Knowledge and Understanding Questions for

Unit 31 - Develop Productive Working Relationships with

Colleagues

General Knowledge and Understanding

A. The benefits of developing productive working relationships with
colleagues
To you and your work colleagues;
∋ You are able to learn from each other
∋ Its easy to share information, skills and experience
∋ You all feel more supported, appreciated and work is more
enjoyable
∋ There is greater productivity as more time is spent getting work
done rather than sorting out personal issues and grievances
To the employer/manager;
∋ Staff motivation is high
∋ There is greater synergy and collaboration which yields high
performance
∋ Time is not wasted on disputes, grievances, conflict

B. The Principles of effective communication and how to apply them in order

to communicate effectively with colleagues
Effective communication is governed by such key principles as
∋ Not leaving essential communication or relay of information to the last
minute
∋ Choosing the right mode of communication for a given time and place
∋ Being mindful of your audience(s)’ expectations, possible reaction and
the given occasion/event
∋ Giving facts accurately, clearly, concisely and in a logical order without
including your opinions unless they relevant and not giving any
indication that you are withholding essential information.
∋ Using appropriate body language and being upfront about not
disclosing confidential information either to them or from them to
others.
∋ Welcoming the opinions of your audience regardless of how they differ
from yours and balancing the two-way communication process by
allowing people time to respond and practicing active listening when
others are speaking whilst paying attention to their body language as
well

C. How to identify disagreements with colleagues and the techniques for

sorting them out
Being aware of your working environment it is easy to identify
disagreements more quickly if you:
∋ Know and understand the situations that are likely to trigger
disagreements
 ∋ Know and understand your colleagues and understand their needs and
motivations
∋ Read body language and watch people at work. If people are
muttering in corners rather than doing their work or planning to get
back at someone, then you need to find out what is happening
Having identified this, you can either
∋ Do nothing with the hope that the problem will go away if it is
completely ignored
∋ Act as a peacemaker, appealing to people to move beyond their
differences and work towards the greater good
∋ Issuing an order or threat, if you are in authority, to make people to as
they are told
∋ Work towards a compromise with the aim of finding a resolve
acceptable to all parties involved
∋ Facilitating collaboration by negotiating a mutually beneficial outcome
where both parties win something.

D. How to identify conflicts of interest with colleagues and the measures that
can be taken to manage or remove them
It is easy to anticipate where conflicts of interest with colleagues may arise
when you are clear about how their roles differ from yours and what
resources you share in common in meeting your respective needs. To
manage or remove such conflicts of interest you need to;
∋ Be alert to situations where conflicts of interest may arise
∋ Develop an awareness of your own perceptions of others and how that
may influence your behaviour especially where is a conflict of interest
and try to control your reaction in a professional manner
∋ Be assertive in trying to reach a win-win resolve by creative
cooperation and collaboration

E. How to take account of diversity issues when developing working

relationships with colleagues
Bearing in mind that you are different from others and that’s how other may
see you, it is important that you
∋ Look beyond the differences you perceive in people you interact with,
do your best in getting to know them and relating to them as
individuals.
∋ Always treat others as you would like to be treated
∋ Know and counter how preconceptions, prejudice, ignorance and
stereotypes affect your own behaviour towards others, especially if
they are ‘different’ from yourself in some distinct way.
∋ Never treat other people differently or assume they are happy to be
excluded from the group because they are ‘different’.
∋ Make the most of every opportunity to find out more from people from
other backgrounds, values beliefs or disabilities without being intrusive
or patronising. Learn to deal sensibly and sensitively with someone
who has a disability so that you are not nervous about approaching
him or her.
 ∋ Be mindful of not using derogative phrases, racist language or slang
that ridicule groups of people
∋ Whenever possible seek training that would help you understand or
communicate better with colleagues and customers from different
backgrounds, if you feel inept in this area.

F. The importance of exchanging information and resources with colleagues

In exchanging information during discussions or negotiations, the value of
the information increases as a result of the exchange of ideas and views on
the subject and making amendments and/or additions to the original
information. Sharing resources in a cooperative manner also help optimise
the use of the resources, with large scale orders, for example, reducing cost
per unit.

G. How to get and make use of feedback on your performance from

colleagues
By regularly seeking feedback on tasks performed to know if they have been
done it to the required standard and asking for possible improvements that
could be made during your regular information conversations with
colleagues, one-to-one review meetings and appraisals. It helps you know
how well you are doing or otherwise. It makes you aware of how your
performance or under performance impacts the work of others. It also helps
you push yourself to do better since you don’t want to be the one to let the
team down –hence leading to self improvement

H. How to provide colleagues with useful feedback on their performance

You can either provide feedback to a colleague formally but regular informal
feedback to colleagues is more practical and helpful. Choosing the right time
and place is very important. You are less likely to have your colleagues’ full
attention when they are busy or there are others present and the feedback is
sensitive or critical. It is helpful to focus on positives and use them as models
to develop your points relating to their weaknesses. Giving clear, specific
examples to support your views and allowing your colleague to respond to
your feedback whilst you listen actively is a more balanced approach.

Industry/sector specific knowledge and understanding

I. The regulations and codes of practice that apply in the industry or sector
Public sector organisations, charities and public limited companies are all publicity
accountable, and this affects the way in which they make important decisions. Usually
these will be agreed by a committee or by a board of directors and may be based on
similar past cases and organisational rules, regulations and codes of practice so that
they can easily be justified if necessary. In a smaller, privately owned organisation –
particularly one operating in the industry where rapid decisions are essential and risk-
taking encouraged, managers may be expected to be adventurous and have more
scope for being innovative.

J. The standards of behaviour and performance in the industry or sector

∋ There is more formality in areas such as internal and external communications
written policies relating to ways of working, deference to senior staff, official job
titles and specific salary scales etc.
∋ There will be more written policies and procedures, to ensure that standards are the
same throughout the organisation and that all employees are treated fairly.
∋ There could be less flexibility or scope for individual actions or decisions.
∋ Several people or groups may have to be consulted before certain decisions can be
made.
∋ The greater distance between senior management and staff might mean that the
latter have little idea why many formal decisions have been taken

K. The working culture of the industry or sector

The working culture refers to the way in which the organisation operates. It is partly
influenced by the size or type of business and industry. Working in the public sector,
Role culture, happens to be the prevailing way in which work is done. This culture –the
Greek temple (symbolically) operates within ‘pillars’ of specific functional areas such as
customer/front line services, production, finance, sales & marketing, etc. with
individuals having specific job descriptions, predictable career paths. Senior
management set-out and coordinate several rules and procedures to ensure uniformity
and consistency. Examples of other work cultures include the Power or club culture,
the Task culture and the Person or existential culture

Context specific knowledge and understanding

I. What current and future work is being carried out
Following changes in the funding bodies that support the training
programmes we run, it has become necessary that we set-out new
curriculum and administrative procedures to adequately meet the
requirements of our funding bodies. This requires the design and production
of new documents such as forms for data capture, changing logos on
existing documents and a whole lot of re-branding. New curriculum,
assignment and projects for learners are being developed by teams that
meet on weekly basis.

J. Which colleagues are relevant to the work being carried out, their work
roles and responsibilities
∋ The Programme Coordinator – responsible for the entire change over
∋ The Work Based Learner Officer – overseeing and ensuring that every
aspect of the requirements of the change over is covered
∋ The Curriculum Development Officer – leading/ coordinating the
curriculum development for the new Foundation Learning Programme
∋ Tutors working on the Curriculum development team to set-out
deliverable course content
∋ Section Administrator – setting up new administrative procedures and
necessary documentation to cover the on going change over

K. The processes within the organisation for making decisions

Most decisions within this organisation are made during meeting in
consultation with key stake holders. For our business function it primarily has
to be informed by the guidance from our funding agencies and approved by
management to consistent with council procedures. Major decisions are
forwarded to senior management and board meetings for further discussion.
If it is a major change, public consultations are held with its findings feed into
top-level management meetings which are then passed on the political
leadership of the council to be discussed either at cabinet meetings prior to
final approval.

L. Line management responsibilities and relationships within the

organisation
This business unit has a head of service who directly line manages
programme area coordinators. These coordinators are in turn responsible for
their administrative staff and tutors who deliver course in the respective
programme area. This arrangement enhances effective delegation of
responsibility which helps the organisation function smoothly and grow.

M. The organisation’s values and culture

Being Adult Learning Service, this organisation’s central value is learning and
continuous improvement. This is exhibited both internally and externally by
its commitment to train everyone to reach their optimal potential. There is a
strong role culture with well set out procedures for getting things done and
functional areas with specific responsibilities for meeting the organisation’s
overall goal of providing training programmes for residents and visitors of
the local community.

N. About power, influence and politics within the organisation

People who are politically clever within the organisation may use various
methods to achieve their own goals, either by trying to influence other
people to gain power or lobbying for support for a particular idea. This may
include negotiating behind close doors for benefits or scares resources,
picking a time when objectors are not present to push an idea through. It
goes further to include tactics such as taking credit for other people’s work,
damning colleagues by faint praise rather than open criticism, etc.

O. The standards of behaviour and performance expected in the

organisation
There are well set-out procedures relating to conduct and professionalism
with the organisation. This covers every thing from dress code, how internal
and external communications are managed, relations with the media,
attendance and sickness reporting, punctuality and task related capability
standards and monitoring processes.
Line managers are responsible for ensuring that their direct line reports are
not in breach of any such procedures and are to address any such issues in
one-to-one meetings, reviews, performance appraisals and special
disciplinary or capabilities assessment meetings to address such issues as
necessary.

P. The information and resources that different colleagues might need

Within the team, there is the need to share information on learners with
special needs for example, help inform classroom management procedures.
Other personal and learner progress information is also shared among staff.
Administrative staff has responsibility for ensuring that resources such pens,
flipchart sheets and makers, paper and other resources are available for the
running of courses.

Q. The agreements with colleagues

In reaching agreements with colleagues, it is essential that both parties
clearly understand exactly what is being agreed else the whole agreement is
useless. The whole idea of making an agreement is that it will be honoured
unless something happens unexpectedly to prevent this, in which case
prompt and urgent notification is essential. You may have to negotiate with
your colleagues to reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable. This may
relate to the way in which work will be done, the deadlines for completion or
the key areas of responsibility. Your views may differ and this is where
discussing different priorities and expectations is vital. There is also the need
to be more persuasive when you need to reach an agreement with someone
in higher authority on something you want. Here it is difficult to insist on
your own conditions.