Why do Pit Stop Teams in Formula 1 have to work as a tight team and play to the goals and rules of the team?

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1 Challenge TW 6 There are lots of rules at work some written, some unwritten and informal. Understanding the rules and working well within a team is crucial to getting on in work. This Challenge will help you. Why do Pit Stop Teams in Formula 1 have to work as a tight team and play to the goals and rules of the team? This is one of the most stressful jobs a team could do. It has to be performed at extremely high speeds, if you get anything wrong it could be a disaster. Could this team afford to have someone on their team who wasn t playing their part in achieving the goal of winning? Get into pairs and discuss the following: Why do sports such as football and motor racing have such strict rules? Is there any difference in rules for sports and rules for the workplace? How do you know what the rules are when you start work? What can happen to other team members when a member of the team doesn t play by the rules?

2 We all know the rules of a school or family but what about rules in the workplace? How do we get to know the rules? Some of the rules are FORMAL some are INFORMAL FORMAL RULES Usually when you start work you will be given a handbook or instructions on the rules you have to agree with. Sometimes these are included on your contract of employment. Here are a few examples of formal rules. You have to follow Health and Safety instructions You have to respond to customer complaints professionally You are not to represent your employer on social media INFORMAL RULES It s easy to feel overwhelmed when you are first given these rules but don t panic, they make sense in time. Make sure you have a written copy to review. Don t be afraid to ask your boss to explain what they mean. Ask colleagues how they make sure they follow these rules. Understand the consequences of not following the rules! But in many jobs there are also informal rules or customs which evolve over time. Although these are not written rules they are still important, as you join a team. Some examples of these informal rules include: We go out socially at the end of the week We cover for one another if someone is sick The newest member makes the tea! Watch how the rest of the team behave Don t be afraid to ask How does this team work? Think about what you can bring to the team in informal ways e.g. your sense of humour.

3 WHAT IF I FIND IT HARD TO PLAY TO THE RULES? Many of the world s most creative business leaders are people who challenged the way existing business teams played by the rules and created their own businesses. If you are someone who finds it hard to confirm and follow rules it may be that you too could work for yourself or set up your own business and develop your own rules. Here are some things to think about: What am I really good at right now which I could develop into a business one day? If your own business grew so you had to start employing people to work for you, how would you go about finding the right people to work for you? What rules would you have to have to sure that everyone working for you was on the same team? If you could have one unique rule for your workers what would it be? What if your workers didn t obey your rules what would you do then?

4 WATCHING THE WORKER One of the best ways to see teams playing by the rules is to go into a café, restaurant or coffee shop. These are some of the most stressful places to work. Staff are on their feet all day, working with hot equipment and all the time trying to serve customers with a smile on your face. No wonder they say If you can t stand the heat get out of the kitchen! But watching workers is a great way to understand team life and whether staff play by the rules Use this score sheet and rate what you see with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. This score sheet looks at just the first 2 STEPS skills S-Self Management and T -Team work. There are other watching the worker exercises for the other STEPS SELF-MANAGEMENT Everyone keeping to time, looking good,managing emotions and having a good attitude. Do the workers look like they are ready for work and seem confident in themselves? Do the workers look smart and have a positive attitude? T EAMWORKING: Everyone in the team respecting each other and playing to the rules. Do the workers look like they are working well with colleagues? Do the workers look like they are practically helping colleagues? Do the worker look like they can get through their shift, despite it being hard work?. Are the workers able to take orders from their boss? Do the workers have a positive relationship with their colleagues? From what you see do you think all the workers look out for each other? Do the workers look they can be flexible and do other jobs needed? Do you think that these workers are performing like a good team?

5 Come up with 3 rules at work, which when ignored deserve a yellow or red card? Eg. Being rude to a customer should this be a yellow or red card? Do you feel that when rules are set, everyone should be consulted? Yes / No / Depends... What makes a good rule? What rules do you set for yourself? Facework 2015 produced by the Inclusion Trust (charity number ). Photos/illustrations Istock