Practical Skills for Supervisors

8/12/2019 Practical Skills for Supervisors

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Practical Supervisory Skills Module 3

Module 3

Building Team Effectiveness

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What is a team

Why a group !on"t do

#our faces of a team

$efinitions

Why do only some teams succeed

%eam roles

&enefits of team !orking

'round rules for harmonious team relations

Creating a (%eam Charter"

&uilding a Self)Managed !ork team

+o! to improve performance


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F(U, FACE (F A TEAM


External to the %eam

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Internal to the %eam

FACE 2

S-%IS#0 %+E EE$S /# %+E C*IE %S - $

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FACE

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ome Definitions

T"e A##o. Conce$t

/U(TE


A team comprises a small number of people with complementary

skills who are committed to acommon purpose, performance,

goals, and an approach for whichthey hold themselves accountable

Teams - team is a special type of group - team is a group of people !ho !ant

the same thing and have the same values Its mem8ers depend upon each other to

achieve success - group can 8ecome a team and vice

versa9 a team can also 8reak do!n into agroup:

elf Managed Teams

/rganising in self managed teams re;uires acom8ination of planning9 selecting the right teamright team mem8ers and leaders9 designingteams for success9 training continuously9 and careful managing the shift of po!er andresponsi8ilities from leaders to team mem8ers6:

ichard Wellins9 1


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TEAM!(,1ING

!"en to .o#* alone5in g#ou$s !"en to -uild teams

#or simple tasks or (pu==les" #or highly complex tasks or pro8lems

When co)operation is ade;uate When consensus decisions are essential

When minimum discretion is re;uired Where there is a high level of choice

When fast decisions are needed Where high commitment is needed

Where mem8ers interests are in conflict When a 8road range of competences areneeded

Where the organi=ation credits When mem8er o8>ectives can 8eindividuals for operational outputs galvanised

When routine responses are sought Where the organi=ation re!ards teamsfor strategy and vision 8uilding

When a highly specialised task is neededWhen 8alanced vie!s are sought ?8ut

8e!are of ('roupthink"@

When creative and innovative responsesare re;uired

BENEFIT (F TEAM !(,1ING

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*o!er operating costs

&etter throughputBoutputBcommunications

4uality consciousness

*o!er a8senteeism

+igh >o8 satisfaction

#e!er disputesBgrievances

'ood support from peers

+igher commitmentBmotivation


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TEAM!(,1 1ILL AUDIT

Complete the audit 8elo! 8y ticking the column !hich applies to you: %his shouldhelp you identify the team!ork skills you feel you are ;uite good at and those thatyou !ould like some training in:

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TEAM!(,1 1ILL G((D AT !(ULD LI1E )EL0 !IT)

-sking ;uestions

*istening

Motivating myself

Motivating others

Putting for!ard ideas

%aking part in meetings

%aking responsi8ility

Encouraging and supporting others

'iving constructivecriticism

eceiving criticism

*eading a 8riefing

Making a presentation

Writing reports

Counselling

$elegating

Coaching

$ecision making


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TEAM ,(LE

%he dominant premise on !hich team roles theory is 8uilt is that individuals tend tohave distinctive preferences in terms of 8ehaviours9 and these are essentially afunction of their personality make)up: -lthough individuals may 8e a8le to display avariety of 8ehaviours9 it is unlikely that they !ill do so e;ually and the ;uality of their

performance !ill coincide !ith the 5role)preference6: %hese preferences are 8oth5 functional 6 and 5 behavioural 6 and it is important to identify these preferences anddevelop them into strengths that can 8e used in the team:

Ideally9 these (preferences" !ill 8e identified prior to team mem8er selection in order that the team9 as it is finally constituted9 can have the full range of skills and

8ehaviours necessary for optimum performance: %he full range of 5 team roles 6 islisted 8elo!:

BELBIN TEAM ,(LE T60E

In summaryD

1: People !orking in teams tend to adopt particular roles,: %hey tend to prefer these roles and stick !ith them3: Certain com8inations lead to more effective teams

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%he Implementor (IM)

%he o!ordinator ( ")

%he #lant (#$)

%he %esource Investigator(%I)

%he Monitor &valuator (M&)

%he 'eam orker (' )

%he ompleter inisher ( )

%he *haper (*+)

0es9 I"mthe plant inthe teamF


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In order to develop effective teams9 therefore9 it is necessary for individuals to 8eopportunities toD

1: &ecome a!are of their role preferences,: 2nderstand ho! they can use these role preferences for the good of the team3: $evelop their role preferences so that they are even more effective:

Activity

o! complete the Self)description Statements !hich !ill 8e supplied and !hich !illgive you a rough guide as to your preferred role?s@: Enter the three scores in the

8oxes 8elo!: %he num8ers refer to the statements9 the initials to the roles:

Const#ucting t"e Team

-n (ideal team" needs different types of individuals in order to fill the important rolesthat are re;uired: oles generally are sta8le and some roles are pro8a8ly moreessential than others: It is unlikely that all roles !ill 8e represented e;ually in a team:%he diagram 8elo! suggests the (ideal composition" !ith the (essential roles" situatedin the shaded area:

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Team Be"aviou# ,oles 0#elimina#+ Anal+sis Fo#m

1: C/ A: IM

,: S+ : %W

3: P* : I

7: ME G: C#


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TEAM C)A,TE,

Identifying values

2nderlying much management 8ehaviour are personal values: &ehaviour could 8edescri8ed as 5 values in action 6: %he values that a team holds determine !hat it doesand the !ay it achieves its o8>ectives: In addition9 values also influence the longer term future of the team - value of (success at any price" could lead to conflict9antagonism and the eventual 8reak)up of the team9 even though9 in the short term9 theteam may achieve its goals:

%his exercise is in three parts: In the first part9 !orking alone9 consider your o!nvalues and those that you feel are necessary for successful team!orking: Spend a8out1A minutes doing this:

In the second part of the exercise9 !ork !ith other colleagues in declaring your o!nvalues and com8ining your thoughts so that you agree a list9 !hich can form the 8asisof a (team charter": 0ou !ill need a8out ,H minutes to compile this list:

#inally9 amend the list to suit your o!n circumstances in your !ork place: $ra! upthis list from an amalgamation of the t!o columns 8elo!: %his should take another 1A minutes !orking alone:

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Individual Values Team Values


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TEAM C)A,TE, 7 AN E8AM0LE

t#engt" in t#engt" in0a#tne#s"i$ Team.o#*

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Team C"a#te#

Ac"ievement of Goals T"#oug" Team.o#*ing

We !ill set clear goals

We !ill empo!er people !ith responsi8ility and freedom to makedecisions

We !ill resource and provide skills to ensure achievement

We !ill recognise and praise achievement

We !ill create an environment that contains and valuesD

a: trust and openness 8: respectc: honestyd: e;ualitye: clear communicationf: the right to 8e !rong ?perhaps once@

We !ill lead 8y example and 8ehaviour


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T)E NEED F(, ,EAL TEAM

UNCE,TAINT6


T(TAL

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C((0E,ATI(N

,E/UI,ED

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TEAM

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!(,1ING

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M(DE


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In$ut&(ut$ut Model of Innovative Team 0e#fo#mance

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%ask)/rientedaria8les

Plans-utonomyInvolvementExperience

isa8ility

People)/rientedaria8les

Satisfaction%rust9 spiritCommunicationConflict%hreats

/rganisationalaria8les

CultureSta8ility

esourcesManagement involvement

e!ards'oals

INN(VATIVE TEAM0E,F(,MANCE

C)A,ACTE,I TIC (F UCCE FULINN(VATI(N AND C,EATIVIT6

%he num8er of ne! ideas adoptedMeeting of pre)set targets-dapta8ilityCommitment

)IG) 0E,F(,MANCE ,ATING B6 ENI(, MANAGEMENT


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G,(U0 D6NAMICTeam -uilding

/n the !ay to 8ecoming a successful team there are a num8er of stages that need to 8e completed: %hese have 8een identified 8y %uckman and Jenson ?1< @ andundated 8y .at=en8ach and Smith ?1


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TEAM EFFECTIVENE:()A,I 0,(FILE A TEAM DEVEL(0


Fo#ming

*arge 2nkno!n ) -voiding conflict ) Politeness

- *o! risk taking- ie!s and feelings

!ithheld- eserved 8ehaviour

to#ming

*arge &lindspot ) $efendingB!ithdra!al- Win)lose confrontations- $istrust K suspicion- Poor listening skills- Minimal feed8ack - -sserting o!n vie!s

No#ming

*arge faLade ) $esire to help others- -version to conflict- +igh interpersonal

support- eceptive to other"s

needs- Seeking feed8ack

0E,F(,MING

*arge area ) /penness t!o !ay- +igh level of trust- 'ood listening- Sharing of feelings- isk taking

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BUILDING TEAM EFFECTIVENELEA,NING 0(INT

- team can 8e defined as 5 a small number of people with complementary skillswho are committed to a common purpose, performance, goals and an approach

for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

%eam !orking is particularly appropriate !hen the organi=ation is faced !ith tasksinvolving uncertainty or risk andBor unfamiliarity: #or team!orking to 8eeffective there must 8e a high level of trust and mutual support among the teammem8ers:

-roups are less formally structured than teams and less explicitly concerned !ithtask outcomes : %here is usually less focus on common goals and mutualaccounta8ility in groups than is associated !ith teams:

%eam leaders must 8e a!are of the risks associated !ith team!orkingN a tendencyto conventional rather than innovative responses to pro8lems and slo! decision)making due to the need for consensus and communication: -s team mem8ers

8uild up the level of support and trust for each other9 so the need for such intensecolla8oration is reduced:

%he importance of process 9 as !ell as task achievement 9 is an important issue toaddress at the outset:

%eam effectiveness is shaped 8y internal influences task achievement9motivation9 individual team mem8ership9 roles and interaction as !ell asexternal influences like customers9 sponsors9 other teams and organi=ationalculture:

Many of the skills and responsi8ilities of team8uilding and effective team!ork areshared amongst all mem8ers rather than 8eing the sole concern of the manager9supervisor or team leader:

%he main characteristics of a team areN

?a@ it has t!o or more mem8ers?8@ its mem8ers contri8ute to their respective competences9 !ithin independent

roles9 to!ards shared goals?c@ it has a team identity9 !hich is distinct from its mem8ers" individual identities?d@ it has esta8lished !ays of communicating9 8oth !ithin the team and !ithin

external teams and groups?e@ its structure is explicit9 task and goal orientated9 organised and purposeful

?f@ there is usually a team charter to !hich all mem8er su8scri8e?g@ it periodically revie!s its effectiveness:

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LEA,NING 0(INT 2

%eam effectiveness relies on all mem8ers 8eing clear a8out the relationship 8et!een goals9 !orking methods and tasks to 8e achieved: %his involves !ork onsome of the conflicts and dilemmas over goals and o8>ectives amongst teammem8ers:

%eam goals often act as an intermediary 8et!een organi=ational goals andstrategies and individual goals and concerns:

'oals need to 8e negotiated and capa8le of 8eing amended and updated as

appropriate and !hen necessary the need to esta8lish an organic structure 'oal setting involves creativity as !ell as technical analysis: Managers need to 8e

a!are of issues such asN the generation of a vision statement9 encouragement of participation9 enhancing a climate of excellence9 and supporting attempts atinnovation:

Moves to!ards self)managed ?SM%@ and autonomous team!orking are increasing !ith all the apprehension this creates in ne! mem8ers9 !ith the attendantsatisfaction and increased responsi8ilities and challenges for team mem8ers:

-greement over goals also entails agreement over !orking methods and the procedures 8y !hich the goals are to 8e achieved efficiently and successfully andthe outcomes measured against pre)determined standards:

%eams should not contain too many mem8ers: %he larger the team9 the greater the potential for interpersonal conflict and the formation of cli;ues:

Weighing up the functions !hich make up the (four faces of the team" ?task9 people9 internal and external@ !ill help identify the appropriate mix ofcompetences re;uired for team mem8ership

LEA,NING 0(INT 3

-n appropriate level of cohesion needs to 8e achieved !ithin a team !ithoutfalling into the dangers of conformity and groupthink ":

+andling group and team dynamics can re;uire considera8le tact9 perseveranceand integrity on the part of managers and team leaders !hen faced !ith serioustensions and conflicts:

-ttention needs to 8e given to the formal and informal patterns of communication!ithin teams and groups:



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?c@ 8e more creative and innovative:

%eam leaders9 and the teams themselves9 must !ork to!ards the esta8lishment ofa ( learning organi3ation0 a shift from the ( blame culture0 :

%he team !ill go a long !ay to!ards achieving its o8>ectives if the leaderencourages its mem8ers to cover the range of roles and tasks that the !orkdemands: +o!ever9 the leader should not lose sight of the fact that team mem8ersare individuals and not clones of each other: %hey !ill each have differentlearning styles and strengths and !eaknesses9 and so !ill fit more comforta8lyinto certain roles than others: Individuals !ill most effectively contri8ute to theteam!orking9 ifN

?a@ their particular skills are recognised and valued?8@ there is a match 8et!een their preferred role?s@ and the !ork that they are

asked to do?c@ they have a high level of trust in each other ?d@ all forms of (discounting0 is avoided?e@ feed8ack is recognised as an essential ingredient for performance

improvement

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4uoteN

In ( alk the 'alk0 9 Charles +andy9 a leading management guru9 suggests thatN

5 e! managers think and talk a8out their o8>ectives and methodsNthey put their ideas on legs and make them !alk among their

colleagues and staff 'hey alk the 'alk :6

Activity:

!"at do +ou t"in* t"atC"a#les )and+ meant -+


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LEA,NING 0(INT >

there are some 8asic truths in relation to team!orking !ith !hich it is hard todisagreeD

?a@ individuals are seldom good at everything?8@ their effectiveness often depends on the support of the people !ith

!hom they are !orking?c@ !hat they contri8ute is not limited 8y their >o8 title or function

?d@ that team)mem8ers should decide harmoniously their individual roles!ithin the team

these statements contain the fundamental concepts that underpin the concept of

team roles9 defined and ela8orated 8y the research of $r Meredith &el8in and hiscolleagues: %hey o8servedN

?a@ the 8ehaviour of team mem8ers tends to 8e consistent?8@ it can 8e categorised into one or more of eight distinct styles of

!orking ?team roles@?c@ the overall effectiveness of a team depends on getting the right

com8ination of people ?and therefore of team roles@ in relation to thetask ?s@ to 8e performed

?d@ the right com8ination of people in the team means that individuals canuse their strengths9 and >ointly they can compensate for each other"s

!eaknesses?e@ a person"s team roles are independent of their technical and professional expertise

?f@ &el8in"s research has suggested the follo!ing (team roles"D

i: %he Implementer ii: %he Co)ordinator iii: %he Shaper iv: %he Plantv: %he esource Investigator

vi: %he Monitor)Evaluator vii: %he %eam Worker viii: %he Completer)#inisher

?g@ an effective team is not composed of mem8ers !ho are all similar toeach other in their ;ualities9 competences9 values and motivation:

?h@ &el8in recommends that !e perfect those team)role styles that arehigh on our profile so that they can 8e enacted !ith skill and

professionalismN that !e improve those that are not naturally part of our repertoire 8ut need to hold in reserveN and that !e outlaw thosethat are foreign to us:

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if a team is under)performing9 it is possi8le that some of its shortcomings might 8eexplained in terms of team roles: %eams tend to have pro8lems ifD

?a@ the spread of roles doesn"t match the demands of the !ork ?8@ certain roles are duplicated9 and team mem8ers either struggle to 8e the

dominant person in a particular role or else sit 8ack and make less of a contri8ution

?c@ mem8ers are under stress 8ecause they are assigned !ork9 !hich tendsto conflict !ith their preferred roles

?d@ for some reason9 individuals are una8le to perform !ell in their preferred roles

It is likely that many of the a8ove pro8lems can 8e resolved 8yD

?a@ discussion

?8@ colla8oration?c@ coaching

and it is important to understand the dynamics of effectively handlinginterpersonal conflict 8yD

?a@ collecting and disseminating data and information?8@ analyse options availa8le?c@ select the preferred option?d@ implement and take action decided upon

- useful model for deciding on the action to 8e taken is provided 8y the 5 'wo!dimensional model of conflict behaviour 6:

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LEA,NING 0(INT ?

-dvantages of team!orkingD

?a@ provides the chance to 8ring a variety of skills and experiences to tackling a pro8lem or task

?8@ provides an appreciation of each other"s special contri8ution?c@ affords the opportunity for team mem8ers to learn from each other ?d@ enhances the process of the provision of mutual support?e@ has the potential for mem8ers to enthuse a8out a task and motivate each other ?f@ provides a degree of independence from the rest of the organisation

$isadvantages of team!orkingD

?a@ %oo much isolation from the rest of the organisation !hich leads to goals 8eing some!hat insular and not linked to the corporate organisational goals

?8@ %eam pressures leading to an unrealistic vie! ?groupthink@?c@ Competition 8et!een teams can lead to conflict 8et!een different parts of the

organisation

0#o-lems a#ising out of team.o#*ing@

1: Pro8lems !ith goals

?a@ do people understand and accept the team"s primary task?8@ What are the team"s priority o8>ectives $o all team mem8ers agree?c@ +o! are conflicts in priorities handled

,: Pro8lems !ith roles

?a@ !hat do team mem8ers expect of each other?8@ +ave these expectations 8een shared $o they match?c@ $o individual o8>ectives fit !ith the team"s overall o8>ectives?d@ -re there areas of overlap or duplication 8et!een team roles that could

produce role)conflict

3: Pro8lems !ith processes

?a@ +o! are decisions taken?8@ -re communication processes across the team !orking?c@ -re structures9 content and processes in meetings effective?d@ +o! are pro8lems and conflicts resolved?e@ +o! is activity co)ordinated -re reporting procedures understood and

adhered to

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7: Pro8lems !ith relationships

?a@ +o! do team mem8er treat and feel a8out each other?8@ -re people"s individual needs recognised and respected?c@ $oes the team climate allo! for open de8ate and the sharing of concerns?d@ $o the team mem8ers and the team leader encourage feed8ack on team

and individual performance &oth (top do!n" and (8ottom up":

LEA,NING 0(INT

%here is a fundamental difference 8et!een the (top do!n" approach to culturalchange ?corporate culture@ and the (8ottom up" ?organisation culture@

%here are a num8er of levers of change !hich need to 8e addressed !henintroducing team!orkingN these can 8est 8e remem8ered 8y use of the acronym

/C-%E values9 o!nership9 customers9 actors9 transformation and environment

Identifying and ;uantifying these aspects of essential elements at an early stage inthe process of team8uilding !ill help managers appreciate the difficulties inherentin the process of cultural change

Managers should also identify !ays in !hich the existing organisational structure

is likely to support or hinder the change process Structural analysis using the systems approach !ill ena8le the adoption of a

(holistic" understanding of the capa8ility of participant"s o!n organisation"s torespond to the changes inherent in the team8uilding process

- systems approach highlights the 8roader issues involved in organisationalanalysis and goes 8eyond structural characteristics such as mechanistic9 organic9matrix9 plural9 unitary9 empo!ered9 structures etc: and looks at the inter)related!ays in !hich co)ordination and control are undertaken throughout theorganisation

In vie! of the considera8le literature referring to the (excellence school"9 somecomment is useful for the development of an understanding 8et!een the concepts(description " and ( prescription " !here8y the former merely descri8es theorganisation at present: %he latter is more strategic perceiving !here theorganisation (!ants to 8e" and ho! team!orking !ill contri8ute to theaccomplishment of this ( vision "

%herefore9 the concept of (prescription" clearly re;uires a measure of planning

and9 in the model of team!orking9 this impliesD



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?a@ agreeing aims and o8>ectives?8@ these are for the team as a !hole and for separate pro>ects involving the team?c@ allocating !ork so that strategies and plans are formulated 8y the individual

team mem8ers 8est prepared for the particular task ?d@ allo!ing the (planners" !ithin the team to consult other team mem8ers at their

discretion and to !ork !ithout interference?e@ the value of each mem8er"s contri8ution to the planning process !ill depend

on the demands of the situation 8ut !hat is important is that all mem8ers of the team agree on the degree of planning and monitoring that is appropriate toachieve the task

%he various cultures and su8cultures !hich are at !ork throughout anorganisation !ill exercise a ma>or influence on 8oth reactions to and perceptionsof the changes involved in the movement to!ards team!orking !hich needs to

8e addressed in advance of the changes

Within the increasingly important (net!ork" type of organisation9 the role of the(term leader" in a change situation is often that of a 8roker !orking as liaison

8et!een a particular team and the corporate centre as !ell as across ?hori=ontally@a num8er of teams and 8usiness units

It is most important to understand clearly that the team"s mem8ers see their functions and responsi8ilities !ithin the context of making a contri8ution to theorganisation"s vision9 mission and corporate 8usiness plan and o8>ectives:

LEA,NING 0(INT

If a team is going to 8e effective9 each mem8er has to support and encourage allthe other team mem8ersN

?a@ encouraging others to put for!ard ideas?8@ give and receive criticism



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Practical Skills for Supervisors