BSBWOR502( Lead And Mange Team Effectiveness)

Learner Guide

BSBWOR502 Lead and Manage Team

Effectiveness

This learner guide is copyright protected and belongs to:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2

COURSE INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5

ABOUT THIS GUIDE …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 ABOUT THIS RESOURCE ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 ABOUT ASSESSMENT ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6

ELEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE CRITERIA ………………………………………………………………………….. 8

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE …………………………………………………………………………………… 10

KNOWLEDGE EVIDENCE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 REQUIRED SKILLS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10

ASSESSMENT CONDITIONS …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12

PRE-REQUISITES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12

TOPIC 1 – ESTABLISH TEAM PERFORMANCE PLAN ………………………………………………………………. 13

CONSULT TEAM MEMBERS TO ESTABLISH A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF TEAM

PURPOSE, ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH

ORGANISATIONAL GOALS, PLANS AND OBJECTIVES ……………………………………………………………. 13

FUNCTIONAL WORK TEAMS …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 WHAT IS CONSULTATION? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14 SETTING CLEAR GOALS TO IMPROVE TEAMWORK ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15 TEAM DYNAMICS AND PERFORMANCE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16 GAINING CONSENSUS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17

DEVELOP PERFORMANCE PLANS TO ESTABLISH EXPECTED OUTCOMES, OUTPUTS, KEY

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AND GOALS FOR WORK TEAM ………………………………………………. 19

PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20 DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21

SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS IN MEETING EXPECTED PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES ………….. 22

SUPPORTING TEAM MEMBERS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 22

TOPIC 2 – DEVELOP AND FACILITATE TEAM COHESION …………………………………………………….. 23

DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ENSURE TEAM MEMBERS HAVE INPUT INTO PLANNING,

DECISION MAKING AND OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF WORK TEAM ……………………………………. 23

DEVELOP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ENSURE TEAM MEMBERS TAKE

RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN WORK AND ASSIST OTHERS TO UNDERTAKE REQUIRED

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24

PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO TEAM MEMBERS TO ENCOURAGE, VALUE AND REWARD

INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM EFFORTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS …………………………………………………. 26

PROVIDING REGULAR INFORMAL FEEDBACK ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 26 PROVIDING EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 FOCUS ON SPECIFIC BEHAVIOURS …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 27

Consider the timing of feedback ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 27 Focus on behaviour that the receiver can do something about …………………………………………………………………………………………. 27

Consider the needs of the person receiving the feedback …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28 Solicit feedback rather than impose it ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 28

REINFORCING EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28

DEVELOP PROCESSES TO ENSURE THAT ISSUES, CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED

BY TEAM MEMBERS ARE RECOGNISED AND ADDRESSED …………………………………………………… 31

TOPIC 3 – FACILITATE TEAMWORK ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 32

ENCOURAGE TEAM MEMBERS AND INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN AND TO TAKE

RESPONSIBILITY FOR TEAM ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION PROCESSES …… 32

DELEGATION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 32 DELEGATING TO STAFF TASKS THAT ARE PART OF THEIR DUTIES ……………………………………………………………………….. 32 HOW TO DELEGATE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 33 IMPLEMENT STAFF COMMUNICATION AND MOTIVATION PROGRAMS ………………………………………………………………….. 34 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 34 INTERNAL DOCUMENTATION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35

Logbook/communication book ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35 MOTIVATION ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35 PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES ……………………………………………………………………………………. 35 EMPOWERMENT ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 36 OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37

SUPPORT THE TEAM IN IDENTIFYING AND RESOLVING WORK PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 38

CONDUCT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORGANISATIONAL PROTOCOLS AND TIMELINES

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 38 MONITORING PERFORMANCE ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS ……………………………………………………………………………………… 38 IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING POOR PERFORMANCE ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 39

Poor task allocation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39 Poor communication of the task requirements …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 39 Insufficient support ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 40 Motivational problems ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 41

ADDRESSING POOR PERFORMANCE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 41

ENSURE OWN CONTRIBUTION TO WORK TEAM SERVES AS A ROLE MODEL FOR OTHERS

AND ENHANCES THE ORGANISATION’S IMAGE FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS ………………………. 43

WHAT TO ASSESS? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 43 DEVELOPING AND REVIEWING PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES …………………………………………………………….. 44 ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT ………………………………………………………………………………………. 45 REVIEWING PERSONAL PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE……………………………………………………………………………………….. 46 ROLE-MODELLING BEHAVIOUR ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 47

TOPIC 4 – LIAISE WITH STAKEHOLDERS ……………………………………………………………………………….. 49

ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN OPEN COMMUNICATION PROCESSES WITH ALL

STAKEHOLDERS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 49

COMMUNICATE INFORMATION FROM LINE MANAGER/MANAGEMENT TO THE TEAM …. 51

COMMUNICATE UNRESOLVED ISSUES, CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS RAISED BY TEAM

MEMBERS AND FOLLOW-UP WITH LINE MANAGER/MANAGEMENT AND OTHER

RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 52

APPROACHES TO COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 52

EVALUATE AND TAKE NECESSARY CORRECTIVE ACTION REGARDING UNRESOLVED

ISSUES, CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS RAISED BY INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL

STAKEHOLDERS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 54

ORAL WARNING ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 54 WRITTEN WARNING ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 54

SUMMARY ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 56

REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 57

COURSE INTRODUCTION

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This resource covers the unit BSBWOR502 – Lead and manage team effectiveness.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to lead teams in the workplace and to

actively engage with the management of the organisation.

It applies to individuals working at a managerial level who facilitate work teams and build a

positive culture within their work teams. At this level, work will normally be carried out using

complex and diverse methods and procedures requiring the exercise of considerable discretion

and judgement, using a range of problem solving and decision making strategies.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of

publication.

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE

This resource brings together information to develop your knowledge about this unit. The

information is designed to reflect the requirements of the unit and uses headings to makes it

easier to follow.

Read through this resource to develop your knowledge in preparation for your assessment. You

will be required to complete the assessment tools that are included in your program. At the back

of the resource are a list of references you may find useful to review.

As a student it is important to extend your learning and to search out text books, internet sites,

talk to people at work and read newspaper articles and journals which can provide additional

learning material.

Your trainer may include additional information and provide activities. Slide presentations and

assessments in class to support your learning.

ABOUT ASSESSMENT

Throughout your training we are committed to your learning by providing a training and

assessment framework that ensures the knowledge gained through training is translated into

practical on the job improvements.

You are going to be assessed for:

 Your skills and knowledge using written and observation activities that apply to your

workplace.

 Your ability to apply your learning.

 Your ability to recognise common principles and actively use these on the job.

You will receive an overall result of Competent or Not Yet Competent for the assessment of this

unit. The assessment is a competency based assessment, which has no pass or fail. You are either

competent or not yet competent. Not Yet Competent means that you still are in the process of

understanding and acquiring the skills and knowledge required to be marked competent. The

assessment process is made up of a number of assessment methods. You are required to achieve

a satisfactory result in each of these to be deemed competent overall.

All of your assessment and training is provided as a positive learning tool. Your assessor will

guide your learning and provide feedback on your responses to the assessment. For valid and

reliable assessment of this unit, a range of assessment methods will be used to assess practical

skills and knowledge.

Your assessment may be conducted through a combination of the following methods:

 Written Activity

 Case Study

 Observation

 Questions

 Third Party Report

The assessment tool for this unit should be completed within the specified time period following

the delivery of the unit. If you feel you are not yet ready for assessment, discuss this with your

trainer and assessor.

To be successful in this unit you will need to relate your learning to your workplace. You may be

required to demonstrate your skills and be observed by your assessor in your workplace

environment. Some units provide for a simulated work environment and your trainer and

assessor will outline the requirements in these instances.

ELEMENTS AND PERFORM ANCE CRITERIA

1. Establish team

performance plan

1.1 Consult team members to establish a common understanding of

team purpose, roles, responsibilities and accountabilities in

accordance with organisational goals, plans and objectives

1.2 Develop performance plans to establish expected outcomes,

outputs, key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals for work team

1.3 Support team members in meeting expected performance

outcomes

2. Develop and facilitate

team cohesion

2.1 Develop strategies to ensure team members have input into

planning, decision making and operational aspects of work team

2.2 Develop policies and procedures to ensure team members take

responsibility for own work and assist others to undertake required

roles and responsibilities

2.3 Provide feedback to team members to encourage, value and

reward individual and team efforts and contributions

2.4 Develop processes to ensure that issues, concerns and problems

identified by team members are recognised and addressed

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

take responsibility for team activities, including communication

processes

3.2 Support the team in identifying and resolving work performance

problems

3.3 Ensure own contribution to work team serves as a role model for

others and enhances the organisation’s image for all stakeholders

4. Liaise with stakeholders 4.1 Establish and maintain open communication processes with all

stakeholders

4.2 Communicate information from line manager/management to

the team

4.3 Communicate unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised

by team members and follow-up with line manager/management and

other relevant stakeholders

4.4 Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding

unresolved issues, concerns and problems raised by internal or

external stakeholders

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

This describes the essential knowledge and skills and their level required for this unit.

KNOWLEDGE EVIDENCE

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 Explain how group dynamics can support or hinder team performance

 Outline strategies that can support team cohesion, participation and performance

 Explain strategies for gaining consensus

 Explain issue resolution strategies

REQUIRED SKILLS

Evidence of the ability to:

 Use leadership techniques and strategies to facilitate team cohesion and work

outcomes including:

o Encouraging and fostering shared understanding of purpose, roles and

responsibilities

o Identifying and resolving problems

o Providing feedback to encourage, value and reward others

o Modelling desired behaviour and practices

 Develop policies and procedures to ensure team members take responsibility for own

work and assist others to undertake required roles and responsibilities

 Establish processes to address issues and resolve performance issues

 Support team to meet expected performance outcomes including providing formal

and informal learning opportunities as needed

 Develop performance plans with key performance indicators (kpis), outputs and

goals for individuals or the team which incorporate input from stakeholders

 Communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders about team performance plans

and team performance

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

team performance

 Evaluate and take necessary corrective action regarding unresolved issues, concerns

and problems raised by internal or external stakeholders.

ASSESSMENT CONDITION S

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the

performance criteria, required knowledge and skills, the range statement and the assessment

guidelines for this Training Package.

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates

consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the industry capability – workplace

effectiveness field of work and include access to:

 Workplace documents

 Case studies and, where possible, real situations

 Office equipment and resources

 Interaction with others

 Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements

PRE-REQUISITES

This unit must be assessed after the following pre-requisite unit:

There are no pre-requisites for this unit

TOPIC 1 – ESTABLISH TEAM PERFORMANCE PLAN

CONSULT TEAM MEMBERS TO ESTABLISH A COMMON

UNDERSTANDING OF TEAM PURPOSE, ROLES,

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES IN

ACCORDANCE WITH ORGANISATIONAL GOALS, PLANS AND

OBJECTIVES

A team is commonly defined as a small number of people with complementary skills who are

committed to:

 A common purpose

 Specific performance goals which are an integral part of the purpose;

 A common approach to how the team works together to achieve the team’s purpose

 Mutual accountability

Generally, teams are made up of an organisation’s own workforce, including full‐time, part‐time

and temporary labour.

Below is some of the typical team types encountered in the work environment:

 Functional work team (these teams will be the key focus of this workbook)

 Problem-solving teams

 Project teams

 Committee’s

 Virtual teams

FUNCTIONAL WORK TEAMS

“Functional work teams are based on the structure of the organisation. Every individual in the

team performs tasks to support the team in achieving the targets and contributing to

organisational results. Functional work teams also take on the role of problem-solving or gaining

consensus.”1

The benefits of work teams to organisations are:

 Increased commitment when decision making is pushed down to team members

 Problems are solved by the people who perform and understand the job

 Productivity and flexibility are increased due to employee empowerment

WHAT IS CONSULTATION?

The opportunity to provide and receive information and to participate in meaningful discussion on relevant matters affecting the way we do or manage things in the workplace.

Involvement by all members of the team means that any workplace changes will be more readily accepted and implemented. Everyone wants to be informed and asked for their ideas. It will also ensure clarity for staff members around their roles and responsibilities in relation to team performance.

1 http://www.softwarepublications.com.au/files/Samples/Sample%20pages%20from%202-10- 4%20BSBWOR502B%20Ensure%20team%20effectivness%20LG%205%20Jan%202012-2.pdf

What makes good consultation?

 Being provided with information and allowed to participate without condemnation

 Time to fully consider the matters raised

 Being kept informed of discussions and decisions2

SETTING CLEAR GOALS TO IMPROVE TEAMWORK

A team without a goal is like a house without a frame – it will simply fall apart with the slightest

nudge. Every organisation, whether it produces cars or assists people with their health needs,

should have a clear goal in mind. Individual teams must understand what that goal is, and know

their role – both individually and as a group – in accomplishing it.

Keep all goals posted somewhere highly visible in the office. Refer back to them whenever team

members start losing sight of what’s important.

To accomplish your goal, the team must have the right tools. At the beginning of the project,

create a list of everything you’ll need — in terms of both staffing and resources.

Set up a results-oriented structure that encourages the team to achieve its goals. For example, the

goal of an IT team in an advertising agency might be to upgrade the design equipment so the

agency can launch a new social media campaign. The goal of a health centre might be to assist

clients/patients with referrals to specialists and providing information on good health and

exercise programs. Set up a list of tasks that will lead you to your final goal, with specific

deadlines to accomplish each of these tasks. Make sure each team member commits to finishing

each task on schedule.

Accountability is important in a team goal setting. Members need to understand that each of

them will be personally responsible if the team succeeds – and if it fails. Members who slack off

need to bear responsibility, and those who excel should be recognised. Have a clear and obvious

method in place for measuring the team’s success.3

2 http://legalrepresentations.co.uk/Services/Consultations.aspx 3 http://money.howstuffworks.com/business/starting-a-job/how-to-improve-teamwork-i…

TEAM DYNAMICS AND PERFORMANCE

Team dynamics are a very important part of working life. They can have a big impact on:

 The profitability of an organisation

 Whether people enjoy their work

 Staff retention rates

 Team and individual performance

 Company reputation

 And many others

However, team dynamics are often neglected or ignored. This can have a significant impact on

the way a team works.

Team dynamics can make a significant different to team performance though unproductive

conflict, mistrust, demotivation, the loss of skilled staff, and the loss of revenue.

If you identify that the team is not working well there are some things that you can do:

 A change of organisational structure, reassignment of personnel, or change of office

layout.

 Bespoke team development workshops designed to address specific work or team

performance issues.

 Personality workshops that increase awareness of interpersonal dynamics.

 Change workshops, aimed at addressing latent fears and resistance to the work of the

team.

 Stakeholder workshops, to give the team a wider perspective or understand others’

views of the team’s performance.

 A cultural change program to introduce new types of attitudes and behaviours to the

organisation’s norms.

 New processes, tools, or technology, e.g. to facilitate better communication.4

4 http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/team/dynamics/strategies/

GAINING CONSENSUS

Consensus building (also known as collaborative problem solving or collaboration) is a conflict-

resolution process used mainly to settle complex, multiparty disputes. The process allows various

stakeholders (parties with an interest in the problem or issue) to work together to develop a

mutually acceptable solution.

The stages of consensus building include:

 Identifying the problem

 Identifying the participants and recruiting others

 Convening: Actually convening the process involves several steps. They include

securing funds, finding a location, and choosing a convener and/or mediator or

facilitator.

 Process Design: This is usually done by the person or group acting as facilitators or

mediators, although they usually involve the parties to some extent, sometimes to a

large extent. At the least they will design a process, present it to the parties, and get

their approval on it.

 Problem definition and analysis. This goes much farther than the “problem

identification” of step one. Rather it identifies all the issues, and all the ways the

stakeholders have of “framing” or defining the problem(s) or conflicting issues.

 Identification and evaluation of alternative solutions. Before the group decides on any

single course of action, it is best to explore a variety of options or alternative

solutions.

 Decision making: Eventually, the choice is narrowed down to one approach, which is

fine-tuned, often through a single negotiating text, until all the parties at the table

agree. This is where consensus building differs from majority rule decision making in

that everyone involved must agree with the final decision — there is no vote.

 Approval of the agreement: The negotiators then take the agreement back to their

team members or those who are affected by the decision and try to get it approved.

 Implementation: This is the final phase of consensus building. Consensus building

often results in creative and strong agreements, but implementing those agreements is

an entirely separate task. If careful attention is not given to certain issues during the

implementation phase, agreements may fall apart. These issues include building

support with those who are affected by the agreement, monitoring the agreement,

and ensuring compliance.5

5 http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/consensus-building

DEVELOP PERFORMANCE PLANS TO ESTABLISH EXPECTED

OUTCOMES, OUTPUTS, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

AND GOALS FOR WORK TEAM

Performance planning is developed at the beginning of a new role or performance cycle. It is the

process of discussing and agreeing on:

 Output

 Conduct and behaviour

 Knowledge and skills

It provides an on-going platform for continuous improvement, review and performance

evaluation.

You can use a team-based approach to performance management by developing a performance

plan for a team rather than an individual. In this case, you will need to ensure that everyone

knows what is expected of them within that plan.

There are two stages at which a performance plan should be developed:

Initially – upon employment or new job role. These plans include:

 KPI’s

 Goals for improvement

 Team building goals

Upon the need for improvement – when an employee lacks in performance and performance

improvement plan should be developed. Inadequate or poor performance can have a number of

negative impacts on individuals and teams. As a Team Leader, you may experience decreases in

team productivity and cohesiveness and an increase in conflict and dissatisfaction.

A Performance Improvement Plan should provide performance criteria on:

 The area of performance that requires improvement

 The action to be taken

 Anyone required to assist in the achievement of the set actions (i.e. mentor, buddy)

 The timeframe for achieving each action

 How performance improvement will be reviewed

 When performance improvement will be evaluated

Below is a generic performance plan template for you to use. Your organisation may have its

own that you should use if available.

PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT

Employee:

Role:

Date:

Review Dates:

Date:

Date:

Date:

Task/ responsibilities

Key outcomes

Actual Performance

<List the tasks and areas of

responsibilities relevant to the

position>

<Describe what doing the job

well looks like>

<Comments on performance as at

review dates>

Employer Signature:

Employee Signature:

DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

The following development needs have been discussed and agreed to be undertaken over the next

<number of> months.

Areas for development

Actions

<These can be tasks, skills or behaviours that

following discussions are agreed to require

development>

<These are activities that will assist in development. They could be

class training at TAFE, on-the-job training, coaching from someone

with the required skill >

Employer Signature:

Employee Signature:

SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS IN MEETING EXPECTED

PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES

Teams are the backbone that drives most organisations. Whether it’s a functional team, a team of managers or a project team, people get most done when they work together effectively. So when members of a team don’t work well together, performance and productivity can suffer. That’s not good for anyone.

Hostility, conflicting goals, and unclear expectations within your team are symptoms of an unhealthy team. To avoid these harmful effects, you need be proactive about improving team performance. And even when a team is meeting its objectives, there’s often room for improvement.

Supporting your team through good team coaching can help to take your team to the next level. It’s a worthwhile activity and is an essential tool for management and leadership.

SUPPORTING TEAM MEMBERS

It is important to support team members to ensure that team goals are met. Supporting team members involves:

 Advising on policies, procedures, instructions, etc.

 Assisting team members as required

 Solving problems

 Providing encouragement

 Providing feedback

 Undertaking extra tasks if necessary

TOPIC 2 – DEVELOP AND FACILITATE TEAM COHE SION

DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO ENSURE TEAM MEMBERS HAVE

INPUT INTO PLANNING, DECISION MAKING AND

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF WORK TEAM

The people you work with are your most important resource. Their skills, knowledge and

experience are the most important thing when developing an effective team. People performing a

role consistently will have invaluable knowledge that can be used to assist in achieving work

goals. They are familiar with what can go wrong, what difficulties there can be and what needs to

be done to get things right. Staff members who are involved and who participate in decision-

making and improvement processes feel most committed to making the changes work. They are

vital to the continuous improvement process.

As a leader, you will have responsibility for ensuring the team has the physical resources that they

need to complete their tasks effectively and achieve their goals, key performance indicators and

objectives.

Creating relationships with staff members will inevitably ensure effective working relationships.

Using the four following attributes of relationships will ensure a great team environment:

 Openness: providing information in a timely and effective manner is vital to teams.

Being open and honest means providing ALL the information needed to get the job

done.

 Honesty: honesty is vital to teamwork. Without honesty people will not trust you, so

make sure when you give answers and information they are given honestly and

sincerely.

 Productivity: Achieving results and increasing the productivity can enhance a working

relationship. It is important that you become accountable and cooperate in order to

achieve the teams aims and objectives

 Co-operation: this is vital to a team environment. Without co-operation there is no

team. Each person must know their role and perform their part in order to achieve

goals and objectives.

DEVELOP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ENSURE TEAM

MEMBERS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN WORK AND

ASSIST OTHERS TO UNDERTAKE REQUIRED ROLES AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

There are many policies and procedures that are written specifically for team members. These

may include:

 Organisational guidelines and systems that govern operational functions

 Procedures that detail the activities that must be carried out for the completion of

actions and tasks

 Standard operating procedures

You should ensure you have policies and procedures that outline how team members can take

responsibility for their own work and how they can assist others with their workload. For

example:

Below is a Policy on Employee Supervision and Appraisal used as an example.

1. Background Bowman Health Clinic is a non-profit organisation established for the purpose of supporting people with disabilities and their families living in the Shire of Elaine. The services offered by Bowman Health Clinic include group home accommodation, in-home respite, out-of-home respite, home help and community access. Community Enterprise is a non-profit, community organisation which is governed by a management committee elected annually by the members. Community Enterprise receives all of its operating funds from the Western Australian Government in the form of an annual grant. 2. Purpose and Scope The purpose of this policy is to set out specific procedures and performance standards to ensure that employees and volunteers of the organisation are properly supervised and their performance is regularly appraised. This policy is framed around Standard 8 of the Disability Services Standards (1993) and provides for the:

 Implementation of a performance based supervision system appropriate to the employee’s duties and responsibilities

 Documentation of the supervision process

 Linkage of training and development goals to the supervision process

 Linkage of performance appraisals to the supervision process and training and development goals This policy applies to all of the organisation’s programs and activities. 3. Policy Statement The organisation is committed to ensuring that all employees are properly supervised and their performance is regularly appraised. The policy aims to achieve this objective by implementing a formal supervision system linked to agreed training and development goals and an objective performance appraisal process. The policy will assist the organisation to meet its obligations under Standard 8 of the Disability Services Standards (1993) to practice sound management standards which maximise outcomes for consumers. 4. Procedures The following procedures are to be implemented to ensure that the organisation meets its policy objective of ensuring that all employees are properly supervised and appraised. The organisation will:

4.1 Establish formal supervision procedures for all organisation employees and volunteers.

4.2 Ensure that every employee and volunteer is allocated a supervisor and receives regular supervision. 4.3 Provide all employees in supervisory roles with appropriate written information and/or formal training on performance based supervision. 4.4 Ensure that all volunteers receive regular supervision in a manner and at a frequency that is appropriate to their tasks and responsibilities. 4.5 Ensure that all employees have one formal supervision session per month with their allocated supervisor. 4.6 Require the supervisor to maintain written records of the content and outcomes of each employee supervision session. 4.7 Require the supervisor to maintain an Employee Training and Development Record for each employee in accordance with the Policy on Employee Training and Development. 4.8 Complete an annual performance appraisal on all organisation employees at least once per year. 4.9 Include in the annual performance appraisal a rating of the employee’s performance against the duty statement, outcome of training and development activities, employee strengths and areas for improvement, and recommendations for further training and development.

5. Performance Standards The following performance standards must be met to ensure that the procedures specified in Section 4 are implemented effectively:

5.1 All new employees have been provided with a copy of the organisation’s Policy on Employee Supervision and Appraisal and a staff copy of the policy is kept in each service outlet. 5.2 All employees and volunteers have an identified supervisor. 5.3 Employees have received formal supervision at not less than monthly intervals. 5.4 Supervisors understand their role as a supervisor. 5.5 Written records of supervision sessions have been maintained in an appropriate file by the supervisor. 5.6 Employees have a written annual appraisal of their performance completed by their supervisor at least annually and within one month of their appointment anniversary date. 5.7 Any grievances have been addressed in accordance with the supervision and appraisal principles and procedures outlined in this policy and the Policy on Staff Grievances.

6. Review of the Policy This policy will be reviewed on a two yearly basis. However, if at any time the legislative, policy or funding environment is so altered that the policy is no longer appropriate in its current form, the policy will be reviewed immediately and amended accordingly. 6 (This policy was based on the Community Enterprise Inc. Policy on Management Committee Members. Code of Conduct)

As you can see there are procedures that outline the employee’s responsibilities in relation to

their own work and assisting others. There will be many more that are required for your

organisation and if you do not have them you will need to develop them in accordance with the

organisations guidelines in relation to developing policies and procedures.

6 http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/Global/Publications/For%20disability%20service%2…

PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO TEAM MEMBERS TO ENCOURAGE,

VALUE AND REWARD INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM EFFORTS

AND CONTRIBUTIONS

PROVIDING REGULAR INFORMAL FEEDBACK

Performance feedback has a high correlation with job satisfaction and employees are generally

not satisfied when feedback in the workplace is not effectively conducted.

Feedback illustrates what interpersonal communication is all about; a combination of

information, mutual understanding and recognition.

Feedback can be:

 General or be very specific

 Positive or negative

Performance feedback may also be used at different times. This is generally categories as

occurring either at:

 The time that the performance was observed

 A separate time from the task completion

Managers need to consider the use of the primacy-recency factor. This means that people tend

to remember the first and last things that are said, more than they remember the information in

the middle.

Feedback may contain negatives – a need for improvement, as opposed to positives – a

reinforcement of excellent behaviour. A manager can choose to leave the employee with

feedback that focuses on a positive or deliberately choose to leave the employee with feedback

that focuses on a negative – such as a need for immediate improvement.

Performance feedback generally refers to informal communication in the workplace about an employee’s abilities to meet the required outcomes and standards. The feedback and communication are generally not documented, or it may be noted in a manager’s diary.

PROVIDING EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

Feedback does not help resolve the causes of the problem, grievance or conflict? Consider

throwing the solution search back to the team member. Let them place the words around what

represents a satisfactory solution to the issues or matters underpinning the problem.

Listen actively and be willing to let them navigate a way to the root cause. Be prepared to co-

operate and offer assistance within your means and capabilities, even if some expectations cannot

be fully met. If a possible solution arises, confirm what can be done and be specific. Do not raise

expectations, and do not promise to take actions and adopt solutions that cannot be delivered.

Feedback is a vital learning tool that enables the identification of areas for improvement and the

ongoing support of learning activities. It is an important component of coaching and in

monitoring learning outcomes. Some of the reasons why feedback is not used more effectively in

organisations is that it requires communication skills that are not always present in individuals

and negative feedback is often ignored. People are usually happy to give and receive positive

feedback but often feel uncomfortable when it comes to addressing areas for improvement.

FOCUS ON SPECIFIC BEHAVIOURS

When giving feedback try to focus on the behaviour rather than the person. Avoid value

judgements such as “You have a bad attitude.” Not only is a statement like this too vague to offer

any practical suggestions for improvement, it is also guaranteed to provoke a defensive reaction.

Even positive feedback should state how the person has done a good job, according to their

clearly identifiable actions.

CONSIDER THE TIMING OF FEEDBACK

It is much more effective to provide feedback as soon as possible after the behaviour. This

establishes a link between the feedback and the behaviour that enables accurate reflection.

Feedback prior to the behaviour may also be effective in enabling the manager to provide

constructive advice before a mistake occurs.

FOCUS ON BEHAVIOUR THAT THE RECEIVER CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT

There is really no point giving feedback about someone’s personality or other personal issues that

they cannot change. This is incredibly alienating for an individual and leads to feelings of anger

and resentment. This doesn’t mean that some topics are not to be discussed, but it is much better

to focus sensitively on how the individual may improve using the skills at their disposal. Use

feedback to focus on goals rather than personalities.

CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF THE PERSON RECEIVING THE FEEDBACK

A previous recommendation suggested providing feedback straight after the event. This can be

dangerous sometimes when you are angry about what has happened. Do not use a feedback

opportunity to “dump” on the person. This might make you feel better, but it will inevitably

damage your relationship. As in the previous example, attempt to understand how the other

person feels and provide your perspective in a rational manner.

SOLICIT FEEDBACK RATHER THAN IMPOSE IT

Feedback is a two-way street; you can’t expect to give it without also receiving some in return.

Almost all of the previous examples of good feedback involve a question. Remember that

questions enable you to focus the individual’s attention on important underlying issues in a

productive, non-defensive manner. Your point of view is not always the best, and you should not

always try to impose your view on another. Be prepared to work on an issue cooperatively and

use feedback as a useful tool for uncovering problems before they eventuate.

REINFORCING EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE

Recognition is a communications tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes. When you recognise people effectively, you reinforce the actions and behaviours you most want to see your team repeat. An effective recognition system is simple, immediate, and powerfully reinforcing. When you consider employee recognition processes, you need to develop recognition that is equally powerful for both the organisation and the team member.

Recognition should be:

Jim Brintnall, in his article, “What Makes a Good Reward?” in Recognition News, Vol. 2, Issue 2, said “recognition has to be SMART! That means the rewards should be:

 Sincere – Above all else, a good reward should reflect a genuine expression of appreciation. Token acknowledgements leave something to be desired

 Meaningful – To endure a motivating influence, rewards should be aligned with the values, goals, and priorities that matter the most

 Adaptable – The diverse workplace demands alternatives. Consider creative options to keep your program fresh. No single reward format works for everyone all the time. [Recognition should be adapted and valuable to the receiver.]

 Relevant – Some personal dimension is essential to a good reward. No matter how formal or informal, expensive or affordable, the relevance of any recognition will be improved with a personal touch – it’s a little thing that makes a big difference. [Recognition should be provided by someone of significance to the receiver.]

 Timely – It is important that rewards respond to the behavior they are intending to reinforce. Don’t let too much time pass or the reward may be devalued and credibility eroded. To ensure that employees tie recognition into the work unit or agency’s strategic goals, be certain to tell employees what they did right and how it interacts with the goals. Provide the opportunity for recognition to come from a variety of sources. Peer-to-peer recognition usually is highly valued by employees. It can be used to develop a supportive work environment”

“For many employees, recognition received through the expression of genuine appreciation for the work they do is a reward. Being involved in a project or receiving special training may be another’s reward. Make no mistake, however, that most employees would not turn down a monetary, non-monetary or recognition leave reward!”7

“In developing your rewards incorporating gifts or prizes, remember that some employees will

receive them and others will not. Make sure you understand the goals of your reward and if a

particular reward works well in your work unit.

To ensure the recognition is motivating team members and adding value to the business the following criteria must be met:

7 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/operations/Planning-and-Training-Documents/Employee- Development/Recognition-Guide.pdf

 You need to establish criteria for what performance or contribution constitutes

rewardable behaviour or actions

 All team members must be eligible for the recognition

 The recognition must provide specific information about what behaviours or actions

are being rewarded and recognised

 Anyone who then performs at the level or standard stated in the criteria receives the

reward

 The recognition should occur as close to the performance of the actions as possible,

so the recognition reinforces behaviour you want to encourage8

8 http://humanresources.about.com/od/rewardrecognition/a/recognition_tip.htm

DEVELOP PROCESSES TO ENSURE THAT ISSUES, CONCERNS

AND PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED BY TEAM MEMBERS ARE

RECOGNISED AND ADDRESSED

You will often come across issues, concerns and problems in the workplace; this is just a fact of

life. You will need to ensure that there is a process for identifying and addressing these issues.

The solution is to have a process that you follow when you need to make a change or solve a problem; a process that will ensure you plan, test and incorporate feedback before you commit to implementation. “A popular tool for doing just this is the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle. This is often referred to as the Deming Cycle or the Deming Wheel after its proponent, W Edwards Deming. It is also sometimes called the Shewhart Cycle.” Deming is best known as a pioneer of the quality management approach and for introducing statistical process control techniques for manufacturing to the Japanese, who used them with great success. He believed that a key source of production quality lay in having clearly defined, repeatable processes. And so the PDCA Cycle as an approach to change and problem solving is very much at the heart of Deming’s quality-driven philosophy. The four phases in the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle involve:

 Plan: Identifying and analysing the problem

 Do: Developing and testing a potential solution

 Check: Measuring how effective the test solution was, and analysing whether it could be improved in any way

 Act: Implementing the improved solution fully There can be any number of iterations of the “Do” and a “Check” phase, as the solution is refined, retested, re-refined

and retested again.9

 Plan – First, identify exactly what the problem is. Then gather other information and

start deciding on a solution.

 Do – This phase involves several activities:

o Generate possible solutions

o Select the best of these solutions

o Implement a pilot project on a small scale basis

 Check – In this phase, you measure how effective the pilot solution has been, and

gather together anything you have learned from it that could make it even better. If

your check has come up with more problems, you may have to repeat the process.

 Act – Now you implement your solution fully.

Developing and implementing this problem solving tool will enhance your ability to manage

issues and problems faced daily in the workplace.

9 http://supplychainimprovers.org/tag/w-edwards-deming/

TOPIC 3 – FACILITATE TE AMWORK

ENCOURAGE TEAM MEMBERS AND INDIVIDUALS TO

PARTICIPATE IN AND TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TEAM

ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION PROCESSES

DELEGATION

Delegation is regarded as a legitimate role that managers must undertake. When delegating work

(or “tasks”), it is important that responsibilities are clearly defined.

Store policies in this regard may encourage – or prohibit – delegation of certain tasks to certain

positions, or limit the extent of the delegation that may occur. Further policies may indicate the

remuneration implications that are likely to flow from the delegation of certain tasks.

In this workplace context, delegation has two meanings:

 It can mean the allocating to team members tasks and responsibilities that are part of

their normal duties

 It can also mean allocating some of your own supervisory/managerial duties (tasks and

responsibilities) to team members who are willing to take these on10

DELEGATING TO STAFF TASKS THAT ARE PART OF THEIR DUTIES

The way that you go about delegation of tasks and responsibilities to team members depends on

the level of staff you are supervising.

Obviously, the more responsibility a staff member has, the less likely you are to delegate specific

tasks and responsibilities to them. You are more likely in this instance to agree on goals or

objectives and the employee will then go about determining and prioritising their own tasks.

But with less experienced staff and more junior or lower level positions; more direction is

required on the part of the manager.

10 http://www.waseantourism.com/ft/Approved%20Toolboxes%20&%20Competency%20stan…

HOW TO DELEGATE

Delegation is a great way to train team members. It gives them more responsibility, it stretches

them within the workplace and it demonstrates that you have faith in them as thinking, intelligent

people who can be trusted to do the job right and do the right thing by the store.

BUT, the delegation has to be done properly, or it can be one of the most disastrous and

counterproductive things you ever do. Some points to consider when delegating tasks and

responsibilities in this instance are:

 Make sure you are clear about the task to be done, and the responsibility to be

delegated

 Explain why the task has to be done, why the responsibility is being delegated, and

why it has to be done in the way you are specifying – clear communication and full

and detailed explanation (as is so often the case in so many other areas) is critical

here, too

 Choose the right time and place to inform the team member about the delegation – it

is best to do this in private rather than in public, so don’t do it where the person may

feel under pressure

 Plan the explanation – work out what you’ll say, the sequence you’ll explain it in, the

benefits of them being delegated to and any drawbacks that might be involved

 Plan for an appropriate amount of time to discuss things – don’t hurry the

explanation or it can be seen as manipulation

 Provide whatever instructions are necessary – in the correct and logical sequence,

explaining all of the steps

 Provide training and demonstration – to encourage participation and reduce possible

anxieties

 Continually check that the staff member genuinely understands what is being said or

shown to them – ask them questions or get them to demonstrate what is actually

required

 Give them positive feedback to make them positive and confident – never delegate

any task where you believe the person may fail

IMPLEMENT STAFF COMMUNICATION AND MOTIVATION PROGRAMS

There are numerous ways to communicate with staff. They include:

 Individual, one-on-one talks

 Formal, group meetings

 Non-verbal communication – never underestimate the value of body language

throughout the working day

 Written communications

Listen to your staff – there may be ways that they prefer to be supported, and certain

communication styles that they prefer.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

It is essential that new staff be informed of the protocols that apply to communicating within the

store. Failure to follow these store guidelines can create confusion, cause conflict and generate

feelings of ill-will.

The chain of command is simply the hierarchy that exists in the store and the organisational lines

that connect the different positions/job roles. Traditionally, team members are expected to

report to the person shown on the organisational chart as being the next one above them (or, in

organisational charts that are laid out horizontally, to their right).

In some cases, team members will be expected to communicate with numerous people while in

other settings all the communications go through just one person.

This style of reporting or communication ensures that information progresses through an

organisation in the “correct” sequence for that business. No people, or positions, are skipped –

things move “along the chain” in a predictable fashion according to preconceived arrangements.

Where this style of communication is the norm, you must ensure that you point out to staff that

going over someone’s head is to be frowned on. Team members must be urged to communicate

according to the lines set down in the organisational chart.

INTERNAL DOCUMENTATION

Not all communication is verbal, and most stores have a series of documents that function as

communications – message pads, order forms, sales dockets, memos, maintenance requests,

requisitions and applications for leave.

Make sure you inform staff of what documentation they need to complete, what needs to be

included, when they must be used, how many copies there must be, and where the document

goes once filled in.

It can be useful to give all new team members a completed sample document they can use as a

reference.

LOGBOOK/COMMUNICATION BOOK

Some businesses have a book of some sort that serves as the communication book for the office

or the department. Basically, this book, which can simply be an exercise book, is kept in a central

location and used by management to communicate with staff and by staff to communicate with

each other.

Where this is used, you must stress to team members that they are expected to check the book

daily and preferably twice a day. The book can advise of problems, suspicious people, upcoming

meetings, roster changes, new products and training arrangements.

MOTIVATION

A pivotal aspect of leading a team is to create an environment in which team members are

motivated to achieve high standards of performance. This is important for you and your career;

you need to realise that the way your staff perform is a direct reflection of your abilities.

Management will judge you, by the way, your staff members perform.

Motivation is a way of improving staff morale, gaining the cooperation of others, maintaining or

positively changing the culture of the business and raising team cohesion.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES

There is no simple, universal, single way of motivating all team members; staff members have

individual needs, and motivation programs should match their personal triggers.

Some guidelines are:

 Recognise individual differences

 Match people to jobs

 Use goals

 Ensure that goals are perceived as attainable

 Individualise rewards

 Link rewards to performance

 Check the system for equity

 Do not ignore money

It is definitely a difficult question to identify what motivates people. Much of the research on

motivation talks about incentives and rewards, which can be very successful; however, it is

known that for many people, job motivation is driven by more personal reasons – money is

frequently not a prime motivator. The motivating factors can be:

 A sense of achievement

 Recognition for a job well done

 Enjoying the work itself

 Having responsibility

 Having opportunities for advancement

If you’re not sure about what works as a motivator for your team members – try asking them.

This straightforward approach can create a beautiful win-win result for everyone.

EMPOWERMENT

Empowerment is the handing down of power to employees in an organisation. Power increases

motivation because people are able to improve their own effectiveness by choosing how to do a

task using their own creativity, ideas and methods.

Empowering employees’ means giving them the ability to act more freely and independently in

their jobs through providing them with:

 Information

 Knowledge

 Power

 Rewards

Never empower your staff unless you have permission to do so.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT

Opportunities for individual development within the organisation include:

 Internal and external training and/or professional development

 Change in job responsibilities

 Opportunity for greater responsibility

 Formal promotion

 Chance to perform in a higher position

 Becoming a mentor for someone

 Leading a training session for another department

 Being sent to a conference or similar as the business representative

Remember that, as a general rule, it is better spending time motivating and training staff than just

giving orders.

SUPPORT THE TEAM IN IDENTIFYING AND RESOLVING

WORK PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS

CONDUCT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH

ORGANISATIONAL PROTOCOLS AND TIMELINES

Most organisations will have set times when appraisals are conducted. In Australia, this is usually

in June and sometimes a second one in December, aligning with the Australian financial year.

Organisations operating in different financial years may have a different time. For example,

Australian companies that are Japanese subsidiaries have a financial year April 1 to March 30, and

so the performance appraisal is moved accordingly.

It is important to observe other protocols that exist with appraisals. These will be unique to each

organisation. For example, some companies have quotas on the percentage of people that can be

given a certain score. Statistically on a five point scale the score of all employees should be

spread according to a bell curve, so that 2.5% of people score 1, 15% score 2, 65% score 3, 15%

score 4 and 2.5% score 5. However, some companies allow a skew to the right so that the

average score is no longer 3, but a little higher. This is usually done to manage employees self-

esteem, as most people believe that they are better than ‘average’.

The dark columns show the distribution of scores under a normal bell curve, the light curve shows typical skewing.

MONITORING PERFORMANCE ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS

It is important to remember that performance needs to be continually monitored. There is no value in leaving difficult issues to appraisal time when the employee has no chance to rectify them, and undesirable behaviour or habits have become ingrained.

Performance, particularly underperformance, needs to be monitored regularly. This can be done with mini-deadlines for part of the task to get completed. Setting goals along the way is a useful tool to stop work being left to the last minute?

This topic is built upon in the next element. For example, if you were writing a book, you might aim to have each chapter finished by the end of each month. Mini deadlines, aligning with the overall deadline keep you on track.

IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING POOR PERFORMANCE

When tasks have not been completed to the manager’s satisfaction, remedial action must be taken to address the situation. This includes deciding on the cause of the poor work performance.

Poor work results can be caused by a number of factors and combinations of factors. This includes consideration of the following:

POOR TASK ALLOCATION

If the task was allocated to an inappropriate person, then the task completion is likely to be poor. Poor task allocation may occur because of:

 Manager allocating the task to a staff member who is not capable of completing the

task properly

 Insufficient employee training/skill development to complete the task to the required

standards

 To manage poor task allocation, the manager will need to redeem the situation by

considering the following:

 Managing to have the task completed properly so deadlines, etc. are met

 Identifying and dealing with the problem that stopped the employee from completing

the task properly. This could involve development such as coaching

 Recognising that particular people do not have the abilities to complete particular

tasks, so they are not allocated to them again

POOR COMMUNICATION OF THE TASK REQUIREMENTS

Communication of the task requirements must include information about the standards to be achieved. These include:

 Time frames

 Specific outcomes such as quality/quantity details

To manage poor communication, the manager needs to reconsider the:

 Communication method used

 Amount of information that was given

This may identify why the communication was not clearly understood and highlight a better way to organise the task completion next time.

INSUFFICIENT SUPPORT

This includes:

 Insufficient physical resources, such as equipment or packaging, to complete the task

properly

 Insufficient staff resources to simultaneously manage other tasks such as customer

service

To manage situations where tasks were not completed because of poor/insufficient resources,

the manager must consider the following:

 The physical resources that need to be provided for this task to be completed

properly next time

 Staff support that needs to be present so that the task can be completed properly in

the future

MOTIVATIONAL PROBLEMS

This includes:

 Poor individual employee’s motivation to incorporate task completion into the day’s

routine

 Poor general attitude in the store to the achievement of assigned tasks

To manage poor motivation, the manager needs to consider what can be done to improve on individual’s willingness and cooperation and/or to improve a general apathy that is occurring in the business.

This includes consideration of the following:

 Asking questions to identify the specifics of what is de-motivating staff members so

it can be addressed

 Offering rewards such as verbal acknowledgement or the offer of other more-prized

duties for completing task to meet the required standards

 Using punishments such as informal feedback, reduced hours or task allocation to

show that poor performance is linked to sustainability in the business

 Improving morale in the store where possible, by involving staff opinions and ideas

in the decision making and store organisation

ADDRESSING POOR PERFORMANCE

Most people don’t have a problem receiving positive feedback but it is often hard to address areas where performance has not met expectations. People often don’t want to be the bearer of bad news for fear of offending the other person and having to deal with their defensiveness.

The following tips are for providing constructive negative feedback:

 Use a source who has established credibility and respect;

 Use hard data to back up your position (e.g. sales figures and other performance

measures or specific examples of poor performance);

 Be objective, focus on the behaviour, not the person;

 End on a positive note, e.g. “Well it’s happened; what can we do about it?”

Building a communication relationship with a staff member will rely on how well you conduct

interpersonal communication during face-to-face contact. This relationship also may have to be

the basis used to address poor performance. While the organisation may have formal processes

for dealing with the poor performance it is still the responsibility of the relevant manager to

address the issue.

Many managers may wish to avoid this situation, but the cost of not doing so will cause further

problems.

Poor performance may be addressed by direct interview to diagnose the ‘problems/issues’ or a

coaching session. However, poor performance may also lead to counselling. Serious breaches or

repeat poor performance can lead to more formal grievance procedures and even dismissal.

Many managers prefer to address poor performance through the organisation’s formal

structures. This method is often chosen for both legal and policy reasons. Sometimes, however,

it is used because the poor performance was not addressed early enough as the manager wished

to avoid conflict.

ENSURE OWN CONTRIBUTION TO WORK TEAM SERVES AS A

ROLE MODEL FOR OTHERS AND ENHANCES THE

ORGANISATION’S IMAGE FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS

Leaders and managers should be involved in the growth and development of teams and in their

own personal self-development. There is a need to assess your current situation and identify

appropriate courses of action to address your own needs and future goals. This is part of role

modelling to staff members. If you address your own shortfalls in skills and knowledge, staff

members feel more inclined to do the same.

WHAT TO ASSESS?

When assessing your performance, there are three areas worthy of consideration:

 Personal attitude – This is the way you perform your job, your work ethic, your

predisposition to working overtime, going that extra step, putting in some extra

effort. Some people have the right attitude, some don’t, and some have it one day and

not the next. You have to know whether or not you need an attitude adjustment

 Your skills – These are your actual practical workplace skills as well as your

interpersonal and communication skills. They may embrace selling skills, as well as

demonstrating products, or they may embrace managerial tasks such as budgets,

rostering staff, negotiating, delegation, conflict resolution, problem-solving, team

building or leadership

 Your knowledge -This embraces your industry knowledge, your product knowledge,

and your knowledge about the facilities, policies, and services of your organisation

A commitment to lifelong learning and continuous improvement is a key to following through

and actually addressing identified self-development needs.

When assessing your existing competencies and development needs, they must be identified in

relation to your current position and your future career aspirations. This means you need to be

aware of what you want for your next career step, and where you want your career to take you.

There is little point in deciding to undertake a marketing degree if you aim is management, and

little point in doing an accounting course if the desire is to remain in sales.

DEVELOPING AND REVIEWING PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

OBJECTIVES

Once the need for personal self-development has been accepted, there is a need to develop

realistic, achievable and challenging objectives that will enable you to progress.

A word of warning! When setting these objectives, it is important to keep your eye on the ball.

There are numerous examples of ambitious managers setting self-development objectives that are

so demanding that their accomplishment badly affects their workplace performance and the job

they are being paid for suffers.

There is little point in gaining a qualification but losing a promotion, or jeopardising future

advancement, in the process. Being realistic is probably the most important of all considerations:

 Can you afford the course financially?

 Can you commit to the required time? Even part-time courses can require 20

hours/week minimum

 Will this course actually bring you closer to your identified objective, or is it simply a

“feel good” course that effectively achieves nothing?

 Does management at the store recognise and/ or value this course? Will they think

better of you for having done it?

 Will the course deliver the skills and knowledge that your planning/objectives have

deemed necessary?

 Can you still engage in the other activities that you need to – social, family, volunteer,

and sport – while undertaking the course or will you be too tired or otherwise

engaged?

Many people who start a course of self-development never review what they are doing – they

simply start whatever it is and press on until it is finished, regardless. This may be seen as being

focused, committed and single-minded, but it may also be regarded as a waste of time, money

and effort.

It may be that after 12 months, something has changed that necessitates a rethink of your self-

development program. If you stick to a commitment made 12 months ago, then you may be

wasting another four years on something that will be useless when completed.

Worse still, those who know what you are doing may see this as pig-headedness and a failure to

adapt to changing conditions – and that can sound the death knell career-wise.

One way of staying on track is to consult regularly with the person you have developed as your

workplace mentor. It is very useful to periodically check with this person about what it is they

think you should be focusing on.

Their perspective is likely to be different from yours, and may well be based on the information

you may not have – this can be knowledge they have about takeovers or information about

upcoming changes.

Above all, when your self-development is not achieving the results you intended, it is time to

make some changes – it is better to accept that the past 12 months have been wasted (in truth

though, no training is ever a total waste of time) than perpetuate the position and press on. Bite

the bullet, identify a better option and go for it.

ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT

Central to achieving your personal objectives is the absolute need for you to accept persona)

responsibility for your achievement. If you are to succeed you must with total certainty, realise

that whether you succeed or fail, is 100% your responsibility.

As they say “if it is to be, it is up to me”.

You must not allow yourself to be sucked into the thinking that permits you to transfer

responsibility to anyone or anything else. It may help if you think about what sort of message

your failure will send to management.

The key is that you must be prepared to adapt and do whatever it takes to complete. Usually,

problems centre around a lack of time so you must become more effective in your use of it – go

to bed later, get up earlier, make use of the spare 5-10 minute blocks that we all have during a

day.

Also, bear in mind that undertaking some course has lots of beneficial “hidden curriculum items”

that go with it. That is, doing a course does not just deliver “vocational” benefits, but also

provides other skills such as research skills, coping skills, time management, prioritising

workloads, planning and skills in meeting deadlines.

Management, too, know that when you have successfully completed a course, you not only have

the technical course skills, but also these other skills. And they factor those into their

appreciation of your talents and potential.

REVIEWING PERSONAL PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE

Closely allied to accepting personal responsibility is the need to regularly review progress with the

appropriate personnel.

The intention here is to:

 Gain feedback

 Stay on track

 Receive encouragement

 Fine-tune skills already obtained

 Test the depth and levels of skills and knowledge

 Maintain motivation

 Access support

 Modify efforts that are not achieving the desired outcomes

The “appropriate personnel” will vary depending on the self-development being undertaken, but

may include:

 Internal and external teachers and lecturers

 Management and/or store-owners

 Your life coach

 Other team members and store colleagues

 Your workplace mentor, coach or assessor

 Head office personnel

Each of these things will help you to become a good role model for staff members.

This aside; there are other actions that make you a pe4rfect role model to colleagues.

ROLE-MODELLING BEHAVIOUR

The strongest influence on employee behaviour is their direct team leader, and because of this

influence the importance of modelling the correct work practices and behaviours expected at

work, is paramount in effective leadership.

The leader who can gain the respect and admiration of their co-workers is often likely to gain

commitment to projects with a high standard of outcomes on a consistent basis.

When influencing others, the role model does not expect team members to mirror every aspect

of themselves, authenticity also comes from individuality. For example, when the focus is client

centric, effective role modelling guides team members on how they personally could take time

for the customer in various ways. Customer friendly role models can be observed showing

empathy to the customer and taking personal responsibility to follow through with requests.

Some characteristics of positive role models may include:

 Professional experience and credibility

 Strong communication skills

 Pay attention to their acts

 Effective listening skills

 Ability to build rapport internally and externally

 Encourage teamwork and cooperation

 Commitment to growth and development of others

How to be a good role model:

 Self-reflect. Reflect on actions and the reactions that they produce. Leaders who

understand why they do something in a particular way, will be able to guide others in

similar situations.

 Receive feedback. Self-awareness and an open mind to improve oneself is an

important trait in effective role modelling.

 Confidence in self and role. A favourable approach to tasks and problem solving

will be mirrored by others.

 Communicate. Good communication means listening as well as speaking. An

effective role model builds confidence in others. When people know what is expected

of them they are able to add value with their contributions.

 Show empathy. People need to know that they are being heard and understood, that

the challenges they face are supported and acknowledged by their manager.

 Have a clear vision. Setting clear expectations of short term and long term goals,

models the expectations of the business to all employees.

 Lead by example. Good leadership role models are honest and practice what they

preach.

TOPIC 4 – LIAISE WITH STAKEHOLDERS

ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN OPEN COMMUNICATION

PROCESSES WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS

You should try to establish a work environment in which you can freely communicate with team

members and stakeholders regularly. When talking about stakeholder we could be referring to:

 Board members

 Business or government contacts

 Funding bodies

 Union/employee groups and representatives

 Work teams

When you solicit feedback from stakeholders, you can learn about issues and resolve problems

before things escalate. Some of your stakeholders may have good ideas that can improve

workplace efficiency, but you may never hear about these ideas if you don’t establish open

communication with your staff. You can use several different media to communicate with your

stakeholders, but before the dialogue can begin you must first establish some ground rules.

 Step 1 – Share some communication ground rules with your stakeholders. Explain that people can’t use offensive language in the workplace or make incendiary comments that may be interpreted as racist, sexist or discriminatory. Make sure your employees understand that open communication doesn’t mean verbalising every thought that comes into your head. Everyone must act and communicate in a professional manner

 Step 2 – Explain key concepts to your team. Managers often communicate via acronyms or jargon that mean nothing to lower ranking employees. Give your employees a list of the acronyms that you commonly use and explain what the letters actually mean, because you can’t communicate effectively if your employees don’t understand the subject matter

 Step 3 – Schedule team meetings. Involve your entire team in weekly meetings, but make sure you schedule the meetings at appropriate times because your employees may think you’re not interested in communicating if you constantly reschedule or cancel meetings. Arrange the agenda for the meeting so you have ample time to communicate your ideas and your employees also have a chance to provide feedback

 Step 4 – Provide your employees with regular updates on important matters that may impact the workplace. Your workers will feel more in tune with the company if they hear about developments from you rather than having to wait to hear whispers on the grapevine. Openly address issues that may concern your employees, such as cutbacks and budget reductions, to let everyone know where they stand rather than springing unpleasant surprises on them

 Step 5 – Institute an open door policy. Literally leave your office door open if you can do so without disrupting your work. Many people perceive closed doors as barriers that managers put up to cut themselves off from their employees. You can encourage your employees to come to your office with questions and concerns, but they’re more likely to do so if they see an open door11

11 http://smallbusiness.chron.com/establish-open-communication-work-25071.html

There are many different ways of communication with stakeholders, and your organisation will

have its preferred methods.

COMMUNICATE INFORMATION FROM LINE

MANAGER/MANAGEMENT TO THE TEAM

Line Managers/Managers have many communication requirements. Line manager /management

may refer to chief executive officer, direct superior or other management representatives.

Predominantly they are responsible to:

 Explain complex information clearly, putting it in context and in practical ‘on-the-

job’ terms

 Communicate at different levels up and down the management structure

 Provide constructive feedback

 Lead change, not pass the buck to more senior management

 Accept accountability for the communication process

 Listening skills

 Coach employees

 ‘Sell’ ideas and changes, and acting as a catalyst

 Manage performance, identify and close performance gaps and develop capabilities

— this means being able both to understand the need for it and then see the process

through

Therefore, there is a great deal of information that needs to be communicated from the

Managers to the team. This communication process is vitally important.

Communication methods can include:

 Team meetings

 Emails

 Notices

 Announcements

 Any other form of communication your organisation uses

You will need to ensure the communication is clear and concise and is passed on in a timely

manner. Staff members need information on time so they can perform their roles as expected by

Management so you will need to ensure the information is passed on in the correct amount of

time.

COMMUNICATE UNRESOLVED ISSUES, CONCERNS AND

PROBLEMS RAISED BY TEAM MEMBERS AND FOLLOW-UP

WITH LINE MANAGER/MANAGEMENT AND OTHER

RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS

Communication in relation to issues and problems is vital if you are to provide your team with

effective leadership. This means there will be times when you need to communicate with line

managers and management to affect a solution for identified issues.

There are many skills you need to have to effectively communicate with anyone in your

organisation. These skills are called interpersonal skills – You use interpersonal skills to develop

shared meaning when you communicate with other people on a one-to-one or group basis. The

skills you use will vary according to the people’s needs and the context.

In the workplace there are several reasons we may need to communicate and can include:

 Making decisions

 Gathering information

 Discussion issues and problems

 Making presentations

 Supervising staff

APPROACHES TO COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS

Effective communication is achieved when ideas and information are exchanged so that meaning

is shared. To do this, you need to use appropriate interpersonal skills. This means:

 Establishing positive working relationships

 Working out how people feel about working together

 Solving problems and resolving conflict

 Gathering all necessary information to perform a task

 Anticipating and meeting the needs of others

 Creating rules and common ways of behaving

In most situations, assertive behaviours are usually the most appropriate. However, we all use a

range of interpersonal behaviours. We need to practise so that we learn appropriate assertive

behaviour.

You will need to ensure you communicate all issues and unresolved problems to your supervisors

or line managers in order to solve the problems. Problems and issues left unresolved cause major

conflict in the workplace.

EVALUATE AND TAKE NECESSARY CORRECTIVE ACTION

REGARDING UNRESOLVED ISSUES, CONCERNS AND

PROBLEMS RAISED BY INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL

STAKEHOLDERS

All employees are required to meet certain standards and behave to these standards in the

workplace. Corrective action is another word for correcting behaviour that is unacceptable in the

workplace.

The goal of the corrective action is to guide the employee to behave in a manner that is

acceptable in the workplace, not to punish the employee.

ORAL WARNING

The supervisor should:

 Set a time and place to ensure privacy

 Make notes about what they want to say in advance

 Remember that the employee has a right to choose representation

 State clearly that they are issuing an oral warning

 Be specific in describing the unacceptable performance or behaviour

 Remind the employee of the acceptable standards or rules. If they are available in

writing, they should be provided to the employee

 State the consequences of failure to demonstrate immediate and sustained

improvement: Further disciplinary action may be the result

 Note the oral warning on their calendar12

WRITTEN WARNING

If the employee has been given an oral warning and the problem behaviour continues, a written

warning may be next in line. A written warning should:

 Advise the employee that the letter is a written warning

 Describe the performance problem in detail

 Outline previous steps are taken to acquaint the employee with the issue

12 http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter-23-taking-disciplinary-action/

 Why the behaviour is not acceptable?

 Take into account the response from the employee

 Explain the expectations regarding behaviour and/or performance

 Clarify that if the employee doesn’t demonstrate immediate and sustained

improvement, the consequence may be further disciplinary action, up to and

including dismissal

 Advise the employee of their rights

 Be delivered the letter and a copy filed

There are further much more severe consequences for on-going behavioural issues, and these

will be described in detail in your policies and procedures. Suffice to say the basics of these

include:

 Suspension without pay

 Reduction of pay within a class

 Demotion to lower classification

 Dismissal 13

No matter what the corrective action is, it is serious and must be considered in this manner. No

corrective action should be taken without consultation with supervisors and/or Managers.

13 http://www.hr.ucdavis.edu/supervisor/Er/Corrective-Action

SUMMARY

Now that you have completed this unit you should have the skills and knowledge required to

ensure team effectiveness.

If you have any questions about this resource, please ask your trainer. They will be only too

happy to assist you when required.

REFERENCES

Websites:

http://legalrepresentations.co.uk/Services/Consultations.aspx

http://supplychainimprovers.org/tag/w-edwards-deming/

http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter-23-taking-disciplinary-action/

http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/operations/Planning-and-Training-Documents/Employee-

Development/Recognition-Guide.pdf

http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/Global/Publications/For%20disability%20service%2…

“Team Dynamics – how they affect performance.” n.d. Web. 09 Jun. 2016

<http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/team/dynamics/overview/>.

“Consensus Building | Beyond Intractability.” n.d. Web. 09 Jun. 2016

<http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/consensus-building>.

“Five Tips for Effective Employee Recognition.” n.d. Web. 09 Jun. 2016

<http://www.awardconcepts.net/artman/publish/printer_29.php>.

“www.waseantourism.com.” n.d. Web. 09 Jun. 2016

<http://www.waseantourism.com/ft/Approved%20Toolboxes%20&%20Competency%20stan

dards/Monitor%20workplace%20operations/TM_Manage_workplace_operations_refined.do>.

“How to Establish Open Communication at Work | Chron.com.” n.d. Web. 09 Jun. 2016

<http://smallbusiness.chron.com/establish-open-communication-work-25071.html>.

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