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Business Skills for Employability

Dr Andrew Staintona.stainton@soton.ac.ukSchool of ManagementEffective Business Teams1Understanding effective business teams

2Co-ordinationStriving for efficiency and effectivenessBusiness thinking processesCommunication skillsExperiential learningTo start the learning process just outlined, this presentation defines five characteristics of effective business teams, essential as a knowledge foundation for business thinking. 2Developing graduate attributes

3Related graduateattributeEffective businessteamsUnderstanding key elements of an effective business team has been related to graduate attribute categories, described by universities as individual characteristics that are valued by prospective employers.

As this is a business management course, this module will use terms listed under Effective Business Teams, although it should be noted that these terms are describing these valued graduate attributes.

These are: Co-ordination, striving for efficiency and effectiveness, business thinking processes, communication skills, and experiential learning.

The next five slides describe these characteristics of effective business teams in greater detail, showing the related graduate attribute as the slide subtitle.

31) Co-ordinationEthical leadership4Setting strategic goalsInspiring others to strive to achieve goals.

Being an ethical leader is an important trait for valuable individuals within a business team. In short, being able to co-ordinate activities with morality and integrity. This means: Setting strategic goalsInspiring others to strive to achieve goals41) Co-ordinationEthical leadership5Agreeing tasksAssigning individual contributions, delegating where necessary and also participating in and contributing to work tasks as necessary.Agreeing Tasks Assigning individual contributions, delegating where necessary and also participating in and contributing to work tasks as necessary51) Co-ordinationEthical leadership6Managing the teamA principle of equity: Treating others fairly such that staff are rewarded based upon equivalent criteria.Hygiene: ensuring a pleasant work environment and rapport.Managing individual expectations such that staff rewards and achievements are commensurate with a previously agreed structures.Using conflict productively such that problems are learnt from, addressed and resolved.Demonstrating appreciation for the achievements of team members whilst displaying firmness/strictness when called for.

Managing the teamA principle of equity: Treating others fairly such that staff are rewarded based upon equivalent criteriaHygiene: ensuring a pleasant work environment and rapportManaging individual expectations such that staff rewards and achievements are commensurate with a previously agreed structure.Using conflict productively such that problems are learnt from, addressed and resolvedDemonstrating appreciation for the achievements of team membersWhilst displaying Firmness/ strictness when called for61) Co-ordinationEthical leadership7Taking responsibility for the achievement of performanceAnd achieving team performanceIn this way, earning respect, faith and authority.Taking responsibility for the achievement of performanceAnd achieving team performance

In this way, earning respect, faith and authority

71) Co-ordinationEthical leadership8Setting strategic goalsInspiring others to strive to achieve goals.

Agreeing tasksAssigning individual contributions, delegating where necessary and also participating in and contributing to work tasks as necessary.Managing the teamA principle of equity: Treating others fairly such that staff are rewarded based upon equivalent criteriaHygiene: ensuring a pleasant work environment and rapportManaging individual expectations such that staff rewards and achievements are commensurate with a previously agreed structures.Using conflict productively such that problems are learnt from, addressed and resolved.Demonstrating appreciation for the achievements of team members whilst displaying firmness/strictness when called for.

Taking responsibility for the achievement of performanceAnd achieving team performanceIn this way, earning respect, faith and authority.Summary slides can be found on BlackboardThis slide summarises these four aspects of ethical leadership.

82) Striving for efficiency and effectivenessResearch and inquiry skills9Obtaining data to develop understanding of business problems and challengesBenchmarking competitive performance:Valuable employees within the business team need to strive for efficiency and effectiveness through research and inquiry skills. Through efficiency ,costs are minimised and through effectiveness, performance and output are maximised. In practice this means that business problems need to be identified and the required data obtained to develop understanding of these problems. To judge success achieved it will be necessary to benchmark performance by assessing improvements relative to historical results and to competitors.9

3) Business thinking processesAcademic knowledge10Understanding and adopting recognised business thinking processes regarding:An effective business team requires individuals that are capable of business thinking, possessing academic knowledge of business management disciplines. This is acquired through personal commercial experience too.Individuals should understand and adopt recognised business thinking processes, displaying commercial acumen with regard to strategy, marketing and finance. People skills are also valuable, as proposed through graduate attributes of ethical leadership and others described in this section of this presentation.

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4) Communication skills

11Being able to communicate clearly and effectively is vital both in written and oral forms. Good communication is:TimelyInstructing, informingHelping, guidingListening, sharingResponding, constructive114) Communication

12Communication is not just telling, it is getting it understoodThe themes just described provide an introduction to perspectives that have been advocated and substantiated through broader research. For those interested in broader reading, the recommended texts for this course will provide further discussion and models linked to these concepts.

For example, it can be noted from issues highlighted that effective communication is not a simple process, it is not just telling, it is getting it understood and therefore necessitates two-way dialogue via questions and feedback, active listening through eye contact and nodding, openness to share, and clarity of expression through concise, precise description that is delivered when needed.

Use the core texts and other sources to explore areas of the themes that interest you, and use your new understanding to add depth to your assignments.125) Experiential learningReflective learning13Experiencing business managementApplying business thinking processesReflecting on issuesProblem solving and learning business skillsValuable employees are looking to improve what they do by reflecting upon experiences and learning how to do things better. This means:Improving commercial competence through continual reflection upon experiences and knowledge in order to broaden understandingMonitoring and controlling quality standards Seeking best practice13A leader is the sort of person (personality, character) with the appropriate knowledge, who is able to provide the necessary functions to get the task done, and hold the group together, but without doing it all him/herself. He/she draws out the contribution of other members of the group to achieve these ends

John Adair Action Centred LeadershipTaking these themes further

14Summary slides can be found on BlackboardJohn Adair, who developed Action Centred Leadership, said:

A leader is the sort of person (personality, character) with the appropriate knowledge, who is able to provide the necessary functions to get the task done, and hold the group together, but without doing it all him/herself. He/she draws out the contribution of other members of the group to achieve these ends14Taking these themes further

15Path-Goal theorySetting goals and tasks together Agreeing what is to be achievedHowWith what reward

Action-centred leadershipSummary slides can be found on BlackboardAs another example, co-ordination might be achieved through path-goal theory which recommends that manager and subordinate set goals and tasks together, agreeing what is to be achieved, how, and with what reward. In this way staff will be more motivated to achieve their goals.

Additionally, action-centred leadership advocates that leadership is a process of ensuring that the team achieves objectives through the contributions made by individual team members to required tasks.

1516Build effective business

eliabilitympathyistening skillsuthorityactnitiativeetworking skillself-confidenceonestyntegrityerseveranceelf-disciplineDelivering on time, according to expectations and targetsSensitivity, adaptability, flexibility regarding team membersConcerning the constructive views of othersRespect for both senior and junior team membersDiplomatic communication of view pointsFormulation and pursuance of creative ideasShaping plans and motivating team members to complete tasksBuilding a professional rapport with useful networks of business contactsBelief in personal abilitiesTrustworthinessSocially ethical values and moralsPersonal motivation and persistenceFocusrganisational skillsAdditionally, an effective business team comprises of individuals who are able to build effective business relationships. Their individual traits can be summarised using the acronym RELATIONSHIPS16Trust exists because there is a belief in each other.Trust exists because enough of the necessary team dynamicsare successfully in place, for example:Common objectivesStrategic plans to achieve objectivesClearly established and understood rolesEffective communicationCapabilities and competenceSatisfied expectations and motivesCreativity and initiativeHonesty and integrityReliabilityFace to face interactions followed by written agreementsOn-going demonstration of performance and qualityReciprocation between trusting parties: benevolence and desire to helpA more certain environment: partnerships, co-operation, collaboration, less competition, open discussion of problemsShared knowledge for improved understanding and reduced riskCommon culture: aligned objectivesBelief that parties will not take advantage of vulnerabilities17TrustTrust is more likely to exist when a business team is operating effectivelySummary slides can be found on Blackboard

Trust is more likely to exist when a business team is operating effectively

Trust exists because there is belief in each other. This applies not only to the internal business team within your company, but also the broader, external business team involving your company and links to teams within suppliers and buyers.

Trust exists because the necessary team dynamics are successfully in place. For example:common objectives, effective communication, capabilities and competence, satisfied expectations, co-operation, collaboration and open discussion.17Business Skills for EmployabilityEffective Business Teams

Dr Andrew Staintona.stainton@soton.ac.ukSchool of Management

Production: Centre for Innovation in Technologies and EducationNarrated by Michelle Treagust University of Southampton 201218Media CreditsMusic Noise for Narration by http://www.danosongs.comPhoto credits:Slide 9iStockphoto.com/Petrovich9Slide 9iStockphoto.com/dblightSlide 9iStockphoto.com/matspersson0Slide 10iStockphoto.com/mediaphotosSlide 11iStockphoto.com/Vicki ReidSlide 12iStockphoto.com/Yuri_ArcursSlide 12iStockphoto.com/fabervisumSlide 12iStockphoto.com/gerenmeSlide 12iStockphoto.com/gehringjSlide 17iStockphoto.com/vm