ACM40317 Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services

BSBWOR404 Develop work priorities

BSBLDR401 Communicate effectively as a workplace leader

BSBLDR402 Lead effective workplace relationships

Written assessment

Instructions

To help Open Colleges manage your assessment, please use the following file-naming convention when you save your Microsoft Word document. Your file should be named and saved to your computer’s hard drive using your:

[student number]_[assessment]_[assessment number].docx

For example:

12345678_21850a_01.docx

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Prior to submitting your assessment ensure that your name and student number included on the front cover page as well as in the footer of each page. If this is not done the assessment may be returned to you for authentication.

Assessment submission

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Please ensure that you keep a copy of all assessments you submit to Open Colleges.

Getting started

The assessment activities in this booklet have been designed to allow the learner to provide evidence that demonstrates their competence in the units:

  • BSBWOR404 Develop work priorities
  • BSBLDR401 Communicate effectively as a workplace leader
  • BSBLDR402 Lead effective workplace relationships

The assessor will:

  • answer any questions that the learner might have about the assessment
  • assess the learner’s competence as required by the unit of competency, by making judgments about the evidence they have presented in line with the rules of evidence: validity, authenticity, currency and sufficiency
  • provide feedback on the outcomes of the assessment process.

Introduction

The learner is required to complete Part A and Part B of this assessment.

Assessment number Assessment deliverables
32299B/02

Part A: Short answer questions (Module 12)

Part B: Case studies (Module 13 and Module 14)

Instructions

Assessment 2 is in two parts:

  • Part A: In Part A you will be asked to answer the questions about the learning materials covered in Module 12 BSBWOR404 Develop work priorities. Your responses are to be prepared on your computer or other mobile device using standard word processing format. Your response to each question should be 1-3 short paragraphs (approximately 100 words in total for each response).
  • Part B: In Part B you will read two short case studies and answer questions based on the case studies. The questions will take into account what you have covered in Module 13 BSBLDR401 Communicate effectively as a workplace leader and Module 14 BSBLDR402 Lead effective workplace relationships. Your response to each question should be approximately 200 – 500 words in total for each response.

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Part A: Short questions and answers

Question 1

What are the main differences between the following types of weekly plans within an animal care facility? Identify any considerations that need to be thought about as you develop your plans (an example for each type of plan has been provided below).

You can use the template below as a guide to writing your responses and the use of bullet points is fine.

Plan Purpose of plan Written by Considerations
Workgroup plan e.g. animals to be fed
Team manager plan e.g. check food stocks
Individual team plan e.g. who is rostered?

Question 2

What are the main risks that could pose a risk to your team achieving its objectives? Provide two concrete examples of each risk based on your knowledge and experience of the companion animal industry. If possible, use examples from your workplace.

Question 3

Depending on the animal care organisation in which you are working, you will have access to a range of business technology to help you manage and monitor tasks in your plans. What are three types of technology you think would be useful? Describe briefly and provide examples of where you would use the tool/technology.

Question 4

Employees are increasingly responsible for maintaining track of their professional development (including formal and informal training and development such as coaching, job secondments or projects on which you may have worked).

  • What are three ways in which you could store and maintain this type of information?
  • What types of information would you record?

Question 5

There are different ways to obtain feedback on your performance at work. Why is obtaining feedback on your work important? Identify the specific type of feedback each of the three might provide.

  • your manager
  • a team member
  • a stakeholder (e.g. a vet, supplier or a member of another team in your workplace)

You can use the template below as a guide to writing your responses.

Why feedback is important:

Manager

Examples

e.g. The KPIs your manager has set for you.

Team member Examples
A stakeholder  Examples

Question 6

Working in the animal care industry means you will be dealing with customers and clients. Therefore, you will need to measure your performance against hard measures (e.g. ensuring your staff feed or house animals to the organisation’s standards or reducing injuries from handling animals). However, you also need ‘soft’ measures of performance.

  • Think of your current or future role as a supervisor. What are three ‘soft’ questions you could ask customers that will provide feedback on your customer service skills?
  • What are three soft’ questions you could ask your team members that will provide feedback on your communication skills?

Question 7

What is meant by the term Total Quality Management? Use your own words to describe. What are two websites you would go to for more information on TQM?

Part B: Case studies

Read the two case studies below and complete the instructions that follow.

Case study A

You are a senior animal attendant at City Pets a large retail store that also rehomes animals for the local pet rescue society. Part of your responsibility as a senior animal attendant is to communicate to your team, peers and senior staff.

The introduction of a new industry-led initiative regarding the health and wellbeing of companion animals has led to a new displays and enclosures policy and procedure being written.

You are responsible for communicating this policy and procedure to your staff and provide an update to your manager on its effective implementation. You will need to consider the most appropriate method/s of communication in context with the message and audience.

Question 1

What type of information will you need to read and analyse about this new initiative to help inform your team? Include in your response where you may source this information from and how it will be used to inform your communication to your team.

Question 2

How will you communicate the new policy and procedure to your team?

How will you communicate the successful implementation of the new policy and procedure to your manager?

Using the table below and the ‘5 Ws and an H’ model, plan your communication with your team about the new policy/procedure and to your manager about its’ successful implementation.

Include in your response the methods you have chosen. You may need to use more than one intervention with your team to guarantee effective implementation.

In your manager communication, please describe how you will know you have successfully implemented the new policy and procedure? (Approx. 500 words)

Communication Task 1:

Team on new policy/procedure

Communication Task 2:

Manager on effective implementation of new policy/procedure

What: What:
Why: Why:
Where: Where:
When (include how often): When:
How: How:
Who: Who:
What measures will I communicate to my manager demonstrate the new policy and procedure has been implemented?

Question 3

What are three potential barriers to your communication strategy above?

What strategies will you use to overcome the three barriers?

Question 4

All leaders have varying communication strengths and weaknesses. Consider the following effective communication characteristics:

  • Being self-aware
  • Being well-planned
  • Being accommodating
  • Using active listening to clarify and confirm understanding
  • Being respectful
  • Being positive and constructive

What is one characteristic you think you could improve? What will you do to improve?

For each of the above communication characteristics, list what you would do to adopt these characteristics in communicating with your team.

Question 5

Why would you use email, team presentation or one-on-one meetings to implement the new displays and enclosure policy and procedure? Complete the following table and include in your response some benefits and potential barriers to each.

Method Reasons – context of message Benefits Potential Barriers
Email
Presentation to team
One-on-one meeting to manager or team member

Question 6

Sylvia – a Polish-born team member has come to you after the initial communication about the new policy/procedure with some questions. In the past Sylvia has needed additional communication support to ensure she understands the message. You conduct a one-on-one conversation with her, changing your communication approach and responses to ensure Sylvia understands.

What are four communication techniques/characteristics you would use to adjust your approach to confirm Sylvia understands the reasons for implementing the new policy/procedure?

Question 7

As part of communicating the new displays and enclosures policy/procedure, you must comply with organisational, legislative and regulatory requirements. What will you need to consider in terms of WHS, Privacy and Anti-discrimination when you are communicating the new policy and procedure?

Question 8

How will you seek feedback from your team members to clarify and confirm their understanding?

How will you seek feedback from your manager or team on the effectiveness of your communication implementing the new policy/procedure?

Question 9

What are five communication responsibilities you must ensure in implementing this new policy/procedure?

Question 10

Based on this case study:

  • What potential follow-up actions may be required?
  • What records would you keep of this communication implementation rollout?
  • Why do you need to keep these records?
Case study B

As a senior animal attendant at a regional animal shelter Gondiling Centre for Animals, part of your responsibility is to lead effective workplace relationships with peers, team members, customers and suppliers. The new displays and enclosures policy and procedure will have a significant impact on all of these relationships. Through your successful communication rollout with your team in Case Study A, your team is now keen to lead the way in improving its new policy. Whilst the team’s engagement and interest is encouraging, it will present challenges and difficulties of its own.

Your team consists of 5 people:

  • Ron, the oldest member of the team who tends to be the most vocal and least receptive to change. He’s not keen about improving the displays and enclosures as he was part of the original design and thinks its fine the way it is.
  • Sylvia, a Polish-born 25 year old who has a real passion for companion animals but struggles with English as a second language and is very shy. Sylvia is quite intimidated by Ron, Josh and Zoe so tends to keep quiet in group discussions.
  • Josh, an 18-year-old fresh out of school, very little experience but lots of enthusiasm. He has rallied the team together in this new initiative and has real leadership qualities but little experience and can tend to rub people up the wrong way with his directness.
  • Gwen, who has been with the organisation for five years, is keen to see change and is happy to go along with any decisions. She has a hearing disability and is quite sensitive about it.
  • Zoe, a Kenyan-born 40 year old is a headstrong and committed individual who is determined to see change and keen to implement her ideas from previous experience. You value Zoe’s contributions, however she does have a tendency to not listen to others’ ideas.

Your role is to promote team cohesion and successfully build critical relationships that will enable your team to achieve its intended goal of leading the way with its endangered animal displays and enclosures.

Respond to the following questions:

Question 11

Knowing the challenges you may face, your manager suggests you create a consultation strategy/plan. In considering your team, what would you include in a consultation strategy/plan to:

  • maintain your team’s motivation
  • encourage initiative
  • identify issues
  • collectively formulate solutions to improve the companion animal displays and enclosures?

Ensure your response includes:

  • How you would encourage participation and foster contribution of and respect for ideas and feedback.
  • Who you consulted/engaged (consider what internal/external sources may assist).
  • Process for identifying and resolving any issues raised?

Question 12

A critical step in establishing effective relationships with your team is to demonstrate integrity, treat others with respect, and build trust.

What approaches would you take to:

  • demonstrate your integrity
  • treat others with respect
  • build trust?

In your response, link how the approaches align with organisational values and standards of behaviour as outlined in procedures/code of conduct.

Team Member Demonstrate integrity Treat with respect Build trust
Ron
Silvia
Josh
Gwen
Zoe

Question 13

The industry-led initiative which led to the introduction of the new policy/procedure for companion animals has created an opportunity for your organisation to contribute and gain from external networks. What are three benefits you would foresee the organisation and your team gaining by engaging in an external network with other industry players?

Benefits to your Team Benefits to Gondiling Centre for Animals
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

Question 14

You discover at work one morning that Gwen is extremely quiet and seems quite sad. You come across Sylvia in the kitchen alone and ask her if she knows what’s wrong with Gwen. Sylvia thinks it may have something to do with Josh making a direct comment about Gwen’s hearing ability.

What conflict resolution techniques may you use to resolve this situation?

Question 15

Knowing your different team members and some of the challenges you and your team face, what are strategies you can implement to improve each of these relationships?

Question 16

What are two tools you could you use to regularly review your team’s progress in achieving their goal?

Question 17

Whilst implementing your consultation strategy/plan, you observe Ron is still not fully on board with the changes. His lack of motivation and negative attitude is beginning to have an impact on the rest of the team. It also seems to be affecting his performance as he is regularly showing up half an hour late to work.

What steps would you put in place to manage Ron’s performance?

Checklist

The student must complete and submit the following.

Assessment 2: Short answer questions
Answer all 17 short answer questions.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Prior to submitting your assessment ensure that your name and student number included on the front cover page as well as in the footer of each page. If this is not done the assessment may be returned to you for authentication.