Work Contract Type: Permanent
Working Time: Part-time
The job description and job specification are produced to allow applicants to assess them self’s to the criteria and to see if they are a suitable candidate for filling the job role. A SWOT analyses can be used for self reflection, decision making and appraising options to help meet the requirements of the desired job, as the applicant can improve their skills, qualifications etc in order to be considered suitable. Also this is also a useful tool for applicants to find out what the employer is looking for and to see if there is a gap in their performance by identifying any problematic areas before applying for the role. By analysing and comparing the job specification to a personal SWOT analyses gives an applicant a better chance of getting the job vacancy as they can work at filling all of the requirements needed to be successful.
A SWOT analyses only takes a few minuets to produce and allows the individual to brain storm four key concepts to help them consider if they are applicable for a certain job. It is not only useful for self reflection but can also be used by an employer to assess areas of weakness to help improve these areas either through training courses or other development activities. The employer can then set targets for the individual to help them improve their performance. As weaknesses within a SWOT analyses can also be seen as opportunities for improvement through taking action and setting goals to overall turn them into strengths.
Also in regards to the development from one position to another within a business, a SWOT analyses can be an excellent way of comparing current attributes to what is required of the desired job vacancy. To help set goals and targets to help advance from one position to another
Conclusion:
Overall a personal SWOT analyses allows a person to criticise their own ability’s and to identify their weaknesses before hand. However from an employer’s point a view it is an excellent way of identifying an employee’s weakness to help improve these. So in the long run the work will be of better standard and the employee will feel motivated to carry out their job role, so will overall have better prospects of getting promoted or moving to a better position within the business. Also is very useful for employers to compare applicants for a job vacancy.
Recommendations:
From the above information I recommend that once a person has got their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats worked out, they should consider if the Strengths and Opportunities outweigh the Weaknesses and Threats. To see if there is an immediate threat this would means that the idea is not viable. Also once this has been done I recommend that another decision making tool should be used to help a person move further in identifying the way forward, or to help see things that have to be adopted as first steps before anything can take place e.g. applying for a new job .
Word Count: 1,215
Section 2: key issues of effective time management
Task 2. (P2)
Describe key issues of effective time management in order to achieve performance objectives for a selected occupational role.
Introduction:
This section will describe the key issues of effective time management and will identify the steps that can be taken to compete performance objectives punctually and within a set time scale. To further my understanding of self improvement and effective time keeping, I have completed fourteen log sheets that include a record of the past two week’s daily activities. From this I have summarised each category and the time spent on this, to overall obtain a calculation of the time spent on each activity over the past fourteen days. From this I will seek to identify opportunities to self improve and identify how I may use my time more effectively to reach set objectives and improve my performance. The following report will describe effective time management techniques and how these can be applied to my daily activities to help be more effective and efficient within my daily life.
Findings:
Time management is very important for our self’s and businesses if we are to meet our objectives or targets set. Without planning how these targets can be met, things might not go according to plan and this may then affect us in some way or another. It makes a business as well as our self’s more organised as a whole. Without planning properly this could then put tasks behind schedule which is a high risk for a business as the competition ahead of them grows. That’s why it’s important that things are done at the right time and not after. Making sure that time is used effectively and within budget constraints, is of high importants to stay ahead and on top of any work loads. Organising and producing a well planned schedule will allow tasks to be done and within a set time limit. This way we can be minimising on unhelpful interruptions. That way we don’t fall behind when trying to meet the targets set. However due to daily distractions and events it can be hard to stay focused and concentrated wholly on one task e.g. interruptions such as the phone ringing, loud noises can easily divert our attentions away from what we need to be focused on. Also Procrastination stops us from getting on with important tasks.
A time log is an effective diary keeping technique that records daily activities in order to evaluate and become aware of the usage and wastage of time. It is important to have a time schedule and plan activities in advance in a logical order. Also by following and applying some time management techniques such as writing and prioritising tasks I felt it has helped me stay focused on what is important and use my time more effectively to help speed up my own performance.
The time logs have helped me identify how much time I have spent travelling, completing course work, sleeping, eating and other un productive tasks such as browsing the internet, reading, watching TV and speaking on the phone over a two week period. This has made me aware of how I use my time doing unnecessary task, instead of being more productive and using my time more effectively. However I have noticed even though I tend to wake up earlier in the morning, this does not effect my time when going to sleep as I still go to sleep quite late. However this has little effect with my daily activity as I still tend to have between 6-8 hours of sleep a night. Overall I have found I am more productive in the morning and I tend to do constructive things during the day and relaxing and “wasting time” in the evening. Furthermore, I have realised that I waste most of my time during the weekend and I need to reorganise my time in order to use my time more efficiently with productive results.
On the one hand I do consider socialising and spending time with family and friends an important part in my daily routine, to overall help me relax and unwind, so I feel more content and less tense throughout the day. Also I think it is very important to have a strong support unit that you can communicate with on a daily basis. However prioritising my time so I can manage it more effectively will help me obtain the equilibrium I need between college and my social life, so I can spend more time doing assignments to overall get a better outcome. However on balance this does not seem to effect my college work, from past recording as I always achevie the highest mark possible.
From analysing my time log results, most of my time is wasted from browsing the internet through out the day and replying to friends emails, however I have cut this down to two hours a day allowing me more time to carry out more productive tasks like reading and completing coursework ahead of schedual to review the work I have done to overall achieve better results. Also I have recognised that I am easily distracted by everything that comes along while I am studying. This often makes me loose time distracting me from what I was doing and loosing the concentration. Another important factor affecting my time schedule is the long time I need to get ready before leaving the house, also due to the interruptions from chatting on MSN, email and phone calls.
Also I have learned form the summary results, I do tend to procrastinate when it comes to completing important task, even though I tend to over come this quite quickly my main weaknesses are chatting, leaving important work until the last minute and difficulties in starting to concentrate to work or study. This defines me as a person aware of my tendency to procrastinate but who work hard to keep it under control. This is especially before starting to study. I have identified my self as an “Excessive Socialiser”, as I tend to get interrupted and distracted by my friend, especially chatting through MSN and Bebo, and as a “Perfectionist”, as I always set myself high aims and want to achieve high results and marks, looking for more improvements all the time.
- Action plan
- Prioritising work load
- Effective scheduling
To overall help me manage my time more effectivly I have decided to use daily time managmeat techiques to help priorites my work into different catergories and to ensure I carry out and complete everything I need to do. This will be done by producing a daily action plan list for each thing I have to do, to ensure all the areas are coverd to secure that I don’t miss anything importaint. From using these techniques I will be able to relax knowing I have written down all the tasks I need to carry out, instead of having to remember everything and which tasks to start first. Below is an example of the time manament tool I will use to help priorites my work load and control time instead of wasting it. This will allow me to get things done on time and to use my time effectivly instead of leaving importaint tasks till the last minuet.
Prioritising chart:
Once I have prioritised my work load and decided on the thing I have to do, effective scheduling will have to be planned out and put in place to ensue I carry out the tasks. Effective scheduling will allow me to look at the time I have available and plan this to how I will use it to reach my goals. By doing this I will be able to plan my time to carry out the thing I need to do, while leaving time to spend time with family and friends and do the things I enjoy. It will help me to gain a balance between work and home life so I do not spend my time doing one thing. This is very important in order to have a social life while working hard to reach my objectives.
- Future goals and ambitions
- Concentrate on getting Distinction in Diploma
- Pass Driving Test
- Start Events management course
- Improve IT skills (excel and access)
- Get CeMap 1, 2, 3 qualifications
- Work within the HBOS Group as a Mortgage Advisor
Conclusion:
Overall from the above information I conclude I have found that I was suited better if I planned my time each day and set myself a goals or a set of goals to achieve by the end of the day. Setting myself small goals helped me to complete assignments and get them in by there deadlines and manage my time effectively. When analysing my time log for the two weeks I also found there were some things that I had to give priority to, such as going to college. I had to give priority to college as it is compulsory for the course I am on. However this was important and not urgent task. Prioritising tasks can be very useful by categorising tasks into urgency and importance you are more likely to get them done and also give you an opportunity to control time and not waste it.
Improvements have been made through the time management techniques, especially regarding time management and the waste of time watching TV and the internet. This is due to the awareness and analysis of such issues and the willingness to overcome this problem. In order to solve my weaknesses and improve my skills it was essential to make a plan and decide the methods I would have used. This includes to make a time schedule with the activities for the day and for the coursework’s, going to sleep and waking up an hour early, avoiding to connect the internet if I have to work or study. Overall from doing my time log and starting to plan out my days had enabled me to use my time more effectively and be more concuss about how I can use my time to my advantage in improving my performance overall.
Recommendations:
In addition to the above information I recommend that I continue to apply time management tools to my every day activities to help produce a better out come and become a well managed individual overall. This will make me a more productive and effective with my time to overall help me achieve my full potential by identifying the first point of procrastinate to overcome it.
Word Count: 1,777
Section 4: The impacts of quality standards and quality audits
Task 4. (P4)
Identify and describe the role played by quality audit procedures in raising performance in a selected workplace.
Introduction:
Section 4 is in regards to the Hazel House Care Home Ltd and the impact adopting a quality management system had on the overall business and its employees. This section will discuss the benefits that are likely to arise from this decision in relation to all stakeholders, and the possible outcomes on the overall performance levels of its workforce as a whole and individually. This will then lead to the financial implications the care home might have faced when putting the standards in place. Overall this section will help to further the understanding of how quality standards and quality audits can help improve performance within the workplace.
Findings:
Hazel House Care Home Ltd is an established nursing and residential home in Leyland, Lancashire. Two years ago, the business decided to undertake ISO 9001 certification, which involved the implementation of a quality management system across its three sites and 100 staff
One of the most important objectives of an internal quality audit is measuring the effectiveness of an organisation's quality management system. For this to happen, executive management must first meet its overriding responsibility of establishing and maintaining a system regarding quality policy, goals, resources, processes and effective performance, including monitoring and measuring the system's effectiveness and efficiency. An organisation's fundamental responsibility is to define the management system used to ensure and safeguard quality.
Most companies try to set standards by producing a charter which outlines the company’s commitments in serving the customers with quality products and services. Every organisation should define comprehensive procedures by which their products or services can be delivered consistently to the desired level of quality. That’s why Quality Audit is important as we mean the procedural controls that ensure participants are adequately following the required procedures.
In regards to the Hazel House Care Home Ltd the overall business will be able to benefit in many ways from the ISO 9001 certification. This will include the people within the organisation for example the employees, customers and the actual owners of the company. In addition the businesses suppliers and partners will also benefit in many ways from the higher standards. The standards will help motivate staff by defining their key roles and responsibilities. Cost savings can be made through improved efficiency and productivity, as product or service deficiencies will be highlighted. From this, improvements can be developed, resulting in less waste, inappropriate or rejected work and fewer complaints. Customers will notice that orders are met consistently, on time and to the correct specification. This can open up the market place to increased opportunities.
The ISO 9001 continual improvement process ensures that the quality management system considers the needs and expectations of all stakeholders of the firm. For the management, monitoring the changing needs of their external and internal customers is very important and this continuous attempt to learn and understand more about the needs of these parties is bound to prove beneficial for them.
The best advantage of accrediting to a higher level of standard is the strategic benefit it provides in enhancing organisational performance. As managers, they must realise that people in the organisation are the best source of ideas for ongoing process improvement. They are the ones that take part in implementing the process and they are the ones that know best how and what they are doing and the changes they would like to implement.
By implementing ISO certification the business is adopting a tried and tested set of standards and procedures to guarantee customer satisfaction. On the one hand the care homes teams within its workforce will already have their own ways of doing things and be set in their roles. Depending on how fast its workforce adapt to change regarding the quality standards, the performance levels as a team could possible increase as the certification has already got set standard in place that the teams simply have to follow. This means creativity and self contribution isn’t necessary to help reach targets within the teams, so each individual will have their own responsibilities to take care of which will overall lead to an increase in motivation and job satisfaction, as a feeling of important will make employees work more effectively. However on the other hand, another outcome could be that the methods are preventing people making a useful contribution, making them feel that the value of their contribution is, in whatever way, defined by procedures. This could lead to a poor outcome as motivation could decrease leading to workers doing the minimal amount of work they are required to overall leading to poor performance. On balance the standards are tried and tested and have proven to be an overall success for the care home. The employees have benefited from the higher quality standards helping to gain better health and safety within the work place, leading to better working conditions that have helped to increase job satisfaction and moral helping to secure stability of employment.
The Owners and investors will benefit by increased return on investment due to having an increase in customers because of the better quality standard they deliver to them. And as a result of the better quality standards improved operational procedures and better working environment will be produced from the ISO certification. This will lead to an Increase in the company’s market share, because consumers will want to do business with them instead of their competitors who do not have the nationally recognised certificate which will overall lead to an Increase in profits. This could be used to invest back into the business to help develop it further.
Also the suppliers and partners will benefit by having Stability with the company for future business as they will growth as the company they supply to grow, as turnover will increase due to customer interest. Partnership and mutual understanding will be developed through this as it is an attitude, a way of working, which not only improves businesses but the way people work and live.
The financial implication on the care home of implementing the standards in the short term might mean a poor cash flow cycle at the beginning when applying and carrying out the standards but in the long term will be gained back through attracting more customers through providing excellent customer service and offering high quality. Also the standards will overall help save income as it will help reduce expensive mistakes and less waste of time within the business. The continual improvement process helps to provide a better understanding of the costs and benefits associated with different processes. It also encourages improvement towards effective and efficient achievement of the organisation’s objectives. Leaving room for continual improvement within the fixed standards ensures the existence of a certain amount of flexibility within the process. This may prove necessary to stimulate for efficient means of doing things within the company, especially with regards to innovative ways of managing finance.
A quality assured system increases customer confidence and a company's credibility, to improve work processes and efficiency, and to enable a company to better compete with others. Below is an example of the processed followed t help meet customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
Overall from the above information I conclude that quality is all about continuous improvement in an organisation; it necessarily involves ongoing training and development for all staff. Employees of modern organisations need to be trained in approaches to quality such as total quality management and benchmarking. If individuals are going to be best able to contribute to helping the organisation continually to improve, they need to be fully in tune with the organisations objectives. At the same time, the organisation needs to understand the development objectives of the people who work for it.
ISO 9001 Certificate is the best standards and will help the care home pull in more customers primarily assuring them of high quality standards that are internationally approved.
Recommendations:
In addition to the above I recommend that the Hazel House Care Home Ltd could have improved the transaction of the standard to its employees by providing the adequate training upon the installation of the new system, this would have made its workforce more prepared and motivated to adapt their new skills to the new standards. However the care home did seek professional advice and did do a lot of research and preparation before applying the standard to help them be successful. From the case study the company has been very successful and has benefited from the IS0 certification and should continue to monitor and measure their performance to help them stay on track.
Word Count: 1,457
Bibliography
By Michaela Louise Burnett Tutor Stephen Taylforth
