Level 2 - ILM Diploma in Team Leading

Transcription

1 M&L Unit 6 - Principles of Team Leading What s included? Leadership styles, conflict and motivating a team Team development and change management Monitoring the flow of work of a team Problem solving techniques within teams Effective leaders Effective leaders should have a number of skills and qualities that ensure they are respected by the team as a leader and who will ensure that the tasks of the team are completed in a timely manner and to the appropriate standard. The main features of characteristics of effective leaders include: Positive attitude and enthusiasm Good Communicator Having a positive attitude and enthusiasm will help to keep your team motivated in their work and helps toward the success of your organisation. Clear and effective communication enables you to describe what you want doing and ensures everyone is working towards the same goal. The ability to listen effectively will help you to understand the needs of your team, consider all options and lead in the right direction. A positive attitude helps keep your team motivated.

2 Proactive Thinking ahead can help you to avoid problems before they arise. Especially when dealing with issues or setbacks, by being calm and confident yourself will encourage your team to behave in the same way. Keeping everyone working and moving is a key objective. The ability to adapt to new or unexpected situations and adjust accordingly may also involve being open to change and guiding the team through times of change such as in a policy or working methods. Leading by example will ensure your team follows suit. If you work hard and to a high standard, so will your team. Delegating tasks is important as your work load begins to grow causing quality and productivity to suffer. The ability to identify the strengths of your team members and finding out what they enjoy doing enables you to delegate tasks and demonstrates trust. Not all decisions you make in your job role will be clear-cut, there may be times when you need to think outside the box and come up with all possible options or ask your team for their ideas to solve an issue. Especially when something unexpected happens, you may need to draw in your natural intuition to guide you and your team through a situation. This is especially key when implementing new ideas, procedures or policies etc. The ability to inspire your team helps to focus on current and future goals and motivates them. Appreciation and acknowledgment of a job well done is vital to maintain team enthusiasm for their work and the achievement of company goals. Consistency enables you to gain respect from your team and for them to have confidence in your leadership. Treating others with respect will earn their respect to you. Confidence Flexible and adaptable Commitment Ability to delegate Creativity Intuitive The ability to inspire your team helps to focus on current and future goals and motivates them. Inspire Consistent Respectful Leadership styles The style of leadership used will usually depend on the team and/or the nature of the work. The approach to leadership will also depend on the personality of the leader and how they apply this to different groups of people in an organisation. Selecting the correct leadership style may lead to greater motivation and productivity from your team. ii

3 The most recognisable styles of leadership are democratic, autocratic, consultative and laissez-faire. For further information on leadership styles, please also read the following handouts, available on TheKnowledge: Theorist John Adair (R6109) Management and Leadership Styles (R6388) Motivating a Team Motivation is the desire to do things. It is influenced by internal and external factors that stimulate the desire and energy in people to be interested and committed to a job, role or subject, or to make an effort to attain a goal. Motivation results from the intensity of desire or need, incentive or reward of the goal and expectations of individuals and peers. An important role as a manager or supervisor will include motivating your team. All individuals have interests, needs, priorities and concerns, all of which have to be identified and addressed. The basis of motivation can be complex and may affect many factors within the workplace. These factors may include: Conduct Absenteeism Timekeeping Attitudes to others level of performance If managers and supervisors are the ones who make things happen through other people, they must be aware of how they can encourage people to work willingly, to increase peoples satisfaction and interest in their job and the organisation s efficiency. Understanding the balance within a team is vital. If individuals are de-motivated, the team will become de-motivated. Motivated staff tend to perform better in the workplace and show more commitment to their job, and this has an impact upon, for example, team and organisational performance and staff retention rates. As a team leader your responsibilities involve raising motivation levels, although at times it may feel like an impossible task. You can help by: Helping individuals to fit in. Allowing everyone to make a contribution. Giving recognition to individuals, groups and sub groups. Allowing groups to take responsibility. Helping groups and individuals to achieve. Did you know? Research has shown that there are many factors which contribute to motivation in the workplace. iii

4 There are many different opinions relating to what motivates people at work. Some of them have quite different conclusions in their theories but all of them value motivation as an important factor in a team. Herzberg s Motivation-Hygiene Theory and Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs are two important theories of motivation that describe how individuals can be motivated at work. Herzberg s Motivation-Hygiene Theory Herzberg s Motivation-Hygiene theory states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction and a separate set of factors that cause dissatisfaction. These are hygiene factors and motivator factors. According to Herzberg, management should focus on rearranging work so that motivator factors can take effect. He suggested three ways in which this could be done: Job enlargement - This involves adding extra, similar tasks to a job role. Individuals experience less repetition and monotony without the need to acquire new skills. One negative of this is that employees see this as carrying out more work for the same amount of pay. Job rotation - This involves moving employees around to do different of jobs to increase interest and motivation. This often involves further training. It is advantageous when covering for absent colleagues but reduces productivity if training does not take place in new tasks. It is seen as a solution to skills shortages and skills gaps and employee de-motivation. Job enrichment This involves improving work processes and environments so that employees are more satisfied thorough more challenging work and less repetition. Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. He believed that people possess a set of motivation systems unrelated to rewards or desires. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. He put these into five stages that must be satisfied There is some similarity between Herzberg s and Maslow s models. They both suggest that needs have to be satisfied for the employee to be motivated. It is important to note that Maslow s (1943, 1954) five stage model has been expanded to include cognitive and aesthetic needs and later transcendence needs). Cognitive needs Knowledge, meaning etc. Aesthetic needs Appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form etc. Transcendence needs Helping other to achieve Self-Actualisation. However, Herzberg argues that only the higher levels of the Maslow Hierarchy (e.g. self-actualisation, esteem needs) act as a motivator. The remaining needs can only cause dissatisfaction if not addressed. iv

5 Further reading on Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg s Motivation- Hygiene Theory can be obtained in the following hand-outs available on the knowledge: Theorist Maslow Abraham (R5482a) Theorist Herzberg Frederick (R6112) Benefits of effective leadership to organisations Effective leadership provides many benefits to an organisation including; Improved organisational performance towards goals and objectives. Understanding of the needs of staff and customers. Planning and controlling of work activities. Greater ability to anticipate and enable change and make improvements. Creates trust and confidence. Effective communication of business objectives. An awareness of shared goals and standards of performance. Improved team performance. Maintenance of motivation and morale levels amongst staff. Increased use of delegation. Time saving by having effective meetings. Effective use of resources. Purpose of teams A team is a group of people who are organised to work together to achieve specific goals or objectives. All members of a team are accountable for the achievement of the team goals. Ideally team members will have a combination of skills, knowledge, experience, aptitude and attitude to achieve their common purpose. Functional team members usually have different responsibilities but all work to perform the same function of the department. Different types of teams Functional teams These are composed of team members from several vertical levels of an organisation s hierarchy who perform specific functions. A typical functional team will have a manager and staff such, e.g. accounting; marketing; finances and human resources are all examples of functional work teams. Cross-Functional Teams Did you know? Teams may be permanent or they may be brought together for a specific project. Sometimes teams need to be formed by combining multiple, functional teams into one. v

6 These are cross-functional teams composed of experts from various functional areas who work cooperatively towards an organisational goal. These team members are usually empowered to make decisions on their own, without needing to consult management. Self-Managed Teams Self-managed teams operate with a high level of autonomy and responsibility. They are responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of producing a product or delivering a service. They usually carry out supporting tasks such as planning and scheduling workflow or technical tasks. Virtual Teams These teams are those that are not in the same physical workplace and usually work through electronic communications. They help organisations to cut the costs of travel, relocation and property. Project teams A group of employees who are brought together to perform activities working towards a common task related goal: for example to work on a special project or event. Quality Circles Small teams of employees formed to define and solve a quality or performance related problem. Team Development Bruce Tuckman described the stages that most teams follow in their development from being a group of strangers to a group united in a common goal. All are necessary for a team to grow, face up to challenges, tackle problems, plan work and deliver results. These stages are Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing, he later added a fifth stage Adjourning (sometime know as mourning). Concept of team role theory Belbin studied team-work and observed that people in teams tend to assume different team roles. He identified nine team roles which he categorised into three groups Action orientated, People orientated and Thought orientated. Belbin suggested that by understanding your role within a team, you can develop your strengths and manage your weaknesses as a team member, and so improve how you contribute to the team. Belbin model can be used by team leaders to help create more balanced teams. Knowing a team strengths and weakness can help ensure that necessary team roles are covered, and that potential behavioural tensions or weaknesses among the team member are addressed and managed. For further reading on team development and roles, obtain a copy of the following hand-outs from TheKnowledge: Belbin, Meredith (R6108) Tuckman, Bruce (R6107) vi

7 Conflict and teams One of the more challenging situations you may face as a team leader or manager is dealing with conflict within your team. Conflict may be defined as the internal or external discord that occurs as a result of differences in ideas, values or beliefs of two or more people. In such situations you need to be assertive, but professional in the way conflict is handled. If possible, try to defuse the situation by using your interpersonal skills. This involves being able to negotiate with someone and not losing your temper. Typical sources of conflict may include: During times of change in an organisation or a team. Competition over need to use particular resources. Difference in working styles or preferences. Conflicting goals. Pressure of work. Lack of clarity about tasks, strategies and/ or goals. Incompatible desires and needs. Attitudes and behaviour that go against the team. Under performance. Poor communication. It is vital to manage any potential conflict within your team in order to maintain morale and performance standards, minimise absenteeism, promote a safe working environment and to maintain group cohesion. Depending upon the severity and level of conflict, conflict may be resolved or reduced informally. In some cases it may be necessary to use the organisation s formal procedures. Not all conflict is bad, it presents opportunities for improvement and therefore it is important to understand various techniques for resolving conflict. Conflict may arise due to the way people behave or the nature of the team s work and how it is being accomplished. Techniques for dealing with conflict: Forcing Using formal authority or coercion to get one s own way, despite the resistance of the other people. This may involve pushing one viewpoint at the expense of another or maintaining firm resistance to another person s actions. Win-Win collaborating, also known as problem solving - This involves finding an alternative that satisfies everyone. Compromising Working towards a mutually acceptable solution that mainly satisfied everyone. Avoiding, also known as withdrawing - This is when conflict is not addressed and withdrawing from the threatening situation. Accommodating This is also known as smoothing by accommodating the concerns of others and neglecting your own. vii

8 Setting targets When setting targets or objectives it is important to that they are SMART: S MA R T SMART Objectives Specific, clear, unambiguous, understandable and straightforward. Measurable and related to quantified or qualitative performance measures. Achievable with known resources. Realistic and linked to business needs. Time-bound with completion dates and review dates. Monitoring the flow of work of a team Monitoring the flow of work of a team and checking the progress of the team and team members is important in order to ensure individual and team targets are being met. This usually involves some form of data collection and measuring or checking of records or progress on such factors as quality, output, productivity, schedules and the use of materials. Monitoring requires indicators, which are descriptions or statements of what is to be monitored and against what criteria this enables evidence to be collected to see if tasks and objectives are achieved. Techniques for monitoring the flow of work of a team: Collection of data refers to interviews and surveys, feedback from customers, suppliers, team members and other departments. Focus group discussions. Observation of work activities to review progress. Checklists and activity logs completed by employees to help you keep track of their actions and activities. Monitoring the work of a team and checking their progress and team members is important to ensure individual and team targets are being met. Measuring or checking records, sales reports, work plans, schedules, budget forecast, deadlines met and error reports. Problem solving techniques within teams Teams must learn to work together and work through their personal differences and find strengths to build on. It is important for team leaders to understand their team s expectations and differences, so that they are better equipped to handle difficulties and problems as they arise. Did you know? Teams are complicated because they comprise of individuals with different personalities, strengths, weaknesses and biases. viii

9 Problem solving techniques may be rational or creative and include: 1. Rational The use of analysis, facts ad a step-by-step process to come to a decision. Example include: Root cause analysis (RCA) - Identifies the root cause of problems and why they are happening. Once removed prevents the problem occurring. Fishbone diagrams - This is about identifying many possible causes of a problem and sorting out ideas for these into useful categories by drawing a diagram in a fishbone shape. It enables brainstorming ideas for possible causes of the problems e.g. methods, equipment, people, materials, measurement, environment and asking why this may happen about each cause. Problem solving techniques may be rational or creative 2. Creative Searching for a new, original and novel solution to a problem such as: Brainstorming (also Buzz Sessions ) generates ideas to come up with creative solutions to problems; it needs to be structured for it to be effective whilst creating a free and open environment that encourages participation. 5 W s Who, What, Where, When, Why are a useful tool when gathering data in the early stages of problem solving. Once the questions are answered you will have a complete overview of the problem. They can be used to get ideas such as in what way might we.. Six Thinking Hats This is a technique that forces you to move outside your normal way of thinking and get a more rounded view of a problem. It was created by Edward de Bono and can be used in meetings or on your own and it involves looking at a problem using 6 different thinking hats to see what different solutions you come up with when thinking in a different way. ix

10 The six thinking hats are: This hat focuses on the data available and seeing what White Hat you can learn from it. It is used to record available information and identify further information requirements. This hat looks at problems using intuition, gut reaction Red Hat and emotion and trying to understand the responses others would have. Putting feelings forward without fear of prejudice. This hat looks at all the bad points cautiously and Black Hat defensively trying to see why something might not work allowing you to eliminate them and plan for contingencies. Sometime this hat is easy to overuse. Yellow Hat Green Hat Blue Hat This hat helps you to think positively taking the optimistic view that sees the benefits of the decisions and their value. This hat is for creativity. You can develop creative solutions to a problem. This hat stands for process control and is worn by those chairing a meeting to solve problems. This hat asks for conclusions, summaries and decisions. Change affects individuals, and when change occurs in an organisation it is important to realise that people need time to adjust. Mind-mapping Mind-mapping helps to solve problems by focusing your mind to come up with possible solutions to problems. It uses colours and images to stimulate the brain so you are engaged and ready to solve the problem. It uses radial thinking so that your brain generates more ideas and associations and more solutions. Further information on Problem solving techniques can be found on TheKnowledge in the handout, Management - Creative Thinking (R6104). Reasons for organisational change There are many reasons for organisational change such as: The need to improve quality, productivity and profit. Reacting or being pro-active towards competition. The desire to grow. x

11 Innovation. Introduction of new technology. To reduce costs. Changing market conditions. Out-of-date working practices. Need to improve processes. Government regulations. Mergers and acquisitions. Organisational goals and objectives are not being met. Keeping a positive attitude can help people deal with the uncertainty in change and enable individuals to focus on how they can make the best of their existing skills and experience and look for opportunities that arise as a result of the change. How to implement change There are a number of models that can be used to explain how to implement change in a team. Here are three well known models. Lewin s Change Management Model Kurt Lewin s model describes a three stage process of change (Unfreeze, Change and Refreeze). He explained change using the shape of a block of ice. If you want to change the shape of a block of ice to a cone of ice you need to make the ice amenable to change by melting it (Unfreeze). You then need to mold it into the shape you want (Change) then you must make the new shape solid. (Refreeze). Keeping a positive attitude can help people deal with the uncertainty in change. Unfreeze This prepares the organisation to accept that change is necessary and that the existing way of doing things cannot continue. The current beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviours need to be challenged and this is usually the most difficult part of the change process. Change This is where people begin to believe in and support the new direction. It takes time and people need to understand how the change will benefit them, so communication and time are the key to the success. Refreeze When the changes are taking shape and people are embracing the new ways of working, then the organisation is ready to refreeze and internalise the changes so they are incorporated into the everyday business. Kubler-Ross Stages of Change Model Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was a pioneer in methods of support and counselling for the trauma and grief associated with death and dying. The Change Curve model is based on her explanation of the grieving process and has been used a method to help people understand their reaction to significant change or upheaval. Did you know? Negative team responses to change may lead to undesirable situations in the workplace such as a reduction in efficiency, disruption to work and increased conflict. xi

12 She proposed that terminally ill patients would progress through five stages of grief when informed of their illness and that this model could be applied to any dramatic life changing situation, including change at work. Stage 1 Shock and denial. Initial shock is often short lived but can result in a slow -down and loss of productivity due to lack of information, fear of the unknown and fear of looking stupid or doing something wrong. After the initial shock, people experience denial and may convince themselves that the change is not going to happen or if it does they will not be affected. Communication and providing reassurance is key at this stage. Stage 2 Anger and depression. Blame is focused on the organisation, group or an individual. Once the anger begins to wear off and the realisation that the change is happening there is often self-doubt, anxiety and low morale. People can be reassured that others feel the same. Stage 3 Acceptance and integration. A more optimistic and enthusiastic mood starts to emerge as individuals accept that change is inevitable and begin to work with it rather than against it. There are now thoughts of exciting new opportunities, relief that they have survived the change and impatience for it to be complete. The change has now been integrated and is accepted and trusted. ADKAR Action Orientated Model This model developed by Jeff Hiatt focuses on people and how to create the right conditions for those affected by change to adopt new behaviours and ways of working. Each element of the model must be completed in full and in sequence for successful change to take place. The five steps are as follows: Awareness Creating an understanding of the need to change. Desire Creating the desire to support and take part in the change. Knowledge Giving knowledge so people can understand how to change and what to do i.e. training and education, information of new tasks, processes and systems and understanding of new roles and responsibilities. An understanding of the barriers that can apply to each stage will enable planning to remove these and effectively create change. Ability Providing the skills to implement change on a daily basis i.e. day to day involvement, access to experts, performance monitoring. Reinforcement Creating the ability and environment to sustain the change and keep it going i.e. recognition and rewards, feedback and performance measurement. Babcock Skills and Learning R7820 v