INTRODUCTION
Once an employee has been recruited, he or she must complete certain work responsibilities in line with the organisations’ procedures and policies.
Work responsibility refers to duties that people in certain positions should claim. This can refer to both laborious and social tasks. Recognizing and fulfilling one’s responsibilities at work is generally regarded as an essential part of a strong work ethic.
When a person is hired, the bargain generally is that she will receive a certain amount of compensation for completing certain tasks. In addition to those tasks, other things may be required of her. For example, if she is dealing with the public, she may need to display friendly and compassionate mannerisms. She may also be required to restrain from the use of drugs or intimate relationships with co-workers. The combination of these things is her work responsibility.
In some instances, work responsibility cannot be wholly outlined in an interview or during training. Managers, for example, commonly find that it is necessary for them to engage in tasks not directly outlined in their job descriptions. Acknowledging this responsibility and effectively performing such tasks is often essential to the continuity of business.
Those who are looking to advance within a company may want to look at their approach to their work responsibility. In many instances, superiors are not only looking to see if a person does the job, but they also consider the quality of the job. If work is marred by errors he/she may be deemed unsuitable for promotion or raises.
2.2 SENSITIVITY TO PEOPLE – DIVERSITY
The world’s increasing globalization requires more interaction among people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than ever before. People no longer live and work in an insular marketplace; they are now part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from nearly every continent. To this end, every employee must be sensitive to others.
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Diversity: is the demographic characteristic of populations attributable to perceptible ethnic, linguistic, cultural, visible or social variation among groups of individuals in the workplace. Generally, diversity is defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status. |
We can all work together more effectively by following these four easy steps:
- Understand and respect individual differences. Keep an open mind toward others who are different from you. Remember that not everyone sees things the same way you do.
- Be assertive. Let other people know how you want to be treated, and don’t be afraid to speak up if another’s actions make you uncomfortable. How will people know that you find a particular expression or behaviour offensive unless you tell them? And, if someone has the courage and sensitivity to tell you how you’ve offended them, don’t get defensive – be thankful. The only way you can correct the situation is through honest communication. Don’t say, “That’s not what I meant! What’s the matter with you?” Say, “I’m sorry you heard it that way. That’s really not what I meant. Can I clarify and tell you what I did mean?”
- Learn how others want you to treat them. Use the New Golden Rule (sometimes called the Platinum Rule): Treat others the way they would like to be treated. If you’re confused about how to pronounce an unfamiliar name, or whether a person would rather be called black or African, Zulu boy, ASK. Your question will not only help you learn how to avoid misunderstandings and conflict but also will communicate a respect that will strengthen your relationships.
- Act as a force for change. Everyone is responsible for workplace behaviour. If you encounter an example of discrimination or prejudice, speak up. Tell the people involved why you think- the behaviour was inappropriate. You may not be able to change attitudes overnight, but you can change behaviour, and that’s the first step.
Showing sensitivity
In diverse workplaces, every employee must treat the next employee with sensitivity. Here is how an employee can become sensitive to others.
- Before you judge them, step into their shoes. This is especially important. Maybe this person is constantly sitting by his/her self and doesn’t like to talk to others. Maybe this person is cold to you when you talk to them or says things that might seem a little rude. Before you judge them and label them, think about how he/she feels—”Maybe s/he is always by him/her self because s/he doesn’t feel comfortable around others. Maybe s/he isn’t used to talking to people so s/he is a little cold. Maybe s/he wasn’t feeling well on the day I talked to him/her and that’s why s/he seemed to be in a bad mood.” Before you allow yourself to label this person, imagine why they act or say the things they do.
- Think about how you’d feel if you were treated the way you may treat this other person. It is necessary to think about this before you say something to another person. How would you feel if someone you weren’t familiar with came up to you and said something mean to you, just because you looked/sounded/acted differently from what they expected or thought you should have? You would be pretty hurt, wouldn’t you? Don’t put someone through that kind of pain if you wouldn’t want to be put through it yourself.
- Don’t let one encounter ruin your perception of that person. Just because someone seemed to be in a bad mood when you talked to them doesn’t mean they are constantly angry and depressed. Maybe they were having a bad day when you talked to them, or they weren’t feeling well. Try to speak to them more often and see how they act; don’t let one time ruin how you see that person. You have to be around them frequently to see how they really are.
- When you talk to them, don’t let your insecurities or beliefs get in the way. It’s very common to meet people with different beliefs, likes and dislikes than you, so don’t be put-off if the person you’re talking to doesn’t like something you do, or likes something you do not. Don’t let their belief in God (or no God) make you feel any different about them. Remember, being sensitive to their feelings means accepting what they like/dislike and who/what they believe in. It’s how they feel for a reason, and you should respect that.
2.3 CONFIDENTIALITY AT WORK
Not all information kept by an organisation can be disclosed to everyone. Some of the information is regarded as confidential and must not be disclosed to other people. Confidentiality is determined by the following factors:
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- the existence of a statement or agreement of confidentiality
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- evidence of an understanding of confidentiality
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- past practices of the organisation in regard to keeping this type of information and records confidential
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- the type of personal information being supplied
What kinds of records could be considered confidential?
The following are the different kinds of information that can be considered confidential;
- (a) Information relating to the business of a third party which is
- A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, and
- Supplied in confidence, implicitly or explicitly, and
- Result in harm:
- to competitive or negotiating position;
- result in information no longer being supplied;
- result in undue loss or gain, or
- (b) Personal Information
Personal information (information about an identifiable individual) should be treated as confidential unless it is public information or unless there is consent for disclosure from the individual.
- (c) Solicitor-client privilege
Information that is subject to solicitor-client privilege or that is prepared by legal counsel for use in giving legal advice or in contemplation of or for use in litigation.
- (d) Other types of confidential records
Other types of records might need to be treated as confidential, depending on the content and circumstances. These include but are not limited to:
- Law enforcement information/proceedings (may include administrative tribunals, disciplinary proceedings, etc.)
- Government relations information
- Information related to economic interests
- Organisational plans
- Closed meetings
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Working with confidential records The following must be considered when working with confidential records; · Ensure that confidential information is not inadvertently disclosed:
· Shred drafts when they are no longer useful, and delete drafts from your computer · If you have confidential records on a notebook or laptop computer, ensure that the documents themselves or the system is password protected. Don’t leave your laptop in an easily accessible area where it could be stolen. · When travelling with confidential records, don’t leave them unattended in vehicles, hotel or meeting rooms. Don’t work with confidential records where others can see them. · When faxing confidential records, include a fax transmittal page with a confidentiality statement. Verify that the number on the screen is accurate before proceeding with the transmission, and confirm receipt of the documents. |
2.4 SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY
Every employee must know the scope or extend of their responsibilities in the organisation. The extent of one’s responsibility in the office is specified in the job description. Job descriptions are written statements that describe the:
- duties,
- responsibilities,
- most important contributions and outcomes needed from a position,
- required qualifications of candidates, and
- Reporting relationship and coworkers of a particular job.
Job descriptions are based on objective information obtained through job analysis, an understanding of the competencies and skills required to accomplish needed tasks, and the needs of the organization to produce work.
They clearly identify and spell out the responsibilities of a specific job. Job descriptions also include information about working conditions, tools, equipment used, knowledge and skills needed, and relationships with other positions.
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DESCRIPTION: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Administrative Assistant Job Purpose: Provides office services by implementing administrative systems, procedures, and policies, and monitoring administrative projects. Administrative Assistant Job Duties: · Maintains workflow by studying methods; implementing cost reductions; and developing reporting procedures. · Creates and revises systems and procedures by analyzing operating practices, recordkeeping systems, forms control, office layout, and budgetary and personnel requirements; implementing changes. · Develops administrative staff by providing information, educational opportunities, and experiential growth opportunities. · Resolves administrative problems by coordinating preparation of reports, analyzing data, and identifying solutions. · Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques. · Provides information by answering questions and requests. · Maintains supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies. · Completes operational requirements by scheduling and assigning administrative projects; expediting work results. · Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies. Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
Skills/Qualifications: Reporting Skills, Administrative Writing Skills, Microsoft Office Skills, Managing Processes, Organization, Analyzing Information , Professionalism, Problem Solving, Supply Management, Inventory Control, Verbal Communication |
2.5 WORK PRIORITISATION
Inorder for an office worker to effectively utilise time, he or she must be able to prioritise his or her work. A useful tool that can be used to prioritise work activities is the Time management matrix designed by S. Convey (1994). The Urgent/Important Matrix is a powerful way of thinking about priorities. Using it helps one to overcome the natural tendency to focus on urgent activities, so that one can keep clear enough time to focus on what’s really important. Figure below shows the time management matrix.
FIGURE 1: Time management matrix
Source:
For us to understand the above quadrant we need to understand the meaning of important and urgency.
- Important activities have an outcome that leads to the achievement of your goals.
- Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are often associated with the achievement of someone else’s goals.
Quadrant 1 – Urgent & Important, this quadrant refers to critical emergencies, crises, last-minute deadlines that arrive because of unforeseen circumstances and lack of attention to important things before they turn critical. Perform these duties now.
Quadrant 2 – Not Urgent but Important, this quadrant refers to regular activity needed to achieve future goals but also prevent disasters from showing up in Quadrant 1. Plan to do these tasks next.
Quadrant 3 – Urgent but Not Important, this quadrant refers to interruptions and distractions throughout the day that take our attention away from more important matters. Postpone these chores.
Quadrant 4 – Not Urgent and Not Important, this quadrant refers to absolute time-wasting activities that do little to achieve goals or address important matters at hand. Avoid these distractions altogether
The most effective people spend their entire day in Quadrant 2 whereas ineffective people spend most of their day in Quadrants 1 & 3. (Lazy people seem to spend their time in Quadrant 4.) The only way to have more time in Quadrant 2 is to stop doing things in Quadrants 3 & 4 (after all, you can’t ignore the urgent important matters in Quadrant 1).
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LEARNING ACTIVITY
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2.6 FILING
If a job or task involves paperwork, filing must be done. Filing means keeping documents in a safe place and being able to find them easily and quickly. Documents that are cared for will not easily tear, get lost or dirty. It is always a pleasure when someone looks for something and is able to find it without difficulties. In our organisations we work in groups. We receive and send out documents on different subjects. We need to keep these documents for future reference. If these documents are not cared for, we cannot account for all our organisational activities. Everyone who needs to use documents should know where to get them.
What do we file?
We file documents that are sent to us by other people or organisations. We also file records of all our organisational activities. These can be letters, memos, reports, financial records, policy documents, etc.
When do we file?
This depends on how busy your office is. In very busy organisations filing is done at least every day and usually first thing in the morning. In a small or less busy office you could file once or twice a week.
Equipment used for filing
Filing Cabinet – It is used to keep flat files and suspension or hanging files
Steel Cabinet – It is used to keep big files that need to be locked up
Date Stamp – It is used to date stamp documents that are received on daily basis so that they are filed in chronological order and so we have a record of when we received the document
Register – It is used to record files taken out and files returned
Filing shelves – It is used to file box files
Box file – This is a big file that is used to keep big documents that cannot go into a filing cabinet. They are kept in shelves.
What files are used and how are they used?
Clip folders – they are used for documents that need to be taken out very often; they hold documents tightly so that they do not fall out.
Folders – paper or cardboard folders are used to keep loose documents together. The folders are placed inside suspension or box files.
Suspension file -the suspension files are used to keep documents in filing cabinets. The files are put into the drawers upright. The suspension files hangs down from the cradle. These files always remain in the cabinets but folders inside them can be taken out.
Box files – they are used to keep big documents including magazines and books.
Lever arch files -documents are kept firm in these files and allow one to look at documents without taking them out of the file.
Methods of filing
There are 5 methods of filing:
- Filing by Subject/Category
- Filing in Alphabetical order
- Filing by Numbers/Numerical order
- Filing by Places/Geographical order
- Filing by Dates/Chronological order
These ways of filing is called classification and means organising things that are alike, together. You can, however, combine some of these methods. For example, files that are kept together according to what they are about we say are subject filing but, inside each file the documents could be filed according to date order.
How to set up a filing system
a. Filing Categories
To make a filing system more useful, we can group files into CATEGORIES. A category is a group/collection of things that belong together.
- PPWAWU, SARHWU, NUM and NUMSA all belong to the category Unions.
When we file by categories, we try to file in a logical way; we put files together because they belong together; we don’t put them together just because they start with the same letter.
For example, we could put all our files into categories. Correspondence could be one category that takes up a whole drawer of our filing cabinet. Inside that drawer we could have sub-categories. Sub categories could be things like:
- Fundraising correspondence
- Correspondence with other organisations
- Correspondence with members
- Correspondence with members of the public
- Correspondence with Board
…and so on.
Some documents may have to filed in two places to make it easier to access the information. For example you may have a category for “funders” and for “correspondence”. In your funders category you will have a sub-category for each major funder and you will sometimes have to file a letter from a funder in that funder’s file as well as in your fundraising correspondence file.
b. How to form categories
- Sort all your documents out into piles that you think belong together.
- Give each pile a category name.
- Make a list of categories.
- Look at your list critically: Ask yourself: Can we combine any categories?. Should we break up a category into two categories? What sub-categories do we need? Do we need to have alphabetical files within a category?
Make sure you don’t have too many categories. It should not be difficult for anyone to decide in which category they are likely to find the information they need.
c. Filing key
Once you have decided on your categories, you will have to draw up a filing index so that everyone can understand the system you used and find the information they want. This index is called a filing key.
Write up a filing key by listing all the categories and sub-categories in the order they are filed in. Make sure it is laid out so that everyone can understand it. Put it on the filing cabinet and also put a key for each drawer on the front of the drawers. Give everyone a copy of the whole filing key.
Make sure that everyone who does filing understands the key and uses it for filing.
d. New files
Don’t create new files unless you are absolutely sure the information does not logically fit into an existing file. Put the new file in the correct category and write it in the filing key immediately. Give everyone a copy of the new categories as soon as possible.
e. Filing Correspondence
All letters must be filed in 2 places
Incoming mail
- The original letter together with a copy of your answer goes into the SUBJECT FILE.
2. A second copy of the letter goes into the CORRESPONDENCE IN file.
Outgoing mail
- One copy of the letter goes into the SUBJECT FILE. Any letters in answer to your letter must go into this file; and all future correspondence about the subject.
2. One copy goes into the CORRESPONDENCE OUT file.
f. Filing Rules
There are two basic rules underlying filing:
ALPHABETICAL FILING – filing according to the letter of the alphabet
DATE FILING – most recent files on top
These rules are basic because they apply to all filing systems. When we file by name, subject and area we should always file alphabetically and by date.
Alphabetical filing rules
Rule 1: File by name in terms of the first letter
Example: African Eagle
Becker
Duncan & Co
Greenfield
Rule 2: If the first letters are the same, file in terms of the second letter.
Example: Clarence
Coetzee
Curnow
Cyril
Rule 3: File in terms of surnames
Example: Donkor, SJ
Nkomo PS
Shongwe RO
Yesufu ED
Rule 4: If surnames are the same, file in terms of the initial
Example: Cato, JS
Cato, JU
Cato, RS
Cato, TM
Rule 5: Some surnames have prefixes and are filed in terms of the first letter of the prefix
Example: de Gruchy, JR
de la Rey, OP
van der Linden, MN
van Rensburg, MJ
Rule 6: When there are two surnames, file under the first surname.
Example: Mokoena & Khumalo
Nxumalo & Abrahams
Saloojee & Cassim
Verachi & Ntuli
Rule 7: Mac Mc & M’ all files as Mac; St and Saint all filed as Saint
Example: MacDonald
McNair
M’Namara
Saint Christopher’s
St Margaret’s
Rule 8: When the file does not have the name of a person we file by the MOST IMPORTANT WORD in the name or by the name of the PLACE
Example: Active Wheel Co
The Star
The City of Johannesburg
Northcliff Printers
2.7 ANALYSING AND DISTRIBUTING BUSINESS INFORMATION
During their day to day operations, organisations receive information from outside. This information once received must be analysed and distributed to the right people in the organisation. The following are ways in which information is received;
- Letters
- Faxes
Distribution of email messages
Lets us understand how emails are distributed. For instance, when you dress up an e-mail message and send it out into the cold, cruel world of the Internet, it actually goes on quite a journey. The route it takes, the places it visits, and the sights it sees vary from message to message, but the basic itinerary is easy to spell out:
- A special e-mail computer on your network (or on your access provider’s network) wraps up the message in a electronic “envelope” (that has, like a regular envelope, the recipient’s address and your return address, among other things) and sends it out. The Internet mechanism involved here is called SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol), which is a member of the TCP/IP family. The provider’s computer that handles outgoing mail is usually called an SMTP server.
- Because there will only rarely be a direct connection between your network and the recipient’s network, the mail will make a number of stops at intermediate networks along the way. At each stop, another e-mail computer temporarily stores the message while it figures out the best way to relay the message toward its ultimate destination. When that’s done, the message is sent on its merry way, and the whole thing repeats at the next digital roadside rest stop.
- Eventually, the message finds its way to the recipient’s network, where an e-mail computer routes it to the person’s mailbox. (If the recipient uses a networked e-mail program that doesn’t understand Netspeak—such as Microsoft Mail or cc:Mail—the message will have to go through another computer called a gateway that converts the message into something the program can make sense of.)
Distribution of letters and fax
Once a letter has been received, it must follow the steps below;
- The letter or fax must be recorded in the register.
- The letter or fax is stamped.
- The letter is sent to the specific person or department.
- Upon receipt of the fax or letter the receiver must sign the register.
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NB Where a letter or fax does not identify the specific receiver in the organisation, the office administrator must open it and analyse it. Once it has been analysed, the appropriate person or department who can deal with its contains can be identified. |
2.8 DEVIATION FROM ORGANISATIONAL PROCEDURES
Every organisation has a set of procedures that must be followed when conducting any kind of work. These procedures must be followed all the time and failure to do so can result in punishment.
There are certain instances where, an employee can deviate with the organisational procedures and go unpunished.
- For safety purposes. In an emergency situation, an employee can deviate from a procedure inorder to save the equipment, his life or that of other people. For example, during a fire caused by electrical fault the office administrator switches the printer from the plugs. In the procedure, the printer must be switched off first before switching off the plug.
- Instruction from superiors. A worker can deviate from procedures under the instruction of his or her superior.
- Procedures are not available. A worker can deviate from a procedure if the procedures have not been made available by the superior.
- Procedures are not correct or out of date.
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