Team Leader Training Human Factors Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association

Human Factors Objectives Leadership and supervision Risk management Team safety Psychological health and safety Transportation

Leadership A team leader must be able to Supervise Team in a safe and efficient manner Direct This involves recognizing hazards due to physical or psychological demands, and taking into consideration the different personalities and skill sets present within the team

Leadership and Supervision The team leader must be able to be both a Leader Supervisor They must be able to Coach Manage Resolve conflict Counsel

Communication The team leader must have a thorough understanding of effective two-way communication skills including Body language Appropriate language – written and verbal Active listening Giving and receiving feedback

Tabletop Exercise Break into groups What are 10 POOR ways of communicating information (write out your responses on flip carts provided) Then discussion – how can these poor communication skills be corrected?

Team Leader The team leader must understand Characteristics of an effective team Principles of conflict management Coach skills Ability to address inappropriate actions by team member Group discussion question – How, as a team leader, can you address a team member regarding inappropriate behaviour?

Tabletop Exercise Break into groups What are some attributes of a good leader? (Write out your responses on flip carts provided).

Leadership Attributes Knowledgeable, competent and relevant experience Ability to Delegate Mentor Interpersonal skills Safety mindedness Compassion and empathy Decisiveness Respect Good judgement Credibility Problem solving – adaptability Motivator

Leadership Styles Four Behavioural Types Directing – decisions made by the leader and passed to the team Coaching – the leader seeks ideas and listens to suggestions from the team Supporting – the leader facilitates and supports the team’s efforts and decision making Delegating – control is with the team. The leader assigns a task and the team makes the decisions

Coaching Coaching is a form of guidance, and is an interactive process How to Coach Team leaders can provide constructive feedback by Describing specific and changeable behavior Using “I” statements (less accusatory than “you”) Being respectful Emphasizing strengths as well as weaknesses Checking for understanding Not dwelling (once feedback has been given, move on)

Coaching Coaching is most effective and relevant if given soon after the behaviour is observed Guidance can occur anywhere However, while praise can be given in public, constructive criticism should always be delivered in private

Conflict Management As a team leader you will have to deal with conflict and this will require a blend of different approaches to keep the team focused on carrying out assignments It’s important to be flexible when dealing with members with different personalities and past experiences

Approaches to Conflict Management Avoidance approach – “tomorrow” or “no way” The issue is of low importance It’s necessary to reduce tension in the situation It’s necessary to buy some time The immediate needs of the mission outweigh the need to resolve the conflict

Approaches to Conflict Management Compete approach – “my way or the highway” The situation requires quick action An unpopular decision needs to be made The issue is of vital importance It’s necessary to protect self-interests or safety of others

Approaches to Conflict Management Accommodate approach – “it would be my pleasure” or “your way” It’s necessary to demonstrate being reasonable It’s important to create good will The goal is to keep the peace The issue is of low importance

Approaches to Conflict Management Compromise approach – “meet me halfway” The issue is of moderate importance There are time constraints requiring a temporary solution There is a strong personal commitment to resolution There is an equal power relationship with the other party

Approaches to Conflict Management Collaborate approach – “two heads are better than one” or “our way” The issues are too important to compromise Attempting to gain commitment The situation requires a merging of perspectives The conflict is important to those trying to find an integrated solution Trying to improve relationships

Tabletop Exercise Break into groups Scenario 1-You have a team member that is posting pictures on Facebook of an active search Scenario 2: Two team members are going through a divorce and are not working well together Scenario 3: A team member continuously interrupts a training exercise to demonstrate they know more about the topic than you do Within your group decide which approach will work best for each scenario. Then we will discuss together

Counselling A team leader must initiate corrective action when performance within the team is adversely affected They must also be prepared to respond to a request for assistance to solve a personal issue The team leader should assist the member to discover the solution to their problem

Risk Management The team leader plays a key role when it comes to identifying, assessing and managing the risks to which team members may be exposed At any time the team leader can suspend or terminate the assignment if the safety of the team would be compromised

Risk Management In order to assess risk, the team leader must understand potential hazards on a search such as weather, wildlife, terrain etc. They must also know how to anticipate and assess level of risk and strategies of dealing with risk Further details and steps to identify hazardous environment/situations will be covered in Section 10

Team Safety Team safety should be given first priority in the implementation of search assignments from beginning to end Safety information needs to be provided when briefing the team Team members’ capabilities need to be considered Monitor physical conditions throughout the assignment Ensure the safe operation of vehicles and equipment Ensure health breaks and rests

Tabletop Exercise Team leaders can do many things to ensure safety during an assignment Break into groups In groups, let’s brainstorm and come up with lists of ways leaders can accomplish this during search operations

Psychological Health and Safety Personal issues may affect a searcher’s ability and effectiveness It is important to be familiar with how to assist team members who may be affected by an incident and suffering from stress The team leader should be able to recommend resources available post-search

Questions