October 2017

Buildinga team

Buildinga team

By completing this workbook you will be able to:

• Describe what makes a successful team

• Explain ways to motivate yourself and your team

• Treat people as individuals and recognise they have different needs

Objectives

Building and supporting a team are essential elements of being a good manager.

This workbook describes what makes a successful team and how to build and motivate your team members in the workplace.

In your own words, what is a 'team'?

How important is a team?

How would you know if your team was not performing well?

What is a team?What is a team?What is a team?

One definition of a team is ‘a group of people who share a common aim and

whose jobs and skills complement

one another.

What would you do to improve team performance?

a People are happy working with each other

a Communication is clear and action points agreed

a Everyone is encouraged to take part in meetings and contribute new ideas

a People have clear objectives and know what has to be done

a People respect each other’s point of view

a Everyone demonstrates a ‘give and take’ attitude in putting team priorities ahead of their own

a People promote their own and other's expertise

a People are multi-skilled so that they can support colleagues in other areas

a People congratulate and encourage each other

a People are not relaxed with each other

a Too much discussion takes place without reaching any conclusions

a Some people do all the talking and are not interested in what others have to say

a People do not fully understand what they have to do

aDisagreements are frequent due to personality clashes and differences in opinion

a Some people are allowed to ‘opt out’ and work in isolation from everyone else

a People keep their expertise hidden and some feel threatened by other people’s strength

a There is a lack of flexibility as people have a limited range of skills

a There is an atmosphere of ‘one-upmanship’

successful teamsuccessful teamsuccessful team

unsuccessful teamunsuccessful teamunsuccessful teamvsvsvs

Goals and objectives Crystal-clear purpose and team goals supported by aligned individual objectives.

By ‘goal’ we mean a purpose or direction for the team.

• Why does the team exist?

• What is it ultimately trying to achieve?

By ‘objectives’ we mean the specific targets which, as a team, you are trying to achieve within a certain time.

These should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound (SMART).

What makes a high performing team?What makes a high performing team?What makes a high performing team?

Goals and objectives

Processes and procedures

Values and relationships

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22 Processes and procedures Ways of working both inside and outside the team. • ‘Processes’ are the internal ‘ways of doing things’ - the ways in which, within our team, we make decisions, communicate, solve problems etc.

• ‘Procedures’ are the way we do things with others outside our team - for example dealing with customer, suppliers and clients.

Values and relationships The ‘values’ of the team represent those principles that we all agree to uphold in the way we work. These are important, self-imposed rules that we will not break under any circumstances. Examples of values include transparency, honesty and trust.

• Relationships in an effective team are based on openness where issues are raised and addressed. People challenge and listen and there is loyalty both inside and outside the team.

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goals &

oBjectives

goals &

oBjectives

processes&

procedures

processes&

procedures

values&

relationships

values&

relationshipsCore team values

with relationships based on openness, honesty and trust.

Simple, effective and efficient ways of working

both inside and outside the team.

Crystal-clear purpose and team

objectives supported by aligned individual objectives.

What measures could you put in place to ensure everyone you work with feels part of the team?

How would you know that an individual feels part of the team?

teamWorkteamWorkteamWork

motivationmotivationmotivationYou can select people who have the necessary skills and knowledge to do the job efficiently, if these are lacking you can train team members to acquire those skills, or you can try to design jobs which are compatible with the team members existing abilities. But this is not enough, the other factor that will determine how well the job gets done, is the motivation of those doing the work.

Motivation is… • What makes us want to do something • A kind of driving force that comes from within • Needed when we have a desire to achieve some objective • An incentive to cause us to try to do something

To motivate someone to do something, you have to get him or her to want to do it. • Motivation can be conscious or unconscious, meaning that we are not always aware of what it is that motivates us • It is a powerful influence for good or ill

Motivation plays a huge part in teamwork and

maintaining a team.

What motivates you?

A time in my life where I have felt very motivated and why...

A time in my life where I have felt very demotivated and why...

the needs of the individualthe needs of the individualthe needs of the individualAny team is made up of individuals and it is important for you to understand what each team member needs and how they interact when working with others.

Individuals have basic needs and motivations. We don’t just need money and rewards, but also respect and interaction. High performing teams give everyone the chance to make their mark in their own way.

Motivation is about something within you compelling you to move forwards to achieve a goal or to make progress in a task. If you want to achieve and maintain high performance, it is all about inspiring yourself and others and it depends on leadership and motivation.

If you have a clear picture of what motivates you, you will be able to understand better what motivates others. Remember that each individual is unique and will respond to different stimulants.

Motivate yourself

Select people who have the potential to be highly motivated

Treat each person as an individual with individual needs

Set challenging but realistic targets and tasks

Remember that progress and achievement motivates

Create a motivating environment

Provide fair rewards linked to progress and achievement

Give recognition

Eight strategies for motivating people:

1 2

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5

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1 2

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5

678

In the activities that follow there are checklists for you to assess how well you are doing

in each area:

Select people who are highly motivatedAbout 50% of motivation comes from within and the other 50% from the surrounding environment, including the leadership qualities shown. It is important whenever possible to select individuals for the team who are highly motivated.

Key indicators of motivation are; energy, commitment, staying power, single mindedness, enjoyment and a willingness to seek and accept responsibility.

Treat each person as an individual

Find out what motivates each of them. What makes them tick?

You can only do that by spending time with individuals, not with the team as a whole. So to get the best out of everyone you will need to take a different approach with different people.

Set realistic but challenging targetsLink individuals’ targets to your business objectives and make them challenging but realistic. Agree those objectives with each individual to gain their commitment to achieving them.

Clarify for all team members what you expect of them and make sure you check their understanding. Always challenge assumptions about roles, objectives, responsibilities and standards.

Recognise that progress motivates

We tend to put in more effort if we feel we are moving forward. Your feedback on your team’s progress is critical.

Take every opportunity to give individuals feedback about how they are doing. It is vital to communicate any changes of direction clearly to all involved.

Provide fair rewards and give recognition

Pay is a key incentive for most people but remember not everybody’s pot of gold is money. Many of us would like just a small ‘thank you for your hard work’ which goes a long way!

Rewarding individuals in public really motivates individuals and thanking the whole team, not just verbally but putting a notice up on the staff notice board or sending an email out to the whole team, shows you have taken the time to think about the value of their contribution. Giving your time to both individuals and teams can sometimes be all the reward and recognition that’s needed.

Motivate yourselfYou won’t be able to inspire others, if you don’t feel inspired yourself. Enthusiasm is infectious and by showing commitment to the task yourself, the team and each individual will achieve the results you want.

Ask a few of your team members what motivates them

hoW Well do you motivate individuals in your team?hoW Well do you motivate individuals in your team?hoW Well do you motivate individuals in your team?

How much of your week do you spend doing work you really enjoy?

How do others recognise your outstanding talent?

What in your work continually stretches your abilities?

What are the key talents in your team?

What is your one outstanding talent?

Use this activity to assess how well motivated you are and how well you motivate your team. As a result of the activity, you will identify areas for development.

Answer the following questions to see how well you are using motivational strategies.

Motivate yourself

hoW Well do you motivate individuals in your team?hoW Well do you motivate individuals in your team?hoW Well do you motivate individuals in your team?

do you select employees Who are Well-motivated?do you select employees Who are Well-motivated?do you select employees Who are Well-motivated?

How do you assess potential team members for motivation, ability and personality?

Do you have members of your team who are under-motivated?

If so, who?

Does your team have a high level of turnover? If so, why do you think that is?

Give examples to show that staff in your team see you as an individual, not just a leader

How do you respond to these changes, which will affect the individual during working hours?

How do you find out what makes individuals tick?

do you treat employees as individuals?

What external influences are there on an individual that will change their level of motivation?

do you treat employees as individuals?do you treat employees as individuals?How much time do you give to individuals to get to know them, work with them and coach them?

do you treat employees as individuals?do you treat employees as individuals?do you treat employees as individuals?

What do you believe are your team’s strengths?

What do you believe are your team’s

weaknesses?

What do you think we should do to improve the team’s effectiveness?

Can you give 3 examples of an unsuccessful team?

What will you now put in place to help continue to build and motivate your team?

What will you do to ensure every employee is made to feel part of the team?

Can you give 3 examples of a successful team?

Who will you include?

What activity will you complete?

Plan and organise a team building activity:

What is your main objective?

How will know it has achieved its objectives?

What do you need to prepare?

NOTES

NOTES