Unit 05 - Contribute to Good Working Relationships

It is always best to discuss working arrangements face to face initially. This promotes a more positive working relationship as you get to know your colleague whilst discussing.  However it is vital that this discussion is backed up with written confirmation regarding what was agreed, a response to that email must be given to demonstrate the understanding now existing between the two persons. If a response is not received it can be claimed at a later date that a conclusion and agreement was not met during that meeting. If the working arrangement is regarding the hiring of your serves for example a contract which encompasses what was agreed will need to be written up and signed by both parties. If possible its best to have a recording of the meeting but the permission of the other party must be obtained before hand and sometimes this can mean that you come across as a paranoid person who is sure that the other party will try to ‘get one over on you‘. Each situation is different and you will have to assess the situation before deciding which route to take. In an initial meeting when you are getting to know the other party it is probably best not to record the meeting or confirm through email what was discussed. Instead concentrate on connecting with the other person, yes discuss the working arrangement that you are there to talk about but if you can get along with that person either by finding common ground or by sharing a sense of humour with them then it is more likely that they will try to accommodate your demands or requests in the arrangement.

On the more common day to day side of things changing working arrangements is best to discuss face to face with your line manager, employer or whoever is in charge of your leave. Communicating initially like this is more friendly and there for more likely to illicit a positive and agreeing response.

At my work placement I have found that this is the best way to discuss time off or changes in my work times. This is the approach I took when asking for a day off near a interview i had to give me time to attend. It meant I could talk about the reason I wanted the day off with my line manager, demonstrating how my request was a genuine one.

When prioritising my work I use my judgment and when people ask you to do things they usually tell you when they need it by, but you have to use your common sense as well. The way I do it is I tend to create a to do list on the computer using the task bar in Microsoft Outlook and for each task I set a deadline. This way things don't get overlooked during the course of the day and helps you manage your time effectively. So if for instance your boss asked you to type a report which he needed for 2 o'clock the same day and you also needed to type up the minutes for a meeting which are not required until Wednesday then obviously common sense tells you the report needs doing first, but in the meantime you could create a to-do note on outlook with deadline reminding you to do the minutes as well.

The production process refers to the stages required to complete a media product, from the idea to the final master copy. The process can apply to any type of media production including film, video, television and audio recording. The stages in each medium vary; for example, there is obviously no storyboard in an audio recording. However the same general concepts work for any of them.

The three main stages of production are:

1. Pre-production: Planning, scripting & storyboarding, etc.
2. Production: The actual shooting/recording.
3. Post-production: Everything between production and creating the final master copy.

Other stages include:

• Financing: This happens before pre-production, and involves budget forecasting, finding investors, etc.
• Screenplay: This can be considered a separate stage before pre-production.
• Distribution: After post-production, delivering the content to the audience (e.g. film prints, CD/DVD, etc).

When balancing the needs of a task/project everything that needs completing is broken down so that we can see everything that is going to happen. This is the talked about and if necessary 2 people can work on the project to help relieve the workload from just one person and help then to deal with the project better.

It is very important to balance the needs of tasks and of people. This helps to, in the long run, relief stress and helps to deliver the project on time to a higher standard.

Sharing information is very important and can help to build a stronger working relationship within a company. Sharing knowledge with colleagues allows for sharing other’s ideas and experience. This will provide you with additional tools to provide solutions to your questions. Certain nutrients added to the soil can provide for a healthier plant. Customers often share their unique knowledge with other workers. It can help to deliver a project on time and to a higher standard, help relieve stress, help you as a person if things are hard in your personal life and so forth. When sharing information with colleagues it doesn’t just have to be about work or a project you are working on and it can be anything in general such as personal issues or a movie you watch. If it was a personal issue you had either at work or home it would need to be approached in a different way but sometimes if people are aware then help can be put in place. Even things such as talking about a movie you saw at the weekend could lighten the atmosphere around the office and make for a more enjoyable work environment.

A good example of someone changing their working arrangements to improve their own or someone else’s productivity is where an external worker will come into the office to work in house for a couple of days. This helps to improve productivity on a project because all the people involved with that particular project can discuss options easily rather than emailing back and forth. The best way that this can be approached is by asking the person in question. This is both polio and hopefully will not cause conflict.

When making decisions it is important to consider others and the effects or consequences it may have on yourself or the team. Decisions should be made to reach the best possible outcome for all involved, which is not always the easiest to make. Some decisions in life are far easier than others to point it becomes more of an instinct for example – You’re crossing the road and you see a car is speeding towards you, you either stop, continue as you were or you jump out the way. In this case you want to live so you jump out the way knowing you certainly made the right decision.  When it comes to making difficult decisions you should consider all the options and the benefits and drawbacks of each choice while evaluating if it makes sense to use whichever one in order to achieve the objective. Make sure you’ve considered the long term as things change it might make things harder in the long run.

The best way to handle a situation of conflict or dissatisfaction is to stay calm as possible, acting on emotions such as anger can result in a making the situation much worse. You should always look at these situations from the other persons perspective, it might not necessarily be their fault or under their control. If you do find yourself feeling angry or wound up its best to remove yourself from the situation even if that means going outside to take time out to calm down, reflect and think things through.

When you and persons involved are calm the next step will be to resolve the situation. This can be done in a number of ways but I believe the best way is to arrange to sit down and have a mature meeting to discuss the issues  - how they arose, how they could have been avoided and how they can be resolved.In some situations it is best to inform your manager and any other authority as they will have the authority and experience on how to control the situation and if need be they can take action.

Making a contribution and liaising with your team through the sharing of valued information is extremely essential in the workplace, communication is an everyday thing but it is important that you have the right skills to communicate complicated information. An organisation is a team, some tasks may be done solely but they are all in favour to reach a goal/objective or to complete a task/project.