DfI Skills Academy - Day 13 - Navigating Professionalism

• Construction
• Higher Education (non-degree)

Navigating Professionalism

DfI Skill Academy

Day 13

Tutor: Melody Beattie

Agenda

1. Time Management – Working to Deadlines and Prioritising Tasks
2. Use sources of information, advice and guidance in relation to own career planning.
3. Conducting a Personal Skills Gap Analysis
4. Creating a Personal Action Plan

Common Ground

In groups of 4.

• You have 5 minutes to discover as many things as possible that they all have in common, excluding the obvious (e.g."we're all in this room")
• After time is up, each group share one or two of the most interesting or surprising things they found in common.
  

Provide an example using your own statements to demonstrate how the game works.

"I have climbed a mountain in the Himalayas."

"I speak three different languages fluently."

"I once met a famous movie star."

Ask the group to guess which one is the lie.

Reveal the lie after they guess and explain briefly why it’s not true.

Debrief and Wrap-Up (2 minutes)

After everyone has shared, bring the group back together.

Discuss briefly: "What was the most surprising truth you heard today?" or "Did anyone guess all the lies correctly?"

Thank everyone for participating and highlight any commonalities or interesting facts that emerged.

Session 1:

Time Management: 

Working to Deadlines and Prioritising Tasks

Aims

By the end of this session, you will understand and apply effective time management strategies, including using the Eisenhower Matrix.

The Importance of Time Management

Professional

• Increased productivity
• Reduced Stress
• Complete tasks on time
• Meet deadlines
• Maintain personal reputation

Personal

• Balance between work/education & leisure
  
• Allows for planning for self-care and personal growth

Prioritising Tasks

The Eisenhower Matrix is a task management tool that helps you organise and prioritise tasks by urgency and importance. 

Using the tool, you’ll divide your tasks into four boxes based on the tasks you’ll do first, the tasks you’ll schedule for later, the tasks you’ll delegate, and the tasks you’ll delete.

Group Activity

In groups of 4, sort the following task into the Eisenhower Matrix

Respond to an urgent email from your supervisor requesting a report by the end of the day.

Attend a scheduled meeting with your team to discuss upcoming projects.

Complete mandatory online training modules that are due next week.

Update your weekly progress report that’s due tomorrow.

Organise and clean your workspace, which has become cluttered.

Respond to a non-urgent email from a colleague asking for help on a task.

Prepare a presentation for a meeting next month.

Check your social media during a coffee break.

Assist a colleague with an urgent task that is not directly part of your responsibilities.

Plan your schedule for the upcoming week.

Read a news article related to infrastructure developments in Northern Ireland.

Book a meeting room for next week’s team briefing.

Grab a coffee and chat with a colleague about your weekend.

Update your skills on a software tool that your team might need in the future.

Time Management Challenges

Here are some common challenges to effective time management:

1. Procrastination: Delaying tasks until the last minute, often leading to rushed work and missed deadlines.
2. Lack of Planning: Failing to plan or prioritise tasks, resulting in a disorganized approach to work and missed deadlines.
3. Distractions: Interruptions from external sources (e.g., social media, phone calls, colleagues) that disrupt focus and reduce productivity.

Time Management Challenges

4. Overcommitment: Taking on too many tasks or responsibilities, leading to an inability to complete them all effectively.

5. Poor Task Prioritisation: Difficulty in distinguishing between urgent, important, and less critical tasks, which can cause important tasks to be overlooked.

6. Inefficient Work Habits: Engaging in multitasking or not using tools and strategies that optimise workflow, which can waste time and reduce efficiency.

Time Management Challenges

7. Perfectionism: Spending excessive time on details or striving for perfection, which can slow down progress and lead to missed deadlines.

8. Lack of Motivation: Feeling unmotivated or disengaged, which can cause delays and a lack of progress on tasks.

Time Management Challenges

9. Unclear Goals or Objectives: Not having clear goals or understanding what needs to be accomplished, leading to confusion and inefficiency.

10. Stress and Fatigue: High stress levels or lack of rest can impair focus and productivity, making it harder to manage time effectively.

Which challenge do you struggle with the most?

Procrastination

Lack of Planning

Distractions

Overcommitment

Poor Task Prioritisation

Inefficient Work Habits

Perfectionism

Lack of Motivation

Unclear Goals or Objectives

Stress and Fatigue

Strategies for Meeting Deadlines

Small Steps

Breaking larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps makes them less daunting and easier to tackle. This approach allows you to focus on one step at a time, reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed and helping you maintain steady progress. By completing each smaller step, you build momentum, making it more likely that you'll finish the overall task efficiently and on time.

Set Realistic Deadlines

 Unrealistic deadlines can lead to unnecessary stress and lower-quality work, while deadlines that are too lenient can encourage procrastination. To set realistic deadlines, consider the complexity of the task, your current workload, and any potential obstacles. This approach helps you manage your time more effectively and ensures that tasks are completed without rushing.

Use Tools Like To-Do Lists or Apps

 These tools help you organise tasks, set priorities, and track your progress. To-do lists provide a clear visual representation of what needs to be done, while apps can offer reminders and help you stay on schedule. By incorporating these tools into your routine, you can stay organised and ensure that important tasks are not overlooked.

Apps for Meeting Deadlines

Microsoft To Do

 Best for: Seamless integration with Microsoft products.

Key Features:

Simple, clean interface for task tracking.

Integration with Outlook and other Microsoft apps.

Task prioritisation with due dates, reminders, and notes.

Todosit

 Best for: Task management and organisation.

Key Features:

Create tasks and subtasks with deadlines and priorities.

Organise tasks with labels, filters, and projects.

Syncs across all devices (mobile, desktop, web).

Integration with apps like Google Calendar and Slack.

Trello

 Best for: Visual task management and collaboration.

Key Features:

A board and card system for organising tasks.

Drag-and-drop interface to track progress.

Customisable workflows, lists, and checklists.

Great for team collaboration with real-time updates.

OCN WORKBOOK - Careers

Please complete A.C 1.1 & 1.2

Feel free to ask questions while working through this.

Break

Session 2:

Conducting a Personal Skills Gap Analysis

Aims

Identify and plan to address personal skills gaps.

What skills should we be concerned about?

We should focus on what DfI are looking for.

On page 16-17 of your Candidate Information Booklet you will find details on the recruitment process after the Skills Academy.

We will cover how to answer these questions at a later date.

Today, we want to focus on areas you need to develop and work out how you can address this.

Planning:

We will look at the 3 competencies you must address.

Making Effective Decisions

Make and record effective decisions following the appropriate decision-making

criteria, framework or guidance. 

Ask questions when unsure what to do. Undertake appropriate analysis to support decisions or recommendations. Investigate and respond to gaps, errors and irregularities in information. 

Speak up to clarify decisions and query those constructively. Think through the implications of own decisions before confirming how to approach a problem/issue.

The ability to gather, analyse, and assess data to make informed choices, even under pressure.

Importance: Ensures solutions are well-reasoned and align with organisational goals.

What is Effective Decision Making?

Follow Decision-Making Criteria & Frameworks

Speak Up Constructively

Key Principles

Ask Questions When Unsure

Conduct Thorough Analysis

Conduct Thorough Analysis

Speak Up Constructively

Consider the Implications

Use the appropriate guidelines or frameworks relevant to your role.

Ensure decisions are based on solid criteria (e.g., company policies, legal standards, best practices).

Always seek clarification if you're uncertain about any aspect of the decision-making process.

Don’t hesitate to consult with peers or supervisors for guidance.

Investigate and analyse available data to ensure decisions are well-informed.

Identify gaps, errors, or irregularities in information and address them before making a decision.

Investigate and analyse available data to ensure decisions are well-informed.

Identify gaps, errors, or irregularities in information and address them before making a decision.

Raise questions or concerns about decisions constructively, offering alternative solutions where appropriate.

Help foster an environment where open discussion of decisions is encouraged.

Think ahead about the short- and long-term consequences of your decision.

Assess how it will affect others and the organisation before confirming your approach.

During the Skills Academy what experience in Making Effective Decision have you gained?

Managing a Quality Service

Communicate in a way that meets and

anticipates the listener’s requirements. 

Actively seek information from others to understand their needs and expectations. Act to prevent problems, reporting issues where necessary. 

Encourage others to access relevant information or support that will help them understand and use services more effectively. 

Take ownership of issues, focus on providing the right solution and keep others up to date with progress.

Delivering high-quality work, meeting customer expectations, and continuously improving processes.

Importance: Supports the delivery of effective and reliable public services.

What is Managing a Quality Service?

Tailor Communication to the Listener

Speak Up Constructively

Key Principles

Understand Stakeholder Needs

Prevent and Address Problems

Encourage Access to Information and Support

Take Ownership and Provide Solutions

Anticipate and meet the communication needs of your audience.

Ensure your message is clear, concise, and tailored to the listener's expectations.

Actively seek input from others to gain a full understanding of their needs and expectations.

Listen carefully and ask questions to clarify requirements.

Proactively identify potential issues and take action to prevent them.

Report problems promptly when necessary, ensuring swift resolution.

Guide others to resources or information that will help them understand and use services more effectively.

Foster an environment where support is readily available and accessible.

Take responsibility for resolving issues and focus on finding the right solutions.

Keep all relevant stakeholders updated on progress to maintain transparency and trust.

During the Skills Academy what experience in Managing a Quality Service have you gained?

Leading and Communicating others while ensuring clear and effective communication at all levels.

Importance: Helps build trust, motivate teams, and foster collaboration.

Put forward their own views in a clear and constructive manner, choosing an appropriate communication method e.g. email / telephone / face to face. 

Act in a fair and respectful way in dealing with others. Write clearly in plain, simple language and check work for spelling and grammar, learning from previous inaccuracies. 

Ask open questions to appreciate the point of view of others.

The ability to inspire and guide others while ensuring clear and effective communication at all levels.

Importance: Helps build trust, motivate teams, and foster collaboration.

What is Leading and Communicating?

Communicate Clearly and Constructively

Speak Up Constructively

Key Principles

Act Fairly and Respectfully

Write Clearly and Accurately

Ask Open Questions

Express your own views in a clear, concise, and constructive manner.

Choose the most effective communication method (e.g., email, phone, or face-to-face) based on the situation and audience.

Engage with others in a fair and respectful manner, considering their perspectives and needs.

Demonstrate empathy and fairness in all interactions, fostering a positive and inclusive environment.

Use plain and simple language in written communications to ensure clarity.

Check work for spelling and grammar errors, learning from past mistakes to improve the quality of future communication.

Use open-ended questions to understand others’ perspectives, encouraging thoughtful discussion and active listening.

Show a genuine interest in the viewpoints of colleagues and stakeholders to foster collaboration and mutual understanding.

During the Skills Academy what experience in Leading and Communicating have you gained?

COMPLETE A PAP

• Considering the competencies, what you have experienced on the Skills Academy and your own personal experience, complete a Personal Action Plan on how you can address any gaps in competence.

OCN WORKBOOK - Careers

Please complete A.C 2.1

Feel free to ask questions while working through this.

Today we looked at:

1. Time Management – Working to Deadlines and Prioritising Tasks
   
2. Use sources of information, advice and guidance in relation to own career planning.
3. Conducting a Personal Skills Gap Analysis
4. Creating a Personal Action Plan

Any questions on today's class?