Promote Team Effectiveness

overview

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to promote teamwork. It involves developing team plans to meet expected outcomes, leading the work team, and proactively working with the management of the organisation. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Key Concepts of Teamwork

In the workplace, people often refer to the efforts of their team and talk about building the team or working as a team. Teamwork is about collaboration among individuals with a goal of collectively achieving outcomes for which the team members have joint responsibility. In this course, we will introduce the importance of belonging to a team for both the individual and the organisation; the importance of feeling that one is part of something special. This course includes 60 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

The Importance of Teams

When to Use a Team

Benefits of Team-Work

Types of Teams / Modern Teams

Cross-functional teams

Global teams

Quality teams

Customer - Supplier teams

Virtual teams

Self-managed teams

The Work of a Team

Phases of Team Development

Encouraging Development

Modelling Team Effectiveness

Characteristics of High Performance Teams

Structure

Team Relationship Management

Rewards and Recognition

External Support

Review and Results

Reflection

 

Team Roles and Relationships

Workplace diversity is about learning from others who are not the same, about dignity and respect for all, and about creating workplace environments and practices that encourage learning from others and capture the advantage of diverse perspectives. In this course, we will learn about how teams operate most effectively when responsibilities and roles are assigned based on recognition of the experience, knowledge and skills that the various team members bring to the table. This course includes 35 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Roles and Responsibilities

The Champion / Sponsor

The Team Leader

Team Facilitator

Leader Role vs. Facilitator Role

The Team Recorder

The Team Member

Diversity

Roles and Responsibilities Matrix

Leader Behaviours

Team Behaviour

Task Roles

Maintenance Roles

Individual Roles

Effective Relationships

Case Study

 

The Team at Work

In this course, we will underline the fact that the successful completion of projects and tasks directly depends on a productive and successful team that is committed to working together. As we have seen in earlier courses, the success of the team will require commitment, contribution, communication and cooperation. It is important to recognise that no team is perfect, so conflict management and change management strategies are also vital. This course includes 40 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Team Charter

Mission and Goals

Team Boundaries

Ground Rules

Team Patterns

Resourcing

Completion Criteria

Initial Team Meeting

Empowerment

Communication Plan

Reporting

Recognition

 

Group Dynamics

In this course, we will learn how and why patterns emerge in teams as a result of Group Dynamics. We will study the effect that team members have on each other's behaviour, as well as their influence on team patterns and norms. Some will have a positive effect on individual and team output and relationships, while others can hinder performance. This course includes 50 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Group Dynamics

Effective Team Meetings

Integrating New Team Members

Team Learning

Single-loop learning

Double-loop learning

Team Decision-Making

Barriers to Consensus

Decision-making Process

Decision Matrix Tool

Decision-Making Software

 

Liaise with Management

Information and its flow is key to any organisation. While working as a team leader or manager, a key part of your role is to ensure that upper management, your staff and all other relevant stakeholders are constantly informed of what is going on in your organisation. In this course, we will examine the flow of team-based information throughout the organisation. This course includes 50 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Managing Communication

Informal and Formal Communication Channels

Upward, Downward, Horizontal Communication

Diagonal Communication

Communication Barriers and How to Resolve

Type of Message

Timing

Improving Your Communication

Feedback

Language

Listening Skills

Comparison

Mind-Reading

Filtering, Judging, Debating and Placating

Effective Listening

How to Communicate a Message?

Communicating with Customers

Communicating with Colleagues

Communicating with Your Manager/Supervisor

Communicating with your Staff

Key Points

Intro to Effective Workplace Relationships

Organisations that harness the benefits of strong, flexible, motivated and highly skilled workforces can grow and develop quicker than those that do not. Effective workplaces are built on trust and integrity.
They lower staff turnover rates as they increase motivation, vastly improving service and production standards, and invariably increasing revenues and profitability. These workplaces are supported by internal and external stakeholder networks that have confidence in one another. Once you have completed this course, you will understand what it is that drives the characteristics and attributes of an effective workplace.
This course includes 30 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Characteristics of an Effective Workplace

Mutual Respect

Integrity and Trust

Objectivity

Sensitivity

Flexibility

Communication

Collaboration

Recognition

Developing Trust and Confidence

Integrity, Respect and Empathy

Providing Leadership

Leadership Styles Exercise

Organisational Standards

Social Standards

Ethical Standards

Ethics of Justice

Ethics of Care

Ethical Standards Scenario

Business Practice / Process

Business Practice / Process Exercise

Optimise Your Interpersonal Style

Optimise Your Interpersonal Style – Reflection

Ensure Competent Performance

 

Work with Information and Ideas

It is vital that the information and ideas that drive today's workplaces are carefully and professionally handled. If people see that their ideas and opportunities are never acted upon, then the source of organisational knowledge will stagnate and people will lose their motivation. In this course, we will detail a process for gathering, analysing, presenting and measuring the impact of new information and ideas. This course includes 30 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Learning Styles

Visual, Auditory, Tactile / Kinaesthetic

Five Step Approach

Sourcing Information

Analysing Information

Disseminating Information

Who Needs the Information?

When is the Information Needed?

How should the Information be Presented?

How will the Information be Used?

Testing Retention

Building on Past Success

 

Building Networks and Relationships

Today's workplaces bring together all kinds of people who interact on a daily basis to achieve their respective tasks as well as the overall team and organisational goals. While interacting with some people comes naturally, the challenge many people face on a daily basis involves interacting with people they feel less comfortable with. This course will investigate how people can build and sustain positive workplace relationships using networking, coaching and mentoring, as well as a diverse range of interpersonal skills that collectively maintain vibrant and mutually beneficial relationships. This course includes 25 minutes oflearning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Build and Maintain Networks and Relationships

Networking

Mentoring and Coaching

Encourage Research and Risk

Teach and Coach

Identify Opportunities

Managing Diversity

 

Manage Difficulties to Achieve Positives

In organisations, opposing ideas can quickly turn into a tug-of-war, with opposing factions doing whatever it takes to win the struggle. A win-lose outcome is seldom beneficial to ongoing workplace relationships. This course will teach you how to drive for win-win scenarios by negotiating solutions to common workplace problems. The goal is that wherever possible, everyone is satisfied. This course includes 60 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Manage to Achieve Positive Outcomes

Problem Solving and Decision-Making

Identify the Problem

Decide Who to Involve

Define Alternatives

Evaluate the Alternatives

Make a Decision

Implement the Solution

Monitor Results

Managing Conflict

Avoiders

Accommodators

Competitors

Compromisers

Collaborators

Pre-Session, Session and Post-Session

Managing Change

Choosing the Target

Planning

Initiating Action

Making Connections

Rebalancing to Integrate the Change

Consolidating the Learning

Moving to the Next Cycle

 

Communication Targets

In this course, we will concentrate on communicating with specific types of people in the workplace, including internal and external customers, managers and supervisors, colleagues and staff. This course includes 20 minutes of learning covering the following topics:

Introduction

Communicating with Customers

Communicating with Colleagues

Communicating with Management

Communicating with your Staff