1. H2.5-2.6 Horse Care H2.5d Work Effectively
This presentation has been produced by Ausintec Academy (Study Horses .com) for purpose of Educational Training. It is not for sale and may not be used or reproduced without prior written permission from the Director of Ausintec Academy

2. Work Effectively Overview
Setting Goals
Prioritising
Communication
Active Listening
Work Performance
Self Progression
It is worthwhile to build your habits at working effectively. Effective work habits make you a valuable employee and can save you time in your normal, everyday roles in life. This workbook looks into goal setting, prioritising and planning workloads, jobs and tasks and the benefits of feedback and self evaluation.

3. Setting Goals Specific Measurable Action-orientated Realistic
Make goals clear and concise
Measurable
Quality, quantity, time and cost of the goal.
Action-orientated
The goal should have a desired result to be achieved.
Realistic
The goal should be challenging but achievable. Realistic.
Time-constrained
Goals should have a time line on which ‘mini-goals’ can be set to help progression towards final goal deadline.
Goals help you to stay focused and give you direction in your work, hobbies or any aspect of your life. It helps to write goals down to keep them clarified. In the work environment you should make sure goals don’t clash or interfere with other employees goals.
Goals can be long or short term and short term goals can be used to help achieve long term goals. As you progress towards a goal you may find that aspects or plans towards your goals change, for example a competition that you were attending as practice for a larger competition may be cancelled due to poor weather.

4. Prioritising Deadlines Supervisors Knowledge Personal Preference
Prioritising work means that you plan to perform the most urgent tasks first, then the important and less important tasks. During a work day prioritise can change which will require you to change you plans so it is important to remain flexible and good problem solving skills will help to work through any changes that arise.
There are various aspects that will impact on how tasks are prioritised.
Deadlines
Tasks often have a deadline by which they need to be completed by. An example of this in the horse industry is in a large stable all horses may need to be fed their morning feed by 7.30 so that they have time to digest their food before they are ridden or worked.
Knowledge
Do you know how to do the task? Jobs that we are already familiar with will be easier and more appealing to give priority to and perform first but they may not be urgent.
Another aspect is that if you are unfamiliar with performing a task then you may have to prioritise it to a time when someone else (i.e., a supervisor or colleague) can show you what to do.
Supervisors
Jobs which have been given to you by your supervisor or manager (i.e., boss) will probably be more important than those which may be requested by work colleagues.
Personal Preference
There will be jobs and tasks that you prefer to do in the work environment for example a person with an interest in training horses will probably be more eager to handle and work with yearlings than clean boxes out in the stable.
Urgency and Importance
Urgent tasks are those which need to be completed as soon as possible. Important tasks are those that can wait until the urgent tasks are finished and then there will be tasks that can be delayed until both the urgent and important tasks are completed.
Examples:-
Urgent – Prepare and pack the truck for travel to a competition the next day.
Important – Order feed to be delivered next week.
Less Important – Sweep the feed shed.
Urgency & Importance

5. Communication Verbal & Non-verbal Internal & External
Effective communication skills are important for both personal and work life. Communication refers to the exchange of information and involves verbal and non-verbal forms of communication such as writing, facial expressions, body language and signing (used for deaf communication).
Internal communication is when people within the business use methods of communication.
External communication is when you exchange information with people outside the business such as clients, contractors, suppliers and students.
Good communication saves time.
The use of words through speaking or writing is verbal communication. Verbal communication can be used to when (e.g., ) relaying work directions to a colleague (speaking) or when recording saddlery cleaning activities in a tack maintenance book (written).
Non-verbal communication is influenced by verbal communication and shows as body language and facial expressions. For example if someone tells you information which dis-pleases you, your non-verbal communication to express your feelings may be frowning, crossing your arms, slouching your posture etc. Another example is when greeting a new customer your body language expresses a welcoming impression e.g., smiling, open body posture, cheery tone in voice and sounds.

6. Active Listening
Good listening is part of good communication. Using active listening skills involves demonstrating to the talker that you are attentive and taking in what they are saying by using verbal and non-verbal communication techniques discussed in the previous chapter.
A person who uses active listening:-
Acknowledging what is said through actions like nodding your head and making eye contact.
Using rephrasing or summarising techniques which reflect back to the person your interpretation of what they have said.
Trying to understand what is being communicated.
Not interrupting. Waiting until the other person has finished speaking.
Paying close attention and looking at the person speaking.
Being aware of non-verbal communication.

7. Factors Which Affect Work
Unforeseen Events
Policies & Procedures
There will be external factors, on occasion, which will affect the ability or opportunity to complete work.
This may mean the task may need to be postponed or priorities may change.
Listed below are some of these factors
Unforeseen Events or Circumstances
This is something unexpected with has occurred. For example it may be a person which has come for a lesson when they weren’t booked in or a horse injuring themselves. It is an event which wasn’t planned for.
Environmental
Sudden, unexpected changes within the environment can cause delays of work routines. For example storms, flooding and extreme temperatures may require that work routines are re-organised to make allowances for the weather.
Policies and Procedures
Sometimes policies and procedures will change or new ones will be introduced and from this it may cause delays or changes in your work priorities.
Environmental

8. Factors Which Affect Work (cont.)
Workplace Hazards & Risks
Resource Availability
Equipment Breakages
These can be minimised with tack by keeping regular gear and maintenance checks however when it comes to machinery sometimes it still breaks down.
Resource Availability
If your working in a private establishment this may not be such an inconvenience however in larger businesses which hire out its facilities, it may mean things like an arena will not be able to be used whilst hired.
Breakages of equipment can also reduce the availability of equipment.
Workplace Hazards/Risks
Sometimes hazards or risks in the workplace will affect how you perform or carry out duties. It may require the task to be reallocated to a more suitable person or performed at a more suitable time.
For example it would be hazardous to bring a mare through the stable whilst another employee is trying to prepare a stallion for work in the aisle or it would put students in a lesson at risk if you were to run in a herd of horses in the paddock beside an arena.
Equipment Breakages

9. Self assessment & evaluation
Self Progression
Feedback
Training
To develop and progress your skills in what ever aspect of the horse industry you undertake or have interest in it is important that you seek feedback to identify your strengths and weaknesses. From identifying your strengths and weaknesses you will be able to build upon and develop the skills you are lacking or inexperienced at.
Feedback can be received in many forms.
client and customer surveys and feedback forms
feedback or performance reviews from coaches/instructors, mentors, supervisors and colleagues
personal, reflective strategies
organisational/business methods for monitoring service deliveries
in competition from judges
Feedback can be sought from supervisors, mentors, colleagues and clients, but not from personal friends as they may tend to overlook what you need to improve on. Approach people for feedback at an appropriate time, (i.e., when a task has been finished or before finishing work for the day).
From feedback you can develop your skills. There are many training options available in the horse industry and within different disciplines in the horse industry.
Examples:-
A dressage rider looking to improve their knowledge of what a judge is looking for could attend or volunteer to be a ‘guinea pig’ rider at a dressage judge education seminar.
A show-jumper looking to improve their knowledge of fence distances could attend a course building seminar.
Riding coaches can attend update clinics.
The novice horse owner wishing to improve their horse husbandry knowledge can undertake studies with StudyHorses.com.
Self assessment and evaluation is also a valid method of obtaining feedback. It is also useful to help monitor and adjust work/performance habits in regards the feedback obtained from other people. Personal reflection is a useful way of gaining feedback. Ask yourself questions such as, ‘Did I complete tasks set to me by the allocated deadline?’ and ‘How can I improve the result next time?’.
The following questions can also help in recognising your strengths and weaknesses.
How is my attendance and punctuality?
Am I committed to my work/performance?
Do I take pride in my work/performance?
What do I enjoy about my work?
What am I particularly good at?
Over the past year how have my skills and knowledge increased or improved?
How have these improvements or increases affected the quality of my work?
Self assessment & evaluation

10. Self Progression Video- Video Your Performance

11. After the Video Tutorial
View the Power Point Presentation and see if you can discuss each slide
View the Video Tutorial again, if necessary
Read the Workbook
Do the Homework/Extension Lesson
Complete the Online Quizzes
Complete the Practical Assessments
Join Phone Tutorials if available
Listen to Phone Tutorial Recordings

12. References Publication:- Author:- Websites:- Images:-
Organise and complete daily work activities Belinda Henwood & Software Publications Writing team
Websites:-
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