Search Assignment Sample For Ireland Students

For information and reference only – not to be submitted as your own work.

This extract shows how a first-person learner record can be structured for the 6N3945 Effective People Management Assessment 2 learner record brief. The scenarios are invented for illustration, and each part is shortened to show the pattern markers look for. For planning advice, read our guide on how to approach the 6N3945 learner record. For the module overview, see the existing 6N3945 Managing People reference sample.

Planning table

Each part carries 15 marks, giving 60 in total. The extracts below are condensed to roughly 300 words each so that the structure is easy to see. In your own record, aim for the full 375 words per part and keep first-person reflection at the centre.

Part 1: Situational leadership

Before this module I led every team member in the same way, which was usually directive. Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership model changed that view. It proposes that effective leaders adjust between telling, selling, participating and delegating according to how ready and able each follower is for a particular task (Hersey, Blanchard and Johnson, 2013).

The clearest example from my own workplace involved a new colleague, who I will call Colleague A, taking on the weekly rota. She was keen but had never done it. I handed her the template and left her to it. The rota had gaps in the first week and her confidence dropped. Looking back, she needed a telling style at first, with clear steps and a walk-through, before moving to selling and participating as she improved.

By contrast, a long-serving colleague handles stock orders with little input from me. When I checked every order, he told me he felt micromanaged. The model showed me that a delegating style suited him better.

Going forward, I will assess readiness task by task rather than person by person. A person can be highly capable at one task and a beginner at another. I will use a short check-in question at the start of any new task, asking how confident the person feels and what support would help. I will also record which style I used and how it went, so I can notice patterns over time. My action is to meet Colleague A weekly for a month, reducing my input as her competence grows.

Part 2: Motivation

I chose Herzberg’s two-factor theory. It separates hygiene factors, such as pay, working conditions and supervision, from motivators, such as achievement, recognition, responsibility and growth. Hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction but do not by themselves create motivation (Herzberg, 1987).

This explained a problem in my team. Last year we improved the rest area and adjusted the break schedule. I expected morale to rise, but it did not change noticeably. The improvements were hygiene factors. What staff said they missed, in informal conversations, was recognition and the chance to own part of the work.

I also recognised my own habits. I tended to thank people only when something went wrong and was then fixed. Achievement and recognition are motivators, so I had been under-using the most powerful tools I had at no cost.

In practice, I will make three changes. First, I will give specific praise tied to the task, for example naming how a colleague handled a difficult customer. Second, I will offer one team member at a time ownership of a small project, such as improving the induction checklist. Third, I will ask each person in one-to-one meetings what part of their job they find most worthwhile.

I am aware the theory has limits. Individuals differ, and pay can matter greatly to someone under financial pressure. For that reason I will ask rather than assume. My measure of success will be whether staff volunteer for responsibility within three months.

Part 3: Communication skills

This part covers active listening, questioning and communication style. Active listening means giving full attention, reflecting back what was said and checking understanding before responding (Bolton, 1979).

I used to listen while thinking about my reply. In a recent conversation about a scheduling clash, a team member began explaining and I interrupted with a solution. She stopped talking, and I later learned the real issue was childcare pressure, not the rota. Now I paraphrase first, with phrases such as "So what I am hearing is…", and I allow pauses.

On questioning, I noticed that I relied on closed questions such as "Is that done?", which produced one-word answers. I will use open questions, such as "What is getting in the way?", to draw out detail. I will keep closed questions for confirming facts and use probing follow-ups, such as "Can you give me an example?", when an answer is vague.

On style, my default is passive when senior colleagues push back and aggressive when I am under time pressure. Neither works. An assertive style states my needs clearly while respecting the other person. I plan to prepare key points before difficult conversations and to use "I" statements, such as "I need the report by Thursday because the client meeting is Friday".

My action is to practise one listening technique per week for six weeks, starting with paraphrasing, and to ask a trusted colleague for feedback on how I come across in meetings.

Part 4: Providing feedback with the SAID model

The SAID model structures feedback around four steps: Situation, Action, Impact and Development. It keeps feedback specific, factual and focused on behaviour rather than personality. Research on feedback supports this, since feedback is most effective when it clarifies goals, progress and next steps (Hattie and Timperley, 2007).

Previously I avoided corrective feedback until problems built up. A team member was repeatedly late logging customer calls. I said, "You need to be more organised," which was vague and sounded personal. He became defensive and nothing changed.

Using SAID, I would now say: "In Monday’s and Tuesday’s shifts (Situation), the call log was completed after close (Action). That meant handover notes were missing for the evening team (Impact). What can we do so the log is up to date by the end of each call block (Development)?" This describes what happened, explains why it matters and invites the person to help find a solution.

I also see that feedback should include positive examples. I will apply SAID to praise as well, so that people know exactly which behaviour to repeat.

My action is to hold the follow-up conversation with that team member this month, agree a simple target, and review it after two weeks. I will give feedback soon after the event, in private, and I will keep brief notes of what was agreed.

Linking the four parts

These four areas work together. Choosing the right leadership style depends on listening and questioning, motivation depends on recognition delivered through good feedback, and feedback only lands if my communication style is assertive and respectful. If you need support shaping reflections like these around your own workplace, our learner record help for QQI Level 5 and 6 page explains the options, and the supervisory management QQI Level 6 assignment help page covers related modules.

References

Bolton, R. (1979) People skills: how to assert yourself, listen to others, and resolve conflicts. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. (2007) ‘The power of feedback’, Review of Educational Research, 77(1), pp. 81–112. doi:10.3102/003465430298487.

Herzberg, F. (1987) ‘One more time: how do you motivate employees?’, Harvard Business Review, 65(5), pp. 109–120.

Hersey, P., Blanchard, K.H. and Johnson, D.E. (2013) Management of organizational behavior. 10th edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.