CBC-BSBWOR502-LG-V2017.1

BSBWOR502

Lead and manage team effectiveness

Learner Guide

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Table of Contents

Unit of Competency .......................................................................................................................... 4

Application ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Performance Criteria ............................................................................................................................ 5

Foundation Skills .................................................................................................................................. 6

Assessment Requirements ................................................................................................................... 7

1. Establish team performance plan ................................................................................................... 9

1.1 – Consult team members to establish a common understanding of team purpose, roles,

responsibilities and accountabilities in accordance with organisational goals, plans and objectives .. 10

Engage in workplace consultations .................................................................................................... 10

Verbal and non-verbal communication skills ..................................................................................... 10

Active listening ................................................................................................................................... 12

Reflective listening ............................................................................................................................. 12

Closed questions ................................................................................................................................ 12

Open questions .................................................................................................................................. 13

Activity 1A .......................................................................................................................................... 15

1.2 – Develop performance plans to establish expected outcomes, outputs, key performance

indicators (KPIs) and goals for work team ............................................................................................. 16

Performance plans ............................................................................................................................. 16

Work goals, objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) ......................................................... 16

Activity 1B .......................................................................................................................................... 20

1.3 – Support team members in meeting expected performance outcomes ....................................... 21

Supporting your team in work activities ............................................................................................ 21

Teamwork .......................................................................................................................................... 22

Group dynamics ................................................................................................................................. 22

Team development model (Dr Bruce W. Tuckman) .......................................................................... 22

Collaboration within the team ........................................................................................................... 23

Activity 1C .......................................................................................................................................... 24

2. Develop and facilitate team cohesion .......................................................................................... 25

2.1 – Develop strategies to ensure team members have input into planning, decision making and

operational aspects of work team ......................................................................................................... 26

Strategies for team working............................................................................................................... 26

Fostering a common purpose ............................................................................................................ 26

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Modelling good behaviour and practices .......................................................................................... 27

Activity 2A .......................................................................................................................................... 28

2.2 – Develop policies and procedures to ensure team members take responsibility for own work and

assist others to undertake required roles and responsibilities ............................................................. 29

Policies and procedures ..................................................................................................................... 29

Roles and responsibilities................................................................................................................... 31

Activity 2B .......................................................................................................................................... 35

2.3 – Provide feedback to team members to encourage, value and reward individual and team efforts

and contributions ................................................................................................................................... 36

Provide positive feedback to your team ............................................................................................ 36

Two-way communication ................................................................................................................... 37

Activity 2C .......................................................................................................................................... 38

2.4 – Develop processes to ensure that issues, concerns and problems identified by team members

are recognised and addressed ............................................................................................................... 39

Dealing with employee issues ............................................................................................................ 39

Personal values and beliefs ................................................................................................................ 39

The development of relationships ..................................................................................................... 40

Anti-discrimination legislation ........................................................................................................... 41

Activity 2D .......................................................................................................................................... 43

3. Facilitate teamwork .................................................................................................................... 44

3.1 – Encourage team members and individuals to participate in and to take responsibility for team

activities, including communication processes ..................................................................................... 45

Team participation ............................................................................................................................. 45

Team communication ........................................................................................................................ 46

Activity 3A .......................................................................................................................................... 47

3.2 – Support the team in identifying and resolving work performance problems .............................. 48

Assessing performance problems ...................................................................................................... 48

Contingency planning ........................................................................................................................ 49

Identify your strengths and weaknesses ........................................................................................... 51

Overcoming work challenges ............................................................................................................. 52

Activity 3B .......................................................................................................................................... 53

3.3 – Ensure own contribution to work team serves as a role model for others and enhances the

organisation’s image for all stakeholders .............................................................................................. 54

Be a positive role model for your team ............................................................................................. 54

Motivation techniques ....................................................................................................................... 54

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Adding to the organisation’s image ................................................................................................... 55

Activity 3C .......................................................................................................................................... 56

4. Liaise with stakeholders .............................................................................................................. 57

4.1 – Establish and maintain open communication processes with all stakeholders ........................... 58

Use open communication processes ................................................................................................. 58

Communication methods .................................................................................................................. 58

Adapting communications to the stakeholder groups ...................................................................... 59

Communication conventions ............................................................................................................. 60

Activity 4A .......................................................................................................................................... 61

4.2 – Communicate information from line manager/management to the team .................................. 62

4.3 – Communicate unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised by team members and

follow-up with line manager/management and other relevant stakeholders ...................................... 62

Management communications to the team ...................................................................................... 62

Resolving team member issues ......................................................................................................... 62

Dealing with issues and problems within the workplace .................................................................. 63

Conflict resolution techniques ........................................................................................................... 64

Activity 4B .......................................................................................................................................... 66

4.4 – Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding unresolved issues, concerns and

problems raised by internal or external stakeholders ........................................................................... 67

Evaluating workplace concerns and problems .................................................................................. 67

Corrective action for workplace issues .............................................................................................. 67

Activity 4C .......................................................................................................................................... 68

Summative Assessments ........................................................................................................................ 69

References ............................................................................................................................................. 70

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Unit of Competency

Application This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to lead teams in the workplace and to actively engage with the management of the organisation. It applies to individuals working at a managerial level who facilitate work teams and build a positive culture within their work teams. At this level, work will normally be carried out using complex and diverse methods and procedures requiring the exercise of considerable discretion and judgement, using a range of problem solving and decision making strategies. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Sector Industry Capability – Workplace Effectiveness

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Performance Criteria

Element Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Establish team

performance plan 1.1 Consult team members to establish a common

understanding of team purpose, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities in accordance with organisational goals, plans and objectives

1.2 Develop performance plans to establish expected outcomes, outputs, key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals for work team

1.3 Support team members in meeting expected performance outcomes

2. Develop and facilitate

team cohesion 2.1 Develop strategies to ensure team members have input into

planning, decision making and operational aspects of work team

2.2 Develop policies and procedures to ensure team members take responsibility for own work and assist others to undertake required roles and responsibilities

2.3 Provide feedback to team members to encourage, value and reward individual and team efforts and contributions

2.4 Develop processes to ensure that issues, concerns and problems identified by team members are recognised and addressed

3. Facilitate teamwork 3.1 Encourage team members and individuals to participate in

and to take responsibility for team activities, including communication processes

3.2 Support the team in identifying and resolving work performance problems

3.3 Ensure own contribution to work team serves as a role model for others and enhances the organisation’s image for all stakeholders

4. Liaise with

stakeholders 4.1 Establish and maintain open communication processes with

all stakeholders 4.2 Communicate information from line manager/management

to the team 4.3 Communicate unresolved issues, concerns and problems

raised by team members and follow-up with line manager/management and other relevant stakeholders

4.4 Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised by internal or external stakeholders

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Foundation Skills

This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance. Skill Performance

Criteria

Description

Reading 1.1, 4.4 Analyses and interprets textual information from the organisation’s policies, goals and objectives to establish team goals or to determine corrective action

Writing 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4

Prepares written reports and workplace documentation that communicate complex information clearly and effectively

Oral communication

1.1, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3

Engages in discussions or provides information using appropriate vocabulary and non-verbal features

Uses listening and questioning techniques to confirm understanding and to engage the audience

Navigate the world of work

1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.3 Understands how own role contributes to broader organisational goals

Modifies or develops policies and procedures to achieve organisational goals

Interact with others

1.1, 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 4.3

Selects and uses appropriate conventions and protocols when communicating with diverse stakeholders

Uses interpersonal skills to gain trust and confidence of team and provides feedback to others in forms that they can understand and use

Adapts personal communication style to build positive working relationships and to show respect for the opinions, values and particular needs of others

Plays a lead role in situations requiring effective collaboration, demonstrating high level conflict resolution skills and ability to engage and motivate others

Get the work done

1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.2, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4

Develops, implements and monitors plans and processes to ensure team effectiveness

Monitors and actively supports processes and development activities to ensure the team is focused on work outcomes

Plans for unexpected outcomes and implements creative responses to overcome challenges

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Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence Evidence of the ability to: Use leadership techniques and strategies to facilitate team cohesion and work outcomes including:

o encouraging and fostering shared understanding of purpose, roles and responsibilities o identifying and resolving problems o providing feedback to encourage, value and reward others o modelling desired behaviour and practices

Develop policies and procedures to ensure team members take responsibility for own work and assist others to undertake required roles and responsibilities

Establish processes to address issues and resolve performance issues Support team to meet expected performance outcomes including providing formal and informal

learning opportunities as needed Develop performance plans with key performance indicators (KPIs), outputs and goals for

individuals or the team which incorporate input from stakeholders Communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders about team performance plans and team

performance Facilitate two-way flow of information between team and management relevant to team

performance Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding unresolved issues, concerns and problems

raised by internal or external stakeholders Note: if a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once. Knowledge Evidence To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must: Explain how group dynamics can support or hinder team performance Outline strategies that can support team cohesion, participation and performance Explain strategies for gaining consensus Explain issue resolution strategies Assessment Conditions Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the industry capability - workplace effectiveness field of work and include access to: Workplace documents Case studies and, where possible, real situations Office equipment and resources Interaction with others Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.

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Links Companion volumes are available from the IBSA website: http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes

- https://vetnet.education.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=11ef6853-ceed-4ba7-9d87-

4da407e23c10

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1. Establish team performance plan

1.1. Consult team members to establish a common understanding of team purpose, roles,

responsibilities and accountabilities in accordance with organisational goals, plans and

objectives

1.2. Develop performance plans to establish expected outcomes, outputs, key performance

indicators (KPIs) and goals for work team

1.3. Support team members in meeting expected performance outcomes

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1.1 – Consult team members to establish a common understanding of team purpose, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities in accordance with organisational goals, plans and objectives

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Understand about communicating effectively as a team leader

Know how to use non-verbal and verbal communication skills

Use listening and questioning skills in workplace discussions.

Engage in workplace consultations

Management roles require excellent leadership skills to

effectively guide and facilitate workplace activities. To lead and

manage your work team, or work area, you will need to be able

to communicate with influence and coordinate work tasks and

employee roles fairly. Others will look to you for answers and for

direction, both employees and managers alike, and you will

need to take a subjective viewpoint in your role.

Leadership skills include:

Being organised

Thinking in a strategic manner

Planning workplace activities and formulating

actions

Being able to make decisions

Solving problems

Motivating yourself and others

Issue and conflict resolution

Being personable and equitable to others.

Workplace consultations need to take place with your team so that you can ensure a common

understanding is made by all on the team’s purpose, working roles, responsibilities and accountabilities.

These will be defined by the organisation’s own plans, goals and objectives.

Verbal and non-verbal communication skills

As organisations evolve and change to the needs of business, organisational goals and objectives may

also change. As a manager, you should be kept informed of such changes and ensure your team (or

work area) are made aware of these also. Your team rely on you for the dissemination of organisational

information as applicable to their job roles and position. You need to discuss work requirements with

your team and manage their progress.

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As such, you need to develop excellent communication skills to be able to interact with a range of

individuals and stakeholders. These include your team, other employees and managers, senior

management and your external contacts.

Non-verbal communication

You should use non-verbal communication techniques with care and appreciation of the audience.

Meanings may differ between cultures and social groups; these can cause offence to some individuals,

however harmless a gesture may appear to be. Non-verbal communication can signify status, attitudes

and emotions which can be easy to misunderstand.

Aspects of non-verbal communication that may differ between cultures may include:

Eye contact

Body language

Voice speed

Mannerisms

Volume

Vocal noises

Gestures

Facial expressions

Posture

Personal space

Touch.

Verbal communication

Verbal communications should be professional, courteous and respectful at all times. It is essential to

know how to relay information and how to conduct discussions; these will need to be tailored to suit

the audience, e.g. formal for managerial discussions and informational for team meetings. Your use of

language and terminology should be appropriate.

Verbal communications include:

Addressing people in a suitable manner

Articulating clearly and impartially

Listening to others

Asking questions to confirm and clarify meaning

Allowing others to speak and contribute

Acknowledging the contribution of others

Facilitating an environment of open discussions and employee participation.

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It is important to understand social and cultural differences in communication and ensure your

approach and responses are appropriate. Take time to understand your team members, managers,

employees and all others that you need to interact with so you can make your verbal and non-verbal

communications suitable.

The appropriate way to respond may be:

In a neutral tone

Clearly, using plain English

With the use of visual aids, e.g. pictures or diagrams

Without slang or jargon

With consideration to others.

Active listening

Active listening is a technique used in professional environments, for example consultations, training

and conflict resolution. This technique requires the listener to repeat what they have just heard from

the speaker by re-stating, or paraphrasing this back in their own words. This enables all parties to

ensure the correct understanding has been made. This can be a useful tool in business, as it enables you

to clarify information straightaway, and directly with the person(s) involved. When involved in your

communications use active listening skills; this aids understanding and helps to encourage more

productive discussions.

Reflective listening

This listening technique also involves restating or paraphrasing back what has just been said to the

speaker. The difference with reflective listening is that along with clarifying and confirming meaning, it

also seeks to acknowledge and confirm the feelings and emotions behind the words. This technique

allows you to understand how a person may be reacting to a situation or how they may feel about

workplace changes; it can also be useful for resolving workplace issues and employee difficulties. For

example, along with restating the words, you may also ask a question such as, ‘Am I right in thinking this

makes you feel angry?’

Closed questions

A closed question is one which requires a short and direct response.

This style of questioning provides a clear understanding as often a one

word answer, such as “yes” or “no”, or a specific and appropriate reply

is required.

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For example:

Q: “What is your name?”

A: “Jessica.”

Closed questions often begin with:

What?

Is?

Do?

Can?

Closed questions are used when we want to find out specific information, quickly. It is generally used

when we want to establish initial information which provides the topics and subjects that we will then

delve further into.

Open questions

An open question allows for a much more substantial and informative answer to be given. This

technique is used to elicit opinions and thoughts and can be useful for discussing and formulating work

actions or for problem-solving.

Open questions often begin with:

Why?

Where?

When?

Who?

How?

When consulting with your team (or others), always take a positive approach to

encourage open and honest communications. Provide them with full information

and accounts so that opinions and thoughts can be accurately given.

Always let your team know what is allowed and expected within the

communications, so they have a true understanding of their level of

involvement.

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Effective communication can:

Establish trust

Build rapport

Promote productivity

Create good relationships

Assist in the minimisation of risks

Help in the maximisation of opportunities.

Poor communication may lead to:

Missed deadlines

Embarrassment

Personal conflict

Increased employee turnover.

Frustration

Incorrect assumptions.

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Activity 1A

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1.2 – Develop performance plans to establish expected outcomes, outputs, key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals for work team

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Use performance plans to help establish work goals

Understand what KPIs are and how they can be used

Know the importance of work goals and objectives.

Performance plans

Performance plans can be developed for individual team members and for the work area/department

as a whole. This type of plan details the expectations and needs of work so that both department and

organisational work targets and objectives can be met. They allow you to define the actions, roles and

responsibilities and what needs to be done by individuals to achieve these.

Performance plans can be included in appraisals and performance reviews, and also at the beginning of

projects or at the start of the new working year. These help to explain and guide required workplace

performance.

They can include:

Department and organisational targets

Individual and team roles

A look at past performance

Work activities and tasks for employees.

When producing your performance plans, make sure

these are applicable to the individual team member so

they are fully aware of what is required of them. If

producing a department performance plan, this will need

to provide the overall focus and goals that the team need

to work upon.

Work goals, objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs)

In order to be able to plan how and when to complete work tasks, employees need to understand what

is expected of them and any rules or protocols which affect their work planning. For example, an

employee may have a long list of tasks they would like to complete, but if those tasks are ‘nice to do’

activities and they are not related to the core purpose of the job, then one could question why the

employee is considering doing the tasks at all.

It is not uncommon for people to get side-tracked with activities at work which are actually little to do

with the actual job role. A real example of this was an administrator who spent a considerable amount

of time making travel and hotel bookings for her colleagues in the belief that she was delivering

excellent customer service to them.

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She was indeed providing a great service, but it was her colleagues’ responsibility to make their own

travel and accommodation arrangements and so the work that she was doing was over and above her

core work duties. ‘So what?’ you might ask.

The key point here was that she was carrying out tasks which other people were expected to do and she

was neglecting several core tasks which were her responsibility. The result was that her job

performance was suffering as she was being distracted by the ‘nice to do’ tasks which generated a great

deal of thanks and appreciation from her colleagues. But this was at the expense of the important tasks

which she was actually employed to carry out. So, from this we can learn that it is essential to have an

understanding of the work goals, objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) to avoid the trap of

just concentrating on the tasks that we like doing.

KPIs

KPIs are a form of work goal or objective – they typically include data which can be used to measure and

benchmark performance. You will need to ensure they employees are hitting KPIs consistently in the

workplace – this will allow you to predict performance and business output, based on a minimum

standard.

An important thing to establish from the beginning is which factors you will use as KPIs and in what

terms you will measure these, as you will have to keep them consistent throughout the future, in order

to validate any kind of comparison.

Examples include:

Key performance indicators on customer satisfaction including:

o repeat business

o customers making recommendations

o completing surveys

o making complaints

o offering compliments

Key performance indicators on customer effort including data concerning the efforts

made to interact with customers such as:

o sales visits

o numbers of customers served/contacted/spoken to

Monitoring time taken to answer calls:

o can be measured relatively

easily with automated systems

which can track the volume and

duration of calls

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o can also track the average time taken to answer calls (e.g. some

organisations set a standard that calls must be answered within 3 rings or

within 5 seconds)

Operating within reporting protocols including factors such as:

o completing or submitting reports within specified timescales (e.g. it may be

necessary to complete an update report every hour, shift, day or week

Score tools such as:

o net promoter

o these are linked to customer satisfaction indicators and give objective data

about how customers have rated or scored the service that they have

received

Understanding metrics:

o metrics are another form of key performance indicator

o tend to be more general in nature (e.g. sales figures).

Work goals and objectives and KPIs are set within the overall context of the organisation’s requirements which may include:

Access and equity principles and practice

Business and performance plans

Defined resource parameters

Ethical standards

Goals, objectives, plans, systems and processes

Legal and organisational policies, guidelines and requirements

Work health and safety (WHS) policies, procedures and programs

Quality and continuous improvement processes and standards

Quality assurance and/or procedures manuals.

An essential first place to start when planning and organising work is to understand what key goals,

objectives and KPIs relate to each team member’s role, in the context of your organisation’s

requirements. Without an understanding of this, there is a danger that employees will fall into the trap

of completing tasks diligently only to discover later that they shouldn’t have been doing these tasks at

all. This is an extreme example of course, however it is surprisingly common for employees to be

uncertain about what exactly they are measured on, making it difficult to prioritise their workloads.

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There are several ways for employees to check and understand what is expected of them:

Their job descriptions – there should be clear statements which refer to any relevant

KPIs or objectives

Additional instructional documentation concerning work goals, objectives or KPIs –

there may be a departmental standard for a particular KPI which may change over time

(it is important to make employees aware of what these are)

Talking to their manager – as manager, you need to be clear on your team’s roles and

responsibilities as they may seek clarification from you on what a goal, objective or KPI

means and what they need to do as a consequence of this.

If an employee finds a goal/KPI to be too challenging, you will need to support and assist them. This

means assessing the goal/KPI and determining what the underlying issue may be and how you can help

the employee to manage this. It may be necessary to seek ways to modify this into a more manageable

goal/KPI.

There are some circumstances where it would be perfectly reasonable to adjust a goal/KPI:

When an employee is new to the role

When an employee is undertaking training to

develop skill and competence in an activity

When there are other factors which affect an

employee’s ability to perform to the required

standard (e.g. temporary health problems).

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Activity 1B

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1.3 – Support team members in meeting expected performance outcomes

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Incorporate techniques to support team members

Understand about teamwork and group dynamics

Have awareness to the stages of team development.

Supporting your team in work activities

Part of your role as a manager is to provide ongoing support to your

team in carrying out their work tasks. This includes guiding and

monitoring your team’s performance to check that work progress is

meeting required plans. It is your responsibility to keep your team’s

progress on track with the organisational goals and objectives.

Supporting your team may include:

Providing additional help at busy times

Skills training and development

Workplace mentoring

Monitoring the team for stress levels and providing help when needed

Managing employee workloads and prioritising tasks.

To give the correct support you need to have a complete understanding of what each team member

does. This includes knowing what tasks are actually done in your team, how long these take to do and

the skills that are involved. This will give you an appreciation of what your team does and gives you the

knowledge to find the best ways to support your team to meet their performance goals.

If you haven’t worked up through the team to your role as manager, you may have little prior

knowledge on what your team members do. If this is the case, it is useful to shadow your team

members on an individual basis to gain an understanding of what each team member’s day at work

involves. Shadowing an employee for one day will not give you all the information you need but it will

go a long way into providing you with an understanding. This also helps to build a good working

relationship and camaraderie with your team; they will also appreciate your steps towards developing

individual work roles knowledge.

Meet with team members

You can also meet with each team member and discuss the details of their work roles and

responsibilities. Although you will know on paper what each job description involves, speaking first-

hand with your team will give you valuable information on which tasks are easier than others, or which

are more complex to do. This mutual understanding will help you to recognise when support may be

needed and will prevent issues from developing into major difficulties or from preventing objectives

from being reached. It opens up a two-way dialogue with your team so they will also be able to come to

you to request support if work is not following plans.

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Understanding team member roles includes knowing:

All the steps required to complete tasks

Who your team members need to interact with

The problems and issues that may be encountered on a regular basis.

Teamwork

Teamwork involves building strong and positive working relationships across the team. Not only will you

need to develop theses working relationships, but your team members will also need to forge good

working relationships with each other to ensure work productivity and enjoyment are maximised.

When teams work well together, work is more seamless, communications are more fruitful and the

working atmosphere is generally more conducive to a positive working environment. They are able to

achieve more than the individual members can by themselves. Each member should know and

understand their role within an effective team.

Effective teamwork should result in the improved use of resources and generation of ideas. The

outcomes should be of higher quality, more efficient and, increasingly effective. Each individual can

enjoy the benefit of working with others. There should be a mutual sense of accomplishment.

The entire team may suffer if individuals are unable or

unwilling to work together. This may be costly for the

organisation. It might prove more difficult to achieve

the goals set by the organisation. There may also be a

negative impact on the workplace environment. A

sense of negativity and disruption may build.

Group dynamics

This describes the behaviours that occur between individuals in a team or group environment and are

usually in response to how individuals feel about another person. These feeling can be unconscious or

conscious reactions and can be formed through observances or experienced situations. It is not always

easy to ensure that all team members will work well together within the group dynamic and observing

how your team interacts with each other can help you to develop positive team relationships.

If there are dominant or more extrovert team members, you may need to assist more introvert team

members to participate on an equal footing. Equally, encouraging certain working relationships and

partnering individuals together can help provide a balance and harmony within the group dynamic.

Team development model (Dr Bruce W. Tuckman)

The American born psychologist, Bruce Tuckman researched group dynamics and published one of his

theories known as ‘Tuckman’s Stages’ in 1965. This model had four stages to describe the phases of

team development. Teams could go through some or all of the stages, depending on the group. Bruce

Tuckman advocated that teams need to go through all stages to grow and work effectively together. In

1977, Bruce Tuckman added an additional fifth stage to this model.

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This model is outlined below:

Stage 1 – Forming

The development of the individual into team member occurs; there is still a need for a

team leader to guide processes and initiate work. Roles and responsibilities are unclear

at this point and some friction within the team may result.

Stage 2 – Storming

Team members are looking to find their position within the team and challenges

between the individuals begins. This stage is one of conflict as all individuals find their

place within the team. Compromises need to be made so that work can be carried out

and clarity of purpose can be formed.

Stage 3 – Norming

The team begin to agree on roles and responsibilities and decisions are made more

easily. An understanding and bond begins to develop within the team and working

together occurs.

Stage 4 – Performing

The team develop strategies and processes and works towards the common goal within

the team. Any disagreements that happen are sorted easily and work is now performed

without the need of constant guidance by the team leader.

Stage 5 – Adjourning

The final stage is the end of the group, or conclusion of the project. The members of

the team can move on to new projects and can have a feeling of satisfaction at a job

well done. The team members at this point may also feel vulnerable to new changes

and have a sense of loss from the end of the team.

Tuckman spent time observing teams in action and described the phases of development as he saw

them. A team will work well in the ‘norming’ or ‘performing’ stages but if the team changes, such as

when a new member joins, it could put the team back into the ‘storming’ phase, causing problems in

performance levels. Team leaders or managers should be aware of this process so that teams can be

managed appropriately and supported to perform at an effective level.

Collaboration within the team

Workplace collaboration will involve the sharing of ideas and

thoughts by two or more people in order to accomplish mutually

agreed goals. It is considered a higher level of teamwork and has

become a more productive way of doing things. Collaboration in

the workplace incorporates teamwork and involves equal

participation and use of group perspectives to solve problems.

Teamwork should benefit the organisation and/or each individual.

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Activity 1C

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2. Develop and facilitate team cohesion

2.1. Develop strategies to ensure team members have input into planning, decision making and

operational aspects of work team

2.2. Develop policies and procedures to ensure team members take responsibility for own work and

assist others to undertake required roles and responsibilities

2.3. Provide feedback to team members to encourage, value and reward individual and team efforts

and contributions

2.4. Develop processes to ensure that issues, concerns and problems identified by team members

are recognised and addressed

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2.1 – Develop strategies to ensure team members have input into planning, decision making and operational aspects of work team

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Formulate leadership strategies

Address the needs to foster a common team purpose

Know how to model good behaviour and practices to team members.

Strategies for team working

Strategies are the conscious actions and approaches which are decided on and used within businesses

and organisations. These are predetermined as being the best ways to achieve recognised goals and

objectives.

In a position of leadership, you will need to develop the most appropriate strategies for your team to

follow in their work activities. These strategies should allow your team to be actively involved in

planning their own work tasks to give them autonomy to make work decisions within the parameters of

their own work roles and responsibilities.

For example, if a worker needs to arrange delivery of goods to clients, strategies should allow them to

plan the best methods to do this, such as the order in which work needs to be done, e.g. clarifying

preferred delivery arrangements with the client, arranging the delivery and then confirming this with

the client. Scope for flexibility in working tasks should be included, as long as the main objectives are

still being met; work should be done when it is required and within the identified timeframes.

Your team are best placed to assist in reaching work

objectives through workplace strategies, as they

know what needs to be done to achieve the

required results.

Strategies should address:

Team collegiality and understanding

Working to organisational

procedures

How to resolve work problems

Effective team communications.

Fostering a common purpose

Work strategies should show a common purpose in reaching team and organisational objectives. Your

team should be encouraged to work together to fulfil team requirements, not just to focus on the

singular goals that exist within their own work roles. Of course each team member will have their own

goals but these should be seen in context with the rest of the team’s goals so that everyone can work

towards achieving a common end.

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You should also work at gaining the trust and confidence of your team. This will come over time through

working together and in managing their needs effectively in the workplace. Supporting your team and

showing that you are working together will go a long way in helping you to build working relationships

into good ones. You need to look after the wellbeing of your team when matters of work are being

discussed within management meetings. Trust and confidence from your team will ultimately reflect

back to you through improved work output and motivation.

Strategies may include:

Holding weekly team meetings to discuss events and progress of work

Encouraging collaboration and teamwork on tasks

Prioritising work tasks with individual team members

Giving clear expectations and guidelines within work roles

Recognising and using team strengths in work activities

Celebrating successes and reaching work objectives.

Modelling good behaviour and practices

As a leader you will need to model the expected behaviours and practices that are required of your

team in the workplace. Leading by example is an essential skill that needs to be seamless; your team will

soon notice if you vary behaviour according to the person or situation and will take this as being

acceptable. Take time to recognise the behaviours and practices that you place importance on and

demonstrate these in your interactions and work.

You will need to demonstrate behaviours and practices such as:

Courteous and respectful communications

A positive attitude to all work tasks

Compliance in work policies and procedures

Honesty and trust with work colleagues and the team

A ‘can do’ attitude

Supporting and assisting others in completing work tasks.

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Activity 2A

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2.2 – Develop policies and procedures to ensure team members take responsibility for own work and assist others to undertake required roles and responsibilities

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Understand how policies and procedures effect employees

Know about responsibilities in the workplace

Assess roles and competencies of employees.

Policies and procedures

Policies and procedures provide the backbone for your organisation’s functions; without them work and

employees would not be governed, and practices would prove inconsistent. Policies provide the rules to

guide employees and include legal, ethical and organisational requirements. Procedures translate

policies into real working processes and practices; they provide a means to ensure work is carried out to

required standards.

Workplace policies and procedures will be developed by high-level management with the different work

departments to ensure that each area of work has been assessed correctly. Managers in work areas can

provide on-the-floor guidance to how work needs to be carried out.

Make sure that policies and procedures in your department are effective and support your team at

work. They should allow employees to develop into their work roles and responsibilities so they can

continue developing skills and are able to reach their full potential.

Policies and procedures cover work requirements such as:

Codes of conduct

Legal requirements and ethical standards

Health and safety

Risk management

Confidentiality

Access and equity

Communication processes and protocols

Training and workplace instruction

Human resources, e.g. employee performance management and work hours.

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Codes of conduct

A code of conduct outlines the behaviours and responsibilities of an individual employee and the

organisation as a whole. It is often found in the employee handbook and it defines what the

organisation considers to be acceptable behaviour. It also provides a framework for ethical decision

making. A code of conduct does not need to be complicated; it should simply inform the employee of

organisational expectations. The code of conduct will act as a protection for the organisation in the

event that an employee’s contract has to be terminated.

A workplace code of conduct should:

Be clear

Promote business values

Be specific

Be flexible

Take individual circumstances into account.

Codes of conduct will differ between organisations. However, they will all contain behaviour guidelines

that are consistent with organisational policies and values.

Work health and safety

Work health and safety (WHS)/occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation needs to be followed by

all businesses. This ensures that mechanisms are in place to protect employees and employers within

the workplace from risks to health and safety.

Both employers and employees are subject to rights and responsibilities in the workplace under

WHS/OHS. This is to ensure the safety of all people and to establish mutually beneficial working

arrangements.

Employers must:

Provide a safe workplace

Provide safe equipment

Provide:

o training

o information

o supervision

Provide adequate and suitable facilities, where

required

Check and maintain WHS systems and procedures

Provide personal protective equipment (PPE), where

required.

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Employees must:

Work safely

Wear PPE, where required

Follow safety procedures and requirements

Not destroy or compromise equipment and resources

Not interfere with safety equipment

Not act in a way that compromises their own safety, or that of colleagues, clients, and

the public

Report any WHS:

o issues

o hazards

o injuries

o accidents

o near misses

o concerns.

Responsible working

Policies and procedures need to enable and facilitate responsible working. This includes maintaining

personal safety and the safety of others in the workplace. It includes managing workloads to prevent

team members working additional hours on a regular basis, and to prevent the occurrence of workplace

stress.

Roles and responsibilities

Employees must identify, understand and live up to their responsibilities and duties in order for a

workplace to function effectively.

Responsibilities and duties may include:

Interacting with colleagues and external contacts

Job description and employment arrangements

Organisation’s policy relevant to work role

Skills, training and competencies

Supervision and accountability requirements including work health and safety

Environmentally sustainable working practices

Team structures.

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Job description and employment arrangements

A job description is a written statement of a particular job that helps employees to understand their

role. It is usually based on the findings of a job analysis and can be used when measuring the worker’s

performance.

A job description may include:

Job title

Responsibilities and duties

Reporting requirements

Working conditions

Required qualifications

Desired skills

Information regarding wages.

Employment arrangements are a formal agreement regarding working hours

that suit the organisation’s needs. There are many different types of

employment arrangements.

Employment arrangements may include:

Full time

Part time

Casual

Fixed term

Commission.

Flexible employment arrangements are essential in fulfilling work activities and in achieving economic

growth. They also show an organisation’s compliancy to cater for diverse employees who may have

other commitments out of the workplace.

Skills, training, and competencies

Worker skills are essential for the achievement of qualifications and experience. They can also increase

the chances of successful development in the workplace.

Skills should allow an employee to:

Get along with their colleagues

Develop respect

Solve problems

Make critical decisions

Become a strong part of an organisation.

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Examples of skills include:

Interpersonal skills

Technology skills

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Numeracy skills.

Employee training is essential for the success of an organisation. It provides an opportunity for

expansion of the employee’s knowledge.

Training is important because:

It provides an opportunity for education about the effective use of technology

A consistency of employee knowledge can be developed

Skills can be improved

Qualifications can be obtained

Productivity and profitability can be improved

Health and safety can be promoted

Opportunities for career development can be created

It is part of laws and regulations.

Workplace competencies should be used in order to define and measure the

effectiveness of particular employees. A workplace competency describes

the required characteristics, behaviours, attributes, or skills for success in a

specific job role. They provide employees with clear guidance regarding

performance expectations. They also highlight behaviours that are valued by

organisations. There are lots of different competencies within the

workplace. It is essential to know which ones are relevant to your team and

your organisation.

Accountability requirements

Accountability in the workplace is concerned with taking responsibility for

ones actions; it also means providing accountability for the work that is

done. All employees should be accountable for the work that they do and

ensure they follow the correct procedures and take care to maintain health

and safety. Work should be documented to show evidence of actions and to

provide the organisation with workplace records.

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For example, employees should:

Be present for their shifts and complete assigned tasks

Ensure health and safety of self and others

Fulfil the organisation’s goals

Perform their required duties.

The employee should accept responsibility for the completion of tasks and functions. They should be

prepared to face the consequences of poor performance.

Environmentally sustainable working practices

All organisations should recognise the importance of working in environmentally responsible ways. It is

an employee’s responsibility to follow environmentally friendly practices and minimise their impact on

the environment. Environmentally sustainable work practices reduce harm to the environment and

ensure that resources aren’t unnecessarily wasted.

Environmentally sustainable work practices may include:

Reducing waste

Re-using materials when possible

Recycling relevant materials

Disposing of waste responsibly

Minimising energy waste

Avoiding air or water pollution.

Team structures

Team structures relate to the composition of organisational work groups. A good team structure should

promote teamwork and have clear leadership. Each team member should commit to their specific role

in order to maintain effective teamwork. It is an employee’s responsibility to identify, understand, and

demonstrate their roles. Work activities should be undertaken in ways which promote cooperation and

good relationships.

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Activity 2B

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2.3 – Provide feedback to team members to encourage, value and reward individual and team efforts and contributions

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Understanding the importance of providing positive feedback

Know the value of assessing worker competencies through fair feedback

Use a two-way communication process with your team.

Provide positive feedback to your team

In your management role, it will be necessary to share work information with your team. This includes

discussing work activities and providing feedback on the team’s performance. You should be positive to

the team when providing your feedback and any negative aspects should be addressed constructively so

that you encourage individuals to adjust to the needs of work.

Positive feedback will:

Motivate the team

Encourage a happier workplace atmosphere

Allow successes to be acknowledged.

It is important to show your team how their work is valued and that

both the team and individual efforts are vital to meeting the

organisation’s objectives.

It may also be appropriate to reward contributions made by your

team members, if so, this should be done in the spirit of goodwill and

sharing, so that all of the team are made to feel valued.

Information and feedback for your team may include:

Acknowledging satisfactory performance

Acknowledging unsatisfactory performance

Providing assistance to team members

Clarifying the organisation’s preferred task completion methods

Providing encouragement to the team and individuals.

The benefits of sharing information and feedback with your team include:

Successful decision-making

Utilisation of combined strengths

Quicker resolution of problems

More efficient completion of projects

Increase in employee satisfaction

Achievement of goals.

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Negative feedback will only serve to demotivate your team and puts a focus on any parts that are not

working successfully or providing the intended results. This shifts the attention away from achievement

and disrupts the workplace flow. To get your team on track, you will need to provide direction and

momentum which is best found through a positive approach.

Use feedback to improve competence within available opportunities

When assessing work results, you should focus your use of feedback on worker competency levels of

the person and not the personality. Be careful not to get overwhelmed by personality traits which

invariably contain qualities of an individual that are almost impossible to change and certainly not

through workplace training or competency improvements.

Your objective should be to ascertain whether additional skills or knowledge will assist individual or

team performance levels. It may be necessary to provide additional or further training in areas that are

underperforming or require new skillsets. This is a part of your role to support your team’s work

performance and to assist in attaining your team’s goals.

Two-way communication

In your communications with the team, using an open door policy will help to encourage better team

discussions and interactions. This lets your team know that it is acceptable for them to raise issues or

provide comments and opinions on work activities on an ad hoc basis. It also assists you in following the

progress of work and in addressing needs or problems as they arise.

Team two-way communication includes:

Providing information to the team

Asking for feedback and opinions

Listening to the team

Allowing the team to respond and provide

comments

Encouraging the team to discuss work issues

when it is required

Allowing questions and answers.

A two-way communication process in the workplace should be concerned with professional

requirements and need to be conducted constructively. Always discourage team members from using

this process as a way to be detrimental about others or situations from a personal viewpoint which

holds no merit. If a team member has cause to complain about another, then this should be handled in

a manner that follows human resource policies and procedures for employee issue/conflict resolution.

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Activity 2C

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2.4 – Develop processes to ensure that issues, concerns and problems identified by team members are recognised and addressed

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Develop a process to address team issues

Understand that individuals have different values and beliefs

Know how to address employee differences in decision-making.

Dealing with employee issues

To deal with any issues, concerns or problems with your team, you should always follow a fair process

that seeks to find a resolution. Your organisation’s policies and procedures will need to include issue

resolution which all employees should be aware of. When seeking to resolve issues directly with the

team, you will need to adopt a system that reflects this so that you also treat employees equitably and

with respect to the issue at hand.

A process to deal with team issues may include:

Identifying the issue

Assessing the cause and factors that may

be influencing this

Gathering information relevant and

analysing the facts of the situation

Determining a course of action with the

team member to resolve the issue

Implementing the agreed actions and

monitoring the situation

Reviewing the situation at a later date to

evaluate the actions and measures taken.

Issues may be raised by an individual (or individuals) in the team, or you may have cause to raise an

issue. If you need to address an issue you have recognised, follow your process and be sure to

communicate the situation and outcomes to any relevant others and to the team. Always treat matters

that have been raised in a confidential manner that befits the situation and ensures an individual’s

privacy is maintained.

Personal values and beliefs

When dealing with employee issues, it is useful to remember that all individuals are different and have

their own values and beliefs. An individual’s personal values and beliefs are developed throughout their

lifetime and are affected by many things; they help to guide the way an individual lives their life and

makes their decisions. This will impact on how an individual works and interacts within an organisation.

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Values and beliefs can be influenced and affected by:

Friends

Family

Community

Experiences

Religion

Culture

Technology

Media

Workplace.

Values are:

Standards that are considered important

Qualities that are held in high regard

Things that are considered to be of worth

Formed by a belief that is related to the worth of an idea or behaviour

Influential.

Beliefs:

Are often thought to be related to real experiences

Actually direct experiences

Are made up of thoughts

Drive behaviour

Can be related to stereotypes

Are an important part of our identity

May be religious, cultural, or moral.

The development of relationships

Every employee within the organisation should be respected regardless of their values or beliefs.

Respect with regards to personal differences in values and beliefs will increase the prospects of

developing good workplace relationships.

In order to respect the differences between personal values and beliefs, an individual should:

Learn about other people’s values and beliefs

Ask appropriate questions

Demonstrate respect and empathy

Recognise an individual’s uniqueness

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Treat everyone fairly and with dignity

Raise and discuss ideas constructively

Deal with other points of view sensitively

Ensure that other people’s beliefs aren’t misrepresented

Avoid imposing own values and beliefs on others

Respect the rights of others to disagree

Be cooperative

Not cause offence.

An individual’s personal values and beliefs should not affect their work, workgroup or workplace.

Individuals should not allow their own personal values and beliefs to affect the quality of their work or

their relationships with other employees. An awareness of values and beliefs is important for the

development of partnerships and resolution of workplace conflicts.

Employees should work according to a set of professional values and beliefs. Personal beliefs and

perspectives may need to be set aside.

Anti-discrimination legislation

When dealing with any team issues, you will need to consider any factors that may involve

discrimination. This should be prevented at all costs, for example, if an opportunity arises within your

team for taking on new tasks that require additional skills training, you should not discriminate against

any team members who are older and nearer retirement age. You should ensure that the best team

member for the task is picked regardless of their age or any other circumstances.

Discrimination may occur on the basis of an individual’s:

Race

Age

Religion

Nationality

Criminal record

Medical record

Marital status

Disability

Sex.

Every organisation will have procedures and policies that take anti-discrimination legislation into

account. You should be aware of these policies.

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Anti-discrimination laws include:

Age Discrimination Act 2004

Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

Racial Discrimination Act 1975

Sex Discrimination Act 1984.

A workplace should be free from discrimination and each employee should be treated fairly and equally

in all matters.

The consequences of discrimination may include:

Fines

Penalties

Loss of job

Loss of income

Legal action

Conflict

Damage to the whole organisation.

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Activity 2D

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3. Facilitate teamwork

3.1. Encourage team members and individuals to participate in and to take responsibility for team

activities, including communication processes

3.2. Support the team in identifying and resolving work performance problems

3.3. Ensure own contribution to work team serves as a role model for others and enhances the

organisation’s image for all stakeholders

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3.1 – Encourage team members and individuals to participate in and to take responsibility for team activities, including communication processes

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Encourage team participation and togetherness

Delegate roles and responsibilities

Form good team communication processes.

Team participation

To enable your team to take an active role in the work that they do together, you should provide the

structure and resources to allow this. The structure should include a process for team interaction and

communication. Resources should support team work, for example, an environment and work area that

is set up specific for the team and which promotes unity.

Being a manager involves knowing when to work on tasks and when these should be delegated, along

with any associated responsibilities. If your team are prevented from taking an active role in the work

that they do, they will not work to their strengths or develop skills and competencies. They may even

switch off from objectives and become bored; giving your team some autonomy will help boost morale

and performance.

Assess your team’s capabilities when assigning roles and tasks, such as:

Skills and experience

Workplace knowledge

Suitability for tasks

Likes and preferences within work

activities.

You need to be clear on your requirements for your team and also on what your team’s requirements

are of themselves. If you are giving certain responsibilities to members within your team, let them, and

all of your team, know. By giving part-ownership of the roles and responsibilities to your team, you will

involve them in everyday work activities and decision-making.

Your team needs to:

Develop a clear working approach to achieve work goals and tasks

Agree on shared team tasks

Work together cohesively, as well as on their own individual tasks

Be able to use their preferred working styles to achieve team goals.

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Use strategies that help achieve consensus within the team. For example when needing to formulate

work plans for the team, include your team in a meeting to discuss and agree work tasks for the coming

work period. Strategies and actions that are inclusive will help to bring your team together and assist in

team cohesion.

Strategies for teamwork may include:

Partnering team members together on tasks

Asking the team to assess their team work processes

Assessing work achievements and setting team targets with the team

Recognising and celebrating team successes.

Team communication

A communication process for your team should incorporate understanding of individual duties and roles

within the team. It should allow all team members to show consideration of each other’s workload and

have an appreciation of how each team member contributes to achieving the team’s objectives.

A team communication process should include:

How team members approach and address each other

Openness on work roles and work tasks

Sharing information on work activities

Knowing and working to schedules and available work times of team members

Assisting team members in achieving work goals.

Communications should be encouraged to further work and to support it. For example, when a team

member relies on information to be passed to them from another team member, to carry out certain

tasks, ensure that a process exists so that the information is clearly communicated as being ready,

rather than it just being left in a work tray on another desk.

Communication with the team may include:

Verbal discussion and meetings

Email notifications and messages

Hand written notes

Work records and logs

Work reports.

Your team should be encouraged to discuss work matters between themselves, as and when needed.

You should facilitate an environment that welcomes workplace interactions and good working

relationships.

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Activity 3A

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3.2 – Support the team in identifying and resolving work performance problems

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Assessing performance problems and determining root causes

Understanding the importance of contingency planning

Look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within the team.

Assessing performance problems

When a problem in work performance occurs, you should assist your team in finding the cause and a

subsequent solution.

Performance problems can arise through a variety of

reasons, they may be temporary, such as experiencing a

one-off problem with a customer order, or they can be

indicators of a much more endemic problem. All

occurrences of poor performance should be noted down

for further analysis; assessing commonly experienced

problems will help determine whether the problem

needs to be addressed, and how.

Examples of performance problems include:

Differences or frictions within the team

A process or system that does not support work needs

Competing work demands

Low team morale or motivation

Lack of resources and materials

A team member absence (e.g. holiday or long-term sickness)

Machinery or equipment faults

An unsafe working environment.

Root cause analysis

A root cause analysis is a process that can help you to identify the underlying reason (root cause) as to

why a problem is likely to occur. If the identified problem is indeed the root cause, removing it from the

equation would mean that the problem will not happen again. This analysis method focuses on asking

the right questions to determine where the problem is originating from, so that future actions can be

taken to prevent this.

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A root analysis can be aided by using:

Mind maps

Flow charts

Cause and effect diagram (also known as a fish bone or Ishikawa diagram).

Using a table, chart or diagram can greatly help your understanding of a problem, this allows you to

write down the problem and provide a physical means to work logically through questions to find the

answers you need. Seeing the problem on paper and by linking questions and answers, you can build a

better understanding of the particular issue.

For example, a team member who avoids communicating with the team:

First write down the problem – ‘Paul, does not participate in team communications

which prevents information from being shared’

Secondly ask how this manifests – ‘Paul avoids attending meetings or participating in

verbal discussions’

Thirdly ask why this is may be happening – ‘Paul is new to the team and may not yet

feel that he knows people well or is comfortable with entering into the group dynamic’

Lastly, seek a solution to tackle this – ‘Discuss the situation with Paul and ask why he is

not communicating with the team, address the reason and seek ways for Paul to get to

know and work with the team, e.g. collaborate in pair tasks and meet individually with

team members to discuss work that is being done by each member’.

Contingency planning

Contingency planning is carried out by organisations to manage unexpected or emergency situations

which may arise, e.g. having an alternative work premises in the event that the normal workplace

cannot be accessed, as a result of fire or storm damage. This type of planning can also be used to

manage other workplace situations or problems as it helps you to plan ahead on dealing with difficulties

before they occur. An example of this type of situation is where a member of staff is trained to cover

another person’s workload in the event that they become sick or need to take long-term absence (e.g. if

caring for an elderly relative).

Working with a contingency plan is similar to identifying risk:

Contingency planning is not just about the major

risks or emergencies that can occur, but also those

that happen on a smaller level, such as managing

team performance.

It should be regarded as important to make

contingency planning a standard part of your

everyday business operations.

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Contingency planning is not a procedure or policy but more a systematic approach to

identifying what can go wrong in a variety of situations.

Contingency planning does not allow for thinking it will sort itself out or that if left

alone everything will turn out okay.

Contingency planning will include options to identify likelihood and consequence of actions or ignoring

those actions.

This can be seen in the following graphic illustration:

Contingency

Contingency plan

Objectives

Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3

Management

Likelihood

Consequence

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Contingency planning looks at the:

Likelihood – this represents the chance that something will happen

Consequence – this represents the impact that a particular factor may have and is

measured in degrees of severity, or impact on your work plans

Contingency – this is the planning you undertake to address the consequence.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

In both the context of individual and group requirements, lack of knowledge, interest or skills are some

of the reasons for not getting the job done or for producing inferior work.

Identify your team’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (a S.W.O.T analysis), so that you

find a solution and make the appropriate decisions to improve work performance.

Construct appropriate questions under each category and apply these to your findings. Your answers

will provide you with a deeper understanding.

Questions for your S.W.O.T. analysis may include:

Strengths:

o What are your team’s advantages over others?

o Do team successes outweigh the failures?

o What do other people see as your strengths?

Weaknesses:

o What tasks do your team take longest over?

o What negative traits prevent team members from performing?

o Which skills do the team lack?

Opportunities:

o What else can you provide clients and customer with?

o Which technologies can you use to help your team’s

processes?

o Is there potential to bring in new team members to fill

skills gaps?

Threats:

o What are the main obstacles that your team experience?

o Are team members competing against each other?

o Are roles in the team changing?

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Overcoming work challenges

When a problem is recognised seek a solution that is safe and manageable for your team to follow. You

may need to look at work plans to incorporate new work requirements to manage the problem. It may

be a case of organising for equipment to be fixed or expanding on technologies used, or you may have

to work with team members to address any issues of a more personal nature.

Your responses to performance problems can also incorporate creative approaches. This is useful for

seeking new work methods or for improving performance figures. For example, if sales for a product are

flagging, look at ways that you can advertise or market the product; it may be that your team is not

achieving their sales targets because of a competing product, not poor performance.

Creative approaches to performance problems include:

Looking at the bigger picture so that an objective

understanding can be made

Brainstorming ideas with your team

Taking a different approach to work problems, e.g.

try working through a problem backwards (in the

reverse order), this can help you to see things from

a new perspective

Collaborating with others outside of the team to

gain a fresh understanding or approach to a

problem

Looking at the factors you can change within the

team to improve work output, such as swapping

roles and responsibilities within the team.

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Activity 3B

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3.3 – Ensure own contribution to work team serves as a role model for others and enhances the organisation’s image for all stakeholders

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Know the value of being a role model for your team

Motivate your team and create a good working environment

See the value in creating a positive organisational image.

Be a positive role model for your team

As mentioned in section 2.1 of this unit, modelling appropriate behaviours to the team is essential for

creating good habits and an effective team culture. Your team will follow your lead; this will include how

you speak with others, what you expect from customers or clients and even your attitudes and thoughts

about work and the organisation. Influences on your team may even be experienced through every-day

occurrences such as time-keeping and personal appearance.

Contribute to the work team

By greeting team members warmly each day you can help create a pleasant and social atmosphere; this

type of example goes a long way in bolstering team members who may be feeling subdued or are

experiencing work issues. This helps to foster a friendlier environment and shows that employees are

valued as people as well as workers. Allow your team a social catch-up on a Monday morning for ten

minutes or encourage lunch time breaks together. This will help your team to feel that they are part of a

team and that they can be supported in times of need.

Conduct work with your team and in the workplace; if you are a manager that spends a lot of time in

meetings or visiting others, ensure the time you do spend with your team is spent together. You should

let your team know that the additional management work that you may do is real and helps reach team

and organisational goals. Involve your team as much as possible and be present with those around you.

Motivation techniques

Motivating your team may mean different things to each team

member. Some team members may be motivated by incentive

schemes or through achieving goals, while others may find a

happy work environment is more of a motivation to working

well. You should assess your team’s personalities and habits

and determine which techniques you can use to provide team

and individual motivation. This doesn’t mean offering rewards

or incentives if none exist, but it can mean showing your team

appreciation and also celebrating your team successes within

the organisation as a whole.

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Techniques to motivate include:

Offering rewards/incentive for success

Coaching and/or mentoring opportunities for the team

Offering progression and opportunities to learn new skills

Trusting team members with important or higher-level

tasks and responsibilities

Taking the time to speak to the team and individuals to

help arrange work requirements and to provide them with

progress

Disseminating organisational news and information to

your team when appropriate

Setting short-term goals

Taking the team out for a work lunch to show

appreciation of their work achievements

Organising a monthly/bi-monthly social event outside of

work hours.

Adding to the organisation’s image

Your team’s work should be communicated to show your value within the organisation. Let others know

when targets have been reached or when a particular customer is pleased with the service you or your

team provides. It is not a case of continually validating you and your team’s place within the

organisation it is a matter of communicating meaningful gains and initiatives.

You should:

Inform management of your team’s work achievements in meetings

Communicate the work that your team does to other departments and relevant

stakeholders

Show how team objectives are helping the organisation’s objectives.

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Activity 3C

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4. Liaise with stakeholders

4.1. Establish and maintain open communication processes with all stakeholders

4.2. Communicate information from line manager/management to the team

4.3. Communicate unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised by team members and

follow-up with line manager/management and other relevant stakeholders

4.4. Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding unresolved issues, concerns and

problems raised by internal or external stakeholders

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4.1 – Establish and maintain open communication processes with all stakeholders

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

See value in a communication process that is accessible to stakeholders

Choose suitable methods for your communications

Adapt communications to suit the audience type.

Use open communication processes

Using a system of open communications with your stakeholders will show that you/your organisation

have good lines of communication. It lets others know your organisation values the sharing of

information and a level of transparency appropriate to the situation.

An open communication process means giving, receiving and sharing information when it is needed or

available. It provides stakeholders with understanding and assurance that information is current and

communicated.

Communication objectives may be to:

Share information

Reach consensus

Contribute to policy

Represent the team’s position/interests in

management meetings

Resolve differences

Negotiate a joint position/compromise

Build on reputation (of self and/or the team).

Communication methods

Determine the best method for the delivery of your communication; you may need to use a

combination of methods with stakeholders to ensure communications are delivered to all of the

intended recipients.

Communication methods include:

Telephone

Teleconference

Video conference

Internet (e.g. online forums, intranet or email)

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Letter

Facsimile

Memo

Face-to-face

One-on-one, or in a group

Notice boards

Forum, seminar or conference.

You may need to use a variety of communication methods and strategies. Strategies may need to be

complex, i.e. made up of different approaches and methods to suit the audience and the objectives.

Choose the most appropriate way to establish your communications, keeping to organisational

communication protocols; this will help you to build successful working relationships.

Adapting communications to the stakeholder groups

In all your communications, practise your use of words and language structures. Look at which are

responded to more favourably and at how others interpret your words when they are spoken. Be

mindful of the cultural backgrounds of others and of the experiences they have had. As mentioned in

section 1.1 of this unit, use of verbal and non-verbal skills can be used in various measures to ensure

communications are positive and productive.

In your verbal communications, do others understand what you saying or do you need to elaborate on

information that you give? Check for understanding through facial expressions, body language and

through direct questioning. This will help you to determine the most effective use of language and an

approach that is conducive to positive interactions.

Stakeholder groups may include:

Other organisational employees

Managers and supervisors

Clients and customers

External suppliers and contacts

Business peers

Community members and groups.

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Formal communications

This type of communication will be required in official meetings and gatherings, such as those with

clients/customers, management or business contacts. When representing the needs of your

organisation, a formal style follows set communication protocols which serve to guide and provide a

common understanding with all parties on expectations. They may cover aspects such as how to greet

stakeholders, the agenda and approach to communicating, and supporting documentation. This

communication style will involve a straightforward approach and will tend to be direct and of a more

serious nature, with little room for jokes or anecdotes.

Language and intent will include informing, negotiating, discussing and collaborating. This type of

communication will be documented and recorded to provide evidence and outcomes of the

communication.

Informal communications

This type of communication is used more with stakeholders that you are familiar with, such as work

colleagues, your team and your regular suppliers. This will still need to convey meaning but can be

conducted in a more conversational manner, or with less structure to proceedings. Although following

organisational procedures and ensuring communications maintain professionalism and the needs of the

organisation, this style of communication may be used to relay information and in relationship building.

Language style may be more relaxed and use less industry or business terminology.

Communications may still need to be documented on some level, but not in such a formal manner, for

example, you may need to record the time, date, and subject matter of a conversation with a

stakeholder but not necessarily the outcomes.

Communication conventions

Organisational communication conventions will vary between stakeholder groups. Internal stakeholders

will require certain information, in order to carry out organisational work activities. External

stakeholders may require information for gaining awareness and knowledge of organisational activities.

The level of information that is given may vary and will need to follow appropriate conventions.

Communication conventions include:

Informal team meetings

Disciplinary meetings

Employee appraisals and performance management meetings

Staff training

Management and board meetings

Email notifications and newsletters

Seminars and conferences.

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Activity 4A

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4.2 – Communicate information from line manager/management to the team

4.3 – Communicate unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised by team members and follow-up with line manager/management and other relevant stakeholders

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

Understand that information should be disseminated to team members appropriately

Take issues to management for resolution

Follow a process of conflict resolution.

Management communications to the team

In your management communications, you will act as a conduit for passing information to your team; it

also means representing the needs of your team in the workplace. This can include information on

procedural changes, performance outcomes and new business. Your delivery of information should be

tailored to suit the needs of the team and it should follow the appropriate communication convention.

Your management may only require certain pieces of information to be disseminated to employees and

you will need to maintain organisational wishes and adherence to confidentiality requirements. Your

position of knowledge should never be abused and information should be carefully considered and

relayed, to organisational requirements.

Resolving team member issues

Any work or team issues that cannot be resolved through a first approach directly with the team will

need to be addressed to ensure a resolution is reached. It is important to tackle issues to ensure a team

harmony and balance is maintained, and work objectives can be met.

Team discussions and feedback is essential for the management of performance within your

organisation. It is a useful means of indicating when work is progressing well. However, it can also help

in the identification and resolution of problems.

Feedback should be:

Straightforward

Sincere

Encouraging

Supportive

Useful

Meaningful

Respectful

Informal

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Verbal.

Feedback may include:

Formal/informal performance appraisals

Comments made by clients

Appraisals given by supervisors and colleagues

Personal and reflective behaviour strategies

Routine organisational methods for monitoring service delivery.

Issues that need to be resolved with the help of management (and human resources) will take a more

formal process of issue resolution. Always make sure that you have a true understanding of the issue

and have compiled information which describes the situation accurately. This may include dates,

instances and outcomes. You will need to work with management and your team to eliminate work

issues; you may also be required to work with external stakeholders, who may be involved or who have

raised their own problem.

Dealing with issues and problems within the workplace

Issues in the workplace can be directly concerned with the practicalities of fulfilling work tasks, such as a

lack of resources, or can be related to personalities and employee issues.

Issues and problems that may occur in the workplace include:

Stress, e.g. too much work/deadlines that are not

realistic

Bullying, e.g. employees that may use

bullying tactics to complete their work

tasks

Violence, e.g. employees who disagree

and clash over personal issues

Safety issues, e.g. machinery that is faulty

Third party problems with external stakeholders, e.g. a supplier who continually is late

with their deliveries

Discrimination, e.g. employees who are continually not chosen for promotion

Poor resources, e.g. a lack of staff with the correct skills

Work processes, e.g. too many procedures in tasks which cause delays.

Problems and issues should not be allowed to linger. They should be addressed at the earliest

opportunity. The involvement of other workgroup members may be required when issues, problems,

and conflict occurs across teams.

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Issue resolution should concentrate on:

Identifying the problem

Assessing the factors causing the problem

Taking action to resolve the problem to the mutual agreement of all involved.

Conflict resolution techniques

Your organisation should have a grievance procedure for employees who experience a problem in the

workplace. Conflict can have a negative effect on both individuals and the workplace; this can be

addressed in a number of ways.

These include:

Avoiding the conflict in the hope it will go away

Working together to find a solution that benefits everyone

Compromising and finding the middle ground

Competing against each other until someone wins

Surrendering your needs to please others.

Resolving conflict is the ultimate goal. Conflict should be approached with an open mind and diversity

should be respected.

Five steps to conflict resolution:

Set the scene

Gather information

Agree the problem

Discuss possible solutions

Negotiate a solution.

Setting the scene

Everyone involved in the resolution of a workplace conflict should be aware that the issue may be

mutual. Everyone must understand that discussion and negotiation are the best conflict resolution

tools. Arguments are likely to make conflicts worse. However, an assertive approach should be adopted

speaking. You should also use active listening skills. This combined approach should result in effective

communication among the team.

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Gathering information

You should consider different viewpoints when attempting to resolve conflict. It is important to

understand other people’s concerns, needs, and interests. Other people’s opinions should be respected.

Cooperation will be required in order to solve problems. You should develop an understanding of the

employee’s motivations and goals. Then consider the effects of your actions. Personalities should be left

out of the discussion and work issues should be addressed. You should aim to be clear, concise, and

flexible. Make sure that feelings are clarified.

Agreeing the problem

People may perceive problems differently, depending on their goals, needs,

and interests. There should be agreement regarding the resolution of

problems prior to the discussion of solutions. If a mutual agreement can’t be

achieved then you will need to consider how each person perceives the

problem.

Discussing possible solutions

Everyone should be given the opportunity to propose solutions to the

problem. There should be a shared agreement regarding the consideration

of ideas. It may be appropriate to brainstorm possible solutions.

Negotiating a solution

Everyone should have an understanding of perceptions regarding the problem at this point. It should be

possible to establish mutual agreement about an appropriate solution.

Successful conflict resolution may result in:

An increased level of understanding

Improved self-knowledge

Increased group cohesion.

To ensure conflict can be managed and resolved in the workplace, people should:

Expect conflict to happen

Handle conflict sooner rather than later

Be open to compromise

Avoid gossiping

Let everyone speak

Listen carefully

Take other people’s opinions into account.

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Activity 4B

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4.4 – Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised by internal or external stakeholders

By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to:

See the importance of performing a fair evaluation of the issue

Understand the need to take corrective action to resolve issues.

Evaluating workplace concerns and problems

In your evaluations to assess the correct course of action to take, you should take a logical approach in

finding a solution. Team and work problems can be resolved with careful management and planning; it

requires an impartial position which, as manager, you are best placed to do. If working with

management, other departments or external stakeholders, ensure a fair process is followed and

includes the contributions of those relevant to the situation. Ensure meetings and communications are

documented and that agreements are reached to the benefit of all parties.

Evaluations may include:

Determining ownership or responsibility for managing

certain tasks or external stakeholder relationships

Setting a date for the problem/issue to be resolved by

Performing a review on work activities

Deciding a process to monitor work activities.

Corrective action for workplace issues

Corrective action in the resolution of issues and concerns can be straightforward or complex, depending

on the situation. After issues have been fully discussed and investigated within the team and/or with

management, action should be taken in a timely manner to complete the process. This will apply to

both internal and external stakeholder problems.

Corrective action may include:

Making ergonomic changes to the work area

Requesting new equipment, or repairs to fix faults

Ensuring that health and safety practices are enforced to protect the welfare of your

team

Training team members to fill skills gaps

Working more closely with external stakeholders

Changing team members to resolve worker difficulties or clashes

Re-prioritising work or changing work objectives

Following the organisation’s grievance process to resolver worker disputes.

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Activity 4C

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Summative Assessments

At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find the Summative Assessments.

This includes:

Skills assessment

Knowledge assessment

Performance assessment.

This holistically assesses your understanding and application of the skills, knowledge and performance

requirements for this unit. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move

onto the next one – well done!

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References

These suggested references are for further reading and do not necessarily represent the contents of

this unit.

Websites

Information on Dr Bruce W. Tuckman can be found at the following website:

http://www.toolshero.com/toolsheroes/bruce-tuckman/

Information on work health and safety can be found at Safe Work Australia:

http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA

Information on Australian discrimination laws can be found at the Australian Human Rights Commission

website: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/employers/good-practice-good-business-factsheets/quick-

guide-australian-discrimination-laws

All references accessed on and correct as of 23.09.2016, unless other otherwise stated.