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LEARNER GUIDE
PARTICIPATE IN A TEAM OR INDIVIDUALLY TO ACHIEVE
ORGANISATIONAL GOALS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
Welcome ..............................................................................................................................1
This Competency Unit .........................................................................................................1
Before you start....................................................................................................................2
Self-Assessment Checklist...................................................................................................3
How to use this Learner Guide ............................................................................................4
Using the Computer and Other Resources...........................................................................5
Method of Assessment.........................................................................................................5
Quality Assurance................................................................................................................6
ITICOR0051A
PARTICIPATE IN A TEAM OR
INDIVIDUALLY TO ACHIEVE
ORGANISATIONAL GOAL
INTRODUCTION
Welcome
The content of this guide was developed from the Competency Standard ITICOR0051A, which
is one of the basic building blocks for the National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQJ)
certification within the industry. Please refer to your Learner’s Handbook for a thorough
explanation of standards and competencies, and how these relate to the NVQJ certification.
You are also advised to consult the Competency Standard for a better understanding of what is
required to master the competency.
As you go through each element you will find critical information relating to each one. You are
advised to study them carefully so that you will be able to develop the necessary knowledge,
skills and attitudes for participating in a team or individually to achieve organizational goal.
a. Obtain a Learner’s Logbook. You will use it to record evidence of your new
skills/competence. As you demonstrate your new skills, record your activities and have your
learning facilitator sign off on them. This will allow you to provide evidence of your
competence when you are being assessed against the competency standard.
a. Ensure that you have access to the facilities and equipment necessary for learning.
c. Ensure that tools and equipment are safe, and that the correct safety equipment is used.
The self-assessment checklist on the following page will assist you in planning your training
programme as it will help you to think about the knowledge and skills needed to demonstrate
competency in this unit. As you go through the checklist you will be able to find out what
competencies you have already mastered and which ones you will need to pay more attention to
as you go through the learning process.
To complete the self-assessment checklist simply read the statements and tick the ‘Yes’ or ‘No’
box. You should do this exercise now.
Self-Assessment Checklist
- Participate in a team or individually to achieve organizational goal
If you ticked most of the ‘Yes’ boxes then you might not need to go through the entire guide.
Ask your learning facilitator to assist you in determining the most appropriate direction for this
competency.
If you ticked few of the ‘Yes” boxes or none at all then you should work through all of the guide,
even though some of the material might be familiar to you.
Plan your learning based on answers. Be sure to involve your learning facilitator in the planning
process.
This Learner Guide is designed to assist you in working and learning at your own pace. We
suggest that you:
• Check your progress at each checkpoint to ensure that you have understood the material.
• Observe the icons and special graphics used throughout this guide to remind you of what you
have to do to enhance your learning. The icons and their meanings are as follows:
Definition Box
Words/phrases are defined or explained in this box. The
words/phrases being explained are in bold print.
Checkpoint
This denotes a brain teaser and is used to check your
understanding of the materials presented. No answers are
provided for the questions asked.
Activity
This denotes something for you to do either alone or with the
assistance of your trainer/supervisor.
Reference
This points you to the reference materials and other support
documents or resources used in compiling the unit content.
• Ask your learning facilitator for help if you have any problems with the interpretation of the
contents, the procedures, or the availability.
• Complete each activity as you come to it. If the activity requires you to perform an actual
task, be sure to tell your learning facilitator when you get to that activity so that he/she can
make arrangements, if necessary.
• Get your learning facilitator to sign and date the Learner’s Logbook when you have
completed an activity.
When you have worked through all elements of the guide, and when you can tick every ‘Yes’
box, you are ready for assessment and may ask your learning facilitator to assist you in making
the arrangements to have your performance assessed.
Where your activities refer you to the library, computer and Internet resources, ask your learning
facilitator to assist you with locating these resources. If you are getting your training in an
institution, there may be a library and computer laboratory. If this is not the case, visit the local
library and find out what resources are available.
If you are new to the computer and the Internet, someone should be able to show you how to use
these resources.
Please note that in many of your activities you have been referred to information on the Internet.
This is because the Internet has a vast amount of information that can help you in acquiring the
particular competencies. We would like to advise you, however, that we cannot guarantee that all
the sites will be available when you need them. If this happens, ask your learning facilitator to
assist you with locating other sites that have the information you require.
Method of Assessment
Competency will be assessed while work is being undertaken under direct supervision with
regular checks, but may include some autonomy when working as a team. You are advised to
consult the associated competency standard for further details relating to the assessment
strategies.
Quality Assurance
A feedback form is included at the back of each learner guide, to give users an opportunity to
document their concerns about any aspect of the guide. Such feedback will assist in the review
of the guide. Users are encouraged to complete the form and send it to the address given.
You may now start your learning. Have fun while you work!
LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to
establish own work schedule. Your learning facilitator is there to assist you with the various
activities, so that on completion you should be able to:
ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
All organizations have goals. Goals give an organization purpose and direction to move towards
the entire year.
Goals - statements
describing what an
organization or individual
wishes to accomplish.
Goals are the ends toward which your efforts will be directed, and often change from term to
term or year to year, depending on the nature of the organization.
Typically, an organization sets goals each year and from these corporate goals team and
individual objectives are set.
Objectives -- descriptions of
exactly what is to be done
derived from the goals.
Objectives are clear, specific statements of measurable tasks that will be accomplished as steps
toward reaching your goals. They are short term and have deadlines. If you work in the
information and technology department of a large firm for example, your department or team
would have been given specific objectives from which your individual objectives would then
have been derived. As an individual and as a member of the larger team you have key roles to
play.
Once you have been given your objectives, your first task is to clearly identify the work to be
completed and the time line for completing tasks and goals. Spend time analyzing the work you
have been assigned so that you will be able to break down the tasks into component parts which
will leave you in a better position to do something that few people have mastered – the ability to
manage your time!
The key to effective time management is knowing what you need to accomplish on a daily basis
and focusing on the tasks that are most important. This requires you to:
You must ensure that you have a workable schedule for actions and activities that enables you to
accomplish tasks such as:
• Job duties/functions
• Meetings
• Phone calls
• Mail
One way to plan daily activities is to make a “to-do-list” for the day and assign priorities and
timelines for each activity. In beginning your day you should review your daily “to-do-list’ to
map out your day’s activities and at the end of the day you should prepare a new list for the
following day reviewing:
Refer to: For further information please refer to the following article:
Selder, Cyndi, Time Management, www.organized-living.com/articles/timemgmt.html
Accessed March 22, 2005
CHECKPOINT
The article cited in the reference above presents some tips for
organizing your business life.
ACTIVITY
PRIORITIZE WORK
You’ve identified the work to be completed clearly, you’ve identified your goals and generated a
“to do” list and some due dates. Now you have to decide which tasks to do first. How do you
prioritize? Prioritizing is the key to mastering the use of time. But how do you prioritize?
Sometimes it is easy because the tasks fall into a logical order. Other times it’s harder especially
when:
There are several things you can do to help you use your time more effectively. One way is to
break down assignments into smaller component tasks. You should then rate each task according
to its level of importance based on organizational guidelines. These guidelines include:
The important tasks would then be those that help you accomplish your organization’s goals and
should therefore be the ones that you tackle first.
CHECKPOINT
How do you ensure that you are making the most effective use of
your time?
When you are clear about organizational guidelines regarding the goals of your project or team,
it will help you to manage your job and assist you to make choices about how to prioritize urgent
requests.
The 80/20 rule can be a very useful tool to help you manage your work effectively. The rule
states that the relationship between input and output is rarely, if ever, balanced. When applied to
work, it means that approximately 20 percent of your efforts produce 80 percent of the results.
Learning to recognize and then focus on that 20 percent that really matter is the key to making
the most effective use of your time. If something in your work schedule has to slip, if something
isn’t going to get done, make sure it is not part of that 20 percent.
This method requires you to sort tasks into the following categories and rate them according to
the level of priority:
When you are practising good time management, most of your tasks will fall in category 2. This
would mean that you are not constantly working on important tasks at the last minute. If you find
that you are spending a lot of time on tasks rated 4 at the expense of those rated 1, 2 or 3, you
have a problem. Ask yourself these questions:
Refer to: If you want to know more about this strategy: Covey, Stephen (1995).
First Things First, Simon & Schuster, pages 268-278
This method requires you to rank each task according to whether it’s something you:
- must do
- should do
- could do
Procedure
1. Identify the tasks you need to accomplish over a given period (day, week, month
or year).
2. Place ‘A’ after the items you MUST do. These are top priority.
3. Place ‘B’ next to the items you SHOULD do. These are important, but not as high
a priority as those rated ‘A’.
4. Place ‘C’ next to items you COULD do – if you had the time and resources.
These are a much lower priority.
NOTE: How you rank each item will depend on organizational guidelines. Flexibility is
essential as organizational priorities may change from time to time.
• Make a things-to-do list everyday. Include tasks, priorities and time estimates not just
random activities.
• Include time for yourself – time to dream, relax and live
• Do first things first
• Schedule blocks of uninterrupted time for your most important tasks
• Allow some leniency for the unexpected
• Make the first hour of your day productive
• Do it right first time – you won’t have to waste time doing it again
• Eliminate recurring crisis. Find out why things keep going wrong and do something to
address this. Learn to be PROACTIVE (acting to prevent problems) instead of REACTIVE
(acting in response to problems)
• Finish what you start. Don’t jump from one thing to another, leaving a string of unfinished
tasks behind you.
• Conquer procrastination. Make a start on difficult tasks even if it is just a small step
ACTIVITY
• Identify some computer based planning tools that can help lessen
the time you spend on routine tasks.
• Ask your learning facilitator to give you some tasks to
accomplish based on your current training programme. Use the
‘urgent and important’ method to prioritize.
Now that you have completed this element, check to see whether you have fully grasped all the
components by doing the following Self-Assessment:
Checklist 1 Yes No
Checklist 2 Yes No
LEARNING OUTCOMES
As you go through this element you will acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to
participate in team structure. Your learning facilitator is there to assist you with the various
activities, so that on completion you should be able to:
“Every excellent group begins with a dream shared by most members. Group members become
keepers of the dream”
Effective team work benefits not only the organization but also individual members. The role
you play in team is limited not only to the duties and tasks you are expected to carry out but also
to your contribution to team discussions and interactions.
The benefits of teams to the organization include:
You will find that teams exist in various forms and sizes; however, a well-rounded team is made
up of persons skilled in a number of areas and should also include different personality types.
Your team may include:
• Peers
• Supervisor
• Other members of the organization
• People from a range of cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds
If you do not know the members of your team and their respective roles and responsibilities, co-
operation which is the hallmark of team work is going to be impossible. Each member of a team
and his/her role is as vital to the successful functioning of the organization as each part of the
body is to the individual. The autonomy and overall responsibility of the team is also important
for you to know.
CHECKPOINT
Why is it important to know not only the members of your team but
also the role that each person plays?
ACTIVITY
Without a clear and shared goal, you don’t have a team – just a collection of individuals –
therefore, the goals of the team must be discussed in the group with everyone having some input
and then agreeing on a goal that satisfies all members.
A successful team not only knows where it is going, it knows when it has arrived. It is therefore
important for you to identify goals and set performance targets in conjunction with your team
leader. When identifying tasks and setting goals, you should make sure they meet the following
criteria:
Each member of the team is accountable for the success or failure of the group. Therefore active
participation by all is necessary. The entire team must be dedicated to its success.
This statement alludes to the truth that teams are interdependent. No one member can or should
do everything. Responsibility should be widely shared throughout a team on a rational basis,
given the skills and other strengths of all team members. As a member of a team you need to
develop techniques for solving problems, sharing responsibilities and generally coping with
anything that gets in the way of progress. Good teams thrive on an atmosphere of cooperation
rather than competition and the emphasis is on both the task to be done and the teamwork and
social skills needed to get it done. Therefore, you need to invest time and effort into developing
good working relationships with other team members so that you will be comfortable asking for
assistance. Depending on the culture of your organization you should indicate to your team
leader the type of assistance you require from other team members.
CHECKPOINT
When we comment on what someone is doing we are giving that person feedback. In a team
environment, feedback is a two-way process, you must not only be good at giving feedback, but
must also be good at receiving it. Some steps to giving helpful feedback include the following:
TIP! In giving and receiving feedback keep the goal in mind – the achievement of the
organization’s objectives!
CHECKPOINT
ACTIVITY
Refer to: Hussain, K.M, and Hussain Donna (1997). Information Technology
Management, Butterworth- Heinmann. Pages 66-69
Fisher Kimball, Rayner Stephen, Belgad William (1995). Tips for Teams, McGraw-Hill
Inc. pages 181-186
Visit the following website: Teamworks: Skills for Colloborative Work @
www.vta.spcomm.uiuc.edu/index.html for more information on teamwork. Website
Accessed March 22, 2005
Now that you have completed this element, check to see whether you have fully grasped all the
components by doing the following Self-Assessment:
Checklist 1 Yes No
Checklist 2 Yes No
Your feedback on the Learner Guides is important to us. Please complete the
form below to indicate areas for review as you see necessary. For each
component tick [√ ] the appropriate column.
Other Issues:
Telephone #: E-mail:
Please cut along the dotted line and submit to:
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