Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Publications
  3. Publishing partners
  4. Facet Publishing
  5. Content Listing

Refine listing

Refine listing

Access:
Content type:
Publication date:
Apply   From and To filters
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Societies Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

5856 results in Facet Publishing

Page 118 of 293

  • 45 - Conferences – organizing

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 112-115

  • Summary

    GETTING INVOLVED IN organizing a conference is a great opportunity for all levels of staff. They will develop a range of skills, including networking, marketing, communication, presenting, negotiating, managing people, troubleshooting and budget management, to name but a few. In addition, they will find that creating something people enjoy and find useful is incredibly rewarding. If this is something you or your staff are interested in you can either look at joining the organizing committee for an established conference, such as the ones listed in the Further Reading section at the end of this Tip, or you could consider setting up a conference of your own if you can identify a gap in the LKS conference market.

    Getting involved

    If members of your staff are thinking of joining an established committee it is a good idea to think about the skills that they already have and identify any areas that they need to develop when allocating roles and tasks. Some areas that individuals can be involved in are:

  • • Chair

  • • Treasurer

  • • bookings

  • • call for papers

  • • sponsorship

  • • programme (what the delegates receive in their packs on arrival, brochure, badge, useful information, etc.)

  • • marketing and communications (website, social media, etc.).

    • Organizing your own conference

    If you and your team decide to organize a conference yourselves there are a number of considerations to take into account. These include planning the programme, organizing the venue and attracting people to the conference, not just as attendees but also in terms of presenting papers and running workshops.

    The theme of your conference should be relevant and informed by the target audience and their expectations. Once the theme is agreed the programme can be designed with a view to attracting attendees and interesting speakers or experts in the field can be invited to speak or present. It is usual to put out a general call for papers on the agreed theme which outlines the criteria for inclusion. It is not unusual for high-profile speakers to charge appearance fees or expenses and this should be factored into the planning process.

  • 35 - Apprentices, graduate trainees and work placements

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 85-88

  • Summary

    THIS TIP IS not about the technicalities of setting up apprenticeships, graduate trainee schemes or placements. It focuses on the quality of the experience which participants in these schemes should expect during their time working within your team. If you are involved in setting up one of these schemes then you should be following the Tips laid out in Section 2 (p. 27) of this book to ensure that the relationship between the individual and the service/ organization is beneficial to all interested parties. Additional information on apprentices, graduate trainee schemes and work placements are available by following the links in the Further Reading section below (p. 88).

    Work experience

    The principle behind apprenticeships, graduate trainee schemes and work placements is to provide real work experience for individuals, most of whom will either be studying for further qualifications or using the experience as a basis to apply for further study. Generally speaking, apprentices and graduate trainees will be paid an agreed salary during their time with your organization. Individuals on work placements might or might not receive payment. Either way, the onus is on the employer to ensure that the experience for individuals is meaningful and a valuable use of their time.

    Advantages

    Advantages to individuals of such schemes include the opportunity to develop practical skills, knowledge and behaviours through real-life experience. From an employer's perspective they are contributing to ensuring that the future workforce is trained in the skills, knowledge and behaviours that will ensure that their organizations can meet future challenges and take advantage of opportunities that will enable them to grow and prosper. The example below shows how the experience of undertaking a graduate traineeship led to a successful start to a career in the profession.

    Example from practice: Catherine McManamon – LKS professional (academic) and former graduate trainee

    My graduate traineeship was based in one of Manchester Metropolitan University's site libraries. The trainee programme aimed to provide a broad introduction to the different aspects of HE library services as well as practical experience of supporting the staff and students of the university in a front line capacity, prior to embarking on a Master level LIS qualification.

  • 21 - Managing performance

  • from Section 2 - Infrastructure
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 50-52

  • Summary

    AT ITS MOST basic level the purpose of management is to ensure that the work gets done. To achieve this aim managers need to create an environment in which staff can perform their roles to the agreed standard. In turn staff members need to develop the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours to enable them to do this. Managing staff performance, in a positive and pro-active way, is the key to achieving this purpose.

    In some organizations there will be a clear performance management framework which managers will be expected to adhere to. In others there may be arrangements for some aspects of performance management, such as recruitment and appraisals, whilst in others there may be nothing formal. In all of these instances managers will be able to introduce some performance management activities. Where there is a formal system it is best to work within it, as otherwise you are making work for yourself. It is recommended that whatever the structure of your organization you discuss any concerns you have about setting up a performance management framework with your HR department, if you have one, or with other managers.

    Performance management begins before an individual has started with an organization. The steps described prior to this Tip are instrumental in starting to build the relationship between the individual and their manager, team and organization. The job description and the person specification are the basic framework documents which outline what is expected of the individual in their role. The individual's experience of the selection process and their induction will have started to build their impressions of the organization, which will form part of their emotional or psychological contract.

    Communication is the key to creating a culture which enables good performance. Day-to-day performance management is made up of a number of activities which are covered in the Tips following this one, which include appraisals (p. 54 and p. 56), one-to-ones (p. 61) and team meetings (p. 68).

    Individuals need to understand what their manager means by good performance. They need to be clear about what is deemed an acceptable level of performance and how the work that they do contributes to the work of the team and the overall success of their organization.

  • 11 - Why develop staff?

  • from Section 2 - Infrastructure
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 27-30

  • Summary

    THIS BOOK IS about developing staff but the question that then arises is, why do it? Why should we, as individuals and managers, want to develop ourselves and our staff members? Why should managers and organizations support and enable us in doing so? What is in it for the individual, the service and the organization?

    Development v. training

    The first point to consider is the word ‘develop’ as opposed to ‘train’. Training is generally perceived as something quite basic. It is about people learning how to carry out a particular task in order to do a job. It has its place in developing staff, particularly in terms of meeting legal requirements such as health and safety considerations, but it is not the only aspect to consider. Development is much broader. It is about developing the whole person:

    … enable[ing] learning and personal development, with all that this implies … focusing on enabling learning and development for people as individuals – which extends the range of development way outside traditional work skills and knowledge, and creates far more exciting, liberating, motivational opportunities – for people and for employers.

    Chapman, 2014

    The value of continued professional development

    The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has conducted extensive research on the value of continued professional development (CPD) to the individual and to the organization. Their conclusions are shown in Tables 11.1 and 11.2 (from CIPD, 2015).

    Developing staff is therefore something which is good for the individual and the organization. Ultimately the purpose is to develop and move the organization forward as a whole whilst maintaining the engagement and commitment of individual staff members. In order to develop staff who contribute to the aims of the service and the organization you need to start in the right place.

    Skills, knowledge, behaviour and experience

    The range of skills, knowledge, behaviour and experience required by those working in LKS will vary from service to service and is often dependent upon the service model (Brophy, 2005). The rapid advances in technology mean that ‘what is learnt today will soon be superseded, so the requirement is really about developing the ability and willingness to learn new tools and techniques continually, rather than developing technical expertise’ (Corrall, 2004, 32).

  • 19 - Interviews – feedback

  • from Section 2 - Infrastructure
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 45-48

  • Summary

    PROVIDING FEEDBACK IS an important part of the selection process. It should be offered, as a matter of course, to both successful and unsuccessful candidates. In the case of the successful candidate this is best done face to face as part of the induction process. With unsuccessful candidates it is generally more practical to deliver feedback via a phone call or, if this is not possible, e-mail. This should take place as soon as possible after the selection process has ended.

    Giving constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates is important from the organizational perspective as it confirms that the organization has taken the whole selection process seriously. Providing feedback is a means of acknowledging that individuals have put time and effort into the process even though they have not been successful. It means that unsuccessful candidates will be able to learn from the process they have just participated in and will, hopefully, have a better chance of securing the next role they interview for.

    As stated in Tip 17 (p. 39), the panel should agree in advance who will inform the candidates of the outcome of the process and decide how feedback will be provided. It is suggested that unsuccessful candidates are informed of the outcome and then asked if they would like feedback. If they say yes a time should be agreed when the person delivering the feedback can contact them to provide this.

    The feedback needs to be related back to the person specification and describe how the individual fared with regard to each of the criteria. It should focus on the individual, include specific examples and, if appropriate, include suggestions as to how the candidate could improve future performance. It should not take the form of a comparison with the successful candidate. Verbal feedback is generally a better option as it gives the candidate the opportunity to seek clarification of the points being made and to express their opinion of the process. Verbal feedback can be followed up with a written statement of the main points made if the candidate requests it. The CIPD (2012) have produced a useful model of delivering effective feedback to unsuccessful candidates which is reproduced in Figure 19.1.

  • 51 - Conferences – writing proposals for papers

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 127-128

  • Summary

    PRESENTING AT A conference is a great experience for staff. It raises their profile, the profile of your organization and the work you are doing. However, to do this individuals first need to get their proposal accepted. If members of your staff are considering submitting a paper to a conference, they should think about the points below before beginning to write.

    What and why?

  • • Ensure that they have chosen the right conference to present their paper, as relevance is a key criterion on which it will be judged.

  • • Investigate how original their presentation topic is; for example, submitting a paper to the LILAC conference on how to teach search skills in the LKS library might not be offering anything new to delegates, unless it is a revolutionary approach.

  • • The topic should be interesting, be up to date and reflect current trends in this area.

  • • If presenting research or any sort of new initiative include the methodology, ensuring that it is robust, tested and explained in the paper.

  • • The presentation should be about work which has been completed and should include the results. Delegates do not want to know what will happen, they are much more interested in what happened, the challenges, ‘lessons learned’ and future improvements.

  • • Reflect on how this research/project changed practice, successes, students’ marks or behaviour.

  • • The presentation format should fit into the formats accepted by the conference, such as short papers, long papers and workshops. If a workshop is being facilitated, a lesson plan must be created.

    • Who?

    The type of audience should be considered when planning the presentation:

  • • Why is the subject matter of interest to the delegates?

  • • Is this something that they will be able to take away and apply at their home institution?

  • • Why should they care and why should they listen?

    • Practicalities

  • • Read the conference guidelines carefully.

  • • Proofread the submission.

  • • Develop a catchy title to help your paper to stand out.

  • • Do not leave planning to the last minute.

  • 42 - Communities of practice – internal

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 105-107

  • Summary

    A Community of Practice can be described as a network of people emerging spontaneously, and held together by informal relationships and common purpose, that shares common knowledge or a specific domain, expertise and tools, and learn from one another.

    van Wyk, 2005, 92

    COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (CoPs) have been discussed in a number of sectors such as business, education and health and they are common in LKS. In fact we are all probably members of formal or informal communities of practice, even if we don't define them in this way. One problem with the literature is that definitions are varied and have evolved over time; however members of a CoP generally share common goals and motivations (Kimble and Hildreth, 2005). They can be created within a single organization, and often these CoPs are influenced by management goals and may be linked to the overall knowledge management (KM) strategy.

    Example from practice: the Academic Library Service at the University of Pretoria (van Wyk, 2005)

    The Academic Library Service at the University of Pretoria includes a collection of service units. Through interviews and focus groups, two types of CoP were identified: Cross-organizational CoPs and internal CoPs.

    Cross-organizational CoPs are: Knowledge Management Practitioners Group of Pretoria; Gaelic Cataloguers and Technical Services Working Group; African Goats Group.

    Internal CoPs are: Information Specialists Group; Digital Repositories Group; Information Network for E-Information Experts.

    van Wyk (2005) found that these CoPs enabled members to work smarter, share knowledge and feel part of a wider network. They were also beneficial to the organization, as they helped to embed knowledge within the organization and avoid the loss of tacit information when individuals left. They also spread ideas across the organization and enabled innovation.

    Whilst there are many benefits to organizational CoPs, van Wyk (2005) outlines a number of critical factors which can threaten the success of organizational CoPs. Management support, time to participate, workload, incentives, size of the CoP, trust and motivation can all provide challenges to a community of practice.

  • 74 - Reflection – facilitating

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 192-194

  • Summary

    Reflection – facilitating

    STAFF WORKING TOWARDS CILIP qualifications will be expected to provide evidence of their reflective practice, which should be linked to the criteria and their personal development plans (CILIP, 2014a, b, c). Managers and supervisors have a role to play in ensuring that reflective practice does not become something which is merely done as a one-off to meet criteria outlined in formal activities. You can also encourage staff to reflect in appraisal and professional development meetings using a questioning approach. In her blog, Half Pint of Hard Earned Wisdom, Donna Watt suggests that the following questions can be used to lead people to a place where they can transform their practice:

    What will you do differently?

    Did your learning question your practice, or reaffirm what you already do?

    What is your action plan and how will you measure the impact of any change?

    Have you started a journey of professional discovery as a result of new ideas?

    Do you have any new questions as a result of the experience?

    Watt, 2011

    Some organizations include standard questions within their appraisal documentation which can be used to encourage the appraisee to reflect on their performance. It is also useful if you consider the same questions in advance of the appraisal meeting to ensure that you can encourage your staff member towards deeper learning, outcomes of which can be fed into formal personal development plans. This questioning approach can also be used with project teams or individuals in order to examine projects, incidents and development activities.

    By adopting a questioning approach to appraisal and development meetings, you can enable staff to reflect on their practice, leading them to analyse their role in situations, to understand how they could make changes and to help them resolve any issues. Through reflective practice you can also support staff members to extract positive results from their experiences which can impact on their future work. The next Tip (p. 194) provides practical examples for facilitating reflection and tips for reflective writing.

  • 55 - Funding for CPD

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 138-142

  • Summary

    ATTENDING CONFERENCES, TRAINING EVENTS, formal courses and being involved in research can bring huge benefits for both your service and individuals in your teams (CIPD, 2015). These activities provide the opportunity for staff to build networks, bring new ideas and innovate. As a result of participating, individual team members are likely to be more motivated, engaged and generally happier in their careers, which can only be good for your service. Ongoing personal development for team members is vital for the success of your service; however, as LKS budgets are cut and we see more UK libraries under threat of closure, it is no surprise that funding for staff development is one of the first areas to be hit.

    Costs

    If you need members of your team to undertake training or attend conferences as part of their personal development objectives and your service strategy, then you will be expected to cover some or all of the costs from your staff development budget. Sending staff members to national and international conferences or on accredited training can be a rewarding experience, but the cost for one individual could wipe out your annual staff development budget. Travel, accommodation and providing cover for your service adds to the overall cost of activities.

    Bursaries and grants

    Whilst conferences and research projects can give you great insights into your service and can be of huge benefit to individuals in your teams, they can also be costly in terms of time, resources and training requirements for individual researchers. Bursaries and grants can be a great way to cover some of these costs and in this Tip we will consider what is available to support your teams. Competition for funding is fierce, with many applicants fulfilling all the criteria. This means your member of staff will need to make their application form stand out, ensuring that it does more than just meet the criteria outlined in the application form.

    Most bursary applications give candidates at least a month to apply, so it is important that applications are not rushed. You must make sure that the staff member has fully addressed all of the criteria and included relevant examples or ‘evidence’ of how they meet the particular points.

  • 63 - Mentoring – peer

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 163-165

  • Summary

    Mentoring – peer

    PEER MENTORING OR co-mentoring is used in the academic world. It brings students together, sometimes from different year groups or specialisms, and they enter into a one-to-one learning relationship. This partnership ‘provides for a collaborative learning environment where students can be both experts and learners’ (Peter, 2013, 454). In one case study, Peter (2013) outlines how students in the information profession act as first-line support to help other students to navigate the library and information world.

    Whilst the traditional mentoring relationship usually involves an older, more experienced individual sharing their wisdom and knowledge with someone less experienced (Clutterbuck, 1991, cited in Brewerton, 2002) a peer mentoring relationship provides the opportunity for an individual to learn from a colleague with similar experiences. This relationship rejects the hierarchical structure, indicating that all participants are able to learn from each other (Goosney, Smith and Gordon, 2014). As an added bonus, peers who are partnered with a colleague also have the opportunity to develop their own coaching and mentoring skills outlined in Tips 40 (p. 100) and 62 (p. 160).

    Building this type of supportive relationship is useful for your staff, and could help them to work through problems and develop new ideas outside their day-to-day work. It can also be useful for staff to develop a learning relationship with colleagues from other departments or from other organizations. These relationships promote an overall learning culture, with peers providing opportunities for learning whilst also being encouraged to learn new skills (Wilson, Gaunt and Tehrani, 2009).

    Collaborative approach

    At the heart of the peer mentoring relationship is a collaborative approach to learning and sharing of expertise and knowledge.

    Co-mentoring is not based on a traditional teacher/student model but rather on the principle of equal, mutually beneficial relationships in which each member of an LC [Learning Contract] functions as both mentor and mentee: bringing knowledge, questions, and ideas to the group and benefiting equally from discussion, reflection, and exploration.

    Mullen, 2000, cited in Peter, 2013

    The International Librarians Network (ILN) is a volunteer-led peer mentoring programme which aims to help librarians to develop international networks. Applicants are partnered with colleagues from different countries, at different stages of their careers and with similar interests. The partnership operates on an equal basis, with both parties approaching the relationship as both protégé and mentor.

  • 37 - Buddying

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 91-93

  • Summary

    BUDDYING IS WHERE an experienced member of staff works with a new or inexperienced staff member to increase their confidence and expertise either generally or in a particular area. It is often used as part of the induction process as a means of giving a new member of staff a point of contact, other than their line manager, who can answer questions and provide one-to-one support. It tends to be a fairly informal relationship and lasts for as long as the person being buddied requires it.

    Benefits of Buddying

    Assigning a buddy to a new member of staff can really make a difference to the success of their induction. Having a buddy gives a new member of staff a friendly face they know they can seek support from in terms of explaining how things work and answering questions. This can help them to settle into their new role more quickly, and reduce the chance of them feeling isolated or unsupported.

    Acting as a buddy also provides a good developmental opportunity for existing members of staff, giving them the chance to develop their communication skills and share their knowledge and experience.

    University of Sheffield, 2014

    Buddying offers development opportunities for both individuals in the relationship, not just the person who is being buddied. HR staff based at Manchester Metropolitan University (2015) have produced a guide on the skills, knowledge, expertise and behaviours that make a good buddy, from which the following list is taken.

    Who Makes a Good Buddy?

    A good buddy is someone who is prepared to be:

  • • A contact

  • • A friendly face

  • • An informal source of information on the team and department

  • • Someone who knows how things work across the organisation and is prepared to share that experience

    • Personal attributes of a good buddy include:

  • • The ability to listen

  • • Openness and commitment to being a buddy – it can be a learning experience for both parties

  • • Good time management and self management skills

  • • Relevant knowledge and experience to be able to provide the right level of support

  • 17 - Interviews

  • from Section 2 - Infrastructure
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 39-43

  • Summary

    THE PURPOSE OF the interview is to select the best candidate from those shortlisted for the job on offer. For many organizations the interview is the only method used at this stage. Others combine it with tasks such as presentations or tests.

    Preparation

    Good interviews require in-depth preparation from those who will be conducting them. It is good practice to include the proposed interview date on the job advertisement if possible. Prior to the interview the candidates need to be informed of the following:

  • • the date, time and venue of the interview

  • • where they should report to on arrival and who they should ask for

  • • the names and positions of the people conducting the interview

  • • if required, details of any presentation or other task they will be expected to undertake

  • • what paperwork, e.g. certificates, proof of identity, they need to bring with them

  • • information about how to claim for expenses, if these are paid.

    • Format

    The format of the interview needs to be decided well in advance. There are different types of interviews. The most commonly used in the LKS sector are individual competency interviews conducted by a panel, which this Tip focuses on. Many organizations will have a set interview procedure. It is important to consult with your HR department, if you have one, to ensure that you are following the approved format.

    Interviewers

    The composition of the interview panel should be decided as early as possible to ensure availability. It is advisable to have at least two people interviewing and, whilst this can vary depending on the role on offer, the proposed line manager should always be involved. Other possible individuals to consider for the panel include:

  • • the line manager's line manager

  • • the head of service

  • • a service stakeholder or user

  • • an HR member

  • • another team member

  • • external interviewer.

    • Questions

    The most important part of the interview preparation is setting and agreeing the questions. These should be linked to the person specification and should build on the information the candidate has provided in their application. Table 17.1 outlines different types of question which are useful to consider when planning the interview.

  • 100 - Writing project plans

  • from Section 3 - Activities and tools
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 266-269

  • Summary

    Writing project plans

    THE PLANNING PROCESS is a crucial activity for any project to be successful and developing your staff in this area is vital to ensuring that your service grows and adapts to change. Effective project planning ensures that outcomes are delivered on schedule and within budget and that everyone involved knows what is expected of them. In this Tip we will discuss developing the initial project brief and the creation of project plans, which should be monitored throughout the lifetime of the project.

    The brief

    The project brief or specification is sometimes called a project implementation document (PID) or a project charter, and this will be informed by the project management approach that is used (Mind Tools, 2016). Whatever you call this document, it will clearly define the project proposal and intended outcomes, including as much detail as possible. If the parameters of the project are not clearly outlined from the outset, this will contribute to the project's not being completed or failure to achieve the intended outcomes (Young, 2013). It is therefore essential that all resource requirements, timescales, team roles and limitations are described in detail from the beginning. The entire project team and all relevant stakeholders must be involved in developing the brief, to mitigate misunderstandings and to manage expectations. Involving the entire project team in the planning process and securing agreement about their roles and the project outcomes means that the project is more likely to succeed and individuals are more likely to commit to fulfilling their responsibilities.

    There is no single approach to presenting a project brief, and to some extent this will be dictated by your organization, the methodology you use and the size of the project. As a minimum, your project brief should answer the following questions (Young, 2013; Mind Tools, 2016):

  • • Why is the project needed?

  • • What is the scope of the project?

  • • What are the boundaries of the project?

  • • What are the principal objectives?

  • • Who are the key stakeholders?

  • • What resources are needed?

  • • How much will it cost?

  • • Who needs to be involved and what are their roles?

  • • What risks have been identified?

  • • What is the expected output or outcome?

  • • How long will the project take?

  • 24 - Appraisals – conducting

  • from Section 2 - Infrastructure
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Book:
    Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016, pp 56-59

  • Summary

    HAVING PREPARED ALL the paperwork in advance of the appraisal meeting both you and your employee should arrive with a clear idea of what will happen. CIPD (2015) indicates that a performance appraisal meeting should include:

  • • measurement against clearly defined objectives and values

  • • an opportunity to give feedback to the individual about their progress and performance

  • • an opportunity for positive reinforcement

  • • facilitation of an honest and open discussion in which the employee can raise concerns or issues

  • • ending by defining SMART goals (see Tip 25, p. 59) and objectives for the coming year which both parties agree.

    • The appraisal meeting should provide space for the employee to discuss their career objectives, identify their personal training needs and highlight their plans for the coming year. Whilst the appraisal is often focused on service and organizational objectives and how the employee can contribute to these, it also provides space for you to find out more about the individual and their aspirations.

    Role of the manager

    As the line manager or supervisor, your role is to manage the process and keep things on track. The meeting should have a clear structure and be focused on the individual, but it should be sensitively handled and allow for an honest and open discussion. Having a working relationship which is based on trust is integral to being able to give and receive honest feedback and you should both agree the next steps.

    You need to ensure that you do not dominate the discussion and that you both have the opportunity to speak and be heard. You are not dictating what should happen or controlling the discussion, even if there are both positive and negative issues that you wish to discuss. The appraisal is about assessing an individual's performance, identifying training needs and setting goals for improvement. If not handled well it can be demotivating for the employee and can result in disengagement.

    Facilitating an effective appraisal meeting requires you to have well developed skills in a number of areas and the following list provides some techniques which can improve the appraisal meeting.

Page 118 of 293