About the author – Maria...
Transcript of About the author – Maria...
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Next Review Date
January 2013
About the author – Maria Landrelli
Maria has been involved in mentoring and training franchisees and small business owners (SME) in computer accounting software and business systems since March 1994. Over this
time she has helped hundreds of SMEs with their accounting needs using software programs such as MYOB and Quicken.
Since 1995 she has been an MYOB Certified
Consultant and is one of a small number of specialists around Australia authorised by MYOB Australia Limited to provide training on their
behalf.
During her career, Maria has been the main trainer of a large
international accounting franchise and has setup many of the systems which are still in place today. Over the years she has mentored a
number of franchisees specializing in accounting, financial control and bookkeeping services to help them create their own profitable
businesses and still keeps in contact with a number of them today.
Maria in 1997 joined a Not For Profit Registered Training Organisation
(RTO) as part time trainer and trained business owners in MYOB related products. During this time Maria became dissatisfied with the quality of the training material available and decided to create her own manuals.
During this time Maria was asked to become a member of the board for this Not for Profit RTO. She has also been a member of the executive committee and over the last 15 years has been treasurer on a number of occasions.
Maria has a Certificate IV in Training & Assessment to ensure she is delivering training to the highest possible standards and has been
training small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers in a classroom situation since 1998.
In 1999 Maria set up her own successful MYOB consulting and bookkeeping business.
Maria went on to become a franchisee of the international accounting franchise and had been named the most successful franchisee in NSW
on more than one occasion.
Maria has also twice been a mentor for the “Women in Business Mentor” program for the NSW Department of State and Regional Development. The Women in Business Program helps up-and-coming
women business owners expand their business.
In 2006 Maria became a member of the MYOB Publishers Program
which helps publishers of MYOB learning material to ensure the quality and integrity of that material is of the highest standard.
In 2010, Maria was asked to teach the Certificate IV in Financial Services (Bookkeeping) and GST/BAS Skill set for the RTO, the
required educational qualifications for registration with the Tax Practitioners Board as a BAS Agent.
In 2011, Maria received both the Brian Milligan Memorial Shield and the Pride in Workmanship award from The Rotary Club of Waitara
In 2012 Maria was invited to be a presenter at the prestigious NSW/ACT annual congress for the Institute of Public Accountants
(IPA), In 2013, the Institute invited Maria to develop and present course material for members of the Institute.
Maria is also a fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) and a member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). Maria is also
Network Meeting Facilitator for ICB and runs the monthly networking meetings at Hornsby.
In 2007 Maria co-founded Bookkeeping Biz in a Box with Ralph Rossteuscher to assist bookkeepers and financial accountants that
wished to setup their own successful bookkeeping business.
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Table of Contents
Unit of competence ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Chapter 1 Establish personal work goals ................................................................................................................................ 9 Serve as a positive role model in the workplace through personal work planning and organisation. ............................ 10
What is a role model? ................................................................................................................................................. 10 Qualities of a good manager / leader ......................................................................................................................... 11
Ensure personal work goals, plans and activities reflect the organisation’s plans, and own responsibilities and
accountabilities ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Measure and maintain personal performance in varying work conditions, work context and contingencies ................ 17
Time Stealers ............................................................................................................................................................... 18
Chapter 2 Set and meet own work priorities........................................................................................................................ 22 Take initiative to prioritise and facilitate competing demands to achieve personal, team and organizational goals and
objectives ......................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Use technology efficiently and effectively to manage work priorities and commitments .............................................. 26 Maintain appropriate work-life balance, and ensure stress is effectively managed and health is attended to.............. 28
Chapter 3 Develop and maintain professional competence ................................................................................................ 31 Assess personal knowledge and skills against competency standards to determine development needs, priorities and
plans ................................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Seek feedback from employees, clients and colleagues and use this feedback to identify and develop ways to improve
competence ..................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Identify, evaluate, select and use development opportunities suitable to personal learning style/s to develop
competence ..................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Undertake participation in networks to enhance knowledge, skills and work relationships .......................................... 39 Identify and develop new skills to achieve and maintain your competitive edge ........................................................... 45
Assessment ....................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Theory Assessment Question ............................................................................................................................................ 53
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Unit of
competence
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Unit Descriptor This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and
knowledge required to manage own performance and professional development.
Particular emphasis is on setting and meeting priorities, analysing information and
using a range of strategies to develop further competence.
No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit
at the time of endorsement.
Employability Skills This unit contains employability skills.
Application of the Unit This unit applies to managers and focuses on the need
for managers to be organised, focussed and skilled, in order to effectively manage
the work of others. As such it is an important unit for most managers, particularly
as managers serve as role models and have a significant influence on the work
culture and patterns of behaviour.
Unit Sector Deleted/Superseded Units
ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1. Establish
personal work
1.1 Serve as a positive role model in the workplace through
personal work planning and organisation
goals 1.2 Ensure personal work goals, plans and activities reflect the
organisation's plans, and own responsibilities and
accountabilities
1.3 Measure and maintain personal performance in varying work
conditions, work contexts and contingencies
2. Set and
meet own work
priorities
2.1 Take initiative to prioritise and facilitate competing demands
to achieve personal, team and organisational goals and
objectives
2.2 Use technology efficiently and effectively to manage work
priorities and commitments
2.3 Maintain appropriate work-life balance, and ensure stress is
effectively managed and health is attended to
3. Develop and
maintain
professional
3.1 Assess personal knowledge and skills against competency
standards to determine development needs, priorities and
plans
competence 3.2 Seek feedback from employees, clients and colleagues
and use this feedback to identify and develop ways to improve
competence
3.3 Identify, evaluate, select and use development
opportunities suitable to personal learning style/s to develop
competence
3.4 Undertake participation in networks to enhance personal
knowledge, skills and work relationships
3.5 Identify and develop new skills to achieve and maintain a
competitive edge
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REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this
unit.
Required skills
• communication skills to receive, analyse and report on feedback
• literacy skills to interpret written and verbal information about workplace
requirements
• organisational skills to set and achieve priorities.
Required knowledge
• principles and techniques involved in the management and organisation of:
• performance measurement
• personal behaviour, self-awareness and personality traits identification
• personal development plan
• personal goal setting
• time management
• management development opportunities and options for self
• organisation's policies, plans and procedures
• types of learning style/s and how they relate to the individual
• types of work methods and practices that can improve personal performance.
RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for
different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold
italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential
operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment
(depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item,
and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Own responsibilities and accountabilities may include:
• expectations of workplace performance as expressed in a performance plan
• outputs as expressed in position descriptions or duty statements
• statement of conduct outlining an individual's responsibilities / actions /
performance
Technology may include:
• computerised systems and software, databases, project management and
word processing
• electronic diary
• personal digital assistant (PDA)
Competency standards may include:
• enterprise-specific units of competency consistent with work requirements
• nationally endorsed units of competency consistent with work requirements
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Clients and colleagues may be:
• colleagues at the same level and more senior managers
• internal or external customers
• people from a wide range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with a
range of physical and mental abilities
• team members
Development opportunities may include:
• action learning
• coaching
• exchange/rotation
• induction
• mentoring
• shadowing
• structured training programs
EVIDENCE GUIDE
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in
conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range
statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate
competency in this unit
Evidence of the following is essential:
• systems and processes (electronic or paper-based) used to organise and
prioritise tasks, which show how work is managed
• personal development plan, with career objectives and an action plan
• knowledge of relevant legislation.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
• access to appropriate documentation and resources normally used in the
workplace.
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Method of assessment A range of assessment methods should be used to
assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for
this unit:
• analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios
• direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third
party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
• observation of presentations
• oral or written questioning to asses knowledge of work methods and practices
that can improve personal performance
• review of personal work goals, plans and activities
• evaluation of work-life balance
• review of documentation assessing personal knowledge and skills against
competency standards.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and
job role is recommended, for example:
• other units from the Diploma of Management.
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Introduction
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Being effective in your workplace involves setting and managing your work
priorities.
This unit of competency is about setting priorities to accomplish your work
priorities and developing and maintaining your skills.
This learner guide has been created especially for the bookkeeping industry, and
the examples used relate to bookkeeping; however it could be used for any
professional in a management position or their own business.
At the end of this unit, you will be asked to complete a assessment. The
information contained in this training guide will assist you to complete this task.
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Chapter 1
Establish
personal
work goals
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Serve as a positive role model in the workplace through personal work
planning and organisation.
What is a role model?
According to Wikipedia a role model is “any person who serves as an example,
whose behavior is emulated by others".
As in any situation, there are good and bad role models and you need to choose
who and what you emulate, although even a bad role model can still be a positive
influence ie you don’t want to be like that person and will act in the opposite way
to achieve a good outcome.
Individually, we all have different strengths and weaknesses and there are things
we would like to change about ourselves and we should always be striving to
improve ourselves both professionally and personally.
Often when you think of role models, you think of them as somebody you want to
emulate in the entirety, which is not always the case.
Often you will want to emulate one area of a role model, but not other areas. Ie
you can be a positive role model regarding your skills and knowledge, but your
time management abilities or work / life balance may leave something to be
desired.
We also often perceive ourselves differently to how others see us, and we do not
often think of ourselves as positive role models, even though you may be
perceived as a role model by others. Ie you may see yourself as being totally
disorganised and wish you were like Mrs Efficiency who seems to manage to get
everything done while you are still burning the midnight oil to meet a deadline.
Whereas Mrs Efficiency may wish that they have your knowledge and skills and
strive to improve that area of their lives or Mr Disorganised may look at your time
management skills and think you are so well organised.
It is all a matter of perception.
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Qualities of a good manager / leader
A good leader / manager will also be a positive role model and inspire others
through their words and actions. While most people think leadership is a
managerial position with the employees under their command, however this is not
always the case. This can include but not be limited to colleagues, clients and
other people surrounding them.
Individual qualities are determined by our attitudes, and these attitudes are
formed through our past experiences, both personally and professionally. They
can be our family, teachers at school, our bosses and our colleagues.
Some say leaders are born and not made, however we are on a lifelong learning
path and if an individual wants to change the way they work, they can change
their attitudes and beliefs.
According to Danny Cox, there are 10 leadership characteristics © 1996.
1 High Standards of Personal Ethics. Honesty and integrity is the core to
personal ethics, and with honesty and integrity you build trust with those
around you, and if people don’t trust you then they will not follow your lead.
Rules and regulations need to apply to everybody in an organisation, not just a
few ie if you tell people that they must arrive on time and you are constantly
late or taking credit for something someone else has done, then what sort of
message is being sent?
This can also include being able to admit where you have made a mistake and
then take steps to rectify the situation.
2 High Energy. You often hear great leaders being described as having
enthusiasm for life and unending energy.
This can often be the understanding of what tasks are important and needs to
be concentrated on and delegating work to others for a later time or not getting
involved in petty issues.
3 Work Priorities Setting priorities are important, however ensuring the priority
work is completed is even more important and good leaders need to be good at
both, especially if the tasks are difficult or disagreeable.
Particularly when you are overloaded with work, it means getting the important
work done, when it needs to be done and ignoring other work that could wait
for another time.
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4 Courage. Ambrose Redmon said “Courage is not the absence of fear, but
rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear”
A good leader will take risks and accept responsibility for the result, although
this is not to say that a good leader is reckless, as a decision should always be
made after reviewing the pro’s and con’s.
You often hear hindsight is 20/20 and you will not know if a decision made has
been the right one until later, however good or bad you need to stick with that
decision.
5 A Committed and dedicated hard worker. When you look at a dedicated
hard working individual, you will often hear them say “I don’t work hard, I just
love what I do”.
They tend to be upbeat, happy individuals that will often look at ways to
improve what they do and are usually willing to go the extra mile to get the job
done.
6 An Unorthodox and creative leader will constantly push the envelope.
Effective leaders are innovators who bore easily and prefer shaping tomorrow
rather than to repeating yesterday.
Effective leaders are usually innovative people with the urge to create rather
than wait for the phone to ring. If they are working on something that is not
working, they are more likely to abandon the project and look for another way.
7 Goal orientation Focus on the goal to be achieved and be willing to make the
tough decisions to reach that goal.
Individuals that are goal orientated will not be concerned with making
mistakes, but rather look at getting feedback on past performances. They will
continuously focus on improving their skills and updating their knowledge to
improve their performances.
8 Enthusiasm and passion Good leaders inspire enthusiasm from those around
them, and genuine enthusiasm and passion is contagious.
Employee’s level of enthusiasm is often directly related to the enthusiasm and
passion of the leader, and if a leader gives an “I just don’t give a damn”
attitude, this becomes the attitude of the employees. Similarly, if you are
excited and passionate about a project, then this becomes the attitude of the
employees.
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9 Level headed. Strong leaders are steady and level headed in a crisis and see
things as they really are, rather than what they wish it was. A good leader will
resolve the immediate issues rather than just react to the issue, while still
looking ahead at the long term goals.
A good leader that stays level headed under pressure, will inspire those around
them to do the same.
10 Desire to help others grow Successful people are always looking at how to
help others around them grow and succeed, rather than thinking “what’s in it
for me?”
A good leader is always trying to improve themselves, and share their
knowledge and experience with others around them.
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Ensure personal work goals, plans and activities reflect the organisation’s
plans, and own responsibilities and accountabilities
Effective time management is the difference between achieving or not achieving
work goals and plans.
Workers usually follow the direction of their
managers, however managers or outside
consultants have greater flexibility in how they go
about achieving their own work goals and plans and
are held responsible for achieving those outcomes
and meeting those goals.
While this flexibility can lead to greater productivity and assist with personal work
/ life balance, it also requires a far greater discipline and ability to prioritise their
own workload.
Individuals that are able to successfully manage their time are able to manage
their workload and meet their deadlines without undue stress.
While a bookkeeper’s life is determined by various deadlines both for the work
they do for a client, as well as the work within their own business, including but
not limited to:
� Payment of employee wages
� ATO lodgments including IAS and BAS
� Payment of creditors bills ie credit cards, insurance, tax and super etc
� PAYG Summaries
� Business accountant for BAS and / or income tax return lodgments
Missing or forgetting a deadline, can have a variety of implications for the
organisation ie disgruntled employees, fines or late fees and penalties,
organization being uninsured.
If you are a contract bookkeeper running your own business, you will also need to
deal with meeting your own business deadlines and managing staff if you have
any, as well as acting as a role model for them and others.
When you are running your own bookkeeping business, you will probably find you
will have a combination of regular weekly, monthly and quarterly clients, and it is
the quarterly clients that will put pressure on you during BAS months, especially if
you are also completing the BAS for them, (and inconveniently if you have
children, it also falls during most of the school holiday periods)
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If you are completing BAS for clients, time management with client appointments
is extremely important. If you don’t time manage you will not have enough time
to complete all the work required by the due dates.
Your clients don’t want the hassle of having to ring you to make an appointment.
Dollars to donuts, if the deadline is the 28th of the month, they will ring you on the
25th and you will be booked out. With a deadline looming, you will only put
pressure on yourself to complete all the work by the due dates.
It is important to be pro-active and make your appointments well ahead of time;
don’t wait for clients to ring you. If you have a monthly client and you know they
particularly prefer a certain day of the week, then in November / December make
the appointments for the coming 12 months.
It can be as easy as saying “I tend to get busy around certain times of the year,
and I don’t want to have a situation where I won’t have time to complete your
work, can we schedule in times now for the next 6 or 12 months?”
You will be helping yourself organise the work ahead, as well as getting your
client’s financials organised. It will also make you look more professional.
It is a great feeling looking at your diary in January, knowing you have regular
clients booked all the way to December, which will also help you manage your
cash flow.
Traditionally, the Christmas / New Year period is a feast or famine situation for
most clients. They are either very quiet, so they shut down and can’t see you or
are extremely busy and don’t want to see you because they haven’t the time. The
ATO has always given businesses an extra month to complete the December BAS.
Get into the habit of making appointments with yourself so you can catch up on
your own paperwork, expand your business marketing and diarise personal
events.
You can also schedule crisis days, such as every Wednesday, for the unexpected
work you have to complete for a client, which is not part of your regular
bookkeeping work.
If you have staff, it is also important to schedule regular times with them,
including
� Regular updates on work schedules
� Any issues that may be affecting them.
� Professional Development
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Many small business operators work from home and this can prove difficult with
the lines blurring between home and professional life.
This is not so much of an issue when you go to a client’s premises to complete the
work and you have a 9.30am appointment.
You will generally leave home in time to reach that client by the appointed time
and you will probably finish at the nominated time.