8600-301 Assignment Example

Planning and allocating work is the core operational skill of any first-line manager — the ability to look at what needs to be done, break it into manageable tasks, assign those tasks to the right people, and track whether everything is on course. Unit 8600-301 tests whether you can plan systematically rather than reactively, and whether you know how to respond when things do not go to plan.

This assignment example is written from the perspective of a shift supervisor in a 200-bed hotel, responsible for a housekeeping team of twelve room attendants and two senior housekeepers.

Learning Outcome 1 — Know How to Plan Work in the Workplace

AC 1.1 — Identify Organisational Targets Relevant to the Team

The hotel’s targets that directly affect the housekeeping team are: all departing-guest rooms cleaned and inspected by 2pm (the check-in guarantee), a guest room cleanliness satisfaction score of 90% or above (measured through post-stay surveys), and a room turnaround time of 30 minutes maximum per standard room. These targets are set by the general manager and cascade from the hotel’s brand standards. My role is to translate them into a daily operational plan that my team can execute.

AC 1.2 — Set SMART Objectives for the Team

For a specific Monday shift (14 April 2025) with 85 departures, 62 stayovers, and 78 arrivals expected, I set three SMART objectives: (1) all 85 departure rooms cleaned, inspected, and released to front desk by 1:30pm — 30 minutes ahead of the 2pm guarantee to build a buffer; (2) all 62 stayover services completed by 12 noon to allow the team to focus entirely on departures afterwards; (3) zero re-cleans — every room passes the senior housekeeper’s first inspection. Each objective is specific (named task), measurable (quantity and quality standard), achievable (based on team size and historical performance), relevant (directly supports organisational targets), and time-bound (clear deadlines within the shift).

AC 1.3 — Use a Technique to Plan to Achieve the Objectives

I use a daily allocation board — a whiteboard grid showing each room attendant’s name, their assigned rooms (listed by room number), the room type (departure or stayover), and the expected completion time. The allocation is completed before the 7am shift briefing based on the previous night’s occupancy report. The board serves as both a planning tool and a visual management system — everyone can see what they are doing, what the team is doing collectively, and whether the plan is on track. Adair’s (2022) action-centred leadership model supports this approach: the plan addresses the task (rooms allocated), the team (workload balanced), and the individual (assignments matched to capability).

AC 1.4 — Explain How to Monitor and Control a Planned Activity

Monitoring happens at three checkpoints. At 9:30am, I check the room management system to count how many stayovers have been completed — if we are below 50%, I reallocate resources. At 11:30am, I check departure room progress — if any attendant is behind schedule, I assign a senior housekeeper to assist. At 1pm, I review the inspection log to confirm all departure rooms are released. Control actions include: reassigning rooms from a slower attendant to a faster one, deploying myself to clean rooms if we are critically behind, and communicating revised timelines to front desk if the 2pm guarantee is at risk. The key is that monitoring must trigger action — checking progress without intervening when it is off track is observation, not management.