Formative assessments

Activity 1

1. Why is it necessary to consult relevant groups and individuals on work to be allocated and about the resources they will need? 150-200 words
2. When allocating work it is necessary to check that there are sufficient resources available. In general/ generic terms, what resources might be required in a business organisation? Give 10 examples.
3. What are the likely repercussions if resources are not available as needed? 25-75 words

Activity 2

1. Work plans should correlate with operational plans. What are operational plans? 75-100 words
2. It might be necessary to create work work plans that correlate with operational plans. What are work plans? 70 words

Activity 3

1. List the criteria that should be considered when allocating work to individual employees. 50-75 words
2. What procedures might be followed when communicating work allocations to employees? 20-30 words

Activity 4

1. Explain what a code of conduct is and how it might affect work outputs. 100-150 words
2. List 10 ways in which you can check that teams and individuals are aware of and understand performance standards, Codes of Conduct and work output expectations.

Activity 5

1. What are performance indicators and why is it necessary to consult with and get agreement from those who will be affected by the performance indicators? 300-350 words
2. What should a good performance management system aim for? 100-150 words

Activity 6

1. Risks associated with the work to be allocated should be identified and where necessary contingency plans can be put in place. Explain what a contingency plan is and the important aspects of risk analysis and contingency plan development. 450 words

Activity 7

1. What needs to be considered when developing and implementing performance management plans? 100-150 words
2. Why is it necessary to ensure that performance management and review processes are consistent with organisational objectives and policies? 75-100 words
3. Explain why it is necessary to develop and implement performance management processes or systems and why performance evaluations are necessary. 350-400 words

Activity 8

1. When training participants in the performance management and review process and when conducting performance appraisals the different components of performance management systems must be taken into consideration. What are these components? List 12. If necessary conduct independent research.
2. In short sentence explain why performance should be monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis.
3. Why should both managers and employees receive suitable training in how to handle performance review/ appraisal interview? 100-120 words
4. How often should performance appraisals be held? 150-200 words

Activity 9

1. In what ways can you recognize the contribution of your staff and why should you do this? 200-250 words
2. What is feedback and why is it important that managers and supervisors provide informal consistent and constructive feedback to staff on a regular basis? 300-320 words
3. Give an example and an explanation of what you consider to be formal and informal feedback. 80-100 words

Activity 10

1. If performance issues are identified, how might they be documented and who might it be necessary to advise? 160-170 words
2. Sue works for you in a busy, customer focused technology support center. Her position requires her to answer the telephone, handle face-to-face enquiries regarding technical difficulties, use her knowledge and experience to solve problems and finally to communicate solutions to customers. Until recently you considered Sue to be very capable. You received good feedback from other staff and customers about her technical ability and customer service skills generally. Recently, however, you have received a number of complaints about her from one of your colleagues and from several customers. The complaints relate to her terse and harsh interpersonal skills and her lack of responsiveness when dealing with problems. You will need to address these complaints. What performance areas would you investigate and how would you approach Sue regarding these complaints? 250-300 words

Activity 11

1. Explain what coaching and mentoring are, making certain that the differences between the two processes are clearly explained. 150-170 words
2. Under what circumstances might it be necessary to provide on-the-job coaching and who might be responsible for providing it? 150-170 words

Activity 12

1. Why is it necessary to document and record performance? 130-150 words

Activity 13

1. What procedures might be followed to draw up and implement a performance improvement plan? 220-250 words
2. Under what circumstances and for what reasons might HR expertise be of benefit to managers and employees who are negotiating performance improvements? 300 words
3. What steps might be taken if it is necessary to follow-up performance appraisal? 100 words

Activity 14

1. How could excellent performance be recognized and rewarded? 50-60 words
2. Explain the value of coaching, with regard to performance improvement. Explain why it is necessary to monitor an employee's performance during and after they have received coaching. 250-300 words

Activity 15

1. How can counselling help if performance does not improve? 75-100 words
2. Explain the disciplinary actions that might be taken by an organisation if an employee's performance does not improve. 30-50 words
3. What should you do in the following situations?

Scenario 1

An employee is going through a nasty divorce. As a result of the divorce, the employee can no longer afford to pay for child care for their four and a half year old child. The child will be starting school in four months' time and the school offers free after school care for working parents. The employee has been distracted at work, making more errors than usual. They have had a lot of time off and often have to leave work early to care for the child. Previous to this the employee's performance was excellent.

Scenario 2

An employee's performance is identified as unsatisfactory. The reasons for the employee's poor performance are unclear.

Activity 16

1. What would you do in these situations?

Scenario 1

An employee's performance has been unsatisfactory for a long time. The employee and their manager created an employee development plan which has been carried out. The employee has been given ample training and coaching. Verbal and written warnings have been given but there has been no improvement in the employee's performance.

Scenario 2

An employee's behavior at work has become erratic and their performance has slipped markedly. They have on occasion, attended work smelling of alcohol and behaving as through intoxicated. When the manager speaks to the employee, the employee admits that they have a problem with alcohol but does not know where to turn to get help.

Scenario 3

An employee's performance has been identified as being unsatisfactory. When the manager speaks to the employee, the employee admits that they are finding the job stressful. They tell the manager that they do not enjoy dealing with customers and would prefer a less public position.