Cummunity Service1 Essay Example

Community Service: Reflection and Improvement of Professional Practice

Community Service: Reflection and Improvement of Professional Practice

Task ONE: Short answer questions

1. Strategies towards giving open feedback to co-workers

In this perspective, it is imperative to comprehend the idea that feedback impacts the efforts that would be put by those who are receiving it upon its discussion. Therefore, first, I would chose an appropriate time and place for such activities, which I would prefer to on regular intervals to promote normally with the practice. Second, I would give the feedback in person since face to face discussion with other members of the team can facilitate understanding. Lastly, I would ensure to be prepared to the activity, making sure that I have all the necessary information about the topic of performance. This aspect would avoid further questions of non-clarities.

1. Receiving feedback

1. Impacts of defensive act whilst receiving feedback

However, honest feedback might be compromised if the recipient act defensively, which would distort the words of the feedback and destroy the primary intention. Moreover, people like to be listened to or heard, which defensiveness would result in the opposite.

2. Benefits of asking good questions when looking to get honest feedback

As a supervisor, using good questions whilst seeking for feedback can be associated to a number of advantages, which some of them include promoting a feedback culture amongst colleagues or clients, building relationship based on trust, and promoting self-awareness about own skills and style of seeking truth from clients of team members.

3. How to constructively analyse and interpret negative feedback

Feedback can be used for personal growth; it can facilitate growth by highlighting areas that need to be corrected. As a supervisor, I would perceive the negative feedback as idea of correction that has been presented from another person’s perspective, which would be different from mine. This way, I believe the negativity feature of the feedback would not be much provocative. Therefore, I would be open to how it addressed areas that need corrective, regardless of how critic the phrases might be, and avoid defensiveness.

1. Opportunities for skills, knowledge and expertise development

1. Reasons for taking training in workplace

In my workplace as a Shift-Supervisor, I would be required to take workplace training when my performance appraisal indicates that improvement is needed and when the organisation needs to equip its employees with skills towards handling new tasks or resources. Also, it can also be a routine overall professional development program within the organisation, which I would be part as an employee. This aspect can be used to benchmark performance output and efforts input.

2. Types of organisational training in a workplace

1. Communications

2. Computer skills

3. Customers service

4. Diversity

6. Human relations

3. Need to seek advice and request further training

The fact that I work with mentally challenged clients calls for high level of understanding in a wide scope of mental disabilities. Therefore, one of the reasons towards seeking advice and even taking further training in a my workplace would be enhance deep understanding of emerging mental disability issues that I have observed with clients lately and I find it difficult to hand them effectively. Also, I would seek advice or further training when I feel that that tasks that I handle compromise what I had in mind earlier; beliefs or personalities, for instance.

4. Benefits of further studies to career development

Further studies, especially whilst targeting a specific skills or knowledge equip professionals with the capabilities to handle changes in their career line upon becoming aware of them. Therefore, taking short course provides an opportunity to understand the changes within my career and adjust to best fit them. This practice would also increase my employability skills concerning social work expectations.

1. Work-life balance

1. Concern towards stressed employees in a community services organisation

As a community services organisation, the primary role is to provide help to community members that require them. In this case, working with mentally disable clients would require certain skills and competencies including understanding these types of clients. Therefore, an employee who exhibits such stress and related behaviour would most likely impact their feelings on matters concerning intended clients hence affecting them. Additionally, such employees might become victims as well and develop problems associated with mental health, which the organisation’s primary intention is to help solve.

2. Helping a stressed overworked employee

To help Mark and other employees who would be facing similar situation, the organisation should practice the following towards managing work-life balance effectively.

• Allow flexible schedules

• Recognise and respond to signs of overwork or overload

• Build a healthy workplace, which include encouraging breaks during the day, amongst others.

• Communicate work-life balance with employees, and encourage leaves at certain points.

1. Networking in an organisation

1. Benefits of organisational networking

Internally, agencies such as Family court of Australia depend on ties between different departments within the organisation to best serve their clients. They rely on the effective communication and coordination between employees. Externally, the organisation relies on coordination with the public, lawyers, government and media to best serve their clients.

2. How industry networking would promote professional development

The contemporary career requires networking with other people or areas to remain active and aware of the trends. However, since networking requires planning (Llopis, 2012), it would enhance my ability to effectively communicate, seek information, and employ it to determine the current trends in my profession. Through industry networking, I would improve level of commitment, ability to communicate and improve executive presence, and work within time schedules, which would in turn improve my planning capabilities and time management.

1. Personal development plans

1. Factors to consider before establishing personal development plans

Developing or establishing any personal development plan would require one to consider:

• The rationale or need for a personal development plan

• The goals or objectives meant to be achieved

• Activities that should be undertaken

• Resources that are needed

• Time frame for the activities

• Criterion of evaluating the achievement

2. Steps of a personal development plan establishment

1. Brainstorming about the solutions to be provided by the plan

2. Personal analysis, which include SWOT results

3. Creation of goals which are achievable and relevant; SMART approach is effective in this step

4. Review of the plan to ensure relevancy with the primary intentions

Reference

Llopis, G. (2012). 7 Reasons networking can be a professional development boot camp. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/05/29/7-reasons-networking-can-be-a-professional-development-boot-camp/#d3d9a906e900