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BSBLDR511 Develop and use emotional intelligence Assessment 3

Learner Instructions 3

(Coach emotional intelligence)

Performance objective

Candidates will demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to promote the development of emotional intelligence in others and use others’ emotional strengths and weaknesses to maximise workplace outcomes.

Assessment description

Candidates will respond to a simulated workplace scenario by planning and participating in a workplace coaching role-play.

Procedure

  1. Read the role-play scenario in Appendix 1.
  2. Plan to lead a role-played coaching session with an underperforming employee (with your assessor acting as Pat) in response to the scenario. Use the Coaching Planner Template in Appendix 2.
  3. Arrange time and place with your assessor to perform your coaching role-play.
  4. Perform your role-play in accordance with the specifications set out below.
  5. Submit your completed coaching plan within the agreed timeframe.

Specifications

You must:

  • participate in a coaching role-play
  • submit a completed coaching plan.

Your assessor will be looking for evidence of:

  • demonstration of leadership and communication skills in your role-play to take a collaborative approach; use of inquiring and inclusive techniques to develop understanding, and skills that enhance individuals’ emotional intelligence
  • leadership skills to advance organisational goals, monitoring performance, planning interventions and implementing coaching to achieve organisational goals
  • modelling of behaviours that demonstrate management of emotions during your role-play
  • recognition and response to the emotional states of others by being flexible and adapting your approach to coaching as required
  • promotion of the development of emotional intelligence in others by providing them with opportunities to express thoughts and feelings, and to understand and manage their own emotions
  • ability to explain emotional intelligence principles and strategies
  • ability to convince people of the relationship between emotionally effective people and the attainment of business objectives.

Appendix 1: Role-play scenario

Background

Australian Hardware (a simulated business) is a large and expanding hardware and homewares retailer with approximately 140 stores located across Australia. In its vision statement, Australian Hardware states that it intends to ‘lead the hardware and home-improvement market in Australia within five years’. In order to realise this vision, the organisation intends to:

  • build market share by focusing on the customer experience
  • control direct and indirect costs through efficient internal processes
  • establish the reputation of Australian Hardware as a socially and environmentally responsible company.

These strategic organisation-wide directions are implemented from senior management down, in the form of performance expectations for managers and employees at every level of the organisation.

Australian Hardware realises that the success of the business rests on its people. For this reason, the organisation insists that managers build effective teams by responding to the needs of employees. Such needs include safety and security, fairness, flexibility, skills development and self-actualisation. Satisfying such needs will allow employees to focus more effectively on work tasks and customer needs. In addition, Australian Hardware encourages managers to take a flexible approach to meeting performance targets and to set goals in close collaboration with employees. To implement strategic directions and advance Australian Hardware’s values, managers are expected to lead employees by, first of all, modelling positive behaviours and attributes – those they expect their employees to emulate and embody in turn. To lead and inspire people, managers must demonstrate keen emotional awareness and promote positive team-building behaviours in others.

You are the new General Operations Manager of the Wollongong, NSW, store and you are ready for a challenge. You are directly responsible for managing general sales and checkout staff, administration staff and a human resources officer. You report to the Store Manager, who is responsible for all areas of store responsibility (Timber, Plumbing & Electrical, Gardens and Homewares departments and general operations).

For more background to this assessment task, Australian Hardware simulated business information, including business and operational plans, financial information, and policies and procedures, can be located online at:

<http://simulations.ibsa.org.au/>.

Scenario

You have a performance issue with Pat, one of your star employees on the sales team. Although Pat consistently achieves sales targets and has an excellent customer service rating, recently Pat has become a drag on overall team performance. The reason is that the team has not been able to rely on Pat for expertise when required to help serve customers.

Pat has been stand-offish and preoccupied with something. This situation is seriously affecting other employees’ ability to focus on customers effectively and, perhaps worse, is negatively affecting the work climate. Pat had been looked up to as a model employee and an informal leader. Now, newer employees are beginning to feel that they are personally disliked and disrespected; that teamwork is not a value promoted by the team; that they can’t rely on senior, skilled staff; and that, effectively, they’re on their own. This situation can only hurt overall team sales performance into the future – as well as performance on other metrics.

Part of the problem could be that you have not been pro-active enough in understanding Pat’s motivations and strengths and in providing leadership development opportunities. Perhaps you have taken Pat for granted. This is easy enough to do, when you have other, perhaps more serious, personnel problems to deal with. You know that Pat could use some training in emotional intelligence in areas where of weakness, such as self-awareness and empathy. You also know that Pat, who is committed and goal-driven, has the potential to be a future leader in the organisation.

Balanced scorecard

Australian Hardware uses a balanced scorecard system to integrate performance across the organisation and align each employee’s work with the strategic aims of the business. Pat has the following personal balanced scorecard information.

Underperformance is bolded.

Pat’s balanced scorecard

Perspectiv e

KPI

Target

Results

Financial

Revenue generated by personal sales

$15,000

$16,000

Revenue generated through sales assists

$15,000

$10,000

Customer focus

360°evauation:

Manager evaluation, rating/10

8/10 = 80%

80%

Customer evaluation, rating/10

8/10 = 80%

90%

Pat’s balanced scorecard

Perspectiv e

KPI

Target

Results

Peer evaluation, rating/10

8/10 = 80%

50%

Internal process

Completion of sales and related expense reporting

Completion

Completion

Employee

Training/self-development hours

100 hours

7 hours

360° evaluation:

Manager and peer evaluations combined, rating/10

(Contribution to high-performance climate and employee satisfaction)

8/10 = 80%

60%

Task

You need to intervene effectively to solve this performance issue. You will need to plan and conduct a coaching session with Pat to get both Pat’s and the team’s performance back on track.

In the session ensure you:

  • Introduce the session positively by establishing why the coaching is occurring and ask Pat for input:
    • Ask Pat to describe own performance, personal situation, obstacles to performance, feelings and job satisfaction.

Model emotional intelligence through empathy and listening skills.

  • Build Pat’s awareness of emotional intelligence weaknesses and strengths – make sure you focus on Pat’s strengths.
  • Using the GROW model, establish Pat’s goals and performance gaps (reality):
    • Build Pat’s awareness of performance shortcomings and how emotional self-awareness and empathy can help identify personal obstacles to success with Pat’s goals, peer relationships and help the whole team and organisation to succeed.
  • Continuing with the GROW model, establish and discuss reasonable options:
    • Allow Pat to provide most of the options for reaching personal, professional and team goals.
  • Continuing with the GROW model, establish Pat’s willingness to perform (and increase EI) in measurable and observable ways:
    • Establish a firm commitment from Pat to improve performance and help build a better team climate.

Appendix 2: Coaching planner (GROW model)

Coaching phase

Activities/questions

Introduction

Summarise the reasons for the coaching session from your point of view:

?

?

Ask Pat for input, to describe own perspective:

?

?

Goal

Ask questions to establish Pat’s understanding of performance expectations, personal goals and aspirations:

?

?

Reality

Ask questions to establish understanding of:

the real gap between Pat’s performance and expectations/ performance goals:

?

?

potential obstacles to achievement, such as Pat’s EI skills and personal/work situation:

?

?

Options/ opportunities

Ask questions to help Pat generate options or opportunities to help achieve goals and close performance gaps:

?

?

Will

Ask questions to establish Pat’s willingness to agree to concrete and time-bound measures to improve performance:

?

?