Working with Teams

Chapter 1 - Introduction
The purpose of this course is to offer theory and practical strategies to assist you to develop and maintain teams that function effectively and achieve organisational outcomes. Upon the completion of this course, it is anticipated that you will have a better understanding of the factors that impact on team performance. In addition, during the course, you will develop practical strategies, tools and techniques that you can implement in your own workplace to improve the functioning and performance of your team. What are the benefits and disadvantages of working with teams? Benefits to the organisation: A diversity of views creates an increase in options, ideas and alternatives; Collaborative team processes ensure that more people will be committed to the final decision; The mere presence of others can boost productivity. Benefits to the employee: Input from all members brings more knowledge, information and ideas to the table; Members are afforded the opportunity to contribute to decision making processes; Team membership may assist in creating workplace friendships and bonds; Team decision making is a more democratic process. Disadvantages to the organisation: Team decision making processes can be more time consuming than individual decision making; The desire to be accepted may impact on decision making as members choose to conform to team norms; Teams can be dominated by particular members; No individual is fully responsible for the final outcome thus individual responsibility is lessened. Disadvantages to the employee: The outcome is not solely a result of individual effort and may not highlight individual achievement; Team processes can be time-consuming and distract from with individual work commitments.

The Five-Factor Model of Team Management What does the research tell us? Studies of the organisational environment have revealed that there are a number of factors that contribute to the effective performance of a team. These factors have been incorporated into a Five Factor Model of Team Management.

FIVE FACTOR MODEL OF TEAM MANAGEMENT

1. Focus An effective team understands the goals of their organisational strategic plan and sets their focus on achieving those goals. Effective teams ensure all team members are heading in the same direction and set key performance indicators that are relevant, measurable and achievable. 2. Commitment Effective teams ensure all team members are committed to organisational values and beliefs. Team members without commitment also need to be identified and managed. 3. Communication Effective teams ensure they have efficient and effective communication processes in place including communication between team members and between organisational teams. 4. Accountability Effective teams ensure all team members are clear about their role/s within the organisation and understand their decision-making authority within the team.

5. Performance Effective teams monitor team performance to ensure achievement of organisational goals. In this course we will be addressing each factor from the following viewpoints: 1. How do you know when your team has these factors? 2. What do you need to put in place to develop or enhance these factors in your team? 3. What are some of the obstacles you may encounter when attempting to develop this within your team? And 4. How do you go about overcoming these obstacles?

Chapter 2 Focus
Why is it important for a team to have focus? A team with focus has a clear purpose, is outcome focused and therefore, productive. A focused team understands the impact they can make to the overall goals of their organisation and have team goals identified to achieve organisational strategic plans.

How does a team establish focus? Figure 1 (left) illustrates the process for effectively establishing focus in a team.

Focus begins with understanding organisational objectives. Teams must exist to contribute to the achievement of these objectives. It is important for your team to have an understanding of where the team fits within the overall organisation.

The impact your team can play in achieving organisational objectives will determine your team goals. Effective planning processes must incorporate establishing team goals and identifying key performance indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable and time-framed.

Action planning is the final step in the process. Action planning identifies steps that need to be undertaken in order to achieve key performance indicators. An example of this process is illustrated below.

Sometimes it can be clearer to see a concept when it is applied outside of the helping services, lets imagine for a moment that you are the manager of the team responsible for the delivery of shipment boxes to retail outlets.

Establishing team focus EXAMPLE: An organisation makes and distributes a variety of canned goods. One organisational objective is to maximise the number of cans on retail shelves. Within the organisation there are a number of teams in areas such as Admin, Finance, Production, Human Resources etc. The team goals for these teams may vary considerably. Step 1. Identify organisational objective The organisational objective in this scenario is to maximise the number of cans on retail shelves. Step 2. Identify team goal/s Team goals will relate to the organisational objective but be team specific. The questions to ask here are How can the team contribute to the organisational objective? It has been identified that one of the ways in which this team can positively impact on the organisational goal is by ensuring that their delivery runs are efficient. A team goal may therefore be to maximise the number of cans delivered per week. Step 3. Establish key performance indicators Key performance indicators must relate specifically to a goal. There can be a number of indicators for any one goal. Key performance indicators must be: 1. Linked directly to a team goal; 2. Time-framed; 3. Measurable (i.e. at the end of the time-frame it can be categorically stated that yes the outcome was achieved or no, the outcome was not achieved); 4. Achievable (it is important that a team does not set themselves up for failure) An example of a key performance indicator for this team may be that all trucks are packed to capacity before departure. Step 4. Develop and Action Plan An action plan outlines the steps required to achieve team goal/s. An action plan is basically a to do list. Tool The following planning chart may be a useful format to follow when establishing a teams focus. Date 20th March Organisational Objective - Maximise the number of cans on retail shelves Team Goal 1. To maximise the number of cans delivered per week. Key Performance Indicators 1. Trucks are packed to capacity before departure 1. Trucks are pre-fuelled for next day deliveries every evening

From here a team can develop a more detailed action plan, setting out responsibilities, time-frames and dates for review. Action Plan

What actions need to be taken? 1. All drivers check that their truck has been loaded to capacity prior to departure

By who?

By when? All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th

Review date 20th April

Achieved YES NO

All drivers

2. Trucks below capacity are identified All drivers to loading staff

Between first shift March 22nd and 20th April final shift April 19th 20th April

3. Loading staff to fill truck to capacity

All shifts from Loading staff March 22nd to April 19th Drivers All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th

4. Driver to do final check

20th April

5. At close of shift, drivers are to report Drivers to fuelling bay B. 6. Drivers are to fill their trucks fuel tank 7. Drivers to return their truck to parking lot D. Drivers

20th April

20th April

Drivers

20th April

One of the pitfalls teams fall into is that they do not set achievable team goals and measurable key performance indicators. These same concepts can be applied to teams of counsellors. Counsellors generally work with less quantifiable outcomes, however, key performance indicators can still be developed in relation to such tasks as, networking undertaken, training attended, supervision provided, peer review processes undertaken, extent of client feedback sought and commitment to the timely completion of paperwork.

Chapter 3 - Commitment
What is team commitment? Commitment refers to how on board team members are to ensuring their team performs at its peak. The key to team commitment lies in capturing both the hearts and minds of team members. When team members are mentally and emotionally invested in team outcomes the team is more likely to achieve team and organisational outcomes.

How do you capture hearts and minds? Hearts In capturing the hearts of team members, a team environment of mutual respect and trust must exist. Such an environment will enable team members to provide authentic responses, feedback and input and thus become more genuinely involved in the teams processes. Creating an environment of mutual trust and respect of course is not always simple. The following strategies may be a helpful place to start: 1. Use two way feedback In all communication processes ensure that opportunity is provided to not only receive, but give feedback, to other team members. 2. Role model Let your own behaviour be a guide for others. Use open communication processes and encourage team sharing. 3. Ensure that there are no negative consequences for sharing information It is important that all team members feel secure enough to contribute without fear of not being listened to or not appreciated for their input. Minds To capture the minds of team members, they must be informed of the teams value, objectives and purpose within the organisation. This can be accomplished by utilising the following strategies. 1. Share information Utilise effective communication processes to ensure that all team members are kept regularly and adequately informed of key information and ideas. 2. Reinforcement of critical issues Ensure that critical issues such as team goals and key performance indicators are regularly reinforced and communicated with team members. 3. Educate team members Inform team members of any relevant, new information and promote applicable training and development activities to team members.

Chapter 4 - Communication
What is effective communication? Effective communication does more than just convey information. In an effective communication transaction a message is conveyed with shared meaning. It may be helpful to reflect on the following key areas to assist you in developing or enhancing your communication with other team members: 1. The message you think you are sending may not be the same message being received Within a team environment, members still bring their own experiences, beliefs and interpretations. When communicating a message, expect to be misinterpreted and make adjustments to your message to account for potential areas of misunderstanding. 2. Seek feedback As misinterpretations are common in communication, it is often advisable that you continually seek feedback to ensure that your messages have been received accurately. 3. Make it your priority to express rather than impress The aim of communication is to express an opinion, idea or to transfer knowledge. It is important to remember that your primary aim is to get your message across, try not to obstruct it by being focused on sounding impressive or knowledgeable. 4. Choose the right medium Effective communication means choosing the appropriate medium for your message. Some information is best conveyed in a team meeting, whilst other information may be received more appropriately in an email or memo, other information should be communicated face to face. Select the medium to suit the message and the person you are communicating with. 5. Be conscious of your non-verbal communication Be conscious of what you are conveying non-verbally. Avoid diluting the impact of your message with mismatched or incongruent body language. Where possible, adjust your body language to align with your message. Why is communication important for a team to be effective? Team communication processes that function effectively can increase team motivation, foster trust and respect between members, greatly improve decision making processes and contribute substantially to the overall productivity and performance of the team. Yet, communication processes that are ineffective can decrease member motivation, lessen team commitment, increase team gossip and lower productivity. Effective communication processes, therefore are vital to team performance.

What makes a communication process effective? Effective communication processes are: Regular Regular communication within, and between, teams helps members to maintain focus, allows all members to keep up to date with team progress and ensures that difficulties or setbacks can be dealt with promptly and collaboratively. Transparent Transparent communication processes provide all team members with the same information where possible and keep all members adequately informed. Transparent processes maximise the likelihood that team members will be aligned in their concept of where they are going and how they are going to get there. Failing to adequately inform all team members, equally, may greatly compromise their ability to contribute equally to team processes and decision making. Focused and related to team goals Communication processes that are focused and related to team goals encourage team members to similarly remain goal focused and outcome directed. Modes of communication Within the work environment, communication can occur through a variety of modes depending on personal preference. Some of the more popular modes for team communication are: 1. Team meetings 2. Newsletters 3. Email updates When using these modes it is important to remain mindful of the three characteristics that make communication processes effective (i.e. they should be regular, transparent and goal focused). 1. Team meetings One of the primary forums for team communication is the team meeting. When conducted with structure and purpose, regular team meetings can be an effective and productive means of team communication. However, team meetings can evolve into a drawn-out procedure that fritters away valuable time and results in decreasing motivation, frustration and productivity. To conduct an effective team meeting the following principles should be considered:

1. What is the purpose of the meeting? Prior to the commencement of the meeting, all team members should be aware of the meetings purpose. Set an agenda and stick to it. The meeting should remain focused on team goals and objectives. It may be necessary to note down some of the areas of discussion that arise as side issues or tangents to the purpose at hand. These issues may need to be addressed in a later forum. 2. Are members aware of what they may be asked to contribute to the meeting? It is helpful for team members to have a clear idea of the kind of information they may be asked to contribute. Contributing facts, knowledge or recommendations may require different preparation than contributing opinions or brainstorming. Team members, who are provided with an idea of what they may be asked to contribute, are thus provided with an opportunity to prepare accordingly. If you put team members on the spot it can decrease their commitment. 3. Has a meeting agenda been distributed to all members prior to the meeting? In addition to understanding the purpose of the meeting and their likely contribution, team members should all be furnished with an agenda prior to commencement of the meeting. A meeting agenda will state the purpose and focus of the meeting as well as outline the proposed topics and areas for discussion. 4. Has a time-frame been established prior to the commencement of the meeting? Team meetings should commence and finish on time. When members are aware of a finishing time from the outset they are better equipped to budget time accordingly. 5. Finish the meeting on a note of accomplishment The completion of a meeting should be a reflection of what has been accomplished within the meetings timeframe. The original goal or objective should be revisited and comment should be made on its achievement (whether the achievement was partial or full). 2. Newsletters Newsletters can be a creative and effective method of regularly conveying information to fellow team members. Newsletters may also serve as a useful mode for distributing information from your team to other teams. Constructing an effective newsletter In the process of constructing an effective team newsletter consider the following points. 1. Decide on the basics early on What is the purpose of the newsletter? Who are its intended audience? How frequently will it be circulated? How will it be circulated?

2. Clear concise information Effective newsletters are concise and easily understood. They should provide relevant information that is both up to date and useful. 3. Informal and humorous Newsletters do not necessarily need to be formal documents. A light, humorous tone may encourage regular readers and consequently increase the newsletters effectiveness. It may be helpful to remember that newsletters are an ideal tool for highlighting team achievements and recognising individual accomplishments. 3. Email updates Email has fast become the one of the most widely used mediums for business communication. Mastering email correspondence is one of the simplest and most effective ways of ensuring that your messages are not only read but followed up accordingly. Inboxes are often overloaded with numerous messages of varying importance. If you are sending emails as a means of communicating with your fellow team members you will want to ensure that your message gets read and is clearly understood. Constructing an effective email To construct an effective email it may be helpful to remember the following key points 1. Make use of the subject line The subject line provides an opportunity to inform the receiver of the purpose of the email. A subject line ideally should describe exactly what the email is about. An appropriate subject line will maximise the possibility of your message being read. 2. Use concise language Like any written business correspondence its important to keep business emails concise and to the point. Often the viewing area for emails is limited, so if possible limit messages to a few short paragraphs. Everyone is busy dont waste their time be clear and concise. 3. Make any required follow up clear If your email is a request for action or follow up from a team member make this clear in your message. Remember to include any contact details (such as phone or fax numbers and addresses for snail mail) that the receiver may require. 4. Respond to emails in a timely manner Prompt responses to emails not only promotes efficiency but often encourages team members to respond in a similar timely manner.

Tip These communication modes are suitable to use both within and between teams.

Chapter 5 Accountability
To maximise team performance, each team member should be aware of the responsibilities of their individual role and how their role contributes to the achievement of team objectives. By defining individual roles and responsibilities, each team member can ensure that their own input and action is beneficial to the overall performance of the team. A lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities can lead to drawn out decision making processes and create frustration within the organisation. However purely self-directed teams rarely exist. Teams usually operate within the confines of organisational policy and as such often have to adapt to decisions that are made from external sources. Team decision making Types of team decisions As a member of a team, you will be affected by decisions that are made both within the team and from outside the team. Sometimes the members of your team will have full responsibility for the decision making, yet on other occasions team members may have no influence over decisions, yet they will filter through to impact on the team. The four main types of decisions you may face as a team member. These are illustrated in the figure below.

LEVELS OF TEAM DECISION MAKING PREDETERMINED Decisions over which your team has no influence. CONSULTATIVE Decisions where team members are consulted for their ideas, opinions or feedback during the decision making process, however the final decision lies with the team leader. SHARED Decisions that are made with shared input from all team members including the team leader. No decision is finalised until joint agreement is reached. FULL RESPONSIBILITY Decisions that the team is fully responsible for and does not have to seek the input of others.

The key to good decision making is undertaking the value added test. Therefore, allocate decision making authority only where it adds value to your business through: Faster decisions; Better decisions, Increased commitment of team to decision.

Tips to assist in defining accountabilities All team members should be provided with a position description outlining their responsibilities and tasks within the organisation/team. Ensure that team members are aware of the decision making capacity. It is not productive and decreases individual commitment to spend time discussing decisions that are pre-determined by an outside source. When full responsibility lies with the team, ensure that collaborative processes are established so that all team members are able to provide input. Team decision making techniques In instances where the team has shared for a decision or in the lead up to a consultative or shared decision the following team decision making technique may be beneficial. 1. PMI (plus, minus, implications) The PMI is a variation on weighing the pros and cons. To conduct a PMI, follow the steps below: 1. Construct a three (3) column table. Label each separate column with the headings plus, minus and implications. 2. Ask the team a relevant question. For example Should we use our allocated budget to buy a new photocopier? 3. Fill out each column with the following in mind: In the Plus column Brainstorm and write down all the likely positive results from taking this action In the Minus column Brainstorm and write down the likely negatives that may result from this action In the Implications column Brainstorm and write down the possible outcomes (or implications) of taking this action (both positive and negative). 4. Weigh the ideas out of five and assign them as positive or negative accordingly. For example: The question Should we use our allocated budget to buy a new photocopier? could produce the following ideas. PLUS More efficient copier (+3) Better quality copies (+4) Copier could stack, scan and staple (+5) MINUS We have less money left for a team social event or other office equipment (-3) Training in the new copier will be required (-1) IMPLICATIONS We could produce more professional documents (+5) We will waste less time trying to fix the old copier (+2) Training in the operation of the new machine may take time (1) Total = +6

Total = +12

Total = -4

The score for this table is 12 4 +6 = 14

A positive score indicates support for the decision; a negative score indicates that the consequences of implementing the decision may be too high for the likely benefits. In this instance the positives of buying a new photocopier outweigh the negatives, so the purchase of a new photocopy should go ahead if this is a full responsibility decision. If it was a consultative decision, team members would make a recommendation based on the PMI but the final decision would lie with team leader/s. The problem of Groupthink: Groupthink is a term that has been coined to describe the process of team members making decisions based on their preference to conform with the majority. Groupthink can greatly hinder team decision making processes as members alter their opinions to fit in with the norm. All teams are susceptible to the groupthink phenomena, but there are some strategies to minimise the risk of groupthink occurring within your team. Try the following: 1. Encourage creative, spontaneous and free flowing thought; 2. Reward and encourage risk taking and outside-of-the-square thinking; 3. Use suggestion boxes and brainstorming to initiate the sharing of ideas or opinions.

Chapter 6 - Performance

Why do teams need to monitor their performance? Most organisations have performance management strategies in place for individuals, not so common however is performance management for teams. Effective performance management processes are crucial to ensure that the team continually meets or exceeds its target objectives. Team performance monitoring allows teams to recognise: When they have achieved their key performance indicators When a team member is not being accountable What the team are doing well What is not working well and areas that may need improvement or change What makes a good performance monitoring system? Effective performance monitoring will differ between teams and between organisations, there are however some key factors that should be incorporated into any performance monitoring system. Performance monitoring systems should: be directly related to key performance indicators and team goals highlight individual accountability for tasks have a regular review or evaluation date

How to implement performance monitoring On the assigned date of review a team meeting involving all team members should be conducted. The teams action plan should be reviewed and all required actions need to be assessed as achieved or not achieved. For example: What actions need to be taken? By who? By when? Review date Achieved YES R 20th April R 20th April NO

1. All drivers check that their truck has been loaded to capacity prior to departure 2. Trucks below capacity are identified to loading staff

All drivers

All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th Between first shift March 22nd and final shift April 19th

All drivers

3. Loading staff to fill truck to capacity 4. Driver to do final check

All shifts from Loading staff March 22nd to April 19th Drivers All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th All shifts from March 22nd to April 19th

R 20th April R 20th April R 20th April R 20th April R 20th April

5. At close of shift, drivers are to report to fuelling bay B. 6. Drivers are to fill their trucks fuel tank 7. Drivers to return their truck to parking lot D.

Drivers

Drivers

Drivers

Teams should monitor their performance regularly therefore it is a good idea to include the review of your action plan as a standard agenda item at your team meetings. Actions that have not been achieved may need to be carried over to the next action plan or if further intervention is warranted, a performance improvement plan may be developed. Performance improvement plan A performance improvement plan is a more detailed plan that outlines steps to further highlight team member accountabilities. In the example below, you will notice Action not achieved Further actions to be taken Drivers are to report to Judy or Lauren on arriving to bay B for fuelling. Driver names are logged on arrival to bay B Drivers to fill their fuel tanks and return trucks to parking lot D. By Whom? When?

1. At close of shift, drivers are to report to fuelling bay B.

All drivers Week end 26th A.M. Judy P.M. - Lauren

2. Drivers are to fill their trucks fuel tank

All drivers

A performance improvement plan may need to be repeated until desired actions are achieved. Celebrating success It is vital that teams celebrate their successes. Celebrating success increases team commitment and enhances team communication. In the development of a high performance team it is crucial to remember to celebrate the achievements and successes along the way no matter how small those successes may be. Attention is so often placed on the areas of performance that require improvement that teams sometimes forget to identify and celebrate team achievements.

Chapter 7 - Putting It All Together

It is important to understand that the five factors of effective team management are not mutually exclusive concepts. They overlap, interact and complement considerably. Teams need to have a clear idea of where they are going in order to achieve team goals (focus) and thus contribute to organisational objectives. A teams focus impacts on the development of team members roles and responsibilities (accountability) and influences the criteria from which a teams performance will be monitored (performance). Yet it requires commitment and communication to keep team members focused, motivated and productive. Commitment and communication contribute to the establishment, development and maintenance of team focus, accountability and performance. Relating the Five Factor Model to your team Please spend time going over each of the items in the table below, relating them back to the work environment. The chart below outlines some of the signs that may indicate a deficit of one of the five factors within your team. If you recognise your team in these descriptions, it may be helpful to look at the strategies provided to assist in enhancing the relevant factor.

How to identify if your team may lack. FOCUS Team members are unclear of organisational goals Team members lack initiative Productivity is low - in the absence of a clear purpose or goals teams will develop their own Team members appear to be heading in different directions

What you can do to enhance your teams

Ensure team planning processes link to strategic plan Establish measurable team goals and key performance indicators Communicate organisational vision and team goals to all team members

COMMITMENT Motivation is lacking and morale is low (for example absenteeism is high) Team members lack a desire to improve their teams performance Participation in team processes is minimal Team members appear to be heading in different directions Relationships between team members lack trust, respect or open communication Team members rarely provide feedback or encourage others Communicate organisational and team goals Ensure information is shared frequently Encourage team training and development Model commitment and passion to other members Encourage open communication Build relationships through communication and reinforcement strategies Ensure team members are aware of what, why and how they will contribute

COMMUNICATION Review communication systems and ensure that they are frequent, transparent, goal focused and timely Aim for a win-win situation whenever possible Establish team ground rules for behaviour in team meetings Set agenda items prior to team meetings with input from all team members Ensure relevant information is shared with all team members Be committed to resolving conflicts as soon as they arise.

Rumours are rife There is frequent confusion over meeting times, review dates, task allocation or procedures Team meetings are slow or counterproductive Participation in team meetings is limited Feedback is rarely offered by team members to the team leader

ACCOUNTABILITY Review position descriptions and communicate to relevant team members Ensure that members are aware of whether a decision is pre-determined, consultative, shared or full responsibility Review decision making strategies Implement structured decision making techniques Encourage team members to take responsibility for leadership when opportunities arise

Confusion or conflict over roles exists Making team decisions is a difficult, frustrating, complicated or drawn out process Conflict escalates when key decisions need to be made Problem solving responsibility is frequently assigned to the team leader

PERFORMANCE Include the monitoring of team performance as a standard agenda item for team meetings Provide regular, consistent feedback to the team as a whole and to individual members Ensure performance monitoring tools measure, analyse and improve performance Develop a process for informing all team members of performance progress towards team goals Ensure training and development for the team is linked to team goals and organisational needs Established a well defined team training plan Develop performance measures and recognition systems that are relevant to team members Ensure that achievements and successes are acknowledged and celebrated

Team members are unaware of how their performance as a team is being measured Productivity is low and team goals are not being achieved Team members are unaware of whether they are achieving team goals and key performance indicators

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