BSBLDR301 Support Effective Workplace Relationships
In this unit you will learn how to;
- Gather information and ideas
- Develop team relationships and networks
- Contribute to positive team outcomes
Introduction
A good location and good quality products and services are all invaluable assets to any organisation. None of these things matter very much, however, if workplace relationships between colleagues, suppliers and customers are not built upon solid foundations.
Distrust and dishonesty among staff, bad relationships with suppliers and service staff who are indifferent to the needs of customers all have the ability to seriously damage an organisation’s reputation and standing in the community.
Relationships can be fragile, especially in the workplace where they are often built and destroyed by the actions we take. Building healthy, secure and harmonious relationships is important not only to us personally, but also to underpin the success of the organisation we work for. We need to build effective relationships for a number of reasons:
- The health of people depends on what happens in organisations and what they do. Overwork, stress, being subjected to harassment or bullying all impact on a person’s health and therefore on their ability to fulfil their role within the organisation. Staff who are stressed make mistakes costing the organisation time, effort, money and reputation.
- Organisations only function with the co-operation of people who work with them. Staffare at the coal face of any business; fulfilling all the functions necessary to ensure success. If there is disharmony in the workforce, this can impact negatively on the organisation’s success.
- Organisations can have a profound effect on people that do not work for them but who depend on them for the necessities of life – for example, food, housing and clean water. Well run harmonious organisations are, normally, stable and therefore also offer a stable environment to their staff and all the people who rely on them.
Gathering information and ideas
In the 1500’s Sir Francis Bacon (Author and Philosopher) said “Knowledge is Power” and this is as true today as it was 500 years ago. Having an in depth knowledge and understanding of your organisation’s products and services is essential to delivering a consistently high level of customer service. Equally, sharing knowledge, and understanding the role each person plays within an organisation is essential to building and maintaining effective workplace relationships.
Identifying information on work roles and objectives of work team
The term Work role refers to a person’s position on a team, while objectives refer to the goals and/or duties of their particular role. Each member of the team is responsible for specific tasks within an organisation, and the clearer a supervisor outlines how those those tasks are to be completed, the better they will be able to achieve them.
For a supervisor to effectively delegate specific work tasks, however, they must understand the individual roles within the company; defining each person’s job, their responsibilities and success criteria within the team, ensuring that;
- everyone knows what they’re doing. When roles are clear, people know what is expected of them, how they are to behave and what they need to achieve. Then, too, if they can see the importance of their contribution to the team’s overall efforts they often feel more motivated to succeed in their role.
- everything gets done.In high pressure environments, or under tight deadlines, tasks can slip through the cracks. This is especially true of the tasks no-one wants to do. When everyone knows their responsibilities, as well as those of others, there is greater accountability, making sure nothing gets forgotten.
- people cooperate more effectively.There is less conflict and ‘political’ maneuvering when desirable tasks are equally distributed among the team. Individuals also have far more respect for colleagues when they can see the vital part they play in the group’s overall success. A respectful environment is more positive, collaborative and creative.
- productivity increases. When teams understand what’s expected of them, they know what they need to work on. Having a clear definition of their responsibilities will increase your team’s overall productivity. This productivity will then lead to your team’s increased momentum and success in the long run.
Understanding the work role of those people you work with will give you an insight into how their work fits in with, and impacts on, your own work and on the company as a whole.
So, the benefits of role definition are clear. But how do we reach this understanding of an efficient, focused workforce?
Every position within an organisation should meet strictly defined criteria for the given role. Such criteria can be found in documents and descriptions such as work plans (or what was known as a job description). Work Plans are more than an official title or designation of a role; they sum up the tasks, functions and responsibilities of whoever holds the position;
- Roles or Responsibilities:are an outline of the expected results associated with the position.
- Tasks or Functions:provide a detailed and specific list of the employee’s activities and the standards to which these tasks must be accomplished
- Competencies:outline the skills, capabilities and capacity necessary to fulfil the responsibilities of the role. For example, in the role of a marketing coordinator the competencies might include the ability to produce creative designs for posters or blogs, or time management skills needed to work to strict deadlines and so on.
- Experience and Education:these address the educational background required to gain the competencies of the position in the first place. For example, the position of company accountant will almost certainly require a formal qualification in accounting. It may also require a given number of years working in that field if the position is a senior one.
- Performance Management and Indicators: an explanation of how the employee will be evaluated with respect to their performance. For example, how have they performed against the key performance targets allotted to them?
… continued in the learner guide….
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