidence in their services helping them improve. The need to train stems from the performance deficits that employees pose. Improving the motivation packages through increased bonuses. The desire to perform better in order to enjoy the bonuses associated with the performance will guide the performance of an employee. Providing these will encourage hard work in the employees. Increasing work incentives. Some employees perform poorly due to the inadequacy of their abilities to attain all the necessary items like accommodation, transportation means. Provision of these incentives could help the employee arrive earlier at work or sleep better planning for the company and their performance with a peace of mind leading to improved performance. If Linda continues to perform below expectations, the company will have to warn her and offer training support to her. Failure of this will lead to demotion that will aim at fitting her into another department within the organization. Failure to improve after all these will lead to termination of her services in the company. The procedural approach aims at ensuring that all avenues of trying to help Linda improve prove exhausted before her services are terminated in the company. These provide her with room to improve and gain better performance which if failed will justify the termination of her services. In terminating of Linda’s services, the documentation will include a summary of the complaint from the customer and other failed performance aspects. The attached to her termination letter will guide the termination process. The termination letter should cover the grounds in which Linda’s services are terminated in the company. It should cover the aspects and efforts provided to help her improve which failed. 3. Assignment Three: Question One Lawful dismissal in a small organization (Fewer than 15 employees) Lawful dismissal in a large organization According to the state federal laws, an employee is only dismissed under fair grounds that will include aspects that will not indicate harshness in the dismissal, unfair treatment or oppressiveness in the treatment. Consideration of aspects like consistent unsatisfactory performance, behavior that is inappropriate and other gross misconduct issues allow for dismissal of an employee. These do not advocate for it to be done in an oppressive manner but still under the laws. Termination in relation to color, race, age, sexual aspects all amounts to unfair termination that could lead to legal implications (Department of Commerce, May 2014). The development of a Fair Work Act 2009 aimed at covering employer employee relations of companies that have 15 employees and more. These provided for the fair treatment of employees for the employer and creating a fair environment for the two parties. In relation to this effect, the fair work act 2009 covered aspects that need considering before terminating an employee’s services. The Act provides for the minimum employment conditions necessary for considering during the employment exercise (Gerald, 2010). Question Two Relevant legislation Relation to staff performance Example OHS The aspect of operational health and safety provides employees with confidence in their duty executions. Considering an example of an employee in a bank working as a teller handling money, fears in risking their lives would make them perform poorly or affect their general confidence in the job. The need to ensure safety and health of employees reduces the time spent of work for dealing with health issues that hence improves their level of performance. Following regulations developed for this would lead an organization to better employee motivation aspects (Bluff, Gunningham & Johnstone, 2004). Environmental issues The working environment is supposed to provide the employees with a conducive environment that will allow them to perform better. The environment needs to prevent them from suffering environmental conditions such as climatic changes that may affect their working. Employees need a roof under which they operate to facilitate their performance as a result of shelter form the prevailing climatic conditions in the outside environment. The employees also need to have a conducive internal environment where they remain at peace with their superiors to help in ensuring that their performance is leveled to the needs of the company. The internal and external environments both play a major role in guiding employee performance. Equal opportunity Provision of equal opportunities at work encourage employee motivation. Equal opportunities means each employee is treated with the same respect as the other and they all face the same terms only differing based on individual performance. In organizations that different employees are favored due to their connection to the company owners, or their gender may lead to negative motivation aspects to the other employees that will lead to poor performance. All employees need to be treated equally as a way of encouraging their performance and boosting their morale in work. The employees need to be shown the results of their hard work with reward systems that are fair and cover all employees in an equal manner. Chances of improvement need to be provided to each employee on an equal scale. Training to all and incentives too to boost their confidence and hence better performance. Industrial relations Industrial relations include the consideration of employee’s registration in different worker’s unions that enhance their rights and supports their needs. These also work to boost the efforts of the employees in leading better employment lives. Through these industrial relations, employees understand their needs and rights as employees and the channels to follow in handling any grievances arising during the tenure of their employment life. The employees will understand more the rights that their employers too have that will help them know their limits. The employees will then understand the efforts of the employers in motivating them to work harder for the company. Anti-discrimination Application of anti-discrimination policies in companies play a huge role in encouraging especially the minorities in an organization. Considering an organization that is full of men with a limited number of women, the application of gender discrimination will demoralize them and hence affect their performance for the company. The discrimination effect even on the disabled employees or those that have different attributes will make them feel out of place and hence affecting their performance. The company needs to ensure proper anti-discrimination policies are in place that will help each employee feel the respect despite their race, religion, color or even gender. Anti-discrimination policies prevent major law suits that may lead to revocation of licenses for organizations hence the need to ensure they remain protected and enforced. Relevant awards Provision of relevant awards for hard work for the employees will also work towards motivating their efforts in the company. relevant awards cover those incentives administered to employees in line to specific performance objectives that range from recognition and accolades that indicate their excellence in the fields attached to. These cover other rewards besides the basic salary one earns and the bonuses. Certified agreements The provision of certified agreements to employees working for the company provides employees with confidence in the company. these documents act as evidence of an association between the employee and the employer. They may be useful in a court of law for proving the existence of a relationship between the two parties. These also provide the employees with confidence of fair treatment from the employer and hence encouraging better concentration in work and provision of good services by the employee. The employee also learns to respect the agreements and work towards maintaining a good working relation. References Bluff, E., Guningham, N. & Johnstone, R. (2004). OHS Regulations for a Changing World of Work. Federation Press. Capko, J. (2003). 5 Steps to a Performance Evaluation System. Retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/fpm/2003/0300/p43.html Department of Commerce, (May 2014). Dismissal- Overview for Employers. Retrieved from http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/labour-relations/dismissal-overview-employers Gerald, M. F. (2010). The Fair Work Act 2009. What Does it mean for Employers? Retrieved from http://www.fitzgeraldstrategies.com/au/the-fair-work-act-2009-what-does-it-mean-for-employers/ WHO HTM (2005). The 10 Step Process for Developing Training Courses. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2005/WHO_HTM_TB_2005.353_part!_eng.pdf. Read More