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• Module overview
• 1. Introduction to the effective leader and manager
  • 1.1 The effective workplace manager -The roles and traits approach.
    • 1.1.1 Early proponents of the role approach
    • 1.1.2 Roles and functions
    • 1.1.3 Role of the modern industrial manager
    • 1.1.4 Managerial roles and traits
  • 1.2 The Effective Workplace Manager - The Behaviour Approach
    • 1.2.1 Early behavioural approach to management
    • 1.2.2 Theory X and Y managers
    • 1.2.3 The Blake and Mouton management grid
    • 1.2.4 Behaviours and traits
  • 1.3 The effective workplace manager - The competency approach
    • 1.3.1 International approaches to competency development of managers and leaders
    • 1.3.2 Behaviours and competencies
    • 1.3.3 Competence- an Australian perspective

• 2. Leadership styles

  • 2.1 Leadership styles
  • 2.2. Motivation, commitment and collective responsibility
  • 2.3 Leadership approaches and styles: The situational (contingency) approach
    • 2.3.1 Five decision-making styles
    • 2.3.2 Situated leadership styles
    • 2.3.3 Path goal related leadership styles
  • 2.4 Leadership styles and transformational leadership

• 3. Learning styles and learning to learn

  • 3.1 Learning styles
    • 3.1.1 Personal learning style(s)
    • 3.1.2 The Four Learning Styles
    • 3.1.3 What is Your Learning Style?
  • 3.2 Difference between how adults learn and how children learn
  • 3.3 Learning styles and multiple intelligences
    • 3.3.1 Types of intelligence
    • 3.3.2 Instruction and types of intelligence
  • 3.4 Study skills
    • 3.4.1 Concentration
    • 3.4.2 Set S.M.A.R.T. Learning Goals
    • 3.4.3 Skim reading
    • 3.4.4 Taking notes
    • 3.4.5 Writing papers and reports
  • 3.5 Learning online
    • 3.5.1 Definitions
    • 3.5.2 Are you ready to learn online?
    • 3.5.3 Technical requirement

• 4. Personal development planning

  • 4.1 Personal development needs and career planning
    • 4.1.1 Professional development and goal alignment
  • 4.2 What career do you want?
    • 4.2.1 What are we developing in our transport and logistics leaders?
    • 4.2.2 Human functioning
    • 4.2.3 Assessing current competencies gaps and development needs
  • 4.3 Benchmarking or measuring professional development against organisational goals
  • 4.4 Setting and integrating job performance outcomes
    • 4.4.1 Personal development questionnaire anticipating your future skill needs
    • 4.4.2 Personal improvement plan-Personal and work context
    • 4.4.3 Professional Development Plan

• 5. Modelling high standards of ethics and performance

  • 5.1 Modelling high standards of performance
  • 5.2 Being a role model in an organisation that has integrity and credibility
    • 5.2.1 Corporate culture
    • 5.2.2 Organisational policy to enable integrity and credibility
    • 5.2.3 Individual responsibility
  • 5.3 Ethical and inclusive practices
    • 5.3.1 Ethics, morals and values
    • 5.3.2 Business ethics
    • 5.3.3 Ethics and the law
  • 5.4 Building trust and confidence-Treating people with integrity, respect and empathy
    • 5.4.1 Communicating to develop trust and confidence
    • 5.4.2 Building a culture of trust

• 6. Developing professional networks or communities

  • 6.1 What are communities?
    • 6.1.1 Types of communities
  • 6.2 Harnessing divergent networks
  • 6.3 Harnessing convergent networked communities
  • 6.4 Internal convergent (purpose-driven) networks
  • 6.5 Knowledge and communities
  • 6.6 Public and external networks
  • 6.7 Professional development bodies and networks
    • 6.7.1 Professional management bodies and networks
  • 6.8 Stakeholder management

• 7. Enhancing workplace learning

  • 7.1 Types of workplace learning
    • 7.1.1 Training and education
    • 7.1.2 Workplace training
  • 7.2 Coaching and mentoring
    • 7.2.1 Coaching
    • 7.2.2 Mentoring

• 8. Training needs analysis

  • 8.1 Profiling individuals within organisations
    • 8.1.1 Functional job profiling
    • 8.1.2 Profiling skills gaps using human capital approach
    • 8.1.3 Framing capability inventories
  • 8.2 Linking individual and organisational capabilities
    • 8.2.1 Integrating capability reporting and management
  • 8.3 Developing a learning plan using SWOT analysis
  • 8.4 Implementing a learning plan
    • 8.4.1 Step 1 Prepare a learning project brief
    • 8.4.2 Step 2 Discuss your plan with training personnel
    • 8.4.3 Step 3 Break down your learning plan into its basic elements.
    • 8.4.4 Step 4 Provide costings for each element
    • 8.4.5 Step 5 Provide a list of benefits derived from the learning intervention
    • 8.4.6 Step 6 Discuss your findings with training personnel

• 9. Assess and review workplace learning

  • 9.1 Assessment of workplace learning
  • 9.2 How to assess?
  • 9.3 Applying the principles of assessment in the workplace
  • 9.4 Conducting Competency-Based Assessment
    • 9.4.1 Setting Evidence Requirements
    • 9.4.2 Develop instructions for assessment tool use
    • 9.4.3 Satisfying the assessee needs
    • 9.4.4 Conducting Assessment
    • 9.4.5 Instructions to remove ambiguity
    • 9.4.6 Collecting and judging evidence
    • 9.4.7 Review the assessment processes
  • 9.5 Keeping training records

8.3 Developing a learning plan using SWOT analysis

A learning plan is a document that sets out clearly what it is that an individual or group hopes to learn in a set amount of time. Because different people have different skills, abilities, interests and needs it is important to develop a plan in close consultation with those who are expected to carry it out. It is also important to consider organisational concerns such as the availability of resources, long term strategy and culture that may impact on the practicality of a learning plan.

As a result of the large number of considerations that must be taken into account it is useful to have a structured framework for developing a learning plan. The framework that is introduced here is called 'SWOT analysis' which stands for:

S trengths (what is it that you do well ?)
W eaknesses (what needs improvement?)
O pportunities (how can you apply your talents in your workplace?)
T hreats (what factors may prohibit you from applying your talents?)

SWOT may be used for many different business applications, such as project management, but it is also very useful in assessing learning needs and opportunities. It involves systematically working through the four key areas, in partnership with the individual or team that is the focus of the learning plan, and answering the questions below.

Strengths

• What does the individual/team do well?
• What is the individual/team really interested in, what motivates them?
• Are there any strengths that are not being used to their full potential?
• What does the organisation do well?

Weaknesses

• What does the individual/team need to improve upon?
• Are these weaknesses holding the individual/team back or do they have minimal effect?
• Are any of their strengths also weaknesses? (this may occur when strengths are used at an inappropriate time or place)
• Is the organisation supportive of learning?

Opportunities

• How can the individual/team use their strengths to full advantage?
• Are there any organisational resources that may help develop the individual/team?
• Are there any forthcoming workplace changes that may be used to the individual/teams advantage?
• In what areas does the organisation's strategy support learning?

Threats

• Does the individual/team have any weaknesses that may prevent them utilising their opportunities? Can these weaknesses be controlled?
• Will the organisation support learning and the changes that will follow?
• Will other employees or departments be adversely affected by changes?
• Do the proposed opportunities contribute to organisational goals?

Hints

Remember always to keep the goals and vision of the organisation in mind when conducting a SWOT analysis.

By openly discussing these elements with all concerned a picture should emerge of how an individual or team may develop their skills and abilities. The next step in developing a learning plan is to define exactly how the individual/team may improve by providing learning goals. Appropriate learning goals have the following characteristics:

Specific
Goals must be written down in such a way that it is clear exactly what the individual/team hopes to achieve.

Measurable
Goals must include some way of objectively measuring whether or not they have been achieved. How will you know that you have met your goal? Receiving an FMI qualification is one such objective measure.

Achievable
The best goals are challenging but not too hard. Easy goals don't motivate because they are easy to put off and impossible goals are not worth pursuing.

Relevant
For individuals/teams to commit to a learning goal it has to be important to them and they have to understand what the benefits of achieving the goal are for them.

Time limited
Goals must have a time limit. If it is a long-term goal then include a time line for when you hope to achieve milestones along the way.

Remember, the best goals are SMART ( S pecific, M easurable, A chievable, R elevant, T ime limited).

By conducting a SWOT analysis, and refining the ideas that it generates using SMART goals, a learning plan will emerge that defines exactly what is expected of individuals/teams and utilises the attributes of individuals and their workplace. A manager can then keep track of how the individual/team is progressing towards their goals and reward successful completion. A performance appraisal system that facilitates monitoring of learning and development is discussed in section 11.3.1.

Activity 5

Using the table below complete a SWOT analysis on a team or group with which you are familiar on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Use it to develop at least one learning goal and write it in the space below.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Opportunities	Threats

 

My SMART learning goal is to:

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