Working in Team Environment Information Sheet

LO1:- Describe team role and scope

Information Sheet 1:- Identify the role and objective of the team from available
sources of information
What is a team?
The label 'team' is often inappropriately used to describe a group of people. However, teams are
distinct from groups of people because the level of co-operation and integration required from
each member is on a much higher plane. A team can be defined as "An interdependent group of
people, working to a common goal and approach for which they hold themselves mutually
accountable".
A team environment is a setting in the workplace that's focused on everyone working together
toward a common goal. Brainstorming, joint projects and collaboration are all common elements of
team environments and strong, open communication is essential for success
A team:
Has reason and purpose for working together
Needs the contribution of the different members on the team to create an output of value
to the customer
Needs each other's experience, ability and commitment to attain goals
Believes that working together will lead to more effective performance
Wants to be successful
Is held accountable by the larger organization for results

A team needs the following nine role types:

 who clarifies goals, coordinates resources (Coordinator/Chairman)
 who searches out errors, keeps a feeling of urgency in the team, delivers on time
(Completer/Finisher)
 who translates concepts into practical plans (Implementer)
 who sees all options, evaluates ideas, judges correctly (Monitor/Evaluator)
 who proposes new ideas, solves difficult problems (Plant)
 who explores opportunities, handles external contact (Resource investigator)
 who gives coherence to team work, overcomes obstacles (Shaper)
 who provides scarce knowledge and skills (Specialist)
 who builds bridges, fosters team spirit, calms rough waters (Team worker)

Team Objectives
What are team objectives?
   Objectives are the specific goals that the team will accomplish in a fixed amount of time.
These objectives flow from the team's purpose. Each one moves you towards your vision.
  Team objectives support the team’s vision and purpose and the Company and/or
Department objectives.
 Why are team objectives important?
 Team objectives are the basis of the team’s planned work.
 Team objectives should be the starting point for the employee objectives set as part of the
performance management process.
 Team objectives provide the basis for talent and resource planning. They dictate the
resources needed.

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Ways to develop team objectives

Team goals should be developed through a group process of team interaction and agreement.
Ways to facilitate this group process are:

Focused Team Workshop

Ask the team members to work alone and spend 15 minutes listing their own ideas for the team
objectives. Afterwards, organise the group the ideas, eliminate duplicates and decide on the
main objectives you want to consider. Divide the team into small groups and have them discuss
the benefits and resources required for each potential objective. Ask them to prepare a mini-
presentation to present their findings to the larger group. Following the presentations, have
another full group discussion, ensuring that each option has been thoroughly considered.

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LO2 Identify own role and responsibility within team

Information 1 Identify Individual role and responsibilities within the team
Effective communication does more than just convey information.
What makes a communication process effective?
Effective communication processes are:
 Regular.
 Transparent
 Focused and related to team goals
Modes of communication
Within the work environment, communication can occur through a variety of modes depending
on personal preference. Some of the more popular modes for team communication are:
1. Team meetings
2. Newsletters
3. Email updates
When using these modes it is important to remain mindful of the 3 characteristics that make
communication processes effective (i.e. should be regular, transparent and goal focused).
1. Team meetings
one of the primary forums for team communication is the team meeting.
2. Newsletters
Newsletters can be a creative and effective method of regularly conveying information to fellow
team members.
3. Email updates
Email has fast become the one of the most widely used mediums for business communication.

The sponsor
For permanent work teams, the sponsor is typically the hierarchical line manager. Who initiates the
team, and is accountable to the business for achievement of the goals. The sponsor provides
resource, removes obstacles to progress and keeps the team connected to the business it is there
to serve.
Core role:
 Ensures that the team has viable goals which are agreed to by the business
 Communicates the value of the team's work to the team and the wider business
 Selects the team leader
 Supports the team leader in developing the skills and attitude to fulfil the role of high
performance team leader
 Motivates the team leader and team by recognising progress and success
 Builds team success into the team leader's annual objectives
 Helps to remove obstacles to progress
 Supports the team in their efforts to secure committed and aligned stakeholders
 Regularly meets the team leader to review progress, listen, offer advice and give
feedback

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The team leader

For the high performance team leader, giving direction, instruction and making decisions remains an
integral part of the role. Who guides the team to high performance by keeping them focused,
aligned, organised and energized.

Fostering interdependence can be progressed by:

 Having common goals
 Giving assignments which require team members to work together
 Making visible the connections between people
 Encouraging team members to assist and coach each other
 Helping the team understand the limitations and strengths in themselves and others
 Creating reward and recognition systems which provide a greater stake in the work
produced by the team than the individuals within it.

What does the high performance team leader focus on?

First, it is important to note that this leader's focus is upon others not him/herself. The leader
adapts his/her style to ensure that the team has the right level of support and direction to work
effectively together to achieve the task. This leader constantly asks, "What does this team really
need from me to achieve high performance?"
The high performance team leader role is a combination of:

Inspiration and visionary - The leader makes the case for change and engages people in
overcoming resistance to it.
Innovator - Encouraging the team to try new ways of doing things, take risks and experiment.
Long range strategic planner - Constantly keeping the team connected to the business
strategies
Resource provider - The leader is there to be a resource to the team by removing barriers,
supplying tools and providing information, and asks, "What do you need to perform?"
Resource manager - Helping the team to manage resources and set priorities
Coach - Taking the time and having the talent to help raise individuals' understanding,
motivation, skills and confidence.
Counselor - This leader takes responsibility for creating consciousness in the team about what is
really going on. Helping team members to develop positive relationships and face up to their
own contribution to issues, conflicts and misunderstandings.
Observer and evaluator - Observing and diagnosing what is going on in the team and between
the team and its stakeholders. So if a team member is quieter than usual, the leader is quick to
identify this and work with the team to resolve it.
Active team member - Treats team members as true partners, not followers to be commanded
and directed from the sidelines. This leader does not stand apart but works with the team.
Motivator Why? Because to obtain the levels of performance this leader is seeking demands the
presence, attention and commitment of the whole person. The attitude, "This is not my job" has
no place on this team. This emotional commitment helps a team to:
 Achieve what can appear to others, as an impossible feat
 Keep going when the going gets tough and problems are experienced
 Still believe in the team when others turn their backs

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Facilitator - From one-on-one to one-on-team management

Process provider - The team leader ensures that a healthy balance is maintained between the
demands of the task, what - the team has to achieve, and the demands of the process, how the
team goes about tackling the task.
Interface Manager - The team leader ensures that the relationships and understanding between
the team and the rest of the business are open, positive and conducive to success.

The team member

Who hold themselves mutually accountable for achieving team goals in the most effective and
efficient manner possible.
Team members are expected and encouraged to:
 Lead the team when their skill and talent makes this desirable
 Contribute across the whole team
 Feel a sense of ownership and accountability to the team, not just the specific part they
play
 Accept ownership for decisions, whether in personal agreement with them or not
 Have views and express them
 Assert their needs
 Coach and support colleagues
 Admit when they need help or have made a mistake
 Work through differences and conflict
 Openly share information and expertise with others
 Give and receive feedback
 Operate within the agreed norms and rules set by the team
 Participate fully in all relevant meetings

Identify roles and responsibility of other team members

Stakeholder rights and responsibilities
The typical stakeholder is someone who expects to be informed of, and (where appropriate) is
allowed to influence, the direction and decisions taken. In this sense the word Stakeholder could
be and often is exchanged for customer, as some of them may establish the requirements to be
met influence the output and receive the work.
The cry from many team leaders is that stakeholders often operate as if they had rights but not
responsibilities and thus act like the 'child' in the relationship; demanding influence and a voice
but feeling no obligation. A dangerous situation for both your team and the business.

Stakeholder rights
 To be informed in a timely manner about changes which affect them
 To have concerns and issues listened to
 To be supported when taking up new skills
 Their emotions and distress to be understood and managed in a non-inflammatory way
 To hear about the personal impact of any changes before the information is publicly
disclosed
 To be given choices wherever possible
 To be credited for good ideas and contributions to the success of the team

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What Are Our Responsibilities?

In our ongoing romantic relationships, whether or not sex is involved, we have great
responsibilities to ourselves and to our partners. We need to
 Listen and be listened to. We need to hear our partners' thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
 Be honest and expect honesty. We need to be truthful with each other about what we do,
think, and feel.
 Share our feelings and expect our partners to share theirs. We need to be able to say
what is on our minds and know that we will react to one another respectfully.
 Disagree and allow disagreement. Partners often have different desires, opinions, and
ideas. They have the right to think differently
 Be fair and expect to be treated fairly. Partners need to be considerate of each other
and treat each other equally in their relationships.
 Consider our partners' needs and have ours considered. Decisions that affect both
partners should be made together with one another's well-being in mind. Partners need to
be able to compromise.
 Give support and be supported. Partners need to support one another's emotional
needs.
 Help our partners feel good about themselves and expect the same in return.
Partners need to acknowledge one another's efforts and accomplishments.
 Forgive and expect forgiveness. No one is perfect, and making mistakes is a normal part
of life. If we apologize and are forgiven, we can move on.
 Let our partners use their own money as they like and expect the same in return-
We should all be allowed to make our own decisions on how we spend our own money.
Respect our partners' needs for other relationships and expect the same in return
We all have a right to friendships outside of our primary relationships. Spending time
apart with family and friends is normal and healthy.
 Respect our partners' privacy and need for time apart and expect the same in
return- We all need privacy and time apart from one another — alone or with others. It is
not fair to be angry or treat someone badly for wanting time apart.
 Respect our partners' need to feel safe and secure and expect the same in return. We
all need to always feel safe and secure. Physical or emotional abuse, threats, or violence
are deal breakers and end our responsibility to try to maintain our relationships.
 Respect our partners sexually and expect the same in return. Whenever we have sex,
we should be attentive to each other's pleasure. We should always have each other's
consent, and we should never use pressure to get consent.

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LO3 Working as a team Member

Why work in teams?
There are several good reasons:
 it's good to develop these skills as early as possible.
 helping each other to learn.
 Teams are much more effective than individuals for work on complex projects.
 Teamwork develops your interpersonal skills

Effective teams
Why do some groups accomplish very little, while others achieve much more?
This difference stems very much from the processes within the group - its inner dynamics or
workings. The features of an effective team include:
combined group effort of all members
clear goals
group members focused on learning
mutual trust and support
open communication
democratic processes

Making the most of your team

There are many advantages of working collaboratively with other students. To make the most of
your experience as a team member, remember to:
 Become actively. Don't wait for another team member to do all the work.
 Share - open communication and the contribution of ideas and
 Learn to work cooperatively-helping each other.
 Respect your fellow team members- Be aware that each team member will have unique
talents and ways of learning. Not everyone learns by the same process.
 Use your time productively and effectively. Define clear goals- what, by whom and why?
 Expect success - be enthusiastic and positive.
 Meet with your group members regularly.
 Ask your tutor for frequent feedback - that's the tutor's role.
 Maintain a sense of humour - keep things in perspective.

2. Group development
There is strong evidence that groups pass through a sequence of five stages of development.
These are sometimes defined as:
Forming, or coming together
Storming, or conflict
Norming, or working out the rules
Performing, or getting the job done
Mourning , or breaking up.
Mourning
Where do we go from here?
This final stage of group development applies more to temporary teams like task groups or
committees. This stage is not uncommon.

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You and/or other group members may:

 feel elated at the successful attainment of goals
 feel disappointed at unattained goals
 feel a sense of loss when the group is disbanded
 feel relief at the end of the process
 congratulate each other
 celebrate
3. Roles in groups
Individuals within a team all have unique skills and strengths. It is only when the contributions
of ALL team members are valued that teams will function efficiently.
There are four main types of roles:
o Task roles
o Functional roles
o Maintenance roles
o Dysfunctional roles
Task roles
The more clearly the task roles are defined, the better the chosen team member will be able to
perform the task. When a team has the right mix of tasks that are well differentiated and
integrated, group members develop a sense of cohesion and team spirit, and each can see where
their particular role fits with the objectives of the group as a whole.
Functional roles
In order for a group of people to function as a team, members must find ways to interact with
each other beyond just performing their task roles. These 'functional' roles help the group to
achieve its goals. Each team member can adopt one or more functional roles as needed.
You may find yourself taking on such roles as:
 Coordinator: draws together the various activities of team members.
 Initiator: proposes solutions; suggests new ideas, a new definition of the problem, or new
organization of the material.
 Information seeker: asks for data; requests additional information or facts.
 Information giver: offers facts or generalizations, relating own experience to illustrate
points.
 Opinion seeker: looks for options about something from the team; seeks ideas or
suggestions.
 Opinion giver: offers a view or belief about a suggestion, regarding its value or its factual
base.
 Goal setter: helps the group to set goals.
 Deadline setter: makes sure that deadlines are set and met.
 Progress monitor: makes sure that the group is progressing according to plan.
 Evaluator: measures decisions against group goals.
 Clarifier: tries to see how an idea might work if adopted.
 Summarizer: restates suggestions after the group has discussed them; outlines related
ideas or suggestions; provides a precis of the ideas.
 Decision pusher: helps the group to come to closure; makes sure that decisions are
reached.
 Planner: prepares timelines and schedules; organizes.

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 Spokesperson: speaks on behalf of the group.

 Troubleshooter: asks the 'what if ... ?' questions.
 Diagnosor: determines sources of difficulty; decides where to go next; eliminates blocks.
 Communicating and Learning in Engineering Online Resources
Maintenance roles
Group maintenance roles which help the team grow and strengthen. These roles support and
maintain group life and activities. You may find t hat your personal skills lend themselves to one
or more of the following maintenance roles:
 Encourager: is friendly and sincere; praises others; is warmly responsive to others, and
their ideas; is accepting when people offer contributions.
 Gatekeeper: makes sure that every member of the group has a chance to be heard.
 Standards setter: expresses standards for the group to use in its discussions; reminds the
team to avoid actions which don't fit these standards.
 Consensus tester: checks for agreements, for example 'I think we are all feeling the same
way'.
 Mediator: conciliates (resolve differences); harmonizes.
 Tension reliever: helps eliminate negative feelings.
 Listener: is able to listen empathically and hear what others have to say.
 Volunteer: offers whatever is needed.
Dysfunctional roles
Unfortunately sometimes you may find either yourself or other team members take on roles that
are disruptive to genuine efforts to improve team effectiveness and satisfaction. Some of these
roles include:
 being aggressive
 blocking or nit (critical)-picking
 competing (challenging)
 clowning (comedy) or joking to disrupt the work of the group
 withdrawing (retreating)
 blaming (responsibility)
 dominating
 manipulating(influence)
When group members take on dysfunctional roles, this can lead to very ineffective team
behaviors’. Examples of these behaviors’ include team members being late to agreed team
meetings, or team members not doing the work they were supposed to do.

What are the qualities of good team members?

1. Honest and Straightforward. A good team member is up front. He/she doesn’t play games,
or lead others on. You can count on a good team member to tell you what’s what, regardless of
whether it is good news or bad news.

2. Shares the Load. A good team member does his or her fair share of the work. There is a sense
of equity and fairness in the good team member. A sense of equity is critically important for
team members’ collective motivation.

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3. Reliable. The good team member can be counted on. She or he meets deadlines and is on
time.

4. Fair. A good team member takes appropriate credit, but would never think of taking credit for
someone else’s work.

5. Complements Others’ Skills. An important characteristic of effective work teams is the

shared capacity. Every member has areas of strength and some weak spots. A good team member
provides some unique skills and/or knowledge that move the team forward.

6. Good Communication Skills. Teamwork is social, so good team members need to be skilled,
and tactful, communicators.

7. Positive Attitude. No one would ever follow a pessimistic leader, and the same goes for team
members. A positive, “can-do” attitude is critical for the good team member.

five roles of an effective team:

 Leaders,  Coach and
 Creative Director,  a Member.
 Facilitator,
Effective Teamwork

1. Make teamwork a priority and reward teamwork. ...

2. Clarify roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. ...
3. Set clear goals. ...
4. Communicate with each other. ...
5. Make decisions together. ...
6. Build trust and get to know each other better. ...
7. Celebrate differences/diversity. ...

Examine and improve teamwork processes and practices

A good team environment?

A team environment is a setting in the workplace that's focused on everyone working together
toward a common goal. Brainstorming, joint projects and collaboration are all common elements
of team environments and strong, open communication is essential for success
5. How do you create a team environment?

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A good example of teamwork?

Examples of teamwork skills
 communication. The ability to communicate in a clear, efficient way is a critical
teamwork skill. ...

 Responsibility. ...  Empathy. ...

 Honesty. ...  Collaboration. ...
 Active listening. ...  Awareness.

work in a team environment?

A team environment is a setting in the workplace that's focused on everyone working
together toward a common goal. Brainstorming, joint projects and collaboration are all common
elements of team environments and strong, open communication is essential for success
 What is a good example of teamwork?

A good team leader?

An effective team leader is confident in his abilities, as well as confident in the abilities of his
team members. A confident leader is secure in the decisions he makes that affect his team. A
self-confident team leader also reassures team members of his authority within the
organization.

5 Essential Leadership Skills and Practices

 Self-development. ...

 Team development. ...  Ethical practice and civic-

 Strategic thinking and acting. ... mindedness. ...
 Innovation.

Team
• a number of people organized to function cooperatively as a group
Teamwork
• a cooperative effort by a group or team
Workplace
• place of employment, theplace where somebody works
Team Roles
• • Roles and Responsibilities within a Team Environment
• • Team Members Role and Responsibilities
• • Relationship with Team Members

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• • Communication Process
• • Team Structures
• • Group Planning & Decision making

Formula:
• Team=individuals + group
• mission statement + group skill
(S-M-A-R-T)
Specific Objectives of the TEAM
 Specific- so that what has to be achieve is clear
 Measurable-so the team knows when it has to achieve it;
 Achievable-so the team takes it as a culture of excellence;
 Relevant-and-realistic-so the team feels motivated and has a positive work attitude
 Time bounded-so the deadline to achieve a goal is clear.
Activities that takes place within a team:
 Exchanging information internally and
 externally.
 Distributing works
 Building internal & external relationships
 Making decisions
 Generating new ideas
 Trouble shooting

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