Developing Performance Framework > Employee Groups >

Business Services Managers

Overview
How am I involved in the developing performance process?
Tools
Resources

Overview

As a Business Services Manager, your day-to-day work is central to efficient school administration. You provide school leaders with financial, human resource, facilities and administrative advice and carry out key work tasks within these areas that contribute to the effectiveness of school operations.

Your communication and negotiation skills are important to build networks and partnerships with other Departmental officers and community members.

You play a key role in informing non-teaching staff about relevant decisions, policies and procedures. This creates the conditions that enable non-teaching staff to develop their performance and succeed.

You understand the need to keep developing your skills and knowledge so that you can continue to provide quality organisational support. The Department is committed to supporting you to do this through the Developing Performance Framework. The Framework aims to build your job satisfaction in a supportive work place where your contribution is recognised and your continued learning is valued.

How am I involved in the developing performance process?

First phase Second phase Third phase Fourth phase

The developing performance process is made up of four phases.

The first phase is called clarifying expectations and work focus. In this phase, you clarify:

The expectations you and others have of Business Services Managers
The focus of your work for the coming work period and how this contributes to the overall successes of the Department
Your career aspirations
The capabilities you have and will need to develop to successfully complete your work and take steps toward your career aspirations
The support and professional development you will access to develop your capabilities

You reflect on your role and responsibilities and recall events and tasks that illustrate expectations, work focus and steps taken toward your career aspirations.

You discuss your reflections with your team leader and come to a shared understanding of expectations, the key work tasks and career goals for the coming work period and the types of support and professional development available to you.

The second phase is called reaching an agreement. This agreement is based on the discussion you had in the first phase and includes:

Your key work tasks
Your career goals
Your access to support and professional development
The support you will provide to others

It is important that there are clear links between your key work tasks and the key deliverables in the school's Annual Operational Plan.

By sharing your career aspirations, whether they relate to being the best Business Services Manager, taking on another role in the Department or career advancement, options for supporting your goals are discussed with your team leader.

Your professional development and support activities will provide you with capability development required to complete identified key work tasks and assist you to progress your career aspirations with the Department.

The third phase is called performing and ongoing support. In this phase, you put your developing performance agreement into action in your day-to-day work.

Throughout the work period, you provide regular updates on your progress and give and receive feedback to your colleagues and team leader. You discuss issues and new priorities as they arise. If it is necessary to make amendments to your agreement, you do this in collaboration with your team leader.

The fourth phase is called reviewing progress and improving performance.

In this phase you meet with your team leader. To prepare for this meeting, you reflect on your agreement, consider examples that demonstrate improved performance and think about future work and career goals.

In the meeting, you and your team leader review your progress, discuss your strengths and areas for further development and consider the range of reward and recognition options available to you.

None of the things you discuss come as a surprise as you will have talked about them as part of your day-to-day work.

Tools

First phase Second phase Third phase Fourth phase

The tools below are optional. You may choose to use them to support you during one or all phases of the developing performance process.

First phase - Clarifying expectations and work focus

Guided reflection [an error occurred while processing this directive]
This tool provides a question frame to guide your thinking as you consider your current role, workplace priorities and your career aspirations.

Auditing your strengths and asking a colleague for their view [an error occurred while processing this directive]
You reflect on your strengths and development needs. You ask a trusted colleague to make comments alongside yours that describe their perception of your strengths and areas for development. You compare your perceptions with theirs and make decisions as to how to use this information to develop your performance.

Recording all activities in a day [an error occurred while processing this directive]
You make a note of all the activities you complete as they happen for one typical day. When you meet with your team leader, you compare your notes with your position description and the expectations you and your team leader have for the role of Business Services Manager.

Second phase - Reaching an agreement

Developing performance plan [an error occurred while processing this directive]
This tool provides space to write your key work tasks, career goals and the professional development and support you agree with your team leader.

Performance development agreement [an error occurred while processing this directive]
This tool provides space to record the objectives, activities, links to your school 's plan, dates for completion, professional development opportunities and steps you will take toward career goals as agreed with your team leader.

Third phase - Performing and ongoing support

Continuous professional development log [an error occurred while processing this directive]
This tool provides space for you to log a description of the professional development activity, who was involved, the number of hours spent on the activity, what you have learned and what you need to do next with this learning.

Tracking my developing performance [an error occurred while processing this directive]
This tool provides space to record the activities you undertake to develop your performance, what you have achieved or learned, evidence of this achievement/learning and your personal reflections on your performance. By jotting down your thoughts, this tool acts as a memory aid when talking to your team leader in the fourth phase.

Fourth phase - Reviewing progress and improving performance

Employee progress report [an error occurred while processing this directive]
Before meeting with your team leader, you use this tool to jot down the things you have achieved, the capabilities you have developed and your future work and career goals.

Resources

You can use the resources below as a point of reference for developing your performance.

Capability and Leadership Framework (CLF)
This Framework outlines the Department's professional expectations of its workforce and assists employees to identify the capabilities required to deliver high quality outcomes. It is an excellent reference point for making decisions about the most appropriate professional development.

Professional development for public sector employees
This lists current professional development available to support employees in developing their performance.

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This page was last reviewed on 31 Jan 2011