Efficient Meeting Management: Planning, Types, and Secretary's Duties, Summaries of Communication

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Bellahouston Academy

Administration & IT

Higher

Pupil Notes

Contents

Communication in Administration

Outcome 1 1.1 .................................................................................................................................................. 51 Methods of Communication ......................................................................................................................... 51 Outcome 1 1.2 .................................................................................................................................................. 52 Barriers to Communication .......................................................................................................................... 52 Outcome 1 1.3 ....................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Outcomes

Administrative Theory and Practice

There are two main outcomes to this unit.

Outcome 1

The learner will be able to:

1 Provide an account of the factors contributing to the effectiveness of the administrative function by:

1.1 Describing strategies for effective time and task management and their importance 1.2 Describing the characteristics of effective teams 1.3 Explaining strategies to ensure compliance with workplace legislation 1.4 Explaining how modern IT has had an impact on working practices

Outcome 2

The learner will be able to:

2 Provide an account of customer care in administration by:

2.1 Explaining benefits of good, and consequences of poor, customer care 2.2 Describing a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the quality of customer care

In addition to the above unit some elements of Communication in Administration are also covered.

Communication in Administration

Outcome 1

The learner will:

1 Communicate complex information to a range of audiences and effectively manage sensitive information by:

1.1 Selecting appropriate methods of communication to disseminate complex information and to take account of the needs of the audience 1.2 Making appropriate adjustments when communicating information, showing an understanding of the possible barriers, to ensure information is received and understood 1.3 Taking appropriate steps to manage information and understanding how to maintain security and confidentiality

Outcome 1 1.

1.1 Describing strategies for effective time and task management and their importance

Skills required for effective Time and Task Management

Planning In terms of time and resources. Many tools exist to help deal with this – from simple daily ‘To Do’ lists to more long-term Action Plans or Development Plans.

Prioritisation Deciding on what tasks are important and being able to decide which tasks should be carried out first and which tasks are less important.

Organisation Being able to look ahead and plan tasks that need to be carried out.

Delegation Deciding when it is appropriate to ask someone else to so some of your

tasks.

Assertiveness Being able to say ‘no’ when necessary when you have taken on too much

work.

Negotiation Being able to negotiate deadlines and resources.

Control Tackling tasks calmly and in order of priority.

Evaluation Being able to look at tasks, seek improvement and identify the causes of any

problems.

Resource

management

Making effective use of time, staff and equipment.

Directing Directing the employees to get the work done. This will involve a manager

leading, communicating, and motivating.

Target Setting

When targets are set they need to be SMART:

S Specific^ –^ Is the target well defined and does it state exactly what is required?

M Measurable^ –^ What will be the measurement unit to see whether or not the target has

been achieved?

A Agreed^ –^ The target must be discussed and agreed with your line manager as part of your

personal development.

R Realistic^ –^ Do you have the necessary skills and knowledge to complete the target or are

you being over-ambitious?

T Timed^ –^ A time should be set as to when the target will be completed.

It is important that individuals set targets as part of their job as this gives them a focus and something to aim for. It is also important that organisations share their management aims and vision with their employees so that everyone is working together to achieve the targets set. When targets are set it is important that there are methods in place of recording the tasks that need to be completed to achieve the targets. This could include the following:

Personal

Development Plan

This is a document that allows employees to formally record areas of strengths and areas for training and development. Employees should discuss the plan with their line manager on a regular basis and it is often discussed annually. This allows the employee to focus on aspects of their job, identify skills they have that could be shared with others, identify their training needs and prepare them for promotion.

Action Plan This is a document that could be prepared to help plan a long-term project and show the tasks that need to be completed, an estimate of how long the tasks should take and any notes to explain actions.

To-do List This is a document that an individual could use on a day-to-day basis to remind them of the tasks that need to be completed.

Gantt Chart This is a chart that a manager could put up to allow individuals to see at a glance key dates and the tasks that have to be completed. It can also be used to monitor when tasks have been completed.

Action Plan (Example)

Name Susan Greenback Project Compile a database of suitable hotels (UK) for company travel

Estimated Completion Date June

Action required (e.g. Tasks)

Estimated time for completion

Actual time taken to complete

Notes

Discuss with line manager hotel criteria that should be met.

2 hours 3 hours Possible – costs, facilities, distance from airports/train stations, number of hotels required in each city. Research hotel information.

6 hours 8½ hours Possible sources of information: AA/RAC Handbook, Internet, Yellow Pages and Thomson’s local directories. Compile structure of hotel database.

1 hour 45 minutes Suggest to boss additional field should be ‘discount offered’. Enter data into database records.

5 hours

Review use of hotels on a regular basis and update records accordingly.

30 minutes monthly

Note

1. Italics have been used to indicate areas which also feature in the Priorities List.
2. The last two tasks on the Action Plan have still to be completed.

Gantt Chart Example

Dealing with changes in priorities

Sometimes work plans and targets have to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. It is important that when planning tasks some flexibility is given to allow for this. These circumstances can affect work on a day-to-day basis and sometimes they can affect the long-term achievement of targets.

Examples of circumstances that could affect day-to-day work include:

 a member of staff failing to show up for work

 the network crashing

 a manager changing a deadline for a piece of work.

If any of these situations arise the employee should remain calm and maybe call on the help of others to complete tasks.

Examples of circumstances that may affect the long-term achievement of targets include:

 Were the targets SMART?

 Did the actions of others hold you up?

 Did additional tasks occur after the job started?

 Did the task extend beyond your capabilities?

 Did your line manager support you?

If any of the above happens it is important that it is discussed with the line manager as soon as possible. Solutions will include extending the deadline, offering overtime, being assertive and saying no to additional work, and calling on additional help from others. It may also be necessary to discuss the target with your line manager and ensure that you understand the extent of the task.

Monitoring and Evaluating Progress

When targets are set it is important that measures are put in place to monitor the progress of these targets. Some of these control mechanisms are:

Sample Checks Where some but not all of the tasks are looked over by the immediate

supervisor.

Line Manager Checking at regular times how the work is progressing.

Buddy System Where an employee is paired with a more experienced member of staff who

can be called on for help and advice.

Mentoring

System

Where an employee is assigned a more senior member of staff who can be called on for help and advice.

Gantt Chart A chart that can be used to monitor progress against planned targets and actual

progress.

Audit or

System Check

Where current procedures are reviewed and changes made to improve efficiency.

Regular

Meetings

Between staff and line managers.

As well as these control mechanisms being in place, individuals may also use planning aids to help them keep track of their own progress, including:

 desk diaries

 electronic diaries

 priorities lists

 action plans

It is also important that employees are given opportunities to evaluate their performance on a regular basis, possibly through the process of staff appraisal.

Time Stealers

Time stealers are time-wasting activities that eat away at time and reduce effectiveness in the workplace. Employees need to be aware of time stealers and what they can do to improve these situations.

Time Stealer Ways to improve

Lack of forward planning

Make use of planning aids such as priorities lists and action plans.

Interruption from

the telephone

Learn to control the conversation and do not allow conversations to run on too long. Possibly make a time of day to make telephone calls.

Interruption from

visitors

Learn to control the conversation, be assertive and explain that you are busy and maybe arrange for a time to meet.

Taking on too much

work

Be assertive and learn to say ‘no’. If work is getting too much talk to your line manager or try and delegate some tasks.

Desk Stress Ensure that papers are filed and that desks are tidied on a regular basis

to ensure that documents can be found.

Procrastination This is when you keep jumping from one task to another but do not

complete any of them. To overcome this have a to-do list and try to have self-discipline and stick with one task.

Meeting Overrunning Ensure that meetings have a time limit – maybe use alarms so that

people know how much time they have to talk.

Making unnecessary

journeys

Group jobs together so that visits to other departments or the photocopier are only carried out once or twice a day.

Communication

problems

Ensure that you clearly understand the tasks to be carried out and ensure that there is a clear line of communication between you and your line manager.

Strategies for effective Time/Task Management

Draw up a to-do list or priories list

At the end of each day compile a to-do list for the next day – giving each job a priority – trying to note how long you expect to spend on each job. Try to prioritise your tasks, develop your own code for prioritising tasks – if tasks prove too difficult, seek help.

Try to prioritise your tasks : urgent and non-urgent, high, medium and low priority.

Most tasks fall into one of three categories, immediate action by you, some action by you but also some on-going work by you or others and information for reading, circulating, filing or disposing of.

Prepare an Action Plan Note the tasks in order they have to be done − with an estimated time for each task - prepared when a large project needs to be completed.

An action plan can be part of the personal development plan or for a project as a whole – this is where task responsibilities, deadlines and resources are given.

Use a Diary A diary can be a daily, weekly or monthly planning aid. It can be electronic or paper based. It should be referred to regularly in order to check on approaching deadlines and to help with the prioritisation of work.

Don’t take on too much work

Learn to say No! Be assertive. If your work is piling up you must approach your line manager and ask for help or for a halt to new work being allocated until your desk is clear.

Limit time stealing activities

See previous page

Delegate tasks to others

If you have staff in a more junior position to yourself, learn to delegate. Accept that others can do tasks as well as you can.

Gantt Charts Gantt charts are used as project planning tools and are used to represent the timing of tasks required to complete a project. The benefit of using Gantt charts is that they are very easy to understand.

Tidy Workstation At the end of each day try to clear your desk of any files and folders you have finished working with. Use trays to organise papers and files to indicate which are now ready for filing.

Effects/Justifications of Good Time and Task Management

Effective time and task management will bring benefits to both the individual and the organisation, including:

 increased productivity

 better quality of work

 increased morale and motivation

 increased job satisfaction and lower staff turnover as employees feel more in control of their workload

 lower stress levels among staff, which will reduce absenteeism

 better relationships with management

 good customer relations as targets and deadlines will be met

Consequences of poor Time and Task Management

If time is not managed effectively this will have a negative impact on both the individual and the organisation, including:

 staff being stressed, which leads to absenteeism

 lower productivity and poor quality of work

 lower staff morale and motivation

 poor job satisfaction and high staff turnover

 poor customer relations and an increase in customer complaints

 poor relationships with management

 increased costs to the organisation.

Leadership

One of the essential components of effective teams is appropriate leadership. A leader can be described as someone who influences others towards the achievement of goals. Instead of having to coerce followers to achieve a task, a good leader will motivate people to willingly work towards their goals. He or she will do this by such means as:

 Setting a clear vision or goals for the team, as well as setting out clear guidelines and procedures for the team to follow.

 Meeting the needs of the team (information, communication, etc.) Each member of the team should feel they have an opportunity to express their opinions/ideas.

 Meeting the needs of the individuals within the team (support, training, etc.) Issues which make team members unhappy should be discussed and possible solutions found.

 Meeting the needs of the task in hand (resources, use of team skills, etc.)

 Liaising between the team, management and other work areas.

Benefits of Good Leadership

 All team members will feel more motivated and gain more job satisfaction  Good relationship within the team making it more productive  Good use of delegation making employees more motivated  Improved communication leading to better decision making  Keeping the team on track so that they meet their targets  Everyone knows what the team has to do and also their individual roles  Good leadership encourages team members to support each other  Better career prospects because individual has developed due to good leadership  Good leadership can lead to a successful organisation

The kind of leadership required by a team will depend on a number of factors – whether it is a new or established team, how effective the team is and how complex the task is, etc. A directing leader is more necessary in a less experienced, less effective team, however, more experienced or effective teams will often need a leader who is more a coordinator of activity and provider of resources as they will need less direction. The more effective a team is, the more the members will interact with one another and take on roles to support one another – there is less need for a leader to direct operations, but rather to pull things together and support the activity.

Team Formation

According to Meredith Belbin, a leading management theorist, there are clear roles that team members will adopt. He suggested that careful consideration should be given to the size of a team and that teams of around four to six people are the most effective. If a team is too large there is a danger of sub-groups developing and if a team is too small there is a danger of one person dominating the team.

The following are the team roles according to Belbin:

The Ideas Person This is someone who is creative, imaginative and has the ability to solve

problems.

The Motivator This is someone who can get things moving and drive the team forward.

The Organiser This is someone who can plan and co-ordinate activities, and pulls things

together.

The Implementer This is someone who can get tasks started and turn ideas into actions.

The Checker This is someone who can monitor and ensure that tasks have been

carried out correctly.

The Finisher This is someone who ensures that tasks are completed on time.

The Go-getter This is someone who develops contacts and can seek out resources.

The Team Player This is someone who thinks about the people in the group and listens to

others to minimise conflict.

The Specialist This is someone who can provide vital knowledge and skills.

Usually people are clearly strong in one role or another; however, most people can take on other roles as well. What is important for effective teams is that there is a balance between ‘thinkers’ and ‘doers’.

Skills of Team Members

Leadership skills A leader is someone who influences others towards the achievement of

goals. A good leader will be able to motivate the team by setting a clear vision and communicating information to team members. A good leader will provide support to all members of the team and will try and minimise conflict.

Listening skills Team members should be able to listen to each other’s ideas and points

of view.

Communication

skills

Team members should be able to put their thoughts into words for everyone to understand. Team members should be able to communicate both verbally and in writing.