SECTION 1: MONITOR AND IMPROVE WORKPLACE OPERATIONS

Activity 1

1 Briefly explain what is meant by SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and able to be tracked in time.

2 Goals should also contain stretch components. What does this mean and why is it important?

Activity 2

1 How can organisations plan to achieve their goals?

2 What is the purpose of an operational plan?

Activity 3

1 Identify three work tasks and relevant key performance indicators for a food attendant position in a casual bistro.

2 What is typically included in a performance assessment/ appraisal and who is involved in the process?

Activity 4

What should supervisors/ managers consider when monitoring and improving workplace operations?

Activity 5

1 How can organisational continuous improvement plans contribute to improved sustainability of day-to-day operations?

2 How can team meetings be used to identify possible areas for improvements to work practices?

3 Describe ways to encourage team members to suggest improvements to sustainability practices.

4 What interpersonal skills or techniques could leaders use to enable them to encourage employees to contribute to improving the sustainability of day-to-day operations?

SECTION 2: PLAN AND ORGANISE WORKFLOW

Activity 6

How can managers assist employees to prioritise their workload?

Activity 7

1 Why is delegation, when done appropriately, a useful management tool?

2 What must be considered before delegating tasks to others?

3 Why is it important to recognise and reward employees for work well done?

Activity 8

1 Explain how a wages budget affects roster development. Make note of any special provisions that need to be considered in regard to budget requirements.

2 What type of preparation is required prior to recruiting and selecting new staff?

3 What steps should you take to ensure you have a complete understanding of your team member's individual skills?

4 List five periods or events throughout a calendar year where the need for accurate staffing levels to meet service demands in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry is crucial and explain why this is so.

Activity 9

1 What is the purpose of a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) and what is the process involved in conducting one?

2 How can workers' skills and knowledge be developed?

SECTION 3: MONITOR AND SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS

Activity 10

1 What are the benefits of providing feedback to individuals on their work performance?

2 List five underpinning principles of a fair and equitable performance appraisal system.

3 Why should performance appraisals be documented and what should be included in the documentation?

SECTION 4: SOLVE PROBLEMS AND MAKE DECISIONS

Activity 11

1 What leadership behaviour could encourage team members to be involved in decision making?

2 Why is it advantageous to encourage involvement from team members?

Activity 12

1 Briefly explain one of the tools that can be used to generate alternative solutions to problems. Include the advantages and disadvantages of using the tool.

2 How could you determine which technique or combination of techniques would best suit an organisation's needs?

3 How could team members contribute to the decision making process?

Activity 13

1 What is the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of solutions?

2 How could the effectiveness of solutions be monitored?

3 If the feedback from monitoring indicates that a new process is not working as well as you expected it to, what action could you take?

Written / Oral Questions

1 What monitoring systems might organisations have in place to identify problems and/or conditions which could affect operations?

2 What is an operational plan and what external and internal conditions can affect operations processes?

3 How can employees find out what the standards, benchmarks and performance expectations of their organisation are?

4 If members of a team/ section/ division identify a problem within their section, what procedures could be followed to develop a resolution and implement improvements?

5 Provide two examples of legislative requirements that affect work organisation in the hospitality, tourism or travel industries?

6 Why is it important for workers to take responsibility for their own work tasks and ensure that they are getting feedback to fulfil their role?

7 How does team cooperation lead to effective workplace practices?

Project 1

1 Conduct research on a local or national organisation.

a) Identify a typical workplace procedure or issue that might require improvement or amendment. What data could you collect and what records could you consult to assist in identifying problems or opportunities?

Design a plan for suggesting improvement or variation to the current operational plan; explain the steps you would need to take and how you would present this information to the appropriate personnel.

Explain the decision-making processes you could follow.

b) Detail the organisation's policies and procedures that should be followed to recruit, select and induct new staff. Upload your answer for assessment.

c) Explain the procedures that should be followed to roster staff and ensure that there are sufficient staff members available to provide high quality customer service.