BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 1 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Contents

Week Topics
1 ● Continuous improvement
● Clarification of roles and expectations
● Providing opportunities for team input
● Mentoring and 'buddy' systems
● Training and development activities
● Performance plans
● Reward/recognition programs for high
performing staff
● Teams and decision-making
2 ● Communication systems and procedures
● Knowledge management systems
● Policies and procedures
● Communities of practice
● Cross-project learning
● Expert directories
3 ● Sustainability
● Knowledge Management
● Mentoring and Coaching
4 ● Operational responsiveness
● Operational progress
● Making informed decisions
● Ensure reliable communications
5 ● Evaluating outcomes and identifying
opportunities for improvement
● Seeking feedback from stakeholders
● Identifying other areas for
improvement and documenting
feedback for future planning
● Recording work team performance
● Improving performance
6 Further reading and additional videos for recap
and review

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 2 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Week 1

Introduction

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to lead and manage continuous
improvement systems and processes. Particular emphasis is on the development of
systems and the analysis of information to monitor and adjust performance
strategies, and to manage opportunities for further improvements.

The unit applies to individuals who take an active role in managing a continuous
improvement process in order to achieve an organisation’s objectives. At this level,
work will normally be carried out using complex and diverse methods and
procedures which require the exercise of considerable discretion and judgement,
using a range of problem-solving and decision-making strategies.

Topics:

● Continuous improvement
● Clarification of roles and expectations
● Providing opportunities for team input
● Mentoring and 'buddy' systems
● Training and development activities
● Performance plans
● Reward/recognition programs for high performing staff
● Teams and decision-making

Continuous improvement
“Continuous improvement is the process of increasing the quality and services
through incremental gains accompanied by occasional innovation” – (Kuratko and
Hodgetts, 1995, p.697).

Video

What is Continuous Improvement?

[Link]
Process Improvement: Six Sigma & Kaizen Methodologies
[Link]

To remain competitive in today’s market, organisations need to have processes and

strategies in place. Continuous improvement should not only be seen in the front of
house, it should be encouraged at every level of the organisation.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 3 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Research from many sources has shown that in any organisational environment, the
level of success within a team can be reflected in the level of support that team
members receive from their managers. It is important that as a manager, even if you
do not say it directly, you demonstrate your support for organisational initiatives.

Further Reading

What Is Continuous Improvement? Definition & Tools

[Link] management/improvement/what-
is-continuous-improvement
You need to make yourself visible to your staff. Something as small as an
acknowledgement of a team member's name can lift the morale of a staff member –
this will usually be reflected in their performance.

Reflect on your own experiences

Don’t you feel great when your boss appreciates your efforts? Do you perform better
afterwards? Why does this happen? Reflect on a time when you did a good job and
you were not acknowledged. How did you feel? How did it affect your performance
level?

A good manager remembers what made them feel positive during their professional
life and takes steps to ensure that they make their team feel the same way.

Business leaders identify two critical factors which drive success in world class
organisations:
● Constantly improving performance by becoming better, faster, cheaper and more
effective

● Involving the minds and passion of all the team members in identifying
problems and resolving them.

Further Reading

5 Whys: The Ultimate Root Cause Analysis Tool

[Link] management/improvement/5-
whys-analysis-tool

THE CAUSE AND EFFECT (A.K.A. FISHBONE) DIAGRAM

[Link] templates/cause-effect/cause-and-
effect-aka-fishbone-diagram/

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 4 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 For continuous improvement to work, the senior management team needs to define
the framework for the continuous improvement process. This means that your
organization must have managers who appreciate the significance of engaging their
employees in problem-solving and enhancing the performance of processes under
their responsibility. They must also work with their subordinates to identify means to
improve the performance of processes which have more than one function.

Teams need to be supported by management. They need to feel that, as a manager,

you are supporting their work.

For continuous improvement, team members must work in an environment where

knowledge is shared. To make informed decisions, team members need not only the
support of their management but also sufficient information.

Management support and information-sharing practices will assist not only your
team, but also yourself. We are living in a dynamic age and the role of management
is forever changing. To meet these demands, you need to be able to delegate in a
way that allows you to have the time to meet the organisation’s goals and objectives.

Clarification of roles and expectations

By providing your team(s) with the information they need to make informed
decisions, you are sharing the responsibility for the task with your team and
empowering them by demonstrating that you trust them to meet their goals. This will
only work if you provide teams with the information they require to make decisions.

Video

Continuous Improvement
[Link]

The first step in any information-sharing process is to ensure that your team
members understand their goals. Goals are established to provide your team with a
precise measurement of their performance levels. Team performance should be
measured according to key performance indicators.

KPI

Key performance indicators must define and measure progress in relation to organisational
goals.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 5 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 For example, the organisation’s strategic goal is to improve quality by 5 per cent. The
goals in the operational plan are to train staff in identifying the correct organisational
policies and procedures related to quality, and subsequently finding ways to improve
that quality through processes.

As well as goals, the team should also be provided with organisational policies and
procedures. These are your expectations for the team’s performance.

Where do they obtain information in regard to their roles?

When a team member is inducted into the organisation,
they are provided with a job description. This provides
them with a clear explanation of their roles, skills and
knowledge they should demonstrate. The key
performance indicators, in turn, provide the team with the
organisation’s critical success factors.

This does not mean that your job stops here. You must continuously ensure that your
team has the information they require to keep up to date and meet their goals. You
should also notify them of any changes to their job description and ensure they
understand the level of performance required. As a manager, you can do this
through the communication process.

Communication devices and processes

Meetings, informal discussions and feedback processes are not always sufficient
ways to update your team on their roles and the changing expectations of the
organisation.

For example, your office may employ a part-time worker to cover the reception while
the receptionist has her lunch break. The part-time worker may also work in other
areas that cannot be left unattended during other periods. You might therefore find it
difficult to book meetings or catch up with the staff member in general.

In this instance, you may need to use other communication devices, not only to
provide updates but also to receive feedback from staff in regards to workplace
decisions.

Video

What is a KPI? [Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 6 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Video

4 Styles of Communication | Communication Styles In The Workplace

[Link]

Providing opportunities for team input

All long-term and short-term plans must correlate with their
strategic and operational plan counterparts. When staff are
encouraged to participate in the decision-making process,
they take ownership of their actions.

When you provide team members with updated information,

make sure that you are clear on how this will affect their roles
and let them have a say in how the short-term and long-term
plans are developed.

For example, if the long-term goal of the organisation is to

improve sales by improving the staff’s customer service skills,
then the team should have a say on how that training would be
delivered; whether they are allocated a mentor, paired up using
a buddy system, trained by an external body or in-house
training.

Mentoring and 'buddy' systems

A mentor is a person that provides support. They use their experience to help team members.

The advantages and disadvantages for the mentee

Advantages Disadvantages

⮚ Learns the organisation's values ⮚ Resource implications – both

mentor and learner require time to
⮚ Placed in a non-threatening
develop skills to plan, review and
environment where they obtain
communicate
assistance and support
⮚ That mentoring is additional and
⮚ They have access to someone
not a substitute for more training
who understands the
organisation’s culture, personnel ⮚ If the mentor is not appropriate,
and ways of working the learner could be guided in

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 7 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 the wrong direction

The buddy system is a procedure whereby people – the buddies – operate together
as a single unit so that they are able to mentor and help each other.

The advantages and disadvantages of a buddy system:

Advantages Disadvantages

⮚ They must work together ⮚ They may not agree

⮚ They must trust each other ⮚ They may not trust each other

⮚ They must trust the same ⮚ They may not like each other
people to reduce conflict
between buddies

Training and development activities

Training refers to the acquisition of competencies, skills and knowledge as a result of
teaching.

Advantages Disadvantages

⮚ Development of skills, knowledge ⮚ Costs

and experience
⮚ Training does not meet the needs
of the organisation

Development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development
and career development. It encompasses all types of facilitated learning
opportunities, such as coursework and informal learning.

Advantages Disadvantages

⮚ Learning new skills in the ⮚ Costs

advancement of the job

Video
Leadership - Engage your Team - Create a Culture of Engagement
[Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 8 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Performance plans
Team performance plans are detailed plans that:

● Identify the desired performance levels of the team

● Identify the performance levels to be achieved

● Provide a measure of progress for the desired performance levels.

These goals need to align with the organisation’s objectives by:

● Making sure that the team

performance plan aligns with the
team's purpose

● Making sure that the team’s purpose aligns with

the organisation' objectives.

The goals in the performance plan:

● Function as key performance indicators

● Improve the competency of the team

To make informed decisions, team

members should be provided with:

● A job description

● A definition and the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring, being a buddy,

training and development

● Team performance plan.

Reward/recognition programs for high performing staff

The previous information alone is not sufficient. Although you
have provided them with the information they require, you have
not acknowledged the high performing staff.

It is important to make sure that you acknowledge workers' efforts.

If you do not recognise a worker's effort, you may find

yourself in the position where your team has all of the
information but fails to do anything with it. As a manager,

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 9 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 you need to motivate your team continuously to ensure
that they work.

The power of Saying “thank you” may be sufficient recognition to

employee encourage staff to work harder. People who feel appreciated
recognition are more positive about themselves and their ability to
provide ideas and feedback. Be consistent with any
feedback that you provide. Don’t acknowledge one staff
member and then ignore another for displaying the same
behaviour.
Rewards Managers often use lack of time as an excuse for failing to
recognise and reward employees. Recognition of an
employee’s efforts is a reward. Rewards and recognition are
tools used to motivate your team to greater heights. As such,
a manager should always take the time to acknowledge
team members for their contributions.

In continuous improvement, rewards can motivate

employees to submit improvement ideas.

Other than a thank you, rewards may include:

● Sending hand written notes

● Rewarding effort, as well as success

● Giving them a free pass to a recreational activity

● Taking them out for coffee

● Acknowledging them before their peers during a meeting.

Teams and decision-making

Harvey Robbins and Mike Finley – the writers of “Why Teams Don’t Work” – argue that,
for teams to work in the decision-making process, they must agree to the decision-
making process before the decision-making discussion starts.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 10 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 The decision-making process
Consensus Consensus decision-making is where all team members get a
chance to express their opinions and must ultimately agree on
the outcome. If any team member does not agree, discussion
continues. Compromise must be used so that every team
member can agree with and commit to the outcome.

Be diplomatic

Make sure that everyone is heard and feels listened to – do not

let them argue. They need to respect each other and listen to
each other. If necessary, assess their understanding to ensure
that everyone is making the same recommendations based on a
clear understanding of the decision they are making.

No-one wins and no-one loses

Encourage teams to be creative. They do not have to agree, but

the best decision should be made for the right problem. Remind
them that even if a suggestion is ignored this time, it may still be
used at a later date.

Ensure contributions are objective

Encourage team members not to change their minds simply to

avoid conflict or agreement or to maintain harmony. If decisions
are made too quickly, be suspicious. Only yield to positions that
are objective or have logically sound foundations or merits.

Encourage different opinions

Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority votes, coin

toss or bargaining. Differences of opinion are expected and
natural. Make sure that everyone is involved in the decision-
making process. Disagreements can improve the group’s
decision.

Act as a guide

Do not assume control of the process, as doing so may

undermine the team's dynamics. Instead, serve as a guide,
facilitating discussions and involving various team members in

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 11 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 the process. By recognising and rewarding the team, you will
reinforce their confidence and trust in each other to get things
right.

Majority Majority decision-making is democracy in action. The committee

puts a motion to the rest of the group and a decision is made on
a simple majority.
Minority Minority decision-making usually takes the form of a sub-
committee, committee or general group that investigates
information and makes recommendations for action.
Averaging Averaging is the epitome of compromise. Team members
haggle, bargain, cajole, and negotiate an intentional middle
position. Usually no-one is happy with the result except the
neutrals on the team.
Expert This is simple. Find or hire experts, listen to what they say and
follow their recommendations.

Authority rule This is where there is no room for discussion, like pre-determined
without decisions handed down from higher authority. Trust is often lost
discussion with this method, especially when a team leader tries to fool their
team members into thinking that their opinions really can affect
the decision. Team members can easily find out when a team
leader is being insincere.
Authority rule This method is also known as participative decision-making.
with discussion Unfortunately, most people don’t know what this really means.
Many leaders think that they have to give up their decision-
making responsibility. This is really not true at all. Under this
method, those in the decision-making role make it clear from the
onset that the task of decision-making is theirs. They join in a
lively discussion of issues; their opinions count just like other
team members.

When they have heard enough to make an educated decision,

they cut off the discussion, make the decision, then get back to
all team members to let them know how their input affected the
decision. Most team members feel valued and are willing to
participate in another team decision using this method.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 12 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Participative Participative decision-making is when managers encourage
decision making employees to participate in organisational decision making.

Where consensus decision-making allows the team to make

choices, participative decision-making allows the leader to
retain control. The leader is solely responsible for the decision
and the consequences. However, members are given a sense of
involvement. In turn, the leader is given different perspectives.
When team members are notified before the decision is
implemented, there are no surprises and the sense of
involvement is enhanced.

The problem with collective decision-making is that it is time

consuming. If the decision-making process relates to security, it
is inappropriate, as it can increase risk levels when too many
individuals are involved in the process.

Question – Short Answer

Answer the following questions (30 – 40 words)

List and explain three benefits of continuous improvement in
business.
List and explain four important characteristics of a continuous
improvement plan.
Explain how computer software can assist with
implementing continuous improvement.
Explain the plan-do-check-act model of continuous
improvement.

Video

Before You Decide: 3 Steps To Better Decision Making

[Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 13 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Week 2

Topics:

● Communication systems and procedures

● Knowledge management systems
● Policies and procedures
● Communities of practice
● Cross-project learning
● Expert directories

Communication systems and procedures

For continuous improvement in an organisation, it is essential that all team
members obtain up- to-date information about the decision-making processes
that they are a part of. Access to information is usually covered in organisational
policy and procedures.

For example, as a manager, you are provided with

access to the organisation’s budgets. Teams will not
usually be able to access this information. However, you
may choose to let them know if you have a tight budget
when they make a decision. As long as the decision does
not compromise WHS legislation or any other legislative
requirements, then you are ensuring they are making an
informed decision.

A business system is a procedure or process used to deliver

information to appropriate team members. Organisations
will have systems in place to ensure that all stakeholders
have access to the required information and data to make
an informed decision.
What are informed decisions and how can they affect an organisation?
An informed decision is one made after learning relevant facts about the topic it
concerns. However, if incorrect or insufficient information is provided, then this can
have a negative impact on the organisation both externally and/or internally.

When systems are put in place, you should consider:

● Who the stakeholders are

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 14 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 ● The level of access they require to receive up-to-date information, so that team
members can make an informed decision

● The systems required to provide the stakeholders.

The stakeholders may include:

● Business or government contacts

● Funding bodies

● Individuals within the work team

● Internal and external contacts

● The organisation's clients and customers

● Professional associations

● Senior management and board members

● Unions/employee groups.

Continuous improvement processes may include:

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 15 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Video

Knowledge Management [Link]

Knowledge management systems

The aim of a Knowledge Management System (KMS) is to help businesses create and
share information, specifically new knowledge, experience and expertise. The
gathering of information does not necessarily mean that people understand the
knowledge. Individuals within the organisation need to have the capacity to change
information into something that is
understood by the organisation as a whole.

For example, you find a piece of information.

You stare at it and wonder what it is for.
However, over time, you receive more of the
same information and may be able to
identify a relationship between the
information, which then forms a pattern. In a
business context, consider the fact that your
organisation starts buying
environmentally friendly raw material that is turned into a viable product.

Over time, you obtain feedback that sales are increasing. During that time, you have
introduced more environmentally friendly products to the market and demand for
your product further increases.

If you consider the environmentally friendly product introduction and the sales boost
separately, you will not notice anything significant. Only when you link the rise in your
environmentally friendly product to the sales increase, then you can spot the pattern.

Your information has now evolved into a pattern of knowledge and wisdom.

To ensure that your team understands these concepts, it is essential that you
develop a method by which information can be transferred to team members and
individuals. It is important to remember that not all people learn in the same way so
there may not be one main method of transferring that knowledge within the
organisation

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 16 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Video

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION

[Link]

Common features of knowledge management systems

Best practice transfer

Change programs are put in place to improve the

performance and standards of the organisation. Yet
there are many stories of the change being introduced
and implemented only for it to fall apart when workers
decide to hold back information.

To ensure that you obtain the maximum impact and value

from a change, you need to put in place the minimum
amount of incentives.

This can be done through:

● Prioritising, locating and analysing

o as a manager, one of your roles is to identify the high performers and

document their potential best practice

● Creating and communicating incentives for change

o this means that you tell the workers what is in it for them from the start

o non-monetary benefits could include changing workers' schedules or

recognition from management that will lead to a bonus
o the worker would also need to know what the sanction for non-compliance is

● Backing the program

o demonstrate the company’s willingness to invest in ideas and provide the

resources to support the transfer of knowledge

● Appointing leaders who are respected and ensuring that they assist in facilitating
the smooth implementation of a plan

o they should also be accountable for the results and the transfer of knowledge.

The transfer of knowledge requires documentation, training, direction and ongoing

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 17 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 tracking and performance measurement. Management must be clear on what they
can and cannot do. Steps also need to be taken to ensure that changes do not
become institutionalised. Once this happens, it will be even harder to ensure that
workers learn new concepts and apply them to the workplace as part of the
continuous improvement process.

Video

QC101 Process Flow Charting

[Link]

Policies and procedures

A policy is described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve outcomes.
A policy is usually a commitment to perform at a specific level. A procedure is the
steps involved in performing a task. The stakeholders involved in the process should
be provided with any improvement process.

Further Reading

The Complete Guide to the Continuous Improvement

Process [Link]
improvement-process/

Scenario 1
Agim has recently been employed as a manager at Star Constructions. He is
a part of a small administrative team and is the only employee at work this
day. All of the administrative team have called in sick. They went to dinner at
the local restaurant. All of them ate a bad dish and have food poisoning.

A customer rang and asked a question. Agim opened the Star Constructions
Policy and Procedure Manual. He frowned at the procedures. On the day he
started, he received an email from his manager stating that the policy for the
customer’s enquiry

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 18 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Forums
A forum is a public meeting or assembly for open discussion. There are also digital
forums found on the internet. Website members can post discussions and read and
respond to posts by other forum users. The internet forum usually allows all members
to make posts and start new topics.

Scenario 2
An organisation operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Days are
split in eight hour shifts. Seasonal variances and cyclical cycles also
require the need of part-time, job share and casual staff. The local union
for the organisation’s industry has found that staff make no effort to read
bulletin boards as they are in a labour intensive field. To ensure reach and
to encourage feedback, the union has a forum that allows staff to provide
ongoing feedback and discussion. The forum has been supported by the
organisation.

Meetings
Meetings can be either formal or informal. Formal meetings are meetings that are
planned to gather information or feedback. Informal meetings may be a discussion
between two members of the team or from feedback.

Scenario 3
Previous experience has taught one organisation that if they send out
emails or mail, their staff members will fail to read them. To ensure that
reach is maximised and that staff know what changes are being
implemented, they have introduced weekly staff meetings. During the
meeting, they are actively encouraged to provide feedback.

Newsletters
A newsletter can be paper-based or delivered via email in digital format. The aim of

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 19 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 most of these formats is to reach as many of the customers and/or staff to ensure
that specific parties are supplied with information pertaining to changes in
processes for team members or quality improvements in the product for the
customer and the team members.

Reports

Reports are usually written for organisations, management and other stakeholders
that have some type of vested interest in the organisation. Reports are written in a
monthly cycle within the organisation so that management can confirm that their
teams are fully functional and that organisational goals are being met or
superseded. The aim of these reports is to identify where goals are not being met
and to implement strategies to enhance staff performance and skills as required.

Web-based communication devices:

In the past decade, organizations have made significant advancements in
transitioning from traditional face-to-face team environments to utilizing
communication technology. Increasingly, team members have embraced using
asynchronous tools (including emails, discussion groups, information sharing tools,
and group calendaring systems), and synchronous tools (such as instant messaging
and web-based chatting features) to coordinate and share information with people
within and outside the organisation.

Scenario 4

A multinational corporation has ten senior managers who often travel

for work. Every month, they must give feedback as part of company
policy. They use video conferences to save travel time, but it may not
be as productive as meeting in person

A video conference is a set of interactive telecommunication

technologies that allows two or more locations to interact via two-
way video and audio transmissions simultaneously.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 20 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Further Reading

Knowledge Management Practices To Support Continuous Improvement

[Link]

Communities of practice
A community of practice is a successful technique that can be used to install a
knowledge management system. The idea is to lift the knowledge level of staff by
creating a culture that sustains learning and sharing of knowledge.

A community of practice supports the gathering and distribution

of information across organisations and industry by:
● Serving as a forum that exchanges timely information as required

● Retaining tacit knowledge through the discussion of

current issues and processes

● Building individual competencies through discussion,

problem solving and the exploration of new technologies.

Video

Managing Knowledge Workers

[Link]

Cross-project learning
You can learn from the mistakes of the past. By following the actions of previous
projects, managers can take steps to ensure that the same problem does not arise in
their own project.

For example, an individual did not receive the correct information on time, so they
decided to improvise when accepting the client's offer.

By learning from the mistakes of the past, an organisation can improve their policies
and procedures and ensure that decisions cannot be made without the latest
information. Informed decisions need to be made for the success of the organisation.
In this way, the organisation is using procedures to improve their processes.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 21 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Expert directories
An expert directory is a directory of people who are experts in specific subjects. When
your organisation requires a specific skill set or knowledge, then you can research the
directory to find a person who has those relevant skills and knowledge. They can then
teach you what you need to know.

Forum – Discussion

Read the Case Study ‘Continuous improvement as a business strategy’

[Link]
strategy/

Identify four (4) factors that determined the success of the continuous

improvement strategy. Share your answer in the student Forum and review

the answer of other students.

Questions – Short Answer

Answer the following questions (30 – 40 words)

Provide a definition of continuous improvement.
What does senior management need to do for continues
improvement to work?
What is a buddy system?
What is a team performance plan?
Define consensus decision-making.
What can continuous improvement processes include? List
three inclusions.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 22 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Week 3

Topics:

● Sustainability
● Knowledge Management
● Mentoring and Coaching
Sustainability
The New South West Office of Environment and Heritage defines sustainability as:

● Working within the limits of what the environment can provide

● Understanding the many interconnections between economy, society and the

environment

● The equal distribution of resources and opportunities.

Sustainability is about meeting the needs of society, while ensuring that enough of
the environment is sustained to meet future requirements.

Video

Sustainability explained [Link]

Sustainability programs include:

● The reduction of physical resources such as energy and water (i.e. turning off your
computer after you complete work)

● Recycling in both your work and home environment

● The redesign of production processes and products to make sure that toxic
materials are removed from the workplace

● Protecting and restoring the natural environment that is valued for its
biodiversity and/or beauty.

Addressing environmental resource sustainability initiatives

In a 2005 study by the Australia Institute, more than $5.3 billion
worth of food was thrown away and over $10.5 billion was spent

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 23 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 on products that were never used. Further consumption has
increased over 150 percent since 1960 and energy use has risen
by 107 percent since 1975. In an effort to counteract these
increases in consumption and minimise the impact to the
environment, business has slowly evolved to create sustainable
products.

The government has put together policies to protect the environment and to make
producers accountable for their impact on the environment around them.

It is more than just businesses trying to reduce their environmental impact; it involves
them putting action plans within their environmental management systems. This
systematic approach, known as an environmental management system (EMS), seeks
to enhance organizational efficiency and drive better environmental results..

You can refer to Standards Australia under EMS (ISO14001 and 14004).

These are known as:

● AS/NZS (Australian/New Zealand Standards) 14001: 2004 EMS –requirements with
guidance to use

● AS/NZS 14004:2004 EMS – general guidelines on principles, systems and support

techniques.

It is essential not only to incorporate environmental management plans like action plans but
also to establish feedback mechanisms for monitoring progress and enhancing performance
through continuous monitoring and measurement of targets and objectives.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 24 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Apply the waste management hierarchy in the
workplace
The waste management hierarchy serves as a global
and national guideline to prioritize waste
management practices for the best environmental
outcomes, outlining a clear order of preference.

Take a look at the diagram: The most desirable

approach to minimize your organization's
environmental impact is to establish processes and
systems that avoid it in the first place.

However, if the organization cannot entirely avoid its

environmental impact, it should follow the hierarchy's steps until it properly disposes
of the resource causing harm to the environment. Many states are actively pursuing
effective measures to reduce waste that can harm the environment.

Further Reading

Do You Know How The Waste Management Hierarchy Works?

[Link]
works-read-can-help- environment-proper-waste-disposal/

Forum – Activity
Identify a ‘waste’ at GMC. Apply the waste management hierarchy to
manage the waste.

Share your work in the Student Forum and review the work of other
students.

Regulations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 25 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 For a complete map of Australian environmental legislation, refer to URL Address:
[Link]/about/[Link] on the Department of Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

Many environmental laws show how much the government and society care about
protecting the environment. Every law is reinforced by civil, criminal, and
administrative penalties, serving as a deterrent for businesses that do not adequately
safeguard the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plays a crucial role
in ensuring that your business's actions do not affected the rights of the public.

For example, human rights extend to the environment in that everyone “has the right to clean
drinking water” (Human Rights, 2011). This reflects the trend highlighted in the Thorton National
Business Report that recruitment, public attitudes and cost management are the
leading reasons why business is involved in the process of implementing CSR
initiatives.

For example, as part of a health and wellbeing plan, a company can attract and
retain skilled staff that have an affiliation with their company because they are
environmentally aware.

Public opinion in regards to the practices of an organisation

and their impact on the environment can make a large
impact on the organisation’s image. A company that does not
reflect ethical behaviour can lose customers due to bad
publicity. Their customers will not want to be known to have an
affiliation with them and staff will not want to work with them,
so the organisation will not only lose customers and
employees, they will also lose on their return, on their
investments and, in turn, their business.

How many businesses will stay competitive if they lose their

customers and their skilled staff? None, as no one will want to
be affiliated with them. If they do not earn money, they will not
stay in business.

Video

Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

[Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 26 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Ecological footprint
The ecological footprint accounts for the flow of energy that is
defined by your economy and converts these into the
corresponding land/water required to support the flow of energy.
The Ecological footprint is defined as “the area of productive land
and water ecosystems required to produce the resources that the
population consumes and assimilates the wastes that the
population produces wherever on Earth the land and water is
located.”(Wackernagel, Mathis and W. [Link] Ecological Footprint. Gabriola
Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 1996.)

The Living Planet Report 2008 estimated that the world’s footprint is
2.7 global hectares (gha). Australia’s Ecological Footprint is more
than 2.8 times the size of the global average and half of the
Australian Footprint is “carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels”
(EPA Vic, 2011). A global hectare is roughly the size of a soccer field.

The economy that you live in is influenced by the lifestyle you live. If all people lived
like Australians, the world would not have the ability to support us. Australia’s
footprint is large because most Australians live in large cities and houses, travel long
distances and their energy needs are currently sourced by fossil fuels.

Activity

Use the Ecological Footprint calculators on URL Address:

[Link] to
find out how much impact that you have on the environment.

By calculating the ecological footprint, you can see what our impact is and how we
can use resources more efficiently in an effort to secure our personal well-being, as
well as that of humankind and the world.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 27 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 By understanding the ecological footprint that you leave on the world, you will be
able to implement steps to control your movements to decrease your actions. This
also highlights your awareness of the importance of ensuring that your actions within
the organisation you work in will have a positive impact on the environment.

Video

What is Ecological footprint?

[Link]

Green purchasing
In 2009, the Green Purchasing Report was finalised.

The aim of the report is to examine environmentally preferable or green purchasing in

Australia. Organisational policies and procedures for both private and public sector
organisations have purchasing policies, but few have a green or sustainable
purchasing policy. Lack of legislation has affected these policies and procedures in
areas such as labelling and measuring environmental impact.

However, there are still organisations that achieve good practice through initiatives
such as:
● Setting clear targets and benchmarks

● Coordinating green purchasing

● Communicating with staff to develop active behavioural change

● Involving suppliers in the process of making large and complex supply chains more
environmentally friendly

● Trialling innovative products.

Sustainability reporting
Sustainability reporting is when organisations and companies demonstrate
responsibility in reporting their environmental performance. It is usually delivered in a
triple bottom line report which covers financial, social, and environmental impacts.

Sustainability reporting in Australia is voluntary and can

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 28 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 include:
● Corporate Codes of Conduct

● National and International Standards

● The Global Reporting Initiative

● Australian guidelines

● Sustainability reporting at home and overseas.

Further Reading

GRI standards [Link]

What is a Sustainable Workplace? (6 Ways to Create a Sustainable Work

Environment) [Link]
sustainable-workplace-6-ways-to- create-a-sustainable-work-
environment#:~:text=A%20sustainable%20workplace%20established%
20the,their%20most
%20cherished%20asset%2Demployees.

3 Ways You Can Bring Sustainability to Your Workplace

[Link]

8 GREEN OFFICE INITIATIVES FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORKPLACE

[Link]
for-a-sustainable- workplace/

Questions – Short Answer

Answer the following questions (30 – 40 words)

Name two (2) inclusion of a sustainability program.

What are the steps in the waste management hierarchy?
Why is it important to calculate your ecological footprint?
Define a sustainable supply chain.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 29 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Knowledge Management

Further Reading

What is Knowledge Management and Why Is It Important?

[Link] advice/career-development/what-is-
knowledge-management

Knowledge brokers and knowledge mapping

There is never just one community of practice. You may be a part of several
communities within a workplace. These communities build and develop knowledge. A
broker is a skilled worker who works in different communities and their knowledge is
gathered across the communities and applied within them. These brokers of
knowledge can then use their skills to develop the knowledge of the individual or the
team.

Knowledge mapping is the process that an organisation utilises to identify their

knowledge assets. This means that they must map the skills and knowledge of their
staff against the skills and knowledge required for the organisation. The expertise
identified is then analysed for barriers and constraints to meeting an organisation's
goals and objectives.

A broker’s knowledge can be utilised to identify a need and then a knowledge map
(k-map) can be developed to identify any knowledge gaps.

A knowledge map is created by identifying the skills and knowledge of a team

member and comparing that knowledge to what they need to know.

Questions that may be asked include:

● What are the available knowledge resources?

● Are these resources clusters or communities?

● Who will ultimately use the knowledge?

● What is the lifecycle of the knowledge?

Knowledge repositories
Knowledge is an essential resource today. To remain competitive, an organisation
must have the ability to learn and respond to problems and opportunities as soon as

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 30 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 they arise. Knowledge

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 31 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 becomes outdated and replaced by new knowledge. The acquisition of knowledge
must therefore be ongoing.

Knowledge sharing must also be ongoing and workers need to be able to gather
data swiftly to resolve problems and decision making within the organisation.
Knowledge sharing and the assimilation of information should be accessed in one
location and in one collective culture to ensure that knowledge is kept within the
organisation, even when other team members leave.

This means that as a problem arises, the information collected will assist in identifying
ways to resolve it continually. This means that even though people leave the
organisation, they will leave behind their knowledge, which can then be utilised to
improve an organisation’s responsiveness to the market and to assist in identifying
what will and won’t work.

Measuring and reporting intellectual capital

Like knowledge, the intellectual capital of your team will be able to provide your
organisation with a competitive advantage. By measuring and monitoring
intellectual capital you will be able to measure how much possible competitive
advantage a team may have over other teams. One person may not have sufficient
knowledge, but a team of people working together may correlate information in such
a way that it can be retained and analysed to improve processes and procedures in
the organisation.

Performance management
Performance management can be used to measure the performance of team
members and to identify areas for improvement to meet the needs of the
organisation. This method is used to improve the
performance of the team through continuous
review and assessment.

Post-project reviews
Once a project is completed or determined to be
unable to progress further, it will be terminated.
A post-project review meeting will be scheduled
with the aim of assessing what happened during
the project – what were the positive results, the
negative results – and to discuss lessons that

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 32 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 team members learned.

Each member of the meeting is allocated different responsibilities. The success of the
post- project review meeting lies in the ability of its participants in objectively
assessing the project’s strengths and areas where they can improve. This objective
assessment uses the knowledge gained to improve on future projects and to ensure
that mistakes made do not recur again.

Proximity and architecture

Proximity and architecture reflects on the physical situation of the project’s
employees and whether it is either conducive or obstructive to the sharing of
knowledge. When an organisation needs to learn faster, it must shorten the time
between acquisition and diffusion of that knowledge. By using collaborative learning,
which is supported by a culture that manages diversity of thought, you can generate
a knowledge exchange and development proximity. This will create architecture that
gathers a collective intelligence away from the norm which is then introduced back
into the project to ensure that knowledge is transferred. Change is then supported to
meet the needs of the project.

Social software
Social software and applications such as communication tools are
used to capture, store and present written, audio or video and to
mediate interactions between groups of people relating to the project
they are undertaking. This information can then be viewed and the
knowledge from these interactions used to improve the
communication process and the gathering and sharing of
information during a project. Communication could include instant
texting, blogs, or internet forums.

Storytelling
Storytelling, from an early age, assists us in sharing knowledge and can become a
competitive weapon for organisations.

Steve Denning, formerly of the KM World Bank, believes that there are seven reasons

Video

The magical science of storytelling

[Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 33 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 why story telling enhances business.

The seven reasons are:

● To persuade people to change

o stories give team members a basis of acceptable behaviour in the organisation

o by using conduct that reflects this behaviour, they will be accepted more
readily by their peers

● To communicate who a person is

o stories demonstrate that you will maintain a certain level of professional

conduct that should be reflected by your team

o it gives team members a way to identify with you

● To get people working together

o as new people enter the organisation and learn the stories of the organisation,
they learn what acceptable behaviour is and adjust the way in which they
perform to reflect this
o so, if they enter a work place geared towards continuous improvement
and team development, they will adjust their performance to fit in

● To transmit values, both personal and organisational

o team members and individuals can learn from stories

o these values need to reflect the policies and procedures of the organisation

● People always need something to gossip about

o by developing stories within the organisation, you will be able to control the
stories that are told to ensure that your team operates without the drama and
emotion derived from made up gossip

● Shares knowledge

o stories need to be developed to provide information to the team

o for example, a story that reflects your support as a manager for your team can
demonstrate that you do not just make empty promises but actively engage in
your team's growth, ensuring their success.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 34 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 o these stories will usually evolve based on your actions

o always back up what you say with doing.

● To lead people into the future

o when you are respected by your team, they will watch

what you do and listen to what is said about you

o when you are respected, most individuals will usually try to

emulate you

o these actions will teach the team members the acceptable practices that
will lead them into the future.

Forum Activity - Scenario

You are the manager of a library that has a number of issues - write a
draft continuous improvement plan based on the following information:

staff are always running late for opening time or have extended
lunch breaks

the library catalogue system is confusing for the younger staff so a

lot of books are mis- filed

there is only one public computer available for clients to search for
library books

the collected library fees are extremely low this quarter which is
unusual

last month the library won a customer service award for excellence in
client care

Share your work in the Student Forum and review the work of other
students.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 35 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Coaching and mentoring

To ensure that individuals and teams are responsive to changing trends in

sustainability and quality assurance, it is important to ensure that all staff are aware
of external and internal pressures that will affect the organisation. It is also important
that all staff are provided with up- to-date information regarding the impact these
pressures will have on the organisation's policy and procedures.

Effective mentoring
To be a good mentor, you need to:
● Share any knowledge that will further personal growth and the success of the mentee

● Present mentees with the best version of yourself

● Provide a mentoring program appropriate to the mentee’s needs

● Address behaviour that needs to be changed, improved or removed

● Have a mutually beneficial relationship where both parties trust each other.

For any mentoring program to be effective, the mentor:

● Must not have false expectations, but strive for greater growth

● Meet the needs of the mentee

● Trust the mentee

● Set a realistic time frame

● Should not attempt to mentor without having their own

support network.

Video

The power of mentoring: Lori Hunt at TEDxCCS

[Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 36 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Types of mentoring
Mentoring is often divided into:

● Informal mentoring

relationships develop on their own, such as when a person approaches a

possible mentor and that person agrees to form a mentoring relationship

● Formal mentoring

relationships are assigned and the organisation oversees and guides the

mentoring program in order to promote employee development.

An effective mentor balances both types of mentoring based on the needs of the
mentee. Mentoring is an ongoing program and it is essential that the appropriate
type of mentoring is used for the mentee to apply the skills and knowledge required
to improve performance.

These two types of mentoring can further be divided into:

● Special project mentoring

when a mentor helps to guide a mentee's short-term project (a few weeks to a few
months)

● Traditional mentoring

When there is a long-term relationship where a mentor guides the mentee's career.

Skills for mentors

Mentoring programs can be either internal or external to the organisation. If you are a
mentor, it is important that you build a rapport with your mentee.

Ways you can build rapport include:

● Meeting with the mentee consistently

● Listing everything covered during the meeting

● Charting the mentee’s progress

● Demonstrating good behaviour consistently

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 37 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 ● Providing mentee with feedback consistently

● Sharing your own experiences with them.

Once you have established rapport, it is important to establish each person’s role in the
mentor/mentee relationship. Both of you should define these parameters in consensus.

Some of the parameters that you set up can include:

● Goals and responsibilities – set realistic goals

● Ground rules for the mentoring relationship, including when you meet and how
to engage each other.

The mentoring model can assist you in engaging your mentee and setting up a
productive mentoring relationship.

Mentoring model

Facilitate learning Guide the planning process Support experimentation

Initiate exploration What do we know? How might the goals How is it going?
What is the current What are the be achieved? Are adjustments
situation? implications? What What actions would be needed? Are the
What factors are needed? expected outcomes
could be different? What being produced?
impacting on the How will it be done?
situation? might be done? Are there unexpected
What resources will
What might be the outcomes?
How do they affect the be needed?
situation? consequences of the What could be done
How will progress be
actions contemplated? differently next time?
Why should it change? monitored?
What then, are realistic
goals?

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 38 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Video

How to Build Rapport [Link]

Effective coaching
As a leader, your role is to be an effective coach. To be an effective coach, it is essential
that you understand what motivates people. You need to stimulate your employee to
find the skills for job performance.

Different types of coaching include:

● Business coaching

o always conducted within the constraints placed on the individual or

group by the organisation’s policies and procedures and goals

o Career coaching using the feedback about an individual’s capabilities, you could focus
on any of their

o concerns, which should lead to increased clarity, personal change and forward action

● Executive coaching

o aims at improving the performance of the most influential people within the
organisation in the hope that business results improve overall

o often delivered by coaches from outside the organisation whose services are requested

● Performance coaching

o aimed at enhancing an individual’s performance in their current role at work

● Personal or life coaching

o provides support to individuals wishing to make significant changes in their lives

o coaches help individuals to explore what they want in life and how they
might achieve their aspirations and fulfil their needs

● Skills coaching

o provides employees with the skills necessary to perform their role

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 39 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 o tailored to the needs of the individuals and focuses on achieving skills
development that are linked to the organisation's needs

● Team facilitation

o coaching a team before a presentation to improve performance – as

well as self- confidence.

Video

A Practical Method to Effective Coaching

[Link]

Coaching competencies
The International Coach Federation has defined a set of basic coaching competencies,
including the ability to:
● Meet ethical guidelines of the profession

● Establish a coaching agreement

● Establish an intimate and trusting relationship with the client

● Be fully present, conscious and spontaneous

● Engage in active listening

● Ask powerful questions

● Be a direct communicator

● Create and raise the client's awareness

● Design and create action plans and action behaviours

● Develop plans and establish goals with the client

● Manage the client's progress and hold him/her responsible for action.
The CIPD has identified general skills that characterise effective coaches, including:
● Self-awareness and self-knowledge

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 40 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 ● Clear and effective communication skills

● Relationship-building skills (including ability to establish rapport)

● Flexibility of approach

● Listening and questioning skills

● Ability to design an effective coaching process

● Ability to assist goal development and setting, including giving feedback

● Ability to motivate

● Ability to encourage new perspectives

● Ability to assist in making sense of a situation

● Ability to identify significant patterns of thinking and behaving

● Ability to challenge and give feedback

● Ability to establish trust and respect

● Ability to facilitate depth of understanding

● Ability to promote action

● Ability to build resilience.

Skills for coaches may include:

o Listening
o listen to your team member

o demonstrate that you respect their thoughts and ideas

o acknowledge their efforts

● Questioning

o use appropriate questioning skills to clarify things if you don’t understand

● Constructively challenging

o challenging constructively is about not holding back but at the same time not

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 41 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 destroying the relationship

o for example, “you’re doing a great job, but don’t you think you could do this better?”

● Holding people to account

o once someone has committed to a goal, make sure they know that they are
accountable for that goal

● Seeing things from different perspectives

o when you coach someone, give them an opportunity to see and try things from
a different perspective

● Encouraging and supporting

o provide support and encourage people by giving them feedback on how to improve

● Trusting and using intuition

o follow your intuition about the person that you are coaching and trust that
your instincts are correct

● Keeping the focus on your client

o when you coach someone, focus on their needs and

do not focus on your own agenda.

The eight skills will not only assist you in being a great
coach, but also in being a good leader or manager. When
you coach someone, complete a self-assessment on your
strengths and weaknesses and then develop them.

Video

Leading & Coaching [Link]

Question – Short Answer

Answer the following questions (20 – 30 words)

Define informal and formal mentoring.
List three (3) ways you can build rapport with a mentee.
What is the aim of a knowledge management system?

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 42 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Week 4
Topics:

● Operational responsiveness
● Operational progress
● Making informed decisions
● Ensure reliable communications

Operational responsiveness
Globalisation and technological innovation has led consumers being more
knowledgeable. To obtain a competitive edge, your organisation has to be responsive
to changes not only in demand, but also to changes in legislative requirements and
other trends. The quicker you are able to respond, the faster you will be able to sell
your product to the customer.

Operational responsiveness is the ability of business processes

and systems to respond to both the external and internal
changing conditions as they occur, enabling business leaders to
respond quickly to maintain a competitive edge. Customer
interactions will play an important role in operational
responsiveness. Organisations are in business to sell to
customers. By responding to customer demand quicker than their
competitors, organisations may obtain a larger share of the
market.

To capitalise on new opportunities, organisations need to have the policy and

procedures in place to:
● Increase efficiencies

● Mitigate risk

● Meet new challenges

● Monitor business activities

● Process information faster.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 43 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Increase efficiencies
As part of any continuous improvement, an organisation needs to have processes in
place aimed at ensuring it is responsive to changes in the market. One way to observe
changes to the market is through environmental scanning.

Environmental scanning is the process of gathering, analysing and dispensing

information for tactical or strategic purposes. The environmental scanning process
involves obtaining both factual and subjective information on the business
environments in which a company is operating.

Once you have identified a change to the market, you can be proactive and respond
to the projected changes before they come to fruition. In turn, you will be ahead of
your competitors and this means you will interact with your customer sooner.

Mitigate risk
Occupational Health and Safety policies and procedures should be aimed at
identifying, controlling and minimising risk. Instead of hiring an environmental
scanner to research Workplace Health and Safety (WHS), you can consider joining a
professional association, as they often provide employers with regular updates
regarding any WHS changes affecting your industry. Additionally, you can enroll in
WHS updates through your State or Territory's official website.

Meet new challenges

Technological innovations and changes to legislation can place a large financial
pressure on some industries. Providing your team with ongoing support and building
confidence can have a positive impact on performance. Your team will be prepared
for any contingency and work together to ensure that they resolve any problems as
soon as possible.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 44 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Forum -Discussion

Watch the video

15 NEW "Pandemic-Created" Business Ideas in 15 Minutes

[Link]

Reflect on the video and consider how innovation and continuous

improvement help overcome challenges.

List what you can change/improve in the way you think or do things to
take advantage of opportunities, even in uncertain times.

Share your thoughts in the student forum and review the answers of other
students.

Monitor business activities

Environmental scanning, professional associations and signing up for email updates
are not the only way your organisation can monitor the external market. Suppliers,
delivery drivers and other external customers are also able to provide both formal
(surveys) and informal (discussion during sales) updates about changes in demand.

For example, your suppliers sometimes make deliveries to

your competitors. On occasion, the drivers responsible for
delivering goods may casually mention making a delivery to
your competitor for a specific product. In the right context,
this information may assist you in identifying the correct
changes to your organisation's operations.

Process information faster

To remain competitive, organisations must be able to respond to market demand
faster than their competitors. This happens through organisational progress.

Organizational progress occurs when new circumstances, conditions, or relationships

are effectively managed, enabling the organization to transition from one favorable
state to another. If an organisation is unable to capture the changes, then it might

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 45 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 lose its competitive edge, which could lead to failure.
Operational progress is measured in different ways within the organisation. Your
organisation may only use one of these indicators or they may use all.

Operational progress
Operational progress may refer to…

Customer service Have you outperformed your competitors in adapting

indicators to meet your customers' needs? Key customer service
performance indicators can be used to determine
whether the goals of your department have been met,
exceeded or not reached.

For example, your customers’ buying trends have

changed in recent months. A formal survey was sent to
your regular customers to identify why sales have
decreased.

Customers were no longer prepared to pay the same

prices as more and more competitors entered the
market. Based on customers’ feedback, your
organisation may have altered processes in
production to reduce costs. By making minor
adjustments to processes without compromising the
quality of the product, the organisation was able to cut
costs and transfer the savings to the customer.
Work Health and Safety WHS performance indicators may be measured
indicators internally through the amount, frequency and duration
of injuries. Were staff injured in the production of a
product? If so, how?

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 46 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Conversely, if one customer identifies that they are
getting small electrical shocks when they use the
product, what is an acceptable level of risk?

A risk could become more dangerous if the

organisation ignores the complaint. This type of
feedback may seem small, but you have been advised
that there is a problem with the product. The
organisation may perceive this as a nominal risk, but
what happens if the next day, two more customers
gave the same feedback? When the organization
initially considered this issue to be a one-time
occurrence, the risk level increased when similar
feedback was received for other products.
Productivity gains Changes to processes that speed up production can
ensure that an organisation sells more products. This
could be done by eliminating or speeding up
processes. Changes to raw materials may make the
development of the product easier so that
performance to the product is enhanced
Success in meeting Meeting agreed goals and performance indicators
agreed goals and can be perceived as a success. As part of the
performance indicators continuous improvement process, once goals are
continuously met, the organisation should then
identify ways to exceed those goals.

Processes and systems, policies and procedures,

goals and key performance indicators should be used
as benchmarks to improve operational
responsiveness. An organisation's progress is
measured according to how quickly they respond to
feedback and other measurements used to enhance
performance.

It is essential that an organisation resists making

decisions on feedback until the issue has been

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 47 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 thoroughly researched.
However, care must be taken to ensure that the
organisation does not take too long to respond to
changes based on feedback.

Making informed decisions

Another aspect of being operationally responsive is your organisation’s ability to ensure that
the
correct members of your team obtain access to the required information.

As a manager, it is important that you always make informed decisions. To make an

informed decision, you need to make sure that the information you have is correct.
When you delegate a member of your team to research negative feedback, you
must ensure they have the skills and knowledge to do so. They will also need the
authority to access the correct [Link] you have delegated a task to a
team member, he/she should use their knowledge of the organisation to research
different causes of the problem and communicate those strategies in consultation
with the team.

Problem solving is a seven-step process in most instances. Your organisation may

have other problem-solving cycles that they use.

To solve a problem, take one step at a time…

Identify the problem This is the most important part of solving any problem. If
you are not clear on what a problem is then your team will
be wasting time and resources solving the incorrect
problem.

For example, there has been a notable increase in

customer returns. Their research indicates that the issue
stems from your organization's manufacturing process, as
the parts are snapping.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 48 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Explore the problem When you have clearly identified what the problem is, you
should think about the problem in different ways.

Ask questions like:

● Who is the problem affecting and how?

● What do they do about it?

Looking at the problem from different perspectives will

assist you in identifying an effective solution.

In the case of the snapping parts, the problem may have

arisen because:

● There is an issue with the organisation’s internal

processes

● The supplier has changed the raw material so that the

quality
of your organisation’s process is compromised.

During the exploration of the problem, your team may

have needed to contact several parties. In this example,
the cause of the possible problem with this case is that:

● Your supplier has changed their processes, and

this has impacted on the quality of your product

● Your own production crew has changed procedures

and this impact was not forecasted.

For the sake of this discussion, you contacted your

production staff and found that no procedures were
changed. You contacted

the supplier and found that they had changed the

procedures for developing the raw materials.

Set goals In this instance, the goal would be to find viable ways of
bringing your product up to the required standard.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 49 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Look at alternatives Alternatives may include:

● Finding another supplier

● Resolving the problem with the supplier

● Discussing the avenues available to the organisation

with your own customer.
Select a possible As part of any consultation process, you would ensure:
solution
● That all parties were continuously consulted and
received feedback for each step in the process

● That the most viable avenue was chosen to keep the

customer happy.
Implement a possible Resolve the issue.
solution
Evaluate In consultation with your supplier and customer, you would
provide feedback and make sure that your customer is
happy with the outcomes.

You should strengthen your relationship with your

supplier. In a strong customer/supplier relationship, your
supplier should have discussed changes to their
processes with you.

In some instances, depending on the circumstances,

some organisations will cancel the customer/supplier
relationship.

Video

THE POWER OF DECISION-MAKING

[Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 50 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Problem-solving chart
To assist your team in the communication process, a flow chart like the one shown

below may be used to assist in ensuring that the organisation's procedures are
followed.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 51 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Problem solving flow chart

Video

How to Solve a Problem in Four Steps

[Link]

Ensure reliable communications

In every step of this process, you would have needed to communicate and consult
with stakeholders.

For example, to set goals in step three, you would have been required to consult with
the supplier, the production team and management. You should also keep your

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 52 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 customer abreast of the changes and when they take place.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 53 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Route information to get the right data to the right person
Your organisation would also have in place the correct order in which you should
contact your supplier. Your client may have approached your competitors. You
should have maintained a strong relationship with your supplier. The supplier should
have communicated changes to the raw material to you so that you could, in turn,
consult with your customer.

When you communicate with other departments within the organisation, it is

important that team members follow the correct procedures. There are usually
knowledgeable experts that would be able to answer questions in regards to the
production process. Even though your team may not be required to consult with
another party, courtesy would usually dictate that your team members contact the
supervisor in the production department and ask for permission to consult with the
appropriate staff.

Questions – Short Answer

Answer the following questions (20 – 30 words)

To capitalise on new opportunities, what do organisations need
to do?
What can operational progress refer to?
List the steps in the decision-making process.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 54 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Week 5
Topics:

● Evaluating outcomes and identifying opportunities for improvement

● Seeking feedback from stakeholders
● Identifying other areas for improvement and documenting feedback for future
planning
● Recording work team performance
● Improving performance

Evaluating outcomes and identifying opportunities for improvement

Providing team members with appropriate information

Changes in management can be a very daunting task for team members especially if
they are not familiar in working in a dynamic organisation. As a manager, the success
of any change usually depends on the manager's ability to provide team members
with appropriate information.

For example, what is the change? What is the importance of it? What is the impact of it?

In an organisation that wants to remain competitive, change is a normal part of a team’s

existence

Kotter’s eight-step change model

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 55 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Video
Kotter's 8 Step Change Management Model
[Link]

Step one – create the need for Identify the opportunities and threats of the
change change and make sure that your staff
understand what will happen if they do not
change. Strengthen your argument by getting
feedbacks from customers, stakeholders and
industry people to reinforce what you tell your
team.

Step two – prove that change is Identify the leaders and get them to support the
necessary process. Work on team building and build on
areas of weakness.
Step three – create a vision for Outline the vision for change and make
change strategies to
execute the organisation’s mission.
Step four – communicate the Provide ongoing information to your team. They
vision need to know when to expect the change, what
their role in the change is and what impact the
change will have for them.
Step five – remove obstacles If people are resisting change, find out why and
help them to see what they need to do. People
usually resist change when they are insecure and
do not know or understand what is expected of
them.
Step six – create short term wins Give team members realistic targets. Reward
people when they reach their targets.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 56 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Step seven – build on the change After every success, analyse what went right
and how you can improve on the change. Keep
ideas fresh and get leaders to actively
contribute to the process.
Step eight – anchor change in For change to stick, it must become a part of
corporate culture the organisation’s culture. Create plans,
recognise key members, tell success stories
and think about change when hiring and
inducting team members.

Further Reading

Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

[Link] continuous-improvement

Video

What is Kaizen? A Continuous Improvement Culture

[Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 57 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Look at each step of this process. Notice that without communication, change would
not succeed.

Each and every model will also require that change be communicated to team
members and anyone else that is part of the process.

To ensure that this plan is communicated, many organisations develop a communication

plan.

Video

How to Build a Great Project Communications Plan

[Link]

Developing a communication plan

A communication plan is a written document that describes what you wish to
accomplish, how you communicate your goals, who you wish to communicate with
and how the results will be evaluated.

For instance, in change management, your goal is to change a process to improve a

product, process or service. You need to communicate to all parties within the
organisation what the change is and how the change process will be calculated
according to the goals set.

To develop an effective plan, you need to know:

● What everyone is doing as part of the change process and how it is communicated

● What the communication activity is trying to achieve

● How effective is the change

To implement a communication plan in change management, you are required to:

● Define the objective

o who needs to be reached, how and what

information must be communicated to them?

● Define the audiences and determine which

method of communication will have the most
reach

o this will depend on the parties the change is

communicated to and how much support they need

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 58 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 in the change process

● Define the goals

● what are the stated objectives and what methods will be used to
communicate the change?

● Identify the tools

o emails, faxes, video conferencing

● Develop time lines

o it is essential that all members know exactly when the change is going to be
implemented, who it will affect and how the change is going to take place

o most changes in the continuous improvement process are incremental and ongoing

● Evaluate the process

o no matter how good you believe the organisation’s change management process is,
there
will always be room for improvement.

Make sure that the change is communicated according to the plan. Failure to do so
could very well mean that the change is not implemented correctly. Once a
communication plan has been implemented, it is important that the plan is reflected
in the policies and procedures of the organisation.

Seeking feedback from stakeholders

Further Reading

Gather feedback from staff and stakeholders

[Link]
and-stakeholders-0

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 59 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Videos

Facilitator Skills: Seek Peer Feedback for Continuous Improvement -

Facilitator Tips Episode 20
[Link]
ok0 Continuous Improvement Process
[Link]
7Ns
Identifying other areas for improvement and documenting feedback for future
planning

Planning and record keeping

Planning is an integral part of any organisation's success. Planning is a very powerful
and personal tool for individuals – important to any business' success – and requires
record keeping. The maintenance of records is an essential tool that records the
history of the organisation. Time should be allocated to ensuring that records are
maintained and kept up-to-date. For an organisation, up-to-date records assist in
ensuring that your organisation gets a good return on investment.

Recording processes need to be accurate, easy to follow,

reliable and simple. Good record keeping helps to ensure that
you are operating within your budget while guiding future
decision making. Businesses also have a legislative obligation
to maintain records as it is a requirement of taxation law.

Under tax law, businesses must keep full records that explain all of the organisation's business
transactions. All documentation must be kept for five years from the date of lodgement.

Maintaining records is also an important part of the organisation’s continuous improvement

process.

Records need to be kept in order to know:

● Whether your staff have the ability to meet their goals and objectives

● Whether staff require training; if so, what kind of training?

● Where staff need to improve

● If the team is performing at optimal levels.

These questions can be answered through following the organisation's records. By

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 60 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 keeping accurate and clear records, you are not only maintaining the ongoing
success of the organisation, you are able to identify problem areas and take
corrective action to minimise problems in quality assurance.

Further Reading

Making Process Improvements Stick [Link]

process-improvements- stick

Recording work team performance

Annotated performance plans

Developing a performance plan helps ensure that your team has clear direction and
purpose, and that each staff member fully understands their role. It is also a
beneficial tool for maximizing their performance management discussions with you.
Performance plans provide your team with guidelines and principles on managing
performance and how to apply new knowledge and skills.

As a manager, it is important to clearly communicate your expectations to your team

and identify any necessary training and development for staff to meet the
requirements outlined in their job descriptions. The performance plans ensure that
you meet this goal.

Each organisation has its own review times. The review of the performance plan
could be anything from three months to annual reviews. When a goal or expectation
is not met, then it is your responsibility to identify how the team member can bridge
the gap in skills or performance.

Recommendations for improvement

As processes evolve and change, different ideas that are not acceptable or relevant
now may actually prove to be suitable in the future.

Documentation of why a suggestion for improvement was not accepted can save
time in the future.

For example, to improve processes, your team had a brainstorming session and a
specific process was discounted. Even though it was a new technological innovation,
the implementation of the process required that the organisation purchase a piece of
equipment. If your department purchased the equipment, you would blow the whole
year’s budget.
BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 61 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Twelve months later, a similar problem arose. Customer spending and demand had
increased. Your budget had increased and in the twelve months, the price of the
product decreased as increased competition among suppliers. What was not viable
twelve months ago is now attainable.

Quantitative data such as production figures

Quantitative data is data measured or identified on a
numerical scale. This information can be made user-friendly
through the use of tables, charts, graphs and histograms.
This data can be extracted from production figures, ratio
analysis, budgets and other numerical reports.

For example, if the cost of production in your organisation

increased suddenly then you would need to identify the cause
of that increase.
That increase could stem from changes to legislation that increased tax on a
product that was then reflected when you purchased it from the supplier.

Video

10 Commandments of Continuous Improvement

[Link]

Records and reports

Records and reports can be used to identify:
● Pre-existing problems

o staff turnover can mean that some aspects of the organisation are lost as the
older staff take the organisational identify with them as they leave

o if reports and records are maintained, then this information is not necessarily lost

● Areas for improvement

o incremental change is when minor changes occur at a slow rate when required

o records of these changes can assist you in identifying what improvements

have already been implemented and superseded

o If a process has already been superseded and subsequently improved, your

records and reports will help ensure you do not inadvertently repeat a
process that has already been updated.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 62 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 ● Areas that may be a problem in the future

o remember that to maintain a competitive edge, you must change before your
competitors

o records may be used to identify a change in consumer trends

o once that change has been identified, researched and confirmed, then your
organisation should proactively set in motion the organisation's change
policy and procedures.

Improving performance
The main goal of quality management is to improve performance. Quality indicators
can identify a problem and an action plan needs to be implemented to rectify and
improve the processes.

Performance management should be driven by data and clear evidence that quality
indicators are not being met.

Video

Going on a Gemba Walk—the Path to Continuous Improvement

[Link]

Typically, the action plan is designed to either improve an existing process or create
a new one. In correlation to the implementation of the action plan, data and/or
evidence should be kept to ensure that the action plan was successful.

Aside from being a response to quality assessment findings, performance

improvement activities may also be selected and designed according to:

● The organisation's mission, vision, goal, and strategic priorities

● Current sources of information (i.e. standards of practice from professional and

governmental organisations, industry pathways, current literature)

● The performance and outcomes of the processes of other organisations.

For areas that have been identified for improvement, your organisation may have
policies and procedures for a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). An effective way
to address and resolve poor employee performance is through a three-step process.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 63 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Step one – communicating In any change process, it is important that you
expectations and performance consider the legal requirements that may have an
problems impact on the change process. It is important that
you consider all WHS requirements and privacy,
tax and anti-discrimination laws. If you are making
any changes to the engineering of equipment, it is
essential that you communicate with the
manufacturers to ensure that any changes made
are not going to compromise the safety of the
processes or equipment.

Many organisations are now members of the

International Standards Organisation, such as
ISO9002 and ISO14000, which standardises the
quality and control of internal procedures, policies,
and documentation. These standards ensure that
version control and the flow of information are
effectively communicated across all levels of the
organization.

Performance issues at this level may require that

employees obtain some type of counselling in
regards to their objectives.

Performance counselling aims to:

● Advise employees that their

performance is inadequate

● Ascertain the reason for the lack of performance

● Specify exactly why their performance

is not acceptable

● Specify what the employee is expected to do

in the future

● Provide clear warnings that a failure to

correct performance can lead to adverse
consequences.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 64 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Step two – providing an Employees must be provided with an opportunity
opportunity to improve to improve. Usually, if an employee is unable to
(performance Improvement demonstrate the required expectations with the
plan) correct resources, some organisations will use this
as grounds to dismiss an employee. Other
companies may only use the performance
improvement plan as a tool to assist employees in
improving their performance.

The steps usually used in the PIP procedures

include:

● The identification of unacceptable

performance standards

● Informing the employee that they are going

to be issued with a PIP

● Employee receives PIP and is given between 60

to 90 days to improve

● Employee’s performance is reviewed.

During this whole process, you should provide your

staff member with the required level of support to
obtain the performance level required.
Step three – taking action This usually includes steps three and four of the PIP
procedures above.

Support may include:

● Access to procedures

● Copies of job description

● Meetings

● Support of a mentor or a coach depending

on the performance levels required.

In developing a PIP, you are planning for the future

needs of your team. Once a performance
inadequacy has

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 65 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 been identified and addressed, then the staff
member will be at a level to learn a new skill that
may be required as part of the organisation’s
continuous improvement process.

Questions to ask during future planning include:

● What are your competitors doing?

● Why is demand changing?

● What impact does reduce consumer spending have on our return in investment?

● Are our contingency plans still sufficient?

As demand changes, technological innovation strives ahead and the consumer

becomes even more discerning in their wants, needs and expectations. It is
important to make sure that you are always scanning the internal and external
environment to make sure that you stay ahead of your competitors. It can be the
difference in maintaining your share of the market and losing it.

Questions – Short Answer

Answer the following questions (20 – 30 words)

What are the eight steps of the Kotter’s change model?
What is a communication plan?
Why do records need to be kept in order?
What can records and reports be used for?
An effective way to address and resolve poor employee
performance is through a three-step process. List the three
steps.

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 66 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Week 6
Topics:

● Recap

Watch the video:

Video How to Develop Key Performance Indicators

[Link]

Finding your voice in the workplace

[Link]
VGVyD- Ve1tcuTXR8qA8SuePc9n0rbJ&index=9
Sustainability Leadership and Corporate Responsibility
[Link]

Introduction To Waste | Waste Management 2020

[Link]

How to be a Great Mentor

[Link]
Creating a Continuous Improvement Culture: The What, the How,
and the Want to [Link]

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 67 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K

 Read article/s:

6 Principles of the Continuous Improvement Model

Reading
[Link]
principles-of-the- continuous-improvement-model

What Is Sustainability and Why Is It Important?

[Link]

10 Types of Knowledge Management Strategies

[Link]
management- strategies-f947f28599a7

Why Knowledge Management Is Important To The Success Of Your

Company [Link]
knowledge- management-is-important-to-the-success-of-your-
company/#660389ed3681

Problem Solving [Link]

[Link]

Accountability: The Key To Continuous Improvement?

[Link]
untability- the-key-to-continuous-improvement/#156d288a746a

Three Critical Reasons Process Improvement Fails

[Link]
critical-reasons- process-improvement-fails/#252d9b025049

If your company isn't consistent, you're setting yourself up for

failure. Here's why it's the most reliable path to success.
[Link]
success-and-
failure-is-ruthless-consistency-2020-9

Version Control Number Date Next Review Date

V3.0 January 2021 January 2022
V3.1 30 November 2023 30 November 2024

BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement Page 68 of 68

RTO Provider 91153 – CRICOS Code: 02672K