Products

These products, used together and tailored to an operation, will provide an excellent guide for the employer. It will enable the employer to identify areas for improvement in employees' levels of essential skills.

Assessment Tools

• Workplace Essentials Multiple Choice Exam
• Workplace Essentials Performance Checklist
• Workplace Essentials Activities

Coaching and Upgrading Tools

• Workplace Essentials Oral Communication Module
• Workplace Essentials Document Use Module
• Workplace Essentials Thinking Skills Module
• Workplace Essentials Job Task Planning and Organizing Module

Assessment Tools

The following products are directly referenced to a validated performance criteria in the areas of Document Use, Oral Communication, and Thinking Skills (which encompasses Job Task Planning and Organizing). The products available to be customized to match the criteria of the operation include:

Coaching and Upgrading Tools

Workplace Essentials Coaching and Upgrading Tools - once the level of competency within the supervisory position is determined you can upgrade the employee's skills with training in the area that need improvement.

Coaching Tool

The coaching tool was developed for each module to assist employers in implementing the upgrading tool. The Coaching Tool provides some step-by-step guidelines and tips for helping participants work through the Participant Manual. This document contains the whole Participant Manual as well as some sample answers to the “Activities” section of each lesson.

The “Guidelines for Coaching Participant” section provides suggestions for orienting participants to the materials and encouraging them to complete them. The “Options and Guidelines for Delivery” offers some alternative learning strategies that provide ideas for additional activities that can be integrated into the learning process.

Upgrading Tool

There are four skills upgrade packages related to the essential skills areas. Each skills upgrade package relates directly to the corresponding grouping of assessment tool(s). The modules are comprised of an introduction followed by a series of lessons. Each module also includes a module summary, a self-test, and a self-test answer key.

Each lesson in a module consists of three parts:

• Introduction
• Performance Criteria
• Key Concepts and Activities

A section called Resources appears in some lessons and indicates where further information on the topic may be found.

The four available modules are:

	Workplace Essentials Oral Communication The oral communication skills identified are important to a supervisor's performance on the job. Improving the learner's ability to communicate with employees, suppliers, other supervisors and managers can improve the efficiency of the organization. It can also help to create a more positive working environment. The module addresses the following topics: following guidelines for all types of communication following guidelines for oral communication listening actively assisting with orientation of new staff training employees giving feedback addressing performance problems dismissing employees promoting a positive attitude motivating employees communicating in team meetings and crew briefings
	Workplace Essentials Document Use Effective document management is vital for the successful operation of any processing facility. The type of documents used varies because of the legislation that governs each facility operations. Each company also develops its own policies and procedures to operate their business. The module addresses the following topics: managing documents using documents to communicate within organization using e-mail using documents to find information developing graphs and tables maintaining personnel files
	Workplace Essentials Thinking Skills The thinking skills identified in this lesson are important to a supervisor's performance on-the-job. Improving the learner's ability to logically and systematically move through issues that occur in the workplace can improve the efficiency of the organization and create a more positive working environment. This is often an area in which new supervisors require upgrading, as many are promoted from the floor and have not had to demonstrate these skills previously. The module addresses the following topics: making decisions solving problems resolving conflict between employees improving products and processes providing quality control for products facilitating change
	Workplace Essentials Job Task Planning and Organizing The job task planning and organizing skills identified in this lesson are important to help organize work and life. By improving a supervisor's ability to use the time and resources available, it can increase the individual's efficiency and the efficiency of the workplace. This lesson gives a beginning look at some strategies and guidelines that can help to improve an individual's performance. The module addresses the following topics: managing time managing stress delegating tasks co-ordinating work with other supervisors assisting with preparation of work schedule creating checklists for operations supervising operations remembering information gathering information through interviews gathering information over telephone gathering information from manuals, reference materials and other documents gathering information from electronic databases and information systems