Fluent Essays

you have to first read the learning guide then answer the workbook.  it must be sufficient answers.  N(12) Page | 21 BSBLED501 Develop a workplace learning environment Learner Workbook Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Candidate Details 3 Assessment – BSBLED501: Develop a workplace learning environment 3 Competency Record to be completed by Assessor 4 Observation/Demonstration 5 Activities 6 Activity 1.1.1 6 Activities 1.2.1-1.2.3 7 Activity 1.3.1 8 Activity 1.4.1 10 Activities 1.5.1-1.5.2 11 Activities 1.6.1-1.6.2 12 Activities 2.1.1-2.2.1 14 Activities 2.3.1-2.3.3 16 Activity 2.4.1 17 Activities 2.5.1-2.5.3 18 Activities 3.1.1-3.1.2 19 Activities 3.2.1-3.2.4 20 Activities 3.3.1-3.3.2 21 Activities 3.4.1-3.4.2 22 Skills and Knowledge Activity 23 Major Activity 25 Appendices 26 Appendix 1 Learning Needs Analysis Matrix 27 Appendix 2 Performance Tool 28 Appendix 3 Learning Measuring Tool 30 Appendix 4 Feedback Form 31 Appendix 5 Learning Plan 32 Candidate Details Assessment – BSBLED501: Develop a workplace learning environment Please complete the following activities and hand in to your trainer for marking. This forms part of your assessment for BSBLED501: Develop a workplace learning environment. Remember to always keep a copy of your assessment before submitting. Name: _____________________________________________________________ Email: _____________________________________________________________ Employer: _____________________________________________________________ Declaration I declare that no part of this assessment has been copied from another person’s work with the exception of where I have listed or referenced documents or work and that no part of this assessment has been written for me by another person. Signed: ____________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________________________________________ If activities have been completed as part of a small group or in pairs, details of the learners involved should be provided below: This activity workbook has been completed by the following persons and we acknowledge that it was a fair team effort where everyone contributed equally to the work completed. We declare that no part of this assessment has been copied from another person’s work with the exception of where we have listed or referenced documents or work and that no part of this assessment has been written for us by another person. Learner 1: ____________________________________________________________ Signed: ____________________________________________________________ Learner 2: ____________________________________________________________ Signed: ____________________________________________________________ Learner 3: ____________________________________________________________ Signed: ____________________________________________________________ Competency Record to be completed by Assessor Learner Name: __________________________ Date of Submission: __________________________ Date of Assessment: __________________________ The learner has been assessed as competent in the elements and performance criteria and the evidence has been presented as: Satisfactory (S) Non-Satisfactory (NS) Assessor Initials Activities 1.1 – 3.4 Skills and Knowledge Questions Major Project Learner is deemed: COMPETENT NOT YET COMPETENT (Please Circle/Highlight) 1. Resubmission Date: ________________________ 2. Resubmission Date: ________________________ 3. Resubmission Date: ________________________ Comments from Trainer / Assessor: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Assessor Signature: ___________________________ Date: _______________________ Observation/Demonstration Throughout this unit, you will be expected to show your competency of the elements through observations or demonstrations. Your instructor will have a list of demonstrations you must complete or tasks to be observed. The observations and demonstrations will be completed as well as the activities found in this workbook. An explanation of demonstrations and observations: Demonstration is off-the-job A demonstration will require: Performing a skill or task that is asked of you Undertaking a simulation exercise Observation is on-the-job The observation will usually require: Performing a work based skill or task Interaction with colleagues and/or customers Your instructor will inform you of which one of the above they would like you to do. The demonstration/observation will cover one of the unit’s elements. The observation/demonstration will take place either in the workplace or the training environment, depending on the task to be undertaken and whether it is an observation or demonstration. Your instructor will ensure you are provided with the correct equipment and/or materials to complete the task. They will also inform you of how long you have to complete the task. The learner will need to demonstrate they can: 1. Create learning opportunities 2. Facilitate and promote learning 3. Monitor and improve learning effectiveness You should also demonstrate the following skills: Learning Reading Writing Oral Communication Navigate the world of work Interact with others Activities Activity 1.1.1 Estimated Time 15 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to identify potential formal and informal learning opportunities. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; What is the difference between training and learning? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is the difference between incidental and intentional learning? What do they refer to? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 1.2.1-1.2.3 Estimated Time 25 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to identify learning needs of individuals in relation to the needs of the team and/or enterprise, and available learning opportunities. Activity and Case Study Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Explain what this diagram means in terms of a learning needs analysis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What are the three elements you need to consider before you start a LNA? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design a skill audit document for your team. Use your team or your work team to assist you by asking the following questions. If you are addressing this question as a part of the class as your team. Your goal will be to determine what skills are required to perform a learning needs analysis? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Activity 1.3.1 Estimated Time 30 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to develop and implement learning plans as an integral part of individual and team performance plans. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Develop a learning plan. Learning plans are developed for reasons such as self development. Develop a learning plan that ensures that your current learning is relevant in achieving your current and future desired competences. When you discussed this topic with the Human Resource department, they asked for you to send them a copy, so that the learning plan could be used by the organisation as a whole. This means that you will not only need to consider your needs, but also the needs of the organisation as a whole. The learning plan must cover: Step One – Who are the learners? Use your Learning Needs Analysis outcomes to identify who your learners are. The skills, competences and knowledge may be similar or they may be completely different. Step Two – What do they need to learn? Learning needs of the audience should be identified in the LNA. Be clear on what skills, knowledge and competences they should learn. Step Three – When do they need to learn it? The learning required may vary according to when the skills, competence and knowledge are required. For example, one learner requires to learn how to read and understand the budget, while procedures for finalising the project would need to be learnt at closer to the end of the project. This means that you would prioritise this individuals training in the following manner: 1. Budget analysis 1. Finalising the project Step Four – Who will facilitate the learning? The answer to this will vary according to method of learning or training you choose. For example; your organisation may offer individuals the opportunity to complete a Diploma or Certificate in Project Management. Conversely, if the organisation has experienced personnel, they may be allocated as a Mentor or coach. Step Five – How long will the learning take? The timeline for learning will vary according to the needs of the organisation and in most cases be quite clear. The training and/or learning will vary according to the budget that has been allocated to the individual/team and/or department. You should also indicate the timeframe required to complete the learning sessions Step Six – How will learning be measured? Tools and/or methods should be identified and utilised to measure whether the training has met its goals. Step Seven – What resources will you need during the learning process? The resources required will vary according to the learning needed. Resources can include: space, equipment and materials etc. Step Eight – What learning methods will you be using? When you consider the learning methods, you should also consider the learners learning style. To learning your learning style, go to LdPride.net to find out which learning style applies to you. The URL Address is: http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html and will take two minutes to complete. Step Nine – Decide how learning will continue for new employees If employing new employees is part of meeting future needs, you should decide whether the new employees will have the skills required when they start or will they learn the skills after they start their employment. Step Ten – Determine how ongoing learning is supported What ongoing support should the staff be provided with and how long should they get this support? Activity 1.4.1 Estimated Time 15 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to develop strategies to ensure that learning plans reflect the diversity of needs. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Using the learning plan that you completed in Activity 1.3.1, explain how you have considered how the learning plans reflects the diversity of needs. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 1.5.1-1.5.2 Estimated Time 20 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to ensure organisational procedures maximise individual and team access to, and participation in, learning opportunities. Activity and discussion Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Why is it important for you to have access to information in the workplace? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Class discussion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 1.6.1-1.6.2 Estimated Time 45 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to Ensure effective liaison occurs with training and development specialists and contributes to learning opportunities which enhance individual, team and organisational performance. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Using this diagram, defined the role of training and development in the workplace. Give examples of each. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What are the differences between external and internal providers? Give an example of each to demonstrate these differences. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Research Research the advantages and disadvantages of external and internal providers. The advantages and disadvantages should vary from the ones that have already been provided. If you had a large budget, which provider would you use and why? Internal Provider Advantages Disadvantages External Provider Advantages Disadvantages ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 2.1.1-2.2.1 Estimated Time 40 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to develop strategies to ensure that workplace learning opportunities are used and that team members are encouraged to share their skills and knowledge to encourage a learning culture within the team. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; What role does information have in encouraging a learning culture? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One strategy to overcome the barrier to learning is to motivate learners. What impact does this have on a learning culture? As a manager, what can you do to motivate the learner? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What are the differences between skills, knowledge and attitudes? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are many learning opportunities that you can offer your team. List three types of learning opportunities and give examples of a time that you may use them. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 2.3.1-2.3.3 Estimated Time 20 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to Implement organisational procedures to ensure workplace learning opportunities contribute to the development of appropriate workplace knowledge, skills and attitudes. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; What is competency based training? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What methods can you use to demonstrate that an employee is competent? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Use one of the methods to explain validity, reliability, fairness and flexibility. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activity 2.4.1 Estimated Time 15 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to share the benefits of learning with others in the team and organisation. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Use the three elements of Etienne Wenger’s Communities of practice to explain how sharing the benefits of learning are and how it occurs. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 2.5.1-2.5.3 Estimated Time 15 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to recognise workplace achievement by timely and appropriate recognition, feedback and rewards. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; What is the aim of expectancy of motivation? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miriam, the new HR Manager has approached you are recommended that the company put in place monthly awards for the manufacturing team who select staff based on their performance. What would your response be? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is the importance of effective feedback? What are some practices that you can learn to enhance feedback? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 3.1.1-3.1.2 Estimated Time 30 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to Use strategies to ensure that team and individual learning performance is monitored to determine the type and extent of any additional work-based support required, and any Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Choose a process that you are familiar with and design a tool to measure the level of learning that a learner received when you trained them. You can find the tool in Appendix Two. In your tool you need to complete the following activities. Part A 1. Transfer of learning For this activity, you need to determine how the employee can demonstrate that they learner has been trained. 2. Knowledge, expertise and competence to be developed What skills, expertise and competence must the learner demonstrate has been developed 3. Learning Methods and Styles Change initiatives and their importance require that you ensure that you use a learning method appropriate for the Visual, Kinaesthetic and Auditory Styles. Under each style recommend a learning method and why you have chosen each. 4. Problem Solving What should be done if the learner does not demonstrate learning? Part B Once you have completed this form, use Appendix Three to develop a basic instrument that you can use to ensure that learning has taken place. (The Organisational Skills Audit, p.15 and the Competency Rating Scale, p.17-18 can assist you in designing the document). Activities 3.2.1-3.2.4 Estimated Time 20 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to use feedback from individuals and teams to identify and introduce improvements in future learning arrangements. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Using the space in Appendix Four, design a feedback form based on the Learning Measuring Tool that you developed in Appendix Three. The aim of this form is to determine whether the learner believes that they have received the same level of learning as indicated on Appendix Three. If not, why? How long would you wait after learning to ask for feedback? Why? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Is this a formal form of feedback or an informal form of feedback? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What should you do if you obtain negative feedback? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 3.3.1-3.3.2 Estimated Time 30 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to make adjustments, negotiated with training and development specialists, for improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of learning. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Research Develop an individual performance plan for yourself. In the plan, consider your own goals, and the ways in which you can improve your performance. Research the internet to find samples of performance plans and use one that you believe is appropriate to you. If you do not believe that any suit your purposes, design your own. Based on the Individual performance plan that you have developed, identify the specialists that you should consult about your goals (You must choose at least three specialists) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activities 3.4.1-3.4.2 Estimated Time 15 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to Use processes to ensure that records and reports of competency are documented and maintained within the organisations systems and procedures to inform future planning. Activity Individually or in pairs, complete the following questions; Why is it important to take a record of training? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What should the records include? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills and Knowledge Activity Estimated Time 90 Minutes Objective To provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the required skills, knowledge and critical aspects of assessment. Activity Complete the following individually and attach your completed work to your workbook. The answers to the following questions will enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of: · Learning · Reading · Writing · Oral Communication · Navigate the world of work · Interact with others · Get the work done · Explain how management of relationships can achieve a learning environment · Identify principles and techniques involved in the management and organisation of: · adult learning · coaching and mentoring · consultation and communication · improvement strategies · leadership · learning environment and learning culture · monitoring and reviewing workplace learning · problem identification and resolution · record keeping and management methods · structured learning · work-based learning Consider communication strategies, literacy and organisational skills to develop a strategy that will enable promoting and monitoring learning. In regards to the following points provide as much detail as possible · Developing learning plans. · Establishing a workplace which is conducive to learning. · Evaluating the effectiveness of learning. · Identifying learning needs. · Negotiating learning arrangements with training and development. Specialists. · Selecting and using work activities to create learning opportunities. · Using coaching and mentoring to support learning. · Use processes to ensure that records and reports of competency are documented and maintained within the organisations systems and procedures to inform future planning. Major Activity Estimated Time 1 Hour Objective To provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the entire unit. Activity This is a major activity – your instructor will let you know whether you will complete it during class or in your own time. You must individually, answer the following questions in full to show your competency of each element: 1. Create learning opportunities 2. Facilitate and promote learning 3. Monitor and improve learning effectiveness 1. Describe what you can do to create learning opportunities at work. 2. Describe what you can do to facilitate and promote learning. 3. Describe what you can do to monitor and improve learning effectiveness. Appendices Congratulations! You have now finished BSBLED501 Develop a workplace learning environment. Appendices of the templates included in this unit have been included for your own reference on the following pages. Appendix 1 Learning Needs Analysis Matrix Performance Importance Key Factors Major Strength Minor Strength Neutral Minor Weakness Major Weakness High Med Low Marketing Manufacturing Organisation Finance Capacity To demonstrate strategic alignment, use this matrix to identify the key drivers of performance in the organisation and rated for their contribution to current performance Appendix 2 Performance Tool Process: _____________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________________________________ Learner Name: __________________________________________________________________ Department: __________________________________________________________________ Trainer Name: __________________________________________________________________ Yes No 1. Transfer of learning .2. Knowledge, expertise and competence to be developed 3. Learning Methods and Styles 4. Problem Solving Learner Signature: ___________________________________________ Date: ___________ Trainer Signature: _______________________________________________ Date: ____________ Appendix 3 Learning Measuring Tool Appendix 4 Feedback Form Appendix 5 Learning Plan Learning Plan Learner’s details Goals Strategic Goal Team Goal Individual Goal Current Competence Specific Objectives How to achieve the goal: Performance Outcome: Timeline: Resources: Comments Signatures: ___________________________ ___________________________ Employee Signature Supervisor Signature Date: _______________________ Date: _______________________ MSA Training and Professional Development Phone: 03 9905 3180 Room 159, 21 Chancellors Walk Website: msatraining.edu.au Monash University Clayton, Vic 3800 BSBLED501 Develop a workplace learning environment V3.2 22/07/2020 Page | 40 BSBLED501 Develop a workplace learning environment Learner Guide BSBLED501 Develop a workplace learning environment Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Unit of Competency 7 Performance Criteria 8 Foundation Skills 10 Assessment Requirements 12 Housekeeping Items 13 Objectives 13 1. Create learning opportunities 14 1.1 - Identify potential formal and informal learning opportunities 15 Intentional Learning 16 Incidental Learning 16 Formal 17 Informal 18 Learning Organisation 18 Learning Opportunities 20 Activity 1.1.1 21 1.2 - Identify learning needs of individuals in relation to the needs of the team and/or enterprise, and available learning opportunities 22 Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) 22 Organisational Skills Audit 27 The DACUM model 27 Competency rating instruments 31 Activities 1.2.1-1.2.3 32 1.3 - Develop and implement learning plans as an integral part of individual and team performance plans 33 Develop a learning plan 34 An example of reflective learning is Kolb’s Reflective Model. 38 Example of a learning plan 39 Learning Plan 39 Team Competencies Inventory Example 42 Learning Management System (LMS) 42 Activity 1.3.1 44 EEO is about: 45 Activity 1.4.1 50 1.5 - Ensure organisational procedures maximise individual and team access to, and participation in, learning opportunities 50 Barriers and resistance to change 51 Activities 1.5.1-1.5.2 55 1.6 - Ensure effective liaison occurs with training and development specialists and contributes to learning opportunities which enhance individual, team and organisational performance. 56 Training and Development defined 56 External providers 56 In-house 57 Activities 1.6.1-1.6.2 60 2. Facilitate and promote learning 61 2.1 - Develop strategies to ensure that workplace learning opportunities are used and that team members are encouraged to share their skills and knowledge to encourage a learning culture within the team 62 Motivation 64 Access 64 Finance 64 Time 64 Concerns over quality 64 2.2 - Implement organisational procedures to ensure workplace learning opportunities contribute to the development of appropriate workplace knowledge, skills and attitudes 66 Foster learning 69 Activities 2.1.1-2.2.1 70 2.3 - Implement policies and procedures to encourage team members to assess their own competencies, and to identify their own learning and development needs 72 Features of competency-based assessment 72 Peer assessment 74 Activities 2.3.1-2.3.3 75 2.4 - Share the benefits of learning with others in the team and organisation 76 The domain 76 The community 76 The practice 76 Activity 2.4.1 78 2.5 - Recognise workplace achievement by timely and appropriate recognition, feedback and rewards 79 Expectancy Theory of Motivation 79 Activities 2.5.1-2.5.3 82 3. Monitor and improve learning effectiveness 83 3.1 - Use strategies to ensure that team and individual learning performance is monitored to determine the type and extent of any additional work-based support required, and any Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues 84 Measuring Learning 85 Activities 3.1.1-3.1.2 88 3.2 - Use feedback from individuals and teams to identify and introduce improvements in future learning arrangements 89 Informal Feedback 89 Negative feedback 90 Formal feedback 92 Activities 3.2.1-3.2.4 94 3.3 - Make adjustments, negotiated with training and development specialists, for improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of learning 95 What is a performance plan? 95 Developing individual performance plans 95 Conducting performance planning meetings 96 Activities 3.3.1-3.3.2 97 3.4 - Use processes to ensure that records and reports of competency are documented and maintained within the organisations systems and procedures to inform future planning 98 Activities 3.4.1-3.4.2 99 Skills and Knowledge Activity 100 Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit 101 References 103 Unit of Competency Application This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to encourage and support the development of a learning environment in which work and learning come together. Particular emphasis is on the development of strategies to facilitate and promote learning and to monitor and improve learning performance. It applies to individuals who have a prominent role in encouraging, supporting and facilitating the development of a learning environment in which work and learning come together. At this level work will normally be carried out within complex and diverse methods and procedures, which require the exercise of considerable discretion and judgement, using a range of problem solving and decision making strategies. No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication. Unit Sector Workforce Development – Learning and Development Performance Criteria Element Elements describe the essential outcomes. Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. 1. Create learning opportunities 1.1 Identify potential formal and informal learning opportunities 1.2 Identify learning needs of individuals in relation to the needs of the team and/or enterprise and available learning opportunities 1.3 Develop and implement learning plans as an integral part of individual and team performance plans 1.4 Develop strategies to ensure that learning plans reflect the diversity of needs 1.5 Ensure organisational procedures maximise individual and team access to, and participation in, learning opportunities 1.6 Ensure effective liaison occurs with training and development specialists and contributes to learning opportunities which enhance individual, team and organisational performance 2. Facilitate and promote learning 2.1 Develop strategies to ensure that workplace learning opportunities are used and that team members are encouraged to share their skills and knowledge to encourage a learning culture within the team 2.2 Implement organisational procedures to ensure workplace learning opportunities contribute to the development of appropriate workplace knowledge, skills and attitudes 2.3 Implement policies and procedures to encourage team members to assess their own competencies and to identify their own learning and development needs 2.4 Share the benefits of learning with others in the team and organisation 2.5 Recognise workplace achievement by timely and appropriate recognition, feedback and rewards 3. Monitor and improve learning effectiveness 3.1 Use strategies to ensure that team and individual learning performance is monitored to determine the type and extent of any additional work-based support required and any Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues 3.2 Use feedback from individuals and teams to identify and introduce improvements in future learning arrangements 3.3 Make adjustments, negotiated with training and development specialists, for improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of learning 3.4 Use processes to ensure that records and reports of competency are documented and maintained within the organisations systems and procedures to inform future planning Foundation Skills This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance. Skill Performance Criteria Description Learning 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2 · Develops strategies to develop learning plans of self and others to meet a diversity of needs within organisational constraints · Transfers skills and knowledge to a variety of learning development contexts Reading 1.1-1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 3.1-3.4 · Interprets textual information obtained from a range of sources and determines how content may be applied to individuals and to organisational requirements Writing 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4 · Uses information from a range of sources to develop and document plans, strategies and feedback in accordance with organisational requirements · Maintains records using correct technical and organisational vocabulary Oral Communication 1.6, 2.4, 2.5, 3.2, 3.3 · Present information and opinions using language and features appropriate to the audience and context · Uses questioning and listening techniques to identify learning needs and obtain feedback Navigate the world of work 1.5, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.4 · Recognises and responds to both explicit and implicit organisational procedures and protocols and legislative/regulatory requirements · Understands how own role meshes with others and contributes to broader goals Interact with others 1.6, 2.1, 2.3 -2.5, 3.2, 3.3 · Selects the appropriate form, channel and mode of communication for a specific purpose relevant to own role · Collaborates with others to achieve joint outcomes, playing an active role in facilitating effective group interaction, influencing direction and taking a leadership role on occasion · Recognises the importance of building rapport to establish effective working relationships · Applies a range of communication strategies to encourage others to share their knowledge and skills and reflect on the effectiveness of the interaction Get the work done 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.5, 3.1, 3.4 · Uses logical processes to plan, implement and monitor learning in the workplace · Systematically gathers and analyses relevant information and evaluates options to make informed decisions · Evaluates outcomes of decisions to identify opportunities for improvement · Uses digital tools to organise, store, integrate and share relevant information Assessment Requirements Performance Evidence Evidence of the ability to: · Collaboratively review performance development needs of individuals and teams · Plan professional development for individuals and teams that enhances organisational performance · Develop and implement learning plans · Liaise with training and development specialists · Recognise workplace achievement by giving feedback, recognition and rewards · Monitor and improve workplace learning · Record and report workplace learning outcomes Knowledge Evidence To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must: · Explain how management of relationships can achieve a learning environment · Identify principles and techniques involved in the management and organisation of: · Adult learning · Coaching and mentoring · Consultation and communication · Improvement strategies · Leadership · Learning environment and learning culture · Monitoring and reviewing workplace learning · Problem identification and resolution · Record keeping and management methods · Structured learning · Work-based learning Assessment Conditions Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the workforce learning and development field of work and include access to: · Workplace policies and procedures · Workplace equipment and resources · Case studies and, where available, real situations · Interaction with others Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements. Links Companion volumes available from the IBSA website: http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes - http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes Housekeeping Items Your trainer will inform you of the following: Where the toilets and fire exits are located, what the emergency procedures are and where the breakout and refreshment areas are. Any rules, for example asking that all mobile phones are set to silent and of any security issues they need to be aware of. What times the breaks will be held and what the smoking policy is. That this is an interactive course and you should ask questions. That to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn. Ground rules for participation: Smile Support and encourage other participants When someone is contributing everyone else is quiet Be patient with others who may not be grasping the ideas Be on time Focus discussion on the topic Speak to the trainer if you have any concerns Objectives Discover how to create learning opportunities Know how to facilitate and promote learning Learn how to monitor and improve learning effectiveness Gain skills and knowledge required for this unit 1. Create learning opportunities 1.1 Identify potential formal and informal learning opportunities 1.2 Identify learning needs of individuals in relation to the needs of the team and/or enterprise and available learning opportunities 1.3 Develop and implement learning plans as an integral part of individual and team performance plans 1.4 Develop strategies to ensure that learning plans reflect the diversity of needs 1.5 Ensure organisational procedures maximise individual and team access to, and participation in, learning opportunities 1.6 Ensure effective liaison occurs with training and development specialists and contributes to learning opportunities which enhance individual, team and organisational performance 1.1 - Identify potential formal and informal learning opportunities In a dynamic globalised economy dominated by technological innovation, you are forever faced with new challenges. To keep up with these changes, you should ensure that you take advantage of any formal or informal learning opportunities that you are offered. An opportunity missed, could lose you that job that you have been waiting for. Learning should be a lifelong aim whereby everything you learn and experience impacts on your knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviours. (Cobb, J). In turn, it is important that you embed this philosophy into your staff. It is only through learning that you will remain competitive, and it is only through learning that your team will be able to learn the skills required to be responsive to market demand. Many people fail to understand the distinction between learning and training. Training is a passive, stop/start process that relies on the external environment and will not succeed if it is not implemented as soon as the need for training is identified due to the fact that it is not applied. Conversely, learning is an active and internally driven process that is relevant because the knowledge is continuous and often transferrable across a variety of situations. Just because an individual is trained, it does not necessarily mean that they have learned anything unless they have gained experience utilising the skills and knowledge learned. Formal Learning In a formal learning environment your training and learning department set the goals and objectives (Coffer 2000). Informal Learning Informal learning means that the learner sets the goals and objectives (Coffer 2000). Non-formal Learning Non-formal learning is when goals and objectives are set by people from within the organisation, but from a different department. Both intentional and incidental learning refer to the intent to learn. They mean: Intentional Learning An intentional learning environment has a self directed purpose in that it has goals and objectives on what and/or how to learn (Good & Brophy, 1990). Incidental Learning Incidental learning occurs when the learner picks up something from someone else in the learning environment (Good & Brophy, 1990). This type of learning is often ignored by trainers, which is not really recommended. Incidental learning is important because it can lead to learning that can motivate other learning. For instance you teach your administrative assistant a new software function. While you are teaching them, a question arises about another function that the assistant performs regularly. You take advantage of the unplanned question and use it to reflect on the software function you are teaching. This training may lead to more interest in the software program and lead the assistant into learning more about the program, which assisted you in allowing her to perform more tasks for you. Formal Training and Learning Department Nonformal Planned or intent of goals Organisation Direction of control Incidental Intentional Informal Learner Formal learning is always structured and organised. It also has learning objectives. This means that from the learner’s view, the learning is intentional .i.e. the explicit objective of the learner is to gain knowledge, skills and/or competences. For example, you identify that an employee in your team does not have sufficient skills to meet their job requirements, so you enrol the employee in a traineeship/apprenticeship. Formal learning which has goals include: training programs, online learning, on job structured learning, meetings and seeking feedback. Informal learning has no objectives, is not planned or organised in any way. This learning is incidental from the learner’s viewpoint. For example, two workers are discussing an occupational health and safety issue regarding a recent incident. You walk past them and hear that one of them is confused about the risk assessment completed. You stop and explain the process so they can understand. Examples of informal learning include reading with intent, mentoring, coaching and self-reflection. Half way between formal and informal learning, there is nonformal learning. Nonformal learning is organised and can have learning objectives. The advantage of nonformal learning is that this form of learning may occur at the initiative of the individual but also happens to be a by product of more organised activities, irrespective of whether or not they were a learning objective or not. For example, you arrange for staff to participate in training of the new technology in your office. A line of conversation may include safety procedures. The safety procedures would motivate them and help them in ensuring that the workplace is safe. At the same time, a learner may become interested in safety. Learning Organisation Peter Senge (1990) defines a learning organisation “as a group of people who are continually enhancing their capabilities to create what they want to create.” The aim of a learning organisation is to change at all levels by being responsive to the changes in the environment in which the organisation operates.” The Fifth Discipline as written by Peter Senge in relation to the learning organisation is that the organisations learn through five disciplines including: Systems theory Systems theory aims to comprehend and address the whole and integrate the disciplines. Make sure that you know three things: 1. Systems theory looks at connections and to the whole – allowing people to look beyond their own actions and to understand how their actions impact on others 2. While the building blocks of systems theory are simple, they can build into a rather more sophisticated model – By moving beyond the parts, you should see the organisation as a whole and appreciate it as a dynamic process. 3. Systems thinking allows us to realise feedback mechanisms in organisations Personal mastery Personal mastery is the foundation on which organisational learning is built. It is about personal learning and growth. It is the gap between current reality and personal desired growth. Individuals with personal mastery are recognised through the following characteristics, including that individuals’: Are inquisitive See change as an opportunity Are system thinkers as they see that they are part of the whole Accurately assess their current reality Have a sense of purpose Mental models Mental models are ingrained assumptions and generalisations that influence the way in which we see the world and the actions that we take. These assumptions and generalisations relate to mind set, beliefs and perspectives and are the greatest barrier to implementing new ideas. To develop your mental models, you can learn and also teach your employees the: Skills of reflection. Ask the questions: Are my beliefs inaccurate? What data do I base my beliefs and generalisations on? What evidence can be used to prove my beliefs wrong? Skills of inquiry shape how we operate face-to-face. Mutual learning can be practiced by: Testing your assumptions by providing evidence Sharing information so we can see the whole Focusing on interests and outcomes, not positions Considering what you base your actions on Building shared vision By sharing vision is where everyone finds meaning, direction and reasons to exist. Team learning Senge believes that “teams, not individuals are fundamental learning units in modern organisations. They are pivotal in stretching the ability of the organisation to develop and grow. Senge (1990) The Fifth Discipline Learning Opportunities A learning opportunity in business is any departure from your plan and can include: Any situation which generates outcomes that are better than expected or worse than expected, presents an opportunity to understand why!! We need to understand performance that is not up to expectations so that we can avoid repeating it. We need to understand performance that exceeds expectations so that we can repeat it. Within the definition of learning organisation, the environment of the organisation needs to ensure that all learning opportunities are identified. As a manager it is your responsibility to ensure that your team is encouraged to access learning opportunities to meet organisation and individual objectives. Once these objectives have been accessed, you need to ensure that you provide team members with the support required to ensure the objectives of the learning is successful. Learning opportunities may include: Accredited training such as OHS and driver training Action learning Short courses Training through Registered Training Organisations (completed relevant qualifications that are recognised nationally under the Australian Qualification Training Framework (2010). Workplace learning activities such as inductions, coaching and shadowing; and Workshops Activity 1.1.1 1.2 - Identify learning needs of individuals in relation to the needs of the team and/or enterprise, and available learning opportunities To achieve success, intentional learning should be geared towards meeting the businesses objectives and improving the performance of staff within the organisation. Learning is necessary and training contributes to the success of a business, and like the business investment that they are, organisations spend significant amounts of money on training. Training is a key factor in assisting the organisation in meeting its goals. Organisations need to have the ability to identify the need for training; to prioritise learning and determine what training is necessary in meeting these goals in a cost effective manner. The first tool which can assist your organisation in ensuring that the correct skills, experience and knowledge are developed to meet the organisations goals are learning needs analysis. Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) All staff have different learning needs. As a manager, you should understand how to bridge the gap between individual current needs and the future desired needs of the organisation. For example: As a part of your organisations continuous improvement process, computers have been installed on the production line. All team leaders have basic computing skills. To perform their duties, the team leader must have intermediate skills. The gap between the current skill level and the desired skill level is providing the learning opportunity and training to ensure that your team leaders can meet the required skill level for their position. Learning needs are usually defined at three levels which are: Individual needs required to overcome underperformance Group or job specific needs due to the changing demand of customers, the environment or trends. Organisational needs arising from technological innovation, restructuring or new legislative requirements Before starting a LNA, there are 3 elements you need to consider, which are: The skills required to carry out the analysis This includes Process, People and Content Skills The needs of the stakeholders that you are doing an analysis on Who needs to be considered before you start? The size and scope of the analysis Ask the following questions: What is the purpose of the analysis? What are the areas to be covered? Who are the people directly involved? What information is required? Which areas need to be visited? What time is required to this and when do you need to complete this? What techniques and tolls are needed and what expertise is required? The planning of the LNA includes: What gaps are you addressing? What opportunities are there? What are the aims of the LNA? .i.e. to increase retention and motivate the team, increase quality assurance What levels are there in a LNA? In this, you need to identify the learning needs of the analysis. The four levels are: 1. Individual or team needs 2. Job or group needs 3. Legislative needs 4. Organisational needs Make sure that your LNA is linked to your employer’s business strategy. As a Manager, you need to have the ability to: Identify the stakeholders Identify current and future business goals so you can identify the needs of your LNA. In short, what skills need to be developed? To demonstrate strategic alignment, use this matrix to identify the key drivers of performance in the organisation and rated for their contribution to current performance Performance Importance Key Factors Major Strength Minor Strength Neutral Minor Weakness Major Weakness High Med Low Marketing Manufacturing Organisation Finance Capacity If you are trying to obtain funding through the organisations budget, this tool is an effective way in which to demonstrate that the LNA supports the business. The list provided under Key factors within the table is suggested headings that may drive the organisation. For example, the drivers to marketing could include, brand image, customer service, quality service and distribution effectiveness. Steps that you should follow include: Do not forget the mission, vision and values of the organisation Do not forget compliance and potential business needs – The training recommended should consider the impact of your training on the organisation Completing a job analysis to identify what skills are lacking If this is a task related analysis. A task analysis produces a structured and reliable way in which to describe the task needed and identified the behaviour that is measure in the performance of each task Complete a needs analysis to identify the parts of the system and processes that might influence performance Identify team and individual needs by completing a skills analysis, knowledge analysis, using competences, identifying the potential of the skills, teams. Note that this is an outline of a learning needs analysis. Refer to the Learning Needs Analysis reference at the end of this book if you would like to learn more about this topic. You do not need to perform each step and you should change the tools that you use according to the needs of your organisation. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, www.cipd.co.uk, 16.02.2011 This is a thorough examination of a LNA to ensure that you are conscious of the need to connect all of the skills that need to be addressed to the organisations goals. Other methods that you can use to identify learning needs are through: Organisational Skills Audit Mathis and Jackson (2008) writes that a “A skills audit starts with identifying the jobs performed in the organisation.” In completing a comprehensive analysis of the current jobs in the organisation that provides a basis for forecasting what jobs will be needed in the future. You should be able to answer: What jobs are currently being performed? The number of individuals performing each job. What are the reporting relationships of the jobs? How important is each job? What jobs will be required to meet the needs of future organisational strategies? What are the characteristics of anticipated jobs? The answers to these questions can usually be drawn from current employees and the organisations database. The DACUM model DACUM means Developing a Curriculum . The key to DACUM is your ability to identify the main tasks needed for the carrying out of a job. DACUM is a form of task analysis using decision making trees and focus groups. It can assist you in forecasting future requirements and is appropriate for setting up training programs or changing occupations. As a Manager, it is important that you understand DACUM. If you are not familiar with DACUM and your employer is using it as a tool as training will provide you with the skills to draw out people ideas over a long period of time. The DACUM process comprises of the following steps, which include: 1. Step One: Plan the meeting i. Select the panel for the meeting ii. Where is the meeting to be held? iii. Convene the panel iv. Introduce panel, ground rules and expected outcomes v. What are bands on the DACUM Chart? vi. What are the tasks for each band? vii. Review these tasks viii. Review the final structure of the DACUM Chart 2. Has the DACUM chart been verified externally? Please example on the following page For example: Current Needs What problems do your administrative team face? An immediate need is the difference between a workers current skill and the skills they need to be competent. Current skills Examples 1. Computing Skills Microsoft Office has been updated to 2010. Learners require immediate training to perform software functions in alignment with Organisational procedure Projected Needs What are the potential problems that the administrative team are likely to face that are not currently faced and should be addressed? Projected skills Examples 1. A National OHS Act is in the process of going through parliament. Source an external body to Train Staff on new laws when they have been passed through parliament Summarise your findings for management, so they know what is happening with the industry and know what training goals will need to be addressed in the future. Source: Adapted from the work of Thomas and Altschuld (1988) Competency rating instruments Competency rating scales are the preferred mode of competency assessment as it tends to be completed through behavioural observation or rating techniques. Below is an example of a simple competency-based Graphics Rating Scales. Level Your rating Your rationale Competency 1. Needs Development 2. Effective 3. Highly Effective 1 2 3 1. Ability to meet organisational objectives Cannot plan to meet required goals Cannot make clear decisions Does not work well under pressure Meets goals Is clear and decisive in the decision making process Meets minimal requirements Exceeds expectations in planning process Thinks on their feet and increases productivity Can be counted on to hold things together Competency based rating scale for mid level management If you look at the scale, it gives you the competence that is to be assessed and three levels of behaviour varying from: 1. Underperformance 2. Acceptable Behaviour and 3. Exceeding required expectations of the job. Once you have rated each team member, then you should assess them. From that assessment, you should consider the training and learning options available to you and determine the best avenue to train or teach the learner to the level in which they all exceed expectations. Activities 1.2.1-1.2.3 1.3 - Develop and implement learning plans as an integral part of individual and team performance plans Once you have identified the needs of your team or individuals, you should start developing your learning plan. For the rest of this section, we shall be addressing how to develop and process your learning plan. A learning plan can be used as a self development tool or a tool to develop your team. By working with your team to develop a learning plan, you are ensuring the growth of competencies for team members and the team’s themselves. This in turn, leads to greater effectiveness and satisfaction in the team’s current roles and it also prepares team members for future career opportunities. Building a learning plan involves the process of identifying: Areas in which the individuals and/or their teams requirement improving to better service their job roles Present opportunities for future growth And committing actions that will address the needs and opportunities by building relevant knowledge, skills and/or other qualities. Develop a learning plan Learning plans are developed for several reasons including self development, ensuring that your current learning is relevant in achieving current or future desired competences and as a way in which to improve projects. Learning is too important. By developing a learning plan you are ensuring that your team and team members are getting the training they need. The steps in a learning plan should cover: Step One – Who are the learners? Use your Learning Needs Analysis outcomes to identify who your learners are. The skills, competences and knowledge may be similar or they may be completely different. Step Two – What do they need to learn? Learning needs of the audience should be identified in the LNA. Be clear on what skills, knowledge and competences they should learn. Step Three – When do they need to learn it? The learning required may vary according to when the skills, competence and knowledge are required. For example, one learner needs to learn how to read and understand the budget, while procedures for finalising the project would need to be learnt at closer to the end of the project. This means that you would prioritise this individuals training in the following manner: 1. Budget analysis 2. Finalising the project Step Four – Who will facilitate the learning? The answer to this will vary according to method of learning or training you choose. For example; your organisation may offer individuals the opportunity to complete a Diploma or Certificate in Project Management. Conversely, if the organisation has experienced personnel, they may be allocated as a Mentor or coach. Step Five – How long will the learning take? The timeline for learning will vary according to the needs of the organisation and in most cases will be quite clear. The training and/or learning will vary according to the budget that has been allocated to the individual/team and/or department. You should also indicate the timeframe required to complete the learning sessions. Step Six – How will learning be measured? Tools and/or methods should be identified and utilised to measure whether the training has met its goals. Step Seven – What resources will you need during the learning process? The resources required will vary according to the learning needed. Resources can include: space, equipment and materials etc. Step Eight – What learning methods will you be using? When you consider the learning methods, you should also consider the learners learning style. To learning your learning style, go to LdPride.net to find out which learning style applies to you. The URL Address is: http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html and will take two minutes to complete. There are three learning styles which are: Visual Learners Learning through seeing including by: Watching body language Using pictures and other visual displays. Visual learners prefer to take notes. Auditory learners Auditory learners, learn through listening. They prefer to talk things through and listen to what others have to say. If you write something down, they will not be able to give it meaning until they listen to what you have written. Tactile/kinaesthetic learners These learners learn through touch, actively participating in what they are learning. For example, you could demonstrate learning how to set up a computer. You would then ask them to copy the same procedure. Once you know the style of the learner, you can determine what method/s you need to use to ensure that the learner learns. When you need to ensure that your team learns, you may need to use several methods to give learners a chance to learn according to their style. Popular learning methods include: Case Studies using real life situations, the case study presents dilemmas and uncertain outcomes which learners can identify with and learn how to resolve the problem. Reflective learning is the practice of learners reflecting on action so as to engage the continuous learning process. Individuals learn off their own professional experiences rather than through formal teaching or knowledge transfer. An example of reflective learning is Kolb’s Reflective Model. Kinaesthetic Learning is a learning style in which learners actually carry out physical activities rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration. Step Nine – Decide how learning will continue for new employees If employing new employees is part of meeting future needs, you should decide whether the new employees will have the skills required when they start or will they learn the skills after they start their employment. Step Ten – Determine how ongoing learning is supported What ongoing support should the staff be provided with and how long should they get this support? Example of a learning plan Learning Plan Learner’s details Goals Strategic Goal Team Goal Individual Goal Current Competence Specific Objectives How to achieve the goal: Performance Outcome: Timeline: Resources: Comments Signatures: ___________________________ ___________________________ Employee Signature Supervisor Signature Date: _______________________ Date: _______________________ Learning plans may include: Codes of conduct A code of conduct sets out the roles and responsibilities of both the learner and the trainer/teacher. Both parties are given clear instruction or may be given a code of practice, so they know what acceptable behaviour is during the learning process. Key performance indicators Key performance indicators define and measure the progress of learners in regards to meeting their goals. These indicators must be quantifiable and reflect the goals of the organisation. Negotiated agreement with individual/s It is important to ensure that all parties agree with the set goals. You may have a learning plan that requires all parties sign off on the plan and agree to the organisations goals. OHS requirements An employer’s duty of care is to provide not only a safe workplace environment, but also provide learners with the training required to performance their roles and responsibilities safely. Performance standards Performance standards state what results and behaviours are expected to be competent. These standards are the criteria upon which your performance will be judged. Standards should be: Page | 8 · MSA Training and Professional Development Phone: 03 9905 3180 Room 159, 21 Chancellors Walk Website: msatraining.edu.au Monash University Clayton, Vic 3800 BSBLED501 V3 24.01.19 · Attainable · Meaningful · Measurable · Observable · Specific; and · · Stated in terms of quality, cost and timeliness Team competencies Team must have a clear set of competencies from which they can be successful and learn from their experiences. The competencies need to be developed through individual and team experiences. It is better for the team’s cohesiveness to ensure that more than one member achieve competency as it will strengthen the team. A tool that you may consider using to define the competencies of the team is the following document: Team Competencies Inventory Example Team Competencies Inventory Competency Name of team member .i.e. Goal setting Write the competencies that your team are required to achieve and the team member that is aiming to achieve that competency. Make sure that you cover all of the competencies and have a list of the team members with that competency. Team roles and responsibilities The roles and responsibilities of your team will assist you in determining the competencies that your team would like to achieve. If your team does not have the competencies listed, then read the team’s job description and then consult with your team. Work outputs and processes Work output is the physical activities performed, the equipment and vehicles operated to achieve a specific task. The process is the way in which the task is performed. For example, controlling machines and processes includes using control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate a machine or processes. Learning Management System (LMS) A LMS is a great way in which to ensure that your team is receiving the training and support they require to perform their duties to the best of their abilities. A properly trained team is more productive than a team that does not feel that they have the skills and support to complete the learning charged of them. As we have already established, competition is intense today. To gain and retain a competitive advantage, organisations have to utilise their human resources in the most efficient way possible. Human resources are one of the most vital assets of your organisation and it is only through correct training they will perform to the best of their abilities. To achieve this end, you should research and identify a LMS suitable to your needs. The software application should handle the administration, documentation, tracking and reporting of the learning program. Activity 1.3.1 1.4 - Develop strategies to ensure that learning plans reflect the diversity of needs In the last chapter, we considered the three learning styles; visual, kinaesthetic and auditory. These unfortunately are not the only considerations that you should address when you are developing a learning plan. Workplace diversity relates to age, language, ethnicity, cultural background, disability, sexual orientation and religious belief. Diversity also refers to the myriad of ways in which we are different including educational level, job function, marital status, socio-economic background, personality profile, location and whether or not one has social responsibilities or not. It is illegal in business to discriminate against any of these characteristics. EEO is Equal Employment Opportunity. It means that all employees have equal access to jobs and benefits and prospective employers within the workplace. EEO is about: Fair practices in the workplace Management making decisions without bias Recognition and respect for all social and cultural backgrounds of both staff and customers Employment practices that produce customer satisfaction, job commitment and the delivery of quality services to customers. As a supervisor/manager you have the responsibility to make sure that: · The work environment is free from all forms of harassment · Staff are provided with information to assist in their duties · All staff members are given an equal responsibility · Attend training courses · Apply for all available jobs. www.hreoc.gov.au For resources on discrimination and cultural diversity, contact the Australian Human Rights Commission at: URL Address http://www.hreoc.gov.au. This is the national Human Rights for Australia. If you click onto Links on the home page and find State and Territory Anti-discrimination and EEO Agencies, you will be able to find legislation and EEO information relevant to your State/ Territory. Also, check with your WorkSafe or Work Cover site within your State/Territory. There are laws and legislation that protect against discrimination on health and safety grounds. For example at URL Address http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/435a5b0040b23fe2bad4bf19ce5b80bf/02921+wor+PC+Docs+Post_Discrimination.pdf?MOD=AJPERES you will find a Guideline made under section 12 of the OHS Act 2004 called “How WorkSafe applies the law in relation to Discrimination on health and safety grounds.” Dec 2009. Diversity also covers areas such as Stereotyping. A stereotype is a fixed group generalisation applied to an individual that is inappropriate. This is where people generalise: Based on incomplete and inaccurate information And make snap decisions about people when insufficient information is available. And assume that something may or may not be true for individuals Cultural discrimination means an individual from a different background or culture follows his/her rules but are hated by others because of their different lifestyles and do not follow his/her equal rights in their daily activities. Australia is a multicultural nation that has 60\% of all Australians as ethnically missed and 20\% with at least four distinct ancestries. When you provide a learning environment geared towards obtaining a competitive edge, it is important to make sure that you take into consideration the diversity of the learners and their various learning abilities to ensure that they are given the same opportunity to learn as anyone else within the organisation. If you are to understand yourself, you must learn to understand others. In your work environment and in a learning environment, it is important to ensure that all workers and/or learners are treated equally. This is not only a social obligation; it is also a legislative one under the OHS Act. In the same way that the Learning Styles took into consideration the way you should teach learners, you should also consider the environment that you will provide for your learners. As such, you can ensure that you: Provide an inclusive working and learning environment Keep your learning environment free from racist behaviour. To ensure that racism is minimised many learning facilities offer stringent complaint procedures against discrimination. It is important to make the learner in both the class and work environment to know that there is a support structure for them. Be positive about diversity and create an environment in which everyone is given an opportunity to contribute. This can be done through: Learning and teaching styles: such as visual, auditory and kinaesthetic Engaging students by varying the learning. For example, use PowerPoint (visual) to discuss the topic (auditory) and then demonstrate how to perform a task and ask the learner to repeat the task (Kinaesthetic) Appropriate verbal and body language. Be aware of the different body language you use. Learn the norms and the acceptable practices of the learners that you have working in your team. For example; never touch a person from a Middle Eastern culture. It is disrespectful and offensive in some cultures. Take care of your language. When you speak be: Clear and concise Use appropriate words that will be understood Use an appropriate tone of voice Give everyone the opportunity to speak Use appropriate questioning techniques and give feedback Asking the right question is the heart of communication and the exchange of information. By using the right question in a learning or working environment, you will be able to identify whether the learner actually learned. There are many questioning techniques and when you should and when you should not use them. Question Defined When to use When not to use Closed question Used when you want to control the questioning and provide yes and no answers To test an understanding Concluding a discussion Frame setting (.e.g. are you happy with our service?) A misplaced closed question can kill a conversation and lead to awkward silences. Open question When, why, what, when, where and how. “or the 5 W’s” are how you should ask questions when you want to give the learner a chance to control the learning To open a conversation Finding out more detail Finding out the person’s opinion or ideas When you want more than one word answers Funnel question Starts with general questioning and then homing in on a point Find out more specific detail Gain the interest or confidence of the person you are speaking with Probing Questions Used to find out more detail and to help understand more by obtaining clarification. Use the 5 Why method which will assist you in getting to the route of a problem To gain clarification To draw information out of people who try to avoid telling you something Leading questions Can be used to confirm assumptions, to obtain personal appeal, to give a choice between 2 options and phrasing questions to obtain an appropriate response To let people know that they have a choice Close a sale Rhetorical questions Are just statements phrased in question format Aimed at engaging the learner These questions are probably used in your everyday life. Be conscious of when you apply questions and use the questioning techniques appropriately. Questions are a powerful tool for: Learning – Ask open, closed and probing questions Relationship building – Give positive feedback to build confidence Managing and coaching – rhetorical and leading questions to commit people to a course of action Avoiding misunderstandings – Use probing questions to clarify information De-fusing heated situations – Ask funnel questions to calm someone down and show that you are listening as you are asking appropriate questions Persuading people – Use open questions to help others to see outside their point of view When you use questioning techniques in a learning environment, give learners the chance to answer the question. Feedback is an important tool in learning. It provides the learner with information to let them know that they are doing things correctly and if used correctly can build learner confidence. Activity 1.4.1 1.5 - Ensure organisational procedures maximise individual and team access to, and participation in, learning opportunities Organisational procedures are the steps involved in performing a task. All employees; whether individual or part of a team; must have access to procedures within their level of authority; so that they know what order in to perform a task and how to perform it. Procedures are a historical record of the organisation. Organisations have procedures to: Ensure that they meet their legal obligations Ensure that the quality and outcomes are continuously improving To keep a record of feedback which is used as a way in which to improve performance Ensure that timeframes and goals and objectives are met The operational, tactical and strategic goals meet the needs of both and vision and mission statements. To maximise your individual or teams participation in learning opportunities, it is necessary for procedures to take into consideration their resistance to change. Barriers and resistance to change In the 1980s, any form of change was perceived as the precursor for the termination of their job. If they improved their workplace and increased productivity, the consensus was that their position would be terminated. Now the need to change is embedded in organisational procedures. If the organisation does not change fast enough they may lose their competitive edge in the market place. However, the attitudes from the past mean that managers need to recognise the barriers and take steps to minimise the change. Kotter and Schlesinger identified the basic causes of resistance to change. They are: Self interest If you have an individual that is more interested in how change will impact on them, try to make them aware of the impact where they do not see the change from an organisation wide perspective. To remain in business today, organisations need to have the ability to identify a need to change and change faster than their competitors. Let them consider that if they fail to change, they may end up without a job. Not because they are not responsive to change, but because the job will no longer be there for them. Misunderstanding If learners do not receive correct information, if the correct information is not communicated to them, then productivity will decrease and the organisations responsiveness to change will slow down. To ensure that information is consistent, learners need to know what and where they can find policies and procedures. There will be times when learners will receive conflicting information. It is at this time that procedures will assist your learners. Let your learners know that they can ask you questions at all times and provide them with ongoing feedback to negate the misunderstanding. Low tolerance to change Learners can have a low tolerance to change. This lack of tolerance may stem from insecurity or by having different perceptions of the problem. To overcome the sense of security, use empowerment to build learner confidence. Statistics show that lack of confidence can have a negative impact on performance. Empowerment is where individuals obtain more power over their lives. Insecurity, lack of confidence and different perceptions may stem not only from pre existing misconceptions, but also stem may from a lack of information. Providing learners with the means to access the information they need to make an informed decision and empowering the learning through positive reinforcement and feedback. When a learner is given the information they need, when they are provided with feedback then they can become empowered and in turn become more tolerant of change. Disagreement over the need for change When the need to change arises, the way in which change is implemented could cause conflict, especially when the team’s perception of the advantages and disadvantage of change are not the same. One way in which to ensure that conflict does not arise is through the use of teams and clear procedures in how the decision making process should be addressed. Other organisational barriers and individual barriers to change can include: No involvement by employees in the change management process Unclear processes and procedures regarding goals Inefficient leadership and leadership strategies Ineffective communication with employees Incorrect resource management All of these barriers can be overturned by ensuring that team members are provided with the correct procedures to ensure that they have access to an environment. Use procedures as an opportunity to provide a positive work environment and overcome the barriers to change. Learning can be enhanced through the development of teams. A cohesive team is an effective team that have the ability to than individuals. For teams to develop co-operation and cohesion, they need to: A cohesive team needs to: Overcome the following barriers: · Understand and be committed to the vision, process and structure of the organisation · Self interest · Need to know how to work together cooperatively. · Low tolerance to change (mainly security) · Need a supportive environment and supportive system · Inefficient leadership, unclear processes, ineffective communication · misunderstandings · Need to obtain personal satisfaction from being part of the goals · Self interest · Have goals which are shared by the team · Disagreement over the need to change. A team cannot be cohesive unless all individuals within the learning have a clear consistent path to follow. Communication procedures, team decision making, and prioritising tasks to meet the organisational vision of a company will give the team and individuals within the team, the support structure to gain the confidence to participating proactively in the learning process. By reinforcing team members by giving them feedback and providing them with the information they need, you shall empower them. Some of that feedback might be beyond your experience, so then it is important that you consult with and seek specialist feedback to reinforce or improve the procedures of the organisation. By ensuring that learners are not resistant to change, you are assisting them in ensuring that they take advantage of learning opportunities in the organisation. Activities 1.5.1-1.5.2 1.6 - Ensure effective liaison occurs with training and development specialists and contributes to learning opportunities which enhance individual, team and organisational performance. Training and Development defined Training is a learned process involving the gathering of knowledge to enhance the skills, concepts, rules or changing attitudes and behaviours in employee’s performance. Training is about knowing your current skills and how they will be used. Training is about the developments of your Knowledge – Skills and Abilities (KSA) through professional development. Role of Training External providers In recent years, there has been a trend towards outsourcing services in regards to specialist external providers. The main reasons for the move is: Management – it is easier to manage external providers than internal staff, especially if the management knowledge needed for compliance Availability – organisations with more than one site may require the same training at the same time Flexibility – training is provided where it suits the needs of the business Quality – accredited training provider must comply with the best practices and industry standards Cost – with all training costs considered (personnel, administration and management) the cost of outsourcing is lower. The use of external providers is called outsourcing. Outsourcing saves on training costs, gives access to practical and technical proficiency on core competences and offers employees enhanced training. Companies are able to provide their employees with the best training and get the best clients. The key to increase customer turnover is customer satisfaction through the use of improved customer services http://traininganddevelopment.naukrihub.com/benefits-of-outsourcing.html In-house In certain circumstances there are times when in-house training is more cost effective. When a large organisation has a constant flow of turnover and staff operator training, then the organisation may find it more viable to have internal instructors. In most cases, the organisation will usually determine if the costs are worth it in the end. Training and development options Though there are more options, these are the ones that seem to be in vogue at the moment. In-house training and development External training and development On the job experience Structured coaching Off the job on own premises/ own trainers Off the job on own premises/ bought in trainer Open learning delivered on own premises Open program Collaborative program Apprenticeship/traineeship Open/flexible leaning Competency based training When you choose either an in-house training option or you outsource, it is clear that you need to consider the different delivery styles and consider their advantages and disadvantages. They will influence the option that you choose. In-house Training Options Category Type of Training & Development For Against In-house Training & Development On the job experience Inexpensive if supported with skilled and motivated staff Could be lengthy and expensive if not structured or promote best practice. Will be limited and limiting if not associated with new or better ideas Structured coaching Inexpensive if well structured and supported by excellent coaches and mentors with a system of monitoring and evaluation Possibly missing out on more up to date methodology, systems, ideas Off the job on own Premises/ own Trainers Costs controlled and customised training programmes. Not as dependent upon numbers and more flexible. Very useful for team learning and working Quality and up to date-ness of Training materials and presenters. Off the job on own Premises/ bought in Trainers Specialisation of Training organisation can bring speedy and effective solutions. Need to have the right number of people involved to get best results Dependant on quality of training organisation, the willingness and ability to customise materials and can be costly Open Learning delivered on own premises Use of technology and e-learning delivered in house and supported by the external training organisation. Can be very useful to deliver a formal structured input. Some people not comfortable with PC and loses opportunity to network and team learning. Subject materials not customised. External Training Options Category Type of Training & Development For Against EXTERNAL Training & Development Open programme Course content provided by professionals and can make a significant contribution in the short term. Useful for small numbers or an individual Can be a hit/miss affair if training needs are not clearly identified to match the programme content and linked to the individual’s development. Collaborative programme A number of small companies join together to run a specific programme using a professional training provider The ability to customise the inputs to meet the needs of each firm Certificated programmes Normally associated with time off work but can be taken in a persons own time. Programme will be standards based and will be recognised. Can be lengthy and prescriptive therefore content may not be as specific or customised as required. Open / flexible Learning The provision of resources to allow individuals to train at their own pace and place. Normally a mix of self study and coaching using technology and coaching The motivation and discipline of the learner as well as the lack of Competency based training Can be used for a range of purposes to meet organisational needs Does not promote comparison between workers or how competent the worker is. Your organisation may have policies and procedures in place in regards to training and development. Learn these procedures, but do not hesitate to consider other options if you do not believe that the training offered is appropriate to the team and the KSAs that they need to meet the organisations objectives. Activities 1.6.1-1.6.2 2. Facilitate and promote learning 2.1 Develop strategies to ensure that workplace learning opportunities are used and that team members are encouraged to share their skills and knowledge to encourage a learning culture within the team 2.2 Implement organisational procedures to ensure workplace learning opportunities contribute to the development of appropriate workplace knowledge, skills and attitudes 2.3 Implement policies and procedures to encourage team members to assess their own competencies, and to identify their own learning and development needs 2.4 Share the benefits of learning with others in the team and organisation 2.5 Recognise workplace achievement by timely and appropriate recognition, feedback and rewards 2.1 - Develop strategies to ensure that workplace learning opportunities are used and that team members are encouraged to share their skills and knowledge to encourage a learning culture within the team Remember Peter Senge’s five disciplines of a learning culture covered in Section 1.1. As a manager, it is important to ensure that the employees in your team accept the attitudes, values and practices required to support a continuous learning process within the organisation. Training is a key element to continuous learning. It is only through learning that you will empower your team to challenge the organisations methods and way of doing things. To adopt a culture of learning, it is important to make sure that staff are responsive to the pressures of the external environment so that they grow through innovation. As a manager it is important to understand the advantages of learning so that you can respond to the client’s needs and answer employee questions. Globalisation and technological innovation are words that you have probably been exposed to in some depth. In the 1990s they changed the way in which organisations operated. As customer’s became exposed to more technology and with the introduction, exposed to more information, they became more knowledgeable. Research allowed them to learn what they wanted and when they wanted it. In response to these changes, demand for products shifted. The ability to sell a product was no longer guided by the organisations lead. Instead organisations dropped the reigns and the customer took over. As time moved along, demand increased and the whole face of the organisation shifted with it. Training the human resources of the company; setting goals, empowering and motivating the team, and creating awareness, organisations learned to meet customer demand through innovation. To remain responsive to market demand, and to retain a competitive edge; organisations had to learn how to learn. When an organisation has a learning culture it will obtain a sustainable competitive advantage by delivering: Superior performance Better quality of product and services Better customer satisfaction Committed and result focused workforce Greater ability to change. Conner and Clawson support this need to change by saying “If organisations can sense and respond to emerging opportunities, there is a good chance they will endure.” Other than changing an organisation into a learning culture, it is also important that adults learn in the organisational setting they are working in. This can be done in several ways and they are: 1. Adults should learn the pragmatic approach to learning whereby learners are given the knowledge, learning skills and dissemination of moral values to get the information themselves. This is one of the reasons information sharing is encouraged now. By giving the learner the information they require, they are likely to learn what they need to learn to do their jobs better 2. Learn using the appropriate learning style as not everyone learns the same way. By giving them the means to learn using the three learning styles – auditory, visual and kinaesthetic you are supporting their need to learn 3. Do not push adults. They will learn at their own pace. Just give them the support they need while they are learning. 4. Be aware that learners’ interest in learning will vary. You can identify what will motivate the learner to use that motivation to fuel their interest. 5. Empowerment gives them an opportunity to be in charge of their learning. A good instructor will give them choices so that they feel that they are taking charge of their life. 6. Learning should occur during the course of the day. 7. Build relationships as they will assist in the transference of learning in the organisation. As a manager it is important that you foster relationships within your teams and within the learners to foster the transference of information that leads to learning. A learning culture creates a sustainable competitive edge, however it is important that you not only foster learning, but remain aware of the inherent dangers within the learning organisation and those barriers are to learning. The barriers to learning are: Motivation Access Finance Time Concerns over quality To overcome these barriers, you can: Motivation Provide a link between learning and career development Creating a buddy system where learning is a shared experience Link incentive schemes to learning participation and achievement Improve recognition of needed skills, in some cases offer certification Work with learners to give them choices of learning Access Provide information to managers so they can enhance their own and their teams awareness of learning opportunities Create tailored courses to suit the needs of the team Provide meetings where team members can highlight skills deficits and desired learning Reduce bureaucracy and paperwork Recognise cultural differences and ensure these factors are factored in to the training Finance Provide financial incentives to staff participating in non essential learning Advertise the costs of training courses and any forms of funding, tax breaks or grants offered for such courses Increase awareness of employer subsidies available to encourage more training being offered to teams. Time Provide flexibility in course provision such as weekends or part time and/or distance education. Make sure that all staff has a learning and development plan to assist in formal and informal learning. Concerns over quality Use accredited/ recognised training Ensure quality standards are clear Make the targets realistic for the skill levels If you are interested in this topic and would like to read more; look up the recommended readings below: Recommended further reading Infed (1998): Participation in learning projects and programmes A good overall discussion of why we learn and barriers to participation in learning. OECD (2005): Education and Training Policy Promoting Adult Learning. Source: OECD Education & Skills, No.14. Gives an excellent overview of barriers to learning, looking at 9 OECD countries, and how they can be addressed by changing policy and practice. As a manager, it is important that you make sure that your team has access to learning opportunities so that they have the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to performance their tasks. These learn opportunities may include: Lecture method Discussion method E-learning Simulations Equipment Simulators Business games In-basket technique Case study Role play Behaviour Modelling On the job training Job-instruction technique (JIT) Apprenticeship Coaching mentoring The learning methods will be discussed in more detail in the next section on Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes. 2.2 - Implement organisational procedures to ensure workplace learning opportunities contribute to the development of appropriate workplace knowledge, skills and attitudes Your organisational procedures should be designed to meet objectives. When a learning development plan is designed, it usually has learning objectives that are required to ensure team members meet the goals of the organisational, irrespective of the fact of whether they are long term strategic goals, or short term operational goals. There are three categories of learning objective. They are knowledge, skills and attitudes. Knowledge objectives Declarative Is the person’s store of factual information Procedural Is the person’s understanding of the facts and when to apply them Strategic Is used for planning, monitoring and revising goal-directed activity Skills objectives Skills Reflect the proficiency of specific tasks such as operating equipment Attitudes Attitudes Are beliefs and/or opinions about objects and events and the positive or negative affect associate with them, including motivation that influences behaviour? http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Training-Delivery-Methods.html Training delivery methods can be either behavioural or cognitive. Behavioural methods allow the learner to practice their behaviour in either simulated or real work environments thereby learning to build their skills and change their attitude through experience. Cognitive methods provide information orally or in a written format to demonstrate relationships among concepts, or provide the rules for how to do something. By simulating learning through their impact on the cognitive processes and can therefore be associated with knowledge and attitudes. Training method Description Advantages Disadvantages Lecture method For creating understanding of the topic To provide information when there are a lot of people and a short time to provide the information Lecture is interactive so trainees can ask questions or ask lecturer to pace the lecture if necessary Not credible if lecturer is not qualified to give lecture Discussion method Two way communication to increase learning opportunities Feedback from learner will let lecturer know the information the learner would like to know Questioning and discussion enhance learning Not credible if lecturer is not qualified to give lecture E-learning Encompassing distance learning, Less expensive May reduce motivation if learners have to travel long distances CBT (computer based learning), Training is stored on hard drive, CD ROM or diskette Hard to update Difficult to access WBT (web based learning) Increases accessibility Easy to update Not accessible without internet connection Simulations Equipment simulators Must be replicated as close as possible to reduce resistance to the training Resistance to change if cannot be replicated Business games Functional games represent organisation and create understanding of big picture Learners are provided with feedback Trainer could make it a competition rather than a careful plan to simulate learning point focus. In-basket exercises Provided with feedback reinforcing their decisions Case studies Provided with feedback Gets the chance to explore decision Case might not be appropriate Role playing Used to develop interpersonal skills Fails if person becomes embarrassed by role Role players cannot observe each other learn Behaviour modelling Feedback is powerful Good at simulating behaviour Not good at simulating behaviour if the trainer is unclear On the job training Job instruction technique Like action Learning, if they do not get something right the first time they get a chance to try again until they get it right If trainer is too skilled they could miss something without thinking about it If project checks are not completed the objectives will not be reached. Apprenticeship Gives learners time to develop their skills Will not working with appropriate measurements of learning Mentoring Works well if learner looks up to mentor with respect No respect, no learning Coaching Are motivated through feedback Does not work if learner is not receiving appropriate feedback In-basket exercises stimulate decisions and assist in developing decision making skills. Behaviour modelling is used to develop skills. The steps to behaviour modelling are: 1. Define skill deficiencies 2. Provide an overview of relevant theory 3. Specify learning points and critical behaviours to watch for 4. Have an expert model the appropriate behaviour 5. Have trainees practice 6. Reinforce skills for appropriate imitation of the models’ behaviour Behaviour modelling is different from role plays and games because the trainee is provided with what the desired behaviour needed before attempting the behaviour. JIT focuses on skill development through procedural- knowledge objectives. It is a four step process of: 1. Prepare 2. Present 3. Try out and 4. Follow up If you wish to learn more about training methods or you would like to understand more, visit Training Delivery Methods at URL Address: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Training-Delivery-Methods.html . There are also further readings recommended at the bottom of the page. Foster learning As a manager, no matter what training methods are used, you should foster learning by acknowledging learners efforts. Most organisations will have procedures and specified training methods to resolve specific issues. The assignment of training does not mean that you can now ignore the learner. The level of success that the learner obtains will usually be based on the level of support that you provide them with. As such, you should: Encourage new ideas Provide learners with positive reinforcement Break learning into smaller pieces to ensure that the learner retains more Provide support Give learners opportunities to learn Provide time for learners and teams to reflect on learning Provide time for questioning Value cultural differences and diversity Change pace of learning to suit learners needs. Activities 2.1.1-2.2.1 2.3 - Implement policies and procedures to encourage team members to assess their own competencies, and to identify their own learning and development needs Competency-based assessment (CBA) is commonly a part of competency-based training and forms the basis of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system in Australia. When you make an assessment under CBA, you are gathering information to obtain evidence that the learner has the appropriate skills and knowledge to be competent. Features of competency-based assessment The major differences between CBA and other forms of assessment are: competency-based assessment is criterion based - a person is assessed not in competition with others but against standard criteria or benchmarks; competency-based assessment is evidence based - decisions about whether a person is competent are based on the evidence they provide to the assessor; and competency-based assessment is participatory - the person being assessed is involved in the process of assessment and has the scope to negotiate with the assessor the form that assessment activities take. http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disability/pubs/employers/prorata_wage_research/Pages/comp_based_assess.aspx#3.3 CBA has more than one range of assessments that can demonstrate a learner’s competence and they are: Observation in the workplace; Practical demonstration and questioning; Projects Simulations and role plays and Written tests and essays (Education Network Australia 1998, p.2.) Regardless of the method used there are four key features of competency-based assessment that hold paramount. These are: validity, reliability, fairness and flexibility. Validity in a competency-based system refers to assessments that cover a range of skills and knowledge and integrate them with their practical application. Judgements to determine competency should be based on evidence gathered on a number of occasions and in a variety of contexts. Reliability means that assessment practices should be regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that there is consistency in the interpretation of evidence. It should also be noted that if competency is being assessed for the purposes of issuing qualifications under the AQF, then assessors must be: Competent in the national competency standards for assessment; Have been deemed competent in the standards being assessed; and Must have a detailed understanding of the standards and their use as benchmarks within the context and culture of the workplace/sector/industry. (community services training package 1999.) Fairness relates to practices and methods that are equitable to all groups being assessed. Provisions must be made for assessees to challenge assessments if they are unsatisfied with the process or the outcomes. Flexibility in assessment refers to processes that provide for the recognition of competencies regardless of where they have been acquired. For example, competencies can be achieved: Through formal or informal training Through work experience Through general life experiences Through any combination of the above Community Services Training Package 1999, p.9) In keeping with these four features, competency-based assessment should always use an integrated approach which covers all aspects of work performance including: Task skills (being able to perform individual tasks); Task management skills (being able to manage a number of different tasks); Contingency management skills (being able to respond to problems/irregularities that arise); and Job/role environment skills (being able to work with others). A typical competency-based assessment process has the following forms of assessment including: · Self assessment The process starts by the individual assessing themselves against the competency standard. At this stage the individual needs to compile a portfolio of evidence containing items that show they can demonstrate competence such as references, certificates, and letters and so on. · Workplace assessment Workplace assessment involves an assessor reviewing the individual’s self- assessment and portfolio of evidence. The assessor will interview the individual and spend time observing them performing skills on the job. · Identify developmental needs The assessor provides feedback to the individual and identifies the areas needing development. · On and off the job learning and development After a period of learning skills and gaining knowledge both on and off the job, the individual is re-assessed. · Re-assessment award qualification If the individual can then show competence against the required competencies and performance criteria, the qualification is awarded. Cognology 2000, pp.1−2) Peer assessment Another form of assessment is Peer assessment. Peer assessment is when learners assess the performance of other learners who work together in the organisation. This form of assessment can assist in the assessment of peers. In a group, relevant skills are used in the process of producing the group product. When skills are assessed by peers and by the trainer, there is an opportunity for different marks for individual group members. As ongoing learning and develop is the essential tool for sustainability in every organisation and you are cultivating a culture of learning, staff should be also encouraged to identify their own needs in terms of learning and developmental needs. To assist staff in reaching their full potential; to improve quality of the teams outputs, to create opportunities for staff, to increase the level of staff retention and enhance work experience, organisations’ need to provide both informal and formal learning programs that address staff learning and developmental needs. Learning and developmental needs may include: in-house learning, technical training, leadership training, study assistance and financing graduate programs. To retain staff, you need to give them a reason to stay. Activities 2.3.1-2.3.3 2.4 - Share the benefits of learning with others in the team and organisation Etienne Wenger first penned the term community of practice. Within a community of practice, he believed that there are three elements to distinguish one community from another or another group of communities and they are: The domain A community is a group that you have a connection with called a shared domain. Membership to the domain implies a commitment to the domain and therefore shared competence that distinguishes members from other people. The community Relationships are built based on the information shared through discussions and joint activities The practice Over time the community members share resources, experiences, stories and tools to address recurring problems. From these shared experiences, knowledge, communities are developed. Within a work environment these tools are the procedures of the organisation that address problems, tell stories and share experiences to meet the goals and objectives of the organisation. The correlation between the communities of practice and learning organisations was picked up in the late 1990s. The apprenticeship model made a strong connection with the traditions of the organisation and became a way in which to think about training and development. The community of practice seemed to overcome the problem with the tradition hierarchy of that error and made the organisation more responsive to change. By acknowledging the community of practice, performance improved as workers became motivated to apply the skills that they learned (Lesser and Storck, 2001). As a manager to foster learning you need to demonstrate support for the learners. Change will be impeded if members of the community feel that they do not have a support structure. Peter Senge (1990) writes that the accumulation of individual learning constitutes team learning. Shared learning means that staff grow faster and the problem solving capacity of the organisation will improve through better access to knowledge and expertise. These shared communities then ensure that as problems arise, the teams are better able to resolve problems. Your role is to empower the teams to ensure that they do not lose sight of their goals and objectives while motivating them to take responsibility or ownership of their own positions. As Wenger discusses, we are not surrounded by only one community of practice. There are sometimes communities of practice within communities of practice. For example, how many separate teams are you connected to within your organisation? Consider: Your team, who is a community The management team which is another community The different departments that you associate with who are another team. What about the network that you have developed with your suppliers? Do they not share information with you, that you may share back No we are not talking about anything illegal. However, you say hello to the supplier and he lets you know that there is a strike overseas that may impact on their ability to meet your demand. You share this information with your management community who then talks to the team. However, when you speak to your friend in another network, you find the answer to your problems in the form of a supplier that will not be affected by the strike. Yes, they are more expensive. However, if you have the choice between buying a part that is more expensive or stopping productions which way would you go. Hence, you have shared information with several communities within your network and found an answer to your problem. You share the information with the management community and decide the course of action to take. Meaning has been shared. You identified a problem; and then worked together to resolve the problem by consulting with other communities of practice. If the supplier problem escalates, you will now have another supplier to contact to purchase your part. For a short period, the new supplier will ensure that your organisation remans operational. From this a new procedure is developed whereby if supply is affected again the second supplier would be contacted to supply the part in the interim. Activity 2.4.1 2.5 - Recognise workplace achievement by timely and appropriate recognition, feedback and rewards Hase (2010) states that “extensive psychological research at Carnegie’s bold assertion; that is; reward in the most powerful reinforcer of behaviour that we know. Not receiving a reward is a powerful motivator. Punishment has been shown to not reinforce behaviour at all.” For a reward to be effective, it must be delivered as close as possible to the demonstration of behaviour. Feedback needs to occur as fast as possible. However be aware that people will vary in regards to the rewards that you give them. Acknowledging someone publicly may be perceived as a punishment rather than a reward. It all has to do with their personality and what motivates them. Expectancy Theory of Motivation Expectancy theory offers that: 1. When deciding what motivates them, individuals will choose the option with the greatest motivation 2. The motivational force for a behaviour, action, and/or task is a function of three distinct perceptions which are Expectancy probability: based on the perceived effort-performance relationship. It is the expectancy that ones effort will lead to the desired performance and is based on past experience, self-confidence, and the perceived difficulty of the performance goal. Example:  If I work harder than everyone else in the organisation will I produce more? Instrumentality probability: based on the perceived performance-reward relationship. The instrumentality is the belief that if one does meet performance expectations, he or she will receive a greater reward. Example:  If I produce more than anyone else in the organisation, will I get a bigger raise or a faster promotion? Valence: refers to the value the individual personally places on the rewards. This is a function of his or her needs, goals, and values. Example:  Do I want a promotion? Is it really worth the extra effort? Because the motivational force is the product of the three perceptions, if any one of their values is zero, the whole equation becomes zero.  Expectancy theory generally is supported by empirical evidence and is one of the more widely accepted theories of motivation.  Heres a quick questionnaire for you.  Rate your own job using the following scale: 0 = No linkage exists 1 = Some linkage exists 2 = Strong linkage exists 1. _____ If I work hard, I will do well. (Expectancy) 2. _____ If I do well, I will be rewarded. (Instrumentality) 3. _____ If I am rewarded, I will like the reward. (Valence) Score this questionnaire out of the total possible which is 8. _____Expectancy * _____ Instrumentality * _____ Valence = _____ For effective recognition: 1. Recognition must be open to all employees 2. Recognition must arise from behaviour and rewards that are recognised by both the employer and employee 3. Rewards are given to those who perform at the stated level 4. Recognise performance criteria as close as possible to it arises 5. Do not recognise based on “Select” i.e. select an employee of the month. This is viewed as favouritism Effective feedback includes: 1. Do not wait too long, give feedback as close to the event as possible. 2. The saying was praise in public, criticise in private – Before following this rule think about the recipient. If they are shy for instance, this would be perceived more as a punishment than a reward. 3. Make a habit of acknowledging effort. 4. Judge the effort and reward appropriately. 5. Feedback that is positive is specific and sincere. Make sure the recipient knows what the feedback is for. 6. Do not make favourites. Make sure that everyone is treated equally. 7. Encourage positive actions by letting everyone know they are doing the right thing. People work because they need to work. To create positive employee motivation, treat employees as if they matter because they do. Even if your employee is recognised through monetary means, taking the time to say thank you and well done can have just as much, if not more impact than a monetary reward. Activities 2.5.1-2.5.3 3. Monitor and improve learning effectiveness 3.1 Use strategies to ensure that team and individual learning performance is monitored to determine the type and extent of any additional work-based support required, and any occupational health and safety (OHS) issues 3.2 Use feedback from individuals and teams to identify and introduce improvements in future learning 3.3 Make adjustments, negotiated with training and development specialists, for improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of learning 3.4 Use processes to ensure that records and reports of competency are documented and maintained within the organisations systems and procedures to inform future planning 3.1 - Use strategies to ensure that team and individual learning performance is monitored to determine the type and extent of any additional work-based support required, and any Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues Policies and procedures cannot be improved if you do not know what you are improving. In the context, you need to evaluate the success of training programs in terms of whether the participants acquired the desired skill of knowledge. There are a number of strategies that can be used to measure learning. These methods are constrained by budgets, perceptions, time limitations and the ability to synthesise the learning and skill or simulate the actual setting sin which skills are applied. There are four areas in which learning is an important tool in evaluating the success of a training program. Any of these by themselves can justify the need to measure learning, whereas together they provide a major thrust for measuring the amount of knowledge, skills or behavioural changes that would result from the training program. The need to transfer learning The lack of measurement in learning transfer from a training setting has made it critical to make sure that learning occurs and is transferred to the job. In many situations this does not happen. It is important to make sure that learning is measured as soon as it takes place to ensure transfer has taken place and to see if the level of transfer needs to improve. Increase the emphasis on knowledge, expertise and competence Many organisations develop initiatives with employees that use tools and techniques not previously used, while other programs focus on core competences to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours into the organisation. As workers are exposed to knowledge and more information, they need to identify the relevant information and utilise it in a productive way. This emphasis on employee knowledge and skills makes measuring learning important to a training program. Change initiatives and their importance Though change is not new, the human factor is critical as employees must learn in a new environment and develop new skills, knowledge and behaviours. Learning is becoming important because it requires a variety of tools, processes, techniques and technologies to implement. Learners learn in different ways outside of the classroom. Managers and others are expected to reinforce, coach and mentor the learners to ensure that learning is transferred and implemented as planned Diagnosing what is wrong when a problem arises When learning is measured in the training you need to identify the failure and look at it as a way to improve. Measuring Learning Learning needs to be monitored to ensure that the training program is teaching what the learner needs to learn. Performance of skills can be observed and knowledge can be demonstrated through questioning. However, some organisations may choose to be more formalised to ensure that learning is occurring at the required level. Formal tests Formal tests can be performed before or after training so that you can measure whether an improvement has occurred and a change is identified in the participants’ skill or knowledge level. There are three types of tests that can be performed. They are: Computer based tests where learners answer questions of are given situations which they need to respond to. Test the learners aptitude in regards to the objectives of the program Use tests such as criterion based, oral questioning or performance tests. Criterion referenced tests CRT is based on measuring against the written objectives for the learning sections of the training program. It is useful as it ensures that the learner has learnt what they require as part of the training program. CRT may be developed using checklists to measure what has been learned and retained. Simulations Simulations give you real situations that relate close to your work. Participants use the simulation to try out their new skills and then are evaluated based on whether the task is accomplished. This can include case studies, in-basket simulation, task and electrical/Mechanical simulation. These activities require that the learners use their skills. By reading their answers or observing their behaviour, you will be able to determine if they have learned the skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to. Measuring learning with less-structured activities Exercises/activities Separate skills and integrated learning can be used to ensure that your learner has developed the appropriate skills. There are several ways in which to measure learning: Activities/exercises are reviewed and scored to see if learning has taken place Group discussions can be utilised to see how much each person has learned Answers to questions can be shared with a group and the learners can perform a self-assessment on their answers The trainer can review individual progress and determine their success Self-assessment Even if a learner is told they are competent by the trainer, they should still assess themselves to make sure that they have the skills they need and if they are comfortable with what they have learned. Encourage learners to say something if they would like more exposure to the learning. To make self-assessment effective: Participants should remain anonymous so they can clearly express realistic and accurate results. If the assessment is not satisfactory, try to find out why. The participant must know the purpose of the self-assessment and what the data is used for. Trainer assessment Trainers can make a checklist to see if the learning has occurred. They need to assess the acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitude. This will ensure that the learner has learned what is necessary. Administrative issues Learning records must be maintained. Failure to maintain the records can lead to legislative repercussions. For example, if you train a participant and the paperwork is lost then you have no evidence that training has taken place. When you dismiss an employee for underperformance, you must demonstrate the learning/training has taken place. If the monitoring records are not maintained then the termination could be overturned and you would be liable to reinstate the employee and pay whatever fine the courts stated. Consistency Monitor all learners consistently so that you have a correct measure of their learning. If you are not consistent you will have unreliable data from which to analyse the effectiveness of the training process. In consequence to this, changes to training may do more harm than good. Reporting results In many cases, results may not be clear straight away. It is one thing to do an assessment straight after training. What you need to consider is whether the participants still need reinforcement or ongoing assistance from the learners. Phillips and Stone As with any program, it is essential that the learning objectives are keyed to the knowledge, skills and attitudes required so that learning can be measured. With each program run, as part of the continuous improvement process, benchmarks should be set. Benchmarking Benchmarking is the process of comparing one’s business processes and performance to industry bests or best practices. If you identify that learners are not as responsive as the benchmarks then you should continuously monitoring, review and evaluate learning until the learners demonstrate the level of skill, knowledge and attitude necessary to reach the benchmarks and hopefully exceed them. Activities 3.1.1-3.1.2 3.2 - Use feedback from individuals and teams to identify and introduce improvements in future learning arrangements Informal Feedback The only way in which you will improve performance if it is not freely given is to ask for it. Performance management is aimed at ensuring that your team has the skills, knowledge and attitudes to perform their tasks competently. When formal performance management feedback processes do not work or are not sufficient, you can use your initiative and go and look for the feedback. There are four steps that you can follow to monitor their personal performance. They are to: Seek recommendations Seek suggestions on ways in which they could improve. In order to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes required, they need to actively seek ideas and input to obtain a different point of view. Ask for feedback Feedback does not necessarily have to be from the trainer or manager. Encourage the team to ask anyone within their sphere of experience to critique the quality of their work. Take steps to improve Once feedback has been received, team members should look for a plan of action to improve their performance. Encourage team members to obtain feedback on a continuous basis from supervisors and co-workers. Reciprocate Team members need to build up a level of trust to share feedback. Negative feedback This process will only work if team members understand that any negative feedback is not against them personally. All feedback should be taken as an opportunity to learn and not a personal attack on them. If they are unable to take this stance, then they should not actively seek feedback. Conversely team members should learn the importance of being courteous when they give feedback. Saying you talk too much so you don’t meet your goals does not provide them with constructive feedback. Constructive feedback should be used to build confidence. Try to avoid destructive feedback which is demoralising and will cause the team member to never approach others again. Feedback is important because it provides management and staff with information on areas where they can improve. There should be a system of ongoing feedback on issues of performance which creates an open dialogue with staff about concerns and allows them to make recommendations on how they can improve their performance. Feedback is a two way process. Employees need to be encouraged to seek out feedback; to ensure that sure they are performing to the expectations of the organisation. Feedback should be a positive learning experience, thus it should be given in a professional and tactful way. Before giving feedback ask yourself the following questions: 1. Why are you assessing this staff member? 2. On what functions, skills, behaviours, or activities is this assessment based? 3. On what standards is this assessment based? 4. What are the facts of the situation? 5. What do you plan to do with the results of your feedback? If you can answer all these questions satisfactorily, you can be sure that the need to provide feedback is appropriate in the situation, and you are doing it for all the right reasons. Employees should also be given informal feedback. They become motivated and respond correctly when you are tactful and professional. The types of processes you might consider implementing include: 1. Regular written reports outlining a staff member’s progress; 2. Regular short meetings to discuss general performance issues and identify areas for improvement; 3. Periodic evaluation of your staff member’s output e.g. products or tasks they are responsible for; 4. Informal peer assessment; and 5. Spot checking for quality. Using these types of procedures will provide you with an up-to-date and accurate picture of just how well any of your employees are performing at any given time, and will ensure that any feedback you give is relevant and based on fact rather than speculation. Timely feedback provides you and your team members with an opportunity of remedying the behaviours or activities which have led to the poor performance - before it creates any major problems for the organisation. Poor performance will be much more difficult to rectify if it is not identified until a formal performance appraisal has been conducted. Feedback should not only be ongoing, there should be times when it should be formal. For ongoing, informal feedback to be effective, it should be: Timely Provide feedback as soon as you can to when it occurred. If you wait until the annual performance appraisal to address poor performance, your staff will resent that you did not give them a chance to correct the problem. Specific Be specific and address the behaviour in a performance in terms of measureable outcomes. Staff will be less likely to dispute any perceived problem if they are involved in the goal setting process. “owned’ by the giver Use “I” and “my when giving feedback so that you can take responsibility for your own thoughts and actions. Understood by the receiver Ask your employee to rephrase the feedback to ensure that they understood it. Offer them access to any resources or tools that are available that can assist them in fulfilling these expectations. Delivered in a supportive environment Provide support. Make it clear that the purpose of the feedback is to assist the employee in achieving success. Give the employee an opportunity to explain why their performance is lower than normal and discuss ways in which they can be motivated. Followed-up with an action plan Work with the employee to find ways to improve his or her performance or reinforce the positive behaviour that they have demonstrated. Agree to deadlines and goals and schedule any follow up meetings if they are required. Given with no surprises Do not put any surprises in the feedback session. If a problem is not discussed in feedback then it should not be discussed in the performance appraisal. Formal feedback Formal reviews are an essential part of the performance management process for many organisations. Even though, managers offer ongoing feedback, when it comes to the formal review, there is a negative stigma to it. As managers, you need to make the formal review process a positive experience. This can be done by: Focusing on the positive Be objective; however discuss the positive feedback as it will lift performance considerably. Emphasise specific outcomes of the review such as rewards such as promotions, raises or bonuses. Emphasise the future Communicate their long-term potential within the organisation as staff are tending to stay longer in workplaces. Discuss weaknesses without emphasising them Move away from just giving negative feedback. Accompany negative feedback with suggestions on how they can perform their job better. Do not emphasis the two extremes of the negatives and the positives. Find a balance and use it. As a manager, when you give feedback in formal reviews, make sure that: Staff are given an opportunity to prepare for the review Make sure that you have the experience to give the feedback constructively. Avoid being blunt, not discussing a subject because it might cause conflict and be clear and concise with the feedback you give. Make sure that the review process is two ways. Let the employee also give you feedback Don’t just concentrate on the last year, let the employee know what lies in their future Follow up. You will lose credibility if you don’t follow up on the actions that you say you are going to make then you will have a long fight in regaining the integrity of the review process. Activities 3.2.1-3.2.4 3.3 - Make adjustments, negotiated with training and development specialists, for improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of learning What is a performance plan? A performance plan can be utilised to assist you in the employee’s performance appraisal. It is a comprehensive written report that sets out all the outcomes and performance requirements on which that individual is to be assessed. Essentially, the performance plan is an agreement between managers, teams or individuals determining what needs to be achieved within the required time frame. Performance plans can help provide staff members with an understanding of their roles and responsibilities and their link to the team and the organisation’s objectives. There will be times in which you will need to consult with specialists that can assist you in ensuring that the employee develops the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they require. For instance, a member of the team needs to update the knowledge in regards to financial services. As their manager, you have the skill to ensure that they meet their objectives. However, you may not have the experience to source and identify the skills and knowledge your employee requires. In this instance, you should consult with another financial service professional who would be able to assist you in ensuring that the employee’s skills are maintained. You might also need to consult with them to find out industry processes used to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of their learning. Developing individual performance plans Individual performance plans must link the following elements: An individual’s key result areas. The various tasks an individual must perform. The key performance indicators for each task (note: meeting performance standards should also be a key performance indicator. Time-frames, deadlines. Development plan. To develop an individual performance plan, you must: 1. Review organisational goals associated with results in term of performance, its quantity, quality, cost and timeliness. Turn your goals into smart goals – Goals that are: 2. Specify the results that you require. Consult with both your internal and external customer. 3. Ensure that the desired results from your goals will contribute to the organisations results. 4. Prioritise the goals in the form of ranking, percentages, time spent. For example, 80 \% of the employees role is customer service, 10 \% is training and 10\% is developing knowledge 5. Outline the measures used to evaluate if and how well the desired results are achieved. Without measures, you are unable to evaluate the results. Measures include timeliness, cost, quality and quantity. For example, to measure whether the customer service representative consistently met its 150 calls a day average. 6. Identify more specific measures for the first-level measures if needed from the measures in point 5. For example, if the customer service representative consistently received calls, were they processed in two minutes? If so, what percentage was processed in this time period? 7. Identify standards for evaluating how well the results were achieved. For example, did the customer service representative meet expectations? 8. Document the performance plan. You must include the desired results, measures and standards. http://www.managementhelp.org/perf_mng/prf_plan.htm. Conducting performance planning meetings When you meet with staff members, the initial planning begins. Make sure that performance objectives are discussed, clarified and agreed upon. This makes sure that management and employees know what they and the rest of their team are doing. All changes to performance plans need to be documented and agreed upon. You may wish to invite the specialists to ensure that the staff members understand exactly what needs to be done. Specialists can answer any questions and clarify information to ensure that learners are comfortable with what goals they need to reach. Make sure that you continuously monitor team members’ progress. Keep an open dialogue with the specialist to ensure that objectives are reached and weaknesses are identified so that variations can be made to ensure that the performance goals are met. Adjustments to training and development may be required of: The learning activities The learning methodology Facilitator/trainer Length of sessions To resources required. Activities 3.3.1-3.3.2 3.4 - Use processes to ensure that records and reports of competency are documented and maintained within the organisations systems and procedures to inform future planning Records must be kept to ensure that training has taken place. Training is an important part of OHS law. Under Section 16 (1) (e), an employer has a legal obligation to provide the information, instruction, training and supervisor to enable the employee to work in a manner that is safe and without risk to their health. Under Section 5 (b) of the Act, your organisation must maintain appropriate information and records relating to the employee’s health and safety. Failure to comply with these laws may see you and your organisation liable. If you are found liable, depending on the type of injury, you may be fined and in some cases jailed. For this reason all training records must be maintained to ensure that the law is not breached. Records pertaining to learning and training should include that: The learner is consistently competent in OHS issues The date and who performed the assessment The training received How the learner was monitored Any continuous improvement processes that arose from the training The qualifications and experience of the trainer/coach or mentor Records should be kept in learners’ personnel files in the Human resource office. If an electronic record of training is maintained, steps should be taken to ensure that all electronic information is updated and processed. For example, a skills matrix may have been developed from a learning needs analysis. As the learner obtains new skills, you should update the records to reflect that the skills have been learned and the learner is competent. Activities 3.4.1-3.4.2 Skills and Knowledge Activity Nearly there... Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find an activity titled ‘Major Activity’. This is an opportunity to revise the entire unit and allows your trainer to check your knowledge and understanding of what you have covered. It should take between and 1-2 hours to complete and your trainer will let you know whether they wish for you to complete it in your own time or during session. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move onto the next, well done! Congratulations! You have now finished the unit ‘Develop a workplace learning environment’ References These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of this Learner Guide. Bell, C. R. Informal Learning in Organizations. Personnel Journal, 56, no. 6 (June 1977): 280-283, 313. (EJ 160 136) Bell, J., and Dale, M. (1999) Informal Learning in the Workplace. Department for Education and Employment Research Report No. 134. London, England: Department for Education and Employment, August 1999. Cobbs, J. A definition of Learning URL Address: http://www.missiontolearn.com/2009/05/definition-of-learning/ Date: 16.02.2011 Cofer, D. (2000). Informal Workplace Learning . Practice Application Brief. NO 10. U.S. Department of Education: Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. Creating a learning culture Conner, M.L and Clawon J.G URL Address: http://agelesslearner.com/articles/lc_connerclawson_tc600.html Date: 17.02.2011 Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Australian Government Competency Based Training URL Address: http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disability/pubs/employers/prorata_wage_research/Pages/comp_based_assess.aspx#3.3 Date: 17.2.2011 Good, T. & Brophy, J. (1990). Educational Psychology: A realistic approach. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. Hanley M. (2008). Introduction to Non-formal Learning. E-Learning Curve Blog. Retrieved October 19, 2009: http://michaelhanley.ie/elearningcurve/introduction-to-non-formal-learning-2/2008/01/28/ Hase, S. Principles of Reward and Recognition Programs Beyond the Break – Behaviour- Change – Training URL Address: http://beyondbreak.com/media/7969/reward\%20and\%20recognition\%20programs\%202010.pd Date: 17.02.2011 Phillips, J.J. & Drewston, R. (2000) How to measure training results: a practical guide to the six key indicators. McGraw-Hill Companies Learning Needs Analysis URL Address: http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BAE22874-1D3C-4912-BBD9-1C14803E8A44/0/1843981645sc.pdf Access Date: 16.02.2011 Mathis, R.L & Jackson, J.H. (2008) Human Resource Management. Twelth Edition. Thomson Learning Academic. Printed in the United States. Shields ,J. (2007) Managing employee performance and rewards – Concepts, Practices and Strategies. Cambridge University Press. Training.com.au URL Address: http://www.training.com.au/pages/menuitem118e29e68c7b0615af17bfae17a62dbc.aspx Access Date 16.02.2011 Training and Development URL Address: http://traininganddevelopment.naukrihub.com/benefits-of-outsourcing.html Access Date: 16.02.2011 Training Delivery Methods Reference for business URL Address: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Tr-Z/Training-Delivery-Methods.html Access Date: 17.02.2011 All references accessed on and correct, as of 9/4/15, unless other otherwise stated. Ask for feedback Take steps to improve Reciprocate Seek recommendation Monash Short Courses Phone: 03 9905 3180 Room 159, 21 Chancellors Walk Website: monashshortcourses.com Monash University Clayton, Vic 3800 BSBLED501 V2 26.09.18