Theory Flashcards
What are the advantages of written communication?
Can be looked at when convenient, gives a permanent record and is more structured.
What are the disadvantages of written communication?
Unable to access easily, may use wrong tone and cannot use non-verbal cues.
What are the advantages of verbal communication?
Cheaper to use than writing/using tech, easy to direct to desired person, allows two-way interaction and is appropriate for delicate situations and personal messages
What are the disadvantages of verbal communication?
Not as structured, distractions can interfere and difficult to control
What are the advantages of an open plan office?
Meeting rooms for private work, easy to supervise, can be designed to suit workflow and teamwork, shared resources
What are the disadvantages of an open plan office?
Noisy with distractions, lack of privacy, no status of ‘own office’, no alteration of heating/lighting requirements
What are the advantages of a cellular office layout?
Quiet as doors can be closed, office can be personalised, privacy, status of own office
What are the disadvantages of a cellular layout?
Wastes space, hard to supervise, employees may feel isolated, difficult to promote teamwork
What are some essential skills and qualities of an admin assistant?
Effective communicator, organising, computer and IT literacy, hard-working, enthusiastic and tolerant
What are advantages of promoting an ergonomic working environment?
Ensures effective flow of work, gives positive image of the organisation, helps productivity, promotes health and safety at work
What are some examples of promoting an ergonomic environment?
Workstations offering space and privacy, protective equipment (e.g. anti-glare screens), suitable lighting and ventilation.
Name strategies that an employee can use to effectively manage time
Planning, prioritising, control (keeping calm etc.), assertiveness, directing, negotiation
How can an organisation communicate updates to their employees?
Noticeboards, face-to-face meeting, letter, email, staff training, intranet, staff handboopk
How can employees use ICT effectively to work from home?
Email, conference calls, e-diary, cloud based software, instant messaging
What is a possible effect to an organisation of not setting staff targets?
Lower productivity as a result of poor motivation
What is a possible effect of poor file management procedures?
Time can be wasted and items can be lost
Name the methods of communication
Face-to-face, oral, written, electronic, visual
Describe face-to-face as a method of communication
Used if immediate feedback is required and if any uncertainties need to be clarified. Can gauge body language/facial expressions.
Describe oral as a method of communication
Used when a quick answer is required. Often used in organisations as main method of communication - convenient and allows for two-way communication.
Describe written as a method of communication
Provides a permanent record that can be kept for future reference , allows people time to read it and understand what is being communicated.
Describe electronic as a method of communication
Email, intranet, social networking is now one of the most common way of sending and receiving information. Allows information to be passed on immediately, can communicate 24/7.
Describe visual as a method of communication
Can be an effective way of communicating complex information to groups of staff. Pictures, graphs and different formats can be used to effectively grab listeners’ attention.
What are the advantages of oral communication?
Easy to direct to the desired person, can be cheaper than writing/using tech, allows for two-way discussion, , instant feedback, face-to-face interaction of response through non-verbal cues, messages can be changed if not understood, more appropriate for personal messages
What are the disadvantages of oral communication?
Distractions can interfere, personalities and emotions can create a barrier, can be difficult to control, number of participants may be limited, not as structured or consistent, no permanent record.
What are some barriers to effective communication?
Distortion, noise, differences in perception, lack of feedback, bias and selectivity, lack of interest
Admin assistants should consider the following factors regarding communication -
Should be; accurate, complete, timely, relevant, cost-effective, meaningful
Describe 4 tasks an admin assistant is likely to carry out.
Creating and updating databases and spreadsheets which ensures efficient info handling; preparing a range of business documents - letters, agendas etc. ; dealing with information requests from customers or colleagues; reception duties including greeting visitors and answering the phone.
Name 8 key skills/qualities an admin assistant should possess
Enthusiastic, effective communicator, able to cope well with pressure, honest/trustworthy, reliable/dependable, polite, willing to learn, hard-working
Describe 6 skills key for effective time and task management
P- planning; employees must plan their use of time and resources. (to-do lists, personal development plans etc.)
O-organisation; employees should look ahead to identify future tasks that will need to be undertaken.
P-prioritising; deciding which tasks are most important.
R-resource management; employees must ensure efficient use of resources (staff, time, equipment)
A-assertivness; able to say ‘no’
D-directing; some employees will be required to direct other employees, involving leadership, communication, motivation and delegation.
What are effects of poor time/task management? (5)
- staff may become stressed, possible absences from work
- decrease in moral and job satisfaction, leading to high rates of absenteeism and staff turnover. Leads to increased staff training costs and increased recruitment.
- reduction in productivity as work is not produced efficiently to the correct standard
- poor working relationships w/ colleagues and management
- poor customer relations and increase in customer complaints
What are benefits of good time/task management?
- lower stress levels which reduces staff absences
- improved morale and job satisfaction for employees, leading to reduction in staff absenteeism/staff turnover; reducing staff training/recruitment costs
- improved working relationships w/ colleagues and management
Give examples of time stealers
Interruption from telephone/visitors, taking on too much work, desk stress, procrastination, poor communication
What are some effects of poor delegation? (4)
- miss out on promotional opportunities
- suffer from stress as a result of trying to manage a heavy workload
- often miss deadlines
- work may not be of the highest standard
Why is it beneficial to set targets?(6)
- helps measure the success of the organisation
- helps managers organise their resources
- helps all employees understand what the organisation wishes to achieve
- helps all employees to understand what the organisation wishes to achieve
- helps employees understand their role in the organisation
- helps employees measure the success of their work compared with the original targets set
Name 6 planning aids
Gantt chart, to-do list, priorities list, action plan, electronic diary, e-diary, personal development plan
Describe a gantt chart
Used by project managers to show comparisons between work planned and work accomplished in relation to time schedules
Describe a to-do list
Usually a note to yourself to show a list of tasks that need to be completed.
Describe a priorities list
Items needing to be done put in order of what tasks should be done first
Describe an action plan
A document that identifies what should be done by whom, with expected completion dates
Describe an e-diary
Useful for arranging meetings as days, weeks and months can be seen at a glance, and e-diaries of all participants can be seen at the same time.
Describe a personal development plan
A formal document that allows an employee to record areas of strength/ necessary training and development. Some organisations also encourage staff to record personal aims.
Describe features of an e-diary
- automatic invitations
- recurring meetings
- reminders
- to-do lists
- double booking
- alarm facility
What are benefits of being part of a team to individuals?
- increased morale and motivation
- shared knowledge and skills
- risk-taking
- sense of feeling valued and belonging
What are benefits of teams to an organisation
- multi-skilled and flexible workforce
- increased responsibility and less supervision
- increased productivity
- risk-taking
What are benefits of good leadership? (4)
- increased participation, motivation and job satisfaction for all members of the team
- clearly defined aims and objectives for the team, which should lead to quicker achievement of goals or increased productivity
- better career prospects for all team members because they will have developed as individual employees thanks to good leadership
- improved collaboration and communication, leads to better decision making
What must employees do as part of the health and safety at work act?
- wear protective clothing where it has been issued to them
- be observant and report any hazards in the workplace
- ensure they are familiar w health and safety policy
- immediately report any faults
What must employers do as part of the health and safety at work act?
- provide a safe place of work for employees
- ensure that entrances and exits are clearly measured
- provide a safety representative
- provide a written health and safety policy, kept up-to-date and available to all
What are duties of the employer under the fire (scotland) act 2005?
- identify people at risk
- identify fire hazards
- evaluate risk and decide if existing fire safety hazards are adequate
- record the risk assessment undertaken and review at regular intervals
What are the duties of the employer under the fire act?
- take care of their own safety in respect of harm caused by fire
- take care of other people who may be affected by acts of the employee
- co-operate with employer with respect to fire legislation
