Developing An Essay On Managing Performance Using STAR Industries' System.

Your task is to develop a Learning and Development strategy for supervisors and team leaders in managing performance using STAR’s Performance Management System.  Use the bolded headings to structure your strategy and answer the dot points under each heading.

Title Learning and Development Strategy for managing performance using STAR Industries Performance Management System.

Objectives

• Why is the learning and development strategy required?
• What’s the purpose of the strategy?  
• Who are the target group? What learning and development gap is the strategy aimed at filling?
• List the characteristics of a learning organisation the strategy will address.

1. You’ve received the following email from Gary Denver, Plant Manager NSW.

I’ve noticed a few problems with John Thompson, Maintenance Supervisor’s performance over recent weeks.  He has been taking long lunches, particularly on a Friday and at times I have smelt alcohol on his breath.  He also hasn’t been completing the end of shift reports which are required to be counter-signed by me and filed on the computer system.  John has been with STAR for 15 years and has generally been a good performer.  What action can I take to address this underperformance?  

Gary Denver

Prepare advice to Gary on the steps he needs to take to develop a performance improvement plan with John.  

You’ve now received the following email from John Thompson, Maintenance Supervisor following his meeting with Gary Denver about his performance.

I’ve worked for STAR for 15 years and never been told I’ve done a bad job.  In fact most people I meet reckon I’m a good bloke and I keep the peace between the boys.  All of a sudden John has a problem with me.  Sometimes on a Friday we have a bit of a get together at the pub.  He asked if I had been drinking alcohol over lunch, and I said, 'Yes, but just a couple’. It’s never been a problem before.  He also went on about me not completing the end of shift reports.  I’ve delegated this to one of the boys on the line because they know what’s been done each day.  I’m very upset at how John has handled this this.  He could have had a chat with me.  He’s gone and made this all formal and I don’t trust his approach.  What can I do?

2. The matter is at a point where mediation must now occur. Prepare a document to give to Gary and John on the steps that will be followed as you work with them to mediate this grievance.

Development and Learning Strategy for Managing Performance by Taking into Star Industries Performance Management Systems

The chief goal of the company Star Industries, in being part of development and learning via adoption of PMS (Performance Management Systems) involve maintaining employees’ performance within the company and the same could be highlighted under the continuing sub-headings. Aim of the company is managing the talent pool and at the same time assisting in building a culture towards organizational development. Additionally, this assists in driving commitments of the individuals operating within the company since they feel appreciated via satisfaction of developmental desires and career progress. Therefore, several approaches, which are utilized by Star Industries include:

• Evaluation of learning needs:the emphasis is laid upon understanding the development and learning requirements of the company taking in group and individual needs. This assists the company in enabling educational initiatives along with effectively designing the training programs as per the learning requirements of the staff members. Additionally, this assists a lot in recognizing present abilities within the company as well as the required abilities and as a result, bridging the gap.
• Development of programs drive:The Company is highly directed towards planning employees’ development and as a result initiates the external and internal development and training initiatives by way of committing enough resources within the company.
• Learning groups:This particular approach assists the company to enable skills and knowledge sharing among the team members and via creation of self-learned type of teams within the company.
• Buddy learning and Mentoring:This assists in motivating as well as enhancing the outcome of individual staff members at the time when operating with the fellow workers. Mentoring enables the top management and manager to perform as a mentor and as a result, provide training to staff members while carrying out the daily operations at workplace.
• On job learning:This assists in offering exciting tasks to the employees and therefore, encouraging learning of latest abilities for accomplishing these tasks. This promotes a culture where there is on job learning. Star Industries makes use of job rotation for allowing learning of several abilities and abstaining from the repetitious nature of tasks.

The chief purpose of the deploying several different approaches in learning as well as development within the company takes in improvement of knowledge, abilities and outlook of the company. Therefore, the strategy intends to encourage a learning and development culture throughout the company.

In this development and learning strategy of the company, the target groups take in individuals whose enhancement in several work arenas would assist in improving the overall outcome of the company. In this case, the target groups include the Supervisor and Team leader, whose involvement is quite vital in dealing with company’s human resources and therefore, managing individuals within the company. As a result, enhancement in their outcome would further enhance the overall output of the staff members and eventually the company.

The Star Industries has been interesting in examining its overall outcome taking in the outcome of chief managers along with all people engaged within the company. Therefore, the development and learning approach is important for identifying the current and desired outcome. This bridges the gap amid the actual performance level of employees, team and the entire company.

Moving ahead, Star Industries has recognized the chief segments where the enhancement would result in bridging of the gaps for reaching the desired performance level. These include:

• Managing teamwork-The Company is a huge brand and involves various groups and teams functioning within it. Therefore, this promotes team operating abilities among the staff members as well as development of managerial abilities in employees such as Human Resources Manager, the Plants manager, Supervisors and the Plants manager. This would help in effectively using the resources together with abilities existing among the human resources.
• Participative decision making-This would greatly assist in management of work operations among the staff member and direct their commitment level towards the company by way of higher engagement with the company along with industrial democracy promotion.
• Collaborative Objective Setting- Establishingtargets and goals through cooperation with the staff members who are essentially thought to carry it out assists in enhancing their confidence level and they perform more effectively towards their accomplishment and therefore, the corporate outcome is affected in a constructive way.
• Interpersonal and corporate communications

Communication is considered as being an inseparable fraction of any functioning company and therefore, Star industries is dedicated towards improving communication among the staff members and maintaining sound interpersonal relationships for avoiding any undesirable impact upon corporate functioning and trimming down the clashes by systems and structure in place.

This technique assists individual staff member in gaining an overview of his own outcome over the task and comprehend several factors taking in behaviour and attitudes at workplace. Moreover, time management is considered as being an important skill needed among the staff members at Star industries and therefore, the corporation is focussed towards promoting self-managing procedures among the staff members. Additionally, self-reflection is basically a concept where staff members understand their own development and learning at job and plan for enhancement in overall performance. Further, Star Industries is directed towards installing reflective procedures among its staff members and supervisors.

• Providing and obtaining feedbacks- By way of adopting a sound feedback tool the company intends to recognize the enhancement in employees’ performance by attaining feedback from managers and clients as well as taking corrective actions. This would aid in the advancement of the staff performance by way of feedbacks.

Target Groups

Moving ahead, several learning traits, which would be addressed through this development and learning approach at Star Industries take in promoting culture within the company towards development. Several aspects that learning and development approach would deal with include:

• Team working abilities
• Involvement in decision forming within the company
• Collaboration with managers or supervisors in objective setting
• Organisational and Interpersonal communications
• Self-management
• Obtaining and offering feedback on performance

The development and learning practices and strategies within the company take in vital financial commitments of the company. The Star Industries directs adequate amount of financial resources towards development and training programs. Additionally, it offers provision for employees’ education along with training from external agencies that include high costs. Moreover, other resources engaged take in human resources and technology within the company. This also involves loss in operating hours of staff members as being engaged in workshops and seminars.

In order to effectively implement the proposed strategy, it is important for the CEO to:

• Approve training sessions, seminars and workshops for being carried out within office premises
• Approve reporting and monitoring processes needed for evaluating the effectiveness of development and training initiatives.

The several phases of Supervisor John Thompson’s performance review would include:

Step 1 Carrying out Interim performance appraisal interview

Step 2 Discussing the goals as well as outcome carried out informally amid Gary and John.

Step 3: This would be followed through development of a P.I.P. revolving around the SMART Objectives discussed in the table below.

Name of the Employee: John Thompson

Appraisal Date: 30 June, 2017

Improvement Plan Date: 1 July 2017

Step 4 This is followed by review of performance after end of stipulated improvement period.

Moving ahead, Star Industries has recognized the chief segments where the enhancement would result in bridging of the gaps for reaching the desired performance level. These include:

• Managing teamwork-The Company is a huge brand and involves various groups and teams functioning within it. Therefore, this promotes team operating abilities among the staff members as well as development of managerial abilities in employees such as Human Resources Manager, the Plants manager, Supervisors and the Plants manager. This would help in effectively using the resources together with abilities existing among the human resources.
• Participative decision making-This would greatly assist in management of work operations among the staff member and direct their commitment level towards the company by way of higher engagement with the company along with industrial democracy promotion.
• Collaborative Objective Setting- Establishingtargets and goals through cooperation with the staff members who are essentially thought to carry it out assists in enhancing their confidence level and they perform more effectively towards their accomplishment and therefore, the corporate outcome is affected in a constructive way.
• Interpersonal and corporate communications: Communication is considered as being an inseparable fraction of any functioning company and therefore, Star industries is dedicated towards improving communication among the staff members and maintaining sound interpersonal relationships for avoiding any undesirable impact upon corporate functioning and trimming down the clashes by systems and structure in place.

Moving ahead, several approaches, which are utilized by Star Industries include:

• Evaluation of learning needs:the emphasis is laid upon understanding the development and learning requirements of the company taking in group and individual needs. This assists the company in enabling educational initiatives along with effectively designing the training programs as per the learning requirements of the staff members. Additionally, this assists a lot in recognizing present abilities within the company as well as the required abilities and as a result, bridging the gap.
• Development of programs drive:The Company is highly directed towards planning employees’ development and as a result initiates the external and internal development and training initiatives by way of committing enough resources within the company.
• Learning groups:This particular approach assists the company to enable skills and knowledge sharing among the team members and via creation of self-learned type of teams within the company.
• Buddy learning and Mentoring:This assists in motivating as well as enhancing the outcome of individual staff members at the time when operating with the fellow workers. Mentoring enables the top management and manager to perform as a mentor and as a result, provide training to staff members while carrying out the daily operations at workplace.
• On job learning:This assists in offering exciting tasks to the employees and therefore, encouraging learning of latest abilities for accomplishing these tasks. This promotes a culture where there is on job learning. Star Industries makes use of job rotation for allowing learning of several abilities and abstaining from the repetitious nature of tasks.

During any clash amid John Thompson and Gary Denver, the below mentioned steps would be followed by Mediation Officer:

Step 1: Both the groups would be permitted for meeting informally at 11:00 AM on on 30^th June at office pantry region for resolving the conflict by way of discussion.

Step 2: In case if the conflict is still unsolved, then some other group or person part of the clash or observer of supervisor’s behaviour could be considered in existence of mediation officer.

Step 3: In case if the problem is still not solved by way of informal procedure then both the groups would document as well as decide the resolution along with corrective practices to be considered by supervisors and manager.

Step 5: In case if the issues is still not solved by way of this mediation, both the groups might be subject to examination through an entity chosen by General Manager.

Furthermore, the process for this would be as below:

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