2 5. communications - contentextra.com · nvq unit 17: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 ... • how do you check that...

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BTEC Apprenticeship Assessment Workbook Level 3 Business & Administration

Original text and illustrations © Pearson Education Limited, 2011

5. COMMUNICATIONSCommunication should be easy, but it is not always straightforward getting the right message to the correct audience. The tasks that follow will help you demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of both verbal and non-verbal communication. They will help you gather evidence for your assessment on:

• the purpose of planning your communications

• written communication

• verbal and non-verbal communication

• designing and producing documents

• health and safety when using keyboards and workstations.

Your assessor may need to observe your verbal and non-verbal communications during the visit. This should be in real work situations. Digital recordings may be made to capture discussions, conversations and meetings. You may need to get permission from your line manager and some other colleagues who are present while the recording takes place. This is because of individual and organisational confi dentiality requirements. It is best to get the agreement of your line manager and colleagues well in advance of the visit. In preparation for the visit you may also need to collect a variety of documents, as explained in the tasks.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

The ability to communicate effectively is vital to the running of any business. To be a good communicator you must carefully consider the purpose of the communication, the target audience and the most appropriate methods of communication. If you do not do this you are likely to give the wrong message or impression.

In completing the tasks here, you should link directly to your job role, the communications between you and other colleagues, and the documents you are asked to design and produce, as well as the health and safety procedures and guidelines that relate to your workstation.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

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Explain the purpose and benefi ts of using feedback to develop your communication skills.

Task 1b

There should be health and safety procedures to cover all aspects of the work undertaken in your organisation. For this task, focus on the procedures you must follow when working at your workstation and when using a keyboard.

NVQ Unit 71: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4

Even seemingly simple tasks are likely to have procedures to ensure they are performed safely and without risk to health.

Task 1a

As in all work activities, it is useful to get feedback on your communications. This will help you to develop your skills. Describe how you get feedback on whether your communications achieved their purpose.

NVQ Unit 4: 4.1, 4.2

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Describe your organisation’s health and safety procedures for using keyboards and working at workstations, and explain why you must follow these guidelines.

Describe your organisation’s procedures for workstation care and maintenance.

Produce annotated diagrams to show how you should position your fi ngers, wrists, forearms and back when at your workstation and using a keyboard.

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Task 1c

There are other health and safety guidelines that must be followed in an offi ce environment. Complete the table below to demonstrate your understanding of health, safety and security in an offi ce. The fi rst item has been completed for you.

NVQ Unit 10: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

Feature Health and safety requirement Why it is importantElectrical equipment

PAT testing for all portable electrical

equipment.

No trailing wires from electrical items.

All wires that cross the fl oor covered by a

non-slip and non-trip cover.

To ensure that equipment is safe and that

nobody using it will get an electric shock or

be electrocuted.

To avoid trip hazards, otherwise people may

become tangled in the wires or trip over them

and may injure themselves in a fall.

Furniture

Lighting

Heating

Ventilation

Noise

Fire precautions

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EVIDENCE GATHERING

You need to collect evidence to show how you prepare, produce and store written communications. You will also need evidence to show how you met agreed deadlines. Your assessor will help you to identify suitable items of evidence.

You need to show you are able to design and produce written communications to agreed specifi cations. Evidence might include:

• notes of meetings identifying content, style and deadlines

• notes of discussions clarifying requirements

• work schedules

• lists of resources needed to complete a communication

• drafts of documents

• fi les of non-text objects that are to be included into agreed layouts

• data fi les for merged letters and documents

• documents that include text and non-text items

• merged documents.

You need to show you are able to communicate in writing and that you can fi le documents securely. Evidence might include:

• drafts of written communications

• letters

• agendas

• memos

• completed work schedules

• folder and fi le formats of your hard drive

• fi ling guidelines.

You also need to show that you can follow the correct procedures when designing and producing documents. To do this, you need to use the documents you have collected to explain to your assessor:

• how you agreed the purpose, content and style of the documents

• the research you needed to carry out before you could write the text

• how you integrated text and non-text into documents

• how you checked your completed documents for accuracy of content and for spelling, punctuation and grammar

• why you have to ensure that documents are stored safely and securely and how you maintain confi dentiality

• why you must meet deadlines.

EVIDENCE GATHERING

NVQ Unit 17: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9

NVQ Unit 17: 4.10, 4.11Unit 4: 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.8, 6.9

NVQ Unit 17: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7

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PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

Your assessor will examine your competence by observing you carrying out workplace activities. You might be asked related questions to test your underpinning knowledge.

a. Planning communication

Your assessor will observe you at your workstation planning a communication. You will be expected to provide evidence of identifying the purpose of and the audience for the communication. Your assessor will want to see you selecting and confi rming the appropriate method of communication, the information to be contained within the communication, and confi rming what is ‘important’ and what is ‘urgent’.

b. Participating in a team meeting or briefi ng

Your assessor will want to check your verbal communication skills. You will be observed communicating within a team meeting or briefi ng. Your assessor will want to see you making contributions to the meeting and actively listening to others’ contributions. You should ask questions during the meeting and make a summary of at least one of the items on the agenda.

c. Getting feedback

Following this meeting, your assessor will want to see you take part in a follow-up discussion with your supervisor or line manager. This should allow you to receive feedback on your contribution to the team meeting and to agree ways of further developing your communication skills.

d. Producing written documents in a safe manner

Your assessor will also observe you producing written documents at your workstation. This is to check that you are following occupational health and safety guidelines. You must ensure that you are working in the correct position and are using techniques to avoid repetitive strain syndrome.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICENVQ Unit 4: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 7.1,

7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 8.1, 8.2Unit 17: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4

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PROFESSIONAL DISCUSSION

Your assessor will conduct a professional discussion with you that will capture evidence necessary to prove your level of knowledge and understanding of relevant topics. Some topic areas you will need to consider when preparing for the professional discussion include:

• planning communications

• communicating in writing

• verbal communication.

Your assessor will plan the content of your professional discussion and will offer advice to help you to prepare beforehand. The professional discussion may cover more than the topics considered in this section of your Workbook.

PROFESSIONAL DISCUSSIONNVQ Unit 4: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8,

2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8

Unit 17: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3

Your assessor or supervisor will check that you are following the health and safety rules for your workplace.

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Discussion process

The questioning process will offer you the opportunity to show your knowledge and understanding of effective communication. This will cover both written and verbal communication.

To prepare for this discussion, you should think about how you could answer the type of questions that might be asked.

• Why do you need to know the purpose, audience and intended outcomes of a communication?

• What are the different forms of communication you can use in the workplace, and when would you use each method?

• What are the main formats of written communication?

• How would you change the style, tone and language for different types of written communication?

• How and when should you use electronic communication in business?

• Why is it important that documents are attractively presented and of high quality?

• What resources (including any technology) do you need to design and produce high quality documents, and why do you need them?

• Why should you use correct spelling, punctuation and grammar in written communications?

• How do you check the accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar?

• How do you check that the content of a written communication is correct?

• What is ‘plain English’?

• Why must you distinguish between work that is ‘important’ and work that is ‘urgent’?

• What are the procedures in your organisation for saving and fi ling written communications?

• How can you present verbal information clearly to suit different audiences, purposes and situations?

• How do you ensure that your contributions to discussions achieve objectives?

• Why is it important to summarise verbal communications?

• How do you use and interpret body language and tone of voice?

• What is active listening?

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2 5. communications - contentextra.com · nvq unit 17: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 ... • how do you check that...

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