Instructions:

To answer these short answer questions, you will need to research the theory and styles of leadership and determine the key qualities of a workplace leader and the organisation’s standards and values.

1. Describe the key qualities of an effective leader.

2. Workplace leaders will be expected to manage employee’s performance. One way to do this is through ‘Positive performance management’. Explain how you can use this approach to help employees identify their development needs and assist them in achieving their performance goals.

3. Integrity, credibility and the ability to be a good role model are key concepts of being an effective workplace leader. Explain each of these concepts and provide an example of what this would look like in the workplace.

Definition of ‘role model’.

Example of ‘role model’ in workplace leadership.

Definition of ‘integrity’.

Example of ‘integrity’ in workplace leadership.

Definition of ‘credibility’.

Example of ‘credibility’ in workplace leadership.

4. Organisations will also have stated and implied standards and values which influence how they conduct their business. Explain how you would:

• Locate information on an organisation’s stated standards and values
• Identify an organisation’s implied standards and values

Section 2: Research and self-reflection

Instructions:

Review the scenario below to answer the following questions.

Scenario:

As the safety advisor for Australia Wide Constructions (AWC), you are required to:

• Communicate work health and safety requirements to all levels of staff (refer to the organisational chart for clarification on the different levels)
• Manage performance of individual employees and teams to ensure compliance of WHS legislation
• Monitor, review and develop workplace health and safety (WHS) policies and procedures to ensure compliance of WHS legislation
• Facilitate workplace health and safety (WHS) committee meetings
• Organise training where required. This may include developing plans to ensure training needs are provided (e.g., workplace coaching and mentoring, accredited training courses, etc.)

When doing this you must uphold the organisation’s values and demonstrate the behaviours expected by AWC. It is therefore imperative that you are familiar with their standards, values and ethics.

1. In your own words, summarise Australia Wide Construction’s stated values and standards.

2. Reflecting on the values and standards of AWC, the leadership styles identified in Section 1 and your role*; identify the areas of your behaviour you could improve to ensure you uphold these values and standards. When doing this think about how you communicate with others, how you delegate tasks, how you express your views and feelings. What areas could you improve on. Be honest. If you are not sure ask a co-worker/ fellow student.

* You can also reflect on the values and standards of your current workplace to assist in answering this question.

3. Identify how you could improve your own behaviour to make sure that you uphold the integrity and credibility of AWC or your current work role.

Section 3: Case Study

Scenario:

While at your office Steve, who is managing a AWC site that is in your region, calls you as he is nearing the deadline for the development of an aged care facility. He informs you that he has been having issues obtaining building materials and has had to source his building materials from another supplier, at a far greater cost than budgeted.

He also lets you know several of his labourers have been off sick with the flu, so he is unlikely to meet his deadline. The deadline is two weeks away and with his current staffing level, the project will not be finished for another six weeks.

This is the first time Steve has raised any concerns with meeting the deadline. The client has not been informed of the additional costs, nor the four-week extension that Steve has indicated he needs.

1. Outline how this situation does not meet Australia Wide Construction’s values and standards.

2. Explain how this situation could be damaging to Australia Wide Construction’s reputation?

3. Describe what you would do (what actions would you take) to address the immediate issues of budget and not meeting construction deadline.

Make sure your answer clearly addresses the following points:

• What individuals/teams to involve in resolving this situation
• How you would consult with these individuals/teams to determine options
• How to communicate your decisions to the client
• What actions you would take on each step through the decision/implementation process
• What feedback processes would you use to monitor these actions