BSBLDR502 Lead and manage effective workplace relationships

Learning Objectives

▪Manage ideas and information

▪ Establish systems to develop trust and confidence

▪Manage the development and maintenance of networks and relationships

▪Manage difficulties to achieve positive outcomes

Definition

Workplace relationships are unique interpersonal relationships with important implications for the individuals in those relationships, and the organisations in which the relationships exist and develop.. (Sias,2005))

Manage ideas and information

Communication and feedback is the key to a successful working environment as it helps:

o people learn

o create opportunity for professional and personal development

o boost morale and loyalty

o provide insight into how your business is running

How can you communicate and share ideas in the workplace?

How can you communicate and share information in the workplace?

Achievement of work responsibilities

It is important that you ensure strategies and processes are in place to communicate information associated with the achievement of work responsibilities to all co-workers.

Accountability

Direction of the company

Your own achievements

Achievement of work responsibilities

Newsletter

Intranet

Face to face

Work in group

Develop a newsletter for your team to announce:

• Signing a big contract for a new project

• A promotion

• A birthday

• Congratulate an employee on his/her good work

• A series of HR tips

Consultation process

Employee awareness of, and involvement in, decision-making regularly leads to:

more productive workplaces as a result of greater cooperation and collaboration

better and more informed decision making and successful implementation of ideas

attraction and retention of skilled and positive staff

workplaces that are better able to cope with change

minimisation of employer/employee disputes

minimisation of employee claims against the employer.

Consultation process

Employee communication and consultation offer many benefits:

Increases organisational performance

Improves management performance and decision making

Improves performance and commitment in employees

Develops trust

Increases job satisfaction

Encourages flexibility in the workplace

Consultation process

When:

Hazard or risks

Change

Making decisions

Decisions about how to consult

Consultation process

How:

Committee

Focus groups

Email

Surveys

Presentations with Q&A

Meetings

Consultation process

Consider:

Type of matters

Frequency

Who

How

How information will be shared

Outcome of consultation

Presentation

Newsletter

Email

Delegated to line managers

Read the Best Practice Guide ‘Consultation and cooperation in the workplace’

Discuss the content of the guide with the rest of the class

Work in group

Develop a consultation process for your team that includes:

- How to communicate achievement of work responsibilities

- Consultation process (what type, who to involve, frequency etc…)

- How feedback on consultation outcome will be shared with the employees

- Develop a feedback form

Issue managementConsider the following process as a way to formally manage these issues.:

Solicit potential issues

Issue assessment

Issue log

Assign ownership

Investigation of options with estimated impact

Review of alternatives

Implementation

Monitoring

Issue status is communicated

Escalation process

Work in group

• Develop a issue management process.

• Develop a issue escalation process (flow chart)

Cultural diversity

Why diversity is necessary in the workplace

It is the law

Better serve customer

Better communicate with one

another

Better ideas and solutions

Diversity Plan

Assessment of diversity

Set goals

Implement the plan

Diversity policies - examples

Recruitment and selections

Testing

Pay and promotion

Diversity in the workplace

Train :

Cultural knowledge about customs, religions and histories

Individuals not groups

Listen actively

Review current policies

Work on resistance to change

Review multicultural perspective of your team

Diversity -considerations

Consider the list of questions provided by your trainer and discuss your thoughts with the rest of the class.

Diversity policyTips:

Consult with your employees

Include an objective or purpose statement

Explain what you mean by diversity & inclusion

Explain why diversity is important to your business

Specify who the policy applies to & who is responsible for its implementation

Identify the legal framework

Detail your strategies for delivering diversity

Ensure that your diversity & inclusion policy is linked to other relevant policies

Identify key outcomes

Identify how you will communicate, monitor & report your performance.

Work in group

• Review and discuss some examples of diversity policies provided by your trainer.

Ethical values in the workplace

Dedication

Integrity

Accountability

Collaboration

Conduct

Ethical values in the workplace

Work in group

• Develop a list of values for the organisation.

• Develop a code of conduct for your team

• Describe what strategies could be used to ensure organisation’s ethical values are adhered to

Professional conduct

Be on time

Watch your mood

Dress Appropriately

Watch your language

Help your colleagues

Don’t gossip

Stay positive

Own your mistakes

Be fair

Be honest

Careful sharing information

Interpersonal communication - misconceptions

"If I say it, the other person will understand.“

"The more communication, the better!“

"Any problem can be solved at any time if we

communicate with each other.“

"Communication is a natural ability – some have

it, some don´t."

Self awareness

Personality

Values

Habits

Needs

Emotions

Communicating effectively

Use ‘I’ statement

Describe behaviours

without judgement

Describe your feelings

Maintain congruent verbal

and not-verbal message

Build trust

Listening and responding

Focus on what is being said

Look for non-verbal cues

Listening is about the other, not you.

Clarify and ask pointed questions to help you understand what is being said

Paraphrase

Try to understand the message from the sender´s perspective

Networks and relationships

Build your networking muscle

Develop thick skin

Be nice

Be giving

Grow relationships database

Communicate

Keep it simple

Build rapport

Set goals

Access available resources

External influences on workplace relationships

Family and friends

Other colleagues

Other line managers

External business contacts

Relationships external to your team

Represent your team

Obtain resources

Information to and from your

team

Manage performances

Read the articles ‘How leaders create and use networks

Discuss the content of the article with the rest of the class

Work in group

• Develop strategies to ensure that effective internal and external workplace relationships are developed and maintain

• Describe how those strategies will be updated as part of an ongoing planning to manage workplace relationships effectively

Conflict management -sources

Values conflict

Power conflict

Economic conflict

Interpersonal conflict

Organisational conflict

Environmental conflict

Conflict management -strategies

Competing

Accommodating

Avoiding

Collaborating

Compromising

Conflict management -strategies

Conflict management – difficult peopleConsider the impact the person has on you

You control your response to the conflict not the outcome

Use effective communication:o Address the situation immediately, directly and respectfully

o Speak directly to the person

o Separate individuals from the problems.

o Objectively try to understand what is behind the difficult person's actions

o Examine your own contributions to the situation

o Be clear in all your communication

o Discuss the issue using "I" statements (for instance, "I feel uncomfortable when you...")

o Reinforce any positive changes

Read examples of conflict resolution management policies.

Discuss the content of the policy with the rest of the class

Identify problems in the workplace

Employee reviews

Employee safety

Group assessments

Risk assessments

Problem solving in the workplace

Identify issues

Understand everyone’s interests

List options

Evaluate options

Select option

Document agreement

Agree on contingencies, monitoring and evaluation

Work in group

• Develop a strategy and outline the process to ensure that difficulties in workplace relationships are identified and resolved.

• Develop an action plan to address any identified difficulty.

• Establish processes and systems to ensure that when the difficulties identified in the workplace relationships become conflicts, they are identified and managed constructively in accordance with the organisation’s policy and procedures.