ASESSMENT TASK ONE

1. Explain three (3) key principles that need to be considered by supervisors when
allocating tasks to their team. (in 50 to 70 words)

1. Set Direction

The first step in the process is to set the direction for the team, and to agree this with your
manager. This 'strategy' needs to be credible - and ideally inspiring - for people to want to follow
it. To secure buy-in early on, you may like to engage key team members in the development
process.

2. Plan and Prioritise

A team has finite resources both in terms of time and budget. Some things in the vision will be
higher priority and will need to be undertaken first. A useful way to prioritise activities is to
assess the impact these have on weighted strategy objectives, and of course the resources
required to deliver. 

2. Plan and Prioritise

A team has finite resources both in terms of time and budget. Some things in the vision will be
higher priority and will need to be undertaken first. A useful way to prioritise activities is to
assess the impact these have on weighted strategy objectives, and of course the resources
required to deliver. 

2. Explain the ‘SMARTER’ technique of delegation. (in 180 to 200 words)

Here is an acronym that might help you with effective delegation: S.M.A.R.T.E.R. This is simply
a quick checklist for proper delegation. Delegated tasks must be:
 Specific
 Measurable
 Agreed
 Realistic
 Timebound
 Ethical
 Recorded
The key is to delegate gradually. If you present someone with a task which is daunting, one with
which your rep does not feel able to cope, then the task will not be done and that person will be
severely demotivated. Instead you should build-up gradually; first a small task leading to a little
development, then another small task which builds upon the first; when that is achieved, add
another stage; and so on. This is the difference between asking people to scale a sheer wall, and
providing them with a staircase. Each task delegated should have enough complexity to stretch
that member of staff – but only a little. One of the main fears that leaders have about delegation
is that by giving others authority, a manager loses control. This need not be the case. If you train
your staff to apply the same criteria as you would yourself (by example and full explanations)
then they will be exercising your control on you behalf. And since they will witness many more
situations over which control may be exercised (you can’t be in several places at once) then that
control is exercised more diversely and more rapidly than you could exercise it by yourself. “In
engineering terms: if maintaining control is truly your concern, then you should distribute the
control mechanisms to enable parallel and autonomous processing.”

3. List and explain two (2) goal setting techniques. (in 20 to 30 words)

PACT Goals
PACT goals are a useful technique when you are setting long-term goals. PACT measures your
output instead of your results. By measuring your output, you will get more sense of
accomplishment, even when the results may not be as apparent.

WISE Goals
WISE goals help to give a bigger picture of why we are doing what we are doing. It gives us a
reason why the actions we take matter. WISE goals help you to set goals that genuinely help you
closer to your vision.

4. Explain the key principle of each of the following types of leadership styles. (in 20 to

30 words each)

a. Autocratic

An autocracy is a system of government in which one person—an autocrat—holds all political,

economic, social, and military power. The autocrat’s rule is unlimited and absolute and is not
subject to any legal or legislative limitation. An autocracy is a system of government in which all
political power is concentrated in the hands of a single person called an autocrat.

b. Democratic

A democracy is a form of government that empowers the people to exercise political control,
limits the power of the head of state, provides for the separation of powers between
governmental entities, and ensures the protection of natural rights and civil liberties. 
c. Laissez-faire

Laissez-faire is a French phrase that translates to “allow to do.” It refers to a political ideology
that rejects the practice of government intervention in an economy. Further, the state is seen as
an obstacle to economic growth and development.

5. Explain the ‘STAR’ model for giving feedback and why a manager may find this

model useful for motivating staff. (in 60 to 80 words)

STAR feedback helps managers provide relevant and actionable feedback by considering the
following three factors:

 Situation/Task – Start with the specific challenge the employee faced or

project/initiative they worked on.
 Action – Then think about the approach they took to the situation or task.
 Results – And lastly, consider how the action they took impacted the outcome of the
situation or task. 

STAR feedback is an excellent way to cut through the noise and come up with feedback that will
resonate with the employee.  Let’s explore each part of the STAR feedback model in more
depth.  

6. Explain the key principles of negotiation that should be used in the workplace to

ensure that agreements are reached. (in 120 to 140 words)

Prepare your overall negotiation strategy with care 

Prepare your negotiation strategy and methodology with the relevant members of your
organisation. Define and agree clear objectives to be reached, based on insight acquired through
any history of dealings with your counterparties. Learning from past negotiations will be the
most effective way to improve your future negotiations. Learn everything possible about your
negotiating partner(s) and the commercial conjuncture in which they operate. Understanding
their likely interests, priorities, limitations and scope of authority will help you to better
understand their real needs and priorities.

Incorporate cultural differences in your negotiating approach

The key to finding the right negotiating approach begins by understanding how your negotiating
partner thinks and how they operate their business in your local environment, while keeping in
mind that your own cultural habits and assumptions, about how to lead a business, may
drastically differ from the ones of your negotiating partner. To achieve this, continually question
your assumptions and think of those which your negotiating partner may be making about you.
Also keep an open mind, with a flexible negotiating framework, to help resolve any differences
with your negotiating partner.
7. Explain three (3) team-building techniques, using examples to illustrate your answer.

(in 30 to 50 words each)

1. Clearly define goals, roles and responsibilities

When we all know our place, it is easier to contribute to the shared goals of the team. To get your
team to become a more cohesive unit, it is important to communicate not only the reason the
team is in place, but also to clearly define what roles each team member plays in the bigger
picture.

2. Be a cheerleader

Motivating a team is often a difficult task. Why? Because you must first build interdependence,
respect and trust. When you take the time to listen to your team, such as through group
brainstorming, you show them that their opinions and knowledge are important to the group as a
whole and the end goal. When you take the time to build up your team through encouragement
and celebrating accomplishments, you build self-esteem and loyalty.

3. Build the team you need

When you invest in your team members, your team members become invested as well. How is
this accomplished? Through teaching leadership skills and providing leadership opportunities.
Mentor and give support. Provide training in areas where your team members need development.
Leadership is a skill, and there is always room for improvement.

8. Explain why it is important for a manager to take into account individual differences

and behaviour at work. (in 80 to 100 words)

A large amount of research shows that personality is a good predictive and explanatory factor for
the thinking, feeling, and behaviour of employees in the workplace. Personality, for example,
influences work-related attitudes and behaviour, such as career satisfaction and coping with
work-related stress. In addition to personality, however, the situation also affects attitudes and
behaviour. If the situational pressure is strong, personality has less influence on work-related
behaviour. Employees are not free in varying behaviour in such situations and so personality is
not decisive. Both personality and situation factors can, therefore, influence behaviour.
Eventually, cognition, affect, and behaviour are determined by the interaction between
personality and situation. Effective managers understand this interaction and use it to help
employees perform optimally.

Personality is partly biologically determined (nature). There are no specific genes that determine
personality, but twin research shows that approximately 50% of personality can be explained by
hereditary factors. The other half can be explained by life experience (nurture). Personality can
change through experience but not in the short term. As the definition makes clear, it is after all
relatively stable traits. Managers should therefore not set themselves the goal of changing the
personality of employees, but personality can be used to understand behaviour.

9. Explain key steps that should be followed to identify and resolve workplace problems.

Include in your answer when a problem should be escalated. (in 60 to 80 words)

1. Identify the issues.

 Be clear about what the problem is.

 Remember that different people might have different views of what the issues are.

 Separate the listing of issues from the identification of interests (that’s the next
step!).
2. Understand everyone’s interests.
 This is a critical step that is usually missing.

 Interests are the needs that you want satisfied by any given solution. We often
ignore our true interests as we become attached to one particular solution.

 The best solution is the one that satisfies everyone’s interests.

 This is the time for active listening. Put down your differences for awhile and listen
to each other with the intention to understand.

10. Explain two (2) characteristics of a work team that may contribute to the team

becoming innovative. (in 20 to 30 words)

Empowered natural work teams: These work teams share a common workspace and/or
responsibility for a particular process or process segment. Typically, such teams have clearly
defined goals and objectives that relate to day-to-day production activities.

Self-directed natural work teams: These autonomous teams consist of employees who perform
activities previously reserved for supervision. These work teams share a common workspace
and/or responsibility for a particular process or process segment. Typically, such teams have
authority for day-to-day production activities and many supervisory responsibilities.
11. Explain two (2) techniques that can be used to plan work. (in 20 to 30 words)

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a useful technique in all areas of business and, indeed, for other parts of the
project management process but it is also a vital first element in project planning.

Cause and Effect diagrams

Cause and Effect diagrams are also known as “fishbone” or Ishikawa diagrams (after the
Japanese professor who originally invented them) and are especially useful in project planning
for gathering and identifying all issues that could cause problems.

12. Explain four (4) techniques that manager can use to assist in promoting workplace

productivity. (in 30 to 50 words each)

1. Providing Autonomy

The brain is a primal, yet sophisticated, organ that uses an approach-or-avoid or fight-or-flight
response to threats. This response is hardwired and often derails productivity and performance if not
dampened. Allowing employees the opportunity to design their own work environment, working
hours or work flow is important for fostering autonomy.

2. Promoting Intrinsic Motivation

Autonomy, along with competence and relatedness, create a three-piece framework of intrinsic, or

self-, motivation. An organization needs these three factors to create an environment that fosters
performance, persistence and creativity. Like giving a child a bicycle with training wheels, to help
employees develop competence (and confidence), managers must ensure that they are working in an
environment where the they can be successful. 

3. Recognizing Sources of Influence

Sometimes, top performers will make mistakes that disrupt their performance and productivity.
These errors are caused by either motivation or ability, and determining which is key to increasing
work performance and productivity. Motivation and ability influencers come in three categories:
personal, social and structural. 
4. Setting Expectations and Following Up

The human brain feeds off patterns and craves systems and structure; therefore, the need to set
expectations and create certainty for employees is key to their productivity, according to Rock. The
authors of “Crucial Accountability” use a simple acronym for setting expectations and following up:
WWWF (Who does what, by when? Then, follow up). This approach takes assumptions and
guesswork out of the equation. 

13. What is the purpose of an organisational escalation procedure and how does it work?

(in 80 to 100 words)

The escalation procedures are the ways in which the PM communicates certain changes, with
respect to the project forecasts, at the board of directors of the company. The projects can fail for
the most disparate reasons, but probably the main one is the failure to correctly monitor the
project. Beyond the risk management plan and the change control process, escalation
procedures are essential in order to manage potentially dangerous situations. They are procedures
that can work both during the project, as soon as the problems are identified, or upon completion
before the closing declaration of the project. Having a well-structured project escalation process
is essential for a project manager. This process can help him to communicate effectively,
accurately, and promptly, in case of problems. The more effective and timely the communication
will be, the better the results of the decision-making processes will be. Structuring an effective
escalation process consists of knowing what, when, how, and why taking certain actions to face
certain situations.