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OCCUPATIONAL STANDARD: BASIC ACCOUNT WORKS

LEVEL II: MODULE TWO

2023 G.C

ADAMA ETHIOPIA

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Competence 8-14
Contents
Unit tattle: developing and using a personal budgets ....................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Implementation ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Set your goals .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Know your net income ................................................................................................................................................. 6
Make your plan ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
Track your spending..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Personalize your budget ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Creating a budget ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Have a monthly check-in .............................................................................................................................................. 6
UNIT TITTLE: Developing and using saving plan ................................................................................................................ 7
Definition..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Unit tattle: participating in work place communication ...................................................................................................11
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................11
Types of communication .............................................................................................................................................16
The Communication Process .......................................................................................................................................17
HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN A WAY THAT RESPONDS POSITIVELY TO INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES .....18
Occupational standard: Basic Account Works level II .......................................................................................................20
Unit tattle: Work in Team Environment .......................................................................................................................20
Definitions of Teamwork ............................................................................................................................................20
BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK ....................................................................................................................................20
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMS........................................................................................................21
CHOICE OF MANAGEMENT STYLE ......................................................................................................................22
CONFLICT AND THE TEAM ...................................................................................................................................22
HOW TO AVOID GROUP THINK ............................................................................................................................23
 Conflict and Improving Productivity .........................................................................................................................23
 Conflict and Organizational Change.........................................................................................................................23
AGREE A TEAM CHARTER ....................................................................................................................................24
UNDERSTANDING MANAGEMENT STYLE .........................................................................................................25
 Action Centred Leadership ...................................................................................................................................25
The three components are.............................................................................................................................................26
MEETING NEEDS .......................................................................................................................................................26
 Situational Leadership (Hersey & Blanchard) ...........................................................................................................27
Still directing and supervising closely but........................................................................................................................27
TEAM ROLES ...............................................................................................................................................................28
Unit tattle: developing business practice ......................................................................................................................31
DEVELOPING THE ACTION PLAN OF THE BUSINESS .......................................................................................34

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 Occupational standard: basic account works level II
Unit tattle: developing and using a personal budgets
Unit code: BUF BAW2 M08 0112
ELEMENTS UNIT OF COMPETANCY
1. Understanding the guidelines, procedures and legislation
2. Personal budget in their life
3. Properly allocate the personal; budget
4. Develop ha habit of planning the personal budget
Unit objective
A. Define a budget or spending plan.
B. Develop goals and estimate cash available.
C. Maintain a daily record of cash and prepare a budget.
Introduction
What is a personal budget?
A personal budget is a ‘virtual budget’, or amount of money allocated to meet your assessed needs. Individuals
can decide to use their personal budget in different ways, these are:
 A personal budget managed by the council
 A personal budget managed by a third party
 A personal budget received as a direct payment
 A combination of these options
What is an individual budget?
Sometimes, people use individual budgets to describe personal budgets. But sometimes people use individual
budgets to talk about budgets that include more than social care funding. If your council offers you an
individual budget, ask them to be clear about what funding will be included in the budget.
What can you use a personal budget for?
You should be able to use personal budgets for different kinds of support. The key point is that you must spend
the budget in a way that goes towards meeting your assessed needs or agreed outcomes. Generally speaking,
people could have more freedom when they have a personal budget. You should be able to use the budget to
buy support and / or equipment in the way that you think is most appropriate.
What shouldn’t you use a personal budget for?
You cannot use a social care personal budget to buy services which the NHS should provide. If you decide to
receive your personal budget as a direct payment there are certain things you cannot use a direct payment for.
Your rights
Councils will use a system to decide on the amount of your personal budget. The most common method that
councils are using to decide this is a resource allocation system (RAS) questionnaire. However, any system
must take account of deaf blind people who require specialist support and your personal budget must be enough
to meet assessed needs. See direct payments: receiving the right amount.
In the future, the government would like all adult users of social care in England to have a personal budget, but
you should have a real choice about how this works for you. For example, you should not have to receive the
personal budget as a direct payment.
Case studies: four examples of different ways that personal budgets can be used:
1. A personal budget managed by the council
There has been using a service provided directly by her council. The council is offering a personal budget to all
adults who use social care. He goes through the process for deciding how much her budget should be, and this
includes a specialist assessment.
2. A personal budget managed by a third party
Holly wants the local centre for independent living to manage her personal budget. Her council contracts to
hand over the budget to a local organization. It is then up to Holly and the organization to organize the day-to-
day arrangements.
3. A personal budget received as a direct payment
John wants to receive his personal budget as a direct payment. This means he takes on responsibility for
managing the budget, though he is entitled to support in doing this. He has to open a separate bank account to
receive the direct payment.
4. Taking a personal budget as a combination of services provided by the council and a direct payment

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Daniel’s council has started to offer people personal budgets. Daniel has had a specialist assessment and
currently receives a service from his council. The council includes the outcome of an updated specialist
assessment when deciding on the size of his personal budget.
Given the different options he has with a personal budget, he decides that the council will continue to provide
the communicator guide service to meet some of his needs, but that he will also take a direct payment to pay for
some support so that he has some flexibility. He employs three communicator guides on a flexible basis to
support him at this time.
What is managing income?
In order to provide for our needs and wants, we must learn to match income and expenses by developing a
balanced spending plan.
A spending plan or budget is an estimate of cash available to be spent or saved. This plan enables us to get as
many of the things we need and want as soon as possible. Everyone has different wants and different life goals
and must set up his/her individual plan.
Budgeting requires three things:
1. Determining short- and long-range goals.
2. Estimating available cash (income) for spending or saving.
3. Planning expenses or payments.
Developing goals
You must first budget is an estimate of cash available to be spent or saved. A short-term goal can be
accomplished within a year. An example of a short-term goal might be to buy a new coat. A long-term goal
would take longer to complete. An example of a long-term goal might be to take a vacation in California. You
need to be careful that the money you spend on short-term goals does not wipe out the money you need for your
long-term goals.
Estimating cash
In order to estimate available cash for saving or spending, you must keep track of both income and expenses. A
simple method of keeping track of cash would be to write down daily all cash earned and all cash spent.
Keeping track of money you spend will give you the elements to include in your budget. You must determine
what your total income and total expenses are and make a list of each over a period of at least one month.
For example, Sally takes home $200.00 a month from working at the Weis Markets in town. Her expenses for
the month include: clothing - $74.00, gas for her car - $40.00, savings - $60.00. Sally would keep track of her
income and expenses in the following way:
Income: Salary $200.00
Expenses: Clothing $74.00
Gas 40.00
Savings 60.00
Miscellaneous 26.00
Total $200.00 $200.00
Planning your income
After determining an estimate of your income and expenses, you can think about developing a budget and
setting up an amount to be set aside in each category. If you are living at home, your budget should be quite
simple; if not, you will have many more budget categories to consider. Preparing a budget involves setting up a
plan for spending and saving. After listing your short- and long-range goals, you will be able to make decisions
on how you’re spending or saving will emblem you to reach your goals. You must set up a particular budget
amount for each category in your budget based on your needs, wants, and goals. This spending plan must be
evaluated and revised periodically to keep it working. Remember, the main purpose of a budget is to live within
your income. In addition, budgeting provides you with important financial records needed for taxes and other
purposes.
When setting up budget categories, one of the most important items to include is savings. Every budget should
include a definite amount for savings. This category would provide you with emergency funds for unexpected
expenses and would enable you to satisfy your goals.
Whether you’ve got your sights set on buying your first home, investing in a new car or maybe taking an
extended getaway, developing a budget for yourself is the first step toward achieving your personal financial
goals. Sticking to a budget may not come naturally, but with discipline and gradually changing your habits you
will be able to finally start seeing a significant increase in your savings account. If you’re not ready to sacrifice
those lattes during your morning commute, you can still include them in your budget – it just may take a little
longer to reach your goals.

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Preparation
The Plan to spend anywhere from two weeks to a month learning where and how you are spending your money.
If you follow a steady routine, two weeks should be enough time, but if your days are more chaotic, take a
month.
Record all of your daily expenses – even those afternoon trips to the office vending machine. It may seem
tedious, but the mere act of writing down every time you part with your hard-earned money may be enough to
reduce excess spending.
Itemize your expenses and add up a monthly total for each one. For example, the total of all your gas receipts
will be a good average for what you spend a month on fueling your car. You may be surprised by some totals.
These are your monthly expenses after bills and rent or mortgage.
Consider which expenses you can eliminate or reduce. Perhaps you can get that pedicure every two weeks
instead of every Friday, or maybe you can cut back on caramel macchiato to just two or three days a week,
rather than every morning.
Implementation
Calculate your recurring monthly expenses, such as your electric, cable, credit card, Internet and phone bills, as
well as your car and insurance payments and your monthly housing rent or mortgage. If you pay some bills
annually, such as your car insurance, just divide the figure down to a monthly cost.
Factor in how much you want to put into savings each month. Treat this amount like a monthly bill. Put it in
savings and forget about it. If pinching pennies and staying in a budget feels like a foreign concept, start small
and gradually increase the amount as you become more comfortable with tighter purse strings.
Subtract your total recurring monthly expenses from your monthly income after taxes. Divide the remaining
amount by 4.33 -- which is the average number of weeks per month, although some are more and some are less
-- to obtain a weekly figure for how much you should be spending on things like groceries, gas and going out.
Compare this amount to the amount you recorded during the preparation phase. Hopefully, you aren’t spending
more than you actually have. If you are, review your expenses to see what you need to cut or reduce in order to
get out of the red. Use the extra money to pay down those credit cards first and keep some put aside for fun stuff
– this way you won't use your credit cards for concert tickets.
Establish goals based on the calculations you have made and, most important, stick to them. Track your weekly
spending. It may take a few weeks but eventually that increase in your savings account will make up for all the
brown bag lunches you are bringing to work, instead of frequenting that nearby.
If you’re a first-time budgeter, here are 12 steps to make the process as smooth and painless as possible.
1DecidetoStartaBudget
if you are reading this article, chances are that you have already made the decision to begin a working budget.
Congratulations! For many people, I included, this is the hardest part. Read on to get started with next steps.
 2.KnowHowMuchYouHave
if you have savings, checking accounts, investment accounts, or any other financial instruments, you
will want to know how much money is in each account as well as the interest rates and expenses of each
one.
3.Knowhowmuchyoumake
those on a salaried pay scale can easily find their monthly income. For hourly employees or those who work in
a business where income may rise and fall unpredictably, this can be much more difficult. The most important
consideration, regardless of how you earn your monthly income, is to determine the average monthly amount of
income that you receive
4.KnowWhatYouOwe
Determining your monthly recurring debt payments should be your next step. This should be fairly simple to do,
as long as you have stopped incurring additional debt in the short term. If you haven’t been able to break your
dependence on credit cards, that’s okay, as building a budget will act as a first step for your next financial
priority which should be getting out of high interest consumer debt.
5.DetermineYourNetWorth
once you know how much money you have and how much you owe, you can easily determine your net worth.
Just subtract what you owe from what you have, and you will derive a number. This number will tell you the
value of your financial resources.
6.DetermineYourAverageRecurringMonthlyExpenses
The best way to determine your monthly expenses is to make a stack of household expenses for a month. Keep
your receipts, your utility bills, and any other expense that arises during a one month period, and divide these
bills into categories. The categories can be as general or as specific as you want them to be.
7.MakeAdjustmentsAccordingly
If the bottom line of your budget proved that you are overspending your monthly income, you will come to the
most difficult step – making cuts to your monthly expenses. There are tons of resources here on Money
Crashers that will teach you to be smarter with the income you have, help you cut your recurring monthly
expenses, and establish your financial boundaries for personal budget planning.

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8.AdjustCategoriesBasedonReality
Life is full of surprises. Food gets more expensive, gas prices rise, and rent can get hiked when you least expect it. Each
time you notice inflation creeping up on your expense categories, get a raise at work and begin to earn more money, or
worse, suffer a financial setback like a pay cut or job loss, you must adjust your categorical expenses based on the realities
of the world around you.
9.Track,Monitor,andbeDisciplined
Keeping track of your budget takes an hour or so a week. But this will save you a lot of time in the long run.
Once you have an established budget, you will want to keep it in check. The discipline and associated
knowledge that you are making good long term and short term financial choices will provide you with a great
deal of comfort, and will take you from living paycheck to paycheck to being able to see the long term results of
your disciplined savings and financial planning.
The following strategies can help you build your personal budget.
Set your goals
Make a list of all the financial goals you want to accomplish over the short and long term. Ask yourself basic
questions about why those goals are your priorities, how you are planning to achieve them and how quickly you
need to see the results. Short-term goals should take no longer than a year to achieve.
Know your net income
The first step of creating a budget is to identify the money you have coming in - otherwise known as your
income. Keep in mind, however, that it's easy to overestimate what you can afford if you think of your total
salary as what you have to spend. Remember to subtract your employer deductions for social security, taxes,
and flexible spending account allocations when creating a budget spreadsheet. Your final take-home pay is
called net income and that is the number you should use when creating a budget.
Make your plan
Start by dividing your net income into two broad spending categories: fixed expenses and variable expenses.
Some of your expenses, such as your mortgage, are fixed because they stay the same each month. Other
expenses, such as gas for your car or entertainment, are variables that change from month to month. For both
fixed and variable expenses, you'll want to record how much you spend on each monthly.
Track your spending
Not sure how much you are spending on variable expenses like groceries or dining out each month? These
expenses can be difficult to track. You may want to try using a spending journal to help you do some detective
work for this type of spending. Find a small notebook and use it to write down each purchase you make every
day for a month.
Personalize your budget
The great thing about creating a budget is that you can customize it to your own needs. After you've determined
what to set aside for your fixed expenses, you can alter the amount earmarked for variable items. The variable
category gives you more wiggle room in how much you decide to spend where, allowing you to prioritize as
you see fit.
Creating a budget
Follow these four easy steps as you start building your personal budget:
1. Record your daily spending with anything that's handy, whether it's with a pen and paper or an app on your
smart phone.
2. Plan for next month's expenses and income so you don't get taken by surprise. Make sure to check in with
your significant other before making the list final.
3. Look for ways to spend less. Small savings can add up to a lot of money. Adding one small saving to your
budget at a time can surprise you with how much extra money you've accumulated. For example, try
shopping at a cheaper grocery store, buying generic brands or experimenting with cooking at home.
4. Find ways to boost your income. Have a hobby or a talent? Anything from handy work to writing or teaching
an instrument can be a way to earn extra money. One big bonus about this strategy is that you can make your
side business full-time if you ever lose your job.
Have a monthly check-in
Take a look at your spending every month and compare it to your personal budget spreadsheet to see how things
are going. If you find that you're often going over-budget in some areas out of necessity, you should consider
cutting elsewhere to keep things under control.

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OCCUPATIONAL STANDARD: BASIC ACCOUNT WORK LEVEL II

UNIT TITTLE: Developing and using saving plan

Unit code: BUF BAW2 M09 0112
ELEMENTS UNIT OF COMPETENCY
1. Develop using saving planning
2. Understanding ways how to save your resource
3. Dealing issues with saving and spending money
4. Use properly allocated budget
Unit objectives
At the end of this competency:
1. The trainees will be able to develop effective saving planning
2. The trainees will be able to allocate properly their resource
3. The trainees will be able to use advanced their saving method
Introduction
Definition
The portion of disposable income not spent on consumption of consumer goods but accumulated or invested directly
in capital equipment or in paying off a home mortgage, or indirectly through purchase of securities.
Saving means different things to different people. To some, it means putting money in the bank. To others, it
means buying stocks or contributing to a pension plan. But to economists, saving means only one thing—
consuming less out of a given amount of resources in the present in order to consume more in the future.
Saving, therefore, is the decision to defer consumption and to store this deferred consumption in some form of
asset. Saving is often confused with investing, but they are not the same. Although most people think of
purchases of stocks and BONDS as investments, economists use the term “investment” to mean additions to the
real stock of capital: plants, factories, equipment, and so on.
A spending/savings plan helps you manage your money more effectively. A realistic plan tailored to your
situation gives you more control over how money is spent and saved. Developing a spending/ savings plan takes
time. Following it takes determination.
Talking About Money
Money is a common problem regardless of your income, age or education. Sometimes a lack of income causes
money hassles and arguments. More often inadequate discussion about money and our feelings about money is
the root of financial problems.
When household members have different attitudes about spending and saving money, or when unrealistic goals
are attempted, there is a potential for conflict. Preventing and overcoming money problems takes honest and
open communication. It also takes time and effort.
Be willing to arrange a specific time when all household members can talk about money. Choose a location
where you won’t be interrupted. Meet on a regular basis instead of waiting until problems
Identifying Goals The first step of developing a spending/savings plan is to identify your goals. If your goals
are identified first, all your money won't be spent with little or none saved. By identifying goals first, you will
realize what you want to save toward and it will get you in the habit of saving. Goals may include saving for
emergencies, buying school clothes, paying off the balance on a credit card, buying a new or used car, or saving
for a child’s education.
Setting Goals Developing a spending/savings plan you'll be deciding on the goals you want to save toward.
Discuss the short-term, intermediate, and long-term financial goals listed on the "Identifying Goals Chart”, with
the members of your household. If all household members agree on the financial goals, they will be more
willing to work toward reaching each goal. Ask them to state their most important short term, intermediate and
long term goal. Agree on the goal(s) all of you will try to achieve. Be willing to listen and as a group settle
differences.
Eventually you’ll be incorporating the priority goal(s), including building or maintaining an emergency fund,
into your spending/savings plan. An emergency fund is so important because we never know when we’ll need
money to pay an unexpected bill, buy tires for the car, etc. From time to time, re-evaluate your goals to
determine if they are still important and realistic. This will renew your commitment to reaching them. Should
you need more room, copy the Monthly Savings Chart onto a separate piece of paper and be sure to include
these amounts in the Total Monthly Savings below.
Determining Expenses Developing a spending/savings plan involves knowing what your expenses are.
Typically people aren’t aware of where their income goes. To find out, keep receipts for everything you spend

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money on. The receipt could be a cash register tape, a piece of paper with the item, date, and cost written on it, a
charge slip or your record of checks written. Designate a place where all members of the household will put
their receipts.
Recording Monthly Expenses At the end of the week, organize the above receipts in expense categories. Total
these for each category and write the weekly total for each category on the "Monthly Expense Chart" . If a
spending category doesn’t apply to your household, cross it out and replace it with one which does apply. If you
need more room, use an additional piece of paper. Since the "Monthly Expense Chart" will be used again, you
may want to photocopy it before beginning to record your expenses. Put a copy of the "Monthly Expense Chart"
on the refrigerator or another visible place. This will act as a reminder to keep daily receipts and to total your
weekly expenses. At the end of the month, total each expense category. Then add the totals of each expense
category to get the "Monthly Grand Total of Expenses." At this time, disregard the "Planned Amount" column.
Recording Periodic Expenses The “Periodic Expense Chart” lists the many expenses that either weren’t paid
last month or due yet (medical bills, property taxes and car registration, for example). You may want to look at
the “Monthly Expense Chart” for other periodic expenses. List them as “Other” on the “Periodic Expense
Chart.”
In the first column, write the annual total for each category. Divide each total by 12 to get the monthly expense.
Add up the “Monthly Expense” column to get the “Periodic Monthly Grand Total.” At this time disregard the
“Adjusted Annual Total” column and the “Adjusted Monthly Expense” column.
Developing Your Savings Plan
The outcome is to have Income = Savings + Expenses. Let’s see if your income equals your savings and
expenses.
Does your monthly income equal your monthly savings and expenses? If not, consider the following changes:
Examine the expenses on the “Monthly Expense Chart” that change each month (ex: food, clothing,
entertainment, personal care, etc). Determine if any of these expenses can be decreased or eliminated at least
temporarily. Keep in mind as the expenses are adjusted they need to be realistic. It’s easy to write down a lower
figure, but can you live with that new amount? Write the new figures in the “Planned Amount" column.
Examine the expenses on the “Monthly Expense Chart” that don’t change each month (ex. mortgage,
installment loans, insurance premiums, etc.). Determine if any changes can be made, for example, refinance or
renegotiate better loan terms or increase insurance deductibles. Because of the nature of these expenses, you
may not be able to make any immediate changes. Write any new figures in the “Planned Amount” column.
Total the “Planned Amount” column.
Examine the expenses on the “Periodic Expense Chart” . Determine if any of these expenses can be decreased
or eliminated at least temporarily. Write the new figures in the “Adjusted Annual Total” column. As before,
divide the Adjusted Annual Total figures by 12 to get the Adjusted Monthly Expense. Add up the “Adjusted
Monthly Expense” column to get the Adjusted Periodic Monthly Grand Total. On the “Monthly Savings Chart”
reexamine your goals. Will you be able to accomplish them?
Should they be adjusted or eliminated? If adjustments need to be made, write the new figure in the “Adjusted
Monthly Savings” column. Add up this column to get the Total Adjusted Monthly Savings.
Using the Plan
Developing a savings plan is to implement the plan. An important part of a spending/savings plan is savings.
Each month save the monthly amount needed to achieve your goal(s). Also, each month, save the monthly
amount needed for each periodic expense so that when the periodic expense occurs, the money will be
available.
The other important part of the spending/savings plan is tracking your expenses. Continue to save your expense
receipts. Keep a weekly record of your expenses on the “Monthly Expense Chart”.
At the end of the month, total each category and compare this total with the “Planned Amount” for the same
category.
If the total monthly expense in a spending category is more than the “Planned Amount,” another spending
category will need to be adjusted. For example, if your food expense is $50 higher than you planned for, you
will need to under spend in other spending categories by a total of $50. If this doesn’t occur, you will be
spending more than you earn. Overspending may be a signal that either your spending habits must change or
your spending plan doesn’t accurately reflect your values.
Working through your spending/savings plan may indicate that some goals of savings and expenses are
unrealistic in light of current demands on your income. Periodically review the spending/savings plan and make
necessary changes. After 2 or 3 months of keeping track of income and expenses, you should be able to develop
a realistic spending/savings plan. Your individual plan will not only match your expenses to your income, but it
will also help you save for your financial goals.

8
OCCUPATIONAL STANDARD: BASIC ACCOUNT WORK LEVEL II
UNIT TITTLE: developing understanding of debt and consumer credit
UNIT CODE: BUF BAW2 M09 0112
ELEMENTS UNITS OF COMPETENCY
1. Developing the understanding of debt and consumer credits
2. Allocate the different ways differentiating debt and credit consume
3. Deals effectively with the issues, problems and factors with the debt and creditors
Unit objectives
1. The trainees will able to develop to understand the debt and credit consumption
2. The trainees will able to develop to How to allocate their consumption methods
3. The trainees will able to develop to Use the finding correct consumption in their budget constraints.
Introduction
The word Credit is driven (from Latin careered translation. "to believe") is the trust which allows one party to
provide resources to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately (thereby generating
debt), but instead arranges either to repay or return those resources (or other materials of equal value) at a later date. The
resources provided may be financial (e.g. granting a loan), or they may consist of goods or services (e.g. consumer credit).
Credit encompasses any form of deferred payment.[1] Credit is extended by a creditor, also known as a lender, to a debtor, also
known as a borrower.

Credit does not necessarily require money. The credit concept can be applied in barter economies as well, based on the direct
exchange of goods and services. However, in modern societies, credit is usually denominated by a unit of account. Unlike
money, credit itself cannot act as a unit of account.

Movements of financial capital are normally dependent on either credit or equity transfers. Credit is in turn dependent on the
reputation or creditworthiness of the entity which takes responsibility for the funds. Credit is also traded in financial markets.
The purest form is the credit default swap market, which is essentially a traded market in credit insurance. A credit default swap
represents the price at which two parties exchange this risk – the protection "seller" takes the risk of default of the credit in
return for a payment, commonly denoted in basis points (one basis point is 1/100 of a percent) of the notional amount to be
referenced, while the protection "buyer" pays this premium and in the case of default of the underlying (a loan, bond or other
receivable), delivers this receivable to the protection seller and receives from the seller the par amount (that is, is made whole).
Are your debts getting out of control? Maybe you’re struggling to make ends meet because of unemployment,
ill health, economic conditions or a relationship breakdown. Perhaps this is the first time you’ve run into trouble
with your family finances. You might not know what to do if you can’t pay your bills or meet your repayments,
or where to go for help.
If you can’t keep up with repayments on a credit card or loan (including a home loan), talk with your credit
provider as soon as possible and let them know you are experiencing financial hardship.
If you can’t come to an agreement with your credit provider, ask them to review their decision if you think it’s
unfair. You can complain to an independent dispute resolution scheme if you’re still not happy.
If you want to repay your debts but can’t, and you haven’t been able to negotiate an arrangement with your
credit provider, you have a legal right to seek a hardship variation. This is a formal process where you ask your
credit provider to vary the terms of your loan contract.
Without any change being made to your current interest rate, you can ask your provider to extend your loan
period, so that you make smaller repayments over a longer period of time, OR postpone your repayments for an
agreed period, OR extend your loan period AND postpone your repayments for an agreed period.
After you apply for a hardship variation, the credit provider must respond to your request in writing within 21
days.
Dealing with multiple credit card debts
While it makes sense to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first, if you’re having trouble managing
several debts – for example, you’re struggling to meet even minimum repayments on multiple credit cards.
 Here are two payment options you could consider:
If you are having trouble paying a water, phone, gas or electricity bill, contact your water, phone or energy
company. Most companies have hardship officers who can help you work out a plan to pay the bill in
installments.
If the provider won’t help you, you can complain to one of the schemes.

9
Fixing Your Credit
Someday (maybe even today) you will want a car. Like almost everyone else, you will need a loan to pay for it,
and you will need insurance to protect the car in case of an accident.
Here’s how you can build up a credit history.
• Social security number: If you do not already have one, apply right away
• Savings account: Do you have a savings account with your local bank? Open one, and be sure to use your
Social Security Number.
• Paycheck: Whether it’s a newspaper route or a part-time job at a dog grooming business, a regular paycheck
can establish that you are a good credit risk.
What is a Credit Report?
A credit report is a summary of all of your money history, from savings accounts to loans to credit card
payments. If you’re like most teens, your credit report is pretty empty. Maybe you have a savings account, but
you probably have no history of anyone ever lending you money or giving you a credit card. Why is having a
Good Credit Score Important?
Test scores in school are important to you, your parents, and maybe to a college or a potential employer. But
why should you care about your
FICO score?
Your credit score will show companies whether to lend you money, and even how much to charge you in
interest for a loan you need. From our earlier example, the person with the FICO score of 725 applies for an
auto loan and gets an interest rate of 5.518%, while the person with the score of 550 gets a rate of 16.939%.
That can amount to paying more than $500 extra over the life of the loan.
How do I build up a better credit score?
• Get a savings account at your local bank. Keep a steady or increasing amount of money.
• Get a debit card at the same bank. Even if a parent has to co-sign (be financially responsible in case you mess
up) it still helps you build up credit. Always keep a safe cushion of money, at least $200, in the account.
• If you are over 18, talk to your local bank about opening a credit card. Your local bank knows you and your
family, and they will take that information into consideration even if you do not have enough history to have a
credit score yet.
Benefits of Credit Information Sharing
Credit reporting service providers collect information from both financial institutions, such as banks and credit
card companies, and a variety of nonfinancial institutions, such as utility companies and retailers, as well as
from public records, and other data sources such as databases on bounced cheques, promissory notes and
protested bills of exchange, collateral registries, vehicle registries, real estate registries, personal identity
records, company registries, tax authority databases, and some court records. Credit history data can be broadly
categorized as: negative data and positive data. Negative reporting includes only information pertaining to
unfulfilled financial obligations such as defaults, amounts in arrears, court judgments, and other adverse or
negative information. Information on delinquent debts that are eventually paid off usually remains on file and
forms part of the credit history for a defined period of time. Historically, databases with negative-only data have
been referred to as “black lists.

10
Occupational standard: Basic Account Works level II

Unit tattle: participating in work place communication

UNIT CODE: BUF BAW2 M11 0112
ELEMENTS UNITS OF COMPETENCY
1. Develop effective work place relationship
2. Contribute work group activities
3. Deal effectively with issues, problems and conflict

Introduction
This modules relates to workplace communication and is appropriate to people employed in a range of
workplaces in the rural, regional and remote sectors.
Skills and knowledge developed will ensure your ability to communicate effectively in the workplace.
Resources and activities provided are designed to develop your skills and provide formative assessments to
monitor progress.
This module applies to any person working in a job or industry operating in the rural and regional sector where
they are required to perform a range of routine workplace communication tasks. The tasks will include effective
listening, questioning and non-verbal communication with clients / customers and colleagues. It includes
identifying, accessing and using communication equipment and systems; carrying out face-to-face routine
communication; and completing written documentation.
Communicating information
Workers must be able to communicate information to work effectively. Information is communicated in two directions -
sometimes you receive information and sometimes you convey it. You communicate regularly with your employer or
supervisor and your co-workers. You might also communicate with customers and suppliers, contractors, local
government employees, or other people from outside your workplace.
Gathering information for work
Every day, you have to gather information that you need for your work. Some information comes from your supervisor,
co-workers, clients, suppliers and other people you speak with each day. Some information, such as work rosters, vehicle
logbooks, or telephone messages, comes in written form. You might also gather information from your own observations
by, for example, looking at a rain gauge, or checking supplies of materials.
Information sources
 Letters memos Plans
 internet websites faxes emails
 newsletters work notes order sheets
 SMS industry magazines

Listening
Quite a lot of information is collected by listening to someone. You can listen to the other person.
• Face-to-face
• by telephone
• by radio.
Observing
-You can also collect information by observation. 'For instance you might:
 count items of stock
 check the condition of equipment or livestock
 check a thermometer, vermin traps, a fuel gauge
 Watch a TV program or DVD.
Recording Information
Workplaces rely on large amounts of information from many different sources to operate effectively. Most of that
information is recorded either manually (on paper) or electronically (on computer). Work schedules, product catalogues,
orders and receipts, time sheets and memos are all examples of written information, or records, found in most workplaces.
Locating written information
Before you can use records, you need to know where to find them. Written information may be located in:
• Computer databases • filing cabinets
• shelving • drawers
• counters • pin boards or whiteboards.
Organising written information
Records need to be kept in the same place all the time so that everyone knows where to get them when they want to use
them. It would very frustrating to find that the vehicle logbook was not in the truck as it should be, or that someone had
moved the order book just when you needed it to answer a customer inquiry.
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Sometimes many records are kept together in one place, such as in a filing cabinet. They are often organised in
alphabetical order so that they are easy to find. There are many ways to organise records, so you must use the method
preferred in your workplace. Records stored together must be replaced in the correct order to make it easy for everyone to
find them. Some records are only needed for a short time. Eg A message telling you to collect a parcel from the post office
can be thrown away afterwards, and the social club newsletter can be replaced on the pin board when the new one arrives.
Recording information accurately and legibly Written information is only useful if it is accurate and legible. A great
deal of time and effort can be saved in the longer term if you take care to check that the information is correct before you
write it down. If your handwriting is not very clear, it might be better to print the information so that it can be easily read.
Communicating courteously and clearly
An important part of your job is to pass on information to other people. Lots of messages and instructions that
you receive in person, or by telephone or radio, have to be passed on to someone else. You could use the phone
or a written note to pass on the information, or you could speak to the other person face to face.
Much of the time you will be communicating with co-workers or your supervisor, but you might also have to
talk to clients. Anyone that you provide with a product or service is your client. You can have both internal and
external clients. Internal clients are the people you deal with in other sections of your workplace. External
clients are customers, suppliers, industry bodies, government employees, contractors or anyone else in your
industry network.
There is good reason for you to communicate courteously and clearly with all these people. You have to get
along with the people at your workplace, and you can do that better if you treat them with respect and help them
as much as you can. When you are dealing with people from outside your workplace, you are representing your
employer and you need to present a good image.
Communicating face to face
Communicating face to face with other people involves:
 speaking observing
 listening being observed
When you are face to face with another person, you don't just hear the words they say - you also hear their tone
of voice, see what they look like and watch how they behave. At the same time, they can hear, see and watch
you.
Observing and being observed
Would you be convinced by the advice of safety inspector who forgot his hard hat and steel-capped boots?
Would you want a sandwich made by a lunch bar attendant with filthy hands and clothes?
Your personal presentation dress and hygiene all contribute to the impression you make on others. Appropriate
personal presentation demonstrates your respect for yourself, your employer, and the people you interact with
through your work.
Make sure your clothes are suitable for the work you do. If your work calls for personal protective equipment,
make sure you wear it. In some jobs you will need to cover long hair and jewellery. You should be neat, clean
and well groomed for a job that involves personal contact with others - especially the general public.
People also notice 'body language'. The way you use your hands, your posture and the expressions on your face
are all examples of non-verbal behaviour that you can use to get your message across. When you are face to
face with someone, you pick up a lot of information from their non-verbal communication. Some people can be
very quiet, yet still show aggressive body language. They might have a pained look on their face, they might
look tense, or they might shake with anger. You interpret as much from their mannerisms and gestures, tone of
voice and level of eye contact, as you do from their words
Choosing the right way to share information depends on the needs and interests of the other person, not just on
what you want to say. When sharing information:
DO DON'T
 stand or sit up straight • slouch
 make eye contact • look around
 smile and greet the other person read the newspaper & pretend you haven't noticed anyone
 listen and observe carefully • interrupt or be distracted
 speak clearly • mumble
 get straight to the point. • Waffle.

12
Listening
Listening is more than hearing, and it requires some effort. It involves nonverbal communication as well. When
people are giving you instructions, you need to listen carefully so that the job is done safely and accurately. By
being a good listener, you will follow instructions more accurately and reduce the risk of accidents.
As a listener you should:
 listen for people's feelings
 show you are listening by the answer you give
 Use non-verbal means to encourage the speaker to continue.
Speaking A lot of workplace communication involves asking questions or responding to inquiries. To get the
answers you want, you have to ask the right questions. Be specific about what you need to find out so that the
other person understands clearly. If you need to ask a number of questions, it will help you to remember them
all if you write them down first. Speak slowly and clearly so that you are heard and understood the first time.
The other person must be able to pay full attention to what you are saying, so choose a time that is mutually
convenient. If you need to know the answer urgently, you might have to interrupt. Just make sure you explain
that it is important. Before you ask a question of anyone, think about.
Responding to inquiries Be sure to use your listening and observing skills when someone asks you a question.
Pay attention to the persons tone of voice, facial expression and gestures - your observations will help you to
decide what you need to explain.
For instance, if you are asked 'Where is the instruction manual? - should you explain:
 Where it is kept (the person doesn't know where to look)?
 Why it is not in its usual place (the person is angry that it is not where it should be)?
 Why you are not using the instruction manual (the person thinks you should be using it)?
If you still don't understand what the person is asking, say so right away. Once you are sure about the question,
answer it promptly and concisely. Long, complicated answers waste time and confuse the issue. If you need to
supply more information, you will be asked for it.
Often your response will take the form of an explanation. For instance, you could be asked how to do
something, how to get somewhere or how something works. An explanation takes some thought. You must not
only provide the facts, but you must do so in a way the person can understand. That could mean speaking
slowly, using words that are familiar to the other person, and perhaps making a drawing or map.
Communicating by telephone or radio
The procedures for telephone and radio communications are very similar because they both rely solely on
speech. It is more difficult to communicate when you can't see how the other person is responding, so you need
to be well prepared. You will feel much more confident if you are prepared -especially if you have to speak to
someone you don't know.
Because you are representing your workplace or section, you should know some basic facts about it. You
should know:
 what services or products you provide
 the main sections of your business and what they do
 the approximate number of people employed
 Workplace guidelines and policies for matters you deal with.
Whenever YOU are speaking to clients you should:
 be discreet
 don't discuss internal workplace problems
 accept responsibility for handling the call
 if you can't help the caller, offer to find someone or some way to help
 don't blame someone else for problems or difficulties
 stay calm and cool.
Making calls
List the calls you have to make in order of importance and make a checklist for each one . The check list should
include items such as:
 the name of the person you are calling
 the section where the person works (in case there's another person with the same name)
 the extension number
 the reason for calling
 how to address the person
 What you want to know
 What you want done
 When you want the information (or delivery etc)
13
  How you want the job done.

Receiving calls
You should also be prepared for receiving calls. Always:
 have a pen or sharpened pencil and a message pad ready
 answer the call promptly
 greet the caller with a pleasant voice
 identify your business and section, and yourself
 write down the caller's name
 find out all the information
Giving and following instructions
Good instructions are simple, logical and clear. Learning a new skill
Instructions can be used to teach someone a new skill.
These are the 5 steps to learning a new skill:
Be introduced to the skill
 get to know it
 try it out
 get feedback on how you're going
 apply the skill.
Clarifying instructions
You will often have to follow instructions and then pass them on to someone else. Sometimes the person giving
the instructions doesn't follow the five steps described earlier. This is when you should ask questions to find out
how you are going or to clarify what the instructions are.
Written instructions
Written instructions should.
• 'be clear, exact and logical
• be set out in the order in which they have to be done
• be set out in small, manageable steps
• have space between the steps to show that they are separate
• explain what to expect at each step
• be written to suit the person who will read them
• be free of jargon and unnecessary technical terms
• include advice on safety and troubleshooting.
Working in groups
Work groups
Many workplaces set up groups of workers to perform a certain job or achieve a particular goal. The work
group may be split up afterwards or given a new job or goal. The people who make up the group may all be
from the one section of the business with similar skills and qualifications, or they may be from different
sections.
Work groups can be set up for many different reasons. They could work on:
 shutting down equipment for annual maintenance
 organising a revegetation program
 revising OHS guidelines
 planning a special event
Your group discussions
When people come together in groups they bring many different ideas, experiences and skills. Working in
groups fosters initiative, tolerance and trust.
Work groups can:
• share information
• solve problems
• make decisions
• accomplish tasks.
For work groups to be successful, people have to communicate and cooperate.
Here is an example of how a work group can communicate and cooperate effectively.
A group meets with the supervisor every Monday morning to work out the jobs for the coming week. At the
start of the meeting, the supervisor tells the Workers the goals for the week. He encourages them to join in. As
they prioritise the tasks and allocate them, they have a chance to discuss any problems.

14
For more serious problems, he lets the group brainstorm possible solutions. They often come up with quite
novel solutions by working together. They feel more committed to these ideas too, because they have
discovered and discussed them as a group.
The supervisor encourages everyone to join in the discussion without letting anyone take it over. He makes sure
they keep on track and on time.
He listens to what the employees say and he encourages them to listen to each other. He accepts their views and
is concerned about their problems. He considers their ideas and gives them feedback on their suggestions. At
the end of the meeting he asks one team member to write up the decisions.
Structuring meetings
Meetings need a structure. Without structure, the discussion usually takes far too much time without reaching
any firm decisions. An agenda is used to give some structure to a group discussion. An agenda lets people know
what the meeting will be about so that they can think about it before they come. It makes sure that everything
necessary is included for discussion and nothing gets forgotten at the meeting. During the meeting, it keeps the
discussion on track.
Formal meetings
A typical agenda for a formal meeting includes the following items:
• Opening
• Welcome and apologies
• Minutes from the previous meeting
• Business arising from the minutes
• Correspondence, inwards and outwards
• Business arising from the correspondence
• 'reports - financial and subcommittees
• General business
• Other business
• Date, time and place of next meeting
• close.
Informal meetings
Informal meetings also need an agenda, although it might be much simpler than the one shown above. It should
include opportunities to discuss:
• The purpose of the meeting
• What has happened so far
• What problems still need to be addressed?
* How the work group will achieve its goals.
Obligations of work group members
As a member of a work group, you have an obligation to:
• attend meetings
• participate to the best of your ability
• behave courteously towards other members of the group
• comply with meeting decisions
• carry out instructions decided at meetings
* keep sensitive matters confidential.
If your obligations are not obvious or clear, you should ask your supervisor or co-workers for advice

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Types of communication
Assertive communication is that which is open, direct and honest. When communicating
assertively you state your personal view without attacking or blaming others. Assertive
communication respects the feelings and values of others. It does not try to compete by "scoring
points" off others in the team. The message assertive communicators give is "'I'm OK, you're
OK'.
Some people confuse assertiveness with aggression. Aggressive communication occurs when the
speaker attacks the other person or tries to promote themselves at the other's expense. The
message aggressive communicators give is " I'm OK, you're not OK". Other people retreat from
stating clearly what's on their minds and will agree with the group rather than express a different
opinion.
Non-assertive communicators tend to feel "hardly done by" and often feel angry and resentful
towards others. The message they project is -You're OK; I'm not OK".

Assertive Aggressive Non-assertive

communication communication communication

Style  clear, honest,  verbal abuse  withholds opinion

 direct open  name calling
Communication  one-upmanship"
 listens attentively  win at all costs
to others  does not listen to
others loud voice
 does not share
ideas
 agrees with others
without expressing
a personal view

Nonverbal signs  eye contact  sarcastic tone avoids eye contact

 relaxed posture  finger pointing quiet voice closed
 smiles, nods when  table thumping etc. posture
others speak  angry/ tense
 speaks in a friendly expression
 tone

Underlying value respects others ideas does not respect others believes other people’s
and opinions opinions and ideas ideas are better than
enjoys communicating enjoys power over their own
with others others feels threatened by
"I'm OK; you're OW' "I' In OK; you're not open communication
OK" 'You're OK; I'm not
OK"

16
EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
The learning materials provide opportunities to develop and apply employability skills that are
learnt throughout work and life, to your job.
The statements below indicate how these processes may be applied in a workplace related to
communications. In completing your daily Work tasks, activities and summative assessments
you must be able to demonstrate competent “employability skills” in the workplace.
Communication
• Listening and understanding
• speaking clearly and directly
• empathizing
• understanding the needs of internal and external customers
• Mathematical ideas and techniques can be applied by calculating and recording workplace
information Teamwork
• working as an individual and as a member of a team
• completing individual tasks to support team goals
• participating in workplace communications and team solutions Problem Solving
• developing creative, innovative and practical solutions
• showing independence and initiative in identifying and solving problems
• choosing appropriate methods for communication and transferring information Initiative and
Enterprise
• initiating innovative solutions
• demonstrating individual responsibility for completing tasks
• adapting to new situations Planning and Organizing
• being resourceful
• taking initiative and making decisions
• collecting, analyzing and organizing information
• participating in planning and organizing related to communications
• writing a range of simple documentation and communications
• obtaining various workplace documents and processing them accordingly Self Management
• taking responsibility for appropriate communication in the workplace
• Dealing sensitively with client needs and cultural, family and individual differences
Communication is the process of exchanging information and ideas. There are many means of
communication. To be an effective and valuable member of your workplace it is important that
you become skilled in all of the different methods of communication that are appropriate. This
workbook looks at different types of communication and associated technology, but before that it
is important to understand the communication process.

The Communication Process

For communication to occur it must pass from a sender to a receiver. This must occur
irrespective of the form of communication.

17
For communication to be effective it must be understood by the receiver and be able to be
responded to. This means that total communication involves speaking, reading, listening, and
reasoning skills. As communications pass from the source to the receiver there is plenty of
opportunity for its original meaning to change or alter. Therefore listening, reasoning and
feedback is an important part of the process as it is an opportunity for the sender to make sure the
receiver has understood the message.
The other consideration is the “noise” associated with the communication – what else is
happening, what are the distractions, the baggage etc. Noise can have a big impact on the
message the receiver decodes.
HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN A WAY THAT RESPONDS POSITIVELY TO
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
You were asked to list problems that are occurring related to communication in your workplace.
Many problems can relate to technical and equipment issues, but did you think about the
problems that may occur because of individual differences between people. In taking the “people
factor” into consideration you should:
• value all individuals and treat them with respect, courtesy and sensitivity
• recognize cultural differences
• communicate in a way to develop and maintain positive relationships, mutual trust and
confidence
• make efforts to use basic strategies to overcome language barriers
Remember that the way you communicate has a big impact on your ability to get on with people
and get the things that you want/need done. Communication, whether verbal, written or visual
can be expressed in positive (assertive) or negative (aggressive, passive) ways. People need to
take feedback from how others interpret or perceive how they are communicating.
Let’s try to work this out’, increasing your likelihood of getting what you want, avoiding conflict
and maintaining good relationships (I win/you win).
When you are assertive you can:
• express your own thoughts, feelings and needs
• make reasonable requests of other people (while accepting their right to say ‘no’)
• Stand up for your own rights
• say ‘no’ to requests from others at times, without feeling guilty
Are you an assertive communicator? To help you become an effective assertive communicator
here are some hints:
Express yourself clearly
Assuming that others know what you want can create all sorts of problems. When you hint rather
than make a clear statement, people don’t always get the message. Similarly, when you ramble
on rather than state your thoughts clearly, people may not get the message. So, if there is
something that you need to say it is helpful to tell it as it is – don’t hint.

18
Do it now
If there is an issue you need to raise or a situation that needs to be resolved, try to deal with it as
soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the harder it gets, and the more tension builds up. The
only exception to this rule is if you feel very angry, and you can’t trust yourself to stay calm
when you talk about it. In this situation, it’s often a good idea to have a cooling off period before
you raise the issue. Doing this prevents conflict and reduces the likelihood that you will say
things that you will later regret. Sometimes you may need a day or two to cool down before you
say what you need to say.
Ask for clarification
Just as people can’t always read your mind, sometimes it is difficult to interpret what someone else is
thinking or feeling. If you are confused about the message that you are receiving, the best thing to do is
check it out with the other person. Asking for clarification helps to prevent misunderstandings.
Acknowledge your discomfort
If you feel uncomfortable raising a particular issue, it can be helpful to let the other person know this, for
example: ‘Look Sam I feel really awkward about bringing this up but...’ or ‘Alex, I need to talk to you
about something and I’m feeling nervous about it. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but if I don’t say
anything, I think I’ll continue to feel upset.’ By honestly referring to your discomfort, you ‘lower the
temperature’ and reduce the likelihood that the other person will become hostile or defensive.
Be aware of your body language
The way you speak – including the volume and tone of your voice, your physical gestures, and
facial expressions, all have an important impact on how your message will be received. For
example, if you fold your arms in front of your chest, have a stern expression on your face or
speak in an accusing tone, the other person is likely to feel defensive even before they have heard
what you have to say
Communicate positive feelings
Developing good relationships means being able to express positive feelings. We often assume
that people know that we like them or appreciate what they do for us, so we don’t tell them.
However, people aren’t mind-readers, and if we don’t tell them they don’t always know (and
even if they do know, it’s still nice to hear someone say nice things every now and then!).
Communicating positive feelings towards others lets them know that we value them and helps to
strengthen relationships.
Remember your rights! You have the right to:
1. Express your opinion
2. Say ‘no’
3. Make mistakes
4. Change your mind
5. Disagree with others
6. Ask for what you want
7. Be treated with respect
8. Not take responsibility for other people’s problems

19
Occupational standard: Basic Account Works level II
Unit tattle: Work in Team Environment
Unit code: BAW2 M12 0112
ELEMENTS UNIT OF COMPETENCY
1. Develops work team environment in their life
2. Select best group team for their work
3. Use effectively their recourse in team work areas
4. Avoiding misconnection between team work environment
Definitions of Teamwork
'work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the
efficiency of the whole' (circa 1828) source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary 'the work or co-ordinate effort
of a team or group of people to produce a desired result' source: Wordsmiths Children's Dictionary
'organized co-operation' source:
The Oxford Dictionary:-Teams are groups of people that share a common purpose, to which they
are all committed, and who are empowered to set goals, solve problems and make decisions.
Without these common traits they are not a 'team' - they are a group of people who happen to
work together in the same environment - a work group.
BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK
Effective teamwork has a number of benefits - to the organization, to the team and, not least, to
the individuals within the team.
The way that people work in teams is just as important as their individual performance. This
includes their capacity not only to work within their own team but also to have good inter-team
relationships. Working in such an environment helps build high staff morale and improved
work performance.
Teamwork can contribute towards:
 Improved productivity
 Quality improvement
 Innovation and Creativity
 Capitalization of technological advances
 Improved employee motivation and commitment
Effective teams are flexible, creative and responsive to the demands of the task. They
demonstrate high levels of involvement, accept responsibility for team success and both
recognizes and value individual contributions made by team members. People value being part
of such a team.
WHAT DOES BELONGING TO A TEAM MEAN?
 Having a shared communication network
 Accepting accountability
 Co-operation
 Cross training - to provide team backup
 Anticipating individual/organizational needs
 All singing from the same hymn sheet

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  All team members accepting responsibility for keeping the team focused
 All team members being aware of and avoiding 'groupthink'
 Supporting each other
 Learning - developing oneself
 Having a common team goal
 Understanding team goals
 Synergy - team results are greater than would have been achieved by the sum of the
individuals
 Individual team members helping develop other team members
 Involvement - the entire team takes part in the decision making process
 Passion
 Patience - recognizing that teams go through different stages of maturity
 Accepting that individual commitment to the team is more important than personal goals
 Mutual support
 Understanding own and other team members' roles and responsibilities
 Vision
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMS
Kenneth Blanchard describes the characteristics of effective teams using the mnemonic
PERFORM:
 PURPOSE
 Members can describe and are committed to a common purpose
 Goals are clear, challenging and relevant to purpose
 Strategies for achieving goals are clear
 Individual roles are clear
 EMPOWERMENT
 Members feel a personal and collective sense of power
 Members have access to necessary skills and resources
 Policies and practices support team objectives
 Mutual respect and willingness to help each other is evident
 RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION
 Members express themselves openly and honestly
 Warmth, understanding and acceptance is expressed
 Members listen actively to each other
 Differences of opinion and perspective are valued
 FLEXIBILITY
 Members perform different roles and functions as needed
 Members have responsibility for team leadership and team development
 Members are adaptable to changing demands
 Various ideas and approaches are explored
 OPTIMAL PRODUCTIVITY
 Output is high
 Quality is excellent
 Decision-making is effective
 Clear problem solving process is apparent
 RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION
 Individual contributions are recognized and appreciated by leader and other members

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 Team accomplishments are recognized by members
 Group members feel respected
 Team contributions are valued and recognized by the organization
 MORALE
 Individuals feel good about their membership on the team
 Individuals are confident and motivated
 Members have a sense of pride and satisfaction about their work
 There is a strong sense of cohesion and team spirit
CHOICE OF MANAGEMENT STYLE
Understanding that teams go through different stages of development, and that they may oscillate
between stages, is important because it relates to management style. Using a very directive style
with a mature, highly committed team could lead to frustration and disaffection. The opposite is
also true - using a delegating style with a newly formed team would lead to confusion and
unmanaged conflict.
CONFLICT AND THE TEAM
People often feel that conflict is inherently dysfunctional - however constructively handled it can
actually have a positive effect. It usually surfaces during the 'storming stage' when the team is
trying to sort out its leadership, the roles members undertake and what rules/codes of conduct it
will observe. Sometimes it will be about the direction in which it is moving (or where it has
stalled) – some degree of conflict is likely.
Left to fester conflict can negatively influence the effectiveness of the team – the team must be
willing to address conflicts quickly, openly and in an atmosphere of trust and respect. Teams in
this stage may demonstrate some of the following: failure to prepare for meetings, frequent
lateness, early departure or even missing them altogether. Personalised disagreements, fading
commitment, frustration, defensiveness, apathy, conflicting personal agendas.
BUT MANAGED CONFLICT CAN BE GOOD..
It may help us look for a better solution to a problem by:
 Getting the team to examine potential defects in a particular solution
 Revisiting goals, procedures, solutions to ensure that the best choice has been made
Without conflict the decision might be the result of ‘groupthink’.
WHAT IS ‘GROUPTHINK’?
'Groupthink' arises when the group’s need for agreement is greater than their motivation to
consider alternatives - so avoiding the expression of contradictory views.
Symptoms of groupthink:
 false feelings of (team) invulnerability
 excessive optimism
 excessive risk-taking
 silence from team members being interpreted as consent
 too narrow a focus on alternative choices
 not looking at majority favored options in the context of possible unsurfaced risks or
potential alternatives
 not making use of available expert opinion and/or when used, only paying selective attention
to facts that support the group’s view
 exerting pressure on those with different views

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HOW TO AVOID GROUP THINK
The group process must enable team members to disagree with a growing consensus from the
rest of the group. They must make their concerns known. This may create tension but should
lead to the team reconsidering the issue to prevent poor decisions being made.
 Conflict and Improving Productivity
Finding the most effective solutions is often achieved as a result of conflict. In fact avoiding
conflict may actually lead to some members becoming disaffected and losing interest – resulting
in a negative effect on group productivity.
 Conflict and Organizational Change
Problems relating to procedures, responsibilities and work distribution in teams may appear as
conflict within the group. By openly surfacing conflict there is potential for the group to
improve its ways of working.
 Conflict and Personal Awareness
Understanding their own style for resolving conflict can help team members to recognise their
strengths and weaknesses and how it will affect others.
An understanding of how one's personal style affects other people can help team members to
become more adept at anticipating conflict and concerns others may have in the future.
In turn this helps one adapt one’s approach to achieve better resolutions to group conflict.
 Conflict and Morale
Dealing openly with conflict within the group allows people to express their emotions and
reduces stress – people ‘get to know’ each other better and this can have a very positive effect on
morale and group cohesion.
TIPS FOR DEALING CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH CONFLICT IN TEAM
 Get the underlying reasons for the conflict out in the open – use active listening skills and
don’t interrupt
 Don’t make your mind made up before you start - suspend judgment and listen
 Concentrate on areas where there is agreement rather than on areas where you can’t agree
 Realize that pressures outside of work may affect a team member’s attitude or performance
 Think carefully about the way work is distributed - use sub-groups or joint assignments to
help reduce conflict
 Accept that some conflicts, particularly between very dominant types may need to be dealt
with outside the group
 Look at the strengths brought into the team by each team member
 Go for a quick win when conflict levels are high – start with the problems that are easiest to
solve
 Don’t let the group turn its attention to 'a scapegoat'
 Recognize that you may be a cause of conflict yourself
 Use an external mediator if necessary
 Don’t personalize things when you are feeling upset – it is your feelings that are the problem,
learn to manage them
 Take time out to calm down. Only then approach the individual(s) concerned
 Define the problem – so both parties are able to agree exactly what is at issue

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 Negotiate the differences - be prepared to compromise. Always use active listening to
understand the issue from their perspective
 Remember the 80/20 rule (80% listening/20% talking) because conflict tends to escalate
when you spend more time talking at the other party than listening..
 Focus on the issue and not on the person
 Ask "What did you do in this situation?" to get factual responses rather than one-sided
opinion
 Don't hold grudges - when you’ve’ buried the hatchet’ it should stay buried..
 Think ‘we’ rather than 'I versus you' and work together to solve conflict
 Don’t ‘pass the buck’
 Build the long-term relationship
 Sometimes taking an adjournment is a good idea
 Celebrate team achievements
AGREE A TEAM CHARTER
The team itself should define rules/codes of conduct - by gaining agreement on standards of
behavior the team become accountable to one another.
The purpose of the Charter is to:
 support team performance
 clarify team members’ assumptions and expectations
 provide a framework to support the team
 establish codes of conduct and clarify standards of performance
It should address such matters as attendance, participation and rules for decision-making. It will
also consider issues such as lateness and acceptable behavior - having a clear understanding of
how conflict will be managed and what sanctions the team is prepared to impose are key
elements of a team charter and should not be avoided.
TYPES OF TEAM
 Quality Circles
The idea behind this type of team is that the people who live closest to the problems are often
best suited to think of solutions. Popular in the United States in the 1980’s their focus was on
making suggestions for improvements in products, services and procedures. They did not
usually have authority to implement their suggestions, instead recommendations were passed to
senior management for consideration.
Teams were usually between 6-10 people and were sometimes given formal training in the use of
problem solving tools and techniques. In the UK Cammell Laird used this system however
implementation decisions were through Works Councils consisting of both workplace
representatives and management. Their teams were known as Problem Solving Groups (PSG’s).
The idea was so successful in this organization that PSG’s were responsible for finding solutions
to such multi-million pound quandaries as ‘how to replace an ageing tug..’ – answer after all
options considered, build it ourselves..
 Improvement (Project) Teams
These teams have commonly replaced QC’s and are not only able to make recommendations but
are empowered to make decisions in collaboration with managers. This sort of team is rarely
permanent, being formed to find solutions to particular problems or ways of improving existing

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processes, products or services after which they are disbanded. Sometimes however their
success leads to them on to become involved in other continuous improvement activities.
 Work Teams
This type of team is organized around a function or group of functions – for example, the
‘Finance Team’. Encouraging people to recognizes that they are part of a team is an important
aspect of getting them to accept more responsibility for problem solving and decision making.
Organizations today want flexibility from their workers, so that teams that had in the past only
undertaken one task, will now be expected to carry out multiple functions and will therefore need
to develop other skills through cross-skilling, up-skilling and multi-skilling.
Team members must support each other and work effectively together, the manager has an
increased coaching role – guiding, assisting with decision making, problem solving, goal setting
and defining action.
Work Teams are usually permanent as their functions are ongoing.
 Self-Directed Work Teams
These teams have reached an advanced stage of maturity and are capable of self-management.
They exhibit a high level of trust with each other and with their manager. Leadership is often
shared within the team. The team can be relied upon to 'follow through' and achieve its
objectives. Achieving such maturity can take between two and five years – SDWT's select their
own leader, set their own goals, define their own targets and conduct peer reviews.. An approach
such as this can only be successful where managers are not threatened by the team's independence and
where team members are willing to take personal responsibility for outcomes.
UNDERSTANDING MANAGEMENT STYLE
A manager’s style can be influenced by a number of factors – these include personality,
organizational culture, the maturity of work groups..
 Theory X and Theory Y
Douglas McGregor (1960) argued that one can identify two distinct sets of assumptions that
managers make about the people that work for them. Theory X assumes that people are basically
lazy, need close supervision, are not to be trusted and often have goals that conflict with those of
the organization.
Conversely Theory Y assumes people to be mature, self-motivated, self-controlled and able to
work without rigid interpersonal and organizational control. In fact many managers employ a
mixture of both styles, depending on the nature of the people/situation. The Theory X style will
work in the short term and may even get better results more quickly, however use of this style is
unlikely to be most effective in the longer run. Healthy organizations promote job satisfaction
amongst their employees, to motivate them and make the most of their skills (Theory Y).
 Action Centered Leadership
John Adair, the world’s first Professor in Leadership Studies, developed his model during the
1960’s and 1970’s while lecturing at Sandhurst and later with the Industrial Society. Adair
believes that leadership can be developed, rather than being a trait or inborn quality. The ‘action-
centered leader’ gets the job done through the work team and relationships with fellow managers

25
and staff – effectiveness depends on his/her ability to influence and be influenced by, the group
and its members in the performance of a common task.
The three components are
 TASK - directing the job to be done
 TEAM – co-ordinate and support the team as a whole
 INDIVIDUAL – introduce, support and review the individuals doing it
The responsibilities overlap – according to the specifics of the situation different demands will
be made on the manager. There is a balance but also a tension between them. The manager must
respond to the situation and adopt leadership behaviors which enable the demands to be met.
The functions are interdependent – if there is insufficient attention to task there will be a
disruptive affect on the group and dissatisfaction among individuals. Conversely there will be
deterioration if attention to task is given at the expense of the group/individual.
MEETING NEEDS
 Individual
 To be included
 To make a contribution
 To be respected
 To feel safe
 To grow
 To receive feedback
 Task
 Clear objectives
 Appropriate procedures
 Evidence of progress
 Avoidance of digression
 Meeting of deadlines
 Group
 Trust
 Commitment
 Openness
 Stability
 Cohesion
 Success
 Sense of purpose
 Enjoyment
 Individual Maintenance Functions
 Motivates – develops ideas, assesses skills, provides targets
 Develops – flexible delegation and use of individual skills
 Mentors – Counsels, advises, trains & appraises
 Task Maintenance Functions
 Policy making – sets objectives
 Plans – considers options and sets standards
 Co-ordinates – makes best use of resources
 Controls – maintains standards and reviews progress against plan
 Expert – provides required technical knowledge

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 Group Maintenance Functions
 Motivates
 Communicates – gives clear briefs to clarify objectives and plans. Disseminates and collects
information
 Mediates– sorts out internal conflict and builds team
 Discipline – maintains standards
 Trains
 Appoints sub-leaders
 Represents the team with other groups
 Situational Leadership (Hersey & Blanchard)
This style of leadership focuses on the importance of the situation – remember the person who
acts as the leader in a group may not always be the manager. From the manager’s perspective it’s
about managing people in the way they need to be managed – ‘different strokes for different
folks’ - changing one’s style of management depending on the person and/or the situation.
The manager displays either directive or supportive behavior.
Directive behavior involves clearly telling people what to do, how to do it, where and when to do
it, then closely supervising their performance. Supportive behavior involves listening to people,
providing support and encouragement for their efforts, and then facilitating their involvement in
problem solving and decision making.
The four basic styles are:
 Directing
 Identifying problems
 Setting goals and defining roles
 Developing action plans to solve problems
 Controlling decision-making
 Providing specific directions largely through one-way communication
 Setting off problem solving and decision-making
 Announcing solutions/decisions
 Supervising and evaluating the work of team members
 Coaching
Still directing and supervising closely but
Explaining decisions, asking for suggestions and supporting progress.
 Identifying problems
 Setting goals
 Developing action plans but then consulting team
 Explaining decisions and asking for ideas, with increased two-way communication
 Supporting and praising team's initiative
 Making final decision after hearing team's ideas
 Continuing to direct and monitor team's work
 Evaluating team's work
 Supporting
Facilitating and supporting team to get the task done – sharing responsibility for decision making
and problem-solving.
 Involving the team in identifying the task and setting goals
 Asking the team to set out how task should be done

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 Providing assurance, support, resources and ideas if requested
 Sharing responsibility for task and decision making with the team
 Listening and facilitating the team's problem solving and decision making activities
 Working with the team to evaluate their work
 Delegating
The manager gives responsibility for decision making and problem solving to subordinates.
 Defining the task with the team
 Setting goals together
 Allowing the team to develop an action plan, control decision making and determine how
problems will be solved
 Periodically monitoring the team's performance
 Allowing the team to evaluate own work
 Allowing the team to take responsibility and receive credit
The manager combines STRUCTURE, CONTROL and SUPERVISION when people need to be
directed.
And PRAISE, LISTENING and FACILITATION when people are ready to solve their work
problems themselves.
FACTORS INFLUENCING LEADERSHIP STYLES
Things affecting the situation such as:
 time pressures
 the nature of problem
 the effectiveness of the team, at this time, working for this leader
 'the way we do things round here' - organizational values and traditions
 the way communication takes place
Things affecting one's leadership style such as:
 one's ability to accept uncertainty
 one's own habits/preferences
 one's readiness to rely on subordinates
 one's own organizational philosophy
Things affecting groups and individuals such as:
 their expectations of their leader
 their knowledge and experience (individually and as team)
 their level of involvement and commitment to the problem
 their tolerance for ambiguity/uncertainty
 their readiness to assume responsibility
 their need for independence or to be able to influence
TEAM ROLES
Teams are dependent on the skills and strengths of the team members.
Members have functional roles for which they are employed and team roles (which are more
personality based and which they adopt most naturally when working within a team). Dr R
Meredith Belbin has identified a number of team roles which together can produce a highly
effective team. Assessing and then developing these roles within a team is therefore an
important aspect of the manager/supervisor role.
Individuals usually demonstrate a preference for one particular role but can usually adopt another
when necessary. Team members should be prepared to develop their ability to undertake

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secondary roles - especially in small teams. Managers should be aware of possible development
areas and provide support - for example through coaching and delegation.
Belbin described nine different roles that contribute to a successful team:
 The Co-coordinator (CO)
Characteristics: These people tend to be mature and confident and are suited to the role of
chairperson. They support the team through clarification of goals and by encouraging decision-
making. They are often skilled delegators who recognize strengths and weaknesses within the
team and strive to make best use of each member’s potential.
Possible Weaknesses: sometimes seen as manipulative or having a tendency to offload their own
work.
Best at: co-coordinating team effort, ensuring everyone has a constructive role and that the team
is working towards common/agreed goals.
 The Plant (PL)
Characteristics: These people tend to be creative, imaginative and unconventional, thinking
'outside the box' is their forte. They excel at redefining problems and finding alternative
solutions. They are good at coming up with new idea and strategies.
Possible Weaknesses: They may be poor at communicating with people as they are often too
preoccupied and tend to ignore minor issues.
Best at: problem solving - creating new ideas/strategies and putting forward alternative solutions.
 Shaper (SH)
Characteristics: dynamic, thrives on challenge and pressure. Has the drive and spirit to
overcome hurdles. Shapes the direction of team effort focusing attention on priorities and
objectives. Possible Weaknesses: Easily irritated, sometimes causes offence to other people’s
feelings.
Best at: overcoming obstacles and opposition, creating momentum and turning talk into actions.
Monitor Evaluator (ME)
Characteristics: Serious, tactical, discriminating, sees all options, forms accurate opinions
through careful analysis of problems, evaluates ideas and suggestions so that team is able to
make balanced decisions.
Possible Weaknesses: May lack drive and the ability to inspire others.
Best at: ensuring all constructive options are considered. Give them a key planning role.
Because of their skills they may sometimes act as arbitrators in the case of controversy within the
team.
 Resource Investigator (RE)
Characteristics: This role type tends to have an extrovert, enthusiastic and communicative
nature. They enjoy exploring opportunities, developing contacts, conducting negotiations and
reporting back on ideas, developments and resources outside the group. Their external contact
networks may be useful to the team.
Possible Weaknesses: they may betoo optimistic and tend to lose enthusiasm once the initial
interest has passed.
Best at: developing outside contacts and exploring new opportunities. Able to conduct
negotiations but must report back to group.
 Team worker (TW)
Characteristics:Turns concepts and ideas into practical working procedures. Methodical and
efficient.

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Possible Weaknesses: Hesitant in difficult situations.

Best at: taking a flexible role, using versatile qualities to help with aspects of work that others
cannot manage. Their natural diplomacy helps to overcome conflict.
 Implementer (IMP) (CW)
Characteristics: Good at turning concepts and ideas into action. They need structure, are
systematic, efficient, disciplined and reliable, and tend to be conservative in outlook.
Possible Weaknesses: Can be a bit slow to respond to new possibilities and may be inflexible.
Best at: Organizing procedures and practical actions to be taken once the team reaches a
significant decision.
 Completer Finisher (CF)
Characteristics: Conscientious and meticulous they try to ensure team is protected from mistakes
of omission/commission. They enjoy work that requires high degree of attention to detail and are
important because they maintain the sense of urgency within a team.
Possible weaknesses: They may be slow to respond to new possibilities and tend to be over
anxious. Because of their need for things to be right they are sometimes reluctant to delegate.
Best at: Making sure the team’s work meets deadlines and conforms to standard.
Specialist (SP)
Characteristics: Provides expert/technical information to group using layman's terms. Provides a
professional viewpoint.
Possible weaknesses: May dwell on technicalities and contribute only on a narrow front.
Best at: Providing focus on technical issues.
NEGATIVE SIDE OF TEAMWORK
In spite of the emphasis on teamwork in today's organizations teams are not always as effective
as we hope. This may be because of the way the team is organized - as Belbin points out there
needs to be a mixture of roles and personalities as well as functional strengths. Team members
may fail to work together because of:
 personality clashes
 over emphasis on 'getting on'
 avoiding disagreement leads to 'safe' decision making
 too much friction sometimes caused by misinformation
 lack of influence if the team has no power to influence decisions they will lose interest
 lack of agreement at senior management level
 too many meetings - may stifle diversity and encourage groupthink
 thinking teamwork is a solution for all problems
 sometimes decisions are best made by a single person

30
 Occupational standard: Basic Account Works Level II
Unit tattle: developing business practice
Unit code: BUF BAW2 M13 0112
ELEMENTS UNITS OF COMPETENCY
1. develop[p the business practice
2. select appropriate business practice in their business they run
3. understand how to select best business practice in their business
Unit objectives
At the end this competency
1. the trainees will be able to develop their business practice
2. the trainees will be able to process and organize the advanced business practice
3. the trainees will be able to maintain to run best opportunity businesses
Definition
A method, procedure, process, or rule employed or followed by a company in the pursuit of its objectives.
Business practice may also refer to these collectively.
Our aspiration and goal is to serve our clients with their full trust and confidence. We earn and
retain this by providing high quality services which are understood by our clients to rest upon
high degrees of transparency, objectivity, and independence.
Because of the breadth of our client base, we understand and take seriously the potential for real
or perceived conflicts of interest which may result from our many business activities.
 We place our clients’ interests first and above our own.
 We never use, leverage, or favor a relationship with one client to the deliberate disadvantage
of another.
 All aspects of our research, and all proxy voting policies and vote recommendations, are
based on fair, thorough, independent, and objective analysis, without regard to any economic
or other inappropriate pressure.
 We disclose and explain information about our internal processes, methodologies, and
analytics used in the development of our services, our voting policies, and our voting
recommendations.
 We take strong measures to fully safeguard client information.
 We believe transparency is an essential keystone of trust, and so, subject to the higher need
for client confidentiality, we appropriately disclose any real or apparent potential conflict of
interest relationships or situations as they arise.
 Ultimately, we are guided by this most basic tenet: Do the right thing.
These principles are embedded deeply in our culture and in the policies we develop, the
procedures we follow, the decisions we make, and the actions we take every day. We do not and
will not tolerate their breach, whether due to conscious action, complacency, indifference, or
lapse of ethical judgment.

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The speed of change in virtually all industries has increased exponentially over the past decades
– and conventional wisdom proves that the trend will continue.
In this fast-paced global business environment, the ability to possess fact based strategic
foresight, deliver systematic exploration of new growth opportunities and to institutionalize a
continuous drive to improve internal business practices is more important than ever. Many
companies have responded to the new clock speed challenge, and we have witnessed the
emergence of a new corporate support function labeled "business development". Business
development has become a way for top management to dedicate a permanent team of capable
professionals to explore new growth and diversification opportunities and deliver accelerated
development of their existing business. A recent sample of the top-500 companies in Scandinavia
shows that more than 65% of these companies have invested or plan to invest in building in-
house business development capabilities.
Businesses all over the world hire talented people to occupy positions with a short reporting
route to the top management and close proximity to the strategic management of the company.
Typically, they are highly capable people with a successful track record from management
consulting or other professional services. They are asked to take charge of or participate in some
of the most important strategic initiatives and apply their analytical rigor, strong personalities
and execution power to deliver lasting improvements to overall business performance.
Our interest in the field of business development stems from our work as counselors on overall
business performance to some of the most successful companies in Scandinavia. They all
struggle with finding the formula for strengthening their strategic agility and internalize the
strategy management and execution processes to accelerate the speed by which the company
generates returns to its shareholders.
Through our work as consultants, we interact with private companies, equity funds, venture
capitalists and business leaders all seeking answers to the same questions
• How do we accelerate business development?
• How do we manage and organize business development?
• How do we bridge the gap between strategy and implementation?
Different ways to defining a business development
In the first edition of the business development handbook, we defined business development as
"the organizational process that ensures an ongoing and persistent improvement of the existing
business and contributes to identify and develop new business opportunities."
This definition describes the nature of development of businesses and embraces different ways of
working with business development. It gives a starting point for business developers to
comprehend their field of work.
A. The evolutionary pattern of business development
Business development is not a new thing. Every business develops on a continuous basis. What
is new is that business development is being institutionalized as an organizational process, a new
function and a new role in modern companies.

32
Through our work with business development in the past years, we have followed the evolution
of business development. We have witnessed how the number of job ads for business developers
has grown exponentially, and we have talked to headhunters that have filled hundreds of
business development positions over the last couple of years. This being said, the approach taken
by many corporations investing in business development resources varies a lot. However,
irrespectively of the approach taken, the evolution of business development units seems to follow
a pattern of four distinct phases.
A business-practice model is a guide, or toolkit, to assist managers and practitioners in the
exploration, proposal, development and implementation of new clinical pharmacy services
and/or the enhancement of existing services.
This document provides detailed instructions, examples, and resources on conducting a market
assessment and a needs assessment, types of services, operations, legal and regulatory issues,
marketing and promotion, service development and exit plan, evaluation of service outcomes,
and financial considerations in the development of a service in the ambulatory environment.
Available literature is summarized, and an appendix provides valuable citations and resources.
As ambulatory care practices continue to evolve, there will be increased knowledge of how to
initiate and expand the services. This document is intended to serve as an essential resource to
assist in the growth and development of clinical pharmacy services in the ambulatory
environment.
• Benchmark the company’s product development process against best practices and
industry performance
• Determine the extent that new product development best practices are being utilized
• Identify high-payoff improvement opportunities for improvement
• Establish a metric to measure progress in improving product development
An organization cannot do everything superbly. It must focus on only one or two
strategic objectives and be competent in the other areas.
Product Development Strategic Objectives:
• Time to market /development schedule
• Low development cost
• Low product cost
• High product innovation and performance
• Quality, reliability and dependability (robustness)
• Service, responsiveness & flexibility to respond to new product opportunities & markets
• Strategic levers are best practices which have a major impact on achieving a product
development strategy.
• Best practices are associated with strategies through a relationship factor of 0
(insignificant impact on strategy) to 3 (major impact on strategy) to assess strategic
alignment.
TIME-TO-MARKET STRATEGIC LEVERS

33
Prioritize development projects Don’t overload resources Rapidly staff the project according to
plan Emphasize design re-use to minimize development cost & schedule Capture and document
requirements and specifications completely.
 Tightly manage requirements
 Plan concurrent development
 Tightly synchronize development activities
 Learn to work with partial information
 Prepare to roll out the product early
 Involve subcontractors and suppliers in development
 Plan and coordinate production requirements
 Resolve production problems quickly
 Create a comprehensive, realistic project plan

DEVELOPING THE ACTION PLAN OF THE BUSINESS

 Identify performance gaps relative to categories
 Identify strategy gaps and associated practices
 Examine individual practices with low performance & high importance in large
gap categories & strategies
 Look for logical relationships & precedence among practices
 Develop the action plan & gain consensus to the plan
THREE OPTIONS FOR AN ASSESSMENT BUSINESS
1. Consultant-led assessment
– Greater objectivity and frame of reference
– Overcomes organizational politics
– Expertise in quickly identifying issues and planning improvements
2. Self-assessment using the Product Development Best Practices and Assessment
(PDBPA) software
– Inexpensive
3. Assessment workshop (2-3 day)
– Compromise with expense, yet provides oversight and guidance for planning
improvements
– Preparation
o Preliminary data collection
o Information review
o Interview scheduling
Fact-Finding
o Interviews
o Individual
o Group/ team
o Walk-through

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 o Data gathering
o Follow-up & clarification
Evaluation
o Preparation of findings
o Preliminary evaluation
o Discussion & final evaluation
o Recommendations & priorities
o Preliminary action plan
Presentation
o Group presentation & discussion
o Follow-up discussion
o Implementation planning
Implementation
o Detailed planning
o Project organization
o Reengineering
o Implementation & improvement
o Training and deployment
BENEFITS
– Objectivity & consistency for comparison of effectiveness ratings
– More efficient use of company resources
– Comprehensive assessment report includes:
– Assessment worksheets & summary
– Detailed findings
– Detailed recommendations & action plan
– Perspective & expertise to develop action plan
– Debriefing and discussion of opportunities
Best Practices & Standards in controlling the businesses Programs
Management Mentors implements mentoring programs in organizations that want
to establish a more connected work environment for their people.
Mentoring is a much sought after method of development. It gives access to skills,
knowledge, experience and insight that other initiatives are unable to do.
The classic outcomes that controlling programs make possible are
– increased staff retention
– greater advancement of minority and female staff
– Increased productivity in all areas.
The following presentation explains more about mentoring and Management
Mentors philosophy.
• A strategic approach to developing an employee.

35
 – Pairs him/her with a more experienced employee (mentor) who will teach, coach,
counsel and encourage.
• A flexible concept that should reflect the unique culture & objectives of your
organization.
– For this reason no two mentoring programs are the same and “off-the-shelf”
programs are not as effective.
Best Practices & Standards
• 8 Core Standards identified in:
– Design
– Implementation
– Matching
– Training
– Program Management
– Program Evaluation
– Quality Control
– Role of the Mentoring Program Manager
• Informal controlling business practices
– Goals unspecified
– Outcomes unknown
– Access limited & may exclude employees
– Mentored/Mentors self-select
– Mentoring lasts a long time
– No training/support
– Organization benefits indirectly
• Formal controlling
– Goals established
– Outcomes measured
– Access open to all who qualify
– Mentored/Mentors matched
– Training and support provided
– Mentoring time limited (9-12 months.)
– Organization benefits directly
• Coaching
– Something managers must do for all their staff, a required part of the job
– Takes place within the confines of the formal line manager-employee relationship
– Is job and performance focused - focuses on developing the individual within
their current job.
– Interest is functional – arises out of the need to ensure that the individual can
perform the tasks required of the job to the best of their ability.
– Relationship tends to be initiated and driven by the individual’s manager.

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 – Relationship is finite – ends as individuals move on to work in other jobs under
other line managers.
Ways to success business
• Links competency development to strategic business needs
• Ensures that skills are developed
• Involves company’s experts in process
• Creates and promotes a learning and diverse culture
Effective mentoring is directly tied to your strategic and business objectives. Examples of
how our clients have linked their programs with their objectives include:
– Executive/career/professional development
• High potentials
• Succession planning
• Attract and retain talent
– Support diversity goals for
• Recruitment
• Retention
• Visibility and overcoming “glass ceiling”
Supporting diversity initiatives is one of the common ways Management Mentors
has helped companies succeed. If you are considering a mentoring program as part
of your diversity commitment, consider the following:
– Commitment. Mentoring should not be “window dressing” for the company. Be
sure you can commit at the highest levels.
– Inclusiveness. The program must include a diverse group of mentors and
mentored.
– Diversity in program. Include diversity components in design, training and
support.
– Consider appropriate use of Mentoring Models
– “..minority executives in our study developed three fundamental personal resources that
were critical to their later success: competence, credibility, and confidence. These
resources were acquired as a result of work experiences…and the testing,…… and
mentoring they received during this crucial period”.
– Management Mentors Pilot Program allows companies to try mentoring in the
organization, understand the process, and measure results before rolling it out to a larger
audience. The following slides provide highlights of how this program is put together
and implemented in your organization. For a more detailed discussion of how mentoring
would work in your environment, please contact us directly.

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The program and for successful implementation beyond the business there are key
resources required.
– A ‘Champion’ from Senior Management
• Successful mentoring starts with support from the top
– Mentoring Program Manager
• This individual is the internal project manager. They oversee the
mentoring team, manage the pairing, and keep the Senior Management
team apprised of the programs progress.
– Mentoring Design/Implementation Team
• This group of people, overseen by the Program Manager, work with
Management Mentor’s to focus the program on your organizations
specific goals and culture
– Management Mentors Consultant
Our expertise and extensive experience make the difference between a successful
program with a long life and results versus one that is a drain on company resource.
Key Components of a Successful business
• Design
– Committed Design Task Force
– Effective Program Manager
– Clear Program Purpose
– Well Defined Goals
– Established Guidelines
– Use of the Appropriate Mentoring Model
• Implementation
– Committed Implementation Task Force
– Internal Marketing
A Well Defined, Prove Application, Selection, Interviewing and Matching Process.
Key Steps In Creating a Successful business
• Training Phase
– Conduct training for Mentors, Mentored, Mentoree Line Managers and Program
Managers
• Maintenance Phase
– Program Manager
– On-Going Training
– Meetings and Support
• Completion
– Relationship Completion Modules

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 – Evaluation Process
– Measuring Results
– Weave key learning's into program changes and expansion.
Products, Materials & Support
Management controls is committed to your success. We offer one of the most
comprehensive programs in the market with a full set of training and support materials
that begin with designing the program and carry you through implementation,
maintenance, and even tips and advice in the years beyond.
Training in Mentoring Relationships” Manual and Program
Group Mentoring” Manual and Program
Finding Your Own Mentor” Manual and Program
Mentoring Facilitation” Manual and Program
Executive Mentoring” Manual and Program
– Program Manager’s Manual & Program
– Program Manager’s Resource & Guide
– Communication Styles in Mentoring Instrument. (Group & Individual)
– Supporting Forms and Documentation
– Certification
– Best Practice Review & Consultancy
– Mentoring Program Management & Support service
Technology Options
Management Mentors supports clients in a variety of ways. Besides our
comprehensive materials and documentation we also offer to on-line tools that can
help you achieve best in class mentoring.
– Online Mentoring Management System
• Mentoring Complete allows you to keep all your mentor and mentored
profiles on-line, sets criteria to support the matching process reducing
your time and effort, and contains ongoing reports and evaluations for
each mentoring pair.
– Mentor-Quest
Finding a mentor just got a lot easier. This innovative approach to
seeking a mentor can be bought online on a retail version or can be
incorporated into our Mentoring Complete system.

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