Institute of Leadership and Management

Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management

RESOURCE BOOK
Revised March 2013

Assessment Process

UNIT 1 Solving Problems and Making Decisions

11

UNIT 2 Understanding Leadership

21

UNIT 3 Understand How to Establish an Effective Team

33

Appeals Procedure

47

Corporate Membership

49

Additional Information

51

CONTENTS

Programme Overview

CVQO, in conjunction with the Institute of Leadership and Management, is offering the ILM
Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management to Instructors who have completed the
KGVI/CCF Advanced Course, Officers Initial Course, CPO/CSgts Qualifying Course or
Junior Officers Staff Course. The Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management
qualification is ideal for learners who have management responsibilities but no formal
training and are serious about developing their abilities. It is particularly suited to practising
Team Leaders seeking to move up to the next level of management.
Award Content
The Award is made up of three units; Solving Problems and Making Decisions,
Understanding Leadership and Understand How to Establish an Effective Team. These

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

Introduction

modules have been chosen and fully mapped against your course.
The learning outcomes of your course will test your leadership skills, your understanding of
your organisation, how you build the team, organise and delegate, resolve problems and
make decisions.
Required Project Work
Within three months of course completion you will be required to complete and return your
Assignments. These written assignments will further demonstrate your understanding of
the learning outcomes associated with Solving Problems and Making Decisions,
Understanding Leadership and Understand how to establish an effective team and how
these are applied in the workplace to bring about positive business benefits.

Assignments are
assessed by ILM
Assessor and
Internal/External
Verifiers, if
applicable

If unsuccessful,
you will have one
further
opportunity to
resubmit your
amended work

If successful, you
will receive a
confirmation letter
of having
achieved your
award

CVQO will return

to you your work,
Assessor
feedback and
your newly
acquired
certificate

Stage Four

Submit your
Assignments to
CVQO within 3
months of course
dispersal

Stage Three

Receive
Resource Book
and Workbook
before course
dispersal

Stage Two

Stage One

Submit completed
registration form
and fee to
CVQO/Course
staff during
course week

CVQO will
confirm
registration by
sending you a
letter

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Complete
relevant course

The overall assessment and recommendation for the certificate will be based on:

Your Assignments

Assessors feedback

Internal and External Verifiers feedback, if applicable

Assessment of your work will be undertaken by a subject specialist who will take into
account the quality and sufficiency of the learning outcomes demonstrated within your
Assignments.
The process of assessment generally takes approximately 10-12 weeks before your
results are fed back to you. The Assessors decision may be one of two:
1. Pass and request certificate
2. Resubmission of work, with amendments. Written feedback from the Assessor will
be provided and you may wish to discuss this with a member of the CVQO Team.

submitted to the ILM External Verifier for final approval. You will be given written feedback
on your results. If you are judged to have met the Award in Leadership and Management
requirements, ILM will be informed and certification will follow. If you do not pass on your
first attempt, you will have one further opportunity to resubmit your amended work.
Certification
Upon completion of your award, your certificate and assessed work will be returned to you
by recorded delivery. If you know in advance that you will be unable to sign for your
certificate, as delivery times are generally during the working day, it is your responsibility to
inform CVQO of an alternative address.
Entitlements
Studying Membership of ILM is free for 6 months for anyone studying an ILM qualification,
just visit www.i-l-m.com/activate to activate your membership and start using the benefits.
Once activated you will have access to tools designed to help you succeed in your ILM
qualification and career.
Study support Study tips and suggested reading lists
Book loans over 2,000 books to select from
Factsheets key leadership skills to download
E-journals access to thousands of articles from 450 magazines
Management tools 7 online Harvard management modules to support your
learning
Discounts money off lifestyle products and services
e-Edge ILMs award-winning management magazine
Jobs board free CV checker and job search facility

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The recommendation of the Assessor, and where appropriate the Internal Verifier, will be

Assignment Resources

10

One of the most exciting aspects of life is the array of choices that we have on a daily

UNIT 1

Solving Problems and Making Decisions

basis. Some of our decisions are simple, like deciding what to eat for dinner or what shirt to
wear. However, some choices are challenging and take careful thought and consideration.
When we are confronted with these types of decisions, it can be very difficult to decide on
the best option and we may be plagued by indecision. We may be forced to choose
between two equally good options or perhaps we may have to pick between two choices
that both have drawbacks.
Researchers have developed a technique that many
people have found useful when they are trying to make
a difficult decision or solve a problem that seems
unsolvable. This procedure involves a series of steps
that you can go through on your own when you are
confronted with a decision or problem that needs to be
solved. This approach may not work perfectly for all
difficulties but it may help with many of the problems
you are confronted with in your life.
The first priority in making a decision (solving a problem) is to establish who are the
decision makers and stakeholders in the decision - the audience for the decision.
Identifying the decision makers early in the process cuts down on disagreement about
problem definition, requirements, goals and criteria. When appropriate, stakeholders should
also be consulted to acquire their input during the early steps of the decision process.
Stakeholders can provide useful feedback before a decision is made.
It is the decision teams job to make sure that all steps of the process are adequately
performed. Usually the decision support staff should include the help of skilled and
experienced personnel to assist with all stages of the decision process. Expert facilitation
can help assure that all the steps are properly performed and documented. Their
experience and expertise will help provide transparency to the decision making process
and help avoid misunderstandings that often lead to questions about the validity of the
analyses which ultimately slows progress.

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Step 1 Define the Problem

Problem definition is the crucial first step in making a good decision. This process must, as
a minimum, identify root causes, limit assumptions, system and organisational boundaries
and any stakeholder issues. The goal is to express the issue in a clear, one-sentence
problem statement that describes both the initial conditions and the desired conditions. It is
essential that the decision maker(s) and support staff all agree on what problem is going to
be solved before proceeding to the next steps. The key to developing an adequate problem
statement is to ask enough questions about the problem to ensure that the final solution will
clearly answer the questions raised.
This step involves recognising that a problem exists and that solving the difficulty is a
worthwhile endeavour. It is important that you approach the decision making process with a
positive attitude and view the situation as an opportunity or challenge. You should try to
approach the situation with confidence and with a willingness to devote some time and
effort to finding an appropriate solution to your problem.
Step 2 Determine Requirements
Requirements are conditions that need an acceptable solution to the problem.
Requirements spell out what the solution to the problem must do.
Before you start to tackle the current problem, it is important to clearly
understand the difficulty and why you are unhappy with the current
situation. This may seem obvious but it is important that you really
think about and gather information about the problem and make sure
that the problem you are trying to solve is the "real" problem. This
step really involves you thinking about the difficulty you are having,
understanding the problem and contemplating why the situation is distressing.
Step 3 Establish Goals
Goals are broad statements of intent and desirable values.
Goals should be stated positively (i.e. what something should do, not what it should not do),
because goals are useful in identifying alternatives. Sometimes goals may conflict but this
is neither unusual nor cause for concern. During goal definition it is not necessary to
eliminate conflict among goals or to define the relative importance of the goals. The

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process of establishing goals may suggest new or revised requirements or requirements

that should be converted to goals.
Step 4 Identify Alternatives
Alternatives offer different approaches for changing the initial condition into the desired
condition. The decision team evaluates the requirements and goals and suggests
alternatives that will meet and satisfy as many goals as possible. Generally, the alternatives
vary in their ability to meet the requirements and goals. Those alternatives that do not meet
the requirements must be:
1. The alternative is discarded
2. The requirement is changed or eliminated
The description of each alternative must clearly show how it solves the defined problem
and how it differs from the other alternatives.
Step 5 Define Criteria
During this stage you should ask yourself, "What have I done in this situation in the past,
and how well has that worked?" If you find that what you have done previously has not
been as effective as you would like, it would be useful to generate some other solutions that
may work better this time. When you start to think of possible solutions do not limit yourself,
think of as many possible options as you can even if they seem unrealistic. You can always
discard implausible ideas later and coming up with these may help generate even better
solutions.
Usually no one alternative will be the best for all goals, when compared with each other.
The best alternative will be the one that achieves most of the goals. Using decision criteria
will result in a more understandable decision analysis. However, every goal must generate
at least one criterion. If a goal does not suggest a criterion it should be abandoned. Several
methods can be used to facilitate criteria selection.

13

Brainstorming: Team brainstorming may be used to develop goals and associated criteria.
Round Robin: Team members are individually asked for their goals and the criteria
associated with them. The initial elicitation of ideas should be done non-judgmentally all
ideas are recorded before criticism of any is allowed.
Reverse Direction Method: Team members consider available alternatives, identify
differences among them and develop criteria that reflect these differences.
Previously Defined Criteria: End users, stakeholders or the decision maker(s) may
provide criteria. Input from the decision maker(s) is essential to the development of useful
criteria. Moreover, the decision makers approval is crucial before the criteria are used to
evaluate the alternatives.
Step 6 Select a Decision making Tool
Now you are ready to narrow down some of the options that you have generated in the
previous step. It is important that you examine each of the options, think about how realistic
each is, how likely you would be to implement that solution and the potential drawbacks of
each. For example, if your solution costs a great deal of money or requires many hours of
effort each day, this may be too difficult to implement. You should also consider the
likelihood that each option will help you to achieve the goals that you want regarding the
solution. As you start to narrow down your choices remember, no problem solution is
perfect and all will have drawbacks but you can always revise the solution if it does not
work the way you want it to.
Some of these methods can be complicated and difficult to apply. The method selection
needs to be based on the complexity of the problem and the experience of the team.
Generally, the simpler the method the better - more complex analyses can be added later if
needed.
Step 7 Evaluate Alternatives
Alternatives can be evaluated with quantitative methods, qualitative methods or any
combination. Criteria can be weighted and used to rank the alternatives. Both sensitivity
and uncertainty analyses can be used to improve the quality of the selection process.

14

Step 8 Validate Solution(s)

After the evaluation process has selected a preferred alternative, the solution should be
checked to ensure that it truly solves the problem identified. Compare the original problem
statement to the goals and requirements. A final solution should fulfill the desired state,
meet requirements and best achieve the goals within the values of the decision makers.
Once you have examined all your options and decided on one that seems to accomplish
your goals, it is time to test it out. Make sure that when you implement this solution, you do
so whole-heartedly and give it your best effort. During this stage, you should continue to
examine the chosen solution and the degree to which it is "solving" your problem. If you find
that the solution is too hard to implement or it is just not working, revise it or try something
else.
No matter how careful you are, problem solving is an inevitable part of a Team Leaders
life. Problem solving often involves gathering information and making your decisions based
on accurate facts and determining whether this is a problem the team can resolve or
whether you need to pass it to someone with higher authority. It is crucial that teams have a
clear idea of what is required of them, both from within the team and external to the team.
However, despite best efforts there will be times when you encounter problems. Problems
could arise simply by someone missing a deadline, going off sick or even turning up late.
Equipment may fail, power supplies could be lost or there could be an emergency.
Whatever the problem you are faced with, as a Team Leader you need to be able to
distinguish between those that you and the team can correct and those that you need to
refer. When presented with a problem you need to ask yourself why things are going
wrong and how can you resolve it. What do you need to know and who might be able to
help. Gathering valid information is key to a quick resolution. Questioning colleagues,
requesting reports or researching on the Internet are just some of the many methods you
could use to analyse the issue.
Once the preferred alternative has been validated, the decision making support staff can
present it as a recommendation to the decision maker. This should outline the decision
process, assumptions, methods and conclusions recommending the final solution.

15

Decision making
Decision Analysis techniques are rational processes / systematic procedures for applying
critical thinking to information, data and experience in order to make a balanced decision
when the choice between alternatives is unclear. They provide ways of applying critical
thinking skills developed around accumulating answers to questions about the problem.
Steps include clarifying purpose, evaluating alternatives, assessing risks/benefits and
making a decision. These steps usually involve scoring criteria and alternatives. This
scoring (a systematic method for handling and communicating information) provides a
common language and approach that removes decision making from the realm of personal
preference or idiosyncratic behaviour.
The evaluation methods are highly recommended. They are adaptable to many situations
as determined by the complexity of the problem, needs of the customer, experience of the
decision team, and the time and resources available. No one decision making method is
appropriate for all decisions.
The examples provided are intended
to facilitate understanding and use of
these methods. Problem solving and
decision making are important skills
for business and life. Problem solving
often involves decision making and
decision making is especially
important for management and
leadership. There are processes and
techniques to improve decision making and the quality of decisions. Decision making is
more natural to certain personalities, so these people should focus more on improving the
quality of their decisions.
People that are less natural decision makers are often able to make quality assessments
but then need to be more decisive in acting upon the assessments made. Problem solving
and decision making are closely linked and each requires creativity in identifying and
developing options, for which the brainstorming technique is particularly useful. SWOT and
PEST analysis templates can also help with decision making and problem solving. SWOT
(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis helps assess the strength of
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a company, a business proposition or idea. PEST (Political, Economic, Social, and

Technological) analysis helps to assess the potential and suitability of a market.
Good decision making requires a mixture of skills; creative development and identification
of options, clarity of judgement, firmness of decision and effective implementation. For
group problem solving and decision making or when a consensus is required, workshops
help. You can incorporate these tools and process as appropriate.
Here are some useful methods for effective decision making and problem solving. First a
simple step-by-step process for effective decision making and problem solving:
1. Define and clarify the issue - does it warrant action? If so, how? Is the matter urgent,
important or both?
2. Gather all the facts and understand their causes.
3. Think about or brainstorm possible options and solutions.
4. Consider and compare the pros and cons of each option.
5. Select the best option - avoid vagueness or 'foot in both camps' compromise.
6. Explain your decision to those involved or affected and follow up to ensure proper
and effective implementation.
Another simple process for decision making is the pros and cons list. This method also
applies to all sorts of problem solving where issues and implications need to be understood
and a decision has to be made. Some decisions are a simple matter of whether to make a
change or not, such as moving or taking a new job, etc. Other decisions involve a number
of options and are concerned more with how to do something, involving a number of
choices. You will find that writing things down in this way will help you to see things more
clearly, become more objective and detached which will help you to reach a conclusion. A
decision making pros and cons list like this
helps remove the emotion which blocks
clear thinking and decision making. It
enables objectivity and measurement rather
than reacting from instinct or avoiding the
issue altogether. Objective measurement
helps in making a confident decision.
Pros and Cons Analysis is a qualitative
comparison method in which good things (pros) and bad things (cons) are identified about
17

each alternative. Lists of the pros and cons based on the input of subject matter experts are
compared one to another for each alternative. The alternative with the strongest pros and
weakest cons is preferred. The decision documentation should include an exposition which
justifies why the preferred alternatives pros are more important and its cons are less
consequential than those of the other alternatives. Pros and Cons Analysis is suitable for
simple decisions with few alternatives. It requires no mathematical skill and can be
implemented rapidly.
For more complex decisions and problems involving more than two possible options, you
can use several pros and cons tables to compare the overall weight of each option.
In such cases the wording of the options is important. For example, if considering the best
path for one's own career and work development the options are:

be employed, working for a big company

be self-employed, working as a consultant or freelancer from home

start a business, with premises and staff

A situation like this can be approached by completing three separate pros and cons tables
and then comparing the net effects of each one. While this will not necessarily evaluate and
compare all possible inter-related aspects of the whole situation, it will help to give great
clarity and detached objectivity, which can be very difficult to find when confronted with a
complicated and big challenge offering several options.
Kepner-Tregoe Decision Analysis is a quantitative comparison method in which a team
of experts numerically score criteria and alternatives based on individual judgements /
assessments. In Kepner-Tregoes model each evaluation criterion is first scored based on
its relative importance to the other criteria (1 = least; 10 = most). These scores become the
criteria weights. Kepner-Tregoe Decision Analysis is suitable for moderately complex
decisions involving a few criteria. The method requires only basic arithmetic. Its main
disadvantage is that it may not be clear how much better a score of 10 is than a score of
8, for example. Moreover, total alternative scores may be close together, making a clear
choice difficult.

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Overall, consider that some decisions and challenges are difficult because you do not have
the necessary knowledge or experience, in which case you need first to decide if the
decision or challenge is actually appropriate and necessary for you at this stage.
Some decisions have to be made whether you are ready or not. Others might not be as
pressing as you imagine. Do not be forced into a change-based decision if having
considered the implications carefully you decide that it is not the best thing to do. The
decision to do nothing different is often a perfectly good option.

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20

Being a good Manager does not automatically make you a good Leader. The distinction

UNIT 2

Understanding Leadership

between management and leadership is useful in helping to gain a better understanding of

leadership and to reflect on your own leadership behaviours. Both are necessary for
success in an increasingly complex and volatile business environment. The concept of
management is the administrative process of planning, organising, coordinating and
controlling. Leadership is more about inter-personal skills, dealing with people, as well as
managing resources and organising activities.
Leadership involves setting goals, persuading and influencing others to want to work
towards those goals. It involves motivating people to achieve more. Leadership is central
to the role of a Manager and you need to understand the differences and similarities
between leadership and management and the need for each of them. Whether you are
managing a team at work or captaining a sports team your leadership style is crucial to your
success. Consciously or subconsciously you will no doubt have used some of the styles
listed below at some point. By understanding these leadership styles and their impact, you
can become a more flexible and better Manager.
In the past several decades, management experts have undergone a revolution in how they
define leadership and what their attitudes are towards it. They have gone from a very
classical autocratic approach to a very creative, participative approach. Somewhere along
the line it was determined that not everything old was bad and not everything new was
good. Rather, different styles were needed for different situations and each Leader needed
to know when to exhibit a particular approach.
Three of the most basic leadership styles are:

Autocratic

Democratic

Transformational

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The following briefly defines each style:Autocratic or Dictatorial Leadership

Autocratic Leadership is an extreme form of transactional leadership, where a Leader
exerts high levels of power over the team members. People within the team are given few
opportunities for making suggestions, even if these would be in the team's interest. Many
people resent being treated like this. Because of this, autocratic leadership often leads to
high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover. Also, the team's output does not benefit from
the creativity and experience of all team members, so many of the benefits of teamwork are
lost. However, this can be an effective style when an urgent decision and action is required.
This is often considered the classical approach. It is one in which the Manager
retains as much power and decision making authority as possible. The
Manager does not consult employees, nor are they allowed to give any input.
Employees are expected to obey orders without receiving any explanations.
The motivation environment is produced by creating a structured set of rewards and
punishments.
This leadership style has been greatly criticised during the past 30 years. Some studies say
that organisations with many autocratic Leaders have higher turnover and absenteeism
than other organisations. Employees have proven to be highly resistant to this management
style. These studies say that autocratic Leaders:

Rely on threats and punishment to influence employees

Do not trust employees

Do not allow for employee input

Yet, autocratic leadership is not all bad. Sometimes it is the most effective style to use.
These situations can include:

New, untrained employees who do not know which tasks to perform or which
procedures to follow

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Effective supervision can be provided only through detailed orders and instructions

Employees do not respond to any other leadership style

There are high-volume production needs on a daily basis

There is limited time in which to make a decision

A Managers power is challenged by an employee

The area was poorly managed

Work needs to be co-ordinated with another department or organisation

The autocratic leadership style should not be used when:

Employees become tense, fearful or resentful

Employees expect to have their opinions heard

Employees begin depending on their Manager to make all their decisions

There is low employee morale, high turnover, absenteeism and work stoppage

Democratic Leadership or Participative Leadership

Although a democratic Leader will make the final decision, he or she invites other members
of the team to contribute to the decision making process. This not only increases job
satisfaction by involving team members in what is going on but it also helps to develop
peoples skills. Team members feel in control of their own destiny and so are motivated to
work hard for more than just a financial reward. As participation takes time, this style can
lead to things happening more slowly than an autocratic approach but often the end result
is better. This style is more suitable where team-working is essential and where quality is
more important than speed.
The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as the democratic
Manager keeps his or her employees informed about everything that affects their work. This
style requires the Leader to be a coach who has the final say but gathers information from
staff members before making a decision.
Democratic leadership can produce high quality work and in high quantity for long periods
of time. Many employees like the trust they receive and respond with co-operation, team
spirit and high morale. Typically the democratic Leader:

Develops plans to help employees evaluate their own performance

Allows employees to establish goals

Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted

Recognises and encourages achievement

Like the other styles, the democratic style is not always appropriate. It is most successful
when used with highly skilled or experienced employees, or when implementing operational
changes, or resolving individual or group problems.
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The democratic leadership style is most effective when:

The Leader wants to keep employees informed about matters that affect them

The Leader wants employees to share in decision making and problem solving
duties

The Leader wants to provide opportunities for employees to develop a high sense of
personal growth and job satisfaction

There is a large or complex problem that requires lots of input to solve

Changes must be made or problems solved that affect employees or groups of

employees

You want to encourage team-building and participation

Democratic leadership should not be used when:

There is not enough time to get everyones input

It is easier and more cost-effective for the Manager to make the decision

The business cannot afford mistakes

The Manager feels threatened by this type of leadership

Employee safety is a critical concern

Transformational Leadership Style

Transformational leadership is a form of leadership that occurs when Leaders broaden and
elevate the interests of their employees, when they generate awareness and acceptance of
the purposes and the mission of the group and when they stir their employees to look
beyond their own self-interest for the good of the group (Bernard Bass, 1990).
Transformational Leaders:

Articulate a compelling vision of the future

Specify the importance of having a strong sense of purpose and a collective mission

Talk optimistically and enthusiastically and express confidence that goals will be
achieved

Engender the trust and respect of their followers by doing the right thing rather than
doing things right

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Instil pride in employees for being associated with them

Talk about their most important values and beliefs

Consider the moral and ethical consequences of decisions

Seek different perspectives when solving problems in new ways

Spend time teaching and coaching

Consider each individual employees different needs, abilities and aspirations

Is compassionate, appreciating and responsive to each employee and recognise and

celebrate each employees achievements

Transformational leadership is most appropriate when change is required.

Leadership Models
Action Centred Leadership (John Adair Theory)
Action-Centred Leadership is centred on the actions of the Leader. The Leader has to
balance the needs from each of the three elements (Task, Team and Individual). The
effective Leader attends to all three elements, keeping them in balance. If any one element
is ignored, the others are unlikely to succeed.
At the same time, the three elements can conflict with each other. For example, pressure
on time and resources often increases pressure on a group to concentrate on the task, to
the possible detriment of the people involved but if team and individual needs are forgotten,
much of the effort spent may be misdirected. In another example, taking time creating a
good team spirit without applying effort to the task is likely to mean that the team will lose
its focus through lack of achievement. An approach that a skilled Leader might take, in any
challenge, is to balance the needs of all three elements as follows:

Identify and evaluate the requirements of the task.

Communicate these to the group and gain their commitment.

Plan the achievement of the task with the group.

Identify resources within the group and allocate responsibility to individuals.

Monitor and evaluate progress of the whole group and of individual members.

Communicate feedback to the group and support, praise, encourage individuals.

Review plans and make changes with the group until the task is achieved.

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The Action Centred Leadership Model

The 3 Areas of Need

The effectiveness of the Leader during Action-Centred Leadership is dependent upon
meeting 3 areas of need within the work team.

Task

Team

Individual

Task Needs. Groups arise or are formed to undertake tasks that are too difficult or too
impractical for one person to accomplish. Tasks provide a group with a common motivation
and their needs are satisfied only when they achieve their goals.
Team Needs. This is a Leaders main resource, so the teams needs must be considered.
To achieve their task, the group needs to work together as a well-knit team and it is up to
the Leader to be aware of things such as unity, motivation, sound communications and
basic team needs such as food, shelter and sleep.
Individual Needs. Each individual member of the group brings his own personal needs.
These include specific skills, physical limitations and the need to be treated impartially.

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Priority Needs
The 3 areas of need do not, of course, always merit equal priority. A group is formed to
achieve tasks and there are occasions in every organisation when the demands of the task
needs, must predominate. Conversely, other areas may predominate under different
circumstances. For instance, a Manager will need to give priority to team and individual
needs following an accident to a cadet. It is an essential part of your job as a Leader to
have a correct sense of proportion about the needs of your group and the functions you
should perform to meet those needs. This requires a fine sense of judgement and you will
need to develop the skill in getting your priorities right in relation to the situation.
In some organisations, such as the
Public Services, the commander
must make the decisions in
operational matters and take the
responsibility for seeing that they are
carried out. In such circumstances,
his style of leadership must be
autocratic and for this reason is placed in a clear position of authority and is given the
backing of a legal code of discipline to ensure that they are obeyed. However, research
into motivation and job satisfaction has shown that there are advantages in the Leader
sharing decision making with subordinates whenever the situation permits because:
1.

In TASK NEEDS, sounder decisions may be reached when the Leader uses all the

knowledge and skill within the group. In addition, the group will be more committed to
achieving the task if they have a hand in making the decisions.
2.

In TEAM NEEDS, group participation increases communication within the group,

improves team cohesion and makes the group more receptive to change.
3.

In INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, participation by individuals in making decisions that affect

the group helps to satisfy the demand to be given status. It also allows an individual to
use skills, to contribute to the group and to be creative plus it trains that individual for
greater responsibility.
You should always aim to obtain the advantages of permitting your subordinates to
participate in making decisions that affect the unit by adopting a democratic style of
27

leadership. As ever, you bear the ultimate responsibility for any decision. Therefore, you
must weigh up which NEED is more prominent to achieve the task and apply your
INFLUENCE to achieve that task.

Situational Leadership (Hersey-Blanchard Theory)

The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by Dr Paul Hersey, a
professor and Ken Blanchard. Their theory states that instead of using just one style,
successful Leaders should change their leadership styles based on the maturity of the
people they are leading and the details of the task. Using this theory, Leaders should be
able to place more or less emphasis on the task and more or less emphasis on the
relationships with the people they are leading depending on what is needed to get the job
done successfully. According to Hersey and Blanchard there are four main leadership
styles:

Telling (S1) Leaders tell their people exactly what to do and how to do it.

Selling (S2) Leaders still provide information and direction, but there is more
communication with followers. Leaders "sell" their message to get the team on
board.

Participating (S3) Leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction.
The Leader works with the team and shares decision making responsibilities.

Delegating (S4) Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto the follower or
group. The Leaders still monitor progress but they are less involved in decisions.

Styles S1 and S2 are focused on getting the task done. Styles S3 and S4 are more
concerned with developing team members' abilities to work independently. According to
Hersey and Blanchard knowing when to use each style is largely dependent on the maturity
of the person or group you are leading. They break maturity down into four different levels:
M1 People at this level of maturity are at the bottom level of the scale. They lack
the knowledge, skills or confidence to work on their own and they often need to be
pushed to take the task on.
M2 At this level, followers might be willing to work on the task but they still do
not have the skills to do it successfully.

28

 M3 Here, followers are ready and willing to help with the task. They have more
skills than the M2 group but they are still not confident in their abilities.
M4 These followers are able to work on their own. They have high confidence
and strong skills and they are committed to the task.
The Hersey-Blanchard model maps each leadership style to each maturity level, as shown.
All teams and all team members are not created equal. Hersey and Blanchard argue that
Leaders are more effective when they use a leadership style based on the individuals or
groups they are leading.
Maturity Level

Most Appropriate Leadership Style

M1: Low maturity

M2: Medium maturity, limited skills
M3: Medium maturity, higher skills but lacking confidence
M4: High maturity

S1: Telling/directing
S2: Selling/coaching
S3: Participating/supporting
S4: Delegating

Varying the Leadership Style

While the proper leadership style depends on the situation, there are three other factors that
also influence which leadership style to use:1. The Managers personal background. What personality, knowledge, values,
ethics and experiences does the Manager have? What does he or she think will
work?
2. The employees being supervised. Employees are individuals with different
personalities and backgrounds. The leadership style Managers use will vary
depending upon the individual employee and what he or she will respond best to.
3. The company. The traditions, values, philosophy and concerns of the company will
influence how a Manager acts.
Other factors affecting a Managers leadership style:
Risk decision making and changing initiatives based on degree of risk involved
How important change is change for changes sake?
Nature of the task needing co-operation, direction, structure?

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Autocratic

The
Perfect
Leader

Transformational

Democratic

There are 6 functions of a Leader providing those of us who are inexperienced with a
practical framework for working through the basic requirements needed to lead effectively:
1. Plan - A Leader needs to look closely at the task he/she has been given and
produce a plan of action, taking all the information he/she has been given into
consideration.
2. Initiate - A Leader must organise his/her resources, time management and
anything else needed to carry out the task. Once that has been done, he/she
needs to communicate with the team by means of a comprehensive brief.
Communication, of course, is a two-way thing so the Leader should not be afraid, at
this stage, to consult the team and accept ideas or suggestions. However, the
Leader bears the ultimate responsibility, so the Leader must make the decision on
how the task will be completed. Then, once the brief has been completed, the
Leader must ensure that the task starts. Time may be against him/her, so it is an
important function of the Leader to now initiate the task.
3. Control - The Leader must control the team, its use of resources and progress of
tasks throughout the exercise. Of course, the Leader cannot do everything so
delegation is a necessity. A good Leader delegates, stands back and lets the team

30

get on with the task, all the time controlling from a distance. A good Leader also
knows when to step in and gain full control if things are not going to plan.
4. Support - Supporting the team throughout the task is a very important function and
an effective Leader needs to be sensitive to the state of his/her groups morale and
well-being.
5. Inform - The Leader has monitored the progress and at some point the decision
may need to be made that the plan is not working/team members are being
ineffective. The Leader now may need to inform/re-communicate with the team.
6. Evaluate - A competent Leader is continually evaluating the situation and on the
lookout for problems. Leadership is easy when all is going well but there will be
times when things do not go to plan. At those stages, re-evaluation may be
necessary and the Leader, in consultation with the team, should carry out a reassessment of the plan. Learn from failure!
Initially a team forms and establishes guidelines based on Bruce Tuckmans Theory,
which focuses on the way in which a team tackles a task from the initial formation of the
team through to the completion of the project. The following six steps will help the team to
get started with their task:

Establish an agreed set of team guidelines (group norms). Get to know team
members, their strengths, preferred roles and ways of working. You may appoint
someone as a Team Leader and someone to record group decisions.

Discuss the task or problem to arrive at a shared understanding.

Summarise this shared understanding of your project on a board or sheet of paper.

Brainstorm to quickly create ideas, plans and tasks.

Decide on specific tasks and allocate them to individuals or subgroups. Set timelines
and future meeting times as necessary.

Periodically review what has happened and use this information as the basis for
developing more effective group processes.

Effective work relationships are vital for success and satisfaction with your job and career.
It forms the basis for promotion, pay increases, goal accomplishment and job satisfaction.

31

The following actions will create a positive, empowering, motivational work environment for
people:1. Bring suggested solutions with the problems to the meeting table. Identifying
problems is the easy part; thoughtful solutions will earn respect and admiration from coworkers and bosses.
2. Do not ever play the blame game. Although it is important to identify who was
involved in a problem, publicly identifying and blaming others will earn enemies.
3. Your verbal and non-verbal communication matters. It is important to show respect
for all levels of people in your organisation.
4. Always discuss problems first with the people directly involved. You will not be able
to build effective work alliances if your co-worker does not trust you.

32

Successful Leaders can turn a group of individuals into an effective, focused team. Team

UNIT 3

Understand How to Establish an Effective Team

management flourishes in a supportive environment in which the Leader effectively delegates

roles or responsibilities and team members successfully communicate in an atmosphere of
mutual trust and respect.
How do you develop trust? The first step is to know the people you are going to work with.
Any amount of time you invest early on in getting to know your team members will payoff in
the long run. The second step for developing trust is earning that trust. Developing a
relationship requires each member to play their part. It requires a team effort. The following
characteristics are suggestions on ways to help build trust in a team:

team members follow through on promises and complete tasks

team members have open, productive and frequent communication

team members face problems when they arise and do not collect bad or hurt feelings

team members do not form cliques or groups within groups

In a group, members tend to focus on themselves because they are not sufficiently involved
in planning the aims and objectives. Therefore individuals approach their job simply as a
hired hand and do not see the real benefit of commitment. In a team, members feel a sense
of ownership for their jobs because they are committed to values based on common goals
that they helped establish.
Individual responsibilities in a group mean each member is
responsible for only their own individual contributions. He or she
achieves outcomes or makes their contribution to the organisation in
relative isolation. Individuals need not have any concern about what
other members of the group achieve.
Group members are likely to develop an individual relationship with the
Group Leader. Relationships between group Leaders and different individuals may vary
considerably in their tone and quality. One individual may need to be managed much more
forcefully than another, for example. Within a group there is not the interconnectedness and
shared responsibility you see between team members. Each member of a group can say I
did my best; it is not my fault that others did not pull their weight.'
33

Collective responsibility in a team such as a sports team where all the players know they are
interconnected. They understand that it is the quality of their collective performance that
determines the final result: success or failure. In an effective team, each member knows that they
are dependent on the other members for achieving the final result. This means team members
have an interest in helping each other where they can.
As a direct consequence of this the Team Leader will tend to relate to the team as a whole. The
Team Leader role may become more nominal as the team gels and sets its own challenges.
In some instances, this may be too challenging for some Managers or Team Leaders. In a positive
situation, the leadership role and decision making will adapt and accommodate. Decisions will be
made differently. They will be based on their impact on the dynamics of the relationships between
group members. If forceful treatment is handed out to one member of a team, it is likely to have
consequences for the team as a whole. This is especially the case if such treatment is perceived
as unwarranted or unfair.
Positive or negative, the consequences of team leadership decisions may be magnified by the
relationship between team members.
Team vs Group: Who owns the results? Another way of making the distinction between Team
Leadership and Group Leadership is by considering who owns or is responsible for the results. In
a team it is the Team Leader and the team members who have a shared responsibility for meeting
the target. For example in a sports team all the players and the coach share the responsibility for
what happens on the pitch. In a group (for example, a group of sales people) it is usual that each
member is only responsible for their own performance. The Leader takes overall responsibility for
the aggregated results of each individual meeting the overall sales departments target.
Team vs Group: How the behaviour of members differs. Members of a team appreciate that
their own success is determined by the collective performance of everyone. They have a much
greater motivation to help and support those team members whose performance may fall behind
for whatever reason. Perhaps an under-achiever is new and needs a mentor to help them get
established. For a group member however, their status and reward depend only upon his
individual performance. Generally speaking, if he gives time or resources to another group
member there is no benefit for them.
Team vs Group: How the behaviour of Leaders differs. How can a Group Leader create team
results? Experience demonstrates that teams are usually more effective than groups. If the Leader
of a group wants to improve performance overall, they need to find a way of the group taking
shared ownership for the results. It is likely that a shift from individual responsibility to shared
responsibility can only be achieved if the pay and reward system has a significant element that is
34

dependent on the overall outcome. The knowledge, skills and attitudes of the Leader may also
need to shift significantly to be effective in this new environment. For example, the Leader may
need to share all of the individuals' results with the group. The group has a right to know how
others are performing if their pay depends upon it. This may be a challenging experience for a
Leader who has avoided the potential emotional stress that can be caused by this level of
openness.
Team vs Group: the emergence of self-managing teams. As groups begin to share
responsibility for the overall performance, then the whole subject of self-managing teams becomes
a topic for exploration.
A self-managed team is a small unit of people working together, independently, whilst still working
as part of a larger team or group. Members of a self-managed team determine, plan and manage
their own day-to-day activities and duties with a minimal amount of supervision within the team;
they adopt supportive roles and functions in order to ensure pre-determined goals are achieved.
Self-managed teams have a degree of autonomy that allows them to make most decisions
affecting their work in return for clear accountability for the outcomes. As a result, more and more
areas of responsibility can be delegated and the team members can come to rely on each other in
a meaningful way, which is not only beneficial to the individual and the team but also to the
organisation. A significant benefit of self-managed teams is that time saved by not needing to
monitor and supervise them can be utilised elsewhere e.g. training and planning activities. A selfmanaged team can improve team motivation, offer greater flexibility to team roles and
responsibilities and provide an environment that enables team members to react quickly to everchanging circumstances.
As a Team Leader you are in a position to involve team members in decision making, encouraging
them to share responsibilities and be accountable for their actions. In the process, they have to
appreciate the importance of trust and how not to abuse their opportunity to be involved in
decision making. Empowering team members does not mean the overall power and
responsibilities of the Team Leader are reduced. Rather, empowering enhances the flexibility of
the team in terms of their skills, knowledge and abilities, which in turn provide the organisation with
a multi-skilled workforce.
One of the key outcomes of continuous team development is the development of a multi-skilled
team. By raising skill levels you are increasing flexibility which means the team can respond to
differing situations more quickly and efficiently. They also feel that they have roles to play within
the team. These can be task-focused, e.g. basic skills support worker or development coach,

35

whilst other team roles can be personality driven. An effective team would ideally have a balance
of all these qualities.
However, there are advantages and disadvantages to working within a team. The disadvantages
of a team can be personality clashes, perhaps there might be a resistance to change or quieter
team members feeling shy in putting their ideas across. Additionally, there are some key stages a
team must pass through before it can become a fully effective and a performing team. During this
process there can often be periods of conflict. On the positive side though, teamwork can bring
the benefits of sharing ideas, mutual aims and objectives and a loyalty of not wanting to let the
team down.
According to Tuckmans theory, teams initially go through a "Forming" stage in which members
are positive and polite. Some members are anxious as they have not yet worked out exactly what
work the team will be involved in. Others are simply excited about the task ahead. As a Team
Leader, you play a dominant role at this stage: other members roles and responsibilities are less
clear. This stage is usually fairly short and may only last for a single meeting at which people are
introduced to one-another. At this stage there may be discussions about how the team will work
which can be frustrating for some members who simply want to get on with the team task.
Soon, reality sets in and your team moves into a "Storming" phase. Your authority may be
challenged as others jockey for position as their roles are clarified. The ways of working start to be
defined and as Leader you must be aware that some members may feel overwhelmed by how
much there is to do or uncomfortable with the approach being used. Some react by questioning
how worthwhile the goal of the team is and resist taking on tasks. This is the stage when many
teams fail and even those who stick with it feel that they are on an emotional roller-coaster as they
try to focus on the job in hand without the support of established processes or relationships with
their colleagues. Gradually, the team moves into a "Norming" stage, as a hierarchy is
established. Team members come to respect your authority as Leader and others show leadership
in specific areas.
Now the team members know each other better, they may be socialising together and they are
able to ask each other for help and provide constructive criticism. The team is developing a strong
commitment to the team goal and you start to see good progress towards it. There is often a
prolonged overlap between storming and norming behaviour. As new tasks come up, the team
may lapse back into typical storming stage behaviour but this eventually dies out.

36

When the team reaches the "Performing" stage, hard

work leads directly to progress towards the shared vision
of their goal, supported by the structures and processes
which have been set up. Individual team members may
join or leave the team without affecting the performing
culture. As a Team Leader, you are able to delegate
much of the work and can concentrate on developing team
members. Being part of the team at this stage feels easy
compared with earlier on.
Project teams exist only for a fixed period and even permanent teams may be disbanded through
organisational restructuring. As Team Leader, your concern is both for the teams goal and the
team members. Breaking up a team can be stressful for all concerned and the "Adjourning" or
"Mourning" stage is important in reaching both team goal and personal conclusions.
The break-up of the team can be particularly hard for members who like routine or have developed
close working relationships with other team members, particularly if their future roles or even jobs
look uncertain.
Any team with a goal needs to train together to be able to work towards that goal, an example of
which is team training for an expedition. Before the expedition, an effective way to demonstrate
good practice would be to do a training needs analysis (TNA) for each member of the team. The
process can be achieved by using a simple TNA grid.

Individual Training Needs Analysis Grid:

Skill

No

Limited

Knowledge

knowledge

Very proficient

Training Plan

Map Reading
Camp Craft
Abseiling

After the TNAs of the individual members have been identified, a programme of training can then
be agreed and designed.
Identifying the training and development programme

Ensure the team member is involved from the onset of the process in order to assess,
identify and agree what the training needs are

Highlight the strengths and the value the individual brings to the team
37

Having identified what areas need to be developed, break down the training or learning
requirements into manageable units and together create a training or development plan

Discuss the benefits of the training for the individual, team and organisation

Remember to consider learning styles and personality. People's individual learning styles
greatly affect what type of training they will find easiest and most effective

Plan the training and evaluation progress, which should include before-and-after time lines
and measurements

Agree dates and times for periodic reviews and reflection

Provide opportunities via tasks and projects for the individual to implement and put into
practice their newly acquired knowledge, skills and abilities

It is not uncommon for team members to find it difficult to discuss or agree what their learning
needs are or areas for development with their Team Leader. Some team members may not want
to admit to weaknesses or shortcomings in their performance. They may even become defensive if
their Team Leader mentions any weaknesses or shortcomings.
We are all guilty of not being proactive enough but as Team Leader you need to set an example
for your team, which means not putting things off and staying focused on the task at hand. It is
important to effectively plan and set objectives. Working effectively includes having space to think.
Team Leaders need to be able to manage themselves, their workload and their time if they are to
be able to lead their teams effectively. They also need to be able to cope with the stress that is so
often a feature, in themselves and in those they lead.
You may have come across the acronym SMART when you have had to set personal goals for
yourself or indeed the activities of your team. SMART stands for:
Specific means that the goals you are setting are clear.
Measurable means that you will know if you or the team
can set milestones / benchmarks that indicate if you will be
able to complete whilst Achievable means whether or
not you have accomplished them. Realistic simply refers
to whether the goal is possible and Timed is the
designated deadline in which the goal should be met.
Generally the main reason people / teams do not achieve goals is because what was outlined was
unrealistic. Poor or no planning can hinder progress as can interruptions and interference or
teams / individuals simply give up. Not planning your time effectively is also a major factor. How
often do you say I dont have enough time? Action Plans are a great way of identifying which
issues are important and which are less important. They help you identify what needs doing, how
38

you are going to do it, when it needs to be completed, where you need to be and who you can ask
to help or who you can delegate the task (goal) to. It may be tempting as the Team Leader to
complete all the important tasks yourself. However, everyone in an effective team is important
and by trusting and encouraging them to take on these tasks you develop greater responsibility
within the team whilst members grow in confidence and self-respect.
Team Roles
Dr Meredith Belbin, UK academic and consultant, developed the Belbin Team Roles model in the
late 1970s. Belbin's work at Henley Management College demonstrated that balanced teams
comprising of people with different capabilities performed better than teams that are less well
balanced.
Belbin identified team roles as being based on certain patterns of behaviour that people exhibit
within teams. These patterns of behaviour can potentially have an impact on the performance of
the team. The basic premise of the Belbin Team Roles Theory is quite simple. When individuals
become aware of their own strengths and abilities and understand the role that he or she is
capable of playing within a team, it helps them to deal better with the demands of the team
environment.
Belbins Team Roles are based on a study that examined personality traits, intellectual styles and
behaviours within teams. The team roles evolved from the clusters or patterns of those that
emerged during the study. Initially defined as 8 roles, the Belbin model now sports 9 roles, the new
one being the Specialist. The 9 team roles are usually further classified into Action oriented,
People oriented and Cerebral roles. Given below are the 9 roles outlined in the Belbin Team Roles
model and the descriptions that explain the scope of each role:
Action Oriented Role:

Implementer The implementers strength lies in translating the teams decisions and
ideas into manageable and practical tasks or actions.

Shaper The shapers strength lies in being goal directed. The shaper is a dynamic
individual who boldly challenges others during discussions, can handle work pressures and
has the courage to overcome obstacles.

Completer/Finisher - The completer/finishers strength lies in meticulousness, attention to

detail and the ability to meet deadlines.

39

People Skills Oriented Role:

Co-ordinator - The co-ordinators strength lies in enabling and facilitating interaction and
decision making.

Teamworker - The teamworkers strength lies in being a good listener, being collaborative,
co-operative, easy-going and tactful.

Resource Investigator - The resource investigators strength lies in being an extrovert who
can develop contacts, communicate well, explore new ideas and opportunities, and bring
enthusiasm and drive to the team effort.

Cerebral/Intellectual Role:

Planter - The planters strength lies in problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking.

Monitor/Evaluator - The monitor/evaluators strength lies in good judgement and good

strategic thinking ability.

Specialist The specialists strength lies in being a dedicated and focused individual who
likes to learn and constantly build his or her knowledge. The specialist likes to dig deep and
is therefore a good resource who can contribute information and knowledge in a team
situation.

Analysis of Belbin Team Roles

Belbins roles are identified based on a series of statements that you pick and the score weight
that you assign to those statements. What you get is a score for each of the roles. The roles where
you score high are the ones that define your natural inclination within a team. A person can have
strengths in more than one role and deficiencies or weaknesses in many of the other roles.
For instance, a person can be a good Implementer and a good Co-ordinator but a very poor
Completer/Finisher. This means the individuals natural inclination during teamwork is to facilitate
interaction and decision making and that he or she is also capable of stepping in to translate the
teams decisions into reality. On the flip side, the person may be lacking as far as attention to
detail goes.
To achieve the best balance, there should be:

One Co-ordinator or Shaper (not both) for Leader

A Plant to stimulate ideas

A Monitor/evaluator to maintain honesty and clarity

One or more Implementer, Team worker, Resource investigator or Completer/finisher to

make things happen

40

Overall

Doing / acting

Thinking / problem
solving

People / feelings

Belbin roles

Description

Implementer

Well-organised and predictable. Takes

basic ideas and makes them work in
practice. Can be slow.

Shaper

Lots of energy and action, challenging

others to move forwards. Can be
insensitive.

Completer/Finisher

Reliably sees things through to the end,

ironing out the wrinkles and ensuring
everything works well. Can worry too much
and not trust others.

Planter

Solves difficult problems with original and

creative ideas. Can be poor communicator
and may ignore the details.

Monitor/Evaluator

Sees the big picture. Thinks carefully and

accurately about things. May lack energy or
ability to inspire others.

Specialist

Has expert knowledge/skills in key areas

and will solve many problems here. Can be
disinterested in all other areas.

Coordinator

Respected Leader who helps everyone

focus on their task. Can be seen as
excessively controlling.

Team worker

Cares for individuals and the team. Good

listener and works to resolve social
problems. Can have problems making
difficult decisions.

Resource/investigator

Explores new ideas and possibilities with

energy and with others. Good networker.
Can be too optimistic and lose energy after
the initial flush.

Trust, teamwork, communication and respect are keys to effective working relationships.
Develop positive relationships with the individuals you interact with at work to make your job more
enjoyable and productive. These connections could also serve as future references or contacts in
your career. People you have a working relationship with include coworkers, supervisors and
people you manage, as well as clients, service providers and professional colleagues. Strong
working relationships take time to mature, so focus on being consistent and dependable .
In fact, all of your workmates have an enormous impact on your mood, stress level and emotional
well-being. It is all too easy for relationships in the workplace to go sour and unresolved. Below
are five basic tips that will help you prevent conflict and maintain a good working relationship with
your co-workers:
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1. Your work relationships begin at the job interview. The interview is when you meet your
future colleagues. Though they may be just fleeting faces to you now, they will notice you
and remember you. First impressions count.
2. Whilst at work, behave decently and respectfully towards everyone. The cornerstone of
good working relationships is a mutually respectful attitude. Respect breeds respect.
Disrespect breeds disrespect.
3. Do not socialise exclusively with people in your own department, of your own age etc.
Branching out can be challenging. Welcome others and they will welcome you. You may
even find that those with whom you assumed you had nothing in common are well worth
getting to know.
4. In the event you witness a personal conflict, do not take sides. It is better to remain neutral
unless you are in possession of the full facts.
5. If all else fails and conflict between you and a co-worker arise then absolutely, positively do
not ignore it. It is tempting to brush over conflict and pretend it does not exist. Disaster lies
in aggressive confrontation, manipulation, revenge and other assorted dominating
behaviours. The key to resolving work conflict is to address it in a clear, straightforward and
sincere manner.
Remember that a good working relationship lets you do your job without hindrance and allows you
to maintain your emotional health on the job, which reduces your stress level. A lower stress level
at work means better emotional health out of work and better emotional health means happier
family and friends.
Maintaining a good relationship in the workplace allows you to give the best of yourself to the
people who matter to you most.

42

Effective communication is essential in todays

working environment. Whether it is face-to-face, over
the phone, text message or by email, you need to
make yourself understood. Team Leaders need to be
able to communicate effectively with members of their
teams and those outside the team. The ability to ask
appropriate questions and to listen carefully to the
answers is amongst the key communication skills
required by every Team Leader.
The communication process can be considered as
having four parts; message, transmitter, receiver and
channel. The message is what you know and want
someone else to know. The transmitter is the person
delivering the message. The receiver is the person
who receives the message and the channel (method), is how you send the message.
Aside from the spoken word, we can communicate in writing and through our actions. It is
essential for Team Leaders to engage in the process of the written word. This may be for legal
reasons e.g. completing an entry in the accident book, to creating a poster promoting a cadet
weekend or even just simply taking notes for your own personal records.
Letter writing requires different skills and within organisations there is prescribed templates for
everyone to follow. The purpose of which is to standardise the presentation and clarity of the
document. Nowadays emails; texts, mobile phones, company intranets, video-linking and
conference calls are great ways of spreading the word.
Communicating with someone outside of your team can be achieved by a simple email. We know
it is fast; you can check receipt, attach various electronic documents and is a good way to achieve
informal communication. It is also a great way of providing accurate records of communication.
However, this method does have its drawbacks if the receiver does not treat your email as a
priority for response, they misinterpret the tone of your email or perhaps even their level of access
is prohibited by their current location.
Despite todays mod-cons, no communication method can really beat one-to-one communication.
This method provides the listener with both verbal and non-verbal signs and enables both
individuals to check understanding and provides tangible feedback. It is personable and a great
way to establish a rapport with colleagues and customers.

43

Non-verbal communication skills such as voice tone, pitch and pace, facial expressions and
gestures are methods of communicating but can be interpreted both positively and negatively by
the person being spoken to. This communication method is often referred to as body language.
Field signals and semaphores are a prime example of how you can achieve positive, non-verbal
communication with your team.
Anything that prevents understanding of a message is a barrier to communication. However, these
barriers may not always be physical in form but can be psychological as well. Below are some
common problems Team Leaders face when trying to communicate effectively with other people
both within and outside their team.

Problems of perception - how we perceive another person can affect how we interpret
messages from them; for example, someone who does not express themselves clearly or
who talks too fast and in a flustered way can cause us to dismiss them or anything they
say as unimportant. Similarly, most people tend to listen uncritically to those of high status
and dismiss those of low status.

Problems of culture a persons culture, background

and prejudices can affect their reception and
interpretation of a message and interfere with the
communication process.

Problems of environment it may sound too obvious but environmental noise pollution
and bright lights can hinder clear communication. In such circumstances, it is essential
that the sender and receiver are both concentrating on the messages being sent to each
other.

Problems of personal attitude focusing only on ourselves and our personal feelings
can seriously hinder communication. This can take the form of defensiveness, superiority
or just plain ego. Peoples behaviour and attitudes can change drastically when they are
under stress and what they may receive in one way when calm and content may be
completely different when they are under pressure.

Physical disabilities - think about who you are communicating with, do they have any
hearing difficulties or other physical or learning disabilities that may prevent them from
fully understanding you?

Asking questions is a way of learning about what your team thinks and knows. By using open
questions you can find out about the broad issues, whilst use of closed questions can let you focus
on a specific issue and give you quick confirmation. By actively listening, thinking about what is
being said, staying alert and confirming your understanding, you are more likely to build positive
relationships with others.
44

Giving and receiving feedback reinforces good performance and helps you and the team to
improve poor performance. When giving feedback you need to think about how the person will
feel and try to balance negative feedback with positive comments.
Alternatively, you can always ask them what did they think went well and what areas do they think
they could improve upon. This way, your team member is analysing their own performance and
may be more accepting of your feedback, especially if they have not performed particularly well.
However, it is worth noting that whenever you give feedback you must always comment on what
you have seen and make sure your comments are non-judgemental and, of course, constructive.
By inviting feedback from your own team you show that feedback is something to be valued
instead of being feared or, even worse, ignored. It is also important your team understand that
when you ask for their feedback you are serious about their observations and that you do not just
want them tell you how great you are!
An alternative method of communication to check understanding could be to use a more familiar
model:

Situation What is the overall situation in a broader sense?

Mission What are the individual objectives within that broader situation?

Execution What is the plan of action? How are we going to achieve those objectives?

Ask Questions Confirm understanding by giving the opportunity to ask questions

Check understanding Confirm understanding of the situation or mission and plan by

quizzing the team

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46

In the event of a disputed assessment decision, the appeals form will be issued and
completed and the following process implemented:
1. Page 1 of the form is to be completed with the assessment details and the reason for
the appeal stated before being signed and dated by both the Candidate and the
Assessor.
2. Stage 1 - is to be completed by the Assessor. A decision should be made and then
this part of the form sent to CVQO.
A copy of the form should be retained by both the Candidate and the Assessor.

APPEALS PROCEDURE

Appeals Procedure

3. Stage 2 - should be completed only if the initial appeal proves unsatisfactory. This
part of the form should be completed by the Head of Adult Qualifications, CVQO,
who will review the grounds for appeal and make comments.
The document will then be signed and dated and returned to the Assessor and the
Candidate. A copy of this will be kept at CVQO.
Should this decision be refused then Stage 3 will be implemented.
4. Stage 3 - An Appeals Panel (consisting of three members, one of whom will be
wholly independent of CVQO) will be called to have an appeals meeting.
The independent member will act as Chairperson and will review the grounds for
appeal and the appeal process.
The Chairperson will make the final decision on the success or failure of the appeal.
5. Once Stage 2 and 3 have been completed the Appeals Form will be returned to the
Assessor who will then arrange to inform the Candidate of the final decision.

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48

CVQO are a Corporate Member of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and
offer you all the advantages of individual ILM professional membership but at a lower
annual subscription fee. ILM professional / corporate membership has been designed to
provide ambitious Managers with all the support and information they need to improve their
leadership development, excel in their role and achieve their full career potential.
Anyone can subscribe. It does not matter if you are starting to think about becoming a
Team Leader, have completed an ILM qualification or, indeed, whether you are at the peak
of your career, as the membership grades are based on a mix of experience and
qualifications from any recognised awarding body. There is a grade to suit everyone at all
stages of their career.
Your membership profile is determined by ILM upon receipt of your application. ILM also
assign the membership grades as follows:
Affiliate (AInstLM)
Associate (AMInstLM)
Member (MInstLM)
Fellow (FInstLM)
If you are interested and require further information on Corporate Membership visit CVQOs
website (www.cvqo.org) and look out for ILM Membership.

CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP

Corporate Membership

These are some of the benefits for becoming a Member of the Institute:
Leadership and management development
Online materials from Harvard Business Publishing on leading and motivating,
delegating, time management, finance, team management and coaching
Harvard's Stepping up to Management booklet for first time Managers to achieve
immediate success
Skills files to provide quick overviews of key management topics
Resource guides with suggestions for useful books, articles and websites
ILM publications:
Receive Edge Online - ILM's flagship leadership and management magazine by
email nine times a year
Monthly e-bulletin, Newsroom, with topical leadership and management stories
Resource Centre:
e-journals and e-books
Reading lists for ILM qualifications, organised by qualification level
Study support for ILM qualifications at all levels: Level 2 through to Level 7
Resource guides for suggestions for useful books, articles and websites
Remember by activating your Studying Membership you will have access to this FREE for 6
months. When your 6 months expires you can, if you wish, carry on the membership with
the Institute at a personal cost to you. Details of subscription fees can be found on CVQOs
website.
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Mentoring

Mike Askem

Should you require guidance on your work

prior to formal submission, please email a
draft copy of your work to avq@cvqo.org.
Please only submit pages that are relevant
to one of the given sections, rather than
submit the whole report.

T +44 (0)1276 601714

F +44 (0)1276 601719

E ma@cvqo.org
A CVQO
3 Archipelago
Lyon Way
Camberley
Surrey
GU16 7ER

Professional Development Assistant

Manager
Christina Freeman
Primary contact for:

Registration
Fees
Deadlines
Resubmissions
Certificates

T +44 (0)1276 601715

F +44 (0)1276 601719
E christina.freeman@cvqo.org
A CVQO
3 Archipelago
Lyon Way
Camberley
Surrey
GU16 7ER

Please remember that the advice you

receive is for you to interpret and accept, or
reject, as you wish. The final submission
must be of your own work and following the
recommendations of your mentor will not
guarantee your success.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Head of ILM

Additional Material:
You have already taken an important step in
your career by studying for a qualification
with ILM. As ILMs contribution to your
success, learners are provided with free
studying membership of ILM for six months.
This will give you access to a range of
support materials designed to help you get
the most from your course and advance your
management career.
From skills files factsheets on essential
leadership and management skills like
motivating staff and understanding risk, to
expert study guides on producing reports,
projects or work-based assignments,
studying membership brings a variety of
invaluable learning resources.
Joining is simple.
Activate your membership online at www.i-lm.com/activate. You will be taken straight to
the members only area where you can
access the specialist support, development
and information services included in your
membership package.
51

All material contained in this document are copyright CVQO Ltd.

Users may make one copy or download once for personal use, but must not distribute or reproduce its
content without the prior written consent of CVQO. It may not be reproduced under any circumstances by
any other Educational Establishment, BTEC Delivery Centre or Commercial Organisation without the
express permission of CVQO.
CVQO 2014

CVQO, 3 ARCHIPELAGO, LYON WAY, FRIMLEY, CAMBERLEY, SURREY GU16 7ER

Tel: 01276 601715 | avq@cvqo.org | www.cvqo.org
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Company Registered in England & Wales No. 5736932