team leader techniques

Team LeaderTechniques

Anthony Hill

Unit Standard 242819Motivate and build a team

Team Leader Techniques

Unit Standard 242819

© Anthony Hill 2007

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright owner.

First Published 2007

Published by Future Managers (Pty) LtdPO Box 13914, Mowbray, 7705Tel (021) 462 3572Fax (021) 462 3681E-mail: [email protected]: www.futuremanagers.net

FutureManagers

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Motivate and build a team

After completing this unit standard, you should be able to:• explaintheimportanceofmotivatingateam• demonstrateanunderstandingofyourself(placingyourselfinthe

positionofateamleader)andteammembersintheworkplace• applytheoriesofmotivationandgroupdynamics• implementaplanofactiontostrengthenateam• providefeedbackandrecognizeachievements

UNIT STANDARD

242819

� Unit Standard �4�8�9

�Unit Standard �4�8�9

Specific Outcome 1Explain the importance of

motivating a team

Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to explain:• thereasonswhymotivationisimportant• whattheindicators of motivationare(accordingtotheoryandpractice)

1. Why is motivation so important?

Ateamleadercanbedefinedassomeonewhoisabletoinspirepeopletoworkenthusiasticallyandeffectivelyasateaminordertoaccomplishorganisationalobjectives?Oneofthekeyconceptsinthisdefinitionisthatof“inspiring people to work enthusiastically”.

Whyisitsoimportantthattheteamleaderinspiresteammemberstoworkenthusiastically?

Well,theoverwhelmingevidenceisthatsustainable successintheworldofworkisdependantonhowanorganisation’shumanresourcesaremotivated toperform!Thebestcompaniesintheworld:• constantlymeasure the satisfaction of their peoplebymeansofattitudesurveys • reward the performance of their peoplebylinkingpaytoperformance• promote their people from withinwheneverpossible• spendahighpercentageoftheirpayrollon the training & career development of

their people

Inotherwordsthesetopcompanieshavetakenspecificactionsthattheybelievewillresultin‘motivated’employeeswhowillwanttoputinmoreefforttohelptheorganisationsuccessfullyachieveitsgoals.

Atthesametime,thereisalsoconsistentevidencethatsuccessfulorganisationsmakesurethattheydon’tinvestmoney,effortandtimeinanythingwithoutachievingareturnonthisinvestment.Thereforewecanacceptthattheseorganisationsareconfidentthatrewarding,promotinganddevelopingtheiremployeesareappropriatemechanismstohelpthemachievedesiredresults.

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1.1 Understanding the needs of team members

“People are motivated by many different things but most importantly, I think we’re motivated by a sense of excitement!”(MarkShuttleworth:EntepreneurandfirstSouthAfricaninSpace)

Whatleadstotheconfidencethattopcompanieshavethattheyareusingthebest‘motivators’?Itissimplythattheybelievethattheyarefulfillingindividualneedsbyprovidingachosenrangeof‘rewards’.Theserewardsmaybeinthetangibleformofmoneyandbenefitssuchascars(beingpaidforperformance),orintheformofintrinsicfeelingsofachievementandrecognition(promotion),self-fulfilment(training&careerdevelopment).

Whateveritisthat'pushesanindividual’sbuttons';itisarealityintheworldofworkthatorganisationsbelievethatindividualemployeesaremotivatedtoperformbecausetheyexpectthatbetterperformancewillleadtosomeformofrewardfortheirefforts.

Obviouslyitthenmakessensetogainasoundunderstandingoftheseindividualneedsbeforetakingactiontomotivateemployees.Someoftheseneedsappeartobefairlyobvious.Thereareanumberofexamplesforexample:a) Employeesfindthatbeing part of a teamsatisfiestheirneedsfor: • Security–(gainingconfidenceaspartofateamonwhomtheycan

countforsupport) • Affiliation–(feeling‘partof ’ateam) • Status–(beingpartofa‘winningteam’leadstoshared

recognition) • Self-esteem–(beingpartofateambuildsafeelingofself-worth)b) Manyemployeeshavea need to be ‘empowered’,wheretheyarerecognisedfor

productivityimprovements,givendailyfeedbackontheirachievementsandkeptinformedofhowthey,asindividualteammembers,contributetoorganisationalsuccess.

Motivatingemployeesinanorganisationissoimportantbecausealltheevidencesuggeststhatitdirectlyleadstoimprovedorganisationalperformanceandsubsequentsustainablesuccess.Thesecretistofirstestablish;andtheneffectivelyutilisethelinkbetween‘motivators’andperformance!

1.2 The process of motivation

Ifyougainanunderstandingoftheprocess ofmotivation,thenyouareinamuchbetterpositiontounderstandhowtotranslateneedsintomotivators.This,inturn,meansthatyou,astheteamleader,can,forexample,linkgoodcommunicationandpositivefeedbacktomoreeffectiveteamperformance.

AtheoristbythenameofVictorVroomdevelopedamodelthatdoes,infact,linkneeds(forexample,“respect”)toadesiredoutcome(forexample,“performance”).Thisisillustratedinexhibit1.


Exhibit 1: Vroom’s expectancy model of motivation

MotivationalForce

=

Expectancy

An individual’s expectation

that he/she can perform a certain task to a certain

standard

Instrumentality

How instrumental

achieving this standard will be in leading to a

specific outcome

Valence

How much value the individual

attaches to the specific outcome

in question

x x

This model is best explained by a workplace analogy

Assume that you have been employed by an organisation in a temporary administrative capacity.

Youarehopingthattheywillofferyouapermanentjob,becauseyouhavebeenunemployedforthepastsixmonths.ThejobrequiresyoutogeneratealotofactivityreportsonExcelspreadsheets.Themanagerofthedepartmentwhereyouareworkingisveryfussyaboutaccuratereportsbeingsubmittedontime.Youhaveheardthatthelastpermanentpersonwhowasemployedleftbecauseshewasunabletocopewiththepressure.ThisconcernsyoubecauseyourExcelcomputerskillsarequiteweak.Inthisscenarioyouhavealowexpectationthatputtingmoreeffortintoyourworkwillleadtotherequiredstandardofperformance.

ApplyingVroom’stheorytothisanalogy:• Themaximumforexpectancyis1.00(possiblescoresrangefromaslowas0.00

toashighas1.00).Arealisticscoreforyouis0.25becauseofyourweakExcelskills.

• Youdo,however,knowthatdoingthisworkwellwillplayaveryimportantroleinyoubeingappointedfulltime.Thereforeyouscore0.9forInstrumentality.

• Valence(therealneed),accordingtoVroomcarriesavalueofbetween100(anegativefeelingbytheindividual)and100.Youaredesperateforthejobandthusscore100forValence.

Thefinalscorearrivedatbymultiplyingexpectancybyinstrumentalityandthenbyvalenceis22.5(0.25x0.9x100).

Your motivational force is therefore low.Thisisbecauseas‘motivated’asyouaretogetthejob,knowingthatyoudon’tpossesssufficientskillinthecriticalpartofthejobi.e.producingaccurateExcelspreadsheets,makesyouless‘expectant’andthereforeless‘motivated’toputintheextraeffort!

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Whensettingperformanceobjectivesandstandardsoneofthekeyelementsisthat,althoughtheyshouldbechallenging,theyshouldnotbeunrealistic.Ifthishappens,teammembersarelikelytobecomede-motivatedandgiveup.Inotherwordstheirexpectationofmeetingrequiredstandardswillremainlowaslongasthesestandardsareunrealisticallyhigh!

Thesimplicityofthistheoryisofgreatvalueinhelpingustounderstandthe‘process’requiredtotranslatea‘need’intoanactionthatwillmotivateteammembers.

2. Content theories of motivation

Content theoriesofmotivationhelpusanswerthequestion“Whatmotivatespeople?”Ifweareabletounderstandthecausesofmotivation,thenweareinagoodpositiontoimmediatelyknowwhenateammemberismotivatedtoperform.

2.1 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Nearlysixtyyearsago,apsychologistbythenameofAbrahamMaslowhypothesizedthatpeopleonlydevelopcertainneeds(thathetermedhigher-orderneeds)whenother(lower-order)needshavebeensatisfied.Hesubsequentlydevelopeda‘hierarchy’ofneedsthathasbecomethemostwidelyknowntheoryofmotivationintheworld.Althoughcriticisedoverthepastfewyears,Maslow’sHierarchy(illustratedinexhibit2)stillprovidesanexcellent,user-friendlyexplanationofwhatmotivatesus.

IfyouhadnoexperienceofExcelwhatsoever,yourexpectancyscoremightevenbezero!Inthiscaseyourmotivationalforcescorewillbe0(sinceanythingmultipliedbyazero=zero)andyouareunlikelytoputinanyextraeffort.Ofcourseifyouhaveastrongsenseofself-belief,youmaywelltakeacrashcourseinExcelwhiletemping.Thismightincreaseyourexpectancyscoretoashighas.90,andsuddenlyyourmotivationalforcestandsatahighscoreof81!


Exhibit 2: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Whatthistheoryimpliesisthat,althoughwemaybemotivatedbyafairlywidevarietyofneeds,wewon’tbemotivatedby‘safety’issuesuntilourbasic‘physiological needs’aresatisfied,andbeingsociallyaccepteddoesn’tbecomeaneedunlessourlower-orderneedsforshelterandsafetyhavebeen,andcontinuetobesatisfied.

Toensurethatwearecompletelyclearaboutthisintheworldofwork,let’slookatanotheranalogy.

Self-actualisation

needs(personal growth & self-fulfilment)

Esteem needs(self respect, autonomy,

recognition, status, prestige)

Social needs(acceptance, feeling of belonging,

group affiliation)

Safety needs(feeling of security, protection from harm)

Physiological needs(hunger, thirst, sleep, shelter)

Maslow’s hierarchy explained by a workplace analogy

Assume that you are 30 years of age and live in Gugulethu, Cape Town. You have a family to support and are unemployed.

Yougetupat5ameverymorningtogoandstandoutsidethegatesofafactoryinthehopeofacasualjob.Whatareyourneeds?Clearlyyourprimaryfocusisto‘putbreadonthetable’foryourfamily–youaredrivenbyhungerandtheneedforshelter.

Becausethefactoryhasurgentorderstoproduce,youareluckyenoughtogetacasualjobforthreedaysaweekforthenextmonth.Yourbasicphysiologicalneedshavebeensatisfiedandyourfocusnowison‘safety’i.e.thesecurityofapotentialpermanentjob.Youworkverydiligentlyandarenoticedbytheforemanforyouraccuratework,goodtimekeepingandpositiveattitude.


AcriticalissuetorememberinMaslow’stheoryisthat,asindividualswillnotbemotivatedbyhigher-orderneedssuchasstatuswheninneedofprotectionfromharm(safetyneed),itisequallytruethatlower-orderneedscanbecomeapriorityagainifpersonalcircumstanceschange.

Imaginetheuniversityprofessorwhohasachievedeverythingshewishestoandfocusesverymuchonself-actualisationneedsbyconductingresearchthatinterestsher.Duetorestructuringherpostbecomesredundantandshelosesherjob.Doesherprimaryfocusremainattheself-actualisationlevel?Highlyunlikely!Shehastoworryaboutearninganincometomakealiving.Wearebacktolower-orderphysiologicalandsafetyneedsaspriorities.

Maslow’shierarchyremainsavaluabletoolformanagersintheworldofworktounderstandthreekeyprinciples.Theseare:• notallindividualsaremotivatedbythesamethings• personalcircumstanceshaveapowerfulimpactonindividualneeds• thelessorganisationsgeneraliseaboutwhatmotivatespeopleandthemore

theyattempttounderstandindividualneeds,thebettertheyareableto'inspireemployeestoworkenthusiastically'.

PerformingActivity1willhelpyoutounderstandhowyourneedstieinwiththistheory.

Thecompanywinsanewexportcontractandisabletoofferyouapermanentjob.Afteracoupleofweeks,youstarttomakeanefforttogettoknowyourworkcolleaguesbetterasyoubecomepartofaformalworkteam.Thisisbecauseyourphysiologicalandsafetyneedshavebeensatisfiedandyouarenowmotivatedbyhigher-ordersocialneeds–youwanttofeelthatyou‘belong’.

Youcontinuetoworkhardandareeagertolearnnewskills.Aftersixmonthstheforemancallsyouintotheofficeandinformsyouthatyouhavebeennominatedtoattendatrainingcourseforteamleaders.Thisfulfilsyourneedforrecognitionandstatus–afteronlysixmonthsyouhavebeenidentifiedashavingleadershippotential!Youfeelgratefultotheorganisationforgivingyouthisopportunityandaremotivatedtoprovetothemthattheirconfidenceisnotmisplacedbyputtingevenmoreeffortintoyourwork.

Afteranothertwoyears,youhavebeenpromoted,areontopofyourjobandhavestartedtostudypart-time.Youhavealwayswantedtodoadegreeinordertoprovetoyourselfthat‘you’vegotwhatittakes’.Youdon’tfeeltheneedtoproveanythingtootherpeople-yourneedsnowareforself-actualisation.Youhavemovedtothetopofthehierarchy!

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Activity 1

Step 1: Rate what your personal needs on a scale of 1 – 5, 1 = not at all important, 2 = not important, 3 = neutral, 4 = important and 5 = very important. Step 2: List which of these needs are Physiological (P), Safety (S), Social (So), Esteem (E) or Self-Actualisation (A).

Needs Rating Need Type

1. Interesting work

2. Job security

3. Recognition for work performed

4. A good salary

5. Pleasant working conditions

6. Help with my personal problems

7. Opportunities for promotion

8. More responsibility

9. A good Pension Plan and Medical Aid

10. Being allowed to work independently

What are your highest needs? Add up your scores for each type of need. This should give you an indication of where you are on the hierarchy.

2.2 Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory

Alsoknownasthe‘two-factortheory’,thisexplainshowtodistinguishbetweenthosefactorsthatcontributetosatisfactionintheworldofwork(the‘motivators’)andthosethatdon’tnecessarilymotivateindividualemployeesbuthavetoremaininplacetoavoidindividualsbecomingdissatisfied(the‘hygienefactors’).

FrederickHerzbergconductedextensiveresearchintowhatjobfactorsledtosatisfactionandwhatfactorscreateddissatisfaction.Fromthis,heformulatedascale(illustratedinexhibit3)highlightingthedifferencebetweenhygiene factors(“dissatisfiers”)andmotivators(“satisfiers”).

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Exhibit 3: Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory

Let’sexplorethisfurther.WhatHerzbergsuggestsisthatremovinga‘dissatisfier’suchas“poorworkingconditions”willnotincreaseemployeemotivation.Infact,itwillbedifficulttorelyonidentified‘motivators’suchas“workitself ”tocreateamotivatedworkforce,ifpoorconditionscontinuetoexist.Inotherwords,hygienefactorsareanessentialfoundationformotivationtotakeplaceeventhoughtheydon’t,inthemselves,motivatepeopleatwork.

AlthoughHerzberg’stheoryhasalsobeencriticisedinregardtothevalidityofhisresearchdesignandresults,ithasmadeacoupleofmajorcontributionstounderstandingthecontentofmotivation.

Thefirstofthesehasbeento create awareness that money is not always the most important motivator in the world of work.Achievement,recognitionandopportunitiesforpersonalgrowtharegloballyrecognisedasmotivatorsandyetdon’tautomaticallymeanmoremoneyispaidouttotheindividualsconcerned.Let’suseanotheranalogytoensureweunderstandthis.

Hygiene Factors Motivators

Achievement

Recognition

Work itself

Responsibility

Advancement

Growth

Security

Status

Relationships

Salary

Work Conditions

Supervision

Motivators vs hygiene factors explained by a workplace analogy

Assume that you are a team leader in a factory who has worked very hard to achieve your performance targets over the past year.

Your boss calls you in and tells you that you have been awarded a fifteen percent increase in salary. You feel great! You find out that the average increase has been six percent and that the above average performers have been awarded between eight and ten percent. Now you are really motivated – you feel like putting in a huge effort to show the organisation just how much you appreciate your increase. Three months later your new higher salary is what you expect to receive each month. It has become a hygiene factor.

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Thesecondmajorcontributionhasbeentoclarifythatthereisadifferencebetweenintrinsicandextrinsicmotivation.

Thisisparticularlywellillustratedbytherangeof‘rewards’usedbyorganisationsto‘motivate’theiremployees.Wesawearlierthattheserewardsmaybeinthetangibleformofmoneyandmaterialacquisitionssuchascars,orintheformoffeelingsofachievementandself-fulfilment.Herzberg’stheoryhashelpedsignificantlyindevelopingaclearerunderstandingofwhatcomprises‘reward’.

Twokeydescriptorshaveemergedtoexplainthetypesofrewardsthatmotivatepeopleintheworldofwork.

Intrinsic rewardsdescribethefeelingsofself-fulfilmentandenjoymentthattheindividualemployeegainsfromthejobitself.Inresponsetothis,manyorganisationshavereviewedthecontentofjobsinordertomakethemmorestimulatingandtoprovideopportunitiesforgrowth.

Extrinsic rewardsdescribetherewardsgainedfromsourcesotherthanthejob,suchasdirectfinancialcompensationandafeelingof‘beingpartof ’theorganisation.Extrinsicrewardscanbesplitfurtherintofinancialandnon-financialrewards.Thereis,forexample,adifferencebetweenasalary(financialreward),andalargeexecutiveoffice(non-financialstatusreward).

Exhibit4providesamodeltoexplaintheconceptsofinternalandexternalmotivationintheformofrewards.Hereitcanbeclearlyseenthatintrinsicrewards,forexample,fitnicelyintoMaslow’sself-actualisationneedsandthestrongestmotivatorsofHerzberg’smodel.Non-financialextrinsicrewardsmeetstatusneedsandsoon.

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Exhibit 4: Intrinsic and extrinsic rewards

2.3 McClelland’s nAch theory

Teamrolescanvarybetweenmembers.Someteammembersare‘goalachievers’,others‘teambuilders’andothers‘powerseekers’.TheserolesarebasedontheworkdonebyDavidMcClellandandhisassociateswhoidentifiedthreebasicneedsthattheybelievedaremanifestedbyindividualsintheworldofwork.

The need for achievement (nAch):adesiretoexcelincomparisontoothersandtobeseenassuccessful.The need for affiliation (nAff):adesiretohavecloserelationships,feelacceptedandlikedbyothers.The need for power (nPow):adesiretomakeotherpeoplebehaveinawaythattheywouldnotwithoutthisinfluence.

Individualswithahighneed for achievementtendtobeexcellentasentrepreneurswhostartupsmallbusinessesorasemployees,suchassalesrepresentatives,whoareallowedtooperateindependentlytoattainrealisticobjectives.Theyarenot,however,necessarilygoodmanagerswhotendtohaveastrongerneed for powerratherthanforachievement,andwhoarenotparticularlymotivatedbyhavingcloseinterpersonalrelationships.

Rewards for

Performance

• Merit increases

• Performance Bonuses

• Shares

Social Rewards

• Public Recognition

• Being asked for advice based on recognition of expertise

Rewards forBelonging

to the Organisation

• Basic Salary• Medical Aid• Pension Plan• Car Scheme

Status Rewards

• Job Title• Executive

Office• Private Parking• Personal

assistant

Rewards

Intrinsic Rewards

• Opportunities for personal growth

• Being given more job responsibility

• Opportunity to participate in decisions affecting the organisation

• Job Enrichment

Financial

Extrinsic Rewards

Non-financial


AswithMaslowandHerzberg’stheories,theprimaryvalueofthistheoryisinassistingorganisationstotapintovaryingindividualneedsandthenutilisethisknowledgetoapplyappropriatemotivationalmechanisms.Forexampleemployeeswithstrongaffiliationneedswillrespondpositivelytotheopportunitytoworkasamemberofateaminastructuredenvironment.

Ontheotherhand,thoseindividualswithastrongneedforachievementwillbemotivatedbytheopportunitytoworkautonomouslyandusetheirinitiative.

ThepredominantmindsetintheworldofworkoverthepastthirtytofortyyearshasbeenthatnAchandnPowarewhatit’sallabout.Theemployeewhoisindividualistic,competitiveanddisplaysastrongdesireto‘getahead’hasbeenvalued.

Whilethisisstillvalidtoapoint,moreandmoresuccessfulorganisationshaveseenthevaluethatgenuine teamworkhasaddedtoachievingorganisationalgoals.EmployeeswhohasahighnAff,addsanotherdimensiontoateam.Theseindividualsaremorelikelytoseekconsensusandthereforehelptoensurethatallteammemberssupportadecision.This,inturn,meansthattheyaremoremotivatedtoimplementitsuccessfully.

RecentresearchintheUSA,hasansweredthekeyquestionofwhatmotivatespeopletowork.

Usethenextactivitytoestablishthecorrectanswerandtoreinforcethelearningfromthesecontenttheories.

Activity 2

Answer the question “What motivates people to work?” by ticking () the appropriate box.

A. Pay and benefits compared to other people of their own age

B. Pay and benefits – the higher the better

C. Pay and benefits compared to other opportunities

D. Only pay – benefits don’t count

E. Quality of jobs and quality of the organisation I work for

Ofcoursetheansweris‘E’!ThisreinforcesHerzberg’scontentionofwhatare‘motivators’andwhatare‘hygienefactors’.


3. Workplace indicators of motivation

Allthesetheoriesexplainwhatorganisationshavetounderstandabouthumanneedsthatconsistentlyprovidethefoundationformotivatingemployeesintheworldofwork.

Asateamleader,youcanbesurethat,althoughwearealldifferentasindividuals,teammemberswillgenerallybemotivatedbyrecognitionforgoodperformance,opportunitiesforpersonalgrowth,beingempoweredtotakedecisionsandtakingonmoreinterestingwork.Intheworkplace,• Visualmanagementwillprovidesignsofpossiblede-motivationsuchasgenerally

higherlevelsofabsenteeism,lowerefficiencyandanincreaseinqualityproblems.• Teamreviewmeetingswillindicatedirectlyhowmotivatedteammembersare

bythenatureoftheirquestionsandresponses.Complaintsaboutperformancestandardsbeingtoodifficulttoachievewillbeindicatorsthatteammembershavealowlevelofexpectancyandarethusnothighlymotivatedtoachievestandards.

• FormalperformanceappraisalInterviewswillprovideausefulopportunityforteammemberstofocusontheirowndevelopmentneeds.Askingforcompanysupporttostudyforacourseinmanagement,isanindicatorofmotivationtosucceed.

Thebestindicatorthatyouwilleverhavethataparticularsetof‘motivators’isworkingwillbecontinuous improvement in performance.

Thatiswhygainingthecommitmentofteammemberstoachievingplans,targetsandstandardsaresoimportant;andwhythemostsuccessfulorganisationsintheworldspendsomuchtimeandeffortindoingthingsthattheybelievewillmotivatetheiremployees!Thereis,however,animportantwayofestablishingwhetherornotteammembersaremotivatedwithouthavingtowaituntilafteraperformancereviewperiodtofindoutthattargetshavenotbeenachievedduetolowlevelsofmotivation.ASKTHEM!

Thisisnotassimpleasitappears.If,forexample,teammembersfeelthatitisyourpoorcommunication,astheteamleader,thatistheproblem–thentheyarehighlyunlikelytotellyouthat!If,ontheotherhand,itisacompanypolicyonleavethatistheproblem,thenyouwillnotbeabletodomuchaboutitotherthanreportittoyourboss.

Thesolutionistoconductanattitudesurvey.Wesawearlierthattopcompaniesconstantlymeasurethesatisfactionoftheirpeoplebymeansofattitudesurveys.Bydoingso,theyareabletoseewhatisworkingandwhatisnotandwhetherornotitsupportstheachievementoforganisationalgoals.

Ifsurveysstarttoindicatethatemployeesfeelcommunicationandtrustarebreakingdownandpeopleareworkingasindividualsinsteadofasteams,managementareabletotakeaction.


Employeesurveyresultssuchasthoseillustratedinexhibit5,provideanorganisationwithanobjectiveassessmentofhowmotivatedemployeesare.

Exhibit 5: Employee attitude survey results

Fromthissurveyitisevidentthatemployeesviewtheorganisationinquestionasonethatpayswell,trainsitsemployeesandiscommittedtoqualityandexcellence.However,theyobviouslybelievethatteamworkandcommunicationneedtobeimprovedandarehintingthatgreaterempowermentcouldfacilitatethis.

Theorganisationthatiswillingtosubjectitselftothishonestfeedbackfromitsownemployeesand,mostimportantlytoactonitcanonlygrowtobecomeanorganisationthatsuccessfullylinkstheirmotivationtoachievingimprovedperformance.

Survey Category Negativeperceptions

Positiveperceptions

Product Quality

Financial Compensation

Training

Advancement Opportunities

Teamwork

Empowerment

Communication


Specific Outcome 2

Demonstrate an understanding of oneself and team members in the workplace

Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should, in the position of a team leader, be able to identify:• yourown strengthsandareas for development,basedonself-reflectionand

feedback• the strengthsandareas of development for team members,basedonobservation

andfeedback

1. Introduction

“It’s not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves!”(SirEdmundHillary:thefirstpersontoclimbMountEverest)

Wehaveseenearlierthatmotivatingemployeesinanorganisationissoimportantbecausetheevidencesuggeststhatitdirectlyleadstoimprovedorganisationalperformance.Inotherwords,inspiring people to work enthusiasticallyisimportanttoorganisationalsuccess.However,inthedefinitionofaTeamLeaderyousawthatteammembersareALSOrequiredtoworkeffectively.

Inotherwordsitisnousehaving‘motivated’employeesgoinginthewrongdirection!Itisthereforecriticaltobuildamotivatedandeffectiveteam.ThefirststepinbuildinganeffectiveteamistounderstandhowcompetenttheTeamLeaderandteammembersare.

2. Individual competence

Competencecomprisesabilities,knowledge,skillsaswellasthepersonality,valuesandattitudesofindividuals.Reviewingeachofthesecomponentsinturnwillhelpustounderstandthisimportantconcept.

2.1 Components of competence

2.1.1 Ability

Abilityreferstoourcapacityto:• acquireknowledge• applythisknowledge• performfunctionaltasks


Althoughweallhavephysicalaswellasmentalabilities,theterm‘ability’intheworldofworktendstobeviewedasourcognitiveabilitytoidentify,analyseandchooseappropriatealternativestosolveproblems.Inotherwords,abilityisnormallyviewedasourmentalorintellectualcapability.Howeverdefined,abilityisacorecomponentofcompetence.

2.1.2 Knowledge

Knowledgereferstoourpersonal‘database’ofinformationacquiredfrom:• formalstudy• interactingwithotherpeople• mediaexposure(e.g.newspapers,radio,television)

2.1.3 Skills

Skillsrefertohowwellweapply:• ournaturalaptitudes(e.g.mechanicalaptitude)• ournaturaltalents(e.g.artistictalent)• learnedprocesses(e.g.usingacomputer)

Althoughcloselyalignedtotheconceptofability,‘skill’ispurposelyseparatedtoemphasizeasubtlebutimportantdifference.Abilitydoesnothavetobeappliedtobepresent–whereasaskillnormallyrequirespracticetoberetained.

2.1.4 Personality

Personalityreferstoourunique:• approachtoourenvironmentand• behaviourtowardsotherpeople developedasaresultoftheinteractionbetween• ourheredity-determinedbyourbiologicalparentsand,• ourenvironment–particularlytheinfluenceofourparents,friendsandwider

socialgroupduringourchildhood

2.1.5 Values

Valuesrefertothe:• guidingbeliefsandprinciplesofourlives• personalrulesbywhichwewanttolive

Personalvaluesmeanthatwehavetakenadecisionthatacertainwayofbehavingispreferabletoanother.

Onceagain,theinfluenceofourfamily,friendsandcultureduringourformativeyearsplaysapowerfulroleindevelopingthesevalues.

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2.1.6 Attitudes

Attitudesrefertothe:• opinionsweholdaboutpeople,issuesandsituations• strengthoffeelingwehaveinregardtotheseopinions• intentionswehavetobehaveinacertainwaybecauseoftheseopinions

Althoughnotasenduringasvalues,attitudesaresimilarinthattheyarenormallydevelopedthroughtheinfluenceofimportantpeopleinourlivesandaremanifestedinhowweinteractwithotherpeople.

Let’slookatareallifeanalogytoillustratehoweachofthesecomponentscontributestobecomingcompetent.

Becoming Competent

Assume that you have just turned 18 and want to get your Driver’s Licence.

Firstlyyouneed the inherent ability todrivea car. Inotherwordsyouhavegoodvision,acertainlevelofco-ordinationbetweenarmsandlegsandanunderstandingofwhatisrequiredtodrivethecar.However,thisalonewillnotmakeyoucompetenttodriveacarontheroad.

Youalsoneedtoacquire knowledge.Forexample,youhavetounderstandwhatwillhappenifthebrakesareappliedtobringthecartoahaltwhileleavingthecaringear.(Ofcourseyouknowthatthecarwillstall!)

Youalsoneedtoknowwhatthemeaningofthevariousroadsignsare.This,asweknow,willinitiallybeintheformofaLearner’sLicencewhereyouhavetoproveacertainlevelofknowledgebeforebeingallowedoutontotheroad.

Onceontheroad,youhaveto,bymeansoftuitionandpractice,acquire the skilltonotonlydrivethecarbutalsotodriveitsafelyintrafficaccordingtotherulesoftheroad.

However,evenifyouhavetheinherentability,havelearnttherequiredtheoryandhave demonstrated during a series of driving lessons that you have acquired thenecessaryskill, it isstillpossible to fail thedrivingtestandthereforenotobtainalicence–thesymbolofcompetence.

Therearemanyexamplesofpeoplewhofailadrivingtestbecausetheypanicandthenmakeerrorsorforgettoperformkeyactions(suchasusingtherearviewmirror).The reasons for getting into a panic or making mistakes will likely be a result ofcertainpersonality traitssuchasalackofconfidenceortheinabilitytouseinitiativeinadifficulttrafficsituation.


2.2 Individual differences in competence

Allofusareunique!Thenexttimeyouhearsomeonesaythatsomeoneorsomethingisquiteunique,remindyourself(andtheotherpersonifyouwantto!)thatuniquemeans‘oneofakind’.Itcannotbereplicated.Thisisprettypowerfulbecauseitmeansthateachofushavedifferentpersonalities,values,attitudes,abilities,levelsofknowledgeandskillsaswellasourphysiologicaldifferencesingender,height,weight,build,orcomplexion.

Asimportantasourphysicaldifferencesare,organisationsaremuchmoreinterestedinourothercharacteristicsofpersonality,values,attitudes,abilities,knowledgeandskillsthattogetheradduptoourpotentialtomakeacontributiontotheirsuccess.Inotherwords,whatisimportanttotheorganisationistheindividualcompetencelevelsoftheteamleaderandteammembers.Let’sexplorethisfurther.

Allhumanbeingshaveinherent but different potentialtolearnandgrow.Thepotentialthatlieswithineachoneofus,providesuswithouruniquefoundationforpersonalgrowthandadvancementinlife.

Understandingandusingthispotentialprovidesuswiththeopportunitytomakeourcontributiontoanyfamily,socialcircle,societyandorganisationofwhichwearepart.Knowingthissimpletruthisonething-toharnessourpotentialtoachieveourdreamsisanother!

Fortunatelyitiswithintheorganisationalcontextthatopportunitiesarisetodojustthis.Atthesametimedorememberthatunderstandingyourpotentialwillnot automaticallycreateabetterjobforyou,orprovideyouwithsuddenextraincome.Itwill,however,prepareyoutotakeonthechallengeofaddingvaluetoanyorganisationofwhichyouareapartofwhileallowingyoutostayfocusedonyourownaspirations.

Whatifthishappenstoyouandyoudecidetogiveupafterfailingthefirsttime?Thiswouldbean indicationofa lackofbelief inyourself,andcouldbeviewedasyouhavinganegative attitudetowardsgettingyourlicence.

Finally, what if, after trying and failing a number of times, you are offered theopportunity to ‘buy’ a licence? You feel offended by this offer and refuse in spiteofyourdesiretogainalicence.Wecanacceptthatthisisbecauseofyourvalues ofhonestyandintegrity.

Fromanorganisation’sperspective,ifyoucannotobtainalicence,youwillobviouslynot be considered sufficiently competent to be appointed as a driver (nor to anyoccupationrequiringthiscompetence).

Fortunatelythereisalwaystheopportunityforyoutomatchother competenciesthatyoudopossesswith theneedsofanorganisation–acaseof ‘different strokes fordifferentfolks’!


Thereforetry,asyoupreparefortheworldofworktorememberthefollowingvital‘personalrules’.• Thefirstpersonalrulefortheworldofworkis‘know yourself’.• Thisisfollowedcloselybythesecondpersonalrule–‘don’t try to be what you are

not’.• Thelastpersonalruleis–‘focus on building your strengths rather than trying to

eliminate your perceived weaknesses’.Thefollowinggreatwordsofwisdomfromperhapsthemostrespectedleaderintheworldtoday–formerPresidentNelsonRolihlahlaMandelaofSouthAfrica-reinforcetheserules:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure! It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in EVERYONE!”

QuotedbyNelsonMandela:1994InauguralSpeech(Thinkexist.com)

Toreturntotheorganisationalperspectiveforamoment,itisevidentthattop management is interested in the competence of individuals to perform!Competenceintheworkplaceisthereforeaboutindividualsdemonstratingthattheyareabletoperformtotherequiredlevel.

Aswiththeearlieranalogyoflearningtodriveacar,theindividualcompetencerequiredbyanorganisationcomprisesan appropriate combinationofthewillingnessandmotivationtoperformrequiredtasksandactivities,aswellastheability,knowledgeandskilltodoso.

Theemphasisonanappropriate combinationisparticularlyrelevant.Someofuswillgraspnewconceptsquickerthanotherswhomay,ontheotherhanddisplayagreateraptitudeforworkingwiththeirhands.Someofusfeelnaturallyateaseinthecompanyofotherpeople,whileothersarehappierworkingontheirown.Someofusfeeldriventosucceedwhileothersaremorelaidbackintheirapproachtolife.

Thegoodnewsisthatorganisationsneeddifferentcompetenciesfordifferentapplications.Thesuccessfulsalesrepresentativeenjoysinteractingwithpeopleandnegotiatingdealswiththem,butdoesn’tnecessarilyrequireanin-depthunderstandingoffinancialratios.

Thecomputerprogrammerdoesn’thavetobeoutgoingandcommunicativetobesuccessfulathisorherjob,butcertainlyrequirestheabilitytoapplythelogicalreasoningdevelopedthroughasoundunderstandingofmathematicalconcepts.


Differencesinindividualcompetence,therefore,provideanorganisationwitharangeofopportunitiestoutilisethesedifferencestothemutualadvantageoftheindividualandorganisation.Individualsenteringtheworldofworkwoulddowelltorememberthis–diversityisstrength!

Aswithindividualdifferences,notallcompetenciesareofequalvaluetoperformingajobeffectively.Thenextactivitywillhelpyoutounderstandthis.

Activity 3

Assume that you are the Regional Sales Manager for the Chocolot range of confectionery. Prioritise the competencies you require in your Sales Representatives on a scale of 1 – 5, where 1 = not important, 2 = sometimes required, 3 = useful, 4 = important and 5 = essential. Try not to rate more than four competencies as 5 (essential). Circle your choices.

Competence Rating

1 2 3 4 5

Selling Skills

Analytical Ability

Time Management

Decisiveness

Planning

Organising

Product Knowledge

Negotiation Skills

Empathy

Assertiveness

Verbal Communication

Mental Alertness

ThepointofthisexerciseistoillustratetheprinciplethatthecompetenceoftheteamleaderaswellasthoseofteammembersMUSTbelinkedtothecompetenciesrequiredbythejobinquestion.

Insummary,tounderstandthecompetenciesrequiredbyateamleader,aswellasthoseofteammembers,youhavetounderstand:• whatcompetenciesare• whichcompetenciesarerequiredforaspecificjobsituation• whichofthesecompetenciesyoupossess• howyoucandevelopthespecificcompetenciesrequired


3. Understanding your own competence as team leader

Wesawearlierthatcompetencecomprisesabilities,knowledge,skillsaswellaspersonality,valuesandattitudes.AgoodplacetobeginunderstandingyourownlevelofcompetenceistoconductaPersonal SWOT Analysis.

3.1 Identifying your own strengths and development needs

3.1.1 A personal SWOT analysis

A‘SWOTAnalysis’isusedalotinthebusinessenvironmenttoassistorganisationswiththeirstrategicplanning.Itrepresentsananalysisof:• thecurrentinternal strengths & weaknessesoftheorganisation• theexternal opportunities & threatspresentintheenvironmentTherefore,justasinabusiness,reviewingyourcurrentstrengthsandareasfordevelopmentprovidesyouwitharealisticfoundationfordevelopingthecompetencerequiredtobeaneffectiveteamleader.

This‘realitycheck’helpsyoutobuildonyourpersonalstrengthsandtoworkonappropriatedevelopmentareas.

Thepreviousexampleoftheintrovertedcomputerprogrammerreinforcesthispoint.Thereisverylittlevalueintryingtodevelopanoutgoing,socialpersonalitybecauseitisvaluedinsalespeople.Amuchbetterinvestmentwillbetodeveloplogicalreasoningskillstoaddmorevalueintheprogrammer’sdomainofexpertise.

Thenextactivitywillhelpyoutogainabetterunderstandingofthisbyidentifyingyourownstrengthsanddevelopmentareas.


Activity 4

Add your list of personal strengths and development needs to the examples provided. If you are serious about this exercise, ask two or three of your close friends or family members to also write down how they view your strengths and development needs. Then ask them to place their responses in a sealed envelope and give it back to you. Then compare your list to theirs. This is a powerful exercise that can help you plan your own future in a more realistic manner!

My Personal Strengths

Examples Add your own:

• goodatstudying

• excellentcomputerskills

• outgoingpersonality

• creativeenergy

• speakthreelanguages

• leadershipskillsdevelopedatschool

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

My Development Needs

Examples Add your own:

• pooratplanningahead

• poortimemanagement

• poorwithfinancialdata

• noclearcareergoals

• tendencytomakedecisionstooquickly

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.


Howusefulwasthisexercisetoyou?Althoughthisisanexerciseinself-reflection(i.e.ratingyourself),ithasbeenwidelyusedinbusinesswithgreatsuccess.

Ofcourse,ifyouwenttothetroubletogetfeedbackfromfriendsorfamilymembers,thiswilladdvaluetothisimportantlearning,whichwillclarifywhatstrengthsyoucanbuildonorwhatdevelopmentareasyoucansuccessfullyworkon.

3.1.2 Understanding ‘locus of control’

Earlierwealsosawthatpersonalityispartofwhatmakesupindividualcompetence.Thefactthatmanysuccessfulorganisationsrequirejobapplicantstoundergopsychologicalassessmentsbeforeemployingthemisanindicatorofitsimportance.

However,personalityispartofourcorebeing–notaskillthatwecanlearnorthatislikelytochangewithanewlevelofknowledge.Thegoodnewsisthat,whilewecannotchangeourinherentpersonality,thereisoneparticularareaofbehaviourthatcanbedevelopedinapositiveway.Thisistheconceptoflocus of control.

Aprocessoffeedbackandself-reflectionisneeded(thatweshallcoverlater),butthefirststepistounderstandthisveryimportantconceptinordertoassistanorganisationtoachievesustainablesuccess.

Manyorganisationsfindthemselveswithemployeesatalllevelswhoappeartohaveeverythingthatittakestobesuccessful,yetneverseemtogetahead.Youcanaskthefollowingquestionofyourselfaswellasmembersofaworkplaceteam.

“Whatisitthatdifferentiatessuccessfulfromaverageemployees”?Wellsometimesitistheirskill,knowledgeandintellectualability,butsometimesitcanbeputdowntoalackof‘drive’–anapparentinabilitytodisplayinitiativeandtakeresponsibility.

This,accordingtoapsychologistbythenameofJulianRotter,isamanifestationofwhathetermeda‘locusofcontrol’whichiseither:• anexternal locus of controlwhereindividualstendtobelievethattheirlevelof

performanceisbeyondtheircontrolandisdue,rather,to‘external’factorssuchasmanagementdecisions,badluckandenvironmentalfactors,OR,

• aninternal locus of controlthatreflectstheviewpointofindividualswhoattributeoutcomestotheirownactions,takefullresponsibilityfortheseactions(includingpoorperformance)andbelievethattheyare‘inchargeoftheirowndestiny’.

Whichtypeofemployeesdoyouthinkanorganisation,strivingtobesuccessfulwouldprefer?Thosewithaninternallocusofcontrolofcourse!PerformingthenextselfactivityshouldreinforceyourunderstandingofLocusofControl.


Activity 5

Instructions:Circle either ‘a’ or ‘b’ for each of the following statements according to how you see yourself. There are no wrong or right answers, but to gain value from this exercise, try to be honest as possible.

1. a. Many of the unhappy things in people’s lives are due to bad luck b. The misfortunes that people have result from their own mistakes

2. a. A person’s value often goes unnoticed no matter how hard he or she tries b. In the long run, people get the respect that they deserve

3. a. You cannot be come an effective leader if you don’t get the right breaks in life b. If you are competent but don’t become a leader, it’s because you didn’t take advantage of your opportunities

4. a. I believe that ‘what will happen – will just happen’ b. Trusting ‘fate’ has never turned out as well for me as making firm decisions and then taking action based on these decisions

5. a. In the long run, the bad things that happen to us are balanced by the good ones b. Most misfortune is due to a lack of competence, ignorance or just pure laziness

To score this questionnaire, award yourself 1 point for all the a’s circled, and 3 points for all the b’s circled. If you have a score of 5 – 7, you are likely to have an external locus of control and if you score between 13 – 15, you are likely to have a strong internal locus of control. A score from 8 – 12 indicates a balance between an internal and external locus of control.

NB: Remember, this is NOT a psychological ‘test’ – merely an exercise to help you understand this concept better!

3.2 Utilising performance appraisal and feedback

Youshouldnotethatimmediatereflectionandfeedbackonperformanceensures:• short-termactionplansforimprovingperformancearedeveloped• motivationismaintainedYoushouldalsorememberthat,tobereallyeffective,reflectionandfeedbackshouldfollowaformal process.Makinganappointmentwithyourlecturertoreviewyouracademicresults,ismuchmoreeffectivethanaskingquestionsafterlectures!

Thesameprincipleappliesintheworkplace.Aformalperformanceappraisalwillfocustheattentionofbothpartiesandensurethattheprocessisseriousandismorelikelytoleadtopracticalaction.Ifyouareperformingpoorly,thenobtainingfeedbackonwhatthereasonsareisthefirststepinimprovingyourperformance.Ifitisduetoalackofcompetence,thesolutioncouldbetraininganddevelopment.Anexamplecouldbetheinabilitytoleadteammeetingsandthusineffectively


communicateproductionrequirementstoteammembers.Thisneedcanbecomeapersonal development objectiveforyou.

Ifitisthatyourcompetencyprofileisnotsuitableforthejobinquestion,thenitmaybeanopportunitytodevelopplansforachangeincareerdirection.If,ontheotherhand,youareperformingwell,positivefeedbackwillreinforceyourgoodperformanceasyoubecomemotivatedbythisrecognition.

Whatever,theaction,formalperformanceappraisalandfeedbackisoneofthemostpowerfultoolsavailableintheworldofworktohelpyoudevelopabetterunderstandingofyourselfandyourlevelofcompetence.Itisoneofthebestmotivatorsweknow!

4. Understanding the competence levels of team members

Wesawearlierthatallofusareunique.Eachofushasdifferentpersonalities,values,attitudes,abilities,levelsofknowledgeandskills.Inotherwords,teammembers:• arenotallmotivatedbythesamethings• donotallpossessthesameabilities,knowledgeandskills• havedifferentpersonalities,valuesandattitudes

IfyouplaceyourselfinthepositionofaTeamLeaderwhohastokeepateamofdiversepeoplemotivatedandfocused,youneedtohaveasmuchknowledgeofindividualteammembersaspossibleinordertobuildaneffectiveteam.Thesimplestandmostaccessiblewayofgainingthisknowledgeistoutilisethepracticalworkplacetoolsalreadyinplace.

4.1 Utilising practical workplace tools

4.1.1 Visual management

Althoughthefocusofvisualmanagementisprimarilyontheteam,thistoolalsocoversimportantindividualissuessuchasskills.

Forexample,theteamleaderisabletoobservetheprogressonindividualskillsdevelopmentandtaketherequiredaction,whetheritiscounselling,coachingorsendingtheteammemberinquestionfortraining.Oneofthecertaintiesisthatteammembersarelikelytobemotivatedtoperformbetterbytheattentiongiven.


4.1.2 Team review meetings

Team review meetingscanbeextremelyeffectiveinprovidingafoundationforaction.Exhibit6illustrateshowateamleadercanutilisethistooltobetterunderstandteammembercompetenceandthentakeappropriateaction.Becausethefocusofthemeetingisoneofreviewingpastperformance,exploringwhatcanbedonetorectifyproblemsanddeviseplansandactionstomakeimprovements,ithighlightsindividualcompetence.

If,forexample,anoperatorisconsistentlymakingmoreerrorsthanotherteammembersperformingthesamefunction,itwillcomeoutinthemeeting.

Exhibit 6: Utilising team meetings to identify competence

Utilising the Team Meeting Agenda

TheMeetingAgendacovers:• pastperformance• futureobjectives• whoisresponsibleforaction• duedates

TheTeamLeaderisabletoseefromperformancedatawheretheoperatorisnotachievingstandardandthendecidetogetheronactiontobetakene.g.trainingfollowedbycoaching.

Developing Action Plans

ActionPlansspecify:• whoisresponsibleforwhatactions• ‘bywhen’dates

TheTeamLeaderisabletoseefromperformancedatawheretheoperatorisnotachievingstandardandthendecidetogetheronactiontobetakene.g.trainingfollowedbycoaching.

4.1.3 Performance appraisal

Aswiththeteamleader,receivingformalperformanceappraisalfeedbackonhowtheyhavecontributedasindividualstotheoverallteamperformance,willleadtoimprovedperformance.Whetheritispoorperformancethatneedstoberectifiedorexcellentperformancethatshouldbereinforced,theappraisalandfeedbackloopisoneofthebestworkplacetoolsavailableforidentifying,andthenactingonthedevelopmentneedsaswellasthestrengthsofteammembers.

Rememberthatthisisnormallyan individual process,whereeachmember’scontributionisaddressedseparately.


4.2 Workplace facilitation

4.2.1 A personal SWOT analysis

APersonal‘SWOTAnalysis’isequallyapplicabletoteammembersasitistotheTeamLeaderandwillalsoclarifywhatstrengthsteammemberscanbuildonorwhatdevelopmentareastheycanworkon.

However,thisisnotsomethingthatshouldjustbelefttoeachindividualtocomplete.Firstly,notallteammembersmayhavetheunderstandingorskillstodothisimportantexerciseproperly.Secondly,itneedstobeplacedinthecontextoftheworksituation.Thereforeitisaprocessthatshouldbefacilitatedbyacompetentfacilitator(e.g.bysomeonefromtheTrainingDepartmentofanorganisationorbyanexternalconsultant).

Mostimportantly,itissomethingthatshouldbefollowedupbyateamexercisecalled‘Stop–start–continue’.4.2.2 Stop – start - continue

Thepersonal‘SWOTanalysis’providesafoundationforindividuallearningbut,ifleftthere,addslittlevaluetotheteam.

Stop–start-continueisapowerfulfeedbackmechanismthat,ifproperlyfacilitated,willensurepersonalgrowthandthebuildingofacohesiveteam.Thefollowingactivitywillhelpyouunderstandthisconcept.Tobeofvalue,however,itmustbefacilitatedeitherbyyourlectureronthiscourseorbyatrainedfacilitator.

Activity 6

Step 1: Working on your OWN, review your ‘SWOT’ Analysis and then write down selected strengths and development areas in the spaces provided. Step 2: Alongside each of these write in the actions you need to undertake in order to help you with the journey of personal and team growth. Step 3: In a Team of NO MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE, share your strength or development need and intended actions. Please note that it is very important that you use the full sentence in describing what you are going to stop, start or continue. Step 4: Complete your sharing and then ask other team members for feedback and contract with them for support to achieve your objectives.

NB: In this activity you may share as much OR as little as you wish. You are NOT obliged to share personal information that you don’t want to – it is your right not to do so. However, experience has shown this to be a very meaningful and valuable exercise.


My Strengths: I need to continue

My Development Areas: I need to stop

I need to start

Examplesof‘Stop–start–continueare:• “Ineedtocontinueshowingconcernformyfriendsandcolleaguesandbeinga

goodlistener”.• “Ineedtostopprocrastinatingbeforetakingimportantbutdifficultdecisions”.• “IneedtostartaskingforhelpwhenIcan’tsolveaproblem,insteadofbattlingon

myownbecauseI’mtooproudtoadmitIneedhelp”.

5. Utilising this understanding of competence

SpecificOutcome4ofthisunitstandardwillfocusonimplementingaplanofactiontostrengthenateam.Suchaplancanonlybesuccessfulifthereisasolidunderstandingofthecompetencelevelsofboththeteamleaderandteammembers.

Oncethisunderstandingisinplace,itcanbeutilisedtoidentifytherelevantneedsfor:• skillstraining-whereperformanceisbelowstandard• formaleducation-toequippeoplewithrelevantknowledge• on-the-jobdevelopment-wherepromotionopportunitiesexist


Specific Outcome 3Apply theories of motivation and group

dynamics in the workplace

Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to apply:• relevanttheories of motivation,providingpracticalexamples• the elementsof group dynamics,accordingtotheoryandpractice

1. Introduction

Wehavealreadycoveredanumberoftheoriesthatexplainwhymotivationissoimportanttoanorganisation.Maslow’shierarchy,Herzberg’stwofactortheoryandMcClelland’snAch–nAfftheoryhaveclarifiedwhat‘needs’willtriggerthemotivationtoperform.However,thetheorythathasbestexplainedtheapplicationofmotivationinpracticehasbeenVroom’sexpectancytheory,whichclarifieshowtherealitiesoftheworkplaceimpactonneeds.

2. Relevant theories of motivation

2.1 Porter and Lawler’s expectancy model

Twoorganisationalbehaviourresearchers,LymanPorterandEdLawlerIII,extendedtheboundariesofVroom’smodel.Thebestwaytoexplainthisexpectancytheoryistoreviewexhibit7.

Exhibit 7: Porter and Lawler’s expectancy model

(C)Effort

(F)Performance

Satisfaction

(E)Role

Perceptions

(D)Abilities

and Traits

(I)Perceived

Equity

(A)Value of the reward

(Valence)

(B)Perception that

effort will lead to the probability of reward

(Expectancy & Instrumentality)

(H)Extrinsic rewards

(G)Intrinsic rewards


Fromthemodelitisclearthat:• (A)representsthevalue to the individual of the potential rewardforperformance

(‘valence’inVroom’stheory),• (B)representstheexpectancy and instrumentalitycomponentsofVroom’stheory,

andthat,• (C)representstheamountofeffortthattheindividualispreparedtoputinasa

resultofthiscombination.

However,PorterandLawlerexplainedthat,evenifthemotivationalforceishighandthustheindividualispreparedtoputinalotofeffort,thisdoesn’tautomaticallyleadtothedesiredresultfromanorganisation’sperspective.EffectiveperformanceisALSOdependentontheindividual’s abilities and personality traits(i.e.hisorherlevelofcompetence)indicatedbycapsule(D).

Theyalsoexplainedthat,evenifindividualemployeesarewillingandable,theymightnotputeverythingintoaparticulartaskifitisnotperceivedtobetheirrole in the organisation(capsuleE).Forexample,teammembersmaynottakecertaindecisionsthatcouldenhanceperformancebecausetheyperceivethattheydon’thavetheauthoritytodoso.

(F)is,ofcourse,thedesired performance outcome.(G)and(H)indicatethattheinitialvaluethatledtotheindividualbeingmotivatedtoperformisrewarded by both intrinsic factors(self-fulfilment,recognition)and extrinsic factors(performancebonus,potentialpromotion)–linkingtoHerzberg’stheory.

(I)indicatesthat,eveniftherewardsarevalued,individualsarenotlikelytoremainmotivatediftheyperceivethatthereisunfairnessintherewardforperformance.

Taketheexampleofaperformancebonuswheretheteammemberconcernedbelievesthatheorshehascontributedthemosttoachievingtheperformanceobjective.Iftheotherteammembersreceiveexactlythesamebonus,itmightcreateaperception of inequityandreducetheindividual’slevelofmotivation.

Finally,capsule(J)indicatesthatallthesefactorshavecontributedtofulfillinganeed.Theindividualissatisfied.

Aninterestingpointhereisthatifthisprocessleadstoahighlevelofsatisfaction,thenitislikelytoincreasetheoriginallevelsofvalenceandinstrumentality.

Inotherwords,fulfilled needs reinforce and strengthen motivational force!


2.2 Adam’s equity theory

Capsule(I)inPorterandLawler’smodelleadsdirectlytoanotherrelevantprocesstheory.ApsychologistbythenameofJ.StaceyAdamsexploredthefactthatpeopleatworkdonotoperateinavacuum.

Thewholethemeofthiscourseisthatindividual employees function within the context of a team,withinadepartment,withinanorganisation.Thiscontextprovidesconstantopportunitiesforindividualstocomparetheirownperformancewiththatofothers.Withinthiscontext,shouldanyteammemberbelievethathisorherlevelofeffortandproductivityissuperiortothatofotherteammembers,itwillclearlyleadtoanexpectationofsuperiorrewards!

If,forexample,theemployeeinquestionisawardedpreciselythesamesalaryincreaseastheotherteammembers,thenthisindividualislikelytoperceivethatthereisalackofequity.Inotherwords,theindividualbelievesthattheratioofthe outcome(thesalaryincrease)totheinput(his/hereffortandproductivity)in relation to thatreceivedbytheotheremployeesshouldbegreaterinhisorhercase.

Exhibit8illustratesthisequitymodel.

Exhibit 8: Adams’ equity model of motivation

Perception of Own Outcomes

Perception of Own Inputs

2.3 Other theory constructs

2.3.1 Goal setting

Settinggoals/objectivesisaprocessthatisanintegralpartofvirtuallyeverytheoryonmotivation.Mostpeoplearemotivatedtoperformtheirjobswellwhentheyhaveclearly-definedandspecificgoalsorobjectivestoaimfor.EdwinLockebuiltupagoal-settingtheorythatsuggestsjustthis–peopleatworkwill perform betteriftheyhaveadefinitegoaltostrivefor.

=

Perception of Others’ Outcomes

Perception of Others’ Inputs

Learner Tip

Intheworldofworksomeindividualsandorganisationstendtousetheword‘goal’whenreferringtofuturemeasurableresultsthattheywishtoachieve.Othersprefertheterm‘objective’.Keepremindingyourselfthattheseareessentiallythesamethingandmaybeusedinterchangeably.

Forthesakeofclarityitissometimesusefultousetheterm‘goal’whenfocusingonthelong-termand‘objective’whenfocusingontheshort-term.


Keypointsfromgoal-settingtheorythatreinforcewhatwehavecoveredsofarare:• Specific goals leadtohigherperformancethangeneralgoals.• Performancegenerallyincreaseswhengoals ‘stretch’ the individualconcerned,i.e.

theyarenottooeasilyattainable.• Improvedperformancewillonlyoccuriftheindividual concerned accepts the

goals.Thisnormallyrequiresparticipationinsettingthem.• Goalsworkbest when used to measure and evaluate performance.• Goalsshouldhavea direct link to feedback and rewards. Inotherwords,inordertomotivateemployeestowardsimprovingtheir

performance,goals/objectivesshouldconformtothe“SMART”principleswhichare:

• Specific• Measurable• Agreed• Realistic• Time-related

2.3.2 Reinforcement

AverywellknownbehaviouristbythenameofB.F.Skinner,focusedonwhatistermed‘operantconditioning’toexplainbehaviourintheworldofwork.This,inessence,meansthatlearningtakesplaceasaresultofbehaviour.

If,forexample,ateammemberbehavesinacertainway(e.g.submittingaccuratereportsontime)andisrewardedforthisbehaviour(e.g.ahigherperformanceevaluation),thenitislikelythatthisbehaviourwillberepeated-the behaviour is ‘reinforced’!

Theimplicationforteamleadersandanorganisationwantingtomotivatetheiremployeesistopositively reinforce desired behaviour.Reinforcementisnot,however,restrictedtoa‘positive’approach.Thetheoryindicatesthatwecanalsobemotivatedbynegative reinforcement.Thisoccurswhenanundesirablesituationisremovedinresponsetodesiredbehaviouronthepartoftheindividual.

Anexamplewouldbeateammemberhavingawrittenwarningforlate-comingandthennotcominglateforthenextthreemonths.Thereinforcementherewouldbetoremovethedisciplinaryactionfromtheemployee’spersonalrecord.Thedesired behaviour is good time keeping – the reinforcement is the removal of the negative warning.

Finallytherearetheconceptsofextinctionandpunishment.Thesemechanismsareusedwhenundesirablebehaviourpersists.Thefirstrequirestheremoval of reward(e.g.notrespondingtojokesinbadtastewillleadtothejoketellernolongerhavingareceptiveaudience).


Thelatterisamoredirectresponse–forexample,takingawaykeystotheofficeasaresultofitbeingleftinamess.

Reinforcementgoeshand-in-handwithgoal-setting.Oneofthekeyprinciplesofsettinggoalsorobjectivesistohavea direct link to feedback and rewards,whichare,ineffect,reinforcementmechanisms.

3. Applying relevant theories in the workplace

Motivationaltheoryprovidesavaluablefoundationfortakingactioninanorganisationtomotivatepeopletoworkharderandsmartertohelpshapethesuccessofthatorganisation.

Thereareanumberofstrategiesthatareimplementedwiththespecificgoalinmindofachievingjustthis.Weshallfocusontwo:• Makingthejobmoremeaningfulbymeansofjob redesignand• Incorporatingtheoreticalconceptsintoperformance management

3.1 Job redesign Motivationtheorywillbeverydifficulttoapplyintheworldofworkifindividualjobsarepoorlydesignedoraresorigidlydefinedthattheypreventindividualemployeesfromusingtheirinitiativetocompletetasksinamoreeffectiveway.Thereforethefocustodayisoftenonhowtoredesign jobsinordertomotivateemployees.

Theefficacyofthisapproachisbasedontheprinciplethatjobs should increasingly be designed to improve employee satisfaction and thus motivate them to work smarter!

HackmanandOldhamdevelopedajobcharacteristicsmodel(explainedinexhibit9)explainingthekeyjobdesigncharacteristicsrequiredtosustainemployeesatisfactionwithaparticularjob.


Exhibit 9: Job characteristics that motivate employees

Characteristic Description Leading to:

SkillVariety Theextenttowhichaparticularjobrequiresdifferentcompetence

Teammembersexperiencingmeaningfulness

TaskIdentity Claritywherethespecifictasksmakingupaparticularjobstartandwheretheyfinish

TaskSignificance

Thesignificancerolethatthejobplaysinachievingorganisationalobjectives

Autonomy Thelevelofdiscretionandindependencethatanindividualemployeeisgiventodecidehowtoperformaparticularjob

Teammembersfeelingresponsible forjoboutputs

Feedback Theextenttowhichresultsaredirectlylinkedtotheindividual’sjobperformanceandcommunicatedclearlytothatindividual

Theextenttowhichteammembersaregivenknowledge ofjoboutputs

(fromHackman&Oldham1980)

Inreactiontothesecharacteristics,organisationshaveattemptedtoredesignjobsinordertostimulateemployeemotivationandsoensuremoreeffectiveimplementationoforganisationalstrategies.Exhibit10illustrateshowthesejobredesigneffortscanpotentiallyleadtoanincreaseinskills,variety,tasksignificanceetc.andsubsequentlymotivateemployeestoimprovetheirjobperformance.

Theseapproachesreinforcetheprinciplethateffectivemotivationofemployeesneedswell-designedjobs.


Exhibit 10: Job redesign approaches to motivate employees

Job Redesign Approach

Description Leading to:

JobRotation(Horizontalredesign)

Rotatingteammembersfromonejobtoanotherwithoutalteringtheintrinsicjobcontent

Theopportunitytodevelopskills variety–particularlythedifferentskillsrequiredbyotherjobs

JobEnlargement(Horizontalredesign)

Expandingthenumberoftasksmakingupaparticularjob

Theopportunitytodevelopskills variety–butwithintheparametersofcurrenttask significance

JobEnrichment(Verticalredesign)

Increasingjobdepthbygivingteammembersmorediscretion,autonomyandcontrolovertheirjob

Theopportunitytogainautonomy–toperformworkatthenextleveli.e.takingonresponsibilitiesoftheTeamLeader

3.2 Performance management

Itisimportanttonotethatifanorganisationwantstoachievethegoalofbecomingandremainingcompetitivethereneedstobeaperformancemanagementsysteminplaceto• integrateemployeeperformancewithorganisationalperformance• developthecompetenceofemployeestoachievethisperformance• rewardemployeesfortheircontributionstoorganisationalsuccess

Itremainsoneofthesinglemostpowerfultoolsavailabletoanorganisationwishingtogainstrongemployeecommitment.

Themorethathighperformingemployeesfeeltheyarefairlyrewardedfortheirperformancethemorelikelytheyaretoremaincontentwithintheorganisation.Equally,agoodsystemwillensurethatnon-performersarenotrewarded(andarethusmorelikelytomoveout!)

Italsoaddressestheprinciplesofequitytheoryinthatindividualsaremorelikelytoacceptwhytheyarebeingrewardedwithinasystemthatinsistsonformalfeedbackandrewardsmeasurableperformance.

ALLemployees–nomatterwhatlevelofsenioritywanttoknowhowtheyareperforminginrelationtostandardssetandrelativetootheremployees.Itaddressestheneedweallhaveforself-esteem.


4. Applying the elements of group dynamics

4.1 The challenges of getting a team to work effectively Althoughwehaveseenearlierinthisunitstandardthatdiversityisa‘strength’becausetheteamleaderhastheopportunitytoutilisedifferencesinpersonality,values,attitudes,abilities,levelsofknowledgeandskills;thisalsocreateschallenges.

Youshouldnotethatintheearlystagesofteamdevelopment,eachmemberislikelytohaveconcerns,fearsandaspirations(forming).Also,thatconflictislikelytoariseasindividualdifferencesaremanifestedinbehaviour(storming).

Thisiswhereleadershipqualitiesareneeded–tomanagethebehavioural dynamicswithintheteamthatinfluenceteameffectiveness.Thismeansbuildingonindividualdiversityinsteadofexpectingthateveryoneagreeswitheachotherandacceptingthatconflictisnaturalwithoutallowingdisruptive,‘power-seeking’individualstonegativelyinfluencetheteam.

Oneofthemostimportanttasksthatyouastheteamleadermustundertakeistogainagoodunderstandingoftheindividualswhomakeupyourteam.Themoreyouunderstand–themoreyoucanadaptyourapproachtoleadingtheseindividualsinateamsituation.

4.2 Understanding team values Valuesareperhapsthemostdifficultcomponentofindividualdifferencetoclassify,inthattheyarenotuniqueabilitiesorskillsorpersonalitytraits.Infact,manyofus‘share’thesameorsimilarvalues.

Yetvaluesareapowerfulfactorinfluencingthewayindividualsbehaveintheworldofwork.Theyoftenprovidethecriticalfoundationthatindividualsusetodecidewhetherornottheyarewillingto‘gotheextramile’inhelpingtheirteamandtheirorganisationtoachievegoals.

Ifanindividualdoesnotbelieveinthesamevaluesastheorganisation,theyarelesslikelytoapplytheirabilities,knowledgeandskilltothesameextent–leadingtoalowerlevelofperformance.

Howevermanyvaluesteammembersmayhave,someareconsistentlymoreimportantthanothers-thesearecore values. Itisthesebeliefsthatmostindividualswillnotgiveupunderanycircumstances.Let’smakesurethatyouclearlyunderstandthisveryimportantconceptbyperformingthenextactivity.


Activity 7

Instructions:Step 1: using the list of possible values to be found on the next page, select 20 values that are the most important to you. List these 20 values on the table to be found on the page that follows.Step 2: delete 10 values that you would give up if you were forced to make a choice.Step 3: review this list of 10 values and delete 5 more that you would give up if you were forced to.Step 4: you are now left with your 5 most important values. Rank these in order of importance i.e. #1 is the most important and #5 is the least important. Step 5: review your list of Core Values to ensure that your priority order is correct by applying the following simple ‘test’. If I had to choose between two ‘conflicting’ values e.g. honesty or loyalty or two ‘complementary’ values e.g. status or recognition, which of the two would I give up?Step 6: list your final Core Values in priority order in the space provided below and write down what each means to you e.g. ‘dignity’ might mean showing respect for the worth of others and expecting the same in return.

My possible values

Values Choice Values Choice

Achievement Intelligence

Autonomy Knowledge

Ambition Loyalty

Challenge Love

Democracy Meaningfulwork

Dignity Personalgrowth

Ethics Personalwealth

Empowerment Physicalchallenge

Equality Power

Excellence Privacy

Family Recognition

Freedom Religion

Friendship Reputation

Health Servicetoothers

Honesty Security

Independence Status

Innerharmony Trust

Integrity Wisdom


My 20 most important values:

Value Priority Value Priority

1. 11.

2. 12.

3. 13.

4. 14.

5. 15.

6. 16.

7. 17.

8. 18.

9. 19.

10. 20.

Thesearethe rules that I live by-the'things'thatIshallnotviolateeithertoachieveshort-termsuccessorwhenIamconfrontedwithdifficultdecisions.Thesearethe‘rules’thatIvaluenowandwilllivebyevenwhencircumstancesbecomedifficult.

My Core Personal Values

Core Values

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

4�Unit Standard �4�8�9

Decidingonyourcorevaluesisquiteadifficultexerciseisn’tit?OneofthereasonsisthattheyareVERYIMPORTANTtoyou!Ifyoufeelstronglyaboutyourvalues,thenyoucanreasonablyexpecteachteammembertofeelequallystronglyabouttheirownvalues.

Differencesinvaluesaswithdifferencesincompetenceaddtothediversityofindividualsinanorganisation.Onceagain,thiscanbeusedasanopportunityratherthanviewedasabarriertocooperation.

OneofthewaystodothisistotakethetimeandefforttoestablishSHAREDVALUESinyourteam.Becauseitissuchapersonalissue,itisalsoaprocessthatshould be facilitatedbyacompetentfacilitator,i.e.theTrainingDepartmentoranexternalconsultant.

4.3 Understanding team diversity Letusbeclearaboutvalues.TheseareNOTskillsthatwecanlearnandchangeeasily–ifatall!Theyare,atthesametime,thefoundationforindividualdiversityintheworldofwork.

Ifwealsotakeintoaccounttheimpactofbelongingtospecificcommunities,whichhaveadifferentsetofvalues,culturalstandardsandreligiousbeliefs,thenunderstandingdiversityhasgottobeanimportantstepinmanaginggroupdynamics.Thisdoesn’tmeanthatallemployeesinanorganisationshouldbesenton‘diversitytrainingworkshops’to'understandoneanotherbetter',butitdoesmeanthatateamleadershouldconsidertheimpactofdiversityondecisions.

Oftenmanagersdecidetoimplementanideathatwillhelptheorganisationachieveitsobjectivesbutarethendismayedthatemployeereactionisnotpositive.Thismaybeduetoindividualdifferencesoritmaybeduetogroupissuesthatarenottakenintoconsideration.

Let’staketheexampleofYouthDay,June16thfallingonaWednesday.Aproductionmanagermaydecidethatitistotallyunproductivetorunthefactoryfor2daysofa5dayshift,stopproductionfor1dayandthenstartupagainforthelast2daysoftheweek.Themanagerisprobablycorrect.

Acommunicationisthensentouttoemployeesstatingthatthefactorywillrunonthe16th,thateveryonewillbepaiddoubletimeinaccordancewithlegislationandthatalongweekendwillbegivenatanappropriatetime.ThereactionofalargepartoftheworkforceisnegativeandthemanagercannotunderstandwhyuntilsomeoneexplainsthehistoricalsignificanceofJune16tomanySouthAfricans.Understandingissuessuchasthesemakesitsomucheasierforteamleaderstoensuresuccessfulteamwork.

4� Unit Standard �4�8�9

ThegoodnewsisthatoneofthereasonswhySouthAfricanmanagersaresosuccessfulinmanyothercountriesispreciselybecausetheyhavelearnttomanageissuesofdiversityinSouthAfrica!

4.4 Dealing with resistance in the team Becausepeoplebringtheirvalues,attitudesandperceptionstotheworkplace,theremayberesistanceintheteamtotheintroductionofnewtargets,newSOPsorjustnewideas.Thismayhavenothingtodowiththeorganisationbutrelatetopersonalinterests.

Negativereactionmaysurfaceinmanyforms.Intheworkplaceitisoftenmanifestedinincreasedabsenteeismandgrievances,lackofmotivation,sabotageofprocessesandjobresignations.Ifwe‘scratchthesurface’wewillprobablyfindthatsomeofthelikelyreasonsare:• uncertainty-leadingtofearthatcouldberealorimaginary.Inmanyinstances,

theoffice'grapevine'isoverloadedwithrumoursthatincreaseemployeefeelingsofuncertaintyandinsecurity.

Forexample,theintroductionofnewtechnologymaycausesomeindividualstofeelthattheirexpertiseisbeingthreatened.Thiswillcreatefearandresultinresistancetothenewtechnology.

• fear that jobs will be lostorchanged,resultinginpossibleretrenchmentandlossofincome(forexample,improvedtechnologyhasoftencausedpeopletobecomeredundant).

• disruption to relationships-whereinformalrelationshipswhichdevelopintheteamcanbedisruptedordestroyedbychangesintechnology,products,marketsandpeople.

• perceived loss of power–wherepeoplewhoarecomfortablewiththeirpositionofpowermayresentnewideasandoftenpretendtosupportthem,butactuallyworkhardtoensuretheydon’thappen.

• inertia–wheregroupmembersknowthattheyneedtochangebutaretoocomfortablewiththecurrentstatus.

Learner Tip

Intheworkplaceitwillbeveryusefultoremembertherealitythat:

• misunderstandingsarelikelytooccurinamulti-culturalsituation

• communicationstylesneedtobeadaptedwhenacommunicationproblemarises

• evenwithinasmallteamtherewillbedifferences

• ethnically-basedassumptions,stereotypingandinappropriatestatementswilloccurandneedtobemanaged


Someofthewaysthattheteamleadercanchangeresistanceintoacceptanceandeventually,commitmenttonewideasareby:

• building trust-ifteammemberstrusttheteamleader,theyarelesslikelytobethreatenedbyanyproposedchanges.

• communicating consistently and openlytoreduceincorrectperceptionsandambiguity.Evenbadnewsisacceptedmorereadilywhenitispresentedasaclearmessagegivingthefacts.

• involving team members in the decision.Employeeswillnotresistdecisionsthatthey‘own’.

• explaining the benefitsoftheidea.Teammembersarefarmorelikelytoacceptanewideaiftheycanseehowtheywillbenefitfromit–forexample,increasedautonomyinthejob.

4.5 Utilising team dynamics to build a high performance team culture Understandingthedynamicsofvalues,diversityandissuessuchasresistancetochangeprovideanessentialfoundationforbuildingahighperformanceteamculture.A‘culture’inanorganisationisnotsomethingtangible-thatwecan‘touch’or‘see’,butrathera set of values and beliefs that are sharedthroughouttheorganisationtosuchanextentthattheyinfluenceindividualemployeestobehaveinacertainway.

Exhibit11illustratesthekeyelementsofanorganisational‘culture’aswellasthebehaviourthatmanifestsahighperformanceculture.

Exhibit 11: Key elements of an organisational culture

An Organisational Culture must: A ‘High Performance’ Culture requires:

• endureovertime• besharedbyasignificantnumberof

employees• provideinformalrulesofbehaviour• provideauniqueidentityforthe

organisation• bemanifestedbysymbolssuchasa

commonlanguage,slogansanddresscode

• notbeeasytochange

• asharedvisionthateveryoneunderstandsandsupports

• alignment–whereemployeesfeelcommittedtoorganisationalgoals

• astrongcustomerorientation-whereeveryoneknowsthattheyexisttoserveitscustomers

• anobsessionwithquality–witheveryoneworkingtowardsproductandservicequality

• innovation–whereallemployeesconstantlycomeupwithnewideastoimproveteamproductivity

• respectforindividuals–whereallemployeesfeelempoweredtomakeacontribution


Makesureyouclearlyunderstandtheseveryimportantconceptsbyperformingthenextactivity.

Activity 8

Think of the high school you attended or a club that you belong to. What are practical examples of symbols, slogans, and common words or phrases used that provide an ‘identity’ for the school or club?

Organisationsusethesesymbols,slogansandcommonwordsintheirformaldocumentationsuchasadvertisements,policymanuals,inductionprogrammesandtrainingmanuals.

However,theunderlyingbeliefsandvaluesbehindthesesymbols,slogansandphrasesthatareopentoemployeesoftheorganisationarelikethetipofaniceberg.

Belowthewatertherearenormallyahostofothervaluesanddynamicswhichsometimeshavethemostinfluence.These'unwrittenrules'caneitherpreventanorganisationfromachievingitsobjectivesorcanalternativelybetherealbuilding-blockofahighperformanceculture.Exhibit12illustratesthiscrucialconcept.

Exhibit 12: The ‘iceberg’ of business culture

Explicit beliefs and rules etc -------------------------------------------------------------------- water level

The hidden rules and agendas. The covert politics which tend to really influence what goes on in the organisation


Aculturecanbestrongorweak.Ifitisweak,itunlikelytomakeanydifferencetohowabusinessperforms.Ontheotherhandastrongculturewillhavealargeinfluenceonhowthebusinessperforms.

A strong, healthy culturethatissupportiveoforganisationalobjectivesgreatlyassiststheorganisationtoachievetheseobjectives.

A low performance, unhealthy culturethatischaracterisedbyinternal‘politics’,competitionandunwillingnesstoworktogether,willhinderobjectiveachievement.

Anyteaminanyorganisationwillfailunlessitissupportedbyastrong,healthyculture.

4� Unit Standard �4�8�9


Specific Outcome 4

Implement a plan of action to strengthen a team

Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to implement:• anactionplanbyobtaining team commitment• theeffectiveexecutionoftheactionplan• monitor and amendtheactionplanasrequired

1. Obtaining team commitment to action plans

Ifweprovideateamwith‘SMART’objectives,realisticstandardsandaperformanceplanwithclearly-definedtargets,thenwehaveastrongfoundationforgainingthecommitmentofteammembers.Teammembersarealsomuchmorelikelytoenthusiasticallysupportandimplementdecisionsthattheyhaveparticipatedintaking.

Youshouldalsorememberthatempowermentmechanismssuchasproperlyimplementedgreenareaandvisualmanagementsystemsarelikelytobeexcellenttoolsinobtainingcommitmentfromteammembers.

Settingobjectives,empoweringteamstotakedecisionsandprovidingthemwithimmediatefeedbackdonot,ontheirown,leadtoimplementation.Yousawthattranslatingexcellentplansandhighlevelsofcommitmentintoactionrequiredaformalteamreviewmeetinginwhichthemostimportantoutputisalwaystheaction planthatspecifieswhoisresponsibleforwhatactionsandbywhen.

Aformalactionplanisahighlyeffectivewayofgainingcommitmenttoachievingteamobjectivesbutthenneedstobesuccessfullyexecuted,monitoredandamendedascircumstanceschangeinorderfortheseobjectivestobeattained.

2. Executing, monitoring & amending action plans

Itisimportanttonotethevalueofutilisingtheprinciplesofcontrollinginimplementing,monitoringandevaluatingperformanceagainstteamobjectivesandorganisationalstandardsby:• measuringandmonitoringperformanceagainststandards,• identifyingvariancesfromstandardand• takingcorrectiveaction


Actionplansaretheidealbusinesstoolforapplyingtheseprinciplesintheworldofwork.Theactivitiesthatfollowsshouldprovideyouwithanunderstandingofhowtoexecute,monitorand,wherenecessary,amendanactionplan;andwhere:• thefocusofActivity8isexecutingtheinitialplan• thefocusofActivity9isutilisingtheplanto monitor progress• thefocusofActivity10isamendingtheplan

Activity 8

Step 1: Review the Action Plan found below.Step 2: Enter what you think are realistic due dates for each action.

Skills Training Action Plan

Action requiredAction

by

Due Dates (Week Nos)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1.Conducttrainingneedsanalysis TO

2.Identifytoptrainingpriorities LM/TM

3.Determinerequiredtrainingoutcomes LM/TM

4.Agreeontrainingdateswithmanagers LM/TM

5.Booktrainingvenuesandfacilitators TO

6.Advisenominatedemployeesoftrainingdates

TO

7.Conducttrainingcoursesandassesscompetence

FA

8.Evaluatevalueoftrainingcourse TR/TO

9.Applynewskillsintheworkplace TR

10.Ratejobperformanceandcomparebefore&aftertraining

LM/TM

Key: TM = TrainingManager TO = TrainingOfficer TR = Trainees FA = Facilitators LM = LineManagers

= PlannedDates

Howdidyoufindthisactivity?Inanyactionplanthereisalwaysasequenceofactionstobetakenbyrelevantpeople.IfyoulookforwardtoActivity9,youwillseethatbyweek7notallthedeadlineshavebeenmet.Aspartofthemonitoring process,youshouldcompletestep2oftheactivity.

49Unit Standard �4�8�9

Activity 9

Step 1: Review the achievement of due dates.Step 2: Write in the space below what action you would take as the Training Manager in this situation.

Skills Training Action Plan Review: Week 7

Action required Action by


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1.Conducttrainingneedsanalysis

TO X


X


X


X



TO X


FA




LM/TM

Key: TM = TrainingManager TO = TrainingOfficer TR = Trainees FA = Facilitators LM = LineManagers

= PlannedDates X = PlannedDatesAchieved

Monitoringismorethanjustmeasuringactualprogressandcomparingittorequiredduedates.Itencompassesregularreviewsusingtheoriginalactionplanasthestandard.


Inthiscase,monitoringprogresshighlightstheimpactofnotbookingthetrainingvenuesandtheeffectithasondelayingthedeliveryoftraining.Itisalreadyweek7andtrainingshouldhavestartedinweek5!This,inturn,willdelaytheimplementationofallsubsequentsteps.

Irrespectiveofthereasonsfortheproblem,itisnogoodjusthopingforthebest.Itisalsonotagoodideatomerelyadjustthetimingschedule.Thevenuesneedtoberebookedandmaynotbeavailableforawhile.Inthiscasetheschedulerequiresamendment.

Activity 10

Update the plan based on what you saw in Activity 9.

Amended Skills Training Action Plan

Action required Action by


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1.Conducttrainingneedsanalysis

TO






TO


FA




LM/TM

Key: TM = TrainingManager TO = TrainingOfficer TR = Trainees FA = Facilitators LM = LineManagers X = PlannedDates

Wasthisactivityusefultoyou?Didyouremembertore-enterplanneddatesalreadyachieved?Anactionplanthatisnotconstantlymonitoredandamendedtoreflecttherealitiesofthesituationremainsa‘paperexercise’–aniceideathatdoesn’tleadtotherequiredoutcomes.


Specific Outcome 5Provide feedback and recognise achievements

Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to provide:• feedbacktoteammembersbasedonobservation• recognitiontoteammemberswhohavecontributedtotheteam

1. Observing team dynamics

hereisadifferencebetweenthecontentofthedecisionsandactionswetakeintheworldofwork(the‘what’)andtheprocessweusetotakedecisionsandimplementthem(the‘how’).

Youalsosawthatthestrongestinfluenceontheeffectivenessoftheprocessisthebehavioural dynamicswithintheteam.Byutilisingthepositivedynamicsofgoal-achievementroles(e.g.informationseekers,energisers)andteam-buildingroles(e.g.harmonisers,expediters),theprocessbecomesmoreeffective.

Howdoyou,asateamleaderidentifytheserolesinthefirstplace?Theanswerisbyobservingpeopleatwork.Oneofthebestopportunitiestodothisis,isduringtheteamreviewmeetings.Thekeyisto observewhichteammembersareaddingvalueby:• providingnewideasonhowtomoveahead• findinginformationneededtosolvetheproblem• helpingresolveconflict• stoppingdominantindividualsfromtakingoverdiscussions andwhichteammembersaredisruptingtheprocessby:• stoppingnewideaswithcontinualnegativereactions• focusingmoreontheircontributionthanonachievingteamgoals

Ofcourse,astheteamleader,itisyourresponsibilitytoleadthemeetingandyouhavetofocusyourattentiononthemeetingagendaandtheinformationbeingcommunicated.However,youwillfindthatoneofthemostpowerfultoolstoassistyouwithobservationintheworldofworkisthesimpletaskofMAKINGNOTES!

Thisiswhatmanyhumanresourcepractitionersrefertoas‘recording critical incidents’andconsistssimplyofmakingnotesaboutspecificcommentsandactionsasyouobservethemhappening.

Youdon’thavetorecordeverywordoractionbutyoushouldwritedownsufficientinformationthatyouneedforthefeedbackyouhavetogivetoindividualteammembersaswellastotheteamasawhole.

Thereasonthatthesearecalled‘criticalincidents’,isthattheyarespecificincidentsthatprovidecriticalinformationtotheteamleaderwhenprovidingfeedback.


Ifyoutellateammemberthatthey“haveabadattitudetowardscustomers”,whatdoesthisactuallymean?Whatdoyoudoiftheyaskforspecificexamplesofthis‘badattitude’?

Ontheotherhand,ifyouareabletosay;“Jim,doyourememberlastMondaywhenthatcustomeraskedyouforhelpandyourepliedthatyouwere‘busywithanothercustomer’?Well,I’mafraidthatthisisanexampleofyourgeneralattitudetowardscustomersthatIhaveobservedlately.”

Hereyouhaveaclearexampleofthepointthatyouwanttomakeduringafeedbacksession.Togetbacktotheinteractionofindividualsworkinginateam,themeetingisanobviousopportunitytoobservebehaviourdynamics.Thereare,however,otherwaysof‘observing’behaviour.Thenextactivitywillbeofhelptoyouinunderstandinggroupdynamicsthatisnotsomethingyouseetakingplaceinfrontofyou.

Activity 11

Step 1: On your own, review the Visual Management System example overleaf.

Step 2: Also on your own, make notes on the following:a. Which 1 day of the week does the team consistently meet standard?b. Why do you think this is?c. What can you do about improving team output?

Step 3: In a team of 4 to 7 people, discuss the group dynamics you have ‘observed’ by reviewing the information made available by the system.


Ifyouhavestruggledwiththisactivity,pleaseconsultyourlecturer.Theinformationprovidedisbasedonareallifesituationandisamanifestationofa‘message’thattheteamofwarehouseemployeesisgivingtomanagement.

Whatisimportantisthatthe‘observation’ofteamdynamicsintheworkplaceisnotrestrictedtotheprocessofdirectlywatchingpeopleperformdailytasks.

2. Providing feedback to team members based on observation

2.1 Feedback Steps Feedbackshouldfollowaformalprocess,whichensuresthatteammembershavetheirattentionfocusedonlearningfromthefeedbackandthusimprovingperformance.Thespecificstepswereto:1. reviewthepurposeofthediscussion2. reflectonactualperformancecomparedtostandard3. seekreasonsforvariances4. discussproblemspreventingtheteamfrommeetingstandards5. developfutureactionplanstorectifypoorperformanceortoenhanceprevious

goodperformance

50

40

30

20

10

1 2 3 4 5 6

Daily Warehouse Orders Despatched per Employee

Standard

Weeks


Thisapproachmeansthat,astheteamleader,youshould:• inviteteammemberstospeakfirst.Thisfosterstheskillsofself-criticismand

protectsself-respect.• bespecificratherthangeneral.Tobetoldthatoneisdisorganisedwillprobably

notbeasusefulastobetold“Whenyoulostyourplaceduringthelectureandcouldn’tfindtherightnotes,Ifounditdistracting.”

• balancepositiveandnegativefeedback.Positivefeedbackonitsownallowsnoroomforimprovementandnegativefeedbackonitsownisdiscouraging.

• directyourfeedbacktowardsbehaviourthatcanbecontrolled.Itisnothelpful,forexample,tocommentonsomeone’swayoftalking.

2.2 A framework for structuring feedback Asimportantastheformalprocessistoensuringeffectivefeedback;utilisingacommonframeofreferenceisequallyvaluableinensuringthattheactionplanistheappropriateoneforthecircumstances.

MagerandPipedevelopedamodelover30yearsagothatprovidesaveryusefulframeworkforgivingfeedbacktoteammembers.Followingthismodelensuresthattheteamleadernotonlyprovidesfeedbackbutalsotakesresponsibilityforthedevelopmentofteammembers.The‘actions’ontheactionplanarenotalwaystheresponsibilityoftheindividualteammembers–theteamleaderisalsoresponsibleformakingsurethatrequiredoutcomesareachieved!

Ofparticularimportanceistoestablishwhetherornotperformancecanbeimprovedbytrainingasopposedtootherinterventions.Exhibit13illustratesthiscrucialconcept.


Exhibit 13: The feedback model

Toensurethatwearecompletelyclearaboutthisintheworldofwork,let’slookatanotheranalogy.

DescribePerformanceDiscrepancy

Ignore

ArrangeFormal

Training

Arrangepractice

Arrange feedback

Removepunishment

Arrangeconsequences

Arrangepositive

consequences

Remove obstacles

No

Important?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

NoNo

No

No

Used often?

SkillsDeficiency

Used to do it?

Performancepunished?

Used often

Non-performance

rewarded?

Performancematters?

Obstacles?


Mager & Pipe’s Model explained by a workplace analogy

Assume that you are the Team Leader of a Call Centre in Johannesburg handling Client Queries for a Cellular Phone Company.

YouhavereceivedanumberofcomplaintsfromclientsabouthowineffectivesomeoftheCallCentreOperatorsareinhandlingtheirqueries.

ThefirstquestionthattheModelrequiresyoutoaskisthefollowing:“Is the performance discrepancy important?”Ifsomeofthecomplaintsweretodowithproblemssuchasunavailabilityofcertainnewmodelsintheirarea,itisnotsomethingthatyourteammemberscandoanythingaboutotherthanexplainthereasonsgivenbythecompany.Thisisnotimportantinhowtheservicelevelsoftheteamaremaintainedandsomaybeignored.

Thenextissueisthecriticaloneof“is it a lack of knowledge, skill or ability OR rather a behavioural problem e.g. a bad attitude?”

Todetermineifitisaskills deficiency,youcouldaskthequestion“could the team member perform the task/function if his/her life depended on it?”ObviouslyiftheanswerisNO(e.g.anewproductrangehasbeenlaunchedandtheoperatorhasn’tbeenforproductknowledgetraining)–thenthereisaskillsproblemthatneedstobeaddressedbymeansofappropriatetraining!

Howeverthemodelalsorequiresyoutoask“did the employee know how to perform the function in the past?”.If,forexample,theproblemhastodowithnotprovidingtheclientwiththecorrectprocedureforactivatinginternationalroaming,thentheanswerisYES.Inthiscaseperhapstheteammemberhasforgottensomeofthetasksbecauseitisnotafrequentquery,sothebestsolutionistoarrangepracticeratherthanspendingmoneyoncomprehensivere-training.Iftheemployeegetsthesequestionsfrequently,thenfurtherperformancefeedbackisappropriatebeforejustrushingofftotrain.

Todetermineifitisa behaviour problem,thenthemodelrequiresyoutonotjustjumptotheconclusionthatitisan‘attitude’problem,butrathertoaskthequestion“if the performance problem was not due to a lack of skill, could there be reasons other than a poor attitude?”

Firstly,isperformance‘punished’? AnexampleofthiswouldbeanoperatorusinginitiativetohelpaclientwithacrisisandthenbeingscoldedfornotadheringstrictlytotheStandardOperatingProcedureintheManual.Allowingtheteammembertouseinitiativeremovesthe‘punishment’andenhancesafeelingofself-worth.

Secondly,isthereisa‘reward’fornotperformingtostandard”?Forexample,ifteammembershavenottraditionallybeendisciplinedforpoorclientservice,thentheyarereceivingthe‘reward’ofbeingabletomaintainbelow-standardperformancewithoutanysanction.(FortunatelymostCellphonecompanieshavesystemsinplacetomonitorandthenexertdisciplineforpoorperformance).


Manymanagersintheworldofworksee‘training’oralternatively‘takingdisciplinaryaction’assimplesolutionstoimproveperformance.Providingcontinuousfeedbackonaformal,structuredbasisensuresthattheteamleadermaintainsmotivationbyfocusingontherealissuesandaddressingthese(notnecessarilybymeansoftraining)andutilisingtheopportunitytogainvaluableinputsfromteammembers.

3. Providing recognition to team members who have contributed to the team

Thereisanexpressionthatisequallyusefulinthecontextofthe‘worldofwork’asitisinsport.Itis:“Feedback is the breakfast of champions!”

Ifyoubelievethatfeedback is a motivator in its own right,thenyouhaveunderstoodboththisexpressionandtheinformationonmotivationprovidedinthisunitstandard.

Givingteammembersfeedbackprovidesasignalthatsays;‘youandtheworkthatyoudoarebothimportantenoughformetotakethetimetoprovidefeedbackonhowIviewyourcontribution’.

If,however,thisfeedbackisnotspecific–thenitwillbelimitedinreinforcinggoodperformanceorimprovingpoorperformance.

3.1 Specific recognition Intheworldofworkitisinterestingtonotethatalotofeffortgoesintoprovidingfeedbackonpoorperformancecomparedtothetimetakentogivepositivefeedbackforcontributionsmade.Manyemployeescomplainabouta‘blameculture’thatexistsintheirorganisationandthat“managementonlytalktouswhenthereisaproblem!”Thiswidespreadperceptionisbasedonalackoffeedbackwhenemployeeshavemadeapositivecontribution.

Thirdly,doesperformance‘really matter?’Iftherearenoincentivesforperformingwellthenitmaybeasimpleissueofdevelopingbetterperformancestandardsandimplementingincentivestomeetthesestandards.

Lastly,arethere‘obstacles’toperforminguptostandard?Ifthereisaproblemofinadequateoperatorspershiftwhichleadstoclientswaitingfortoolongbeforethereisaresponse,thenremovingthese‘obstacles’byemployingsufficientoperatorswillsolvetheproblem.Thismightnotbewithinyourauthoritytodecide,butitcanbetakenintoaccountwhengivingfeedbacktoteammembers.Peopleremainmotivatedwhentheyknowtheyarenotbeingheldresponsibleforfactorsoutsideoftheircontrol.


However,recognisingemployeesbymakingbroadstatementsthankingthemfortheirloyaltyandcommitmenthasverylimitedimpact!Wesawearlierthatrecording‘criticalincidents’enabledtheteamleadertoprovidespecificfeedbackbyusingthese‘incidents’toillustrateageneralperformanceissue.Thismustbetheapproachtorecognisingteammembers–recognitionmustbesincereandrelatedtospecificvalue-addingcontributions.

Whetherthefeedbackis‘one-on-one’suchas:“Sipho, I have called you in to thank you for working overtime on Tuesday when I asked you at very short notice. I know you missed your normal lift because of the overtime. This is an example of your commitment and I will make a note of it and send it to HR to place on your Personal File. Thanks a lot!”oritisinateamsituationsuchas:“ Guys, I want to specifically thank Sipho for stepping in last Tuesday when Kobus was off sick. He really helped us meet our targets. Sipho, you set an example for all of us – thanks a lot!” itisapowerfulformofrecognitionthatweknowisarealmotivator!

3.2 Forms of recognition Recognitiontakesmanyforms.Itmaybeasimpleasverbalfeedbackonaspecificperformanceaccomplishmentormaybeacomplexschemethatoffersincentivebonuses.

Youmayrememberthatexhibit4identifiedanumberof‘rewards’–bothintrinsicandextrinsic.Allofthesecanbeutilisedtoprovideteammemberswithrecognitionfortheirachievements.Exhibit14providesalistofactionsthatcanbeusedtorecogniseteammemberswhohavecontributedtotheteam.

Exhibit 14: Actions taken to recognise team members

Recognition

Non-financial

• Provide opportunities for personal growth

• Offer more job responsibility

• Allow more participation in decision-making

• Create opportunities for job enrichment

• Change the Job Title• Public Recognition• Allow extra time off

Financial

• Award a high merit increase in salary

• Offer performance bonuses

• Offer share options • Implement a Suggestion

Scheme• Offer free trips or

entertainment


Manyorganisationshavestrictpoliciesinregardtorecognisingachievementbyfinancial means.Themainreasonsfortheseareeitherthat;individualshaveabusedasysteminthepast,orthatithasbeendifficulttoadministerinsuchawayastokeepitfair.Non-financial forms of recognitionarenotnearlyascomplexorasexpensivetoimplementandyetactasdefinitemotivators,IFappliedcreatively and consistently.Thesetwofactorsareveryimportanttoensurethatrecognitionleadstomotivationand,inturn,tocontinuousimprovementinperformance.

Youcanstepintomanyorganisationsandfindphotosandrollsofhonourrecognisingthe‘EmployeeoftheYear’and‘BestNewcomer’etc.thathavestoppedbeingusedmorethan3yearsago!Onceaformalwayofrecognisingemployeeshasbeenintroduced,itmustbemaintainedandupdatedwithfreshideastomakeiteffective.

Withinateamcontext,oneofthemostpowerfulformsofrecognitionisawardingextratimeoffonfullpaytothoseteammemberswhohavemadeanextracontribution.Thisisnotassimplisticasitmaysound.FormallyannouncingattheThursdaymorningteamreviewmeetingthatZolekawillbeabletoleaveworkat12h00onFridaybecauseofherspecificcontributiontomeetingthedebtcollectiontargetsforthismonthisareallymeaningful‘reward’.

ShewillbeabletodothingsonFridaythatwouldnormallyhavetakenuppartofherweek-end,andwhichisnowfreeforhertoplansocialactivities.Thebenefitstotheorganisationofhavingahighly-motivatedemployeeworkinghardtoachieveteamtargetsfaroutweighsthe‘cost’ofpayingherforafewhourswhennotpresentatwork.

3.3 Celebrating success

Finally,asmuchasformalrecognitionisapowerfulmotivator,celebratingitwithotherteammemberstakesittoanotherlevel.Exhibit15providesexamplesof‘celebrating’thesuccessofindividualswhohavemadethatextracontributiontotheteam.


Exhibit 15: Celebrating success in a team

Examples of recognising the contribution of individual team members

Employee of the Month Awards:Teammembersvoteonwhohasmadethebiggestcontributiontoteamsuccess.Eachrecipientispresentedwithaspecialbadgeandhastheirphotoprominentlydisplayedintheworkplace.Thisisparticularlyeffectiveinateamdealingwithcustomerswhooftenaddtheirowncongratulations,thusincreasingtheperson’sfeelingofachievement.

Thisisanexampleofshort-term recognition.Attheendofthemonthteammembersvoteagainonwhowillbenextmonth’sawardrecipient.

Status Awards:ExecutiveManagementdecideonspecificcriteriaforawardingteammembersacertainstatusinrecognitionoftheircontribution.Thecelebrationisnormallyintheformofaformalfunctionatwhichrecipientsreceiveatrophyorframedcertificate.Theawardsarepublicizedthroughouttheorganisation.

Thisisanexampleoflong-term recognition.Thestatusawardiskeptbytheindividualforever.Forexample,PamGoldingProperties,oneofthelargestpropertygroupsinSouthAfricahas‘GoldClubAwards’fortheiragents“who have achieved and maintained a consistently high level of excellent service and have adhered to the strictest principles of ethical conduct.”


Unit standard: Learning reinforcement exercise

Answerthefollowingquestionsbywritingyouranswersinthespaceprovided-usingyourownwords.Trytocompletethewholeexercisebeforeyoulookuptherightanswers.

1. Sustainablesintheworldofworkdependsonhowanorganisation’humanresourcesaretoperform.

2. Thebestcompaniesintheworlddothefollowinginordertokeeptheirpeoplemotivated:

a)

b)

c)

d)

3. Vroom’sexpectancymodelrequirethate,iandvareallinplaceinordertohaveastronglevelofm.

4. InMaslow’shierarchyofneeds:

a) Thefirstlevelofneedsarep

b) Thesecondlevelofneedsarefors

c) Afterthattheneedforshastobesatisfied

d) Theforthlevelisforseand

e) Thehighestlevelisforsa

5. Herzberg,ontheotherhand,feltthatalthoughsomefactorswere,otherswereonlyhfactors.HefeltthatmostofthesuccessfulmotivatorsareIsuchasrecognitionandpersonalgrowth.


6. McClellandproposedthattheindividualwithahighneedforahasadesiretoexcelincomparisontoothersandthattheindividualwithahighneedforahasadesireforcloserelationshipsandtofeelaccepted.

7. Animportantwayofestablishingwhetherornotteammembersaremotivatedwithinanorganisation,istoconductanEmployeeas

8. Competencecomprises:

a. A

b. S

c. K

d. P

e. Vand,

f. A

9. Conductingapsahelpsustobuildonourpersonalstrengthsandtoworkonappropriatedevelopmentareas.

10. Peoplewhohaveanlocusofcontrol,tendtobelievethattheirperformanceisofteninfluencedbyfactorsbeyondtheircontrolsuchasbadluckorpoormanagement.Ontheotherhand,thosewhohaveanlocusofcontrol,takefullresponsibilityfortheirperformance.

11. Inthe‘stop-start-continue’exercise,‘stop’means

,‘start’meansand‘continue’means


12. InAdams’equitytheory,highperformingemployeesexpectagreater/smallersalaryincreaseinrelationtotheirownicomparedtothatreceivedbyotheremployeeswhoseiis,intheirperception,lower.

13. Makingajobmoremeaningfulbymeansofjrshouldleadtoimprovedemployeesandthusmthemtoworksmarter.Awell-designedjobshouldprovideemployeeswithsv,ti,ts,aandf

14. Ateamleadercanreallybuildateambyreducingresistance.Thiscanbedoneby:

buildingt communicatingcando involvingtmindecisions

15. Ahighperformancecultureincludesasharedvthateveryonesupports,astrongco,anobsessionwithqandcontinuousiwhereallemployeesfeelempoweredtomakeacontribution.

16. Effectiveexecutionofactionplansrequires: theallocationoframongstteammembers specificdd mechanismstomprogressand,whenrequired, makingatotheplan.

17. Ciprovideclearexamplesofthepointthatyouwanttomakeduringafeedbacksession.

18. Recognitioncanbeprovidedbyfornon means.


19. Thespecificstepsusedduringaformalfeedbackprocessare: 1.reviewthe 2.reflectoncomparedto 3.seekforv 4.discusspreventingtheteamfrom 5.developfutureAPtorectifypoor ortoenhancegood

20. Statusawardsareanexampleoftermrecognitionforcontributiontoteamperformance.

team leader techniques

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