Level 3 Diploma in Management - Skills Team

People and Building Team

Level 3 Diploma in Management Chapter 2

Managing people and building a team

[Intentionally Blank]

Copyright © The Institute of Leadership and Management 2014. ILM is a registered trade mark of The City and Guilds of London Institute. These materials may not, in whole or part, be copied, reproduced, communicated, or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of ILM. Permission has been granted to Skills Team Ltd to adapt and include materials relevant to their Diploma in Management programme September 2014

Institute of Leadership & Management www.i-l-m.com

Managing People and Building a Team Contents Introduction Understanding the Principles of Workforce Management The Human Resources (HR) Function Human Resources Management (HRM) and the HR Function Workforce Planning Employment Law and its Effect on Business Policies and Practices Organisational Responsibilities under Equality Legislation The Benefits of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion to Individuals and Organisations The Language and Behaviour that Supports Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Measuring Diversity Policies and procedures affecting the work of your team Allocating and assessing the quality of work Skills Audit Allocating Work Differences Between a Groups and Teams Building a Team Motivating Team Members – Drivers of Motivation Communicating Targets and Objectives to the Team Team Development (Tuckman) Delegation and delegated levels of authority and responsibility Team Roles (Belbin) Managing Conflict Performance Management Performance Assessment and Appraisal Performance Review Discipline and Grievance Procedures Understanding Training and Development Skills Gap Analysis Training and Development Methods The Role of Targets and Objectives in Training Feedback as a Training and Development Technique Personal Development Plans to Support the Development and Training of Individuals Support Mechanisms for Staff Development Motivation and Reward Different Types of Pay Structure Risks Involved in Management of Reward Schemes Bibliography/Further Reading

2

3 4 4 5 5 10 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 30 36 37 44 45 47 51 55 61 62 63 67 69 71 76 81 83 84 86 87 88 88 90

Managing People and Building Team

Introduction This Workbook and the various activities within it, introduce you to the principles of m a n a g i n g people and building a team: key skills are explored that will enable you to tackle these elements of your role or future role as a line manager with confidence. The exercises will require you to consider theories and ideas that align with each topic but, importantly, you will be expected to make parallels with your own experience in the workplace, which will help in ensuring that you can lead and manage your team effectively. The Workbook covers the requirements of Unit M&L 24 (Principles of people management) within the ILM Diploma in Management (combined qualification) plus elements of the following units both mandatory and optional: M&L 11 Manage Team Performance M&L 10 Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace M&L 12 Manage individual performance M&L 13 Manage individuals' development M&L 28 Encourage learning and development M&L 15 Principle of leadership and management .

3


Understanding the Principles of Workforce Management The Human Resources (HR) Function Human Resources Management is a key function in any organisation. Specialist HR managers are responsible for managing the provision of a broad range of employment support services, including:            

Recruitment and selection; Employee relations; Employment law; Managing change; Pay, pensions and benefits; Employee communication; Training and development Career management; Performance management and appraisals administration; Grievance Handling; Redundancies and dismissals; Welfare services.

Activity: Sum up succinctly, how the HR function is connected to other business functions and why effective HR is fundamental to organisational or business success.

4


Human Resources Management (HRM) and the HR Function The HR manager is responsible for ensuring that line managers apply HR policies and procedures consistently and appropriately throughout the organisation, providing specialist advice and support to ensure that individual line managers do not operate in isolation in their management of people. The line manager’s role incorporates responsibilities for HR management for his or her team. In that sense, most managers are HR managers. The importance of having effective HR cannot be overstressed as its entire focus is about ensuring that the organisation is able to get the best from its people to support the organisational aims and objectives. HR has a direct bearing on successful achievement of organisational goals by, for example, ensuring that people are managed well, that they are content and motivated, are supported and are in the right job. Shaping the way that business operates, HR is linked to all other business functions. The relationship affects all employees and departments. For example: Operations and HR The provision of services and physical production of products sold requires people. People need to have the basics requirements of employment met to enable them to concentrate on their operations role. By paying them correctly and on time along with ensuring their welfare and relational needs are met saves unnecessary distractions from employees’ work. Human well-being is a facet of HR that directly affects the quality of business outputs and outcomes. Similarly, efficient replacement of departing staff through effective recruitment, induction and training avoids costly dips in productivity. Finance and HR People need to be paid for their work and have efficient systems for claiming expenses, etc. If the business needs to downsize to reduce costs, people may need to be laid off, requiring redundancy and transition arrangements to be set in motion by HR. Marketing and HR Advertisements may need to be placed to seek and attract suitable employees which might well be done jointly with HR. Marketing staff tend to be highly skilled. Being able to manage the marketing team well in terms of their skills and experiences in the field will undoubtedly lead to business success. Provision of well-targeted marketing training arranged by HR might increase their effectiveness and value to the organisation.

Workforce Planning The purpose of workforce planning relates to having the right people, with the right skills, in the right place at the right time. A proactive process, it incorporates numerous activities designed to avoid the pitfalls associated with a reactive approach to the recruitment of staff. 5


Activity: Why specifically might a proactive approach to workforce planning be beneficial?

Proactive workforce planning enables the organisation to run more smoothly and efficiently. Reactionary and superficially considered responses to manning issues invariably lead to problems including:           

Employing the wrong people; Wasted money and additional costs incurred through ill-managed recruitment; Suboptimal use of employees; Wasted talent and unfulfilled human potential; Dissatisfaction from employees; Stress for employees; Employees lacking the skills for the job; Additional workloads, having people covering voids for example; Loss of revenue; Damaged customer reputation; and, Poorly designed jobs.

The activities that comprise a typical workforce planning system should be underpinned with well-defined policies and procedures. The various elements are illustrated in the diagram below: 6


Career pathways planning

Succession planning

Flexible working

Demand estimating

Outsourcing

Operational Requirements Up skilling and training

Talent management

Job design

Skills audits Promotions

Key Elements of Workforce Planning (Format: AH Raymondson, 2013) The key driver is the operational requirement of the business or organisation. The elements in the diagram are briefly described below: Succession planning is an active planning process for filling management roles within the organisation. People with potential need to be identified, recruited and developed to not only fill roles now but in the future. Implicit in succession planning is a belief that managers and talented people need to be managed for the good of the company. Not only is the organisation able to have an available pool of talent but succession planning also serves to:    

Address the career expectations of employees; Improve motivation and commitment to the organisation; Aid retention; and, Save money through having to recruit externally for senior positions.

Flexible working provides for an employee to have flexible start and finish times, or perhaps to operate from home. Anyone can ask his or her employer to be allowed to work flexibly and in some circumstances, there is a legal right to ask, albeit the employer can reject the application if there a good business reason for not approving the application.

7


Flexible working comes in numerous guises, including:        

Job sharing (where 2 people share the same job); Home working; Part-time working; Compressed hours (working full-time but over fewer days); Flexi-time (The employee starts and ends work when it suits them within agreed parameters); Annualised hours (working an agreed number of hours over the year but incorporating flexibility in when they work, for example, to work in term time only); Staggered hours (start, finish and break times altered from the norm); and, Phased retirement (older workers choosing to reduce their hours)

Demand estimating is the process of assessing the potential requirement for increases in demand for the organisation’s products or services and having plans in place for increasing staffing levels to meet the demand. Talent management is a term used to describe the processes by which organisations invest in talented people to prepare them for succession to key positions. It focuses on finding and retaining future managers, then carefully honing their skills as they progress within the organisation. Skills audits. A skills audit is an appraisal of current skills against the skills needed and anticipated. It is a method used to plan individuals’ skills, behavioural and technical development. Also, the results of skills audit can be used in creating a record of skills held to help in allocation of tasks where particular skills may be necessary Promotions. Promoting the best people to fill vacancies is an important part of workforce planning. If Talent Management processes have been adopted, the organisation should have suitable candidates for promotion ready and waiting for the opportunities as they arise. If employees can see a clear path to advancement and the organisation promotes routinely from within, then this should contribute to attracting, retaining and increased commitment of staff. Up-skilling and training. Increasing pace of change and globalisation has had a major impact on the needs of organisations to adapt to new markets, new technology and shifting demands. Consequently, there is an ongoing challenge for organisations to constantly up-skill and train staff. Ultimately having a welltrained and appropriately skilled workforce gives organisations a competitive edge. Job design Is a process that enables specific tasks to be allocated to particular job roles, ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of products and services. Good job design allows for high levels of motivation, through creation of meaningful job roles that incorporate scope for people to apply their own thinking and to see jobs through to completion, rather than just being involved in small chunks. 8


Outsourcing is the contracting out of a service. Often seen as a way of discharging the hassle that goes with running support services – such as cleaning services, marketing, printing, etc – outsourcing to 3rd parties can be an attractive option enabling the organisation to concentrate on its core business. Financial savings are often to be gained from using specialist companies as outsourcing partners Career pathways planning is the process of actively managing the career path, including job roles and development opportunities, of an employee to achieve the career aspirations of the employee and the organisational requirements for leaders in key positions. Having appropriately mapped career paths gives the employee a sense of direction, underpinned by clear career goals and is a strong motivator. Activity: Pick 2 of the key elements of workforce planning above. Undertake an Internet search to find out more about the subject you have chosen. Compare what you discover regarding the subject with how your selected elements of workforce planning are approached in your organisation. Make recommendations for improvement in your organisation’s approach.

9


Employment Law and its Effect on Business Policies and Practices All organisations have to comply with the Law. In the UK, employment law is constantly being updated and amended to take account of changing requirements, rulings by UK and European Courts and Government priorities. Consequently, it is important for managers to be aware of the requirements and the implications for the workplace. Policies and procedures set out the way that organisations apply the law. In relation to employment law in particular, the costs of getting it wrong can be very significant, as testified by numerous recent high profile cases that have come before Employment Tribunals. Matters relating to employment law and associated policies and procedures are normally controlled by HR specialists but managers need to be aware of the legislation to avoid falling foul of law. Activity: Think about your own organisation and identify examples of how the organisation has been impacted by employment law.

10


Your response will be relevant to your organisation specifically but could have incorporated a whole host of issues covered by employment law. Including, for example, issues relating to areas such as:              

Absence management Age and employment – including retirement Bullying and harassment Disability and reasonable adjustment Discipline Dismissals Employment contracts Employing overseas labour Employment tribunal hearings Equality in pay Flexible working directives Freedom of information Grievance handling at work Holidays - statutory entitlements

           

Immigrant workers Maternity and paternity leave Pensions Pre-employment checks including disclosure Religion Redundancy Retention of records and documents Sex discrimination, sexual orientation, gender reassignment Stress management Transfer of undertakings (TUPE) following changes of main contractor Whistleblowing Working hours directives

Employment Contracts and their Implications for Employers and for Individuals At the time of writing, types of employment contract in the UK included:      

Full-time contracts; Part-time contracts; Fixed-term contracts; Freelance, consultants’ and contractors’ contracts; Agency staff contracts; and, Zero hours contracts.

Full-time and Part-time Contracts Full and part time employees now have the same employment rights in the UK, albeit there are certain exceptions that would need to be ‘objectively justified’ and would require specialist legal advice. Obligations for employers employing people on full-time or part-time contracts include providing:      

A written statement of employment or an employment contract; The statutory minimum level of paid holiday; Pay slips detailing all deductions; The statutory minimum rest breaks; Statutory Sick Pay (SSP); and, Maternity, paternity (and adoption) pay and leave.

11


Employers are also obliged to:       

Provide a safe system of work; Ensure you comply with working hours directives; Pay the minimum wage or higher and organise payroll, tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs); Have employer’s liability and other relevant insurances; Consider (but not necessarily approve) requests for flexible working; For disabled employees – make reasonable adjustments to enable them to fulfil their role; Avoid workplace discrimination of any kind.

For employers, permanent members of staff bring stability to the organisation and enable continuity in delivery of services. However, it is expensive to employ permanent staff, and employers have to cover additional costs such as holiday pay, sickness cover, maternity leave, pensions, training, etc. Employees who underperform can be a significant liability and replacing under-performing staff is a long and difficult process. Employees gain stability, regular income, often career prospects and feelings of association and camaraderie from work. Fixed-term Contracts: Employees on fixed-term contracts are entitled to the same treatment as full-time permanent staff. A fixed term contract:  

Lasts for a ‘fixed’ and pre-set length of time for a specific reason or task; and, Ends when the specific task or event is completed.

Fixed term contracts give security for the fixed term of the contract to both employer and employee. Agency Staff Temporary staff can be employed through agencies. Employer obligations for agency staff include:     

Paying the agency for the services provided, including the employee’s NICs and SSP; Making sure they have access to your facilities from Day 1, such as dining and childcare facilities and information on any job vacancies; Following 12 weeks’ continuous employment in the same role, agency workers are entitled to the same terms and conditions as permanent employees; Providing the agency with the terms and conditions of employees in your organisation so that they can ensure the worker gets equal treatment after 12 weeks in the same job; and, Ensuring their health and safety.

12


Agency staff are used typically by organisations to cope with fluctuations in demand, such as covering sickness, maternity leave and to provide assistance during busy periods. It is common for an employer to assess the skills and personal qualities of an agency worker and offer them a permanent job later. The agency worker can also use the opportunity as a platform to find a permanent position at the company or elsewhere. Freelance Staff, Consultants and Contractors Freelancers, consultants or contractors are either self-employed or part of other companies. Therefore, you have responsibility to ensure their health and safety but:  

They or their employing company look after their tax and NICs; and, They may not be entitled to the same rights as full/part-time employees

Using freelancers, consultants or contractors is a way that organisations can access skills and services that would be very expensive to have through permanently employed staff. Also, they can be used for covering short-term skills shortages. They can cost a lot more than permanent staff if day rates are compared, which can lead to resentment from permanent employees. Zero Hours Contracts ‘Zero hours’ contracts are typically for ‘piece work’ or ‘on call’ work, e.g. relief workers. The employer:    

Has them on call to work when needed; The organisation is not obliged to give them work; They do not have accept work when asked; and, The employer has responsibility for their health and safety.

The biggest advantage of ‘zero hours’ contracts for employers is the flexibility they provide to deal with fluctuations in demand. Work done is usually paid on an hourly rate. Arguably the individual benefits from being able to turn down work and work flexible hours, although there are several drawbacks from an individual perspective, not least, the lack of a guaranteed income.

13


Activity: What do you see as the benefits, disadvantages and implications of using different types of employment contracts for Employers and Individuals? For Employers:

For Individuals

14


Organisational Responsibilities under Equality Legislation ‘Equality’ means everyone having the same chances to do what they can. Equality legislation recognises that some people may need extra help to get the same chances. Employees are protected from discrimination at work (and in society) under The Equality Act (2010). Discrimination can be in the form of:    

Direct discrimination – treating someone with a ‘protected characteristic’ less favourably than others; Indirect discrimination – placing rules or arrangements that apply to everyone that put people with a ‘protected characteristic’ at an unfair disadvantage; Harassment – unwanted behaviour linked to a ‘protected characteristic’ that infringes dignity or creates an offensive environment for them; and, Victimisation – treating someone unfairly because they have complained about discrimination or harassment.

The protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act (2010) (and Public Sector Equality Duty) are:         

Age; Disability; Gender reassignment; Marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of eliminating unlawful discrimination); Pregnancy and maternity; Race – this includes ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality; Religion or belief – this includes lack of belief; and Sex (gender); Sexual orientation.

The law protects individuals against workplace discrimination, including in areas such as:  Unfair dismissal;  Employment terms and conditions;  Pay and benefits;  Promotion and transfer opportunities;  Training;  Recruitment; and,  Redundancy. The Act makes organisations carrying out public functions comply with the ‘Equality Duty’. They are required to consider how different people will be affected by their activities, in delivering policies and services that meet people’s needs efficiently, effectively and are accessible to all. Beyond that they have to publish information demonstrating their compliance with the Equality Duty.

15


Activity: Obtain a copy of your organisation’s policy relating to Equality in the Workplace. Obtain a copy, via the Internet, of a specimen policy for another organisation and compere the 2 against the provisions of the Equality Act (2010). Note any differences in the policies you are comparing and any omissions.

The Benefits of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion to Individuals and Organisations Diversity is about having a mix of different kinds of people: men and women, young and old, people of different races, disabled and non-disabled. Inclusion is about embracing all people irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical or other need. It relates to giving equal access and opportunities and eradicating intolerance and discrimination. Activity: What do you see as the benefits of effective equality, diversity and inclusion policies to individuals and organisations? Benefits to Organisations:

Benefits to Individuals:

16


The biggest benefit of having a diverse workforce is that it brings differing perspectives to the organisation. Different perspectives generate different ideas and it is ideas that make the difference to organisations. Moreover, having people with a broad range of backgrounds is useful in reflecting the diverse customer base that most businesses have. Valuing of difference is reflected in the organisational culture and adds to creation of a sense of an overall sense of wellbeing for employees. In other words it ‘feels like a good place to work’. Consequently, having equality and diversity embedded as an organisational norm sends a powerful message of fairness to employees and to customers. This in turn helps in the drive to recruit the best employees. Diversity makes life interesting as working with different people creates opportunities to discover other perspectives and perceptions. If employees see that opportunities are equal and based on merit, they are likely to feel that they have a greater chance of achieving within the organisation.

The Language and Behaviour that Supports Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion It is important that what is contained in an organisation’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy, is adhered to by employees and, most importantly, managers. You, as a line manager, have a responsibility to model the behaviours that are expected and to ensure that you do not use inappropriate language that contradicts the commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Activity: Imagine you have a new line manager starting at your organisation. You have been asked to brief the individual regarding language and behaviour in relation to the organisation’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Create a list of ‘6 top tips’ on the subject, so that the new member of staff is under no illusion about what is required of him or her.

17


You will have your own list but it may have included: 

      

To behave in ways that demonstrate equality, diversity, inclusion and fairness for everyone and not to discriminate in any way because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race ethnic origin, colour, nationality, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation; To avoid any language that might be construed as contravening any equality, diversity and inclusion policy. For example, sexist, racist, ageist language, etc; To make clear that opportunities, for example, for training and development or progression are open to all and to demonstrate fairness in allocation of training places; Take care if allocating places on residential courses that may be difficult for some people due to personal circumstances; To stamp on any hint of intimidation, bullying or harassment, including, for example, offensive jokes, unwanted physical contact, persistent criticism, etc; To create an environment where all people are seen to be valued and respected no matter what their background; To ensure that everyone is included – take special care to make people feel included; and, To actively seek out different perspectives and celebrate difference.

Measuring Diversity To be able to monitor diversity an organisation will need to be able to measure it Specifically, measures might include the proportions of diverse groups employed and a measure of workplace inclusivity and its impact on employees and on customers; impact assessment is a legal requirement for public bodies. Relevant information can come from staff consultation, employer records and, to some extent, from customers. Examples of what you might need to measure, say, through surveys, responses to which should be kept confidential include:  Ethnicity across the workforce;  Who applies and who is appointed to work for you;  Who you promote;  Who takes out grievances;  Who you dismiss;  Who leaves the organisation;  Who is absent or sick and why; and,  Take up of training among minority groups. Activity: In the box below explain how you might measure diversity in your organisation:

18


Policies and Procedures Affecting the Work of Your Team Activity: List at least 6 organisational policies that might affect the work of your team and state how they might affect the team: Organisational Policy

How your team might be affected

Your answers could be wide ranging but you might have included some or all of the following:           

Disciplinary Policy; Driving at Work Policy; Customer Care Policy; Display Screen Equipment Policy; Fire Safety Policy; First Aid Policy; Manual Handling Policy; Personal Protective Equipment Policy; Portable Electrical Appliances Policy (testing and inspection); Stress Management Policy; and, Training Policy.

19


Allocating and Assuring the Quality of Work Identifying the Strengths, Competencies and Expertise of Team Members and Identification of Areas for Improvement To enable tasks to be allocated to the most appropriate people in the team we need to be able to identify the strengths, competencies and expertise of team members Perhaps the simplest method of establishing individual team member’s strengths and areas for improvement is to undertake a SWOT analysis. SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – is easy to use. Simply create a grid and list what you think are:    

Individual strengths – what is the individual good at? Individual weaknesses – what does the individual not do very well? Individual opportunities – what skills might the individual need or want to develop for the future? Individual threats – what could stop the individual developing and addressing its weaknesses?

Activity: Undertake a SWOT analysis of one of your team members. The Current Position Strengths

Weaknesses

The Future Opportunities

Threats

20


Skills Auditing A Skills Audit is a method of assessing the skills needed for a particular job and evaluates whether the employee who is in the job has the necessary skills to successfully discharge the responsibilities of the role. Measuring and capturing individual strengths can be valuable, particularly if you have a large team. An individual skills audit is one approach. The following example allows you to rate the individual’s competencies on a scale of 1-10. You would select the competencies that are relevant to your workplace. Score (Low 1 – High 10)

Competencies Communication 1 2 3 4

Written skills Verbal skills Listening to others Speaking to customers Knowledge

5 6 7 8 9

Industry awareness Technical knowledge Financial awareness Using information and communications technology Understanding of legislation, including health and safety at work and corporate social responsibility Team Working

10 11 12 13 14 15

Understanding others Buildin g effective relationships with others Working cooperatively with others Managing stress and conflict Inspiring others Taking personal responsibility Personal Effectiveness

16 17 18

Commitment to personal development Problem-solving and decision-making Time management, including planning and organisation skills

21


It can be very useful to collate team skills and competences so that you can have a ready reference of what expertise exists within your team. One way to achieve this is through a team skills audit or matrix. For example:

Personnel B Jones

C Field

P Barns

Driving – full licence held Manual handling certificate Financial awareness Using information and communications technology Food hygiene certificate

D Smith

Skill/Competence

  x  

   x 

   x 

x    

Example Team Skills/Competences Matrix

Allocating Work It is important to understand that as a first line manager, we are responsible for the output of the team and that how we use the resources available to us, particularly fellow team members, is crucial to our success as a team. Allocation of work, therefore, is a fundamental responsibility of the manager. In deciding who should be responsible for a task, the issues you might consider include:       

Experience needed versus experience held? Skills requirement and/or willingness to learn new skills? Capacity of individuals – what other jobs are they responsible for and how will this tasking affect their ability to get their other jobs done? Time required to do the task? When it needs to be completed by? The willingness to do the job – the team member’s attitude? Confidence needed to do the task?

If you are seeking to develop your team or individual team members, it is important to think through the allocation of tasks. It is easy sometimes to have a ‘go to guy’ who gets things done but that could be at the expense of developing others; also it might create some bad feeling amongst team members who would like to be given opportunities to develop themselves.

22


Activity: Think of 3 significant tasks that are coming up at work. Consider how you might allocate the tasks to an individual that would get some element of development from the task.

There are a number of ways that work or tasks can be allocated. As a first line manager, it is your responsibility to ensure that team members know what is expected of them on any given task. Possible ways of tasking team members include individual work plans. In the workplace, team work plans might take the form of work rotas. Individual work plans, however, have the benefit of being able to be incorportated within a review and support process. Involvement of staff in creating their own work plans leads to greater ‘buy in’ and enhanced commitment to achieving the objectives. If we use individual work plans, then we must monitor individual progress. In monitoring progress, team leaders should be focusing on the following questions:     

Are outputs being achieved? Are outputs being delivered on time? Are resources being economically, efficiently and effectively used? Are we doing what we said and if not, why not? Are team members meeting their objectives?

Monitoring of action plans is an important element of management. Senior managers will expect us to be able to advise them on the progress of work at any time. They also will expect that our monitoring process is sufficently robust to ensure that mistakes are detected and corrected. In short, as first line managers, we are accountable to our more senior managers for the performance of our team.

23


It goes without saying that the manager must be able to give clear instructions to team members. In allocating work, or tasking team members, the line manager should be able to explain exactly what is required. In some companies and organisations, managers will have a set format to follow when briefing team members on jobs or tasks that are to be carried out. A simple 5-stage model (KW Hamilton, 2013), which you might follow when tasking team members, is BASIC A:

Background

By explaining the context of the task, it makes it easier for team members to understand why the task has to be completed and the relative importance of it

Aim

A clear objective or aim makes it easier for the team member to understand what is expected of him or her

Specify

By stating precisely the tasks that need to be completed, the team member is unlikely to miss anything

Tasks

Information

What other information does the team member need to carry out the work? This might include information on other resources that are available (people and/or materials), standards to be applied, or the Standard Operating Procedures that are to be followed

Constraints

Are there any limitations or constraints that the team member must observe? For example, is there a budget or deadline that must be met?

Any

While you might think that you have covered everything that the team member needs to know, it is important to give them the opportunity to ask questions. Questions enable the team member to clarify their understanding of the task; they also provide you, as the line manager, with confidence that the individual has really understood what is expected of them

Questions

24


Identifying Areas for Improvements in Team Members’ Performance Identifying Individual and Collective Training Needs For team members to be fully effective in their roles, they need the knowledge, skills and experience to contribute fully. Inevitably, it takes time to acquire experience and it is often the case that team members have no experience when they are employed in, or re-deployed into, new roles, both temporary and permanent. This can be problematic for managers. It makes sense therefore, for managers to consider which areas of individual team member’s performance require improvement. In some companies and organisations, the development of individual employees is considered a priority and is supported by a range of methods for identifying an individual’s areas for improvement and training needs, including:       

Performance Management, including annual appraisal and routine feedback; Continuous Professional Development; Personal development requests; Quality initiatives, including Kaizen and Continuous Improvement; Observation; Job Evaluation; and/or, Formal Training Needs Analysis (usually associated with new roles or new teams).

Activity: What benefits are likely to come to the organisation from investing in staff development?

25


Most companies and organisations offer their staff opportunities to develop, recognising that investing in their people has many benefits, including:    

Cost savings through, for example, lower staff turnover, lower recruitment costs, reduced customer support and help desk calls, reduced need for supervision and increased staff productivity; Improved profitability generated by increased sales, improved customer service, satisfaction and retention, and greater creativity and innovation (i.e. new product ideas); System process and performance improvements enhancing quality through, for example, fewer mistakes and less time spent correcting mistakes, and faster access to information and improved decision-making; and, Retention of motivated, committed, happier staff.

26


Consider the following quote: ‘What's worse than training your workers and losing them? Not training them and keeping them.’ Zig Zigler, Author and Motivational Speaker

Development opportunities might include formal training, education and on-the-job experience and training. Each of these development opportunities has much to offer. For example, training can provide the team member with practical skills and knowledge that enable him or her to fulfil his or her role more effectively, thereby contributing fully to the team. Education, through attendance at college or by participation in distance learning – including via the ILM – may provide knowledge and/or skills. On-the-job training and development is much more practical but it too can provide new skills and knowledge which will benefit the team. Indeed, as previously stated, if members of the team are cross-trained to do other jobs, the team is much more able to cope with absences through sickness or holiday. On-the-job training is a crucial development opportunity. Effective managers are always looking to develop team members by seeking opportunities to allow people to substitute or deputise in other roles. This obviously has implications in terms of cost, and opportunity cost, which need to be considered. While it is often cheaper to train team members in the workplace rather than send them on training courses, the opportunity cost is in lost productivity while the individual learns new skills. And, of course, when we first take on a new role, it takes time for us to become proficient. At a practical level, managers who wish to identify individual (and collective) training needs could follow a simple 6-step approach to training needs analysis. The ROGUE approach (KW Hamilton, 2012) requires team leaders to:

Review … Observe… Gather… Understand & unpick… Engage…

team members' job descriptions team members at work additional data (e.g. performance metrics) all data and sift it to determine what is important with team members to agree an Action Plan/Personal Development Plan

27


and one for your worst performing team member. Make notes on agreed action plans below.

While ROGUE lends itself particularly well to individual training needs analysis, the amalgamation of the data collected for several team members can soon create a picture of potential collective training needs. For example, staff working in a customer call centre might all report or indicate a need for customer service training to learn how to better handle customer complaints. Perhaps the simplest method of establishing the collective training needs of the Team is to undertake a SWOT analysis. This would follow the same format as we looked at earlier for individuals, but with the content directed to have relevance for the whole team, answering questions such as:    

Team strengths – what is the Team good at? Team weaknesses – what does the Team not do very well? Team opportunities – what skills might the Team need or want to develop for the future? Team threats – what could stop the Team developing and addressing its weaknesses?

28


Activity: Undertake a SWOT analysis of your team to establish team training needs. The Current Position Strengths

Weaknesses


Threats

Summarise the training and development needs you have identified for your team below:

29


Understanding Team Building and Dynamics Differences Between a Groups and Teams Although you may already be in a managerial role, it is worth spending a little time understanding what a team is, the different types of team that might be found in the workplace and the components or characteristics of a successful, or high performing, team. Activity: Think about several teams that you know – this could be a workplace team, a sports team or, for example, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (the Red Arrows) – what do they have in common? List the characteristics, including preferred behaviours, of these teams:

30


Characteristics of an Effective Team In your list you may have included some or all of the attributes listed below. An effective team is a team that has:                  

Skilled people; Trained people; A clear vision for the future; Goals; Clear roles and responsibilities; Effective communication; Committed people; Loyal people; Honest people; People who put the Team needs before their own; People who are concerned for others; People who are flexible; Trust; Accountability; High morale; Motivated people; A shared or common pride in the team; and, Effective leadership.

But what is a team? The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines a team as ‘two or more persons working together’. But does this mean that when 2 or more people are working together that they are a team? Activity: Using the Internet or a suitable book, find out what the difference is between a workplace group and a team? Make notes below:

31


You may have discovered that, in fact, there are several different types of groups and teams in the workplace. In trying to understand the difference, it might help if we consider 2 different types of work group: a cashier working in your local High Street bank and a surgeon who works in the operating theatre of your local hospital. First, imagine that you are going into your bank to pay in some money that you have been given for your birthday. You wait in the queue until one of the cashiers is free and you pay in the money. The cashier takes your paying-in book, checks the cash and cheques that you are depositing and returns your paying-in book having stamped the book to confirm receipt of the monies. The payment is entered onto the computer by the cashier and is subsequently credited to your bank account. In the second scenario, you have been admitted to hospital for a procedure. The surgeon and anaesthetist come to talk to you to explain what is going to happen, they advise you of any risks that might arise from the surgery and ask you to sign a consent form for the operation to go ahead. You are taken down to the operating theatre where you are introduced to a nurse and another junior doctor. Before the procedure can take place, the anaesthetist gives you an injection to render you unconscious. During the operation, the anaesthetist monitors your vital signs, adjusting the oxygen and other gases to ensure that you remain unconscious while the surgeon carries out the procedure. The nurse and junior doctor also participate in the operation, undertaking specific tasks as required. What is the difference between the way the cashier and the surgeon work? Activity: Consider how the cashier and the surgeon undertake their respective roles? What do you notice? Look back at the characteristics of a team and compare what each person does. Make notes below:

32


You may have listed a number of things but your comparison might have revealed one fundamental difference between how the cashier and the surgeon work: the cashier can work without depending upon any one else while the surgeon depends on the skills of the anaesthetist in particular to keep the patient unconscious while the procedure is carried out. This inter-dependency is typically associated with teams. Both the cashier and the surgeon have a clear focus on what is required (a goal), they have the necessary skills to complete their tasks and are likely to be motivated to achieve the required results. There are, however, several important differences to note about how they work. The cashier that served you is one of a number of cashiers. The role of each cashier is to provide customers with a number of services. Each cashier, however, works independently. In other words, the actions of any one of the cashiers is unlikely to affect the work being undertaken immediately by the other cashiers. At the end of the working day, when all the cashiers have balanced their tills, any errors will be noted. On occasions, significant errors will have an effect on the overall performance of the bank. The cashiers in a bank could be described as a work group. This distinction between a group and a team is easy to see when we compare how the cashiers work and the way the surgeon works as part of a team in the operating theatre. The surgeon, the anaesthetist, the nurse and the junior doctor all have distinct roles. These roles are complementary and inter-dependent. The surgical procedure – the goal – could not be undertaken effectively without each member of the team cooperating fully. Indeed, very rarely could a surgeon carry out a surgical procedure without an anaesthetist, unless it was a minor procedure. In the end, there will be certain attributes and characteristics that enable you to determine whether a collection of people is a work group or a team. Similarly, it is important to note that there are times when an organisation or company does not require its staff to work as a team and where a work group is the preferred model.

33


Groups and Teams Activity: Using the Internet and other sources, describe each of the following types of group or team. Group or Team Type

Characteristics

Working Group

Pseudo Team

Potential Team

Real Team

High Performance Team

34


Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, in their 1993 book The Wisdom of Teams, suggested the following characteristics: Group or Team Type

Characteristics

Working Group

 No need to be a team  Interactions between team members limited to information sharing  No mutual accountability

Pseudo Team

 There is a potential need for a team  Might perceive itself as a team  Not interested in sharing a vision or goals but would benefit from doing so  Can reduce organisational performance rather than enhance it

Potential Team

 Recognises need to be a team  Trying to improve  Seeks collective accountability  Requires more clarity about purpose, goals and common ways of working

Real Team

 People with complementary skills  Mutually accountable  Clear purpose, goals and ways of working  Performance exceeds that of a working group

High Performance Team

 Clear purpose, goals and ways of working  Complementary skills  Mutual accountability  Outstanding commitment to the team, including personal growth  Significantly out-performs the working group and potential and real teams

The key characteristics of a team and, particularly, a high performance team, include:        

Common purpose (vision); Clear goals and objectives; Agreed ways of working (clear roles and responsibilities); Recognition of the importance (benefit) of working together; Clear inter-dependency; Mutual accountability; Commitment to the team and individual success and growth; and, Exceptional performance (exceeds expectations).

35


Building a Team Team building is a concept of designing work such that employees are seen as members of interdependent teams not as individuals. Team building incorporates a range of activities designed to improve team coherence and performance, typically including such things as:    

Bonding exercises; Problem solving; Away days and/or retreats; and Exercises and team games.

Teams function best when they interact supportively, communicate effectively and understand and are committed to achieving the team goals and objectives. The following are a series of generalisations that contribute towards effective team building:        

Encourage development of a shared vision with the team – i.e. where you want/need to be; Make sure everyone knows why they are in the team and why others are; Ensure everyone knows what each person brings to the team – knowledge skills and experience; Encourage development of skills; Support and encourage leadership; Avoid ‘group think’ by encouraging openness; Seek continuous improvement and welcome feedback from inside and outside the team; and, Be accountable, individually and collectively.

Activity: Think of 3 significant things you can do over the next 3 months to improve team building at work.

36


Motivating Team Members – Drivers of Motivation Activity: Think of a person you regard as being highly motivated. What drives that individual?

There are 3 key elements that seem to drive motivation. They are: 1. Intensity: how hard a person tries 2. Direction: toward beneficial goal 3. Persistence: how long a person tries Activity: Thinking more generally about the workplace, what factors affect motivation levels at work?

37


Your thoughts in response to this question could have been many and varied but may have included:                         

Exciting and challenging work; Cultural factors; Meaningful work; Producing high quality products; Providing high quality service; Having quality tools to work with; A pleasant work environment (office, factory or outdoors); A positive work environment; The location; The ability to travel; Camaraderie; Career prospects; Growth, learning and development; Being in an effective and harmonious team; An approachable and effective boss; Recognition for contribution made; Fun; Autonomy, sense of control over work; Making a difference; Feeling valued; Flexible working; Fair pay; Inspiring leadership; Realistic allowances; and/or Job security.

If an organisation's cultural atmosphere is plagued with negativity this can be disastrous as once a negative mind-set is in place it is difficult to change. Leaders who invest time and effort into developing a positive working environment often find their employees are happier and this attitude becomes a part of the company's culture. Leadership and Motivation There are numerous definitions of leadership but one, which is a little different from many, allows us to focus on why leadership is so crucial in motivating others and ourselves. Leadership is: ‘the impact you have on yourself and the impact you have on people around you’ Adrian Gilpin, IHD

The impact you have on yourself is largely about attitude and self-motivation. Attitudes are infectious! A negative attitude transfers to others and vice versa for a positive attitude. If you are not self-motivated, how can you expect others to be? Moreover, if you are not motivated, how can you motivate a team? The impact you have on others is all about motivating the team and conveys a need to inspire to get the best out of 38


people. There is a causal link here that relates directly from leadership to motivation and productivity:

Leadership

Degree of

How People Behave

Motivational Linkage

Productivity and

(AH Raymondson, 2013)

Hertzberg’s 2-Factor Theory One of the most prominent and accepted theories of motivation comes from Herzberg, who made observations of motivation in workers at the Ford Motor Company over a period of some 5 years. He segregated motivational factors into 2 discrete sections – which he called ‘satisfiers’ (motivators) and ‘hygiene factors’ (dis-satisfiers/demotivators). Often this is referred to a 2-Factor Theory. His categorisation was: Hygiene Factors (Dis-satisfiers)        

Motivators (Satisfiers)      

Company Policy and Admin Relationships with co-workers Physical Environment Supervision Status Job Security Salary Pay and Benefits

Achievement Recognition Work Itself Responsibility Advancement Personal Growth

The 2 motivators that were found to be most effective were ‘achievement’ and ‘recognition’. Herzberg’s view was that hygiene factors had very limited motivational substance. However, if they were not provided to expected and reasonable levels then they became strong de-motivators. The following diagram shows the factors with the motivators inside the racing car and the hygiene factors around the racing car:

39


Relationship with supervisor

with peers Supervision

Company policy & administration Relationship with

Personal life

Hygiene Factors

Work 6 Personal Growth 5 Advancement

4 Responsibility 3 Work itself

2 Recognition

Herzberg’s 2-Factor Theory of Motivation (Format AH Raymondson, 2009) Herzberg’s key findings were that:      

A bad physical environment may dissatisfy people, but a good environment rarely satisfies them; The prevention of dissatisfaction is just as important as encouragement of satisfaction; Hygiene factors operate independently of motivation factors. An individual can be highly motivated in his or her work and be dissatisfied with his or her work environment; All hygiene factors are equally important, although their frequency of occurrence differs considerably; Hygiene improvements have short-term effects. Any improvements result in a short-term removal or prevention of dissatisfaction; and, Hygiene needs are cyclical and come back to a starting point. This leads to the ‘What have you done for me lately?’ syndrome.

40


Activity: Record below, what you consider to be the implications of Herzberg’s observations and analysis for your team…?

You may have responded with specific observations relating to your own situation. However, as a general application of Herzberg, line managers who ensure that they address Herzberg’s top 2 motivational factors – recognition and achievement – will find that motivation noticeably improves. Achievement typically relates to objective setting and as people achieve the objectives opportunities arise to give people recognition and constructive feedback. There is a parallel here too with the old saying ‘catch somebody doing something well – and tell them about it’. Interestingly rewards such as pay (i.e. the hygiene factors) are not supported as significant motivators – as is popularly believed. Pay according to Herzberg has some but very limited motivational power. However it would be a big de-motivator if it were not received to an appropriate level for the job. It is often suggested – for example by sales personnel that they are motivated by rewards such as bonuses. In 2-Factor Theory this would not be the motivator – it would be the recognition that they get from being seen to have achieved their bonus.

41


Activity: Take each of the hygiene factors outlined by Herzberg and allocate a score reflecting how well your organisation performs in each area. Remember these are de-motivators if they are not provided to satisfactory levels: Hygiene Factors

Score: 1 (poor) - 10 (excellent)

Company Policy and Admin Relationships with co-workers Physical Environment Supervision Status Job Security Salary Pay and Benefits Activity: Which of the hygiene factors can you personally do something to improve (either by taking positive action or by influencing others)? What specifically could you do to improve 3 of them?

42


Activity: Now take each of the motivators outlined by Herzberg and make notes as to what actions you as a manager could take to improve application of each element in your workplace: Motivators

Actions

Achievement

Recognition

Work Itself

Responsibility

Advancement

Personal Growth

43


Communicating Targets and Objectives to the Team Team members need to have a good understanding of the targets and objectives that they are required to achieve. That is both individual targets and team targets. They clearly cannot be expected to achieve them if they do not fully appreciate the requirements. Moreover, effective communication of targets and objectives are closely related to the motivational issues we have examined. Significant to all of Herzberg’s motivators is application of effective goal setting. SMART goals give: achievement on completion, opportunity for you to recognise that achievement, the goal can be selected to give a good level of satisfaction (i.e. from the work itself), responsibility though delegation of responsibility for achieving the goal, increasing potential for advancement and providing a platform for personal growth. The following is an example of a SMART action plan that enables monitoring of wellconstructed, SMART objectives: SMART Action Plan

Action

S

M

Specific

Measurable

A Achievable/ Agreed

R

T

Realistic

Timed

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

44

Staff Responsible

Priority

Monitoring Notes


Team Development How does a team develop and grow? Realistically, there is a natural process through which any team has to go before it can achieve outstanding levels of performance. While it is fair to say that people can be thrown together on a task and work effectively for a short time to achieve a goal or several goals, most teams take time to grow and to develop. Tuckman’s Team Development Model In the mid-1960s Dr Bruce W Tuckman, a much-respected educational psychologist published his ‘Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing’ team-development model. The essence of his theory is that a team or a group has to go through a series of stages before it can be truly effective. He observed that the 4-stage process often happens without team members actually noticing or being aware of it happening! Tuckman suggests, however, that an understanding of the Model can help significantly in enabling a team to reach a higher level of performance, usually more quickly and less painfully. Tuckman’s original Model features 4 distinct stages: 

Stage 1: Forming. In the Forming Stage, team members work hard to fit into the team. People focus on the routine and try to avoid conflict and disagreement. Most people want to gather information about the team and work out where they fit in. This Stage is often perceived as a comfortable stage in team development, but it is one in which not much actually gets done.



Stage 2: Storming. In the Storming Stage, team members begin to disagree. There inevitably will be petty disagreements over minor irritations, often related to individual roles and responsibilities. People will ask ‘whose job is it to do this?’ or state ‘this is my job’. While some minor confrontations will arise that are quickly and easily dealt with, it opens the door for the important issues to be addressed. The way in which the small issues are resolved will set also the tone for resolution of the more significant challenges. For some members of the team, this Stage can be extremely uncomfortable but it is essential if the team is to develop. Unless team members are prepared to address the specific issues that arise, the team can get stuck in the Storming Stage. Sometimes, the team moves to the Norming Stage without properly completing the Storming Stage. When this happens, there is a risk that the team will slip back into Storming.



Stage 3: Norming. Following the turbulence of Storming, the resolution of disagreements and conflict enables team members to better understand what is required to achieve the task. The Norming Stage is where the team agrees how it will work together, establishing processes, procedures and team roles and responsibilities. Norming will create a cohesive, effective team, provided the team has ‘stormed’ effectively.



Stage 4: Performing: Performing is considered to be the point at which the team, and team members, are able to work both independently and together effectively. People know who is responsible for specific tasks; there is a strong sense of pride and purpose, and a high level of trust, honesty and loyalty. This is reflected in high team morale. Some teams never reach this stage. 45


The diagram below shows Tuckman’s model of team development and highlights the iterative nature of the process – teams form and reform all the time – when the people, their roles or the organisation itself goes through some form of change. Tuckman’s Forming, Storming, Norming Performing Model

Output

Performing

Forming Norming

Storming

Time

(Adapted from Tuckman, 1977)

The diagram suggests that, during the Forming Stage, it is likely that the team will deliver an adequate output or performance. When it moves into the Storming Stage, performance is likely to dip as conflict and confrontation impair team and individual effectiveness. During Norming team performance improves but may not reach the level of output or effectiveness achieved in Stage 1. It is only once Norming is complete that the team begins to perform and can move toward high performance.

46


Delegation and Delegated Levels of Authority and Responsibility ‘Grant of authority by one party (the delegator) to another (the delgatee) for agreed purpose(s).[…] The delegator remains responsible for the delegatee's acts or omissions in carrying out the purpose of the delegation’ ‘Management: Sharing or transfer of authority and the associated responsibility, from an employer or superior (who has the right to delegate) to an employee or subordinate’ (Business Dictionary)

Delegated levels of Authority and Responsibility Authority and responsibility is usually delegated such that the person being delegated to has a specified set of parameters within which they can act. This concept of delegated levels of authority is used widely in financial delegation. For example authority and responsibility might be delegated for an office stationery budget. In this case, responsibility would include, say, ensuring that the budget is properly administered. The delegated level of authority, for example, might be for individual items up to £50 in value. Beyond that value, it would require referral and approval by the line manager it would be the individual’s responsibility to ensure that this is done. Activity: Sum up your own levels of authority and responsibility. Then consider what authority and responsibility you have delegated to others in the team.

47


Communication of Individual and Team Objectives, Responsibilities and Priorities For a team to operate effectively, team members need to be fully aware of their individual and team objectives, which should be in a SMART format, along with their individual and collective priorities and responsibilities. It goes without saying that the team leader must be able to give clear instructions to team members. In allocating work to, or tasking team members, the manager should be able to explain exactly what is required. In some companies and organisations, managers will have a set format to follow when briefing team members on the jobs or tasks to be carried out. A simple 5-stage model, which you might follow when tasking team members, is the BASIC A model that was introduced earlier. Activity: State the methods you currently use to communicate individual and team objectives. Identify at least 2 improvements you could make to the effectiveness of your communication of objectives.

48


Delegation and its Benefits A definition of delegation: ‘Sharing or transfer of authority and the associated responsibility, from an employer or superior (who has the right to delegate) to an employee or subordinate’. (The Business Dictionary)

Activity: What do you see as the main benefits of effective delegation?

Delegating to others brings a number of benefits. For example, delegation of challenging tasks is an effective method of staff development. Delegation also frees up your time and means you can concentrate on the more strategic and managerial element of your job. Similarly, delegation has been shown to increase productivity as fresh stimulus and motivation arises from new challenges and increased responsibility. Repetition and monotony too can be alleviated by effective delegation with a consequential rise in productivity. It can be difficult to delegate to others tasks that you know you will do correctly, but the longer-term benefits will invariably outweigh the short-term risks associated with any lack of competence or other limitation of that colleague.

49


Activity: Consider the following questions relating to delegation. What 3 tasks that I currently undertake could I delegate to one or more of my team?

To whom should each task be delegated and why?

What are the benefits to me, to the person you delegate to and to the organisation?

What additional factors – e.g. provision of resources, training, etc – will need to be considered?

Briefing and Tasking Team Members Earlier the BASIC A 5-stage model was introduced, which you might follow when tasking team members. This model is applicable for briefing both one-to-one or to several people at one in for example, team meetings

50


Team Roles Team Roles and Responsibilities The need for clear roles and responsibilities is a key component of the team. From a business perspective, it is important that within each team in the company or organisation there is clarity between individual roles and responsibilities. Indeed, it is both costly and inefficient if roles and responsibilities are not properly and clearly defined. That is not to say that people cannot be trained to do other roles within the team and it makes very good sense to do so. By training up (or multi-skilling) team members, we can create opportunities for people to rotate through different roles – which can be energising in itself – and, importantly, it gives the ability to cope if someone leaves the team or is off work sick for any considerable length of time. Belbin’s Team Roles Model Dr Meredith Belbin, along with colleagues at the Henley Management Centre, first began observing team performance in the early 1970s to establish why some teams performed better than others. They were particularly keen to discover how and if the dynamics of the team affected performance positively or negatively and to determine whether those team dynamics could be controlled. Their research – the results of which were set out in Dr Belbin’s book, Management Teams: Why They Succeed Or Fail (1981) – revealed that the difference between success and failure was predicated not upon the talents, skills or intellect of team members but rather by the behaviour of team members. As their research progressed, Belbin and his colleagues observed and identified that there were in fact a number of specific behaviours demonstrated by team members that defined the contribution that each made. Belbin referred to these as ‘Team Roles’ and defined a Team Role as ‘a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way’. Belbin’s research identified 9 Team Roles and suggested that different individuals were capable of displaying a number of the Team Roles to differing degrees. In other words, while each team member might have a particular preference (and the necessary skills) for a given role, he or she could also undertake other roles to a greater or lesser degree.

51


Activity: Using the Internet and other sources, identify Belbin’s 9 Team Roles and, in your own words, describe the characteristics a team member might display for each role.

52


The Nine Team Roles Role Plant

Monitor Evaluator Co-ordinator

Resource Investigators Implementers Completer Finishers

Team Workers

Shapers

Specialist

Description Highly effective teams need creativity. Successful teams have at least one creative person ‘planted’ in the Team The person who provides a critical eye, evaluating options and making considered decisions A leadership role, requiring prioritisation and appropriate delegation of work Keep the team focused on the output and benefit of completion Convert the ideas of others into workable, efficient solutions Provide the ‘quality’ dimension of the team. Scrutinising completed work for errors, ensuring the final product achieves a high standard Multi-skilled team members who will turn their hand to any task that needs to be done: the ‘oil in the cogs’ Necessary to maintain focus and momentum, the Shaper provides drive to the team Provider of in-depth specialist knowledge

Team Member Characteristics Unconventional, highly creative and good at problem-solving Dispassionate, logical and objective decision-makers Objectives/goals-focused, people-oriented Outward-looking, aware of the environment Practical, task-focused and efficient planners High attention to detail, quality-focused

Versatile, adaptable and flexible

Task-focused, driven, and willing to challenge Specialist skills, knowledge and experience

During his research, Belbin observed that some roles were perceived by team members to be ‘prized’ or more ‘high profile’ than others. He also noted that where an individual displayed a particularly clear preference for a given role, that individual could become inward looking and focus on the specific role rather than the desired team outcome. In other words, team members who enjoyed and were satisfied by their role could lose sight of how they could contribute in other areas. From the research, Belbin concluded that a successful team was one in which each of the behaviours was able to fully contribute. He observed, for example, that a team lacking Completer Finishers was unlikely to deliver a high quality product. Equally, a team with too many Completer Finishers was likely to spend too long striving for perfection at the expense of delivering the product on time. Similarly, the absence of a Shaper would mean that the team was likely to lose sight of important deadlines and milestones. The presence of too many Shapers would often manifest itself in ‘in-fighting’ as team members jostled to assert their authority. One of the most important findings that Belbin and his research team made was recognising that an individual’s strengths could also manifest themselves as ‘allowable weaknesses’. It is easy to see how a balanced team – a team that has a mix 53


of people who fit into the various Team Roles – can achieve considerable success but what happens when a particular strength becomes a weakness? For example, what happens when an Implementer is asked to change his or her plans? Belbin observed that the Implementer might be slow, or even resist, changing their plan even though the proposed change is a positive one. He concluded that this was an ‘allowable weakness’: the benefit of the Implementer’s strength and contribution outweighed their potential resistance to change. Activity: Consider each of the Team Roles and identify the likely ‘allowable weakness’ for each: Role

Strengths

Plant

Unconventional, highly creative and good at problem-solving Dispassionate, logical and objective decision-makers Objectives/goals-focused, people-oriented Outward-looking, aware of the environment Practical, task-focused and Might be resistant to changes efficient planners to plan or procedures High attention to detail, quality-focused Versatile, adaptable and flexible Task-focused, driven, and willing to challenge Specialist skills, knowledge and experience

Monitor Evaluator Co-ordinator Resource Investigators Implementers Completer Finishers Team Workers Shapers Specialist

Allowable Weakness

More information on Belbin’s Team Roles Model and allowable weaknesses can be found at www.belbin.com. Using Team Role Theory for Team Building and Leadership Having a knowledge of team roles enables you to select team members for particular tasks based on their strengths and preferences within the team, having a ‘balanced team’ allows the potential and productivity of the team to be maximised. Moreover, understanding each other’s preferred team roles allows us to understand why our colleagues work the way they do. Allowable weaknesses help explain the frustrations that can arise when team members operate or behave differently to ourselves. For leaders the benefits come from being able to allocate tasks according to peoples’ strengths and to have a greater understanding of how to get the best from people when they work together and to avoid conflict.

54


Managing Conflict Conflict is: ‘friction or opposition resulting from actual or perceived differences or incompatibilities. Conflict may have negative as well as positive characteristics’ (The Business Dictionary)

The positive characteristics associated with conflict are often applied in a business context for developing creative and innovative thinking. However, when the characteristics are negative, they often lead to stress. Managing conflict requires assertive behaviour and communication, along with an ability to separate the issue from the ‘person’. Resolution of the issue will often naturally reduce the adverse behaviours that people display in conflict. In conflict, there tends to be a distinction between 3 principal types of behaviour people display, highlighted on the diagram below from submissiveness through to aggressiveness, with assertiveness – considered to be the most effective behaviour – sitting in between:

Assertive

Submissive

Aggressive

Behavioural ‘Pendulum’ (AH Raymondson 2006)

Assertiveness Assertiveness is based on the belief that in any situation you have needs to be met, the other parties involved have needs to be met and that you have something to contribute. This involves:  

Not violating other people's rights whilst standing up for your rights; and Appropriately and honestly articulating your feelings, needs and wants, along with expressing your beliefs. 55


Submissiveness Submissiveness betrays a desire to avoid conflict and to please others. It is based on the belief that in a given situation other people's needs and wants are more important than yours; also, that the other person has rights but you do not and that you have nothing to contribute. This involves:   

Not standing up for your rights or doing so in a way that others can easily disregard them; Articulating your feelings, needs, wants, opinions, along with your beliefs, in an apologetic, self-effacing and/or unassuming manner; and, Not honestly expressing your feelings, needs and wants, opinions or your beliefs.

Aggressiveness Aggression reflects a belief that the aggressive person’s rights, opinions and wants are more important than those of others. The aggressor tries to win at the expense of others, believing that he or she has rights and something to contribute but other people do not. Aggressiveness involves:   

Violating the rights of others in the way that you stand up for your own rights; Ignoring or dismissing other people’s feelings, needs, wants, opinions, or beliefs; and Inappropriately articulating your opinions, needs and wants.

56


Activity: To give an idea of the strength of your tendency towards assertive behaviour complete the following short diagnostic: Statement

Yes/No

Do you feel exploited at work? When you are being watched at work, do you feel uncomfortable? Do you find yourself pretending that you know or understand a topic even if you don't? Do you feel dissatisfied with your occupation? If a salesperson goes to great lengths showing you things do you feel obliged to buy something? Do you find it difficult to start a conversation with a stranger? Are you reluctant asking for an overdue payment? When you have been misunderstood, do you correct people without ‘putting their nose out of joint’? Is criticising a friend something you would avoid? When somebody compliments you do you feel embarrassed and selfconscious? Do you find it difficult to ask a person jumping a queue to join the back of the queue? Do you regret not having said things you think you should have said after meeting people? Do you think people find you boring? Are you reluctant to say ‘no’ to a friend? In tense meetings, do you feel confident in presenting your view? At social events, do you find silence uncomfortable? Are you fearful of making mistakes? If you have answered ‘yes’ to 5 or more of the above you may need to concentrate on being more assertive.

57


Developing Assertiveness in Yourself and Your Team The following approaches help in developing assertiveness amongst your team at work. Role-modelling the following behaviours is a good place to start in developing the same behaviours from your team members:               

Set clear objectives and identify desired outcomes; Avoid saying phrases that betray uncertainty in your stance such as ‘is that alright?’ Maintain good eye contact; Actively listen; Maintain a positive attitude, practise turning everything into positives; Anticipate reactions and have prepared responses; Plan meetings thoroughly and make notes of key points to get across; Respond rather than react; pause before responding (try counting to 3). Accept what is said while focusing on your main objective; Use ‘I understand, however, in my view (using ‘in my view’, by definition, you cannot be wrong!) and this is what I want to happen’; Use ‘how do you feel about ......?’ Consider ‘If you are prepared to do A, I might be prepared to do B’; Empathise whilst remaining impartial; Ensure your non-verbal cues – body language – send a message of confidence; If you are at an impasse, try to offer something, find a compromise; and, Consider waiting until the main points are made before giving away anything.

Active Listening Active listening is about adopting a deeper level of listening and communication than that which occurs in ordinary conversation, which can improve personal relationships, help in reducing conflict and help in fostering understanding. It is a structured, nonjudgemental way of listening and responding to others. People tend not to be listening attentively when interacting in a general sense – perhaps distracted, thinking about other things, or very commonly thinking about what to say next. Good active listening involves:          

Focusing solely on what the speaker is saying; Facing the speaker; Maintaining comfortable eye contact; Minimising distractions, including internal mental distractions – mind wandering, etc; Not making assumptions about what the speaker is thinking; Responding appropriately to acknowledge what is being said – such as by raised eyebrows, using words and phrases such as ‘really? and ‘what did you do then?’ Ask questions for clarification once the speaker has finished; Suspending judgment; keeping an open mind; Waiting until the person has finished before deciding that you disagree; and, Waiting until the person has finished before defending your position if he/she is making a complaint. 58


Behaviours for Active Listening Non-verbal Behaviour

Verbal Behaviour

Open alert posture Good eye contact Encouraging gestures Mirroring and pacing Suspending judgement Distinguish facts/feelings

Encouraging words Clarifying Paraphrasing Summarising Reflecting (showing understanding of) emotion Open and probing questions Pausing

Ways People Deal With Conflict Conflict can cause stress. There are numerous ways of dealing with conflict and no one best way. Approaches include: Compromise

Finding the middle ground – to move on quickly

Challenge

Fighting to get your way, as opposed to illuminating and addressing the issue(s)

Collaboration

Working together to agree solutions that meet as many current needs as possible. Can absorb a lot of time but is likely to give a lasting solution

Avoidance

Basically ignoring it – hoping the issues will go away or fade in significance. This has a place when it is just not worth the effort!

Accommodation When you give in to others. Can cause internal anger and is perhaps best avoided

59


Types of Managerial Actions that Cause Workplace Conflict Activity: Create a list of at least 10 of the kind of managerial actions that might cause conflict:

Managerial Actions That Could Cause Workplace Conflict The list of managerial actions that could cause workplace conflict is potentially endless but might include:                 

Poor communications; Autocratic leadership style; Not involving those affected by a decision in decision-making; Not providing sufficient resources to match the demands; Having ‘office favourites’; Unfair distribution of tasks; Character clashes, misalignment of values; Failure to provide adequate job descriptions; Not understanding people’s roles; ‘Changing the goalposts’ unnecessarily; Lack of time spent talking to staff – seeming never to come out of the office; Time-wasting in unnecessary meetings; Lack of appreciation for colleagues’ efforts; Being unapproachable; Poor planning; Taking the praise for others’ work; and, Being unresponsive to suggestions. 60


Performance Management Activity: Create in your own words a definition of what performance management means within a business or organisational context:

Performance Management: ‘A process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance’. (Armstrong and Baron)

Activity: What are the characteristics of an effective performance management system?

61


According to the Chartered Institute of Personal Development, performance management should incorporate:   

Performance improvement throughout the organisation, in respect of individual, team and organisational effectiveness; Development. Unless there is continuous development of individuals and teams, performance will not improve; and, Managing behaviour by ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way that allows and fosters better working relationships.

The fact that the concept of Performance Management includes the word management suggests, quite rightly, that the processes contributing to ensuring individual and organisational performance levels are achieved need to be managed and responsibility for these processes rests with managers. As a first line manager, you have a major role to play as you will have direct reports whom you will be required to performance manage through performance assessment and appraisal. Moreover, you will have a key role in dealing with any cases of underperformance.

Performance Assessment and Appraisal Activity: What is the purpose and value of performance assessment and appraisal?

Performance assessment and appraisal sits within a performance management system and offers valuable opportunities to focus on work activities and goals, to identify and correct existing performance issues and problems, to motivate employees and to help sustain high levels of performance. Where performance has not been satisfactory, it enables managers to steer people to better future performance. A consistent, comprehensive and well-implemented performance management system, incorporating effective assessment and appraisal will enhance the performance of the whole organisation. 62


Informal Performance Assessment and Appraisal Informal assessment and appraisal is undertaken by line managers on an on-going basis, as required, throughout the formal reporting period. The day-to-day working environment offers numerous opportunities to engage with employees and to evaluate performance. Feedback can be given through regular conversation or following observation or review of a particular task. Significant benefit comes from the immediacy of informal appraisal. Delayed feedback loses motivational impact meaning there is a reduced likelihood of behavioural change. Regular informal feedback to employees should mean that when the formal appraisal is undertaken there are no surprises for them. It should be self-evident that right at the heart of delivery of effective informal feedback is a need for line managers to have well-honed communication and interpersonal skills. Formal Performance Assessment and Appraisal Formal performance assessment provides evaluation of work performance over time and is geared to:        

Developing agreed and realistic expectations of performance; Agreeing specific goals to be pursued in the period (3, 6 or 12 months) following the assessment; Providing a formal mechanism to measure achievements and recognise individual contribution; Creating a record of performance, capturing both the employee’s and the line manager’s views; Establishing targets for improving employee performance as appropriate; Identifying strengths and areas for improvement in skills, capability and competence, and establishing if strengths can be better deployed; Identifying problems in achieving required performance; and, Identifying training and development needs and producing a training and development plan.

Performance Review Performance review involves a face-to-face discussion of an individual’s performance over a given assessment period – this can be formal or informal – and is undertaken by line managers. It is generally the line manager’s responsibility to prepare and programme the review, which should be at a time convenient time for both parties. Scheduling of Reviews The formal performance review is usually undertaken on an annual basis and often incudes an interim review at a suitable juncture, usually at the 6-month point and, in some organisations, the 3 and 9-month points as well.

63


The Performance Review Process Whilst there will be variation between organisations in the processes adopted, in general the process includes: • • • •

•

• • • •

Completion of a self-appraisal, including draft objectives for the forthcoming year, usually in a standardised format; The self-appraisal would be forwarded to the line manager at around a month before the annual review date; The line manager would incorporate his/her comments into the document, for the review meeting; Some appraisal systems will specify competences that are relevant to the job, and require the line manager to allocate a score for performance against each relevant competence and/or a short text providing examples to justify the score awarded; The employee and line manager would meet to discuss the performance appraisal, overall performance, goals, training and development, and any other relevant issues (for example, factors that might be affecting performance or achievement of goals); The review meeting would give opportunities for both parties to expand upon what has been included in the formal report; Some organisations have a second manger to add comment and this is usually the line manager of the person reporting on the employee. This is to ensure fairness amongst, and parity of treatment by, reviewers; The outcome would be recorded; and, Agreed actions would be included in work plans.

The Review Meeting The review meeting is an important meeting and needs careful preparation. It would incorporate: Review of job parameters, goals and objectives, including:  

Review of the job description and any Terms of Reference for the role, to ensure currency; and, Review of objectives agreed at the previous review.

Review of the employee’s performance, including:    

Review progress against work plans; Review comments in the report from the staff member and then those of the line manager; Identification and analysis of strengths and areas for improvement; and Review of issues impacting on the employee’s performance and motivation.

Identification of necessary actions, including:  

Identifying any individual training and development or support requirements; Identifying any resourcing issues; and,

64

Managing People and Building Team 

Allocation of any special projects to harness individual strengths, to develop the individual for new roles and/or responsibilities, or to provide opportunity for the individual to concentrate on areas requiring improvement or wider experience.

Agreeing and refining goals and objectives for the next reporting period, including:   

Aligning goals and objectives with the organisation’s strategic plans and the team or departmental objectives; Agreeing how goals will be measured and reported; and, Identifying any further training and development requirements needed for achievement of the goals.

Post-review documentation should be completed, including:  



A record of the main discussion points and agreed actions would be made by the line manager; The record would be reviewed by both the employee and line manager and signed by both (the employee should not be signing to say that they agree with the review but that it is a fair and accurate record of what was discussed); and, Review documentation should be forwarded to the HR Department for retention on a confidential personnel file and a copy given to the employee.

Ensuring Fairness in the Review Process Performance appraisal and reviews should be conducted in an open, fair, and unbiased manner and be seen as a positive experience for and by the employee. Activity: What do you think needs to be avoided in appraisal and review systems to ensure fairness? See if you can list 4 weaknesses to be avoided:

65


Weaknesses in the appraisal review process that leave increased scope for unfairness include:            

Failure to set specific, measurable goals and objectives for employees; Managers not recording observations throughout the performance period and forgetting to include comment about key elements of work performance; Having no data or specific examples to support observations; Failing to confront employee problems when they occur but bringing the issue up at review, denying the employee the chance to correct their performance; Failure to maintain on-going dialogue with employees, speaking predominantly at performance review time; Inconsistencies in appraisal criterion – for example, having assessment of competences that are not relevant to the role or assessing competences that go beyond those set out in the job description; Having a single person reporting on employees; Not having rigid reporting periods with which line managers must comply; Overfamiliarity between the line manager and employees leading to favouritism and bias in composing assessments; The ‘horns and halo’ effect - where a manager applies bias to only see good or bad in someone; Recency - where the most recent activity or actions feature most prominently; and, Primacy - where first impressions override later performance in the appraisal.

Actions to Ensure Consistency and Fairness in Performance Appraisal and Systems The key to ensuring fairness lies in having consistent, valid and fair systems that are efficiently and effectively implemented. To help ensure consistency and fairness in performance appraisal and review systems, employees should:  

Understand the standards of performance expected of them; and Undertake any reasonable additional training or development recommended.

Line managers should:        

Take special care to construct clear, measurable performance objectives; Look objectively at performance and be able to cite examples of behaviours that support observations made; Advise employees if their performance falls below expected standards; Record observations throughout the reporting period; Maintain on-going dialogue with employees; Ensure that ambiguities and inconsistencies are removed from the system; Plan to ensure completion of reviews at and within the stipulated and published reporting timetable; and Avoid overfamiliarity between the line manager and employees.

66


Discipline and Grievance Procedures Disciplinary situations include misconduct and/or poor performance while grievances are concerns, problems or complaints that employees raise with their employers. The ACAS Code of Practice for Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures is used by Employment Tribunals in hearing claims against organisations for alleged breaches of procedure. This is an area that can be very time-consuming and expensive if managers get it wrong. There is a very precise set of procedures to be followed and employees have a number of formal rights that you must adhere to. As a bare minimum you must give an employee the name of the person that they can apply to, to seek redress. This should be in writing and is usually covered in the contract of employment. To comply with the ACAS Code, a grievance procedure must include at least the following steps:   

Acceptance of a written letter from the employee to the employer setting out the details of the grievance; A meeting with the employer for the employee to discuss the issue; and, The ability for the employee to appeal the employer decision.

Disciplinary Cases Typically, the 2 main areas where a disciplinary system may be used are for investigating inappropriate conduct and poor performance. Inappropriate conduct, which should be set out in the Employer’s Code of Conduct, usually entails workplace behaviour. However, some employers will consider an employee to have breached the Code if they appear in court charged with, for example, drink driving or causing criminal damage. Poor performance, on the other hand, may arise if a person through their own failure does not achieve the requisite standards. It is incumbent on the organisation to establish the reason and give appropriate support, where appropriate, prior to commencing formal disciplinary against an employee. Misconduct Cases Examples of misconduct typically include:         

Repeated lateness; Bullying; Abuse or misuse of IT systems; Ignoring instructions from management; Inappropriate language or comments; Inappropriate relationships; Theft; Violence; and/or, Criminal offences (serious offences could constitute gross misconduct)

The ACAS Code recommends all 3 steps be used if disciplinary action is to be taken; that is, letter, meeting and appeal. A thorough and fair investigation needs to be 67


conducted to determine the facts and to decide if further action is necessary. Additional meetings may be necessary to discover and disclose the full facts or to give the employee time to prepare for a hearing; comprehensive records should always be kept and provided to the employee. This ensures that there is no ambiguity or suggestion of improper management of the Hearing. Activity: Obtain a copy of the ACAS code of Practice for Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures (available from: TSO (The Stationery Office) or in soft copy from: (http://www.acas.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=1047&p=0). Familiarise yourself with the issues an employment tribunal would focus on in the event of a case being brought against your organisation by an employee who was dissatisfied with your handling of a grievance or disciplinary case. Compare the procedures required by the ACAS Code to those applied in your organisation. Make notes below of any significant differences and sum up the importance of following the correct disciplinary and grievance procedures.

68


Understanding Training and Development What is Training? Activity: Create in your own words a definition of what training is within a business or organisational context: Definition

Training: ‘Organised activity aimed at imparting information and/or instructions to improve the recipient’s performance or to help him or her attain a required level of knowledge or skill’ (The Business Dictionary)

Training Training tends to be specific to a job or particular skills. For many activities, such as driving, surgery or playing tennis, performing the activity with feedback helps people to learn and improve. Besides being specific to a particular job, training is also more likely to be a practical endeavour than education; the trainee is often shown a skill then practices it. Training is the practical application of education. Development Development is a much broader approach to developing potential and in an organisational context tends to focus on developing a person for higher-level management roles. Education and training often combine to form the basis of an individual’s development.

69


Benefits of Training Activity: What benefits are likely to accrue from effective provision of training and development at work?

Benefits of training and development include: To the individual:     

Learning new skills; Refreshing existing skills; Developing enthusiasm to become more effective at work; Overcoming problems and discovering better ways of doing things; and, Enhancing prospects for progression.

To the organisation:      

Enhanced efficiency and effectiveness; Maintenance of skill levels; Increased revenues through application of knowledge and skills; Improved commitment to the organisation; Having people suitable for promotion; and, Increasing capacity for greater output.

70


Skills Gap Analysis A skills gap analysis involves defining the skills and knowledge required for a role or future role and then comparing an individual’s current skills and knowledge to the requirement. On the basis of the analysis, a plan is created to fill the identified skills and knowledge gaps. The process is outlined graphically below:

Step 1: Identify business goals. Assessing the critical skills needed by the organisation to deliver the goals

Step 2: Create a skills matrix to list the skills and knowledge to perform each required role. Record each person’s skills and level of proficiency

Step 3: Identify the missing skills, competencies and knowledge missing to complete work effectively

Step 4: Prepare a training and development plan to address identified skills gaps .

The Skills Gap Analysis Process (format AH Raymondosn, 2011) Perhaps the simplest method of establishing the collective training needs of the Team, however, is to undertake a SWOT analysis. SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – is easy to use. Simply create a grid and list what you think are:    

Team strengths – what is the Team good at? Team weaknesses – what does the Team not do very well? Team opportunities – what skills might the Team need or want to develop for the future? Team threats – what could stop the Team developing and addressing its weaknesses?

71


Activity: Undertake a SWOT analysis of your Team. Use the template below: The Current Position Strengths

Weaknesses


Threats

Development required in relation to opportunities and threats

The analysis could be undertaken by the team leader or manager in isolation; however, it is likely that greater value would be derived from involving team members in the SWOT analysis. Another method for collecting information about the team’s collective training and development needs is to circulate a simple questionnaire to team members asking them to provide feedback on team performance.

72


You could design a questionnaire that specifically requires team members to comment on specific areas of team performance. Alternatively, you could search the Internet to find a questionnaire that meets your needs. Finally, you could use the simple questionnaire provided below, which is based on the characteristics of an effective team. Activity: Complete the Effective Team Questionnaire.

Effective Team Questionnaire – How do we score as a team? Listed below are 18 key attributes or characteristics of an effective team. Score your team for each attribute in the range zero to 10, where ‘zero’ represents totally dysfunctional performance and ‘10’ represents outstanding performance. Team Attribute

Score

Team Attribute

Skilled

Team before self

Trained

Concern for others

Clear Vision

Flexibility

Goals-oriented

Trust

Clear roles and responsibilities

Accountability

Effective communication

High morale

Committed

Motivated

Loyal

Pride in the team

Honesty

Effective leadership

Sub Total (a)

Sub Total (b)

Score

Total (a) + (b) Now add up the scores in each column and add the 2 sub-totals together to get a total value in the Total Box. What do the totals mean? Score

Performance Level

Score

Performance Level

0-52

Dysfunctional

53-84

Marginal

85-116

Adequate

117-132

Satisfactory

133-148

High

149-164

Very High

165-180

Outstanding

73


What do the individual attribute scores tell us? Focusing on the lowest score values will enable us to address specific weaknesses within the team. For example, a score of 3 for ‘Trained’ would tell us that some members of the team are not properly trained to carry out their role. This in turn would indicate a need for initiating a clear training strategy to ensure that all members of the team receive the training necessary to ensure competence. It is likely that a low score for ‘Trained’ would also reflect itself in a low score for ‘Skilled’. If you choose to circulate a questionnaire, you might need to think about making responses anonymous. People are more likely to be completely honest if they are not going to be identified. An easy way to do this is to ask people to place their responses in a box once they have completed the questionnaire Where and how might we use the information that we obtain from the SWOT or a questionnaire? Activity: List possible team development activities that you might instigate to address issues that you identify from your Team SWOT and/or questionnaire or to develop team relationships:

74


You might have identified some or all of the following:      

Team training days – e.g. customer service training; Team brain-storming events to solve team problems; Team-building activities – e.g. paint-balling, hill-walking, outdoor activities; Social events – e.g. Summer BBQs, pub nights, trips to theme parks, etc. Charity and voluntary work – e.g. fund-raising (supermarket bag packs, sponsored walks, etc), visits to care homes, gardening or shopping for older people, meals on wheels, etc; and/or Sports days/events.

75


Training and Development Methods Activity: List different types of training and development methods and techniques that are appropriate for the workplace along with their advantages and disadvantages:

76


Examples of training techniques or methods appropriate to the workplace:                   

Presentation assignments; Coaching; Mentoring; Job deputisation or rotation; Internet research; Delegated tasks and projects; Reading; Observing more experienced colleagues; Secondment to a different department; Internal training workshops/courses; External training workshops/courses (accredited/non-accredited); Distance learning; Evening classes (local college, etc); Charity work with transferable skills experience; ‘Bite-sized’ learning; Video learning – e.g. via web sites such as YouTube, etc; E-learning/on-line programmes; Customer and supplier visits; and, Project work.

Training and development falls into 2 main types: ‘on-the-job’ or ‘off-the-job’. On-the-job training The main methods of on-the-job training include:      

Job Instruction Training; Performance Aids; Job Rotation; Apprenticeship; Coaching; and, Mentoring.

The advantages and limitations of on the job training and development include: Advantages  

Limitations 

Cost-effective as employees can be productive whilst training Opportunity to learn whilst doing training alongside familiar people



 

77

Learning environment may not be conducive to learning Effectiveness depends on ability and availability of a suitable trainer and the time they have available Bad habits may be passed on Potential for reduced productivity


Off-the-job training The main advantages and limitations of off-the-job training and development include: Advantages     

Limitations 

A broader range of training and development can be accessed Recognised qualifications can be obtained Learning from outside experts Can improve confidence of learner Change of context is beneficial for learning

  



Tends to be expensive May require transport and accommodation Lost productivity Employees with new skills/ formal qualifications might leave and require costly replacement Little control over course content

Planned and Unplanned Activities Planned training activities need to be designed according to identified needs. The starting point being to define exactly what the training should achieve in the form of learning objectives tailored to these needs. The training should then be designed to achieve the desired objectives. Consideration also needs to be given to what method of delivery would be most appropriate for delivery of the training. This will depend on not only the needs of the organisation, but also on the preferred learning style of the individuals’ within a group. This is also the case with unplanned training and development – situations where through, for example, reflection or having a go at something or listening to an explanation or watching a demonstration people can learn on a daily basis at work. This effectiveness of unplanned training is as much connected to individual learning style as planned learning. Learning Styles Activity: Think about the training you have done in the past. What approach has been most effective for you and given you the best learning experience?

78


It is likely that your reflection has highlighted a preference relating to: ‘doing’ (practical challenges), seeing or listening – or some combination of these approaches. Putting formal labels to these approaches, most people have one of 3 preferred learning styles: Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic (VAK). There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ style. People are able to use all 3 of these preferences but will usually have a preferred style. Learning with a training approach that is not a person’s preferred learning style will absorb more of the learner’s energy and take more effort by him or her to be effective. Some people have a strong preference; others a blend of 2 or all 3 VAK learning styles. Visual Learning Style A visual learning style is one where a person has a preference for seen or observed training, incorporating, for example, films, pictures, diagrams, demonstrations, and hand-outs. Visual learners will be happy working from written information and instructions and their style is often betrayed by their use of phrases such as ‘show me’ or ‘let me have a look’. Auditory Learning Style An auditory learning style is one where a person has a preference for learning through listening to the spoken explanations and sounds. Auditory learners will be happy learning by listening to a specialist. They use language such as ‘tell me…’ or ‘talk to me about…’ Kinaesthetic Learning Style A kinaesthetic learning style is one where a person has a preference for learning through practical experience – touching, doing, and practical hands-on activity. Kinaesthetic learners use language such as ‘let me have a go’. They learn by ‘trying things and often get bored reading instructions. Activity: What are the implications of different learning styles for workplace training?

79


Recognition that people have different learning styles offers us the opportunity to tailor the approach to training to match the preferred learning style of the learner. If working with a group of learners where their learning styles are unknown then a range of all 3 VAK leaning styles should be incorporated to ensure that the material used engages the whole group at least for a proportion of the time. If an individual is aware of his or her learning style then he or she may well be able to select training that suits their style. Activity: Undertake an Internet search for a VAK learning styles questionnaire (search term ‘VAK Learning Styles Self-Assessment Questionnaire’ will bring up numerous free diagnostic tests). Complete a suitable VAK diagnostic and record your preferences below:

Honey & Mumford’s Learning Styles There are numerous different recognised ways of analysing leaning styles. In addition to the VAK approach to differentiation of style, one of the most popular is by Honey and Mumford. They see learners as having a bias to one or more of 4 learning styles, which they term: Pragmatists, Activists, Reflectors and Theorists. As with the VAK approach there is no right’ or ‘wrong’ style. Activity: Undertake an Internet search and note the meanings of each of the 4 Honey and Mumford learning styles. Then, search for and complete a Honey and Mumford learning styles questionnaire to establish your own learning style.

80


The implications for training associated with Honey and Mumford’s learning styles are set out below:

Implications for learning. They like: Pragmatists

   

To see a clear link to their work See the advantages of a skill or technique To try out skills with feedback To be shown models they can emulate

Activists

    

New experiences and problems Interacting with others Team tasks/exercises Engaging in discussions The challenge of a difficult task

Reflectors

   

Observing others Having time to review what has happened and think through issues connected to the training material Producing reports, essays, etc Having thinking time, without time pressure

    

Complex problems to which they can apply theories Structured situations Clarity of purpose Interesting ideas, models or concepts To question and critique ideas

Theorists

The Role of Targets and Objectives in Training The effectiveness of workplace training is not just a matter of providing appropriate training. There is limited benefit if the training does not enable sustained application of new knowledge and skills. To know whether training has been effective, there needs to be measures against which performance can be compared. The conventional approach to outlining what a learning intervention sets out to achieve is to have aims, objectives and targets: An aim is a general statement of intent. It describes the general direction of the training; what they might learn or what the training will do. An objective is specific and states what the learner should, or will be able to do following the training. A target is an aspiration - for example, an organisation may have a target to have all new line managers pass an ILM level 3 qualification in Leadership and Management by the end of the financial year. They may or may not achieve that target. 81


Aims do not provide a sufficient basis for measuring success in training, but objectives do. Objectives should conform to the SMART acronym. The ‘SMART’ acronym has become pretty universal as a framework for setting effective objectives; SMART stands for: Specific Measurable Agreed/Achievable Realistic Timed (or Time-bounded) The characteristics of each element of SMART are defined and amplified below: Specific Is the objective clear and precise? What exactly has to be achieved? Measurable Do you know how to measure it? Is it possible to easily ascertain whether the objective has been achieved? Agreed/Achievable Agreement with the person undertaking the learning leads to greater commitment. Is it achievable? Does the person undertaking the learning involved see it as achievable too? Realistic Do you (and the person(s) undertaking the learning) think that the target is sufficiently challenging but also deliverable? Timed Have clear timescales for the achievement of the objective been set? Activity: Read the following objectives. Only 1 would be good enough for an objective in a session plan for IT training. Which one? Consider why each of the others would not be good enough. 1. 2. 3. 4.

I’m going to train the group to use the Company Intranet In this session I will cover use of the Company Intranet. After this session learners will know all about Company Intranet. By the end of this session learners will be able to demonstrate one application of each of the 3 principle purposes for the company Intranet – i.e. relating to: content, communication and activity.

82


Only statement 4 is a SMART Objective. In constructing objectives, it is best to avoid to ‘know’, ‘learn’, or ‘understand’ – as these words would present difficulties with measurement of achievement. It is better to construct objectives that will make it more straightforward to measure the learning, such as: ‘demonstrate knowledge of … ‘demonstrate understanding of … ‘If learners have to demonstrate performance then it will be pretty obvious if they have achieved the objective or not. Evaluating whether the objectives have been met is important but learners may have met the objectives even if the quality of the training intervention is poor! Consequently, there needs to be a balance between evaluating the training itself and evaluating the outcomes of the training. Evaluation methods include:            

Pre-training tests and post-training tests; Performance observations of both learners and trainers; Training evaluation forms; Supervision sessions of both learners and trainers; Performance appraisals of both learners and trainers; Retention rates (in training and in employment); Stakeholder surveys; Sales figures; Output/quality/financial measurements; Focus groups; 1-2-1 coaching; and/or, Trainers’ reflection on delivery.

Feedback as a Training and Development Technique Provision of timely feedback is an important element of training, including within a formal training environment and against the many learning opportunities in day-to-day work. People who receive regular feedback are more likely to perform at a higher level. Indeed, Professor John Hattie showed that feedback had more impact on learning quality than any other single factor. Feedback given as a training programme progresses is known as ‘formative feedback’ and feedback at the end of a learning programme is known as ‘summative feedback’. Example questions for eliciting feedback include:        

How well did xxx go? How did it feel? If you could do it again, what might you do differently and why? What learning do you take from the activity? What did you notice about the way you performed? Could I make a suggestion…? What do you know now that you did not know before? What have you learned about yourself from that?

83


One model for structuring feedback is BOCA, which stands for:

Behaviour Outcome Consequence Action

– – – –

what you did/experienced/observed the immediate result of the behaviour the consequential impact of the behaviour what they might do differently

Positive Feedback Positive feedback is where a person is told what he or she is doing well and is given feedback accordingly. The theory being that if you tell a person what he or she is doing well, that person will be likely to repeat the behaviour to maintain that approval. Effective feedback is specific, not general. For example: ‘the letter you drafted for me was well constructed and made the points about the issue effectively’. Not ‘… good letter’. Negative Feedback Negative feedback is the process of pointing out what someone has not done well or that particular behaviours are causing problems and telling him or her how to change them. This kind of feedback can erode confidence and should be avoided. Far better is to use constructive feedback. Constructive Feedback Constructive Feedback focuses on an area in which the learner’s performance could improve. Constructive feedback is not criticism; it should be directed to describing what happened, what was experienced or observed. Constructive feedback is important as it helps build confidence and is centred in helping elevate performance in a positive way.

Personal Development Plans to Support the Development and Training of Individuals Continuous Personal Development (CPD) provides an opportunity for recording what you have done but it also highlights the need to be planning ahead. Managers that are committed to developing themselves tend to have Personal Development Plans (PDP). It is also likely that they will encourage their Team to complete individual PDPs. The fact that someone has taken the time to state their intentions in a PDP means that they are more likely to achieve their learning goals. The classic PDP is simply a form of action and monitoring plan and typically sets out the following:     

The areas for development: what do I need to learn? How the learning might be achieved: training, on-the-job learning, secondment or a combination of appropriate interventions? The support or resources that will be required to enable learning to take place: time off from work for study, study materials, registration fees? How much it will cost the organisation and/or the individual to complete the learning; Success criteria, the criteria that will determine whether the learning has been successful: achievement of objectives, appraisal, obtaining a qualification? 84


 

The proposed start and end dates; and, Review dates, which will enable progress to be assessed.

PDPs should include learning objectives. A learning objective is the description of a skill or new knowledge that a learner will to be able to demonstrate having undertaken the learning. The learning objective describes an intended result of learning, rather than the process of learning itself. Effective learning objectives will answer the following questions:    

As a result of the learning activity what should the learner be able to do? Under what conditions should the learner be able to demonstrate their new learning? How well must it be done? By when should the learning have been undertaken?

Activity: Prepare an action plan or PDP, for inclusion in your CPD portfolio, setting out the areas you intend to develop over the next 12 months. A sample PDP template is provided below. Compile a separate PDP to plan and monitor training for at least one member of your team.

Personal Development Plan NAME: Covering Period: From:

To:

Planned outcomes Where do I want to be by the end of this period? What do I want to be doing? (This may be evolutionary or “more of the same”.) Learning objective. What do I want or need to learn? And why?

What will I do to achieve this?

What resources or support will I need?

Costs

85

What will my success criteria be?

Priority: H/M/L

Start and/or Finish Dates

Review date


Support Mechanisms for Staff Development Activity: Consider what options there are for supporting employees with their learning and development?

Support options might include such things as:          

Mentoring schemes; Coaching; Funding for training and development; Systemised CPD; Development awards; Encouragement for self-development initiatives; Access to HR training and development specialists; Systemised protected learning time/day release; Job rotation; and, Flexible working.

Understanding Reward and Recognition Total Reward Total reward is a concept that incorporates: ‘All aspects of work that are valued by employees, including elements such as learning and development opportunities and/or an attractive working environment, in addition to the wider pay and benefits package’ (CIPD)

86


Motivation and Reward Looking at the above definition of Total Reward, we can see that there is an emphasis in total reward on what is valued by the employee. This makes the concept linked directly to motivation. It is about issues such as what makes an employee give of their best in the workplace? Why they work for the organisation at all? Why they stay there? What keeps them sharp and well-focused to achievement of organisational (and personal) goals? Expectancy Theory Canadian Victor Vroom, Professor of Organization and Management at the Yale University School of Management, established in his 1964 book, Work and Motivation, the Expectancy Theory of motivation which essentially states that an employee’s motivation to complete a task is influenced by whether they believe that:  

They can complete the task (the probability of success); and, The possible outcome or consequence of completing the task is worthwhile or needs to be avoided (reward versus sanction).

Vroom argues that individuals make decisions about work, which they believe will lead either to reward or which will reduce the likelihood of sanction. He observes that the ultimate goal is unimportant when compared with the impact that achieving the goal will have on the individual. Vroom suggests that an individual’s opinion is formed (and their behaviour determined) by a combination of three factors – elements of belief; he defined these as:   

Expectancy. For an individual to commit effort to the task, they must first believe that there is a reasonable probability, or likelihood, of success; Valence. An individual will place a judgement value on satisfactory completion of the task, assessing whether the reward (or, indeed, the sanction) will be of benefit (or detriment) to them; and, Instrumentality. Refers to the probability that the task itself will produce an outcome that is desired by the individual.

There will be a raft of factors that affect how an employee perceives, for example, the likelihood of successfully completing the task. For example:   

Do they have the skills, knowledge and experience (competence) and other resources needed to complete the task? Will their colleagues provide them with the support they need to complete the task? Do they have all the information they need to complete the task?

How an individual weighs each of these factors will depend on their previous experience. If the task (or a similar task) has been successfully completed in the past then expectancy will be high. Conversely, if the task (or a similar task) was difficult to perform (or, indeed, unachievable), individual expectancy is likely to be low.

87


Expectancy Theory suggests that employees will be motivated to complete the tasks set them when:    

There is a positive correlation between effort and performance; Favourable performance results in a desirable reward; The reward satisfies an important need; and The desire to satisfy the need is strong enough to make the effort worthwhile.

Different Types of Pay Structure A pay structure is a group or series of pay levels (often called pay bands) that enable jobs to be set into hierarchical framework on which rewards are based. The various pay levels become part of the reward system as career progression invariably attracts pay increases. Pay structures help to:   

Maintain competitive pay levels (set against other comparable roles and organisations); Ensure parity and appropriate relationships between roles; and Reward differences in responsibility and skill.

The main types of pay structure are:    

Graded structures – jobs are grouped into overlapping grades. Each grade has a range which reflects, for example, greater time in the grade or particular qualifications; Broadband - similar to the graded structures, but with far fewer and much wider bands; Job Family Structures – each job family has its own graded structure. The pay is based on activities carried out and the skills and competencies required for the job; and, Local pay structures – different rates by location accommodate variations in the cost of living and difficulty in attracting suitable employees.

Risks Involved in Management of Reward Schemes Activity: What do you see as the risks involved in management of reward schemes?

88


Risks for organisations in the management of reward schemes, include:      

Being seen as unfair. ‘Official’ open discussion of individuals’ pay would be a breach of protocol. There is a possibility of dissatisfaction stemming from exaggerated claims by employees; Distinctions between skill sets could be interpreted as unfair; Having a balanced and unbiased system for assessing performance is vital to ensure that employees are properly rewarded. Issues such as character clashes could influence reports that relate to pay; The structure may limit acceleration of exceptional employees who may become dissatisfied and leave; Frustration and bitterness when disagreements arise; and, In relation to bonus pay – individual rewards produce individual behaviours that might be undesirable, such as self-interest, not sharing best practice and oneupmanship.

89

Managing People and Building a Team

Bibliography/Further Reading Author

Title

Publisher

Barner and Barner

Building Better Teams: 70 Tools and Techniques for Strengthening Performance Within and Across Teams The Self-Aware Leader How to Change Things When Change is Hard Easyway Guide to Employment Law 2014 Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice Leadership and the One Minute Manager Leadership Pocketbook The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People The New Leaders

Pfeiffer

Gallagher & Costal Chip and Dan Heath Oliver Rowel Arnstrong & Taylor Ken Blanchard Fiona Elsa Dent Stephen Covey Daniel Goleman Charles Handy Hersey and Blanchard Tannenbaum and Schmitt Richard Templar

Understanding Organisations Management of Organizational Behaviour 3rd Edition – Utilizing Human Resources How to choose a leadership pattern The Rules of Management

ASTD Press Random House Business Books Easyway Guide Kogan Page Harper Collins Management Pocketbooks Ltd Simon and Schuster UK Sphere 2007 (previously Harvard Business School Press) Penguin Press New Jersey/Prentice Hall Harvard Business Review, 36, March-April, 95-101 Pearson/Prentice Hall

Web Sites: www.cipd.co.uk - chartered Institute for Personnel development is a great source for the latest in policies and procedures www.mindtools.com - useful web site for a range of management topics www.ted.com/talks - TED talks are wonderful sources of small nuggets of learning that can be applied in many ways www.acas.org.uk - Very useful site for advice and guidance and useful publication list too

90

Institute of Leadership & Management 1 Giltspur Street London EC1A 9DD www.i-l-m.com The Institute of Leadership and Management is a company limited by guarantee (Reg No 601049) and registered as a charity in England and Wales (Reg No 248226) and in Scotland (Reg No SC039693) Published by the Institute of Leadership & Management © Copyright ILM 2014

Level 3 Diploma in Management - Skills Team

Recommend Documents