2022GC

Rift Valley University

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2022GC
 RIFT VALLEY UNIVERSITY

BURAYU CAMPUS

Accounting and finance

Level-II
Learning Guide-07
Unit of Competence: Apply business communication in the
work place

MODULE CODE : LSA ACF2 M04 0322

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LO1. Obtain and convey workplace information
1.1. Accessing information from appropriate sources
Information access is the ability to identify, retrieve, and use information effectively. Access to
information is vital to social, political, and economic advancement.

Traditionally, information has been disseminated in a variety of formats that have been widely
accessible, often through public libraries.

Appropriate sources of information

An Information Source is a source of information for somebody, i.e. anything that might inform
a person about something on provides knowledge to somebody.

Information sources may be observations, people speeches, documents, pictures, organizations

As you conduct research when writing a paper, you will come across various sources of
information. The various sources are typically classified as:

 primary,
 secondary,
 Tertiary.

Primary Information Sources

 A primary information source provides direct or firsthand information about an event,

person, object, or work of art.
 Primary sources are contemporary to what they describe.
 They are original materials which have not been interpreted, condensed, or evaluated by a
second party.

Here are some examples of primary information sources.

 Diaries
 Experiments

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  Poems
 Personal correspondences
 Speeches
 Paintings
 Interviews
 Annual reports of an organization or agency
 Patents
 Court records

Secondary Information Sources

 A secondary information source analyzes, interprets, or discusses information about a

primary information source.
 Secondary sources are subsequent to what they describe, as they are produced at some
point after a primary information source appears.
 Papers written by students typically contain mostly secondary sources.

Here are some examples of secondary information sources.

 Textbooks
 Biographies
 Magazine articles
 Book reviews
 Histories

1.2. Using effective questioning, active listening and speaking skills

Effective questioning

Asking questions is essential for checking pupil understanding and keeping them engaged with
the task at hand.

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It’s crucial to the way students receive and process information and it encourages independent
and critical thinking. To have the desired effect, these questions need to be effective, well-
considered, and challenging.

What is Effective Questioning and why is it Useful?

Effective questions focus on eliciting the process, i.e. the ‘how’ and ‘why,’ in a person’s
response, as opposed to answers which just detail ‘what.’ Using them in the office creates
opportunities for person to analyze their own thinking, that of their peers, and their work.

Benefits of Effective Questioning

Using effective questioning in your classroom brings a host of benefits, as it:

 Encourages students to engage with their work and each other.

 Helps students to think out loud.
 Facilitates learning through active discussion.
 Empowers persons to feel confident about their ideas.
 Improves speaking and listening skills.
 Builds critical thinking skills.
 Teaches respect for other people’s opinions.
 Helps person to clarify their understanding.
 Motivates students and develops an interest of a topic.
 Allows teachers to check person’ understanding.

Types of Questions

There are two main types of questions that are used in the classroom: closed questions and open
questions.

Closed Questions

Closed questions are those that prompt a simple response, such as yes, no, or a short answer.
Examples include:

 Are you feeling better today?

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  Does 6 plus 7 equal 13?
 When was the Battle of the Adowa?

There are many advantages to closed questions. They’re quick and easy to respond to and
generally reduce confusion. They’re also particularly useful for challenging pupils’ memory and
recalling facts.

There are, however, also a number of disadvantages to using closed questions. Persons may start
to try and guess what you’re thinking and give an answer based on that. They may also become
anxious that they’re going to get the answer wrong, which reduces their willingness to answer.

Open Questions

Open questions, on the other hand, are those that require a deeper level of thinking and often
prompt a lengthier response. They ask person to think and reflect, provide opinions and feelings,
and take control of the conversation. Examples of some open questions includes:

 What did you think of the ending of Romeo and Juliet?

 What message was TsegayeGebremedhin trying to portray through Merkato?
 How did you interpret the end of the film?

Active listening

Active listening is a skill that can be acquired and developed with practice. However, active
listening can be difficult to master and will, therefore, take time and patience to develop.

'Active listening' means, as its name suggests, actively listening. That is fully concentrating on
what is being said rather than just passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker.

Active listening involves listening with all senses. As well as giving full attention to the speaker,
it is important that the ‘active listener’ is also ‘seen’ to be listening - otherwise the speaker may
conclude that what they are talking about is uninteresting to the listener.

Interest can be conveyed to the speaker by using both verbal and non-verbal messages such as:

 maintaining eye contact,

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  nodding your head
 smiling,
 Agreeing by saying ‘Yes’ or simply ‘Mmm hmm’ to encourage them to continue.

Active listening requires you to listen attentively to a speaker, understand what they're saying,
respond and reflect on what's being said, and retain the information for later. This keeps both
listener and speaker actively engaged in the conversation.

Becoming an Active Listener

 Pay Attention. Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the
message.
 Show That You're Listening. Use your own body language and gestures to show that
you are engaged
 Provide Feedback
 Defer Judgment.
 Respond Appropriately.

Speaking Skills

Effective Speaking skill

Speak means to talk, to give a lecture or speech, or to use your voice to say something. The word
speak has many other senses as a verb and is used in several idioms. Speak is a synonym of talk
and means to use words and sounds to communicate.

Speaking skills are defined as skills which allow us to communicate effectively. These skills give
us the ability to convey information verbally and in a way that the listener can understand.
Effective speaking is concerns about being able to speak in a public context with confidence and
clarity, whilst at the same time reflecting on your own personality.

Aspects of Effective Speaking

 Accents.
 Finding your voice.
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  The effect of breath on voice and speech.
 Vocal production.

1.3. Using appropriate medium

Communication media refers to the means of delivering and receiving data or information.

Medium is Communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data, or

promotional messages are disseminated.

Medium refers to the method you use to relay your communication. Media for professional
communications include face to face, email, social media, written documents, PowerPoint
presentations, websites, and more.

Some media are richer in terms of the types of communication they support. For example, face-
to-face communication supports both verbal and non-verbal communication, whereas email
supports only verbal communication.

The quality of richness, however, does not equate with being a “better” or “worse”
communication medium; “better” equates with being the medium most appropriate to your
audience, purpose, and context.

Here are some criteria to keep in mind when determining which communication channel to use:

1. Who is the audience?

2. How important is the message?
3. What is the level of confidentiality?
4. How much interactivity is needed?
5. How much information needs to be conveyed?

Although the criteria above are listed as separate items, they need to be considered together when
choosing appropriate communication channels. For example, if you need to get a quick answer
from a member of your team about a joint project, consider the following. First, the recipient is a
teammate with whom you probably communicate frequently.

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Types of Communication Medium

We divide the different types of communication medium into two different categories:

1. Physical media
2. Mechanical media

Physical media

With physical media we mean channels where the person who is talking can be seen and heard
by the audience. The whole point here is to be able to not only hear the messages but also to see
the body language and feel the climate in the room. This does not need to be two-way channels.
In certain situations the receiver expect physical communication. This is the case especially
when dealing with high concern messages, e.g. organizational change or down sizing. If a
message is perceived as important to the receiver they expect to hear it live from their manager.

 Large meetings, town hall meetings

 Department meetings (weekly meetings)
 Up close and personal (exclusive meetings)
 Video conferences
 Viral communication or word of mouth

Large meetings

Large meetings have got great symbolic value and should be used only at special occasions. This
channel works very well when you need to get across strategic and important messages to a large
group of people at the same time, creating a wide attention, get engagement or communicate a
sense of belonging. Large meetings are excellent when you want to present a new vision or
strategy, inform about reorganization or share new values. The opportunity for dialogue is

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limited at large meeting, of course but you can create smaller groups where dialogue can be
performed.

Weekly departmental meetings

In the weekly meetings you and your group communicate daily operative issues, gives status
reports and solves problems. Weekly meetings are also used to follow up on information from
large meetings, management team meetings etc from a “what’s-in-it-for-us-perspective”. This
type of smaller group meetings gives good opportunities for dialogue. This channel is often the
most important channel you have as a manager, because that’s where you have the opportunity to
build the big picture, you can prepare for change, you can create ownership of important
strategies and goals etc. This is a favorite among the types of communication medium.

Up close and personal

This is a form of meetings where, often, a senior manager meets with a “random” selection of
employees to discuss and answer questions. Some managers use this as aon going activities on a
monthly basis. It can also be used in specific projects or campaigns e.g. launching new strategies.

Viral communication

Or viral marketing as it is also called works external as well as internal and refer to marketing
techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in awareness or knowledge
through self-replicating viral processes. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the
network effects of social media.

Mechanical media

The second of the two types of communication medium is mechanical media. With mechanical
media we mean written or electronic channels. These channels can be used as archives for
messages or for giving the big picture and a deeper knowledge. But they can also be very fast.
Typically though, because it is written, it is always interpret by the reader based on his or her
mental condition. Irony or even humour rarely travels well in mechanical channels.

 E-mail
 Weekly letters or newsletters

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  Personal letters
 Billboards
 Intranet
 Magazines or papers
 SMS
 Social media

E-mail

E-mail is a good channel for the daily communication to specific target groups. It is suitable
mainly for up-to-date and “simple” messages and where there is no risk of misunderstanding, E-
mail is an important supplement to weekly meetings and the Intranet. Invitation to and agenda
for meetings can with advantage be sent out with e-mail before the meeting, while background
facts and minutes from meetings is well suited to be stored on the Intranet.

Some short e-mail tips:

 Write short and to the point.

 Target your messages to the audience and avoid sending unnecessary all-employees-
e-mails.
 Set up your subject line to describe what the e-mail is about.
 Clearly state if the message is for information or for action.
 Avoid attaching large documents if possible. Post a link or direct to the source
instead.

Weekly letters

Managers that have large groups of employees and who has difficulties in meeting all of them
often choose to publish a personally weekly letter. It is sort of a short summary of news with
personally reflections. Many employees often appreciate it because it has the potential to give the
“what’s-in-it-for-us” angle. They can also contain summaries and status in tasks, projects or
issues – yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Personal letters

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At special occasions it can be justified to send a personal letter to employees in order to get
attention to a specific issue. E.g. pat on the back letter after extra ordinary achievements. Or it
can be a letter with your personal commentary on an ongoing reorganisation that affects many
employees. One other example is a letter that summarizes the past year and wishes all the best
for the holidays.

Billboard

One of the most forgotten types of communication medium is clearly the billboard. Especially
today, when everything is about social media. But the good thing with the billboard is that you
can use billboards to inform people who does not have computers and/or access to the Intranet or
to reach people that work part time and does not attend weekly meetings.

 News summary
 Weekly letters
 Minutes from meetings
 Schedules
 Holiday lists

Employee magazine

A Magazine offers the opportunity to deepen a specific issue, explain context, describing
consequences or tell a story. It also has the opportunity to reach many employees. If you want to
create a broad internal understanding of strategic messages the magazine can be a good vehicle
to use e.g. by writing an article based on an interview with you. As were the case with the
Intranet you also have to “translate” the information in the magazine to your employees. You can
ask yourself: What does the content in a specific article mean to us? How shall I best
communicate it to the employees?

SMS

Or text messaging to the mobile phone is one of the new types of communication medium and
not a very widely used channel but where it is used it is proven very effective. Some companies
use it as an alert system e.g. for giving managers a head start when something important will be

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published on the Intranet. The advantage with Sms is that it is fast. But it should be used rarely
as an exclusive channel. Some companies use it as a subscription tool where you can subscribe to
e.g press-releases.

Social media

Wikipedia describe social media as “Media designed to be disseminated through social

interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media
supports the human need for social interaction, using Internet- and web-based technologies to
transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to
many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from
content consumers into content producers.

More and more companies are using social media in their external marketing, setting up twitter
and Facebook accounts etc. But these channels are also used internal where managers become
“friends” on Facebook with their employees or where managers use blog and twitter targeting
their employees.

Push or Pull

You can also divide the different types of communication medium in Push or Pull channels.

Push channels are channels where the senders are pushing the message to the receiver. Meaning
it is up to the sender to control the communication.

 E-mail
 Newsletters and letters (if sent out)
 Magazines (if sent out)
 Meetings
 Telephone
 SMS

Pull channels on the other hand is when the receiver is pulling the message from the sender. It is
up to the receiver when he or she wants to take in the message.

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  Intranet
 Billboards
 New letters and letters (if not sent out)
 Magazines (if not sent out)
 Social media

Push channels are often regarded as having higher reliability than pull channels because of the
fact that it is more active in the communication.

1.4. Using appropriate non- verbal communication

When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive wordless signals.

All of our nonverbal behaviors—the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we
talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make—send strong messages.

Why nonverbal communication matters

The way you listen, look, move, and react tells the other person whether or not you care, if
you’re being truthful, and how well you’re listening.

When your nonverbal signals match up with the words you’re saying, they increase trust, clarity,
and rapport. When they don’t, they generate tension, mistrust, and confusion.

If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more sensitive not only
to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to your own.

Nonverbal communication cues can play five roles:

 Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making verbally.
 Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is trying to convey.
 Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. For example, a person's eyes can
often convey a far more vivid message than words do.
 Complementing: they may add to or complement a verbal message. A boss who pats a
person on the back in addition to giving praise can increase the impact of the message.

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  Accenting: they may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for
example, can underline a message.

Types of nonverbal communication and body language

There are many different types of nonverbal communication. Together, the following nonverbal
signals and cues communicate your interest and investment in others.

Facial expressions
The human face is extremely expressive, able to express countless emotions without saying a
word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal. The
facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across
cultures.

Body movements and posture

Consider how your perceptions of people are affected by the way they sit, walk, stand up, or hold
their head. The way you move and carry your-self communicates a wealth of information to the
world. This type of nonverbal communication includes your posture, bearing, stance, and subtle
movements.

Gestures
Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. We wave, point, beckon, and use our hands
when we’re arguing or speaking animatedly—expressing ourselves with gestures often without
thinking. However, the meaning of gestures can be very different across cultures and regions, so
it’s important to be careful to avoid misinterpretation.

Eye contact

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 Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially important
type of nonverbal communication.
 The way you look at someone can communicate many things, including interest, affection,
hostility, or attraction.
 Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and for gauging the
other person’s response.

Touch
We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the messages given by the following:
 a weak handshake,
 a timid tap on the shoulder,
 a warm bear hug,
 a reassuring slap on the back,
 a patronizing pat on the head, or
 a controlling grip on your arm.

Space
Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was standing
too close and invading your space?
We all have a need for physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture, the
situation, and the closeness of the relationship.
You can use physical space to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including
signals of intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance.

1.5. Identifying and following appropriate lines of communication

Every business needs established communication lines and processes so employees and
executives effectively pass messages along to the right people.

In a business organization, communication plays an important role. It affects interpersonal

relationships, attitude, proactivity and affection toward the company and its values.

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In a company organized by projects, communication takes on greater importance than in a mere
functional organization and the project manager assumes the role of communication catalyst and
promoter.

The PM should interact with all project stakeholders: the sponsor or customer, program or
portfolio manager, line manager, members of the project team, etc.

There are two main types of communication, based on the direction of the hierarchies within the
project organization:

 Horizontal: Communication established with people on the same hierarchical level

within the company (or project)

 Vertical: Communication established with people who belong to a different hierarchical

level

These two types have equal importance. Let’s consider them from the point of view of the
project manager…

Horizontal Communication
Horizontal communication represents an exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences. In this
type of communication, the project manager must somehow "defend and protect" the project in
front of stakeholders who are involved in a partial/indirect way.

The most critical interaction here is the one between the project manager and line manager.

Horizontal communication should be characterized by:

 Partial information sharing: The technical and financial details—and management of the
project—are not usually deeply explored among stakeholders, who require general
information concerning the status quo of the project.

 Synthesis/easy to read: The shared information is simple in order to be effective and easy
to read—and to allow people who are not directly involved in the project to understand
the level of progress.

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  Balance and diplomacy: The project manager should communicate decisively with the
stakeholders involved in horizontal communication—but at the same time carefully,
trying on one hand to protect the work of his or her team, and on the other hand to meet
the knowledge needs of their interlocutors in a clear and transparent way.

VerticalCommunication
Vertical communication is mostly characterized by technical or management interactions
essentially focused on the success of the project.

Vertical communication can be divided into pure and impure.

Pure vertical communication follows the chain of command of the project. If the communication
is directed downward, it involves the project manager and team members.

 The PM has the task of guiding the team's activities and directing it to the achievement of
project objectives.
 Team members must perceive the PM as the leader of the project and provide
constructive and aware contributions for the success of the project.
 Pure vertical communication is also the one that exists between the project manager and
the program/portfolio manager (who should be her/his direct supervisor).

Impure vertical communication is usually established in a company organized by an unbalanced

matrix between the project manager and line managers.

According to the relevance of the project within the company and its organization, the PM
should be at a hierarchical level slightly different from the line manager.

 This type of communication is particularly delicate and involves people who can easily
get into conflict with each other.
 The power struggle between the project manager/line managers against the project team
members must be mediated by appropriate communication.
 This should be perceived as part of the success of the project.

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In this type of communication, the project manager should be able to—on one hand—highlight
the strategic importance of the project within the organization, and consequently the importance
of his or her role.

The project manager should facilitate the contribution of line managers to project success. This
contribution must not distract project team members from their tasks and objectives.

Vertical communication should be characterized by:

 Respect for roles: The people involved in vertical communication are not on the same
hierarchical level. It is fundamental that everyone is aware of their role (and that of his or
her partners within the project and/or organization).

 Wide information sharing: The project team and program/portfolio manager should be
aware of the most important project aspects: guidelines, processes and objectives. It is
important that everyone feels part of the project team. The sharing of information is an
essential tool for successful teamwork.

 Availability to listening: Communication within different hierarchical levels could bump

sensibility if it is not set in the proper way. It’s important to transmit the information at
the right time and in the correct ways, dealing with commands, objections and opinions
that can arrive from higher or lower levels.

1.6. Using defined workplace procedures

What is a workplace procedure?

A workplace procedure directly relates to workplace policies. A procedure is a list of steps

demonstrating how to implement a policy. Policies and procedures are used together to give
employees a good understanding of company rules and values.

A workplace policy clearly defines an organization’s expectations regarding employee behavior

and performance.

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A workplace procedure tells employees how to implement those policies. When used together,
policies and procedures give employees a well-rounded understanding of their workplace.

10 examples of policies and procedures in the workplace

As an employee, it's important to comprehend the policies and procedures in your workplace.
Understanding the policies and procedures significant to you can have a positive impact on your
working life. It lets you know what is expected of you and what rights you have.

Here are 10 real examples of workplace policies and procedures:

1. Code of conduct

A code of conduct is a common policy found in most businesses. It is a set of rules that
companies expect employees to follow. The rules establish the expected behavioural standards
for all employees. A code of conduct policy may cover the following:

 Attendance and absence

 Employee behavior
 Company values
 Break and mealtime policies
 Confidentiality
 Use of company property
 Use of social media
 Travel policies
 Conflicts of interest
 Client interaction
 Dress code
 Reporting misconduct

2. Recruitment policy

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A recruitment policy outlines how the company hires new people. It outlines the hiring process
and aims to promote consistency in the recruitment process. It's an important document for
employees to access. It may cover the following things:

 Internal and external hiring preferences

 Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination
 Job description and advertisement templates
 Selection process and timeframe
 How to review resumes and cover letters
 The expected amount of short-listed applicants
 How to check references
 How to select a suitable candidate and offer the job

3. Internet and email policy

This policy outlines how companies expect employees to use their email accounts and the
internet. It helps to save time and promote efficiency. It also sets up procedures to minimize risk,
which is especially important for secure networks. An internet and email policy may cover the
following things:

 Internet access rules

 Appropriate online usage
 Controls on misuse of the internet
 A security protocol for online data
 Download rules
 Social networking rules
 Work email usage rules

4. Mobile phone policy

A mobile phone policy covers the rules of mobile phone usage in the workplace. It may cover
personal mobile phone usage as well as work mobile phones. They provide employees with a
comprehensive set of rules about when and how they are allowed to use their mobile phones.

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This sort of policy is set up to promote productivity and reduce distractions. It may cover the
following:

 When you can use your personal mobile phone

 Where you can keep your personal mobile phone during office hours
 Rules surrounding personal phone calls
 How to use your work mobile phone
 What is and isn't acceptable use for you work mobile phone

5. Smoking policy

A smoking policy covers a workplace's rules regarding smoking and tobacco use. Many
companies do not allow smoking on their premises. It's important for employees to know where
and when they can smoke, if applicable. A smoking policy may cover the following:

 Whether smoking is allowed

 Designated smoking areas
 Smoking breaks
 Smoking off-site

6. Drug and alcohol policy

This type of policy covers a company's rules regarding drug and alcohol use. It may mention
procedures for dealing with rule-breaking. It may also mention the procedure for dealing drug
testing. A drug and alcohol policy is usually a strict list of rules that may cover the following:

 A company's tolerance to drug and alcohol use

 Drug testing rules
 Alcohol use rules (i.e., Friday drinks)
 Procedure for dealing with intoxicated individuals

7. Health and safety policy

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This type of policy covers a company's obligations under work health and safety laws. It is an
important policy because it establishes how employees are protected. Such a policy may cover
the following:

 Risk assessment
 Employee safety training
 First aid information
 Equipment maintenance
 Safe handling of materials and substances
 Supervision rules
 Delegation of authority
 Accident training
 Physical and mental health information
 Monitoring hazards
 Emergency procedures

8. Anti-discrimination and harassment policy

An anti-discrimination and harassment policy is important to promote a healthy and positive

workplace for all employees. One of the key things to include in this policy is education.
Education is one of the best ways to prevent discrimination and harassment. This type of policy
may cover the following:

 Procedure for employee complaints

 Education and training for employees
 Provide a clear definition of discrimination and harassment
 Guidelines for dealing with discrimination and harassment
 How management expects to respond to complaints
 Confidentiality information

9. Grievance handling policy

A grievance handling policy is particularly important for employees. A grievance is a formal

complaint made by an employee towards an employer. This policy can outline your rights as an

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employee and how the company expects to respond to your grievance. The policy can cover the
following:

 Procedure for submitting a formal grievance

 Company policy regarding response
 Procedure for investigating the grievance
 Time frame
 Confidentiality
 Possible outcomes
 Appeal information

10. Discipline and termination policy

A discipline and termination policy establishes how a company may handle employees who don't
follow their policies.

It demonstrates consequences and possible dismissals. This type of policy is important for
employees as it lists their rights in terms of discipline and termination. This policy may cover the
following:

 Procedure for dealing with incidents that go against company policy

 How a company responds to rule breaks
 Your rights to appeal discipline
 Procedure for an investigation into incidents
 Reasons for termination
 Pre-termination procedure
 How to tell an employee they have been let go
 Post-termination procedure

1.7. Carrying out personal interaction

Personal interaction is a part of project business relationships at three interaction levels. At the
person-to-person level the interaction is focused on exchange of tacit knowledge, social values
and trust creation.

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An example of interaction is when you have a conversation. The situation or occurrence in which
two or more objects or events act upon one another to produce a new effect the effect resulting
from such a situation or occurrence. Be aware of interactions between different medications.

In order to interact effectively with someone follow the common tips below:

1. Really Listen. Most of us do more talking than listening. ...

2. Come Alongside The Other Person. People don't need friends who beat them up; they
need friends who help them out
3. Don't Give Unwanted Advice
4. Check Your Tone And Body Language
5. Be Real
6. It's Not About You

LO-2- Participate in workplace meetings and discussions

2.1. Attending Team meetings on time

Team meetings are a key component of any business. It’s important that the employees know and
understand what’s going on with the company and what expectations they need to meet in order
for the company to be successful.

It is one of the best ways to create a culture of continuous improvement. Want to run a great
meeting and save time each and every week? Just follow our tips on how to run a staff meeting.

There are good meetings and there are bad meetings. Bad meetings drone on forever, you never
seem to get to the point, and you leave wondering why you were even present.

Effective ones leave you energized and feeling that you've really accomplished something.

So what makes a meeting effective? This really boils down to three things:

1. They achieve the meeting's objective.

2. They take up a minimum amount of time.

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 3. They leave participants feeling that a sensible process has been followed.

If you structure your meeting planning, preparation, execution, and follow up around these three
basic criteria, the result will be an effective meeting.

The reason why it is important to attend meeting on time is when conducted effectively,
meetings:

 disseminate valuable information,

 increase workplace communication, and
 Boost morale and productivity.

One major contributor to meeting success is punctuality. Punctuality greatly affects the value of
meetings.

2.2. Express own opinions and listening those of others

In a group discussion, speakers use a wide variety of language functions, such as giving
opinions, making statements, agreeing, disagreeing, suggesting, persuading, and many others.

The main advantage of using set expressions is that they help to make a speaker’s intentions
clear. For example, the expression, “I see what you mean, but..." signals that the speaker is going
to disagree with the preceding comment.

By using such expressions, a speaker helps the listeners understand the purpose of a particular
comment or question and see how it relates to the ideas previously expressed.
With ideas more clearly connected, listeners usually find it easier to follow the flow of the
discussion and respond appropriately.
In this way, the use of expressions helps reduce confusion and leads to clearer communication in
a group.

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Many different expressions, of course, can be used to convey each function in English. These
expressions are not necessarily interchangeable, however; some may be more formal or informal,
more direct or indirect, than others.
The expressions listed in this section are limited to some examples that are generally appropriate
in professional situations.

This list of expressions is intended to be a reference source that you can add to.
Giving an opinion
 I think
 I believe
 In my opinion
 As far as I’m concerned
 As I see it,
 Personally, I think
 It seems to me
2.3. Consisting meeting inputs

What is a Meeting?
A meeting is where a group of people come together to discuss issues, to improve
communication, to promote coordination or to deal with any matters that are put on the agenda
and to help get any jobs done.

For any meeting to be successful it needs the support of the group involved, or the organization
behind it and it must have the intention of achieving some goal or objective.

Purpose of Meetings

You have to be very clear on why you are calling a meeting. That is, you have to be very clear on
what you want to accomplish and why you are bringing together the group of people that have
been invited.

Meetings are held for any of the following reasons:

 To sort out any conflicts.

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  To negotiate a contract or agreement, or matters to do with it.
 To deal with a current problem within the group or within the business or organization.
 To receive a report for assessment and review.
 To supply information to those present or to canvas views of those present on the
particular matter at hand.

The different types of meetings: Formal vs. Informal

Before we dive into the specifics of the different types of meetings, there is one significant
distinction that we should start with: Formal vs. informal.

The large majority of meetings fall into the category of informal meetings, despite what most
people think. By contrast, formal meetings are held far less frequently, but have perhaps the
greatest impact. Let's establish a working definition of a formal meeting:

A formal meeting is any pre-arranged meeting between two or more people which:

 Takes place for the purpose of achieving a common, stated objective

 Takes place at a designated date, time, and location
 Follows a clear meeting agenda
 Is recorded in meeting minutes to recount discussions, votes, and action items.

Therefore, an informal meeting is any meeting between two or more people which does not
satisfy all of the above criteria. From this, you can see that the large majority of business
meetings that take place are *informal* meetings, which is contrary to the conventional wisdom.

Formal meetings- From strategy to progress

With our working definition of formal meetings clear, we can look deeper into the different types
of formal meetings that are commonly held in the world of business. These include:

1. Management Meeting

Perhaps the most frequently-held formal meetings are management meetings. These happen at
different intervals depending on the organization, but are usually either monthly or quarterly.

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In these meetings, the meeting agenda will usually include an update from each department on
performance, an evaluation against annual goals and targets, and votes on key decisions, such as
the implementation of new software or the hiring of a new member of the leadership team.

2. Board of Directors meeting

A company's Board of Directors is accountable to shareholders, and is responsible for having

oversight of a company's performance.

As with management meetings, these are held at different intervals, but are typically quarterly or
bi-annual meetings that comprise individuals who either have a vested interest in company’s
performance, or can provide specialist input to the way an organization is run.

These individuals often hold more than one board mandate, and therefore are exceptionally time-
scarce.

Therefore, these meetings need to be well-organized and very structured, giving ample time for
individuals to prepare thoroughly.

3. Committee meeting

In many organizations, committees are formed around specific issues that require more attention
that can be adequately given in a Board of Directors meeting.

These committees will meet more regularly than the board does, and will report upon their
progress at each BoD meeting.

They will usually comprise members of the board, along with subject-matter experts in the area
that they are formed to work upon. For example, a Board of Directors might assemble a
specialist committee around digital transformation, in order to overhaul an organization’s
approach to IT and its infrastructure.

4. Shareholders' meeting

A shareholder's meeting, also known as an annual general meeting (AGM) in some cases, is a
meeting of all of those with a financial interest in an organization. These usually happen either

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annually or bi-annually, and are an opportunity for the leadership of a company to give a
progress update, as well as a chance for shareholders to ask questions of the management.

The overall objective is to report on the performance of the organization in the prior period, and
to outline the strategy for the next, to gain the shareholders' buy-in.

Informal meetings- Key to culture and teamwork

Informal meetings represent the large majority of meetings that take place in the world of
business. Whether it is a regular 1:1 with a manager, or a catch-up with a colleague over coffee,
these meetings are not only ubiquitous, but are crucial to the performance, culture, and employee
experience of an organization.

The different types of informal meetings include:

1. Brainstorming

A brainstorming meeting often includes a range of stakeholders, either from within a department
or across functions, the objective of which is to put fresh ideas on the table and discuss them as a
group.

These discussions usually take place around a given topic, such as the development of a new
product or planning a new marketing campaign.

The different points of view help the driver of an initiative to refine their approach and their
understanding, as well as injecting creativity into the process.

2. Problem-solving

Problem solving is a part of daily corporate life for nearly everyone, and so it follows that
problem-solving meetings are a mainstay in your diary.

Problem-solving meetings are informal in nature, but they are no less important as they help
reduce roadblocks and enable initiatives to be driven forward.

3. Training

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Training is another type of informal meeting that - in many cases - is incorrectly classified as a
formal meeting. While training might satisfy some of the criteria that fall under formal meetings,
it does not usually involve writing meeting minutes and instead is collaboration between
whoever is training, and their trainee, to ensure that knowledge is imparted.

4. Progress updates

If organizations are to be productive, and to achieve, then evaluating progress is vital. Therefore,
holding specific meetings for progress to be reported upon is highly recommended.

As opposed to general management meetings, progress update meetings will involve a wider
range of stakeholders who are responsible for driving different initiatives.

In these meetings they will each take it in turn to report on the progress that has been made, the
blockers that have arisen, and the projected timeline for the remainder of the initiative.

These meetings should be held reasonably regularly - likely monthly - however if your
organization works in weekly or fortnightly sprints then it might make sense to hold these
meetings more regularly.

5. Team Building

Another type of informal meeting that is integral to organizational success - especially in times
of remote working and hybrid meetings - is a team building meeting.

In team building meetings you have the opportunity to connect with your team, and for your
team to connect with one another, as human beings.

While this is a great way to ensure that you are all aligned behind a vision and mission, it is also
just as important to mix in some fun.

6. Coffee chats

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Coffee chats are often overlooked as a type of meeting, when really they are crucial to
developing and maintaining your organization’s culture - especially during times of remote
working.

2.4. Conducting workplace interactions

Think of all the times during a day you have some sort of human interaction. You joke with your
family members, have small-talk with your favorite barista, and make awkward eye contact with
the person across from you on the bus. No matter where you go, it’s seemingly impossible to
avoid contact with others, especially in college.

First impressions matter, but whether dealing with strangers or not, it is important to know how
to be an agreeable fellow human being, especially in a professional setting. Focus is placed on
academics while in school, but potential employers are also looking for evidence of interpersonal
and collaborative skills.

It’s not always easy adjusting to a work environment that requires cohesion among multiple
people, but it’s necessary to learn how to handle it – even on the bad days.

Here are four tips to encourage positive team interactions in the workplace!

1. Receive and Provide Feedback

Don’t take it personally! Your coworkers are working toward the same overarching goal, so if
you are approached with constructive criticism to better yourself or your work, take it as a gift
and opportunity to grow. Contribute to fostering an environment that promotes the thoughtful
exchange of ideas.

2. Be Transparent

Be open! If your team members feel you withhold information, they might begin to feel a sense
of distrust, and that distrust could cause them to be less transparent. When there is not an open
line of communication, assumptions are made and mishaps occur that deter the team from their
goals.

3. Take a Breather

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Avoid burnout! No one wants to have a breakdown at their workplace. Try small changes such as
waking up early enough to eat a balanced breakfast, keeping a stress ball at the desk, and going
on lunch break without bringing work along. If these steps aren’t enough and you’re feeling
overwhelmed, reach out to team members or your higher up to strategize or redistribute some
work. Your coworkers might be happy to help, and your higher up could possibly reorganize
your workload. It never hurts to ask!

4. Practice Empathy

Be a listener! You aren’t the only one who experiences emotions and circumstances that affect
daily operations. Not all coworkers are comfortable divulging personal information in a personal
setting, but if you notice something is off and they could use some help, you can be a supportive
team member by offering help with work responsibilities or simply displaying more care in your
actions. They’ll trust you more, and they reciprocate these efforts in the future.

These are just a few things to practice when working in a collaborative work setting. Take care
of yourself and your coworkers, be open to criticism, and keep the lines of communication open!

2.1. Workplace interactions are conducted in a courteous manner

These are relationships between co-workers, managers and staff, and employees with the public.
Positive interactions increase good feelings, increase morale and improve work satisfaction.
Workplace interactions
 Face to face
 Telephone
 Electronic and two way radio

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Written including electronic, memos, instruction and forms, non-verbal including gestures,
signals, signs and diagrams

Courteous behaviour

Behaviour that is considered courteous is:

 being friendly

 showing respect for the other person, and

 Assisting the other person.

Being courteous is an important element of being professional.

Professional behaviour

When dealing with clients in a workplace setting, professionalism is critical. Behaviour that is
considered professional is:

 being courteous
 focusing on the needs of the client
 assisting the client to meet their needs
 following organisational policies and expectations of good conduct
 Ensuring the client’s needs have been met.
Another key element to professionalism is doing all of the above within an appropriate
timeframe.

2.5. Interpreting and implementing meetings outcomes

A meeting output or outcome can include resource allocation decisions, action items, dispute
resolution, prioritization decisions and new plans being made.

Whatever you have accomplished during your meeting as well as the direction that you choose to
move in (including plans or decisions for the future) become your meeting output. Because your
meeting outcome is based on the meeting goal or the purpose of your meeting, it’s really
important that you plan ahead to think about what you and your team are working towards.

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Then, take the tangible steps towards achieving your meeting goal.

Creating desired outcomes for your meeting helps to focus the group and set expectations before
the meeting starts. It also helps to break down the steps in a decision making process in order to
obtain consensus on each specific outcome.

 Everyone is clear
 Everyone is confident
 Everyone has an actionable plan
 Everyone feels confident about the team
 Everyone feels supported and encouraged
 Everyone contributes their thoughts
 Everyone has the opportunity to ask questions
 Everyone leaves the meeting feeling energized

LO-3-Complete relevant work related documents

3.1. Completing range of forms

A form is a structured document with a fixed arrangement. Forms are used to collect the required
information in a logical, meaningful fashion for communication and pass to another entity.

A form is a document with spaces in which to write or select, for a series of documents with
similar contents. T

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he documents usually have the printed parts in common, except, possibly, for a serial number.

Forms, when completed, may be a statement, a request, an order, etc.; a check may be a form.
Also there are forms for taxes; filling one in is a duty to have determined how much tax one
owes, and/or the form is a request for a refund. See also Tax return.

Forms may be filled out in duplicate (or triplicate, meaning three times) when the information
gathered on the form needs to be distributed to several departments within an organization. This
can be done using carbon paper.

Advantages of forms include the following:

 One has to write less (while the printing is almost universally done in some automatic
way)
 One is told or reminded what information has to be supplied
 There is uniformity, for convenience in processing
 Information is collected in writing and so can be reexamined later (the form can also
include a signature field to allow someone to take responsibility for the accuracy of the
information provided).
 Simpler tasks, such as collecting or distributing data, can be separated in
the workflow from more skilled processes, such as making decisions. Completing Forms

Forms may not be particularly glamorous, but they do an important job: collecting standard
information needed about people, jobs, orders, requests, and many other aspects of business. For
many years, paper forms dominated business, and now, with online transactions, forms seem to
be taking over the world.

When filling out a form, your goal is to provide complete, correct information.

1. Plan: (Ideas and Organization)

 Think about who needs this information and why.

 Don’t be intimidated: Keep your mind on what the form will accomplish for
you.

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Review the form.

 Carefully read the instructions.

 Gather the information you need.

2. Draft: (Ideas, Organization, and Voice)

 Follow the directions.

 Complete each required field.

3. Revise: (Ideas, Organization, Voice, Words, and Sentences)

 Are all required fields completed?

 Is the correct information entered in every field?
 For handwritten forms, did you double-check the readability?

4. Edit: (Conventions and Design)

 Have you checked spelling, especially of names?

 Have you checked all numbers to make sure they were copied correctly?

3.2. Recording workplace data

You are required to document a variety of workplace activities and procedures. The legislation
uses several terms for record keeping, including log book, document, records and written reports.

To demonstrate due diligence, it is important to keep records of workplace activities and of

health and safety procedures.

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Examples of the types of records you must keep include, but are not limited to:

 Employee orientation records.

 Workplace inspection reports and records of corrective actions taken.
 Incident investigation reports and records of corrective actions taken.
 Records of employee and supervisor training with the date, attendance and topics
covered.
 Equipment log books and maintenance records.
 First aid records, medical certificates and hearing tests.
 Records of visits by a health and safety officer.
 Safety Data Sheets (SDS) of hazardous products used in a workplace

Examples of the types of records you should keep include, but are not limited to:

 Records of meetings and crew talks where health and safety issues were discussed.
 Subcontractor pre-qualification documents.
 Supervisors’ notes and logs of safety activities.
 Records showing the use of progressive discipline to enforce safety rules.
 Forms and checklists, such as confined space entry permits, that show that you
require workers to follow safe work procedures.
 Emergency response plan, records of drills and any resulting improvements.

Effective documentation, statistic gathering and record keeping are part of the ongoing work of
mitigating and controlling workplace hazards.

3.3. Using basic mathematical processes

Basic math is nothing but the simple or basic concept related with mathematics. Generally,
counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are called the basic math operation.
The other mathematical concept are built on top of the above 4 operations.

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Basic math operations include four basic operations:
● Addition (+)
● Subtraction (-)
● Multiplication (* or x) and
● Division ( : or /)

These operations are commonly called arithmetic operations. Arithmetic is the oldest and most
elementary branch of mathematics.

In this and other related lessons, we will briefly explain basic math operations. Keep in mind,
even though the operations and the examples shown here are pretty simple, they provide the
basis for even the most complex operations used in mathematics.

Addition

Addition is a mathematical operation that explains the total amount of objects when they are put
together in a collection.

For example, let’s say that Jimmy has 2 apples and Laura has 3 apples, and that we want to find
out how many apples they have together. By adding them together, we see that both of them
combined have 5 apples (2 Jimmy’s apples + 3 Laura’s apples = 5 apples in total). As you can
see, the addition is signified by the “plus sign (+)”.

The sign for addition is called “the plus sign” and it looks like this:”$+$”.

Addition can also be used to perform operations with negative numbers, fractions, decimal
numbers, functions, etc. There are several arithmetic properties that are typical for addition:
1. Commutative property
2. Associative property
3.Identity property

Subtraction

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Subtraction is the arithmetic operation that is the opposite of addition. Subtraction is used when
you want to know how many objects are left in the group after you take away a certain amount of
objects from that group.

For example, Maggie has 5 apples. She gives 2 apples to her friend, Paul. How many apples does
she have? She has 3 apples (5 apples that she had – 2 apples that she gave to Paul = 3 apples that
are left to her).

As you can see, subtraction is determined by the “minus (-) symbol”. Subtraction can also be
used to perform operations with negative numbers, fractions, decimal numbers, functions, etc.

Multiplication

Multiplication is the third basic math operation. When you multiply two numbers, this is the
same as adding the number to itself as many times as the value of the other number is. Think of it
like this: You have 5 groups of apples and each group has 3 apples. One of the ways you can find
out how many apples you have is this one:

3 apples + 3 apples + 3 apples + 3 apples + 3 apples = 15 apples in total

You can see that it is way too much work (especially if you have larger numbers), so you can use
multiplication to solve this problem:

5 group of apples x 3 apples in every group = 15 apples in total

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This could be even easier by using the table of multiplication.

3.4. Identifying and acting up on errors

If documents are not processed in the way that you would expect them to be processed by the
task route, for example if documents do not appear in the archive or are not stubbed or deleted,
identify the possible cause by analyzing different logs that are produced during processing.

About this task

Begin looking for the possible causes of an error in a top down approach, starting with the less
detailed error descriptions available in the Content Collector dashboard, followed by the event
error logs, and ending with the detailed connector and the audit log task log files.

Procedure

If the task route is not processing documents as expected, search for possible reasons in the
following way:

1. Ensure that only one task route is active and enable logging for this task route.
2. Ensure that your task route includes at least one Audit Log task at the end of the task
route and an error task route that record information about the status of every item that is
processed.
3. Begin by checking the Content Collector dashboard for processing errors.

3.5. Completing reporting requirements

Before you begin to gather and analyze your data, consider how you can ensure your collection
efforts will meet the reporting needs of your primary intended users.

From the very beginning, reporting is an integral part of evaluation which allows you to:

 communicate what you do;

 monitor and track progress;
 demonstrate impact;

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  document lessons learned;and
 be accountable and transparent to donors, partners and benefiting communities.

Different groups of primary intended users will have varying needs for the evaluation report.
When your evaluation plan was developed at the beginning of the process, you should have
determined the different groups of primary intended users and begun to ask questions about how
the report could be most useful. This information should then be reviewed periodically. Once the
reporting deadline nears ensure there is clarity on each of the stakeholder groups’ reporting
requirements (what needs to be reported and when).

Some questions that may arise include:

 What do you need to include in different kinds of reports?

 At what point do you need to get feedback on your findings - and from whom?
 Will your findings be presented in draft form?
 Are you willing to share draft findings?
 Will you have any influence over the way the findings are re-presented?

Reporting timelines often present a major constraint on the evaluation plan. In particular, the
need to report findings in time to inform funding decisions for the next phase of a program often
means that reports are needed before impacts can be observed.

In these situations, it will be necessary to report on interim outcomes, and to present any
research evidence that shows how these are important predictors or pre-requisites to the final
impacts.

Work with the intended users to determine key points in their own reporting and project cycle.
For example, the evaluation may be a necessary part of their legislative requirement for an
annual review. If that is the case, you need to know their time and internal pressures.
Alternatively, they may be presenting at a major conference and want an update from the
evaluation team.

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With the primary intended users, their learning needs, and their timelines in mind, develop a
communication plan to guide the evaluation reporting process. A communication plan can be as
simple as a table that organizes this information.

Use the communication plan to align data collection activities with reporting needs and to
prioritize the time spent on reporting.

LO-4-Describe team role and scope

4.1. Identifying the role and objective of the team

What is team?
A team is a group of people with a full set of complementary skills required to complete a task,
job, or project.

Team members:
 Operate with a high degree of interdependence,
 share authority and responsibility for self-management,
 are accountable for the collective performance, and
 work toward a common goal and shared rewards(s).

A team becomes more than just a collection of people when a strong sense of mutual
commitment creates synergy, thus generating performance greater than the sum of the
performance of its individual members.

Roles of team

Working in a team takes organization and collaboration. For teams to be most productive,
everyone should have a specific role that aligns with their strengths.

All these are the components of a team, but remember that these need not be exclusive. A leader
can act as a facilitator and a coach as well at different times.

It’s not necessary that the team will have one individual as a leader, one individual as a facilitator
and one individual as a coach and members. The leader depending on the situation can act as a
coach, facilitator or a member.

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The role of a leader to provide direction to the team, vision to the team, motivation to the team
and establishes ground rules for working with each other. What sort of communication will
happen, how things will be reported?

All these ground rules are set by the leader. The role of leader, of course, is to make the
successful completion of the team goal. So sets the goal, clarifies the goal, provides direction,
and also if there are regular meetings to be held then the leader is responsible for preparing for
those meetings and conducting those meetings effectively. Team leader assigns individual roles
to team members.

Facilitator many a time doesn’t have a formal authority; the facilitator helps the team to make
the decision. Even if a leader is acting as a facilitator, then the leader is asking team or helping
the team to make those decisions. The facilitator helps the team to understand objectives and
supports the team on how to achieve that objective. That’s how he or she facilitates the team
towards the goal.

Coach provides one-to-one support after training. If a team member has been trained with
something, the coach is someone who provides support after the training. The coaching is one-to-
one training and if there’s any problem team faces coach would be the first person to go to.
These rules might overlap. A coach might be the same person as the team leader.

When we are talking about coaching, let’s understand the GROW Model of coaching that will
help us in understanding the coaching concept better.

 G is for goal
 R is for reality
 O is for obstacles
 W is for a way forward

Goal: In coaching, the first thing is to understand what the team wants to achieve? What
is the objective?

 Reality: Realizing what current reality is? Where are we today? What are the
challenges this team is facing?

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  Obstacles: What stops the team from achieving the goal? What are the obstacles?
 Way Forward: Those identified obstacles are to be removed by coach by providing all
the support and steps needed to achieve the goal.

Objectives of creating team

Team Building can have many purpose and objectives. The common general purpose for having
team buildings is to:-

 Build team rapport

 Strengthen existing team
 Build High Performance Team
 Aligning Project Teams (Project team Interventions)
 Developing Interdependency in team

In a corporate team building setting, after the general purpose for having the team building has
been established, tangible and intangible learning objectives or desired learning outcome are
identified either through a training/learning needs analysis (TNA/LNA) or alternatively from
feedbacks from our clients. Sample objectives are:-

 To foster stronger relationship and cohesiveness in teams.

 To ignite the spirit of achievement to achieve performance excellence.
 To identify the 5 components of a winning team.
 To learn and internalize corporate values.
 To improve team communication effectiveness.

4.2. Identifying team parameters and responsibilities

Identifying team parameters

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No team can work ethically or efficiently without defined and consistent parameters. Parameters
keep the team focused and provide a policy block that help difficult decisions be made most
efficiently.

Parameters keep a team identity strong and keep team players responsible in the game when they
are having a bad day.

Parameters protect the team. Of the parameters Ethics is the main subject followed by Policy
followed by Expectations of representative behavior.

Identifying team responsibilities

Clearly defining team roles and responsibilities encourages you and your team to work towards
goals much more efficiently.

Team roles and responsibilities refer to the tasks associated with a person’s job description, and
therefore their role within the organization. Because each team member holds several different
duties and is responsible for completing a similar theme of tasks each day, it’s really important
that responsibilities are clearly defined.

Now that we’ve taken a look at what team roles and responsibilities are, why it’s valuable to take
the time to clarify them, and discussed the benefits, we’re going to give you a few tips to
specifically define roles and responsibilities in the workplace.

 Understand your team’s strengths

 Determine what needs to get done
 Meet to discuss priorities on an ongoing basis
 Give people ownership over specific areas
 Ask employees about their long-term goals
 Align roles and responsibilities with their goals

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LO-5-Identify own role and responsibility within team

5.1. Identifying individual role and responsibilities

Individual team member’s roles

Role and Responsibilities of Individual Member

Team member is selected by the leader, sponsor, or quality council (or) is a member of a natural
work team. He or she plays the following roles

 He should actively, participate in meetings and shares knowledge, expertise, ideas and
information.
 He should respect others’ contribution.
 He should listen carefully and ask questions.
 He should be enthusiastic.
 He should work for consensus on decisions.
 He should be committed to team objectives.
 He should carry out assignments between meetings such as collecting data, observing
processes, charting data and writing reports.

Roles of Team Members in an Organization

The role of members is to participate in team meetings, do whatever is assigned to them, and
actively participate when it comes to brainstorming, idea generations or any other support they
need to provide. Members actively engaged in the team.

Companies create structural charts that clearly define the types of roles within departments. Most
organizations consist of the following roles:

 Executive officers
 Research and development team
 Operations and production team
 Sales and marketing team
 Accounting and finance team
 Individual team member’s responsibilities

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Team Member Responsibilities

The company assigns responsibilities that each team must accomplish in order to keep the
company running and to produce profits. Let's take a look at what these are.

Executive officers are responsible for keeping the ship afloat. They work with all of the teams to
create synergy and hold them accountable.

The research and development team has the responsibility of being innovative and keeping up
with the latest trends and developments in whatever field the company is in. For example, tech
companies like Apple have to stay innovative and creative for customers to care about their
products. Their R&D team is responsible for researching the market and developing new
technologies to stay ahead of their competition which explains the constant cell phone battle they
have with Android phones makers.

The operations and production team is responsible for bringing the product to life. They
receive the product's vision from the research team and then bring the product into its finished
stage.

The sales and marketing team is responsible for bringing the product to market. They use
several different methods to get the word out about their new invention. They usually do this
through advertisements on TV, Internet, radio, and even printed mail to promote the product.

The accounting and finance team is the group that calculates the sales and reports back to
everyone in regards to numbers. They bring everything full circle because the sales numbers this
will trigger whether or not new developments or improvements need to be made, production
needs to increase or decrease, or if sales and marketing teams need to refocus their direction.

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5.2. Recognizing roles and responsibility

Clearly defining team roles and responsibilities encourages you and your team to work towards
goals much more efficiently. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered with the
ultimate guide to defining group roles.

Too much ambiguity about team roles and responsibilities in the workplace can cause a lot of
confusion and stump productivity. In contrast, knowing exactly what is expected of you, allows
for more effective and productive work.

In order for your team members to understand what is expected of them, it is crucial that you
take some time in defining roles distinctly. This is going to steer you in the direction of team
success, team satisfaction, and you’ll see your goals and objectives being met a lot more
effectively.

Because defining team member roles is so important, Fellow has put together all there is to know
about clearly setting out roles and specific responsibilities for each team member. Keep scrolling
if you want to boost your team’s engagement and productivity!

 What are team roles and responsibilities?

 Why take time to clarify team roles?
 Benefits of defining team roles and responsibilities

What are team roles and responsibilities?

Team roles and responsibilities refer to the tasks associated with a person’s job description, and
therefore their role within the organization. Because each team member holds several different
duties and is responsible for completing a similar theme of tasks each day, it’s really important
that responsibilities are clearly defined.

In fact, the more clearly defined, the less confusion and the more time that can actually be spent
working towards organizational goals and objectives.

The more that individuals understand what is required of them, the more that they achieve and
the more motivated they feel to achieve these goals.

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A team leader or project manager needs to understand each individual’s role at the company so
that they can set realistic expectations, set team goals and effectively delegate responsibilities.

Why take time to clarify team roles?

Taking the time to clarify roles and responsibilities is only going to create a more effective work
synergy, hold each team member accountable and eliminate confusion.

When everyone understands what is expected of them, it promotes more autonomy and allows
people to use their time much more effectively, without needing to stop and clarify at every step.

What’s better is that, if you clearly understand the roles and responsibilities of each member of
the team, it provides the opportunity for every other team member to also understand what their
co-workers are working on. This way, your team can collaborate and come together to get expert
opinions and support from their colleagues.

Benefits of defining team roles and responsibilities

The most significant benefit of defining team roles and responsibilities is eliminating confusion.
This clarifies what is specifically expected of each team member and holds them accountable for
their responsibilities.

If everyone clearly understands what they should be working towards, their time is going to be
utilized much more effectively and in turn, this makes your team more productive.

Like we said before, it’s important that your team members know what their colleagues are
working on so that they can lend a hand or ask for support with their own responsibilities.

Understanding their own and their colleagues’ responsibilities completely eliminates any
opportunity for micro-management, because you have given them all of the information that they
need in order to work both independently or collaboratively.

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5.3. Identifying reporting relationships

Reporting relationships refer to the accountability structure within an organization. It defines to

whom each employee reports and is accountable to.

Having an understanding of the reporting relationships within an organization is essential for

employees to understand how their role functions, and to whom they are accountable.

With these relationships in mind, you can now draw lines to denote reporting relationships, or
patterns of formal communication. Because four managers’ report to you, you’ll be connected to
four positions; that is, you’ll have four direct “reports

The organization chart shows that if a member of the sales staff has a problem, he or she will
report it to the sales supervisor.

If the sales supervisor believes that the problem should be addressed at a higher level, then he or
she will report it to the marketing manager.

Theoretically, you will communicate only with your four direct reports, but this isn’t the way
things normally work. Behind every formal communication network there lies a network of
informal communications—unofficial relationships among members of an organization. You
might find that over time, you receive communications directly from members of the sales staff;
in fact, you might encourage this line of communication.

Dean office

Dept
Reg

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LO-6- Work as a team member

6.1. Using effective and appropriate forms of communications

Being able to communicate information accurately, clearly, and as intended is an essential life
skill. Communicating as a career can be complicated, especially when you need to communicate
on behalf of the person you care for.

As a career, you often need to participate in or make important decisions that affect the person
you care for, yourself, or both.

Sometimes careers need to have challenging conversations at difficult times, including when
they are stressed, tired, anxious or when speaking to health professionals or other people. Some
common examples of ‘difficult’ conversations include:

• negotiating new relationship issues due to changes in the health, wellbeing and needs
of the person you care for that may cause tension because you are also their partner/
child/friend
• asking for help or support from family, friends and neighbors who may not
understand the pressure on you to provide care
• explaining the impact of your career role to employers or teachers
• feeling excluded from conversations with healthcare professionals around important
discussions or decisions about the person you care for
• finding, managing and retaining service providers
• lack of recognition and authority to deal with financial and insurance institutions or
government agencies in your role as a carer

Effective communication skills are essential for healthy relationships, whether at home, work or
in business or social situations. People are often more inclined to work with you and help you
reach your goals if you communicate effectively.

The following are lists the benefits of effective communication and the costs of poor
communication

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Benefits of effective communication Costs of poor communication

 leads to the right information being shared

 minimizes conflict and confusion
 saves resources such as time and money
 helps establish a bond
 leads to the intended results being achieved
 leads to appropriate feedback being given
 and received
 helps build strong relationships

Costs of poor communication

 sends mixed messages instead of a shared

 understanding
 increases risk of a negative outcome
 leads to conflict and strained relationships
 intended results are not achieved, or only
 partially achieved
 creates stress
 emotional reactions confuse or distract from the information being conveyed

6.2. Making effective and appropriate contributions

The success of the team is for the large part, dependent on the contribution of each team
member. There are many more ways you can contribute to great team success. Take these nine
ideas as a starting point - as a checklist of things you can do, regardless of the role you play.
Taking action on these ideas will help you feel more confident and successful in your role on the
project team, and will help the project's goals be reached much more successfully.

Here are 9 ways you can contribute more effectively to make the teams you work with more
successful, regardless of your specific role.

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 1. Understand the end goal. Since a project has a defined ending, it is important that each
contributor to the effort knows the desired end result. Stephen Covey teaches to "begin
with the end in mind." This is clearly important to project team members. By
understanding the desired result, you can make better individual decisions and reduce
confusion and re-work.

2. Have knowledge of your role. Each person is an important piece in the overall project
puzzle. Know your role and the roles of others. Make sure you take the time to get an
understanding of your role and the role of your colleagues in your team. Ask questions
until you really understand what your role and the role of others is and how you can best
contribute in the success of the team.

3. Project work is often fluid and free flowing. Once you understand your role and the roles
of others you are in a position to collaborate with them more successfully. This
collaboration isn't just a nice thing for you to do. It is imperative to the ultimate success
of the project. Look for ways and be willing to collaborate.

4. Recognize interdependencies. The bigger the project, the more linked and
interdependent are the people and the tasks. Certain steps need to be done before others
can be completed. If you see only your small piece of the project, you may not realize
how you finishing two days sooner might have a huge impact on several other things
staying on track. Conversely if you fall two days behind on one of your tasks, the effects
on the end results could be much longer delays. You aren't an island. Your work
products, decisions and efforts affect many others. Recognize and work with the
interdependencies between you and the others involved in the project.

5. Be credible and reliable. Share your knowledge with others. Be honest when you don't
know otherwise you will be seen as a windbag. Keep your promises!

6. Ask questions and communicate. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is
communicating, so too is giving updates. Checking in with others. Coordinating
schedules. You can't leave it to the leader. Check in with others. Get their input. Find out
when the pieces you will need will be completed. Update people on your progress.
Communicate!

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 7. Break it down. Take the big project steps and break them down into definable tasks that
you can get your hands around. By breaking the tasks down the work won't feel so
daunting, you will find the interdependencies and you will be able to stay on track much
more successfully. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Break down the
overall project, and your individual steps into bite sized pieces.

8. Look at the past. Look for the lessons learned in the past to improve your results today.
Think too about other tasks and projects you have been involved in. Even if the project
was smaller or larger and the goals were very different, there are likely lessons you
learned that you can apply - things you did well that you would want to repeat, and things
you could have done better that you can correct on this project.

9. Look to the future. Take a little time to document the best practices and ideas that work
for you. Whether this is a formal task for everyone in the team, or just your own notes to
help you to continuously improve, investing a little time now will make your
contributions to all future projects more valuable and efficient.

6.3. Observing Protocols in reporting

The protocols are patterns of human behavior to support teams in collaboration, communication,
and commitment to the common goal.

As rules and guidelines, they describe how to behave properly as a team, in meetings, and in
interpersonal interactions.

They are best practices to become an exceptional team. These practices enable people and teams
to:

 learn results-oriented behaviors,

 enter a state of shared vision and stay there,
 trust each other,
 stay rational and healthy,
 make decisions effectively, and
 Keep moving toward the team’s goals.

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Fundamental for the protocol is a positive, results and solution-focused attitude and worldview:
non-negativity, non-negation, and no pretending. Linchpin is the "Yes-and" game, a well-known
pattern for innovation, brainstorming, and improve theatre acting.

6.4. Contributing to the development of team work plans.

The aim of a team development plan is to identify the collective learning needs of the team, in
the context of:

 The team purpose and the capabilities needed to achieve it

 The support each team member requires from colleagues in achieving personal
development goals, which may be related to team purpose or their own career self-
management

Creating an effective team development plan requires seven steps:

1. Clarify what the team is there for (its purpose)

2. Clarify the knowledge, skills and other competences required to deliver
3. Agree which capabilities are needed across the team (i.e. everyone needs them), which
are needed strongly only by some people and moderately or not at all by others, and
which can easily be accessed from outside the team, when needed
4. Agree how these can be incorporated into the personal development plans of each team
member
5. Each team member, including the leader, shares their full personal development plan
The team discusses in depth:
a. How can we take individual and collective responsibility for the learning that needs to
take place?
b. How can we support each other’s learning (e.g. by co-coaching)?
c. How will we monitor individual and collective learning?
d. When and how will we review learning?
6. The team development plan becomes a formal document, establishing:
a. Learning objectives
b. Individual and collective responsibilities
c. Resources required
d. Timescales

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