BSBLDR502 - Leading and Managing Effective Workplace Relationships

This case study delves into the critical aspects of managing workplace relationships, focusing on strategies and processes for effective communication, conflict resolution, and team dynamics. It addresses the importance of clear communication channels, consultation processes, and prompt issue resolution. The study emphasizes establishing trust and confidence through ethical conduct and cultural diversity adherence. It also explores adapting interpersonal communication styles to support team members during changes and outlines resolution actions for workplace difficulties, including active listening, feedback, and consistent monitoring to foster a positive and productive work environment. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wealth of study resources for students.

Running head – CASE STUDY
Case Study
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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Task 2
How could you ensure that strategies and processes are in place that
communicate information on work responsibilities to all members of the
team?
It is has been seen that without the proper creation of strategic plans and processing
communication at the workplace, work responsibilities cannot mandate within all the members
of a team. Adequate flow of information helps the employees in doing their jobs efficiently, and
it also meets organisational requirements.
According to Salas et al. (2017), any working team needs information on the following
requirements –
a. It should touch the moving targets and the goals
b. There should be explicit instruction regarding the processes and the procedures
c. Responsibilities and roles of each should be prominent
d. Communication medium or channel should be free
e. Codes for the conduction should have validation
It should be kept in mind as being a supervisor, strategic plans and the processes
should build a structure of culture that would not only support but also provide effective
sharing of information. Trust, consistency and reliability ensure the pathway to communicate
info’s among co-workers and build responsibilities. For ensuring such strategies and
processes, the first step for being a supervisor would be thinking about the impact on the
workplace. It should be the priority of the supervisor to keep in mind the vision of the

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organisation and the needs of the team. The full success methods of these steps would be
visibility and transparency among the employees and also between manager or supervisor
and their peers. If the action plans of the leader do not lines up with the corporation moto,
it is likely not to get validation. Thus, it should be followed accordingly to the needs of the
organisation.
Outline what you think are the key issues that need to be raised or addressed?
Performance managing meetings have always helped understand the needs and
requirement of any employee who was had a problem in fitting in or having a condition with the
authorities. Previously on approaching Ben, it was found that he has been non-communicative,
claiming that there have not been any such issues and the supervisor has been imagining. After
the conduction of the performance review meeting, some questions came into light that Ben has
been spreading in the workplace.
Ben has been non-committal. Ben’s responsibility towards the organisation and the team
has been deteriorating. It is not something that happened from the beginning. It all started since
the appraisal of when Ben’s former employee became his superior, and he did not get the
promotion. Since then, Ben has been criticising the newly appointed supervisor and have been
raising question against the decision of the supervisor on every opportunity Ben is getting. This
has led other employees to question the ability of the supervisor. The key issues that need to be
raised are the acknowledgement or the problem Ben has. It is required to find out if Ben is
jealous of the promotion of his former employee or he doubts the capability of his former
employee. It should also be taken into account the reason behind Ben’s badmouthing about the
supervisor, his reasons behind it. The negative attitude that Ben is attributing towards the

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supervisor is not only affecting the reputation of the supervisor but also concerning the
performance of the team.
What steps could you take to resolve the issues raised?
According to Madrid, Patterson & Leiva (2015), it has been seen that there have been
many occasions where a supervisor or a manager has faced negative feedback or behaviour from
employees. Usually, those people’s nature makes them unveil towards the superiors. They
merely try to avoid such employees. Although, the author has some different views towards such
behavioural aspects.
The authors have mentioned about some steps that can be taken by the supervisors to
tackle an employee with a negative attitude. The first thing the author explains is to listen. At a
point when it becomes difficult to deal with a fellow employee, the supervisor stops merely
paying attention towards them. The authors recommend looking to the real problems behind such
behaviours. The managers should highly appreciate behavioural feedbacks. Sometimes, rather
than concentrating on the right points, the superiors only complain about the lousy performance
of the employee. The supervisor should provide harsh feedback to maintain sustainability in the
workplace, or else, day by day, numbers or such employees would start increasing. Consistency
is a huge key role in such a problem. It is not okay to murmuring when it comes to taking
charge. It is seen that subordinates instead that listening looks up to their superior’s actions.
Rejection of excuses is also a huge game changer. Consequences are needed to be set when
such events are being repeated.
Thus the following actions should be taken to resolve issues within an employee and their
superiors or more specifically; by the supervisor towards Ben regarding this case study.

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Outline the involvement of stakeholders in the performance management
meeting that you have scheduled with Ben.
Stakeholders are people who are involved with the company. It includes investors,
shareholders, management authorities, customers. Mainly performance management meetings
are conducted to check the issues related to a team, or any employee (Rajnoha & Lesníková,
2016). When a particular organisation or an employee of a group is not working or showing
proper interest in their work, it is going to affect the whole company chain. Investors will not get
an appropriate return for their benefits. Shareholders of the company will lose on their stocks,
managing authorities will suffer, and customers will be provided with faulty products which will,
in turn, make the organisation lose in their profit margin.
Employees are in touch with the suppliers and customers more than that of their
superiors. They act as a bridge between them and the company. If an employee is cutting out
vital information or keeping such information to them only, without conveying from the
suppliers or the customers to their superiors, the company will be at losing them. Nowadays, to
avoid wastage of production, the company creates strategic plans to limit their manufacture to
the demand of the customers only. To the effect that, they take a supply of raw materials in that
order too.
In the following case, Ben is non-communicative with his newly appointed supervisor
slash former employee. Ben can is of a customer service department or supply control division.
Keeping such vital information to himself and not conveying it further to his supervisor would
affect the chain of flow. Thus, the stakeholders hold an critical role in the performance
management meeting.

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How would you gain the trust and confidence of your colleagues?
It is imperative to gain the trust of the employees and their confidence to build a
sustainable and healthy work environment. It is essential because, in such an situation, the
employees will feel free, valued, and respected as well (Griffith & Larson, 2016). One must
conduct a manner which portraits trust, respect, confidence and values for others to do so. As
being a supervisor, one needs to be trustworthy and faith so that their fellow employees
automatically do so.
According to order to gain trust or confidence of their colleagues, one need to –
a. Try to be as transparent as possible – Leaders need to be clear about their motives
regarding the work. It will help people to be aware of the leaders' action instead than
left them guessing. When the leaders are making their knowledge about the plans
open in public, the colleagues are mindful of the goodwill to the supervisor that will
provide a positive side for the supervisor.
b. Letting the employees know what the leader stands for – When the leader is clear
about their intentions, employees are likely to know what their leader is supposed to
do in times of difficulty. Thus, in doing so, employees are likely to share their
thoughts too.
c. Valuing your employees – In doing so, the particular person feels respected and
essential, which again helps the supervisor to gain their trust and build confidence.

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d. Admitting mistakes – It is regarded as a wrong move to hide the organisational
mistakes from the employees. Recognising it will build trust and confidence towards
the supervisor.
How might you need to adjust your interpersonal communication style to
support Ben with the change in the team roles?
Employees look toward the behavioural aspects of their superiors. They tend to follow
them, what their leaders are portraying at the workplace. People will respect the leader if they are
not a hypocrite. Spreading the company policies among the employees along with the message
that will encourage them, somewhat than fearing them will also help is demonstrating an
excellent interpersonal communication style.
To help support Ben with the changes in the team role, the supervisor needs to keep track
of some critical points (Solaja & Ogunola, 2016). The leader should not be afraid of showing
authenticity, affections or vulnerability towards the employees. Every human being has their
drive to connect to another. Work is done better when someone doing that is being able to feel
acknowledged or heard. It is a responsible supervisor, rather than charging upon Ben, the
supervisor should show affection so that Ben does not feel ignored or feel that he is under the
shadow of the newly appointed supervisor who was a former co-worker. With the adjustment of
listening and speaking style, the supervisor could contribute to developing an excellent work
culture based on better communications. Rather than just listening to the facts and problems,
the supervisor can provide questionnaires that will help them uncover a lot more than just the
above lining problems. It is also recommended to be more open and remove the wrong

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perception. This would help the supervisor to be in touch with the employees more and will, in
turn, cut out the false assumptions.
What might be some resolution actions that you might implement?
It should be kept in mind that difficulties at a workstation should be seen as an
opportunity to grow for both the individual and the department, which will, in turn, improvise
performances at the job (Babalola et al. 2018). Identifying the problems at the office and
implementing an action plan to resolve them will not only enhance the possibility of the
efficiency of the company but will also improve the quality of work life of every individual.
The first thing that needs to be taken care of is that everyone in the environment is aware
of the existence of the difficulties. There should be times when the employee himself does not
know that they are performing or behaving differently. In such cases, the supervisor could
initiate a conversation with the employee, making them aware of the difficulties that they have in
the process. Then after the identification, it comes the time to know the reasons behind the
challenges that employee is facing. Creating a plan and implementing it in action if the
supervisor is unaware of the situations will be ineffective. It can be recommended to initiate the
active listening abilities that a supervisor must have and to look at the case with the objective to
understand it and solve it. The supervisor must gain the trust of their subordinates to make this
method smooth.
After understanding, the plan of action should be initiated. A program must be chosen to
recognise the problems of the individuals. Lastly, regular monitoring is recommended.

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Outline how you would implement and monitor the resolution actions and
improvements that you outlined?
As being a supervisor, it is necessary to create a process that would undoubtedly find the
best ways to help the employees that are suffering from some issues that are making them
incorporate at their workplace. Consideration of all the possible difficulties highly
recommended. The strategy must consider some possibilities such as difficulties at home,
health-related issues, over-timing, excessive workload, not getting enough recognition.
(Cantor, 2016).
The implication of the resolution plans must have specific enhanced methods.
1. Effective planning
a. With initiating a task force that will monitor the problem and find a solution for
them
b. Surveying the employees to target the correct answers
c. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the employee to understand the
problem and find answers.
2. By creating a structure that has proper governance
a. Identifying the roles of the committees to establish and ensure the success of the
organisation as well as for that particular employee’s role in the success
b. Outlining the roles and responsibilities of each within the organisation
3. Enhancing staff efficiency
a. Reviewing the tasks and explaining it to the employees will help in monitoring the
capabilities of each.

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b. Determination the right task for the right person
With the help of a relaxed atmosphere, excellence team cohesion, proper problem solving
skills, and effective communication, conflicts at the workplace can be handled with an ace.
List any relevant legislation that relates to managing effective workplace
relationships.
In Australia, there is a variety of range for employment legislation that guides the
protocols of the effective workplace (Australian Government, 2017).
1. The Fair work act 2009 – This law exhibits the economic growth promotion and
productivity. It also has created a system of suitable workplace relation and is flexible
for business too.
2. Minimum Wages Act and amendments 2008
3. Employment Relations (Breaks, Infant Feeding and Other Matters) Amendment Act
2008
4. Employment Relations Act and amendments 2004

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Task 4
Outline the networks that you belong to personally and professionally.
As being a supervisor, the network group that they belong would be the internal network
sources. It will look after the organisational goals, budgets of the organisation, tools, and the
needs of the organisations. Although, the most important aspect of internal networking is
providing resources that would help the employees to connect. Networking within the
organisation has always been turned out to be helpful for both the company and building an
internal bond within the employees. Internal networking has a chain of flow that includes all the
members of the organisation. The network has been useful to build an efficient work
environment, and it has identified each individual of the teams (Srivastava, 2015).
How do these help you to be a good manager and leader in your workplace?
Networking has always been providing helps for the leaders and managers of any
organisations. At first, it will help the manager to connect with the stakeholders of the company,
decisions making at the times of crisis.
It will also help the managers in knowing all the members at their respective teams and
connect with everyone. It will help is communicating the manager with every team member and
other subordinates. The supervisor should also be in support of others in return. If the manager
reaches out for some individual for help at the workplace, one should expect the same. Benefits
of these relationships are that the manager can the needs and the challenges that one will about to

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face and preparing for that. It also helps the managers to set meetings with various teams of the
organisations (Porter, Woo & Campion, 2016).
Discuss the main characteristics of the network that you belong to and what
skills have you gained and applied to your workplace.
Internal networking mainly has a structure that works within the organisation. It includes
most all the members of the apex management, employees of variant teams and their leaders. It
helps in shaping and managing relationships among the independent character of the business
units. Networking is gaining momentum in a broad variety manner. It provides employees with
valuable information with deals with their jobs, and the organisation itself. It helps the
employees by motivating them and building trust among each other (Uysal, 2016). Employees
are provided with a way to express what they feel about the jobs and the expectations that they
have from the posts.
The skills that a supervisor can adapt from internal networking is modifying the nature of
intense involvement with the fellow employees. It will help the leaders in developing a strong
bond within the organisation.
How do you make sure that you are developing and maintaining good internal
and external networks?
A leader could follow the following aspects which will help in maintaining both internal
and external network relationships (Erickson, 2017).
a. By building trust – This can be classified as the foundation of all relationships.

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b. Mutual respects – One needs to respect their co-workers to maintain well-
established bonds.
c. Open communication – With effective communication with the employees around
and your consumers, it will help is maintaining sustainability in both the networking.
References
Australian Government. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.australia.gov.au/
Babalola, M. T., Stouten, J., Euwema, M. C., & Ovadje, F. (2018). The relation between
ethical leadership and workplace conflicts: The mediating role of employee
resolution efficacy. Journal of Management, 44(5), 2037-2063.
Cantor, D. E. (2016). Maximizing the Potential of Contemporary Workplace Monitoring:
Techno‐Cultural Developments, Transactive Memory, and Management
Planning. Journal of Business Logistics, 37(1), 18-25.
Erickson, B. H. (2017). Good networks and good jobs: The value of social capital to
employers and employees. In Social capital (pp. 127-158). Routledge.
Griffith, A. N., & Larson, R. W. (2016). Why trust matters: How confidence in leaders
transforms what adolescents gain from youth programs. Journal of Research on
Adolescence, 26(4), 790-804.
Madrid, H. P., Patterson, M. G., & Leiva, P. I. (2015). Negative core affect and employee
silence: How differences in activation, cognitive rumination, and problem-solving
demands matter. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(6), 1887.

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Porter, C. M., Woo, S. E., & Campion, M. A. (2016). Internal and external networking
differentially predict turnover through job embeddedness and job
offers. Personnel Psychology, 69(3), 635-672.
Rajnoha, R., & Lesníková, P. (2016). Strategic performance management system and
corporate sustainability concept-specific parametres in Slovak
Enterprises. Journal of Competitiveness. Strategic performance management
system and corporate sustainability concept-specific parametres in Slovak
Enterprises. Journal of Competitiveness.
Salas, E., Prince, C., Baker, D. P., & Shrestha, L. (2017). Situation awareness in team
performance: Implications for measurement and training. In Situational
Awareness (pp. 63-76). Routledge.
Solaja, O. M., & Ogunola, A. A. (2016). Leadership style and multigenerational
workforce: A call for workplace agility in Nigerian public
organisations. Leadership, 21.
Srivastava, S. B. (2015). Network intervention: Assessing the effects of formal mentoring
on workplace networks. Social Forces, 94(1), 427-452.
Uysal, N. (2016). Social collaboration in intranets: The impact of social exchange and
group norms on internal communication. International Journal of Business
Communication, 53(2), 181-199.

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