1. Working Effectively in Accounts and Finance Effective Working, Planning & Managing Work, Teamwork.

2. Aims of the Session Planning your work. Managing your work.
Effective working.
Interpersonal skills and teamwork.

3. Efficient Or Effective
Efficient – getting a job done with the minimum waste of effort and resources.
Effective – getting the result you want.
Harder versus smarter working
Don’t work harder, work smarter by good planning and prioritising & saying NO!

4. Planning Your Work Diary Checklist Bar chart Action sheet Calendar
Schedules
Graphs
Review

5. Diary Sarah’s Diary for Monday 24 October 0900 Level 2s 1000 1100 1200
1300
Lunch
1400
Review with Merlin
1500
Lesson prep for Level 3s
1600
Meeting with manager to discuss case load
1700
Call Arthur to discuss last work submission.
Home
Either hard copy or soft copy, using Outlook or something similar, can help to send you reminders to do tasks that are infrequent but routine, or with no routine.

6. Statutory Returns Schedule
Checklist
Statutory Returns Schedule
Return
Description
Due Date
Forward to
P60
Year end earnings, tax & NI totals
Apr
Employees
VAT
VAT form online
Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct
HMRC
WTC
Working tax credits, summary of WTC paid to employees.
Gives a list of activities within a given period.
Can identify urgency of tasks.
Simple & suited to routine, but not frequent tasks.

7. Bar Chart – Planning for a 10km Run
Activity
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
2km run
Circuit training
5km runs
10 km runs
Stretching
Taper
Run will be first weekend of July.
Shows time necessary to build up stamina required (activity).
Shows relationship between activities.

8. Action Sheets Planning for a party. Gives a progression of events.
Activity
Number
Detail
Number of weeks in Advance
Done 1
Save the date cards 12 X 2
Book hall 8 3
Send invites 6 4
Book bouncy castle and magician 5
Book caterer
Get RSVPs 7
Check arrangements
PARTY
Planning for a party.
Gives a progression of events.
Simple tasks and deadlines.

9. Sarah’s Review Calendar
Jan
Janis – 5
Bob - 10
Feb
Felicity – 1
Rainbow – 29
Mar
Joe - 3
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Janis – finishes
Joe – finishes
Nov
Dec
Gives a quick overview of what’s required might be a holiday calendar

10. Schedules Used for manufacturing.
When one task needs to be completed before another one can be started.
Concurrent tasks can be identified.
Allows deadlines to be set.

11. Graph Sarah’s Monday Morning Decide importance and urgency.
Important & urgent
Make tea.
Print out lessons.
Print out exercises.
Important, but not urgent
Check any reviews that need booking.
Plan any upcoming lessons.
Check s.
Not urgent, not important
Sign TO’s birthday card.
Holiday form for November.
Urgent, but not important
Pay brew fund.

12. The LAGAT Training Officers’ Timetable
0900
Start work
0905
Make a drink
0930
Check & reply to s.
1000
Coffee break
1030
Browse to do list
1100
Talk to learners
1115
Prepare for lunch
1200
Lunch
1300
Browse the internet for learning memes
1500
Tea break
1600
Prepare to go home
1700
Go home
The most productive
office in the building!

13. Review Priorities & Tasks Regularly
Priorities may change – be flexible.
Unable to meet deadlines.
Ask if you need help.
Check with line-manager.
Saying no and being realistic.
Appraise the time needed.
Usually here reviews are important, so that will be a priority for me, but if I’ve a learner who needs to finish and they need extra support, that will take priority. Be flexible.
If you’re unable to meet deadlines it’s important to tell who you’re doing the work for.
Some things that look boring are actually quite important and can be quite urgent, for example, reading policies on Health and Safety, when you’re about to go into a different environment (ie a production floor, or even a new building.)
If a client or manager (who you don’t report to) asks you to do something, always tell them you need to clear it through your line manager. Can’t stress this enough.
Say NO – when you’re in a junior position it can be easy to just say to things as it avoids confrontation and difficulties, but be careful, saying yes to too many things will lead you to becoming over burdened.
Make sure you accurately appraise how long a task might take, if something takes less time, and you can help some-one who you previously turned down you might want to go back and offer assistance.

14. Planning Work Routine tasks. Prioritise routine tasks. Daily. Weekly.
Monthly.
Prioritise routine tasks.

15. Inter-Personal Skills & Teamwork
Good communication skills.
Be punctual.
Be confident when talking to others.
Be professional.
Try and be positive.
Be cooperative.
Respect others and be tolerant.
Don’t be a ‘Yes-Man’.
If you’re not sure ask.
If someone asks you for help – help.
Accept constructive criticism.
Communication can be verbal or written as already discussed.

16. Different Management Styles
Directive
Authoritative
Affiliative
Participative
Pacesetting
Coaching
Varies where you look but:
The DIRECTIVE (Coercive) style has the primary objective of immediate compliance from employees:
The “do it the way I tell you” manager
Closely controls employees
Motivates by threats and discipline
Effective when:
There is a crisis
When deviations are risky
Ineffective when:
Employees are underdeveloped — little learning happens with this style
Employees are highly skilled — they become frustrated and resentful at the micromanaging.
The AUTHORITATIVE (Visionary) style has the primary objective of providing long-term direction and vision for employees:
The “firm but fair” manager
Gives employees clear direction
Motivates by persuasion and feedback on task performance
Clear directions and standards needed
The leader is credible
Employees are underdeveloped — they need guidance on what to do
The leader is not credible — people won’t follow your vision if they don’t believe in it
The AFFILIATIVE style has the primary objective of creating harmony among employees and between manager and employees:
The “people first, task second” manager
Avoids conflict and emphasizes good personal relationships among employees
Motivates by trying to keep people happy
Used with other styles
Tasks routine, performance adequate
Counseling, helping
Managing conflict
Least effective when:
Performance is inadequate - affiliation does not emphasise performance
There are crisis situations needing direction
The PARTICIPATIVE (Democratic) style has the primary objective of building commitment and consensus among employees:
The “everyone has input” manager
Encourages employee input in decision making
Motivates by rewarding team effort
Employees working together
Staff have experience and credibility
Steady working environment
Employees must be coordinated
There is a crisis - no time for meetings
There is a lack of competency - close supervision required
The PACESETTING style has the primary objective of accomplishing tasks to a high standard of excellence:
The “do it myself” manager
Performs many tasks personally and expects employees to follow his/her example
Motivates by setting high standards and expects self-direction from employees
People are highly motivated, competent
Little direction/coordination required
When managing experts
When workload requires assistance from others
When development, coaching & coordination required
The COACHING style has the primary objective of long-term professional development of employees:
The “developmental” manager
Helps and encourages employees to develop their strengths and improve their performance
Motivates by providing opportunities for professional development
Skill needs to be developed
Employees are motivated and wanting development
The leader lacks expertise
When performance discrepancy is too great - coaching managers may persist rather than exit a poor performer
In a crisis

17. A Good Manager/Leader Will use a variety of techniques.
Is approachable.
Is firm, but fair.
Is flexible.
Listens.
Doesn’t rush into decisions.
But doesn’t procrastinate either.

18. Questions