Maintain Workplace Relationships Assessment

1. Question

Select the correct ten (10) opportunities for networking available to professionals in the corporate environment.

Individual time in the office

Website forums

Watching pre-recorded videos

Exhibitions

Interactive special interest websites

Chambers of Trade or Commerce

Seminars

Business networking websites

Training courses without any two-way communication tools

Training courses with two-way communication tools

Individual websites

Professional body websites

Community social websites

Website user groups

2. Question

Select four (4) strategies that an individual can use to create avenues to communicate with different stakeholders at a networking event.

Avoid messy finger food and alcohol. Holding a drink and food can make it difficult to hand out or accept business cards or shake hands with people.

Arrive early and join in groups as they are forming. Meeting one person at a time is often less daunting than meeting a crowd.

Communicate with respect in every interaction regardless of whether you like the person.

Dress appropriately by wearing comfortable shoes and carrying a practical bag or briefcase. Make sure you can access your business cards easily.

Give your card to people you have engaged with, but keep in mind that networking is about building relationships, not just handing out business cards. If you have made a promising connection with someone, they may prefer to add your details to their phone.

Realize your perception is your reality – not everyone else's.

3. Question

Identify the 2 ways that an employee can use to keep his or her manager informed of activities, progress and task results.

Seminars

Daily reports

Progress meetings.

Management groups

4. Question

Identify and explain four (4) benefits of seeking guidance from your Manager.

Puts you in a good position for a definite promotion

You will be favoured

Prevents one from making unnecessary mistakes

Promotes popularity

Improves boss-employee relations

Tasks are completed faster

Improves the skills of the employee

Ensures invitations to social events with Management

5. Question

It is important for an employee to consult managers in other divisions when carrying out tasks that might affect those divisions. Select four (4) key elements that an employee must take into account when consulting.

Scoping of priority issues – Are there any high risk groups or issues requiring special attention at this stage? Are there vulnerable management groups that are particularly sensitive or controversial?

Purpose – What are the strategic reasons for consulting with managers at this particular phase of the task? These may span a wide range of objectives, from meeting regulatory requirements and negotiating compensation.

Raising your concern internally with your line manager – Normally, you will be expected to raise your concern internally ﬁrst, such as with your line manager. You can do this verbally or in writing.

Managers – Who are the key management groups that need to be consulted during this phase of the task? What are the likely issues that they will wish to discuss? What are their interests and why?

Plan ahead- Before beginning a consultation process, it is useful to think about who needs to be consulted, over what topics, and for what purpose? Getting clear answers for these questions up front can save you time, reduce costs, and help keep expectations in check.

Respond – Respond to requests by emphasising what you can do to help meet them.

6. Question

Select the three (3) general procedures for raising quality concerns in a department or unit.

Raising your concern internally with your line manager. Normally, you will be expected to raise your concern internally ﬁrst, such as with your line manager. You can do this verbally or in writing. You should keep a clear written record of your concern and any steps that you have taken to resolve it, including who the concern was raised with, on what date, and an outline of the concern. Whilst you should also keep a record of any written or verbal communication that you send or receive from your employer, be aware of the need to protect conﬁdentiality. For example, if you need to refer to an incident with a particular patient or client, record details of the event and take appropriate steps to maintain conﬁdentiality.

Focus on issues, not personalities, when you discuss work matters and problems. Through negotiation or mediation, the goal is to resolve the dispute between the parties so each can at least have some of their needs met and both sides can move on personally, professionally and financially.

Realise your perception is your reality – not everyone else's. A momentous paradigm shift compels us to consider each employee as a distinct individual, with unique aspirations, needs, and desires.

Raising your concern internally with a designated person e.g. quality assurance manager. If for any reason you feel unable to raise your concern with your line manager, you should raise your concern with the designated person in your organisation. You should be able to ﬁnd out who this is by looking at your employer’s raising concerns or whistleblowing policy. This will normally be a person who has been given special responsibility and training in dealing with employees’ concerns. If you want your identity to remain anonymous, you should say so at this stage.

Escalating your concern internally. If you have raised a concern with your line manager or with the designated person within your organisation, but feel it has not been addressed properly or that inadequate action has been taken, you should raise your concern with someone higher within your employing organisation.

7. Question

Select the correct five (5) options that outline the procedure for resolving conflict between two team members.

It is important not to explore different perspectives.

If the Human Resources Department fails to resolve the issue, seek the assistance of outside parties e.g CCMA, lawyers, court (if applicable)

Remember to assume the negative intentions of all parties involved.

If the Supervisor cannot mediate the situation, the Supervisor must escalate it to the departmental manager.

It is of utmost importance to wait an extensive amount of time before dealing with the conflict between the parties involved.

Team members try to solve the problem on their own.

If the departmental manager cannot resolve the issue, the departmental manager must refer it to Human Resources Department- conflict resolution unit.

If team members cannot resolve the conflict on their own, approach a supervisor to mediate

8. Question

Select five (5) correct ways of communicating conflict resolution procedures to team members in a unit.

Notice boards

Via the grapevine

During tea-breaks

Email notices

Induction training sessions

During informal social events

Unit meetings

Forums

9. Question

Select the ten (10) strategies that team members should implement in order to build constructive relationships at work.

Give the best advice as soon as possible

Respond to requests by emphasising what you can do to help meet them

Follow through and do what you say you will do

Listen without passing judgment and do not rush in to give advice

Be professional, no need to be sensitive towards others' feelings

Realise your perception is your reality – not everyone else's.

When you have concerns, work them out with the source, not with others

Take responsibility for your part in a difficult relationship.

Focus on personality types when discussing work matters and problems

Be sensitive to people's feelings

The team must understand your point of view. There is no need to understand anyone else's point of view

Focus on issues, not personalities, when you discuss work matters and problems

It is not a priority to respond to requests.

Be direct and sincere

When differences in views or ideas occur, work first to understand them from the other person’s perspective

10. Question

Under what circumstances should a supervisor use verbal communication to inform team members of changes that might affect them? Select the correct five (5) options.

Verbal communication is more appropriate when:

You have a promotion coming up

You need to convince or persuade the team to accept the change. You will have a better chance at getting your point across verbally if it is asking for more of them to do

You know that they will not take the written message seriously, or will not fully understand its meaning

The Manager needs to share an office secret with you

You want to grab their attention immediately, and not take the chance that they will automatically check to see if a message is waiting for them in their inbox

You are looking for feedback visually and not from an e-mail response

The Manager wants to schedule a meeting with you

Emotions are too high. Verbal communication provides chances for both you and the other person to let off steam and cool down. They will then have a better chance at understanding the reasoning behind the change

Maintain Workplace Relationships Assessment