1. Promote Team Effectiveness BSBFLM412A

2. Promote Team Effectiveness This competency unit describes the skills and knowledge required of frontline managers to promote teamwork. It involves developing team plans to meet expected outcomes, leading the work team, and proactively working with the management organisations.

3. Introduction – what is a team? A team can be defined in many ways, depending on the situation, however it will always have several things in common; it involves several people, a team activity is organised, cooperative and has a sense of belonging, and has to work together to achieve its common goal – in this case ensuring kids attend school! Within a team people work interdependently, communicate frequently and see themselves as part of a specific group. Successful teams also need effective leaders. Teams are not just groups of people. Teamwork means a combined effort and focus, whereas in a group people focus on their own efforts and goals. Effective teams rely on all members for success, even when they have a leader.

4. Planning to Achieve Team Outcomes Types of Teams Team GoalsTeam Plans Team Roles & Responsibilities Team Consultation

5. Planning to achieve team outcomes

6. The purpose of teams Teams can offer new solutions – ‘two heads are better than one’. Different people looking at the same problem will find different solutions, and by considering all of their suggestions a better solution can be developed. Different people will also notice different problems and possible difficulties than one person working alone. A team of people all working toward the same goal is easier to manage than numerous people working independently, which means fewer managers are required and information can be shared more easily. Furthermore, teams allow larger projects to be completed which one person could not do on their own, from developing a new product to moving locations. Teams create a sense of belonging for employees. People can make friends, share information and help each other, which can also lead to people being happier at work and therefore more productive.

7. The foundations of an effective team Different organisations will have different expectations and requirements for their teams. The purpose of a team and its role within the organisation must be clear and well understood. These questions could be organised into a checklist, grouping them into a few key areas to provide a focus for your planning

8. Effective Team Your checklist could include… What is the team here to do? How does this relate to what the team needs to do with the RSAS project? How will the team’s performance be measured? Will there be daily activities or special projects? How should the team best be structured?

9. Effective Team How much time will be allocated for the planning stage? What it the best way to help the team communicate with one another? How can the team be motivated and supported to help its members? How much authority and accountability will the team as a whole have? How will this be distributed within the team? How will decision making be managed? How will success be acknowledged and rewarded?

10. Effective Team What resources are allocated to the team? How? How will leadership be established within the team? What other roles exist within the team? What skills and experience do members need? What wider organisation support mechanisms are available to assist the team? What OHS, legislative and other issues need to be considered when running and managing the team?

11. Activity 1 Make a checklist with the points above and indicate how this is done with your RSAS team

12. Types of Teams There are as many different types of teams as there are organisations, industries and sectors in which they work.

13. Working teams Working teams are perhaps the most common, organised around the structure of the organisation. Members work on similar tasks and need similar skills and experience. For example, the RSAS team, the RJCP team etc.

14. Cross-functional teams Cross-functional teams are made up of members from different sections of the organisation, such as finance, housing, medical services in community etc. Different people share their unique skills or knowledge with others in the team, and are sometimes external from the organisation. For example, there might be doctors or environmental people who come into community to address different needs.

15. Project teams Project teams are very common and are often formed to deal with a particular issue or problem, and after it is solved the team will disband. People may return to their old work afterwards or they might move on to form a new project team.

16. Self-managed teams Self-managed teams are less common, and do not have a leader.

17. Management teams Management teams make management decisions, and are found in most organisations. A typical management team might consist of a finance manager, RJCP manager and Rangers manager.

18. Remote teams Remote teams are teams whose members are located in different places, and this can be a challenge for managers. A team of National Park Wildlife Officers who watch over wildlife in different locations is an example of a remote team.

19. Activity 2 What types of different teams are there within your organisation? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ________________________________

20. Team goals

21. Working together Teams are the building blocks of an organisation. They work together to achieve common goals which contribute to the organisation’s wider goals and objectives. Many team leaders agree that having a common goal that is clear and well-understood is a major motivator for members. If everyone knows what they have to do, then both individual and team effectiveness will increase.

22. Goal Setting Most of a team’s goals may be fairly obvious but others may need to be described to them. However, there is usually an opportunity for teams to come up with a simple vision or mission statement that describes what they do. This is known as collaborative goal setting, and has many benefits. All team members are expected to participate, contributing and also listening to what others have to say.

23. Goal Setting Activities The team comes up with a mission statement that summarises what they do and how they will do it The team decides how it will achieve goals by developing team or individual plans The team sets out rules and guidelines that direct how members will work with each other Collaborative goal setting activities often occur at conferences or meetings, and three main outcomes are expected:

24. What makes a good goal? A good goal is one that is achievable and understood by a whole team.

25. To make good goals: Encourage members to help each other Discuss the goal in a group Do some team building activities to help your team work more effectively Include the team at the earliest possible stage in goal setting and planning, including information sharing and asking for feedback Ask each member to explain to the rest of the group how they fit into the ‘big picture’

26. To make good goals: Make sure the goal is realistic and specific Measure and reward progress If the goal is difficult and long-term, break it into smaller chunks that can be worked on in sections instead Assign deadlines and timeframes

27. Team plans Just like goals, plans need to be understood, agreed on, clear and easy to follow. Plans can take many forms, including those developed by the team or senior management, individual plans, action plans dealing with sub-sections, business plans with less detail or occupational health and safety plans that concern promoting a safe workplace. Plans can change for many reasons, such as organisational success, its focus and goals, or external influences such as competitor behaviour or economic or legislative changes. As a manager, make sure all members understand any plans they need to work with.

28. Using plans to your advantage As a manager, there are several things you can do to use plans to your advantage. If the plan is too complex, you can re-word it and create a document people can work with. You can also create a team plan and then individual plans after for each member (using the same format for all). Plans should connect with the individual job descriptions and explain how they will contribute to the team, how their work will be measured and the priority of various tasks they will work on. You can also summarise major points from the team plan and highlight them on notice boards or in other communal areas where the teams works.

29. Activity 3 What are your RSAS team goals? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ________________________________

30. Team Roles & Responsibilities

31. Team roles Roles generally depend on a person’s skills and knowledge. This role is often evident in their title or job description (such as ‘Manager’ or ‘Team Leader’), however a team role can be quite different to a normal organisational role and sometimes harder to understand. Such as an office assistant, who knows their individual role but perhaps not their role in the larger team. Different types of teams will have different roles within them. In some teams, it is important that members take direction and complete tasks quickly without questioning the instructing. In others, team members are needed to be creative problem solvers, gathering and providing their managers with information. As organisations change, these roles can also change, causing problems for both leaders and team members.

32. Team responsibilities Roles and responsibilities in teams can change depending on the team, organisation and environment or industry in which it operates, but people must always know what is expected of them. Whilst job descriptions usually explain this, it can be helpful to discuss individual and team responsibilities with the team, as sometimes certain responsibilities are more important than others, or additional ones may need to be added.

33. Activity 4 What are your RSAS team roles, and do you think they fit with your what your team actually does? If things don’t seem to match can you do to make sure that they do? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________

34. Team consultation There are many benefits for a team that has a consultative nature. Aside from additional insights and ideas being produced, people’s satisfaction levels, interest and commitment to their job can also increase. All teams will benefit from having an agreed way of working, and this can be decided partly by the team or managers.

35. To promote a consultative team culture:  Have meetings to identify and discuss roles and responsibilities  Assist in identifying and documenting work goals and tasks for team members in their work plans  Have regular meetings where people can share information about what they’ve been working on, which is particularly helpful if there is a family that individual workers are having trouble working with

36. To promote a consultative team culture:  Have brainstorming sessions or workshops where members’ input and suggestions are expected  At the outset of a project or when a new team member comes on board, set up one on one meetings within the team so individuals can discuss their work and also get to know each other  Provide feedback  Recognise the different skills and knowledge of members in the team (and in the wider organisation team) and ask them for their input where required

37. Lead Team Culture The culture within a team is often determined by the leadership style of the manager. Those who naturally consult with others will find that many of the above suggestions happen naturally, whilst others may need to consciously incorporate them into plans.