Lo1:- .

Identify daily work requirements

Information Sheet
The aim of the subject will be introduce students to the general working of an office, how it might
be managed and what might be expected of any staff employed therein.

The key word above is „general‟ because different work places will be set up differently to one
another depending upon parameters like number of clients, number of staff or even the size or
layout of the office.

Following this line of thought if we compared say two branches of a National Australian Bank it is
possible to see that they are set up differently. Throw in the comparison of a Bank to a Building
Society or a Mortgage Broker’s Office then it would be possible to see that they are different.

Additionally, it is possible that your work journey might be somewhere other than a financial
institution. The principles that will be delivered are basic, but will need adaptation to fit the
changed circumstances.

Exercise: What would you expect to be different if the above entities were compared?
i.e. NAB, compare a Building Society to a Mortgage Broker.

The key to any operations are;

 Mission
 Vision
 Resources
 Ability
 Desire

Mission

An overused concept that came to light in the 80s was the Mission Statement, but what does it
really mean. More importantly what do staff think of the ‘statement’.

Firstly, the Mission Statement is generally the corporate statement of why the organization exists
or what it is attempting to do. Often they appear glamorous or are couched in such terms that the
staff could be excused for dismissing them out of hand. At the very least they might say oh that is
for the Board or the shareholders or the executive staff. To promote ownership banks, during the
eighties asked their staff to develop their own mission statements for their branches or departments.

However in terms of a branch or department mission statement, staff move on, new staff arrive,
departments close and gradually the Mission Statement which will be proudly hung in the staff
lunch room becomes simply a poster on the wall. The passion for the original statement may have
disappeared, become outdated or simply considered ‘corny’. Nevertheless the corporate Mission
statement lives on proudly in the Annual Report for all to see.

The mission statement does not tell how to do the job but is more of a philosophy that if all of the
staff complete their function or job, then this is what will be achieved.
The Format or Set Up

In a small organisation the office will be the only place of business.

Where there is a central control and some operations through branch outlets then there will be
several independent but connected office set ups.

If state or regionally based then all operations will be under one set of laws and control considered
reasonable and tight.

However, if the larger financial institutions are considered then it is more complex with Head
Office, Capital Office, Regional Office and individual branch offices all connected aiming for the
same distant purpose but operating beneath different sets of parameters like laws,
customer quality etc .

Where we are coming to with this is that all departments, branches etc need to be managed or
controlled by a responsible person - a manager.

In basic terms all managers are going to have a common element - responsibility for the functions
of that department. Of course it has already been flagged that their individual responsibilities will
differ although some may be similar.

Responsibility or Purpose

The manager must know what it is that the business unit is required to undertake for the business
[financial institution]. An example of a branch operation could be;

 Receipt of deposits
 Payout withdrawals
 Personal investment advice
 General enquiries
 Sale of international currency

A business banking office could be;

 Investment advice
 Loan advice
 Sale of other bank products
 Enquiries of a general nature
 International trade

If a comparison is made then it should be apparent that there are similarities in what may be
provided.
However the method of delivery is quite different with the business banking unit only
available to the select clients of the unit, whereas the branch is open to the public.

The resources like office location, assets like phones, cars, computers, desks and chairs are
generally provided and are based on formula for type and size of operation etc. Although they may
need to be changed from time to time they are generally automatically provided.

What the manager must accept responsibility for is how they will operate.
Things that are essential are sufficient staff and they are available when clients are seeking
assistance. Other things that must be addressed are targets for completion, sales targets, marketing
or sales campaigns and achieving goals in a timely fashion. If considered necessary essential and
remedial training to be addressed.

Then there are the aspects of staff and customer safety and operating conditions. Simply put there
are many things, some which lay in the background, that must be considered or known at some
time.

In summary some of these elements are common not matter what the focus or location of the
operations.

Some other departments that still require a management function and operations in financial
institutions are;

 I.T.
 Trade & Operations
 Credit Cards
 Leasing & Finance Company
 Corporate Teams
 Mobile Banking
 Other

The smaller institutions like Building Societies & Credit Unions would probably concentrate more
on consumer lines although some offer smaller business facilities.

Of course broking entities would likely be smaller again. Additionally where the function is
relatively small then these might be clustered together in a ‘general’ department that provides
control and administrative support.

We will try to consider a model that could be applied to all office organizations - a Generic Office.

The Office/Operations Centre/Work Centre

All offices must have a responsible officer a leader charged with certain tasks.

The responsible officer can be called or labeled:

 Manager
 Controller
 Leading Hand
 Senior Clerk
 Accountant

It doesn’t matter much what the title is, although some people will argue differently and insist on
the title of Manager, the responsibility is largely the same. The manager is responsible for the
results emanating from a particular work centre.

He/she may have a hands on approach or specific tasks and rely upon others to complete the aims
at that work centre.

Manager

This officer must know and be able to communicate what is expected from that site. At a
branch the position will control hours of operation, number of staff, allocation of tasks and sub-
responsibilities, compilation of results, comparison of results for sales, revenues and
expenditures.

A good manager will seek staff to work with her or him rather than for them.
A good manager should have a Vision of what can be achieved at the profit center
and be able to communicate this to the staff.

What Is Vision?
Not another Mission Statement!

Refer to the handout - Vision and Values [for discussion

The manager should have some sort of vision of how to operate ‘the businesses and it should
be shared with the staff that are going to help with its achievement. If it is not and everyone
has their own vision or direction we could end up with chaos. A shared vision is a statement
of what is required and how we get there can be varied depending on the individual!

Getting back to the mission statement for a moment all staff should have a personal mission
statement - ‘what is your mission in life?’
In the article the following questions were posed [Michael Gerber, the E Myth Revisited];

What do I value most?

What kind of life do I want?
What do I want my life to look like, to feel like?? Who do I wish to be?

What are your highest priorities, the values that govern everything else in life? Whether
Committed to writing or retained in the subconscious all people have some values or ethics that
help shape their existence.
My mission is to work hard!

My mission is to guide people and improve their quality of life!

These statements are too shallow as a mission statement and need to be broadened.

My mission is to provide a good environment for my family, to apply myself at work so that there
is sufficient income to fulfill the aim and allow them to be educated to a level that allows them to
succeed in our society.

By having some kind of statement the process can become objective.

The mission statement is a vision and as stated ‘without vision we perish’ could subject us to a
robotic state of simply going through the process.

We will consider the article on Vision and Values and apply it to an employee work situation.
This is quite personal and in spite of the efforts of training and putting all staff into uniforms,
everyone is different physically, mentally, education, how we talk, beliefs, standards etc.

All that is asked here is that if a task is to be undertaken, or a job applied for give thought to how
customers will be treated, how staff will be treated, attitude to health and safety etc. these things
will impact on the performance.

Exercise: Consider the following Vision and Mission statement for the Operations
Department of a small bank. Do you think staff will clearly understand their bank’s vision and
mission and why or why not? Discuss in class.

Vision
To provide staff with a safe and enjoyable working environment that satisfies their career
aspirations and justly recognizes performance and initiative.
To seek consistent improvement in the delivery of operational and sales support via the
implementation of performance driven business practices, technological improvements and sales
techniques that minimize the cost of service delivery, enhance service quality and result in satisfied
customers who, by preference and with confidence, wish to do business with our Bank again.
Mission
“Through valued, trained and confident staff deliver timely and accurate operational and sales
support that meets business objectives, satisfies career aspirations and exceeds customer
expectations.”

Operations Plan

The manager must manage or control a designated area and he is measured on results. If
empowered to use others to achieve a specific result then he must communicate what the Aim or
Objective is. He must share his vision.
 He will provide the basic comforts like desks, chairs, lights, and a safe environment but then trust
the helpers to undertake duties or roles with minimal supervision. If it is required to be over
supervised then he is likely to be inefficient.
A good starting point is to share the vision or expectation in writing so that the communication is
in a form that all can see.

Marketing plan - relies on a budgeted amount and therefore is related to the Finance plan and then to
actual Operations.

Again part of this goes back to philosophies like Quality Standards and how much emphasis is
given to client contact. So we need to know about the quality of management by staff in line with
communicated principles.
Here there is a need to consider the process of the business how the inputs are converted into
outputs to meet customer requirements with a view to having an efficient process.

Productivity gains can only come from either;

 Cost reductions, or
 Increased production or output

Technological advance or introduction has been a large contributor to efficiency as the human
resource has attained its limits. Finding new, better methods for doing things can impact on cost
savings and releasing costly alternate expenditure.

In the work place this can involve a critical analysis of methods that have been in place for many
years. Some simple solutions may improve the performance yet others of more complex natures
might be required.

This can be done by staff or external contractors ‘time & motion experts’ skilled in viewing
operations and testing their efficiencies. A method described in the h/o uses flow charts to define
current usage and to recommend changes.

Define the Problem

Generally to try to solve a problem there is a need to establish what the problem is and often this
involves the collection of data over a period of time by the operators undertaking the tasks. A
check sheet is drawn up and handed to staff to compile the statistics.

From the data the aim is to define what the problem or bottle neck is so that solutions may be
sought.

Managing the People

Described as the biggest headache in the operation of a business by managers! ‘Getting workers to
do what you want them to do’.

Yet employees have conveyed that the biggest problem is finding out what management
wants, changing the goalposts, no authority and a lack of feedback on performance.

Five essential elements of productivity are;

 Role Clarity
People need to know what it is that they are expected to do clearly & specifically
 Correct job placement
Employees to be temperamentally suited to the type of work that they are doing so that they can
derive satisfaction and want to do it well
 Competency
People need to be trained properly in how to do the job and given the time to build up their
experience and confidence
Systems Support
Employees need enough time and information, and systems and other mechanisms in the job
environment that help them to do a good job, not to hold back their efforts.
 Leadership and guidance
Employees need to be guided or given strong management so that they feel supported.
The keys to unlocking quality performance are what to, want to, how to, and a chance to. In
summary you need the right person in the right job at the right time.

For consideration here are the following aspects of people management:

 Staff numbers
Creating an organizational structure
 Job analysis and design
 Job descriptions and person specifications Monitoring performance
Staff Numbers

There is mention of how to estimate staffing needs with reference that traditionally managers run
businesses under requirements much of the time. This could be on the basis that although staff is
under pressure they are able to handle it. Additionally, if over resourced, they will adjust to the
lower performance level as well. A method for determination of numbers is mentioned on p75. The
solution could be in the employment of people when required in a less than full time capacity e.g.
casual or part time.

In the h/o there is mention of the different types of employees and consideration of why they are
needed with special reference to the finance industry.

A properly structured workforce can help to reduce costs. Any work force can be made up of
permanent full time and part time staff, plus some contract or casual employment. If monthly sales
are consistent, permanent staff can be considered. However, if sales are erratic, casual employees
will give the business more flexibility.

Small business can rarely afford to carry a full time worker who is not fully occupied.
Consider needs carefully as it is much easier to increase hours than to decrease them.
Therefore there is a need to weigh up the advantages v disadvantages of hiring full time, part time
or casual staff.

 Full Time
 Part Time
 Casual
 Outsourced
What do you understand by these different categories of staff from other applications? What are
some of the differences in terms and conditions of employment?

Organizational Structure

This is where the structure so that all the workers can work together effectively.

In all efficient businesses staff must know what their roles are and additionally what their
coworkers do as well. It is essential that all workers are able to see where their role fits into the
overall business structure. A clear understanding of their role and the expectations placed
upon it will aid in how the job relates to others and contributes to the goals and objectives of the
business.
Any organizational structures should address;

What role each position plays in the business

 how each position contributes to productivity

 What skills and experience they need

 What they will cost
At what stage people will be hired.

Consider the Case Study p 79 & 80

Job Analysis & Design

The aim of the job analysis is to consider the following:

What is to be done
How it is to be done
 Why it is necessary
 The skills involved
Job Description & Person Specifications

A job description is an outline of the main tasks and responsibilities involved in a particular job. It
should also include the performance criteria by which an employee’s performance will be
measured. E.g. sales representative to achieve certain set sales targets.

The job description will usually cover;

 Job title
Taken from organization structure
 Scope
Broad statement describing the job and its contribution to the overall business
 Responsible to Who will supervise the position or who the position reports to?
 Main responsibilities The main functions of the position
 Performance criteria For each function, how the employee’s performance will be measured or
appraised
 Conditions of employment
The award or enterprise agreement that covers the position is detailed. Detail of hours of operations
including weekend or after hours.
Monitoring Performance

The dreaded time when someone tells the staff member how they are going. If the role has been
undertaken correctly there should not been any surprises because it is not just a once a year
function rather than an ongoing process.

Performance appraisal should be a tool for improvement [if required] not a process for fear.

The manager can use it to;

 Allocate resources
 Reward deserving employees
 Provide feedback for workers
To identify training and further development