BSBLDR502

Lead and manage effective workplace

relationships

Activity 1

Question 1. Write a short sentence to explain the purpose of a communication strategy

The term communication means introducing communications though a plan. That plan

involves promoting the policies and culture of an organization, advising people to do specific
actions, or promoting particular legislation.

Question 2. List three examples of processes leaders can use to communication

information associated with the achievement of work responsibilities to co-workers and
write a brief paragraph to explain each one.
Performance reviews
Staff performance reviews help management to recognise and value employees, clarify their
roles and identify training and development needs. Performance reviews also help to create a
culture of open communication in a business.
Indeed, by talking to staff about their performance, leader can promote a culture of open
communication, discuss any weaknesses or problems an employee may have and help them
find solutions.
This process will also help motivate the team and build their understanding of, and
commitment to, the organisation.

Communication technique
To communicate information clearly and positively, a leader should have a good verbal
language as much as a suitable body language. Moreover, the manager should adjust is
behavior and speech for each situation.

Presenting written information

By formatting written information effectively, the manger ensure that the report is accessible
and understandable by all the co-workers.
Indeed, using the right format for the content will keep the interest of the reader and also
draw they attention to important information.

Question 3. Provide three example of performance indicators that might be used to

measure the achievement of work responsibilities.

Activity 2

You are changing the restoring process. This will affect the hours’ employees work.

Question 1. Why would it be a good idea to consult workers about the rostering
process? Provide at least three reasons.

Employees with in the organization are the one with most knowledge concerning they work
and issue related to it.
They can provide recommendations on what would be best, and also give an understanding
on how modifications can affect them.
Additionally, employee’s involvement in the process provide a wilder range of perspective
and expertise that conclude to a positive decision making.
Question 2. What method would you use to consult employees about proposed changes
to staff rosters? Why?

Consultation decision would be the method used as it allowed the leader to suggest
adjustments to the employees, in order to assemble feedbacks to make a suitable decision.
With the purpose of gathering feedbacks, one should make the use of questionnaire as it will
help to acquire precise information. Secondly, one should organise meetings as it give the
opportunity to each of the employees to make recommendation an contribute to a beneficial
decision making. Indeed, it has been broadly established that a group make better decision
than an individual would.

Question 3. What feedback would you provide to workers on the outcomes of the
consultation process?

Whom should provide feedback concerning outcomes of consultation process to employees

should provide in the comment: What will be done
When it will be done
Who will do it
How will it be done
What resources are necessary
How changes will be measured and monitored

Activity 3

You lead a team of employees. A number of them have raise an issue that is affecting
their ability to meet set targets. Specifically, they have advised you that the budget they
are working with does not allow them to secure the resources needed to effectively carry
out their job.

1. List six steps in the problem- solving process you would follow to try to promptly
resolve the issue.

1. Identifying and define the problem

2. Determining the preferred situation
3. Gathering and analyse data
4. Design multiple solutions to the problem
 5. Analyse alternative and make a choice
6. Monitor and evaluate

2. After undertaking reach step in the problem solving process, you find that the only
way to solve the problem is to provide workers with more financial resources but
you do not have the authority to increase their budgets. What should you do?

Leader would have to raise issue with they manager or above authority. Additionally, the
leader will have to contact the accounting department to get help in order to address the
concern. Indeed, by gathering all document, relevant fact and record with the help of budget
expert, the leader become well-informed which will assist him when communicating to right
management concerning the matter.

Activity 4

Question 1. You have recently hired a woman from Muslim background who wears the
hijab. After a short time working for the organisation she tells you that she does not feel
comfortable in the workplace?

I would first consult with the people who made derogatory statements about 
her religion and states that it is against the law to actually discriminate people 
within the workplace, and it’s a breach of workplace diversity policy
I would then also let her know that as the organization is a diverse workplace, 
there are certain elements that she would have to accept for example, the 
photos that are hung, it is understanding that it might offend her at the same 
time, this photo is not a direct attack towards her and she have to understand 
that.
As apart of the EEO, employees should be given equal opportunities, and 
discrimination should be prohibited; hence she should be able to wear her hijab
as apart of the organization uniform.
As apart of the organizational policy, there is no policy catering for prayer 
times, at this point in time, but the organization tell her that you will raise this 
issue to the higher management.

Specifically, she tells you that:

Other workers have made derogatory statements about her religion
There are pictures hung around the office that she finds offensive
She had been told that she cannot observe religious requirement like prayer time
She has been told that she cannot wear the hijab because it does not form part pf the
organisation’s uniform.

Identify two organisational policies you could refer to for guidance on your response,
and seven actions you could take to address these issues.
Question 2. You have found that a number of employees are not adhering to the ethical
values of the organisation. When you talk to them about this they have never seen the
organisation’s code of ethics. Identify eight things you could do to make existing
employees aware of their ethical responsibilities.

 send code of ethics through email
 provide induction and training to all employees concerning code of ethics
 Formal meeting to communicate code of ethics
 print the code of ethics and put it on notice board
 send memo informing where code of ethics can be fund within the organization
 regularly talk and raise concern about code of ethics in meeting 
 provide code of ethics document when employees start work for the first time.

Activity 5

Question 1. Write a short definition of the word trust.

Firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.

Question 2. Identify and describe two traits leaders should demonstrate that would help
them to gain and maintain the trust and confidence of colleagues and external contacts.

Being authentic by being true to him self a leader become trustworthy of is coworkers. 

Honesty, at its core, trustworthiness is about honesty. Employees will only 
trust a leader who they know is telling the truth.

Activity 6

Question1. You arrange to meet with a new employee to see how they are settling into
job. The employee speaks minimal English and you are worried that you might adjust
your own interpersonal communication style to assist they new employee to understand
what you are saying.

 Focused listening
 Focused hearing
 Gentle interruptions
 Sign language
 Speak slowly
 Speak clearly
  Nonverbal communications
 Ask more questions
 Observation
 Smile
 Enthusiasm

Question2. Provide three examples of unethical communication.

 Deliberate deception
 Violation of conscience
 Failure to honor commitments

Question3. Two new team members have joined your team. One of them is from India
and the other is from japan. There is a team member who is having difficulty building
an effective working relationship with them. Provide 10 examples of how you would
guide and support the work team in their personal adjustment process.

Be a role model
Show to the employee what to do by having the best behavior

Bounding activities: organize birthday, Christmas, New Year parties at the workplace.

Send employees to lunch at the same time.

This will allow co-workers to bond on a deeper level, as the lunch time is reserved for other
topic then work. Symbioses is created within the group.

Encourage inclusive attitude.

Strip away stereotypes.

Involve team members:

They should feel important and indispensable for the organization. Individual must be
assigned responsibilities according to their position.
Additionally, by allowing them to voluntarily accept challenges, the employee will part of the
team.

Encourage team to share:

This way co-workers tend to discuss with each other more often and feel more comfortable as
they exchange about cultures.
By discussing things among themselves, co-workers feeling more comfort with in the team.

Assign group targets:

Leader should motivate employees to work in groups. This way workers have no other choice
than to trust their fellow workers and help each other.
An employee must have the liberty to express his ideas with out problem.

Encourage effective communication among the team members:

It has been observed that poor communication leads to confusions and misunderstandings.
The communication has to be precise and relevant. One should not play with words and be
very specific about his expectations from his fellow workers as well as the organization.
Additionally, leader should have open-door policies.

Modes of communication with transparency:

Verbal communication is not as reliable as written communication. The
agendas, minutes of the meeting, important issues must be circulated among all through
emails. Open door policies.

Meeting
Morning meeting is another effective way to improve the relation among the employees. Let
everyone come together on a common platform and discuss whatever
issues they have. The meetings must not be too formal.

Activity 7

Question1. You have started a business selling health and protein shakes. You want to
increase sales of the product. Make a list of three people/ organisations you might
network with to help you achieve this identifiable outcome and describe the
contribution they could make.

 Marketers: assist on how to promote effectively the product

 Sales specialist: support on how to sell effectively the product
 Nutritionist: endorse your product

Question2. You need to learn more about ways to encourage the performance of team
members. Make a list of three people/ departments you might build workplace
relationships with to achieve this identifiable outcome for the team and the organisation
and describe the contribution they could make.

Union:  provide insight on what could motivate or decrease employees well being and

productivity
HR managers: offer support in the process 
Motivational coach: assist in motivational techniques 
Activity 8

Question1. You have recently attended and industry event where you met a contact who
you think would be able to provide you with a lot of advice about how to market your
organisation. What would you do to begin to develop and maintain the relationship?
Why would you do this?

Question2. A person from another department has referred a lot of new clients to you.
They do not have to do this. It does not form part of their job description. Identify three
things you could do to develop, maintain and show that you value the relationship.

Thank them via email 
Give them a small incentive or gift
Praise them for their niceness

Activity 9

Question1. Propose two methods for identifying difficulties in workplace relationships.

Question2. Natalie and joseph are work mates. Joseph has young children and likes to
have time off during school holidays to look after them as he has difficulty finding
others to look after them during these period. He become very upset that Natalie always
asks for time off during school holidays even though she does not have children. She
argues that she wants this time off because her boyfriend is a schoolteacher and this is
the only time they can spend time together and travel. They cannot both have time off
over school holidays as this would leave their department short staffed. The situation is
causing difficulties in their workplace relationship.

a. What strategy would you use to resolve this situation? Briefly describe each
step of the strategy to be used.

consult with each parties and see what are the options that they are
willing to negotiate an enter into.
I will then evaluate the options and amend it according to organizational 
policy and what is allowed by the organization
Then I will provide them with the feedback

b. Describe a win-win, win-lose and lose-lose resolution for this situation.

A win win situation of this resolution would be that both of 
them get a time off but, each will have to take turn from one 
school holiday to another.

Activity 10

Question1. Explain the processes and systems that can be established to manage and
resolve conflict constructively.

Firstly, meet with all of the people involved individually. Based on 

individual meetings the manager will have a clear picture of the key issues and what each 
person considers important and the common ground. These are the key ingredients to a
successful mediation, satisfying each person’s needs and bringing the people together, based 
on common ground.
Arrange to meet with both people. Encourage each person to summaries their view, uninterru
pted. This is essential as often people involved in conflict do not feel heard. Sometimes resol
ving workplace conflict is as easy as providing a forum for people to express their views.
Pay careful attention to each person’s concerns. Sometimes people have shifted since 
your first meeting with them. Do not bring up issues that they decide are not important
at the joint meeting. Summaries the key issues once you have heard from all the 
people concerned.
Encourage the people involved to discuss options for resolution. Ensure everyone involved is 
satisfied before concluding the meeting.

Question2. Two workers are engaged in a conflict related to who should answer their
manager’s phone and take messages when the manager is not present. They both feel
that they are too busy and too important to be required to do this. Describes the signs you
would look for to identify they are handling the conflict constructively.

Basically, constructive conflict is when you and another person resolve your 
disagreement in such a way as to build trust and respect for each other. 
It also means that you actually deal with the conflict, rather than suppress or avoid it.

Question3. Provide two example of:

a) Emotionally based conflict.

unintentionally embarrased by another worker
worker telling secret to other people

b) Values based conflict.

cultural difference disputes
moral conflicts 

c) Needs based conflict.

money conflict
time conflict

Question4. Outline a conflict management process.

Activity 11

Question1. Identify and describe three qualities that would help leaders to provide
guidance, counselling and support to assist co-worker in resolving their work difficulties.

Good listeners

Good problem solving

Compassionate

Question2. You are talking to co-worker who is very upset that another worker has given
them information that was inaccurate and this caused them to look bad in front of
another manager. You ask them what the worker said them they confronted them and
they reply by saying, ‘who cares? There’s just no excuse for what they did. Nothing they
can say can make it right’. List three pieces of advice you would offer them.

Advices I would give them are:
If you don’t tell me what happened, how can we help make the 
situation better.
Tell them to calm down and let us know what happen so we start 
finding the solution to it.
If those words are not true, eventually people will know the truth 
through your consistent good actions
If the issue really bothers your then we can raise the issue to the 
manager

Activity 12
You are working with two employees because one has made some negative comments
about the other’s culture. Draw up a 1-2 page action plan that could be used to address
this identified difficulty.

Training on diversity within the workplace 
Counselling for both parties 
Communicate about diversity policies and procedures 
Encourage interaction through informal bonding

Summative assessment 1

Question1. Choose and explain how one system, policy or procedure can support the
development of effective work relationship focusing on interpersonal styles,
communications, consultation, cultural and social sensitivity, networking of conflict
resolution.

Policy can help manage employee’s behavior such as policy with the topic that 
provides an overview on bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment and how 
these should be handled including prevention of incidents occurring and the legal 
repercussions should an incident arise, this allowed for the employees to know what is 
appropriate and what is not and how they should conduct themselves within the 
workplace.
Furthermore, the help developing a sense of culture of relationship building within the 
workplace which promotes healthy relationship within the workplace as well as 
promote positive culture of the organisation that is helpful for both organisation as 
well as the employees themselves. 

Question2. Describe communication techniques leaders can use to initiate networking

conversations, including requests for help.

Communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about 
understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. Effective 
communication is also a two-way. It’s not only how you convey a message 
that it is received and understood by someone in exactly the way you intended, it’s 
also how you listen to gain the full meaning of what’s being said and to make the other
person feel heard and understood. 
More than just the words you use, effective communication combines a set of skills including
nonverbal communication, engaged listening, managing stress in the moment, the ability to
communicate assertively, and the capacity to recognize and understand your own emotions 
and those of the person you’re communicating with effective communication is the glue that 
helps you deepen your connections to others and improve teamwork, decision making, 
and problem solving. 
It enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict 
or destroying trust.

Question3. Outline one relevant piece of legislation from any level of government that
affects business operation, especially in regard to work health and safety (WHS),
environment issues, equal opportunity, industrial relations and anti-discrimination and
explain how these are relevant to managing effective relationships.

OH&S legislation basically set out guidelines that obligated to the employees and 
employers.
The Act sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to occupational health
and safety. The general nature of the duties imposed by the Act means that they cover a very 
wide variety of circumstances, do not readily date and provide considerable flexibility for a
duty holder to determine what needs to be done to comply. 
It is relevant to managing effective workplace relationships as you must
take into consideration of your obligational duties.
Summative assessment 2

Project

You are a manager of team of workers. You have come to realise that you have poor
workplace relationships with those workers and that workers have poor relationship with
each other. Describe what you could do to improve these relationships to ensure that
morale improves, productivity increases and a sense of teamwork is developed. Make
sure you explain why effective workplace relationships are necessary.

You will need to discuss:

 Communication in relation to be achievement of work responsibilities

 Consultation
 The resolution of issues raised by workers
 The cultural diversity of workers
 Ethics
 Winning the trust and confidence of workers
 Interpersonal communication styles
 Networking
 The management of conflict
 Any relevant legislation

Workplace relations are very important to accomplish success at work. What one says,
does matter more than the designation, qualification and experience. Hence, it's vital to
know the rules of better relationship management Workplace relations are very 
important for the sustenance of a person. More so, at the workplace these days, where 
changing office dynamics has made office almost a second home. These days there are
certain offices, which even encourage both spouses to work at the same workplace.
When considering workplace relationships, consider the interpersonal interaction between 
individuals within the organization. The influential sharing, the decision making, 
experience sharing and support system
. Job Performance and even competition is 
something that is affected heavily by relation to others as well. It might be safe to say that 
the stronger the relationship between individuals within the organization the more likely 
they will share the same views and attitudes towards the company as well as their 
supervisor. To take a deeper look into workplace relationships several studies were 
examined to show the overall aspect and importance of how employees relate.
The 
relationship between peer coworkers and their supervisors depends heavily on the quality 
of communication between the individuals. The good or bad relationship ultimately affects 
employee satisfaction and commitment to the organization.The better the relationship is 
between a supervisor and their subordinate the more trust worthy they feel of each other. 
Their goals become more common and the team interest is geared towards the main 
objectives instead of personal gains. The better the relationship also equals less chances of 
turnover within the company. 
Peer relationships are just as important as the supervisor subordinate
relationships. The 
peers are where the individuals get their support system on a more personal level. Most 
likely the peers will understand each other better having to do the same type of work and at 
times having to report to the same supervisor. Peers are also a key to gaining information 
that may not be common knowledge. Peers may also relate to each other better if they have 
common similarities such as marital status and children. These relationships tend to have a 
little different dynamic than the supervisorsubordinate relationships as they can be broken 
out into acquaintance, friend to close friend or even best friend
Conflict in the workplace is a commonplace experience. It occasionally becomes a major 
incident when the underlying causes are not identified and an action plan put in place to 
correct the issues that would have arisen. But how do we identify the issues and determine 
the appropriate course of action for the response? Depending on the size and location of the
business as well, there are laws in place on what can and cannot be done when responding 
to conflicts among employees. These conflicts quickly diminish productivity in the 
workplace, while destroying employee morale. As a matter of practical concern to the 
individual employees, these conflicts also initiate health problems, which can be 
detrimental to both the employee and the organization. 
To deal with conflict, strategies to avoid open communications between the parties 
discourage the resolution of the conflict, and may suppress any hidden agendas. This 
technique of repressing either party’s personal goals in order to subvert direct conflict may 
also prevent the rebuilding of a harmonious relationship. Alternately, using cooperative 
strategies in resolving the issues can be very beneficial. But overactive cooperation can be 
both positive as well as negative. Positive in helping to improve the relationships amongst 
employees, but negatively in that employees may be feeling obligated to identify with the 
company’s objectives in the conflict resolution.
Unresolved employee conflicts can result in “Lost institutional memory, low productivity, 
bad morale and high turnover all cost real companies real dollars”. The increase in 
workplace diversity has now been identified as a leading cause of many interpersonal 
workplace conflicts. In a study be the Society for Human Resource Management, fort 
percent of HR professionals have observed the generation gap as a source of conflict 
amongst workers. One cause is identified as the difference in perception of values amongst 
the different generations. That the conflict is not the value itself, but more the perception, 
has been the cause of conflict. This has lead parties to react differently to each of the 
opposing positions. Margeret Sanchez (2009) has identified that resolving conflicts is 
critical in developing an understanding of shared goals of the workplace. Managing 
Workplace Romances
In organisations which are concerned with continuous improvement and with ongoing 
business success, managers must build trustbased relationships, develop effective 
communication systems and processes, share information, base decisionmaking on 
consultative processes and provide opportunities for staff to develop the competencies they 
need. They must also be aware of relevant legislation, codes of practices and ethical 
principles. The following practices and actions are suggested:
1. Being honest: from my point of view this is the first step to build trust. Tell the truth, 
sharing honest information and don’t stealing. 
2. Using good judgement: Knowing what information to share, when to share it and when 
not to share it. Protecting employee’s personal information and company or competitors 
proprietary information as if it were your own. Thinking twice before sharing a blunt, 
unsolicited judgement. Extreme truth may hurt the recipient, destroying truth and Avoiding 
“just between us” secret conversations unless necessary to the benefit of the company. 
3. Being Consistent: Being consistent in work and behaviours, being always on time and 
stay at least the required hours, meeting or exceeding the job description and the company 
standards and fulfilling your promises. This is very important to be respected for those you 
work with. 
4. Be honest in nonverbal communications: More than half of communications’ impact is 
in nonverbal communications. Looking in other in the eye with comfortable and direct eye 
contact and exhibiting open body language: open arm versus closed across the chest etc. 
5. Having Mutual Beneficial attitude: Genuinely caring about others, nurturing mutually 
beneficial relationships with open communications and willingly accepting information and
constructive critique I will develop effective communications systems and processes: 
1. Showing active listening and displaying empathy when appropriate. 
2. Understanding difference and diversity. 
3. Knowing what questions to ask at the right time. 
4. Understanding the needs of the audience. 
5. Conveying information clearly and concisely. 
6. Communicating relevant and timely information. 
7. Responding and giving appropriate feedback, to close the process, feedback is 
essential in any communication process. Observing the audience response and ask for 
feedback to ensure that you are being understood as intended.
 8. Using appropriate body language and paralanguage because Understanding how 
effective your own verbal and nonverbal communication skills are, and how you can 
influence the behaviour of other through communication