7CO03 Personal Effectiveness, Ethics and Business Acumen

7CO03 Personal effectiveness, ethics and business acumen

The unit provides insight into the role of people professionals in supporting the organisational workforce. Workers need to develop effective behaviours guided by the ethical and moral principles and standards of behaviours. In championing organisations’ better work and working lives, professionals must create a culture of inclusion where all people are treated fairly, and activities and functions are completed transparently. The professionals need to have skills to communicate with others ad work in teams towards developing ethical behaviours and promoting inclusivity for all workers.

Learning objectives

By the end of the unit, learners should be gain an understanding of the learning outcomes below:

1. Be able to model inclusivity principles and values in organisations.
2. Be able to achieve business outcomes and maintain them for workers and the organisation.
3. Be able to promote personal effectiveness through learning.
4. Be able to show courage and conviction while making decisions and influence others through the decision-making process.

Learning outcome 1

People practices and ethical behaviour

Learners pursuing the course should understand their responsibility in identifying and maintaining high standards of ethical behaviour. The professionals need to identify challenges and dilemmas that they need to address, using information from within and outside the organisation. Promoting ethical behaviour means that the professionals need to examine the data obtained from the internal analysis of the broader world of work and the internal business environment where the professionals engage directly with the business and its stakeholders.

Business improvement

Improving businesses is a process that requires professionals to be fair and compassionate towards each other and to the workers and work to promote employee well-being. People professionals also need to show value for individual workers by giving them a voice to raise their concerns and engage in organisational decision-making. Improving organisations becomes successful when the managers and leaders provide workers with opportunities to grow and develop in their careers.

Developing organisations and improving business operations require professionals to show integrity and be role models to other employees. Therefore, the professionals need to be keen on challenging unethical decisions and focus on managing risks. To achieve this, however, professionals should show courage and influence and be compassionate and show humanity in managing ethical behaviours at work. Therefore, learners should learn and self-evaluate themselves to determine whether they have the same level of behaviour to improve ethical practices.

Collaboration and embracing diversity

Working together, embracing diversity and including all workforce into the organisation are all aspects that contribute to business and the development of ethical behaviours that support work.  Learners are expected to understand how they should share knowledge to build on diversity, build trust in the workplace, and develop positive attitudes to ensure that every person in the organisation feels valued.

Learning outcome 2                                  

Self-awareness, self-management and self-improvement

Learners gain insight into the contributions they make to enhance the achievement of personal goals and support organisational progression. In this perspective, they have to be aware of their self or personal values. Learners identify self-improvement measures towards supporting organisational success while generating business profits and effectively managing the business. Self-improvement also relates to the professionals’ engagement in leading change and supporting others through the change process. Self-awareness, management, and improvement allow learners to learn how to face uncertainty and different challenges at work.

How business acumen delivers commercial benefit and resilience

Learners get comprehension on how to analyse the internal and external business environment. Learners seek to identify the drivers that support commercial developments for effective organisational success and competitiveness through this context. Professionals need to understand how to use data obtained from the business environment to manage problems and create solutions to support organisational development and growth. Additionally, the learners become aware of aligning their behaviours in line with the values and strategies at work. The insight gained from this learning outcome helps learners identify the future trends and practices at work, which will help them become good performers.

Learning outcome 3

Learning and personal effectiveness

The unit explains the role of people professionals in developing a learning culture. The learners should find out whether they have a deep curiosity about learning and identify reasons they need to develop their knowledge and skills. Learning becomes effective when they seek and use feedback from other senior professionals and colleagues on the learning influences to personal and professional development. The learners get to understand the different learning methods and their impacts on supporting professional, mental, emotional, spiritual and physical development.

Data analytics

Data analytics involves conducting research and using different research instruments to collect information without being biased. Learners in this section should understand the value of researching different business topics to increase their learning capabilities. This will help them gain critical thinking skills and become involved in using data effectively to promote their skills. The learners also get insight on how to engage in data presentation for practical analysis. In finality to this outcome, learning promotes creativity and innovation, which promotes efficiency to support the development and maintenance of a positive learning environment.

Learning outcome 4

Influencing others during decision-making

Learners pursuing the unit learn how to be courageous and convincing while making personal and professional decisions. They need to develop positive behaviours that will help them deal with complex issues at work. Additionally, they learn the need to acknowledge their mistakes and take ownership of all their actions. Finally, the learners are responsible for making ethical decisions, which will positively influence others to take specific actions at work.

Promoting organisational improvement

Learners learn the need to be brave to promote organisational improvement. As professionals, the learners get to comprehend the role of leaders in inspiring, influencing and motivating others to do the right and moral things. This promotes ethical practice at work. Professionals also provide opportunities for learning to enhance decision-making effectiveness, solve problems, and make the proper judgment. The organisational improvement becomes effective when employers work with professionals to develop a positive brand with a good reputation in the market. Organisational improvement and effectiveness become possible where professionals get an opportunity to network and discuss their career advancements and progression. The learners, therefore, learn the significance of showing value to organisational employees, which in turn facilitates organisational improvement and success.

Resources

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2021) Business acumen, available from https://peopleprofession.cipd.org/profession-map/core-knowledge/business-acumen

D’Souza, D. (2020) Change management, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/change/management-factsheet

Hayden, D. (2021) Learning and development strategy and policy, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/development/factsheet

Mohdzaini, H. (2021) People Analytics, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/analytics/factsheet

Peters, R. (2021) Employee voice, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/communication/voice-factsheet

Quilliam, G.G. (2021) Leadership in the workplace, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/leadership/factsheet