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121 results

Page 1 of 7

  • SG-APSIC1157: The attributable mortality and excess length of stay associated with third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales bloodstream infections—A prospective cohort study in Suva, Fiji

  • Michael Loftus, Tracey Young-Sharma, Allen Cheng, Adam Jenney, Sue Lee, Ravi Naidu, Anton Peleg, Andrew Stewardson
  • Journal:
    Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology / Volume 3 / Issue S1 / February 2023
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    16 March 2023, p. s24
    • Article
      • You have access
      • Open access
    • PDF
    • Export citation

  • Objectives: Although antimicrobial resistance (AMR) disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), primary clinical data on AMR burden from LMICs are lacking, particularly from the Pacific Islands. We adapted recent World Health Organization methodology to measure the impact of third-generation cephalosporin (3GC) resistance on mortality and excess length of hospital stay among inpatients with Enterobacterales bloodstream infection (BSI) in Fiji. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of inpatients with Enterobacterales BSIs at Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva. We collected demographic, clinical, and microbiological data, and we stored bacterial isolates for confirmatory testing and molecular genomics in Melbourne, Australia. We employed cause-specific Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the effect of 3GC-resistance on hazard of in-hospital mortality and discharge alive (competing outcomes), and we used multistate modelling to estimate the excess length of hospital stay associated with 3GCR. Results: From July 2020 to February 2021, we identified 162 consecutive Enterobacterales BSIs, and 66 (40.7%) were 3GC resistant. The crude mortality rates for patients with 3GC-susecptible and 3GC-resistant BSIs were 16.7% (16 of 96) and 30.3% (20 of 66), respectively. Also, 3GC resistance was not associated with either in-hospital mortality (aHR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.80–3.49) or discharge alive (aHR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.50–1.12). However, patient comorbidities and acuity of illness were associated with in-hospital mortality. Furthermore, 3GC-resistance was associated with an increased length of stay of 2.6 days (95% CI, 2.5–2.8). Overall, 3GC-resistance was more common among patients with hospital-associated than community-acquired infection, but genomics did not identify clonal transmission. Conclusions: Among patients with Enterobacterales BSIs, mortality was relatively high, and 3GC resistance was common. Also, 3GC resistance was associated with increased hospital length of stay but not with in-hospital mortality after adjusting for potential confounders. Accurate estimates of the burden of AMR are important, especially from LMICs. Such knowledge can inform policy decisions, guide allocation of limited resources, and assist the evaluation of future interventions to address AMR.

Practical Tips for Developing Your Staff
  • Tracey Pratchett, Gil Young, Carol Brooks, Lisa Jeskins, Helen Monagle
  • Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    21 November 2016
  • This book offers innovative tips and tried-and-tested best practice to enable library and knowledge workers to take control of professional development regardless of the budget and time available to them. Continuing professional development (CPD) is a key component of a successful and satisfying career. Part of the Practical Tips for Library and Information Professionals series, this book offer a wide range of ideas and methods for all library and information professionals to manage the development of those who work for and with them.

  • 72 - Projects

  • 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 186-190

  • Summary

    Projects

    YOUNG (2013, 14) defines projects as ‘Temporary endeavours to achieve some specific objectives in a defined time’. This means that projects are not something which are part of the day-to-day operation of a service, or business as usual. They are a one-off occurrence which is unique and will ultimately result in a change to your service, whether by changing a process, introducing a new product or creating an innovative service. Projects can vary in size and scope, will be of different timescales and will require additional resources, whether financial or human. Projects can range from large-scale national programmes of interconnected projects, interdepartmental working groups or smaller project groups.

    You and your teams will be involved in a number of projects, whether local, for example to implement a new library management system, or a national programme of work, such as the Knowledge for Healthcare Programme (Health Education England, 2014) in the UK. This programme incorporates a number of workstreams, each with a number of smaller task and finish groups which are responsible for delivering specific outcomes. Each task and finish group comprises health library staff from different organizations across England, who are working together to deliver their smaller project outcomes. Your team members may be involved purely in library-based projects, but can also bring their unique specialist skills in knowledge management, evidence or information to interdepartmental organizational projects involving a number of staff from different teams.

    Tools

    Newton (2013) defines a project as having a number of stages, including defining the project, planning the project, identifying resource requirements, delivering the project, managing risks, evaluation and learning lessons. There are a number of tools which can be used to manage projects and whichever you choose is likely to depend on the complexity of the project and your requirements. Check out Tip 73 (p. 190) for more information about project management tools. Project definition and planning are central to ensuring that everyone understands what the project aims to deliver, the resources required and individual roles, and this is discussed in more detail in Tip 100 (p. 266).

  • 82 - Time management

  • 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 213-216

  • Summary

    Time management

    MIND TOOLS (2016A) define time management as ‘the way that you organize and plan how long you spend on specific activities’. Bartlett (2012) suggests that it is not that we don't have enough time, we just need to make the most of it and her article reviews a number of key books and journals available to help LKS staff adopt good techniques. Improving the way that you and your teams manage your workloads will increase productivity, enable you to deliver a more effective service and will remove stressors from within the team.

    Feeling overworked is one of the key reasons that people feel stressed in the workplace and helping your team members to adopt good practice when it comes to managing their workload within the time available can help to alleviate this. You may identify that a member of your team is struggling via regular one-to-ones or during appraisal when they have dedicated time to speak to you about their workload and the difficulties that they face. Alternatively, other members of the team may tell you if a colleague is regularly missing deadlines or appears to be struggling to keep on top of their work. Monitoring feedback from customers can also highlight if there are issues with meeting deadlines within the team.

    Improving an individual's time management skills

    So what can you do to help an individual to improve their approach to time management? As with any issue, the first step is to talk to the team member in order to find out what the problem is and listen to their response. Use your coaching skills to help them to pinpoint the problem and to explore options with a view to finding a solution. It is important that you do not make assumptions about what is happening and also avoid taking on their workload yourself, as this will transfer the problem to you; it will not empower the individual or help them to be accountable for their own work.

    Your role as a manager or supervisor is to listen to the individual and support them. You may find out that they feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to complete, or that they are setting unrealistic deadlines. Or there may be issues outside work which are impacting on their ability to focus and manage their workload.

  • 88 - Twitter chats

  • 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 235-237

  • Summary

    Twitter chats

    GETTING INVOLVED IN Twitter chats is a great way to learn and a good way to encourage reflection on learning. They are also a great way of building personal networks. You could set up your own Twitter chat to provide a learning opportunity for yourself, your team members and other LKS staff in the wider network. To do this you need to create a hashtag, tell people about it, tell them what you are going to talk about and set up a time for you all to ‘meet’. Then you would all tweet using the chat hashtag.

    People are using Twitter chats to discuss topical news or subjects in the profession but also as book clubs and journal clubs. Public and school libraries have even organized author chats with children's and young adult's authors. There are several established Twitter chats that you and your staff can get involved in and they will often set an agenda, a number of questions or a topic for people to prepare for:

  • • #uklibchat @uklibchat

  • • #chartership chat

  • • #edchatuk

  • • #ukmedlibs @UKMedLibs.

    • Staff who are undergoing Chartership find the Chartership chat very useful, as they can ask questions and get support from other Chartership candidates.

    In addition to participating in LKS Twitter chats, you can encourage staff within your teams to join conversations that your users are involved in. In the health sector, for example, health professionals may participate in journal club discussions such as #TwitJC or join conversations facilitated by #Wenurses or #WeAHPs. LKS staff can join or observe these discussions to develop their skills in critical appraisal, get ideas for delivery and develop their understanding of LKS users.

    Example from practice: Tom Roper – LKS professional (NHS)

    Inspired by the US #medlibs chat, and by ones like the British #uklibchat and #chartership chats, three of us set up #ukmedlibs, meeting monthly. Participants say they value the informality – ‘you don't have to worry about talking with your mouth full’, said one – and between April 2015 and June 2016 302 people have participated, easily the number that might attend a good-sized professional conference. Following a fast-paced chat can be challenging, so good facilitation is important, and compressing thoughts and communicating clearly within the discipline of 140 characters is a skill that needs to be mastered. Practice makes perfect.

  • 26 - One-to-ones

  • 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 61-63

  • Summary

    REGULAR ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS with your direct reports are essential to improving communication and establishing good relationships. Meetings can be monthly or weekly, dependent on time constraints or your LKS's needs. Meetings should remain confidential, be open, honest and provide an opportunity for two-way communication. Adair (2007) suggests that the one-to-one can help to create a supportive relationship, ensure clear direction and identify ongoing development needs. Meetings can be informal, used as a way to keep in touch with team members, or can be part of a formal performance management, appraisal or development process.

    Well conducted meetings should be organized to give the individual time to discuss any problems, raise any issues and make suggestions for improving services. You should encourage the individual to use this time to ask you whether they can attend training courses or events which may help them to fulfil the requirements of their job. As a manager it is your role to listen, take suggestions on board, coach staff to find solutions, work with the individual to resolve any issues and essentially follow through on any actions.

    Whilst the one-to-one meeting should provide a safe space for the individual to talk to you, it is also an opportunity for you to address any issues with performance, keep track of projects and objectives and find out what is really important to your team members. Ensure that you give constructive feedback. Crucially you should not dominate the meeting, but you must ensure that you have set time aside to address any issues that you want to discuss. The meeting should not be confrontational and you need to be aware of the power balance in play.

    A well organized meeting will be rewarding, with each participant having a clear understanding of the purpose. An agenda set prior to the meeting ensures that the individual can prepare and it is important that you both review the notes of the previous meeting. A basic template can help to maintain focus for the meeting and could include the following points:

  • • meeting date

  • • areas for discussion – individual

  • • areas for discussion – manager

  • • follow-up actions.

  • 59 - Meetings – attending

  • 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 152-154

  • Summary

    MANY OF US spend a significant proportion of our working week in meetings. Good meetings get things done, they move projects on, assist in achieving individual, team and organizational objectives and can be an excellent way of facilitating communication. Bad meetings are a waste of time and resources that can leave participants feeling demotivated and frustrated. Getting the most out of attending meetings is a key skill for everyone in the workplace. As a line manager you need to work with your team members to enable them to benefit from attending meetings and to demonstrate the value their attendance brings to others at the meeting.

    The best meetings have a specific aim or purpose with clearly set objectives. They start and finish on time. They allow for debate, facilitate discussion and encourage creativity. At the end of a meeting decisions should be made and actions agreed.

    Attending meetings gives participants numerous opportunities to develop a wide range of skills. Having good communication skills is essential if your staff are to get the most out of meetings. If they have been asked to attend a meeting it is usually because it is believed they can contribute something to achieving the purpose of the meeting. When speaking in a meeting ensure your team members aim to be clear and concise. They should not be speaking just for the sake of it or deviate from the point in hand. Make it clear to them that meetings are not the place to rehash old arguments or to try and point score off other colleagues or teams.

    Presenting

    If your staff member is at the meeting to present a proposal or introduce a new project then you should encourage them to prepare in the same way they would for any other presentation. Ask them to agree with the Chair in advance how long they will have for their presentation and how long is to be allocated for discussion. They should find out who will be attending the meeting and aim to discover as much as they can about them in advance. This may be their one opportunity to influence those people who will ensure the success of their project.

  • 68 - Networks – running

  • 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 175-176

  • Summary

    Networks – running

    ONCE THE NETWORK is set up, the operational aspects need to be considered. A structure should be established and adhered to from the outset and roles may need to be allocated to the network leads. It is important to ensure that ongoing tasks are shared and monitored to ensure that they are completed. Individuals also have a responsibility to be realistic about what they can and cannot do, which will ensure that relationships between team members are maintained. Communication is also integral to an effective network, both internally with the network leads and externally with the network members. There are many communication channels which can be used to promote the network, such as e-mail lists, existing contacts, library schools, special-interest groups, social media and face-to-face meetings.

    Tools and platforms

    There are many free tools available to facilitate the running of a network, including social media, self-service ticketing platforms, e-mail and wikis. Social media is a good way to promote networks and to keep participants/members aware of any developments. Many networks within the library sector use social media to provide a current awareness service, alerting their members to useful resources, training events and developments in the profession. However, there are positives and negatives to all platforms, so encourage experimentation to decide what works best for those involved.

    There are many different platforms for different purposes, such as Vine, which is a creative way of sharing videos, Twitter for providing useful information and updates and LinkedIn to formally promote events. Any tool should be fit for the intended purpose and be evaluated to ensure it continues to be valid. A social media page or profile with no content gives the impression that the network is no longer running and will therefore lose out on potential members.

    A self-service ticket platform is a really useful tool for managing sales for events where there are costs to the individual. For free events Eventbrite provides a free service which enables personalization of event pages to include pictures, maps and a structure for the day. It has a facility to manage bookings, create waiting lists or cancel tickets if necessary. Eventbrite also provides a service to send reminders to attendees and create a list of attendees, which can be used as the registration form on the day.

  • 12 - Workforce planning

  • 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 30-32

  • Summary

    WORKFORCE PLANNING IS about having the right staff in the right place at the right time in order to achieve the aims and objectives of the organization or department. At an organizational level it can involve many processes. Listed below are those activities which the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has identified as being part of the workforce planning process (CIPD, 2015):

  • • succession planning

  • • flexible working

  • • labour demand and supply forecasting

  • • recruitment and retention planning

  • • skills audit gap analysis

  • • talent management

  • • multi-skilling

  • • job design

  • • risk management

  • • outsourcing

  • • career planning

  • • scenario planning.

    • Within the context of this book workforce planning is about ensuring that staff have the skills, knowledge, behaviours and levels of experience to do their jobs. It is not about ensuring that every member of staff is able to do everything but more about using your knowledge of your service to ensure that it is as future-proofed as you can make it. It is about understanding your workforce so that you can work together to achieve the aims and objectives of your service.

    Activities which will assist you in accomplishing this, many of which are outlined in further detail in the following tips, include:

  • • identifying the skills, knowledge, behaviours and levels of experience that are essential in ensuring the work gets done at the level required.

  • • ensuring that more than one team member can demonstrate these if required.

  • • putting in place a developmental plan to rectify any gaps you identify.

  • • ensuring that all essential processes are documented to enable team members to carry out each other's roles if someone is absent at short notice or leaves and is not immediately replaced.

  • • horizon scanning to identify future skills, knowledge, behaviours and level of experience which will become essential in the near future.

  • • identifying members of your team who demonstrate potential as future managers or leaders and enabling them to develop the skills, knowledge, behaviours and levels of experience which will allow them to progress.

  • 57 - Job rotation

  • 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 145-148

  • Summary

    JOB ROTATION CAN help you to provide additional opportunities for members of your LKS team. By carrying out different job roles within your service, team members are able to build upon their existing experience and develop new skills. In addition, job rotation can encourage greater understanding across your different teams and share learning and knowledge more widely. Bennett (2003) defines job rotation as the systematic and planned movement of staff and indicates that there are two forms of this approach: withinfunction rotation and cross-function rotation.

    Within-function rotation

    Within-function rotation is the movement of staff between jobs with comparable responsibilities or within the same area of your service; an example of this could be rotating a newly appointed subject librarian between different subject areas, thus enabling them to carry out the same activities, e.g. training, but within an alternative subject area and with different user groups.

    Cross-function rotation

    The above differs from cross-function rotation, which describes the movement of staff members between different areas of the service. For example, you could provide opportunities for members of your web development team to work in reader services. In this scenario, experience gained in a cross-function rotation could provide excellent learning which could influence the design of the website as a direct result of the experience of working more closely with front-line staff and user groups.

    Opportunities

    Whilst opportunities for rotation may be fewer for smaller services, job rotation can enhance the knowledge base of individuals, develop greater understanding between team members and create opportunities for innovation. Smaller services could provide job rotation opportunities for staff to work in all areas, which would mean that staff would be able to cover roles when needed. Bennett (2003) also indicates that providing opportunities for staff to work in a range of areas can relieve boredom, increase motivation levels, improve productivity and keep staff engaged. By systematically moving employees around, individuals develop a wider skill set which can only enhance your service.

  • Series Editor's introduction

  • 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 xix-xx

  • Summary

    This series provides a set of practical guides for the busy professional in need of inspiration. Sourced from experienced library and information practitioners, grounded in theory, yet not overwhelmed by it, the information in these guides will tell you what you need to know to make a quick impact in a range of topical areas of professional interest.

    Each book takes a tips-based approach to introduce best-practice ideas and encourage adaptation and innovation.

    The series is aimed at experienced library and information professionals looking for new ideas and inspiration, as well as new professionals wanting to tap into the experience of others and students and educators interested in how theory is put into practice.

    Practical tips for developing your staff

    Staff costs in any organization usually account for a large proportion of its budget: people are indeed our most valuable resource, not just in financial terms. Ensuring staff are supported to develop the skills, knowledge and experience to perform effectively is a key challenge for any organization.

    In a profession affected by constant change, staff must be equipped to develop and thrive. Change, however, is only one driver of staff development. Encouraging staff to challenge themselves to gain new skills in order to progress their careers is also important.

    Effective staff development should improve organizational and individual performance, but also have wider benefits in terms of staff morale and motivation. Finding effective methods of engaging and developing staff can be a challenge, especially in times of increasingly constrained training and development budgets.

    The authors bring the benefit of their wide knowledge and varied experiences together in this book, to provide a range of practical suggestions as to how to develop staff. The tips go beyond the knee-jerk ‘run a training course’ response, and cover a range of creative approaches.

    I am very grateful to Gil and Tracey for their hard work on leading this book and to Carol, Lisa and Helen for their contributions. I hope you will find it useful and inspiring.

  • Introduction

  • 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 xxi-xxii

  • Summary

    About this book

    Continuous professional development (CPD) is a key component of a successful and satisfying career. This practical book offers a wide range of ideas and methods for all library and knowledge service (LKS) professionals to manage the development of those who work for and with them. It will also be a valuable guide for individuals wishing to manage their own CPD.

    As part of the Practical Tips series, it offers innovative Tips and tried-andtested best practice to enable LKS workers to take control of their professional development regardless of the budget and time available to them. You will find flexible tips and implementation advice on topics including:

  • • enabling others to plan, reflect on and evaluate their personal development

  • • appraisals and goal setting: linking personal objectives to organizational objectives

  • • performance management

  • • sourcing funding to attend and run events

  • • planning formal development activities such as courses and conferences

  • • accessing informal activities

  • • using social media as a development tool

  • • role of professional bodies and networks

  • • mentoring, buddying and coaching

  • • networking.

    • The Tips have been written by a wide range of LKS professionals working across different sectors and at different stages in their careers.

    Section summaries

    The Tips are divided into three sections:

  • Theories: This section of the book outlines some of the main theories around how people behave, learn and develop. Having an understanding of how individuals learn and behave is important for line managers if they are to provide meaningful development opportunities.

  • Infrastructure: An overview of the basic structures which need to be in place within an organization to enable learning and development to take place. This section includes information on recruitment, managing performance and exit procedures.

  • Activities and tools: This section covers a wide range of activities and tools which can be used to assist individuals in all aspects of their development. Many of the activities in this section will form part of an individual's day-to-day working life, including attending meetings, delivering training sessions and writing reports. The purpose of including these is to demonstrate that development can be something which happens continuously and does not necessarily require dedicated time, although that does have a role.

  • 66 - Networks

  • 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 170-172

  • Summary

    Networks

    NETWORKS, WHETHER FORMAL or informal, are hugely beneficial for professional development at any stage in a career. If you think about it, your team members are probably already involved in a number of informal networks without even knowing it, e.g. course mates from a library course, work colleagues, former work colleagues or Twitter ‘friends’. Informal networking is a great way to learn about what others are doing in their workplace and developments in other sectors/institutions (both positive and negative) which can inform the practice of individuals and bring new ideas to your team. These networks provide the opportunities for knowledge to be shared and gained from information on training courses, career opportunities, sharing best practice or learning from projects.

    Networks are useful for making connections beyond the workplace and provide good opportunities for low-cost professional development. There are many networks for library and information professionals to join which cover the various sectors within the LKS, e.g. School Libraries Group, Health Libraries Group and many others. As our sector is very diverse it is not possible to have everything in one place, so a combination of networks will be needed.

    Involvement

    The amount of involvement an individual has within a network is personal and will depend upon other time commitments. The CILIP regional member network in England gives a broad view of the LKS sector and provides access to events, training, professional registration support, CPD opportunities and other networking opportunities nearer home or work.

    The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the regional branch is a good place for your team to gain an insight into the network and its work over the past year. AGMs are a good place to meet people within the region from a range of different LKS sectors and can be great for those in your team who are working towards professional registration and want to expand their wider knowledge of other sectors. You may even recommend that individuals join a committee and have an active role in how it operates, e.g. secretary, treasurer, events co-ordinator. Your CILIP regional member network can advise if there are any vacancies (CILIP, 2015).

  • 97 - Writing journal articles

  • 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 257-261

  • Summary

    Writing journal articles

    GETTING WORK PUBLISHED in scholarly academic or professional trade journals is a great way of raising the profile both of individuals within the team and your service as a whole. Journal articles can reach a wide national and international audience and can open many doors, including invitations to speak at national conferences, or provide opportunities for individuals to become involved in LKS projects with a wider reach. Not only are they a great way of disseminating research or your LKS's work, they can also be a good way of sharing individual learning from undergraduate or postgraduate studies, as a good dissertation can be converted into a journal article with a little formatting. Whilst this Tip focuses on writing for academic or professional journal articles, it should be read alongside other sections of this book which consider the process of writing newsletters, case studies or blog posts.

    Opportunities

    When reviewing the literature, there are lots of opportunities for budding writers to tackle a range of subjects, including larger research projects, smaller local projects, reflective articles or literature reviews. This is not an exhaustive list, but gives an indication of some article types which have been published successfully. Journal articles are an excellent method of sharing learning from internal projects or activities, such as adopting a new teaching method or designing a new website.

    Ultimately, anything which would be of interest to your peers can be written about and submitted to a journal for publication.

    Topics

    When it comes to choosing the topic for a writing project, there are no limitations and Fallon (2009) suggests that a good place to start is by jotting down some ideas that interest the writer. Whilst as a LKS manager or supervisor you may have specific ideas of the projects that you would like your staff to write about, they are the ones doing the writing and therefore they need to be enthused by their topic. Writing an article can be a long and difficult journey, and so it is important that the writer is fully engaged and supported by you to ensure a successful outcome.

  • 101 - Writing reports

  • 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 269-272

  • Summary

    Writing reports

    REPORT WRITING SKILLS are essential in the workplace and you and your teams will be expected to write reports to share information about your service with others, or to provide a record of activities or projects that you have completed (Greenhall, 2010). Some examples of routine reports that you may need to write are annual reports summarizing performance, reports outlining progress and completion of LKS projects and incident reports, all of which may vary in length, breadth and scope but will also have a number of similarities.

    Purpose

    When asking your team members to write a report for you, ensure that you provide clear and detailed guidance outlining the exact purpose of the report, as this will inform the approach to planning and structure used. Greenhall (2010) suggests that the following eight questions should be answered before embarking on a report to ensure that the objectives are clearly defined from the outset:

  • Why is the report being written?

  • Who will read it?

  • Who else will read it?

  • Why do they need it?

  • What do they already know?

  • What do they need to know?

  • What don't they need to know?

  • What will they use the information for?

    • Once the purpose of the report is understood, encourage your staff to gather together all relevant inform - ation which they feel should be included in the report, considering the audience that the report is aimed at. Greenhall (2010) suggests that mind mapping is a great technique that can be used to brain-dump all information which you think should be included in the report and a subsequent mind map can then be created to group similar items together, creating a clear and logical structure.

    Structure

    Whilst the structure of a report may vary, generally most examples will follow some version of the structure shown in Figure 101.1.

    All reports should be clear, concise and to the point and it is good practice to include headings and subheadings to enable the reader to go to relevant information quickly and easily. It is also good practice to include charts, images, tables and graphs, which are useful tools for providing data and information clearly and succinctly. Using a good clear font such as Arial 12 point, short paragraphs and sentences, emboldened headings and bullet points are all great ways of making the content of a report accessible.

  • 20 - Inductions

  • 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 48-50

  • Summary

    A GOOD INDUCTION is crucial to building a relationship between the new member of staff, their immediate team and the employing organization. Many larger organizations will have formal induction events, often lasting one or two days, which it is compulsory for all new staff to attend. However, a proper induction into an organization and team needs to consist of more than this and should last longer.

    All staff have a need to understand the basics of how their organization works. This includes when and how they are paid, car parking, the aims and objective of the organization and health and safety considerations, including fire procedures and personal safety. If this information is not covered at organizational level then it is essential that it be dealt with by the line manager or a designated person. It might be useful to put together a checklist to ensure that all the basics have been covered. If you have an HR department they should be able to assist with this. CIPD and ACAS both provide useful guidance on what an induction needs to cover (see Further Reading, p. 50).

    Induction at a local level needs to cover much more than the essentials. If the new post holder will not have the opportunity to spend time with the outgoing post holder the first step to a successful induction will be the exit interview with the person who is moving on (Tip 32, p. 74). At this interview try and ascertain what the outgoing post holder wishes they had been told when they started, what they would like to share with their successor and any useful contacts. If it can be arranged for them to spend time with the new person then do this. If the post is a new one then the line manager needs to think about these questions and prepare answers for the incoming staff member. Induction will vary from post to post and from organization to organization. The following list covers some of the topics, conversation points and activities which you might want to consider, including in an induction plan for a new post holder:

  • • Organizational objectives.

  • • Service strategy and other important documents, e.g. marketing plan.

  • • What are the key tasks of the role?

  • • What are the individual's expectations of the post?

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