Wcm Cm Lecture 6 2004

Objectives Managing Successful Teams

Defining a Team A team is a group of people working together to achieve common objectives and willing to commit all their energies necessary to ensuring that the objectives are achieved

Common Factors Needed for a Successful Team Common Objectives Each member will know what the objectives are and what they need to do to achieve them Commitment Everyone is totally committed to reaching the goals and is willing to forego any personal objectives which may cause conflict Communication The team members will talk to each other to exchange information, ask for and give help to their colleagues encourage and motivate each other Confidence Members will be confident that everyone is a ‘fully paid up’ member of the team and can be relied upon to perform their tasks to the best of their ability

Enjoyment It is noticeable that people involved in successful teams appear to be enjoying themselves Good Leadership Every successful team will have a good leader who is recognised as such and accepted and respected by the team member Involvement Everyone is totally involved all the time with nobody hanging around wondering that to do Mutual trust Role Identity Each member of the team will have a specific role to play. This ensures that no tasks are left undone Standards In addition to the objectives, each member of the team will know the standards expected of them in terms of both quality and behaviour Supportive Team members will help each other to reach the target. When one person has completed their particular job, they are willing to help others finish theirs. Well trained Everyone is fully trained to perform their tasks to the highest standards and trained in working as a team

Benefiting from Teams Achieve goals more quickly and more efficiently than individuals working alone Support and help each other to improve their skills Become more confident and develop good interpersonal skills Be more creative than individuals Take risks that individuals may avoid Be more flexible Show commitment to the task and each other Share information, knowledge and feelings Be self-motivated Enjoy their work by being with other people

Different Types of Teams Examples Project Teams Strategy Teams Departmental Teams, e.g. personnel, administration, production Operating Theatre Teams Assembly Teams Football Teams

How People Become Leaders By appointment By experience or knowledge By personality By birthright

Exercise Select ten of the following qualities that you believe are essential for good leadership: Commitment Integrity Trustworthy Awareness Decisive Empathy Tough minded Common Sense Supportive Reliable Fair minded Good Communicator Stress free Foresight Open minded Planner Flexible Creative Stable Intelligent

Explanation Good Communication Skills This does not only mean being able to give orders but covers the whole area of oral communication including listening Commitment It is essential to demonstrate your commitment to achieving the objectives of the team and your commitment to each team member Empathy Being able to see other points of view without necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with them Integrity A leader must be seen to be honest in dealing with people and situations

Trustworthy You need to show your team that they can trust you to keep your word and maintain confidences Reliable When you make a promise, keep it Decisive When you are called upon to make a decision, make one. Prevarication is not only time wasting but can lose you credibility Open Minded Be prepared to listen and give due consideration to ideas and suggestions from the team Planner Being able to identify the strengths of the team and use them in planning to achieve the objectives Awareness Being fully aware of what is happening all around you especially changes which might affect the team and the objectives

Supportive Being able to give help and guidance to the team as and when required and also to protect individuals when necessary Stable Emotional stability is essential so that everyone knows where they stand with you. Your feelings particularly negative ones, should be carefully controlled Common Sense To be used in all circumstances, especially when dealing with people Fair Minded Test everyone equally. You must be able to control any prejudices or biases you may have about people and things Tough minded You should not be afraid to be ‘tough’ on people when the occasion demands, but it should be kept for emergencies not to disguise your personal feelings

Creative Thinking laterally and being prepared to experiment with new ideas and methods Flexible As a good leader you should be able to change your approach and style to best suit the situation Stress Free. Although this is difficult in the modern world, a leader who is stressed tends to drive, not lead Foresight You need to be able to look ahead and foresee possible problems before they happen Intelligent You should be able to vary your behaviour in response to different situations and requirements in a sensible and intelligent manner

Responsibilities of a Leader Executive Planner Controller Communicator Exemplar Motivator Delegator Involver Supporter Coach Resource Manager Recruiter Visionary Figurehead Representative

Identifying Influences on Leadership Style The Leader’s Personality How strongly the leader feels they must exercise their authority How secure the leader feels in certain situations The leader’s previous experience of leadership How much the leader trusts the team How committed the leader is to the objectives The Team The team’s knowledge and experience How ready the team is to accept responsibility How prepared the team members are to support each other The team’s commitment to the objectives Whether the team prefers to be directed or guided

The Situation The type of organisations; autocratic or democratic Time constraints; time pressure may not be conducive for consultation Only the leader may have experience of the situation The seriousness of the consequence of failure The degree to which the situation will affect the team

Summary Good leadership means: Being aware of the needs of the task, group and individuals Changing your style to suit the situation Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your team Encouraging the team to become involved where appropriate Having good communication skills Gaining the commitment of the team to achieve the goals

Being supportive Sharing success Encouraging and listening to ideas and suggestions from the team Ensuring that everyone knows what is expected of them Engendering a positive team spirit Being part of the team as well as the leader Accepting your responsibilities Earning the respect of the team by you example

Identifying Team Roles The natural leader The activator The thinker The organiser The checker The judge The supporter

Building the Team Forming This is where people tend to: Be polite to one another Be guarded in what they say or do Test each other out Say a lot or very little As a leader, this is your opportunity to: Talk to individuals, determine their strengths, weaknesses, experience and what they hope to achieve Clarify the team’s purpose and goals Introduce simple teambuilding exercises

Storming Now people may Test your leadership abilities Express opinions about their colleagues and / or work methods Become demotivated This can be a difficult stage and it will be helpful if you: Invite questions and opinions Are proactive rather than reactive Watch for signs of conflict and deal with them immediately Arrange a meeting to discuss any problems that you perceive Norming The team is now beginning to gel Standard and ground rules are emerging, particularly in respect of behaviours This can be a tricky stage for any leader as the group could slip back to the previous stage. To help this you should: Listen and watch what is happening in the team Reinforce the team’s purpose and goals Maintain good communication with the team Keep an open mind and see out new ideas

Performing Once the team has reached this stage you will see that: Individuals help and support each other Information and ideas are shared Problems are solved and decisions made Everyone is willing to ‘muck in’ There is increased tolerance and flexibility Energy is expended in the right direction More humour and enjoyment emerges However, this is not the time for you to sit back and relax as: Individuals may leave and join the team External influences may affect the team and its targets It is the responsibility as the leader to manage any change that may occur and continue to encourage team work

Summary Clarify the objectives of the team Analyse what has to be done to achieve them Decide what resources are needed Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the group Buy in missing skills if possible or train the existing people Allocate team roles where necessary Ensure that the team members are flexible and willing to take on additional tasks when required

Team Working Everyone: Having a common set of objectives Knowing what has to be done Pulling in the same direction Pulling their weight Helping others when necessary Supporting each other Joining in to retrieve a potential disaster Sharing success and failure Enjoying working with everyone else Moving forward together

Nobody: Feeling left out Complaining in times of crisis Causing conflict within the team Putting their own ambitions first Blaming others for failure

Benefits of Teamwork Goals are more easily and efficiently reached A positive attitude form everyone More creativity and innovation Fewer errors Crises and problems identified and dealt with quickly Individuals motivate by being part of the team High degree of self-development Allows a ‘hands off’ management style

Creating the Right Environment Clarifying the objectives Sharing information Leading by example Motivating Involving the team in decision-making and problem-solving Welcoming ideas and creativity Training Encouraging the team to perform well Making meetings worthwhile Offering opportunities to ‘bond’

Making Meetings Worthwhile Only have a meeting when it is really necessary Prepare an agenda, however, simple. It should contain: The date and venue The start and finish times The topics to be discussed Distribute the agenda at least 24 hours before the meeting

Start on time Stock on the topics listed Control the meeting by inviting everyone to contribute by name – bring in Stop people hogging the meeting by thanking them and immediately either inviting someone else to speak or by summarising Summarise the points agreed Agree action plans Conclude the meeting on time. Use natural breaks such as lunch as a finishing time

Summary Having built your team, it is essential that they continue to work together as a team It is your responsibility as the team leader to create the right atmosphere By motivating the individuals you will motivate the team Keep the team involved in making decisions which affect them Encourage ideas from the team Regular team training will help to keep them together Make team meetings interesting and worthwhile Where practical, use social activities to bond your team

Communicating With a Team Good communication between team members is a vital ingredient in promoting good teamwork Reduce the barriers to good communication as much as possible Encourage good communication behaviours and eliminate the negative ones. This will help the team move forward together Use tone and body language appropriate to the message Be assertive as and when necessary Give instructions clearly and concisely Listen carefully – it’s the only way to discover what the speaker is saying and you might learn something Encourage the team to talk to each other

Handling Discontent Within the Team Conflict is part of the teambuilding process Analyse the possible causes Reduce the likelihood of conflict by: Using the most appropriate leadership styles Ensuring that the team have the right skills and sufficient resources Setting standards of quality and behaviour Encouraging a good team spirit Reducing the cause of stress Deal with all conflicts as quickly as possible, do not let them fester Discuss unacceptable behaviour with the person or persons concerned to resolve the problem

Training the Team The leader / manager is responsible for ensuring that the team is trained Decide where training is required Choose the most appropriate method from the options available Incorporate team training exercises into team meetings Evaluate each training session Keep simple training records Make the training enjoyable for the participants Regular, ongoing training is more effective than the occasional one-off fix

Assessing Your Team Set measurable standards where possible Monitor team performance at regular intervals Assess the qualitative as well as quantitative areas Involve the team in establishing where they are Discuss with the team where they shold be and how to get there Conclude each meeting with Action Plans and interim targets Ask the team to appraise their colleagues

Wcm Cm Lecture 6 2004

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Wcm Cm Lecture 6 2004