managing yourself sample

MANAgiNgyourself

retAil ModerN AppreNtice

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Contents 3

Page number

Section 1: Manage your own learning 7

What is learning? .................................................................................................................................... 7

How you learn ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Learning ownership ............................................................................................................................... 18

Make a plan! ........................................................................................................................................... 21

Putting your plan to work ....................................................................................................................... 27

Section 2: Solving problems 31

What is a problem? ................................................................................................................................ 31

Finding a solution .................................................................................................................................... 37

Problem-solving strategies .................................................................................................................... 40

Take action ............................................................................................................................................... 47

Section 3: Coping with change 51

What is change? ..................................................................................................................................... 51

Responding to change .......................................................................................................................... 52

Common responses to change ............................................................................................................ 54

Healthy and unhealthy responses ........................................................................................................ 59

Develop a strategy .................................................................................................................................. 60

Glossary 64

Assessment

coNteNts

RIR

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Introduction 5

This module covers three topics. As you learn about each of them you will develop some skills and techniques that will help you in your job and your personal life, now and in the future.

These topics are:

• Managingyourownlearning

• Solvingproblems

• Copingwithchange.

When you have worked through the learning material and activities in the module you should be ready to be assessed in the following unit standards:

Unit 7118 Manage own learning programme 3 credits

Unit 7123 Demonstrate knowledge of problem solving 2 credits

Unit 4258 Describe ways of managing and coping with changes 2 credits

iNtroductioN

To be assessed for Unit Standard 7118 Manage your own learning you have to develop a plan to achieve a specific learning goal, and put it into action.

The plan should take around 6 weeks to complete and must include a review of your progress half way through (for example, after the first 3 weeks for a 6-week plan).

We strongly suggest that you base your plan on achieving one of the other two unit standards covered in this module.

You can then use your plan to be assessed for Unit Standard 7118 and to help you work your way through the requirements of the unit standard that the plan focuses on.

Otherwise, you should base your plan on something new that you have to learn to do in your job over a 6-week period.

reAd this:

SAMPLE

© 2009 Retail Institute6

This icon means there is an activity for you to complete. They are not part of the assessment.

exAMple

hot tip

This icon explains how something applies in a real workplace situation.

This icon gives you a ‘hot tip’.

This icon tells you some key points to remember.key poiNt

You might like to have a chat with your trainer or mentor before you start work on this module about a suitable subject for your action plan.

The assessment for this module, including a template for your action plan, is at the back of this training material. Have a look at it now so you know what you are being asked to do. It covers all three unit standards in the module.

You’ll find out more about how to develop a plan to achieve a specific learning outcome (goal) in the first section of this module.

how to use this resource

This module contains learning material and activities.

As you work through the activities you will be encouraged to think about how you manage yourself, and deal with problems and changes at work and at home. The activities will help you think about your own skills and knowledge, and prepare you for the tasks covered in the assessment.

The activities do not have ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers and they are not part of the assessment. However, they will help you apply what you have learnt in the training material to your own life. It is a good idea to talk through your activity answers with your workplace trainer or mentor, so you can explore your thinking and see if they can offer you any other ideas.

You can also talk with your workplace trainer or your Retail Institute Training Advisor if you need help with understanding this material or the assessment requirements.

icoNs

The following icons have been usesd in this resource to represent different types of information:

Introduction 7

glossAry

You may come across some new or different terms in this material. Here are some that you may not be familiar with:

Self-development Environment Potential

Responsibilities Self-esteem Strategy

Prioritise Physiological Proactive

Learning outcome Biological Resistance

Learning style Auditory Lateral thinking

Psychology Visual learner Brainstorming

Motivation Kinaesthetic Mind mapping

Self-discipline Personality Denial

Highlight or draw a circle around the words in the table above that are new to you. Have a look for them as you work through this training material.

Don’t worry if they look unfamiliar – they will become clear as you learn.

The glossary at the back of the module explains these, and other words that may be new to you, in more detail.

There are blank spaces in the glossary pages for you to add other words you need to remember.

You can write your own meaning for them by talking with people at work or looking them up in a dictionary or on the internet – or simply write the meaning in your own words, which is the best way to remember them.

Manage your own learning 9

MANAge your owN leArNiNg

Learning happens in many ways – by watching or listening to other people, by ‘having a go’ at something new, by reading information, or a combination of all of these.

whAt is leArNiNg?

Learning isn’t always ‘formal’. It’s not just going to school or getting some training in a particular trade or career.

To learn means to gain new skills or knowledge. As a human being, you learn from the minute you are born – how to eat, how to talk, how to walk, read and write.

Later you learn how to drive, or play rugby, or open a bank account, or do the tasks required in your job, or the thousands of other skills you will gain during your life.

hot tip

Thinkoflearningasdevelopingsomelife-longskills.Anynewskillorknowledgeyoulearnlastsalifetime.Learningbenefitsyou more than anyone else!

sectioN 1

In this section you will learn:•what‘learning’is• howpeoplelearn• thingsthatcanhelpyouorhold

you back • howtomakelearningreally

work for you• howtodevelopyourown

learning plan and put it into action.


leArNiNg well

The things you learn are valuable to you. For example:

• gaininganewskill abetterchanceofpromotionatwork

• studyinghard passinganassessment

• improvingyourskillsatrugby movinguptoahighergrade

• learningtocookanewrecipe impressingyourpartner!

Learning works best when you:

are keen to do it!

take responsibility for your own learning

are flexible and adaptable about where and how you learn

understand how you will be able to apply your new skills and knowledge in your everyday life

believe in yourself and your ability to learn and explore

make the most of the opportunities available

understand what resources you need and where to find them.

exAMple

Caleb really wants to learn to surf because lots of his friends do. But he also plays cricket and the summer cricket season is just starting. His team has practices for two nights a week before their games on Saturday.

As wicketkeeper/batsman he has a key role in the team and can’t afford to miss any practices or scheduled games. He also plays indoor cricket for his work team one night a week and doesn’t like to miss that either.

Caleb decides that this summer his first priority is to focus on improving his cricket skills – his goal is to represent the province in the under-25 team. His coach is an ex-provincial player and Caleb knows there’s lots he can learn from him.

He’ll just pick up on the odd surfing tip from his mates when he has time to go out with them on Sundays. He’ll probably be able to keep surfing a lot longer than he will be able to keep playing rugby.

MAkiNg choices

While all learning is valuable, you also need to decide what your priorities are – what is important. What do you need to learn most, right now? What can wait until later?


Choose three things that you would like to learn how to do (a work skill, hobby, sport, community activity etc). Explain briefly why you would learn them in this order.

•

•

•

Now take the activity that came top of your list above and write a few notes about what you would have to learn to get you there.

I would do them in this order because:

AUDITORY


how you leArN

leArNiNg styles

People learn in different ways. Some learn by watching others or trying something themselves; some learn by listening; some learn by reading words or diagrams.

These are called ‘learning styles’. No style is better than another – they are just different, and suit different people.

There are three main learning styles:

ViSuAL LEARnERS learn best by seeing; their eyes are their most important sense for learning new information. They prefer to read instructions, maps or diagrams about new skills rather than have someone speak them out loud or demonstrate them.

They write things down to help them remember. They like flash cards and labels with key points written down.

AuDitoRy (ord-it-or-ree) LEARnERS learn best by listening; their ears are their most important sense for learning new information.

People who learn with their ears also generally like to talk things through. They remember things by repeating them out loud. They’d rather learn from videos than books because videos make them use their ears as well as their eyes.


Most people use a combination of these learning styles, not just one. You can find more about your own learning style with some free online quizzes. Try these:

http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/ts/stylest.html

http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a3_aspects/pages/VAK_quest.htm

exAMple

Mika, Holly and Daniel work in a store selling mobile phones. A brand new phone has just come into their store, and the chain that they are part of is running a promotion on this paraphone around the country.

Their supervisor says there will be a lot of customers coming in to ask about it, so the staff really need to learn quickly about its specific features.

Mika is a visual learner – she reads carefully through all the literature that comes with the phone, and the instructions for how to use it. She makes some notes about key points that

she really needs to understand so she can remember them and explain them easily to her customers.

Holly is an auditory learner – she listens carefully while the supervisor explains the key features. She asks Mika lots of questions as she reads through the information that comes with the phone. This helps them both learn.

Daniel is a kinaesthetic (hands-on) learner. He picks up the demonstration model and works through the phone’s features by trying them himself.

KinAESthEtic (kin-iss-thet-ik) LEARnERS

learnbestbytouchingorexperiencing; their physical abilities are their most important way of learning.

They would rather try something than read or hear about it; they would rather ‘have a go’ than watch someone else show or tell them how to do it. They prefer interactive CD-ROMs to videos or books because they can use their fingers as well as their eyes and/or ears.


Read each statement in the left-hand column below, then circle the way you would like to learn in that situation.

Don’t spend too much time thinking about it – just go with your first instinct. Therearenorightorwronganswers.

Skill Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic

Operate new equipment Read the instructions Listen to an

explanation Have a go

Get some travel directions Look at a map Ask for spoken

directions

Follow your nose, and maybe use a

compass

Cook a new dish Follow the recipe Phone a friend for an explanation

Follow your instinct, tasting as you go

Teach someone something

Write down the instructions Explain verbally Demonstrate, then

let them have a go

Complain about faulty goods Write a letter Phone Take it back to the

store

Hobbies Museums and galleries

Music and conversation Playing sport or DIY

Gifts you buy Books Music Tools and gadgets

Shopping Look and imagine Discuss with shop staff Try on and test

Choose a holiday Read the brochures Listen to other peoples’ suggestions

Imagine the experience

Choose a new car Read the reviews in car magazines

Talk about it with friends

Test-drive what you fancy

Add up the number of circles in each column:

Totals

Your totals give you an idea of your learning style. For example, if your totals were 9, 3 and 1 across the three columns, you are strongly a visual learner. If your scores were 2, 2 and 5, you are a kinaesthetic learner – you prefer to learn by doing, rather than by watching or listening.

You might also like to try this activity out on a workmate or friend, to see how different or similar they are.

0800 486 738www.retailinstitute.org.nz

Copyright © Retail Institute

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission. Enquiries should be made to the Retail Institute, PO Box 24341, Wellington.

RIR

MA

.101

SA

MP

APR

‘10

SAMPLE

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