SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

ASSESSMENT A – SHORT ANSWER

INSTRUCTIONS
● You are required to answer all questions.
● Read each question carefully. Ensure you have provided all required information.
● On completion, submit your assessment via the LMS to your assessor.
● These questions assess the knowledge evidence required for this unit.
● Should you require ‘reasonable adjustment’ to complete this assessment, discuss the options with
your assessor prior to attempting the task. Reasonable adjustment means modifications or changes
that give you the same opportunities in training as a person without a disability.
● Your assessor will discuss the conditions of assessment, e.g., open or closed book, time limits for
completion, etc., with you prior to attempting this task.
● To be deemed satisfactory in this task you are required to answer all questions correctly. Your
assessor will determine how many attempts are allowed for each question.
● You will require access to the learner resource for this unit, the internet and a computer (if
submitting via LMS) or a pen (if submitting hard copy).

Q1: There are five main functions a manager will perform in most work roles. List them and
briefly explain each one.

Functions Explanation
This includes defining goals and objectives and establishing
strategies for achieving them. As well as, determining what tasks
Planning & organising are to be done, who is to do them and how decisions will be
made. Planning and organising also includes ensuring that the
right people with the right skills and resources are available when
needed.
Informing is to provide information to staff, colleagues and
management. Some information that should be provided are
listed below:
Informing ● Organisation performance
● Changes in organisational policies
● Marketing information and targets
● Overall organisational objectives
● Plans for new equipment
● Rationale for management decisions
● Technology updates
● Training developments
These are the traditional human resource functions of a
manager’s role.
● Recruitment and selection
Staffing ● Performance management, performance review, rewards
and succession planning.
● Induction and training
● Remuneration, employment conditions, workplace health
and safety.
Motivating employees to achieve organisational goals is also one
main function of a supervisor or manager. As well as, delegating
Leading duties and directing others and building teams by coaching,
leading by example, managing conflict, communicating
effectively, networking, and developing relationships.

1
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com
SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

This is often referred to as monitoring. Actual performance is

compared to plans and making adjustments and corrections,
Controlling when necessary.

Q2: Team members need all the information pertinent to their role to achieve goals and carry
out their work effectively. We run a large retail business and I have five staff members
who work in a supervisory role and manage the retail floor staff. List the operational
information these supervisors and their teams need to complete their roles. List at least
six.

● Leader

● Monitor

● Disseminator

● Spokesperson

● Entrepreneur

● Disturbance handler

Q3: Think of someone who has positively influenced or inspired you. It could be a teacher,
friend, sporting coach or someone you work with. Why have they had a positive influence
on you and what makes them a good leader?

➢ Anyone can be a leader but not a good or great leader. I believe a great leader possesses a clear
vision, is courageous, has integrity, honesty, humility and clear focus. Great leaders help people
reach their goals, are not afraid to hire people that might be better than them and take pride in the
accomplishments of those they help along the way.

Q4: List six commonly held traits of an effective leader.

● Team focused

● Visionary

● Energetic

● Confident

● Good communicator

● Motivated

2
2018 Edition
 SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

Q5: Look at these roles a manager would undertake in their daily work. Decide whether they
are a management function or a leadership role. Using the dropdown, select
‘Management’ or ‘Leadership’.
I need to recruit a new staff member for Management
the team while Lily is on maternity leave.
We are under utilising some of the staff. I Management
need to monitor their work outputs.
The team are lacking motivation after Leadership
losing a tender application that we worked
on for many months.
Two staff members need some one-on- Leadership
one coaching to help improve their sales
techniques.
Our team is a little disjointed and I am Management
hearing and seeing some discontent.
We are just about to undertake a large Leadership
project. I must determine the work
requirements and find the resources to
achieve our goals.

Q6: These three qualities are very important if you wish to lead successful teams. What do
you think they mean in relation to being a good leader?

⇨ Respect

o Involves valuing the viewpoints and rights of other people. Respect cannot be
demanded; it is earned. If you want people to respect you, then you must respect
them as well.

⇨ Integrity

o Involves consistently applying values and principles, such as honesty and

adherence to high standards. A good leader must demonstrate integrity at all
times. This not only shows he is or she is a good leader but also a good role-
model.

⇨ Empathy

o The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes; the capacity to understand
the emotions of others. In certain circumstances, a good leader must be
empathetic to his/her subordinates to establish good communication and
understanding.

Q7: Leaders must role-model both positive attitudes and behaviours. List six behaviours you
can role-model that will help you lead and manage staff.

3
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com
SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

● Be honest and ethical

● Be open and transparent

● Be approachable

● Have excellent communication

● Show empathy

● Have integrity

Q8: There are three leadership styles and the style you follow depends on the nature of your
work and your team. Look at the statements and decide whether they are:
● directive, authoritarian or command-centred leadership
● democratic, participative or collaborative leadership
● laissez-faire or ‘hands-off’ leadership.
This team works well as a group and they come up democratic, participative or
with great initiatives if I provide some initial guidance collaborative leadership
and direction. They love to provide input to the
decisions.
I have a group of young, recently graduated staff directive, authoritarian or
and they lack confidence in their new tasks. They command-centred leadership
need clear, concise instructions and tasks at this
stage in their work.
My sales team are very motivated and high laissez-faire or ‘hands-off’
achievers. They meet all goals all of the time and leadership.
their combined experience is an asset to the
company.

Q9: No one leadership style is best to use all the time. A good leader can adapt their
leadership style to suit the person and the situation.
How does the person and the situation influence your leadership style?

➢ The leaders' perception of the follower and the situation will affect what they do rather
than the truth of the situation. By adapting to different circumstances, leaders solve a
variety of workplace challenges. Situational leadership simplifies management. After you
evaluate a situation, you can apply an appropriate style that best fits your team
members, work environment, and organizational needs. The benefits of having to
change leadership styles includes but are not limited to:

○ Increased employee engagement.

○ Increased sustainability of the changes you implement.

○ Increased return on your change investment.

Q10: What is planning and why do managers need to plan?

4
2018 Edition
 SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

➢ Planning involves thinking about where you want to be in the future. All managers
undertake some type of planning. Plans not only include goals but the overall strategy
for how those goals are achieved.

Q11: Organisational plans may be short-term or long-term. They may involve the whole
organisation or just your department. What type of plans do managers use? List six.

● Marketing plans

● Financial plans

● Event management plans

● Environmental impact plans

● Business plans

● Strategic plans

Q12: Using the hierarchy of plans in section 1 of your learner guide, provide examples of the
different plans and goals that would be utilised by the organisation according to the
organisational level in which they would be used. Provide at least two examples in each
category.

Organisation level Types of plans or goals

Whole organisation level Strategic Plans
➢ A strategic plan is the company’s big picture. It
defines the company’s goals for a set period of
time, whether that’s one year or ten, and
ensures that those goals align with the
company’s mission, vision, and values.

Tactical Plans
➢ The tactical strategy describes how a
company will implement its strategic plan. A
tactical plan is composed of several short-term
goals, typically carried out within one year, that
support the strategic plan.

Departmental level Operational Plans

➢ Operational plans and/or annual objectives
capture the planned outputs, deliverables and
standards.

Action Plans
➢ Following each staff survey departments are
required to develop action plans to respond to
issues raised. These plans could also inform
individual goals and objectives.

Individual level Personal Plans

➢ Personal plans are the plans that you set to

5
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com
SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

have a better version of yourself in the near or

distant future. These include activities and
plans that are geared towards personal
development goals, spiritual goals, or even
educational goals.

Career Goals
➢ Career goals are the roadmaps that help you
achieve a more productive and progressive
professional life.

Q13: Why is open and supportive communication important when communicating plans and
goals to staff?

➢ Open communication allows your employees to be more engaged and understand that
what they do matters in the success of the business. Effective communication seems
simple, but it does take effort. Management should communicate their goals as well as
those of the company.

Q14: List five things you can do to model and encourage open and supportive communication
within your team.

● Coordinates efforts

● Reduces uncertainty

● Minimise waste

● Helps prioritise

● Improves productivity

Q15: How would you define a team?

➢ A team is defined as a group of people who perform interdependent tasks to work

toward accomplishing a common mission or specific objective. Others are ongoing, such
as a department team that meets regularly to review goals, activities, and performance.

Q16: Research into what makes an effective team identifies that teams not only share common
goals, they communicate effectively and support each other. List the six characteristics of
effective teams.

● Common purpose

● Performance goals

6
2018 Edition
 SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

● Diversity

● Clear communication

● Commitment and trust

● Beneficial team behaviours

Q17: One of your responses in Q16 should be diversity. How can diversity make a team more
effective?

➢ Team members with diverse backgrounds will bring diverse solutions to the table, which
leads to a more informed decision-making process and improved results. Harvard
Business Review found that diverse teams are able to solve problems faster than teams
of cognitively similar people. Too many people from the same background in terms of
age, gender, roles and experience can result in a lack of innovation and creativity.

Q18: Every team, and the individuals within them, have roles and responsibilities. Where do
you find the listed roles and responsibilities of your team members? List two examples
that clarify the scope of work of an individual.

➢ Examples of a scope of work of an individual are as follows:

○ Plans, organizes, and coordinates recruitment activities; meets with individuals,

departments and committees to define position, selection criteria, timelines, etc.
for all open positions.

○ Reviews recruitment paperwork for completeness and accuracy such as job

announcements, interview questions, record sheets, etc.

Q19: What are reporting requirements and where do you find them?

➢ Reporting Requirements means any applicable laws, rules, regulations, instruments,

orders or directives and any requirements of a regulatory or supervisory organization
that mandate reporting and/or retention of transaction and similar information.

Q20: The individual expectations of a team member are outlined in the position description of a
job role. What expectations reflecting the organisation’s goals and philosophies would you
expect to see in a position description? Provide an example in each response.

● Adherence to policies and procedures

7
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com
SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

○ If the company has a “mobile phone policy” then not using mobile phones while
at work is already a sign of adherence.

● Commitment to individual, team and organisational goals

○ If the management is implementing employee training, being able to attend the

said training would be a perfect example for commiting to organizational goals.

● Meeting of reporting and other requirements

○ Being able to conceptualize an idea by reporting or submitting a written report for

a gathering or meeting if requested by a manager or supervisor would suffice for
this expectation.

● Use of cooperative and open communication techniques

○ An example for open communication would be creating a dialogue by holding

regular, informal get-togethers with employees on all levels to share ideas,
initiatives and raise concerns.

Q21: How do teams form and how does the leader organise them to build a cohesive team?

➢ To form a team, it was hypothesized that they shall undergo phases such as forming–
storming–norming–performing necessary and inevitable in order for a team to grow,
face up to challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results.
After being able to perform tasks, the team shall undergo the ultimate separation which
is adjourning. In order to build a cohesive team, the leader should be able to determine
the strengths of each team member and assign them to specific tasks based on their
strengths. Delegating based on strengths is the best way for the group to accomplish its
goals.

Q22: Teams don’t always conform and work well together. What four potential problems can
occur with a team?

● Lack of trust

● Low engagement of team members

● No long-term thinking

● Conflict and tension between team members that can affect their productivity

Q23: Think about a team you have been involved with. It may be a work team, a sporting team
or a social team. What were the benefits to you from being a member of this team?

➢ The benefits of being a member of a team includes but are not limited to:

○ Increased inventiveness as a result of the various thoughts brought to the table

8
2018 Edition
 SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

○ One turns out to be increasingly excited about a task

○ It assembles trust between individuals

○ It cultivates a solid compromise aptitude

Q24: Explain why the manager should involve team members in the goal-setting process.

➢ Team goal setting enables a team to clarify what constitutes meaningful results for them.
The more team members are involved in agreeing what results they want to achieve the
more committed they are likely to be to achieving them. Gaining ideas and commitment
at an early stage pays in the longer term.

Q25: Define the term ‘empowerment’.

➢ Empowerment is based on the idea that giving employees skills, resources, authority,
opportunity, motivation, as well as holding them responsible and accountable for
outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction.

Q26: What leadership style encourages motivation and empowerment of the team?

➢ Participative leadership

○ This style is good to use in day-to-day leadership where you want to encourage
staff to become involved in the decision-making and planning process. However,
ultimately the manager retains final decision-making power.

Q27: Everyone is different and what works for some people won’t work for others. Motivation
levels can vary for many reasons. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory has long been used
as a basis for how we are motivated. Briefly explain this theory.

➢ Maslow originally believed that a person needed to completely satisfy one level to begin
pursuing further levels. A more modern perspective is that these levels overlap. As a
person reaches higher levels, their motivation is directed more towards these levels.
However, though their main focus is on higher levels, they will still continue to pursue
lower levels of the hierarchy but with less intensity. In general, a person’s motivation lies
in the level of the hierarchy that they are currently pursuing.

9
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com
SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

Q28: Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, provide examples of how it applies to us as

individuals or as a team.

Need Application
Self-actualisation ● Opportunity and support to undertake
further education and training
● Project work
● Cross-training
● Time off for study and to pursue other goals

Esteem ● Reward and acknowledgement programs

● Career progression

Social ● Team work

● Staff social clubs
● Celebrating and acknowledging special
occasions such as birthdays, religious
holidays, anniversary of employment, etc.
● Staff sporting clubs

Safety ● Provide a safe work environment for staff

● Personal, protective clothing and equipment
● Training to ensure safe work practices
● Job security through less contract and
casual work

Physiological ● Competitive salaries that provide finances to

purchase basic needs for living
● Good rostering to ensure for adequate rest
between shifts
● Regular breaks during shift
● Encourage staff to drink water
● Leaders model and encourage healthy life-
style
● Provide healthy staff meals
● Ergonomically designed furniture
● Quality lighting and air-conditioning

Q29: How does Maslow’s theory differ from Herzberg's two-factor theory?

➢ The basis of Maslow's theory is human needs and their satisfaction. The needs of an
individual are divided into two categories i.e. survival/deficiency needs and growth needs
as per Maslow. On the contrary, in Herzberg's model, the needs of an individual are
classified into Hygiene and motivator factors.

Q30: What issue did Herzberg’s theory raise about using money as a motivator?

10
2018 Edition
 SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

➢ He believed that workers were motivated by anything other than money. He argued
against Taylor's money theory as a motivator theory. Herzberg said that workers and
employees were motivated by things such as achievement, praise, responsibility and
advancement.

Q31: How can you, as a manager, apply motivational theories to employees? List five
strategies.

● Flexible work arrangements. This means having a say, or some sort of control over the
choice of hours you work.

● Think about improving job design.

● Link rewards to performance.

● Ensure people are paid correctly for the work they do. This means checking that pay
systems are accurate, that any allowances and penalties that apply are given, and that
there is not an expectation of unpaid overtime.

● Offer a range of rewards and incentives and ensure processes for deciding on these are
clear.

Q32: What is group dynamics?

➢ The term "group dynamics" describes the way in which people in a group interact with
one another. When dynamics are positive, the group works well together. When
dynamics are poor, the group's effectiveness is reduced.

Q33: Why is it important within a team to gather individuals with differing group roles and
behaviours?

➢ Teams are important because they can accomplish much more than any of the members
could achieve individually. The team that functions effectively and efficiently brings
together a diverse range of characters, skills, and talents, and is able to realize large,
complex projects.

Q34: What are group norms? Define using an example.

➢ Seating arrangements, for example, can illustrate norms. One group may have a norm of
always sitting in the same place, another group may shuffle the seating arrangements
and a third group's norm may be that some team members always sit together while
others have no particular pattern.

Q35: What happens to a team if group norms are not adhered to or monitored by management?
Explain using an example.

11
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com
SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

➢ Some norms enable the group to function more effectively, such as encouraging
everyone to participate in decision-making or good timekeeping. However, low
performance norms can be detrimental to group productivity. For example, in a cohesive
group members will be reluctant to put in extra effort to meet a deadline if the norm is to
work at a steady pace.

Q36: Think of the times you’ve sat in a meeting or worked as part of a group and didn’t voice
your opinion. Why? It could be to avoid conflict, the fear of being the ‘odd one out’ or
being rejected by the group. It can also happen when there is a lot of external pressure on
the group, such as time constraints.
This example is highlighting a negative group dynamic. What is it? Why can it be a
negative?

➢ When we say “group dynamics,” we’re talking about the way in which individuals behave
when surrounded by others in a professional environment. Signs of negative group
dynamics include a lack of trust, constant bickering, inappropriate remarks and
derogatory statements aimed at other team members, and poor overall team
performance. Here are the some root causes of negative group dynamics:

○ Weak Leadership

○ Excessive Deference to Authority

○ Specific Personality Types

○ Evaluation Apprehension

Q37: Rewarding individuals or a team is a great motivator. Choosing the right motivator can be
difficult. Explain what this means.

➢ Picking the correct motivator is troublesome in light of the fact that individuals are
propelled by various needs so leaders should locate the correct inclination their
representatives couldn't want anything more than to be roused with so they can
incorporate it to their prize framework for motivation.

Q38: Explain the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic rewards.

⇨ Extrinsic

o Extrinsic motivation is reward-driven behavior. In extrinsic motivation, rewards or

other incentives — like praise, fame, or money — are used as motivation for
specific activities.

⇨ Intrinsic

o Intrinsic motivation is defined as the doing of an activity for its inherent

satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence. When intrinsically

12
2018 Edition
 SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

motivated, a person is moved to act for the fun or challenge entailed rather than
because of external products, pressures, or rewards.

Q39: What are four formal reward and recognition programs you could use to motivate staff and
improve job satisfaction? Give examples to explain each.

Formal reward and Examples

recognition programs
● Employee of the week, month or year.
○ Staff have voting rights on who receives
this award.
Peer recognition ○ Customer feedback is also used to help
programs with decisions.
○ Annual gala dinner event to celebrate
employee of the year.
● Acknowledgement of the period of time employed.
These can be letters of appreciation and gifts for
significant timeframes like five and ten years of
employment.
● Trophies and certificates of appreciation given to
teams for achieving KPI targets.

● Sabbaticals. This is the term given to having time

off to pursue study interests.
● In-house training programs.
Developmental ● Cross-training to learn other job areas.
● Interstate and overseas exchange programs.
● Opportunities to attend conferences and join
professional associations.

● Commissions.
● Monetary bonuses.
● Employee ownership plans. In essence, the
employee becomes a part-owner by receiving
Financial shares in the company.
● Profit-sharing schemes. At the end of the financial
year, if the company has made a profit, the
business shares a portion of that profit with
employees.
● Points reward systems whereby employees can
use points earned to purchase rewards of their
choice from online gift sites.

● Health and wellness initiatives, such as gym

memberships, staff sporting clubs and discounted
Social
health care services.
● Footy tipping competitions.
● Celebration of religious holidays and other special
events throughout the year.
● Staff drinks and nibbles provided once a month, or
after meetings.

13
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com
SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

Q40: Are informal acknowledgements important? Explain why/why not.

➢ Informal recognition is at the discretion of the managers, and recognition should take
place when it is merited. Informal rewards should be personalised, spontaneous,
immediate, meaningful and consistent. Adopting both formal and informal employee
recognition will help you reinforce specific behaviours and actions that you’d like to see
more of within your organisation. But remember, employee recognition must be
designed to conform to your workplace culture, and to the needs and interests of your
workforce.

Q41: Petra has been a floor supervisor in the same restaurant in a hotel for two years now. She
says she loves her job, but lately you have been getting the impression that she is bored.
And you caught her looking at job ads! She’s a great asset to the business and you don’t
want to lose her.
List five ways you could provide individual staff development to Petra. Provide examples
for each.

● Personalised employee development plans

○ You need to develop a collaborative, structured plan for each employee with
clearly defined objectives and targets. These should be based on their specific
skills, strengths, career goals and opportunities within the business.

● Departmental rotations
○ Rotate staff through company departments to challenge and stimulate them. This
lets your employees understand how the various departments work and support
each other, making them better at their own role and potentially uncovering
valuable objective insights about the departments they enter.

● Mentoring and networking

○ Send employees to conferences, trade fairs or other networking events to build
confidence, communication skills and improve their understanding of the
industry.

● Virtual training
○ If someone needs it, there is almost certainly an online course for it. Or a talk. Or
a training video.

● Staff meetings and discussions

○ Everyone likes to be valued and appreciated. Encourage your employees to think
critically about the business and actively engage with its growth by asking for
opinions and feedback.

Q42: Delegating is a big part of your role as a leader. How would you define delegation from a
manager viewpoint?

➢ From a management perspective, the best definition of delegation is when a manager or

team leader gives another member of staff the responsibility and authority to complete
an assigned task.

14
2018 Edition
 SITXHRM003 LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE – Short answer

Q43: If delegation of tasks is carried out well, it can have great benefits to not only the manager
but also the employee. What are the four benefits of delegating?

● It is an effective time management strategy. There are never enough hours in the day,
and delegating helps you manage your workload.

● It fits in with motivation principles. Employees want to do interesting and rewarding work.
You can delegate challenging and rewarding tasks.

● It helps with succession planning. Delegating is partly training others to be ready for
management roles.

● It contributes to an environment of trust. Employees feel respected and valued when you
entrust them with some of your responsibilities.

Q44: Often we see leaders delegating in a rush, without adequate coaching or thought as to
who the best person for the job is. What are the five steps to successful delegation?

● Decide what to delegate

● Decide who to delegate

● Delegate

● Inform others

● Monitor results and give feedback

Q45: List five barriers to delegation.

● Employees resist taking on delegated tasks because they feel uncomfortable with the
responsibility, overwhelmed, or unsure of their ability.

● Employees may think it’s not their responsibility to do ‘your’ work.

● Giving too many tasks to one person.

● Giving the more interesting tasks to favoured employees (or the perception this is
happening).

● Failing to recognise, praise and thank the efforts of employees.

15
© Didasko Digital 2018 www.didasko.com