Practice In Tray Exercise

InstructionsPlease read the instructions on this page, then turn over the page to begin the exercise.Your assistant has left 10 items (documents) on your desk marked for your attention. These appear in a variety of formats including emails, letters, etc., just as you would use in an office environment. Some of these items may appear to describe isolated issues, while others link to one or more of the other items. A summary listing each item is provided for you on a subsequent page. You need to review each item and then need to provide the following:- A list of actions, written in brief, which include your analysis of the key issues in each of the 10 items.- The priority that you would assign for dealing with each item. Please use these 3 categories: high priority, medium priority, and low priority. When determining these, a balance needs to be struck between urgent tasks (that need to be completed as soon as possible) and important tasks (that have a high impact on the business).- Please include who should be involved. For example, if you want to forward an item to a colleague, or if you want to call a meeting.

You have 60 minutes in which to complete this task. You are strongly advised to spend the first 5-10 minutes reviewing the documents as a whole before considering actions pertaining to each item. There is a template at the end of this file for you to enter your Actions and Priority Ratings.

RoleYou have joined the DOH through its Graduate Trainee Programmes and after 2 years have just received a new placement in the anti-smoking section as 2IC to Tim Powers. You see this as an excellent opportunity to put what you have learnt about management into practice. There are a number of outstanding issues, some more urgent than others. Although the Division Manager made it clear that he will be too busy to offer much day-to-day support, you do have his authority to take whatever decisions you feel are necessary. Tim has asked for regular updates, so you are advised not to defer any important issues. You can delegate suitable tasks to your Assistant, Fred Lopez.

Today is the 10th of June 2013 – your first day as Interim Section Manager.

ITEM 1 – STRUCTURE CHART

ITEM 2 – EMAIL FROM SECTION HEAD

To: Liz ThompsonFrom: Tim PowersDate: 2013-06-09

Re: New Position

Hi Liz,

Welcome to our section! Sorry I can’t be there to greet you – I’ve been told by your previous manager that you are a creative thinker and you’ll be a great addition to the team.

As you know our top priority is our people and I hope you will continue to organise the monthly Innovation Group meetings – an open forum for members of the grad program to share professional learning experiences.

There are a few other points I tell all new comers to remember, regardless of their experience to date:

- we must be careful to abide by the APS code in all our actions.

Anti-Smoking Section Head - Tim

Powers

YOU

Assistant - Fred Lopez

Mary Luna

Jess Daioh

Ahmed Khan

Other Section Staff

HR

Wally Lamb Hung Lee

Freedom of Information

Compliance Office

Ruth Modan

- we need to promote DOH values in all we do.- we need to keep expenses to a minimum.- we are a team. As individuals, we all bring a range of different skills and I’d like you to focus on developing the talents of those in the section

We can catch up when I’m back from Sydney – I know Fred has left a few things for you to be getting on with. Keep me posted on how things are getting on.

Best wishes,

Tim Powers

ITEM 3 – STAFF OPINION SURVEY RESULTS

FYI – just back from the latest staff survey. -Hung Lee, HR

Q. No. Question % Strongly disagree

% Disagree

% Cannot tell

% Agree % Strongly agree

5 My manager coaches and supports me

10 19 40 21 10

8 I received all the training I need

16 45 15 15 9

10 I have a clear career development plan

13 35 30 18 3

13 I am able to manage my workload

18 47 18 10 7

15 I fully understand the APS values

16 18 33 19 14

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0102030405060708090

SectionDept. Avg.

ITEM 4 – EMAIL FROM COLLEAGUE

FROM: Jess DaiohTO: Liz ThompsonDATE: 2013-06-08

Dear Liz,

I’m working on a policy brief on the plain-packing laws. I remember Tanya said some things the night before it started but can’t locate them. Any chance you could have a ferret around – it’s probably really obvious where the transcript is and I’m just being blind!

Thanks,Jess

ITEM 5 – MEDIA RELEASE

Hi Liz,Can you have a look at this media release? Is there anything I need to fix? Would love to get it out ASAP.Mary

Joint Release

Health Minister, The Hon Tania Plibersek, today lunched a brand new wave of smoking advertising in the Australian Government’s latest global-leading efforts to help Australians stop smoking for good.

The new National Tobacco Campagn “Stop before the Suffering Starts” highlights the immense suffering people, and their families’ can go through as a consequence of smoking related diseases like emphysema.

“Smoking is known to cause harm to nearly every organ and system of your body. Many medical conditions caused by smoking can result in not just death, but in living for years of suffering with disabling health problems,” Minister Plibersek said.

“Tobacco smoking is still the single large cause of preventable premature death and disease in Australia – it kills 15,000 Australians each year and costs the economy $31.5 billion.

“We want to let people know the health dangers associated with smoking and help to prevent hundreds of thousands of Australians from suffering as a result of smoking related illnesses," said Ms Plibersek.

Advertising is part of the Government’s strategie to reduce smoking rates to 10% by 2018 AD, other measures include our world first plain packaging legislation and putting smoking replacement therapies onto the PBS.

The campaigns’ focus on suffering, as a result of smoking related illnesses, is an extension of previous Australian Government anti-smoking messagin and acknowledges the significant impact that these illnesses have on smokers and their families.

Advertising starts today via TV, FM and AM radio, online and in print and social media (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram) and runs through to June 2013.

ITEM 6 – EMAIL RE: GRAD PROGRAM

FROM: Wally LambTO: All graduate programDATE: 2013-06-02

Hi all,

We are looking at reworking the grad program website to make it a bit friendlier. When you get a minute could you have a look and send me any comments you have and maybe a brief testimonial?

Thanks,

Wally

ITEM 7 – TRAINING WORKSHOP

FROM: Wally LambTO: All graduate programDATE: 2013-06-02

Hi all,

Here is the next round of personal skills courses. Please send booking requests for these workshops to wally.lamb@doh.gov.auPlaces guaranteed if bookings are made within the next 2 weeks.

WorkshopWritten communication skillsCoaching your colleagues to successMaking difficult stakeholder relationships workBest practice in project managementManaging staff – APS basics

ITEM 8 – FOI REQUEST

FROM: Ruth ModanTO: Liz ThompsonDATE: 2013-06-01

Hi Liz,

I’ve got an FOI here for any and all material we have relating to British American Tabaco between May 2012 and January 2013. Could you please check with everyone in your section and send me an itemised list?

Thanks,

Ruth

ITEM 9 – EMAIL FROM CONFERENCE ORGANISER

FROM: Conference Systems CanberraTO: Liz ThompsonDATE: 2013-06-09

Hi Liz,

I tried to call you this morning about some of the details of the setup for the upcoming anti-smoking conference. Could you give me a buzz on 0428991974 as I will be out of the office today and I’ll run a few things by you.

Cheers,

Tom

ITEM 10 – MEDIA RELEASE

Hi Liz,

I was hoping you would be able to do some research on the Quit Now: My QuitBuddy and Quit For You, Quit For Two apps the DOH has put out and get a draft media release covering the following points together:

- impact- policy context- target audience- availability of the apps

Do you have any ideas who it would be worth getting some supporting quotes from?

Looking forward to reading your thoughts – shoot me a line if you need anything.

Ahmed Khan

Item No.

Key issues and recommended actions Priority (high, medium, or low)

1

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3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10