50 Training Activities for Administrative, Secretarial, and Support Staff

Activity 36 355

Activity 36

Help!

Description

Participants need to analyze their workflow and the demands made on them for a

two-week period before taking part in this activity. Problem areas will be shared

among the participants at the start of the activity so that real-life issues are tackled.

The activity uses a blend of trainer and participant input, and whole group and small

group discussions. The participants develop a model for negotiating and practice

using it. A handout is provided for future reference.

Target Group

Support staff who need to increase their personal confidence and improve their

communication skills in order to gain assistance or more time to produce high-

quality work

Objectives

• To enable participants to decide when it is appropriate and constructive to ask

for help or negotiate for more time

• To increase participants’ personal confidence that they can, and should, nego-

tiate in these circumstances

• To provide participants with a professional, constructive model for negotiating

Number of Participants

4 to 12

Time

2 to 3 hours (depending on the number of participants and the depth of discussion)

Materials

• Overhead projector and screen

• Flipchart and markers for each group plus yourself

• Pens and paper for all participants

• Transparencies 36-1 and 36-2

• Trainer’s Notes 36-1

• Handouts 36-1 and 36-2

• Transparency of Handout 36-2

356 50 Training Activities for Administrative, Secretarial, and Support Staff

Activity 36 (continued)

Preparation

1. At least three weeks before conducting this activity, ask all the participants to

analyze their workflow and the demands made upon them, for the two weeks

prior to attending this activity. Handout 36-1 can be copied and used as an aid if

required.

2. Prepare overhead transparencies using Transparency 36-1 (objectives) and

Transparency 36-2.

3. Familiarize yourself with the reference notes in Trainer’s Notes 36-1, amending

or adding to it as necessary.

4. Make one overhead transparency and sufficient copies of Handout 36-2 for all

the participants.

Method

1. Display and discuss the objectives for this exercise, using Transparency 36-1.

As you do this, ask the participants to volunteer their own examples of where

they might need assistance or more time to complete work. (They should have

this information from the analysis they have done over the previous two weeks.)

2. Conduct an additional discussion using Transparency 36-2 and Trainer’s Notes

36-1 for your own reference. Conclude by emphasizing the answer to #3 on the

Trainer’s Notes. Emphasize to the participants that the issue is about being

responsible, committed employees, not whiners and complainers. So if our

motivation is to provide the best quality and quantity of work, we should never

be afraid to negotiate. We might not achieve all that we want, but we will dam-

age our self-respect if we do not try.

3. Organize the participants into small groups.

4. Ask for a volunteer from each group to provide one real-life example of where

they would like to negotiate for assistance or more time. Now ask each group to

discuss “how to prepare to negotiate” on the volunteered issue. They should

elect a scribe/spokesperson who will note their thoughts on the flipchart during

their discussion. Allow 15 minutes for this discussion.

5. Reconvene the whole group and ask each spokesperson to present on behalf

of their group, in turn.