Provide Leadership across the Organization
Task 1
you are required to write an email to your manager in response to an incident and develop an electronic presentation to communicate the strategic directions and objectives of your organization to potential employees in regards to a new initiative. As part of this task, you will need to write an email to your manager outlining an organizational response to the case study, including any changes to work practices that will be necessary to ensure a safe and productive work environment. In response to a further case study, you will need to develop a presentation to communicate strategic directions and objectives for use with a range of staff and stakeholders, i.e. a scripted PowerPoint presentation or a script to be spoken with a video presentation, etc. You will need to ensure that you have accurately identified the strategic objectives and mission of your organization, and are able to identify key roles and responsibilities for the realization of those strategic objectives, particularly in regard to the new work unit being established. You will need to ensure that the language and style of presentation you use is appropriate to the target audience (as per the case study). Your presentation will need to clearly state the expectations of the organization for the new work group as a team and individually. 1. Review case studies provided. 2. Case study 1: Write an email to your manager outlining the organizational response to this incident, including any changes to work practices that will be necessary to ensure a safe and productive work environment. Include reference to relevant legislation. 3. Case study 2: Meet with your manager (your assessor) to discuss and clarify your understanding of the objectives, values and standards of the organization, and negotiate the medium to be used for presenting information to others. 4. Prepare a brief presentation that describes the organization and its objectives and establishes responsibilities, ethical behaviors and the expectations of groups and individuals within the organization. Ensure that the presentation you prepare uses language that is appropriate and develops and builds commitment to the organization. You must provide: ? An email to your manager on incident ? A strategic presentation developed for the agreed medium that satisfies the requirements described below:
? refers to strategic direction ? refers to organizational objectives ? outlines clear responsibilities to groups and individuals including ethical behaviour ? clearly links objectives, values and standards to responsibilities of groups and individuals ? addresses the expectations of the organization ? Uses media and language appropriate to the audience. Your assessor will be looking for evidence that: ? you have analysed and identified the needs of case study 1, and reflected this analysis in the email ? You have analysed and identified the needs of case study 2, and reflected these in the strategic presentation you have developed. Case study 1 MacVille is an import/export company that sells and maintains espresso coffee machines. As part of your preparation for a senior management role with MacVille, your manager, Craig Jenkins, has asked you to review and report on an OHS incident that occurred in Brisbane recently with an employee GaryKing. Your manager explains that Gary King is a maintenance technician. At 60 years of age, he is the oldest employee in the company. Gary is a technical espresso machine specialist who has worked in the industry for over 30 years and is recognised as one of the best and most knowledgeable people in the trade in Australia. Recently, the maintenance manager took Gary to the company doctor when Gary complained of an onset of severe lower back pain while undertaking repairs to machines in the workshop. Subsequently, Gary was given four days off work by the doctor. The job requires him to work in a repair section of the warehouse with other technicians as well as travel to customer sites in the company van for regular maintenance and emergency repairs. Espresso machines weigh over 50 Kilos however they only require transport to and from a client on very rare occasions. The manager asks you to review the incident report. You are aware of the discrimination and OHS laws as well as the ethical issues. When reviewing the incident report, you note the following statement made by Gary: I have had a chronic low back condition for over 25 years but I have learned to live with it. I use a range of strategies to manage it while maintaining the espresso machines.I usually follow a self-pacing approach, vary my work tasks, take short rest breaks and change my posture and position as required. I must have just pushed it a bit hard on the day of the incident. Further down the report you note a few comments that Gary has made concerning his work environment: ? The work bench is a bit too high to work on easily. ? Yes, there are two-person lift rules but with many staff on customer visits there are not always two people left in the workshop. ? Repair tools are stored under the bench, which makes it hard to reach them easily. ? The seat in the repair van is uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. Discussing the incident with the maintenance manager you discover that Gary (like other technicians) has been given some very repetitive tasks that need to be performed for long periods in a standing position. The entire team is rostered to take breaks at a set time and the work is structured without much flexibility. The manager also speaks of some new technologies in electronics that assist with modular component repair. This means that repairs can be done in-situ without having to remove the machine for dismantling and repair. Your manager would like you to write an email to him outlining the organizational response to this incident, including any changes to work practices that might be necessary to ensure a safe and productive work environment. Include reference to relevant legislation.
Case study 2
You have been requested by your manager to develop a strategic presentation for use in recruiting potential staff and interns to your organization. The presentation should introduce the organization and should in particular describe the new business centre being established by the organization, as the presentation will mainly be used to recruit staff for new location. Some completely new staff will be employed for this venture, and existing staff will also be offered the opportunity to transfer from Brisbane to Sydney. The target audience for the presentation will predominantly be recent graduates seeking employment and current undergraduates seeking work experience. It may also include some current experienced staff of the organization who may be seeking a transfer or promotion. One of the key objectives your manager has outlined is that the organization is about to establish a new operations centre in Sydney (current headquarters and only business centre is in Brisbane).
The strategic presentation you develop must describe both the current strategic objectives of the organization (including mission and vision) as well as communicating the ethos and requirements for staff to be positioned as the new business centre. Your manager has provided you with an extract from the recent board meeting minutes, where the establishment of the new business centre was discussed.
Task 2 Case study
In this task group of 3 students need to review a case study for organisational change and communicate with work team the change outlined for them. For the organisational change described in the case study provided, you are to communicate with and consult with your work team to manage the transition and establish the work environment to meet an organisational need. You will be required to seek feedback and input from your team in relation to aspects of the transition and to communicate with the rest of the organisation (a) the change that is to happen and (b) your willingness to adapt to the change. 1. Review the case study and policy and procedure provided. 2. Present the organisational change to your work team (this may be simulated by your assessor), presenting information to your work team in a way that: a. Builds trust and confidence with your team b. Is positive about the transition, convey flexibility and adaptability to change c. At all times displays ethical behaviours. Your presentation to your work team must include the following.
1. Describe the change, and outline the reasons and positive outcomes available to the work team. a. This should include discussion of the global environment contributing to this change. b. This should also outline the need for secrecy for another 24 hours, to give the Board time to release information about the change.
2. Allow for feedback and questioning about changes, and emphasize your availability to further discuss the changes.
3. Invite input about aspects of the change that have not yet been finalised, including specifically: a. revisions recommended to the policy and procedures b. take-up of new technologies to improve workflow c. Types of spaces (work and common) to be utilized in the new office space.
4. After you have gathered and collated this information you need to meet with the CEO (your assessor) and discuss the outcomes of your meeting with the team.
5. As part of this meeting you have been asked to prepare a short report to be forwarded to the Board that includes information under the following headings: a. Summary: Summarise the change that is to occur. b. Groups: Identify the needs of affected groups (both internal and external to the work team), and general concerns of the work team. c. Risk management: Review the risk management approaches for this type of change, including the need for any adaptations to the standard operating procedures. d. Recommendations: Review and describe improvements or ideas the team has put forward, particularly as concerns the policy and procedures for the new entity, new technologies that could be useful and feedback about workspace and work environment creation. e. Email: Draft an email (3–5 paragraphs) for your CEO that can be used to forward to all staff at PURA, all clients of PURA and associated organizations that includes an overview of the change, and describes the positive outcomes for the organization. Ensure that your email: i. describes the decision and process to be used in managing the change ii. describes the external, global, ethical and organizational requirements being met by the decision iii. Describes improvements that can be made to workplace activities, especially in regard to use of new technologies. iv. Uses language and a communication style that positively reflects the organization.
Case study PURA is an engineering firm that has been in business in Brisbane for almost 30 years and has steadily grown in that time. Currently it is the leading civil engineering firm in Brisbane with 180 staff across two multi-story office sites, both of which are based in the Brisbane CBD. For the last eight years PURA has used a small in-house work team of 10-12 individuals to develop and maintain all specialised software used in the business. The software development team has become increasingly profitable part of the organisation over the last few years. However, they use many work practices and work allocation approaches that are significantly different from the rest of the engineering staff at PURA. This includes things such as: ? job sharing (for some of the part-time staff) ? flexible employment conditions (especially flexible hours and time-off-in-lieu) ? flexible work environment requirements (allowing staff to work from home on any day when a meeting is not scheduled) ? Casual work attire (compared to the ‘shirt and tie’ requirements for the rest of the PURA staff). The board of PURA has decided to spin-off the work unit as a whole, and establishes it as a stand-alone business entity. This will free allow it to be more flexible and creative in meeting client needs, and hopefully reducing some of the friction between the team and the rest of the PURA staff. You are the team leader of the current team, and have just been asked by the board of the organisation to present the news to your team. The idea had been kept secret by the Board while they considered it, so it has come as a complete surprise to you. The Board has told you the following: ? The new entity will be called PURA-IT, and the Board of the new entity will have the same members as that of PURA to ensure that the new company stays as an important part of the PURA range of services. ? You will remain the team leader; however, an existing senior manager from PURA will join your team as the CEO and business manager. A small team of admin staff will work directly with the new CEO to support your team’s administrative needs. ? New premises have been sourced in the new Brisbane City Council Green Square, a light commercial precinct that has recently been established just north of the CBD in Fortitude Valley (one train station, or approximately 15 minutes on foot from the main offices). All services have been organized for the site, however the offices or workspaces have not yet been fitted out (currently there is still only one large open space, with a smallish kitchenette built into one corner and shower/toilet facilities). The Board wants to give the work team a sense of ownership and allow them to have input about the formation of their new work environment. ? The Board has stipulated that they want the work team to all work from the new site, and not from home offices for the initial 12 months of the new entity, to ensure that the team is able to establish a new culture for their new environment and remain a coherent work team. ? The work team is to begin operating in its new form with 10 business days, to align with the commencement of the new financial year. ? All staff entitlements and employment accruals will carry over to the new organisation, however staff will need to sign new employment contracts, as they will be working for a different company. As an inducement, all staff will receive a signing bonus of $1500 if they accept their new positions with the PURA-IT, and a further $4500 if they remain with the new entity throughout the entire first 12 months of its operations. ? All employment contracts will be for a period of only 12 months – this is a significant shift from the permanent employment status the staff currently have – the Board believes this gives them the flexibility to adjust staffing if the team does not function well in the new environment. ? The Board strongly wishes the whole work team to be kept together, however they are concerned that some staff may feel less secure working for a small organization with less than 20 staff, so all current team members will have a choice to move to the new entity, or to remain with PURA and be redeployed within another department. ? The Board is asking for feedback on the current set of policy and procedures for PURA, especially as to how they fit the needs of the new work entity. ? The Board is also keen to know of any new technologies the team may want to work with which could help to ensure the team stays at the leading edge of software development. Some of the Board feel that large touch screens for all staff, plus touch screens and other devices in common areas could be helpful for improving the team workflow – they have suggested a couple of things to examine. ? The Board is asking for news about this change to be kept secret for another 24 hours – as a sign of good faith they have allowed the information to be shared with your work team, but will release the information publicly until they have received feedback and support from your team.
POST
MacVille
Board Meeting Minutes: April, 4 2019
6.00 pm Board Room, Brisbane
Board Members:
Present: Alan Jones (Chair), Jenny Ng, Olga Hartwick (Secretary), John Brennen, James
Laird
Absent: George Saldais
Quorum present? Yes
Others Present:
CEO: Patricia Mees
HR Manager: Craig Jenkins
Consultant Lawyer: Joan Shohat
Proceedings:
Meeting called to order at 7.00 pm by Chair, Alan Jones, who explained that this was a special meeting of
the board to review plans for the new venture with key personnel.
Previous meeting minutes were amended and approved.
Overview of the organization’s expansion report provided by Chair Alan Jones:
? The Chair confirmed the decision of the board to establish a new business centre in Sydney to
supplement the one already operating from Brisbane.
? The Chair explained that this new venture was aligned with the overall objective and mission of the
organization which was to provide espresso coffee machines that meet the efficiency, reliability and
sustainability needs of the cafe/restaurant clients who in turn will reward us with profits so that our
stakeholders and the communities in which we operate are able to prosper.
? The Chair explained that the establishment of the new business centre would move the bulk of the
organization’s import/export base to Sydney. He explained that the move was in line with the overall
direction for the organization of growth in both profits and market share. This, he said, was related
to the MacVille value of stewardship, where the management considers that they are stewards of
our shareholders’ investments and that they take that responsibility very seriously. In doing so,
management is committed to increasing long term shareholder value.
? The Chair also spoke of the organization’s commitment to ethical standards and how this new
development would be required to adhere to professional and moral standards of conduct that place
high value on honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect. The Chair explained that ethics are
fundamental to MacVille and are to be self-evident in the venture’s operations and interactions.
Chief Executive’s Report on the new venture plans: Patricia Mees
? The CEO was asked to present an outline of the plans relating to the new venture.? The CEO gave a presentation that identified the specific expected outcomes relating to the
new venture and the way in which it aligned with the strategic objectives of the
organization. In particular she explained that this development would help secure the three
year objective of being the number one volume importer in the market for imported
espresso coffee machines. The largest market for this product in Australia is the Sydney
market.
? The CEO also explained that with the savings on transport costs, bulk purchasing and the
efficiencies in client machine maintenance would also assist the organization in achieving
the strategic objective of profit margin growth of 5% in the next three years. The CEO
explained the increasing profit was a key value of the organization because MacVille earns
profits every day through voluntary exchange with our customers and recognizes that
profits are essential to creating capital for growth, prosperity, opportunity and job
satisfaction and security.
? Further explanation was provided by the CEO in that the innovative energy efficiencies in the
imported machines, together with the need for less interstate transport costs for staff and
machines would assist the organization in achieving its environmental objective of a
reduction in its carbon footprint by 10% within the next three years. MacVille, she explained,
supports wise environmental practices and respects the environment. We will recycle, reuse,
and reduce our waste and choose energy efficiency wherever and whenever we can.
? The Chair thanked the CEO for the report and reiterated MacVille’s commitment to providing
customers with high quality products, extraordinary service and a competitive price. He
explained that MacVille is constantly challenged to improve the value proposition to its
customers.
HR Manager’s report on the new venture plans: Craig Jenkins
? The HR Manager Craig Jenkins was asked to explain the plans relating to the key roles and
responsibilities for the new venture. The HR Manager spoke about the plan to create a team
of employees to achieve the objective of the organisation. The Chair added to this point by
speaking of the need to encourage self-directed teams. He explained that this was the
fundamental work unit of the organisation and that every member must belong to a team
that can meet regularly to discuss issues, solve problems and appreciate each other’s’
contributions.
? The HR Manager explained that the plans also incorporate the key value of cultivating
leadership in the organisation. The leadership position was designed to promote employee
growth. MacVille aims to empower its employees with knowledge and resources to get
results, grow its business and to lead the markets. The role for this new venture would carry
the title General Manager. The General Manager would report to the CEO and would be
expected to provide creative leadership for the administration, coordination and
management of the new venture in a manner that is consistent with the strategic direction ? The HR Manager outlined the other positions to be created in the team which included:
? Accounts manager – reports to the General Manager and is responsible for credit
control, sound maintenance of the accounts receivable, internal control systems and
preparation of budgets. An accounts clerk who enters data and manages the accounts
receivable and accounts payable system will be assigned to the Accounts manager.
? Warehouse manager – reports to the General Manager and is responsible for
documentary accuracy and the inward soundness of goods, safe storage and handling
of warehouse merchandise and the timely dispatch of merchandise in accordance with
customer orders. Three warehouse staff who will manage the goods inward, storage
and dispatch respectively will be assigned to the Warehouse manager.
? Maintenance manager – reports to the General Manager and is responsible for the
timely maintenance of customer machine complaints, regular maintenance programs,
safety of operations, and spare parts management. One espresso machine technician
who conducts the regular maintenance and emergency repairs of espresso machines
will be assigned to the Maintenance manager.
Consultant lawyer’s report on the plans for the new venture: Joan Shohat
? The consulting lawyer gave the following review in relation to compliance issues that are
likely to impact on the new venture being established inter-state.
? The consultant lawyer explained that some compliance issues were particular to each
state. These included:
? the NSW requirement to register the business name
? the OHS laws based in state legislation that need to be addressed in NSW
? workers compensation insurance will need to be set up for the employees in the new
state under NSW’s legislative requirements
? Payroll tax, which is a state based tax, will need to be monitored to identify when the
state organization crossed the minimal threshold.
? The Chair reiterated once again the need to uphold the organization’s value of maintaining
safety, because MacVille strives to maintain the well-being of both its employees and the
environment. It aims to have with zero incident track records.
Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Secretary, Olga Hartwick.
