Assessment Task 1: Development Project

• Points 1
• Submitting a text entry box or a file upload

Task summary

• For this task you are required to develop a simple performance management and review process.

Resources and equipment required to complete this task

• Access to Canvas learning materials.
• Access to a computer, printer, Internet and email and word processing software.
• Boutique Build’s Strategic Plan (provided as a separate document here BSBMGT502 SD Strategic and Operational Plan (ID 124027).doc)

When and where should the task be completed?

• This task may be done in your own time as homework or you may be given time to do this task in class (where applicable).
• Your assessor will provide you with the due date for this assessment.

What needs to be submitted?

Performance Review Policy and Procedure.

 

Instructions

Boutique Build Australia Pty Ltd is a boutique building company based in Sydney that specializes in the design and build of high-quality designer homes for the Sydney metropolitan and surrounding areas. The company has been operational for three years and has doubled in size since then. There are now 30 employees in the business.  The Strategic Plan includes objectives of increasing the size of the organization over the next three years which means that more human resource management policies, procedures, and processes are required.  As the Human Resources Manager for the company, you are responsible for a small team of staff including the Human Resources Support Officer, the Learning and Development Coordinator and the Payroll Officer. Amid your responsibilities is developing the Human Resource operational plan and allocating work to the team.  Based on the organization’s Strategic Plan and your operational plan for this year you are Based on the organization’s Strategic Plan and your operational plan for this year you are responsible for developing and implementing a performance management process. The process is to include formally allocating work, monitoring and measuring performance, planning learning and development activities and rating against the company values. Staff performance will be reviewed three times a year – to initiate the plan and two review stages.  The Human Resource manual has already been updated to suggest that a formal performance management process will be implemented. The Performance and Development plan template has also been developed ready for use.

 

Complete the following activities:

Complete the following activities:

1. Develop a simple performance management policy and procedure.

Review the Strategic Plan and the information above regarding the human resource manual that you have been provided.

Your policy and procedure should not be longer than one page in length. It must be written in your own words and be clear and concise (easy for a wide audience to understand).

The document must cover:

• Purpose of the policy.
• To whom the policy applies.
• Number of times a year that a performance review is to occur for each employee.
• Summary of the purpose of performance reviews.
• Simple step-by-step procedure for organizing and conducting the performance review meeting. This must include documenting the meeting and providing feedback.
• Templates used to record performance.

 Upload a file containing your policy and procedure document to your assessor by the due date.

Assessment Task 2: Work Plan and Coaching Project

• Points 1
• Submitting a text entry box or a file upload

Task summary

• For this task, you are required to develop two performance management plans for staff and then meet with one of them to discuss and agree on the plan and to provide training.

Resources and equipment required to complete this task

• Access to Canvas learning materials.
• Access to a computer, printer, Internet and email and word processing software.
• Boutique Build’s Strategic Plan (provided as a separate document here BSBMGT502 SD Strategic and Operational Plan (ID 124027).doc )
• Performance Management Plan template (provided as a separate document here BSBMGT502 SD Performance Management Plan (ID 124234).docx )
• Boutique Build’s Code of Conduct (provided as a separate document here BSBMGT502 SD Code of Conduct (ID 124026).doc )
• Performance Management Policy and Procedure (developed in Assessment Task 1).

When and where should the task be completed?

• Part A – This activity may be done in your own time as homework, or you may be given time to do this task in class (where applicable).
• Part B – This activity will be completed in class time.

Your assessor will provide you with the due date for this assessment.

What needs to be submitted?

• Part A – two draft performance management plans need to be uploaded as files.
• Part B – completed performance management plan and signed Code of Conduct uploaded.

Instructions

Part A – Develop work plans

Australia Boutique Build

Boutique Build Australia’s Strategic Plan, and Operational plans have been published, and your performance management policy and procedure has been approved and is now ready to implement.

It is February, and you are required to initiate the performance management plans with each member of your team. As per the Strategic Plan, all staff is required to have a Performance Management Plan by the end of March 2016.

Use the Human Resource’s Operational Plan to create a performance management plan for two of your direct reports: one must be for the Learning and Development Coordinator, and the other may be for the Human Resources Support Officer or the Payroll Officer. Select the human resource objectives from the operational plan and allocate them to the most appropriate staff member. You will need to make up some of the detail in the performance management plan.

• Complete the following activities:

1. In the role of Human Resource Manager, you have the responsibility of developing your team’s annual work plan, based on the strategic objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan and the HR Objectives documented in the Human Resource Operational Plan.

Review the case study and the Strategic Plan and HR Operational Plan (provided to you) in detail.

Your assessor (in the role of the CEO for Boutique Build) will provide you with some information before you start writing your plan. This information will be given to you in class. Make sure you are clear on the information provided by taking notes and asking questions to clarify. You will be assessed on your participation in the discussion.

2. Develop draft performance management plans for two staff members using the Performance Management Plan template provided by your assessor. As per the case study information above, one of the plans must be for the Learning and Development Coordinator.

The plan must be in detail, and each table must be completed, including:

• At least two HR objectives allocated to each staff member.
• At least two individual actions per HR objectives (make up the detail to match the objective).
• At least one suitable performance indicator per HR Objective.
• At least two suitable learning and development activities that reflect the individual objectives, the role or career development aspirations of the staff.
• Identification and assessment of all the risks related to achieving the individual objectives.

Upload your draft performance management plans to your assessor by the due date.

 

What do I need to hand in for Part A of this task?	Have I completed this?
2 x draft performance management plans

 

Part B – Meet with the Learning and Development Coordinator

Your draft plans are ready to be discussed with the individual team members. In line with the policy and procedure that you developed in Assessment Task 1, you are required to meet individually with staff to discuss the draft plan and come to an agreement on the detail. Due to a number of new processes and procedures being released in the business, you are also required to train the individual on the performance management process and the Code of Conduct during the performance management plan initial meeting. You also need to take into consideration and discuss the staff development financial support policy which stipulates that each staff member has a maximum of $2000 per year. For this assessment, you will be meeting with another student or your assessor in the role of the Learning and Development Coordinator.

 

Complete the following activities:

1. Meet with the Learning and Development Coordinator.

Your assessor will arrange for another student or for themselves to play the role of the Learning and Development Coordinator. Your assessor will also inform you of the date, time and location for the meeting.

You will have 30 minutes for your meeting and training session. You may present the information in a way that you deem most effective. However, the policy and procedure and the Code of Conduct must not be read word for word. Suggestions include using hand-drawn flow charts, a whiteboard, PowerPoint presentations, scenarios or stories to engage the participant and draw attention to the importance of performance management and the Code of Conduct.

During the meeting you are required to:

1. Provide the staff member with a copy of their plan, the performance management policy, and procedure and the Code of Conduct.
2. Train the Learning and Development Coordinator in the performance management process. Provide them with a copy of the policy and procedure that you developed.
3. Discuss the Code of Conduct and gain their understanding and agreement to abide by the expected behaviour set out.
4. Discuss each part of the performance management plan, including the staff development financial support policy, and reach agreement on the detail. Make notes for agreed changes (or have an electronic copy that you can amend during the meeting).

Also during the meeting, you are required to demonstrate the following skills:

• Appropriate language for the meeting participant which may include language free from the use of jargon or acronyms, even tone, appropriate speed and volume of voice and clear explanations.
• Negotiation, influencing and leadership skills to direct the discussion and reach agreement on the draft plan and Code of Conduct, and respecting and acknowledging the views and opinions of staff.
• Effective verbal communication skills such as asking questions to indicate listening and to clarify understanding, paraphrasing and summarising discussions and decisions.
• Effective non-verbal communication skills such as nodding to indicate listening, smiling and friendly positive facial expressions, making eye contact, maintaining personal space and using appropriate hand gestures.

Make final changes to your plan and upload the signed Performance Management Plan and signed Code of Conduct.

 

What do I need to upload for Part B of this task?	Have I completed this?
Completed performance management plan and signed Code of Conduct

 

Assessment Task 3: Performance Management Project

• Points 1
• Submitting a text entry box or a file upload

Task summary

• For this task, you are required to assess and manage the Learning and Development Coordinator’s performance through the performance review process, informal and formal feedback to termination.

Resources and equipment required to complete this task

• Access to Canvas learning materials.
• Access to a computer, printer, Internet and email and word processing software.
• Access to the Fair Work website:

http://www.fairwork.gov.au (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/ending-employment (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements/managing-performance-and-warnings#warnings-and-unfair-dismissals (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/how-we-will-help/templates-and-guides (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

• Performance Management Plan (version developed in Assessment Task 2).
• Performance Improvement Plan template (attached as a separate document here BSBMGT502 SD Performance Improvement Plan template (ID 124316).docx ).
• Access to a computer or laptop during the review meeting (optional).

When and where should the task be completed?

• Part A – This activity will be completed in class time
• Part B, C, and D may be done in your own time as homework, or you may be given time to do this task in class (where applicable).
• Your assessor will provide you with the due date for this assessment.

What needs to be submitted?

• Part A – uploaded file of updated mid-year performance management plan and answers to questions.
• Part B –uploaded a file of answers to the question and script of conversation.
• Part C – uploaded a file of answers to the questions, the formal warning letter, and Performance Improvement Plan.

Part D – uploaded file of termination letter

 

Part A – Mid-year performance reviews

It’s July and time to conduct the mid-year performance reviews. You are required to meet with Larissa to discuss her performance over the past five months. In preparing for your meeting, you review your notes from informal meetings and feedback that you have had with Larissa over the past couple of months. In your notes, you have written that you received a complaint from a staff member that had emailed Larissa on three occasions and not received a reply. Larissa’s response to that situation was the staff member was rude to her, and so she decided to ignore them. Other feedback given to Larissa during that time included a commendation from another senior manager on the fantastic job she had done coaching his staff in Microsoft Word and Excel. You have also had numerous conversations regarding her attention to detail and making simple mistakes in important documents and her slack approach to punctuality – often arriving late to work, meetings and training. Larissa has laughed off your feedback, claiming that she is always late to everything and refuses to offer any other response. You see this as unprofessional and a breach of the Code of Conduct and values of the organization. In relation to Larissa’s current performance management plan you note the following: •        All of the training in the performance management system has been delivered, and Larissa received great feedback via the evaluation surveys. •        The diversity training module is ¾ of the way through being developed which is slightly behind schedule. •        The communication plan has been created, and the training and resources have been scheduled for the diversity training which is planned for completion in November. •        Larissa attended the project fundamentals course in March and has attended the Advanced Articulate Storyline 2 course. She has not enrolled into the Cert IV in Project Management due to budget. •        You plan on rating her in the company values in the following way: o   Quality – M (based on her errors and mistakes, lack of attention to detail) o   Innovation – A (her amazing training delivery techniques) o   Integrity – M (based on the staff complaint) o   Respect – M (based on the staff complaint) o   Reliability – M (based on the informal conversations you have had regarding punctuality) Larissa has been managing the risk control measures detailed in her plan. Larissa is well liked by her peers and other managers and gets along with everyone most of the time. You have come to learn that she does not like public recognition for the great work that she does do. Although she is quite extroverted, she is very introverted about sharing her successes. Another manager wants to recognize Larissa with an excellence award at the next staff meeting for her delivery of the performance management process training, but you know this is not a good idea. You have a range of other options available to recognize her achievement.

 

Complete the following activities:

1.   Meet with Larissa to discuss her performance.

Where possible complete this assessment with the same person you worked with in Assessment Task 2 Part B.

Take a copy of the Performance Management Plan that you developed in Assessment Task 2 for the Learning and Development Coordinator. Discuss Larissa’s performance based on the scenario information, your original plan and take notes during the meeting. You will have 20 minutes for your review meeting.

In order to prepare for your discussion with Larissa, answer the following questions before your meeting:

1. How will you conduct the review meeting with Larissa? For example, will you complete the template prior to the meeting for discussion during the meeting or will you discuss the feedback and complete the template following the meeting.
2. What key steps do you need to consider when giving Larissa the performance feedback?
3. What action do you plan on taking with Larissa’s poor performance (punctuality)?
4. How can you best acknowledge Larissa’s achievement, given she does not like publicly sharing her successes?

 

During the meeting, you discuss with Larissa about adding a 30-minute reminder on all appointments in her Outlook calendar and adding alarms for appointments on her mobile phone as a way of making her more accountable for her punctuality. Larissa agrees to do this but admits to not knowing how to add or change the reminder period on an appointment in Outlook.

 

2.  Provide coaching to Larissa on how to change the reminder time on an appointment in Outlook. The coaching model you should consider using is ‘I do, We do, You do.’

Complete the coaching evaluation form provided on the last page of the Performance Management Plan.

During the meeting and coaching session you are required to demonstrate:

• Appropriate language for the meeting participant which may include not using jargon or acronyms, even tone, appropriate speed and volume of voice and clear explanations.
• Negotiation, influencing and leadership skills to direct the discussion and reach agreement on the draft plan and Code of Conduct, and respecting and acknowledging the views and opinions of staff.
• Effective verbal communication skills such as asking questions to indicate listening and to clarify understanding, paraphrasing and summarising discussions and decisions.
• Effective non-verbal communication skills such as nodding to indicate listening, smiling and friendly positive facial expressions, making eye contact, maintaining personal space and using appropriate hand gestures.

After the meeting, answer the following questions:

1. How did you feel about having to provide positive and not so positive feedback to Larissa and do you feel you succeeded?
2. Did you do anything differently to your planned approach (from your answers to questions in Activity 1)
3. What action did you put into place for her to improve her punctuality?
4. What would you improve on for the next meeting?

Submit your updated mid-year performance management plan, and the word processed answers to the questions.

 

Part B – Informal feedback

It has been three weeks since Larissa’s mid-year review, and her punctuality has greatly improved. She has arrived for work on time each day and has been prepared and on-time for all meetings and training. You are really happy with her performance.

1. Although this is informal feedback, should you document this conversation? Provide an explanation for your response.
2. As Larissa’s manager, write the script for the informal verbal feedback and recognition that you would give her. You should also check with Larissa how the action is going (that was implemented in her review meeting) and whether she needs further support in your script. The script should be half to one page in length, and you do not need to include Larissa’s responses.

• Upload a file containing your answer to Question 1 and the script for Question 2.

 

Part C – Formal feedback

It has been eight weeks since Larissa’s mid-year review, and unfortunately, her punctuality has again slipped. Larissa continues to make excuses and has been caught lying to cover her lateness. She has been more than 30 minutes late for work on five occasions, was 20 minutes late for a training session with managers and failed to turn up for a team meeting. Boutique Build’s disciplinary policy and procedure indicate that following informal feedback and counseling, a formal written warning may be given as well as the implementation of a Performance Improvement Plan. You feel you have exhausted all avenues for informal coaching and counselling. Use the Fair Work website and ‘managing underperformance’ checklists to prepare for a formal feedback session where Larissa will be given a written warning and agree on a performance improvement plan.

 

1. As her manager, the Human Resource Manager, where or from whom would you seek advice and assistance from at this point? What advice or assistance would you be seeking?
2. Make a list of the things you need to do before the meeting.
3. Write a brief script for the meeting, answering these points:

 

• Why are you meeting with Larissa?
• What is the underperformance issue, and why is it an issue?
• What steps have you taken so far to resolve the situation?
• What details do you need to document of the meeting?
• Write Larissa’s formal warning letter. Ensure the letter is clear and concise and details the issue and the expectations moving forward and what the next step will be failing improvement. You may use Fair Work Australia’s template to create this letter.

 

During the meeting, Larissa discloses that she has had some personal issues but prefers not to reveal the details.

1. What would your response be to this conversation? What support could you offer?
2. Why is it important for Larissa to agree on the details of the Performance Improvement Plan?
3. Use the template provided to develop a Performance Improvement Plan for Larissa’s scenario.

• Upload your answers to the questions, the formal warning letter, and your Performance Improvement Plan.

 

Part D – Termination

Larissa’s performance improvement plan has been in place for a month. The first week Larissa was motivated and upbeat and was very punctual. From week two she has slipped back into old habits, and her only response has been to say sorry without explanation. You have tried on numerous occasions to refer her to the employee assistance program, but she claims that there is nothing wrong and she is just on her own time! Two days ago Larissa failed to attend work, did not notify anyone and you were unable to contact her. Yesterday upon arriving for work she claimed she was unwell. You have sought advice from the CEO, and the company lawyer and the decision has been made to terminate Larissa’s employment.

 

1. Larissa has been employed with the business for 18 months, Under the Fair Work Act 2009, what are the requirements for Boutique Build to end her employment?
2. Use Fair Work’s advice to help you write Larissa’s termination letter. Ensuring that you include:

 

• An outline of the reasons for the termination of the her employment
• Specify the notice period (or if Larissa will be paid in lieu of that notice)
• Advise the last day of work.

Submit your answer to the question and your termination letter to your assessor.

 

What do I need to upload for this task?	Have I completed this?
Part A – Updated mid-year performance management plan and answers to questions Part B – Answer to question and script of the conversation Part C – Answers to questions, a formal warning letter, and Performance Improvement Plan Part D – Termination letter