SAQA: 10135

WORK AS A PROJECT TEAM MEMBER

LEARNER GUIDE

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Learner Information:
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5|Page
Learner Guide Introduction

About the Learner This Learner Guide provides a comprehensive overview of the WORK AS A
Guide… PROJECT TEAM MEMBER ,and forms part of a series of Learner Guides that
have been developed for WORK AS A PROJECT TEAM MEMBER.

Learners are required to attend training workshops as a group or as specified by their

organization. These workshops are presented in modules, and conducted by a qualified
facilitator.

Purpose Reading skills at this level will be applied in other learning situations.
Outcomes Persons credited with this Unit Standard will be able to.
 Demonstrating an understanding of criteria for working as a member of a team.
 Working autonomously and collaborating with other team members.
 Contributing to building relationships between team members and stakeholders.
 Making a positive contribution to team coherence, image and spirit.
 Respecting personal, ethical, religious and cultural differences to enhance
interaction between team members.
Assessment Criteria The only way to establish whether a learner is competent and has accomplished the
specific outcomes is through an assessment process. Assessment involves collecting
and interpreting evidence about the learner’s ability to perform a task. This guide may
include assessments in the form of activities, assignments, tasks or projects, as well as
workplace practical tasks. Learners are required to perform tasks on the job to collect
enough and appropriate evidence for their portfolio of evidence, proof signed by their
supervisor that the tasks were performed successfully.
To qualify To qualify and receive credits towards the learning programme, a registered assessor
will conduct an evaluation and assessment of the learner’s portfolio of evidence and
competency
Range of Learning This describes the situation and circumstance in which competence must be
demonstrated and the parameters in which learners operate
Responsibility The responsibility of learning rest with the learner, so:
 Be proactive and ask questions,
 Seek assistance and help from your facilitators, if required.

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 Work as a project team member

Learning Unit 1
UNIT STANDARD NUMBER : 10135
LEVEL ON THE NQF : 4
CREDITS : 8
FIELD : Business, Commerce and Management Studies
SUB FIELD : Project Management

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 This unit standard is a core standard and forms part of the qualification, National Certificate
Project Management and is registered at Level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework.
PURPOSE: Learners accessing this standard will be involved in project management teams or involved in
building small project management teams. These projects may be technical projects, business
projects or developmental projects and will cut across a range of economic sectors. This standard
will also add value to learners who are running their own business and recognise that project
management forms an integral component of any business. Learners acquiring this standard will
be able to work autonomously and collaboratively with others, build relations, make positive
contributions, interact with others and explain team dynamics.

The qualifying learner is capable of:

 Demonstrating an understanding of criteria for working as a member of a team.

 Working autonomously and collaborating with other team members.
 Contributing to building relationships between team members and stakeholders.
 Making a positive contribution to team coherence, image and spirit.
 Respecting personal, ethical, religious and cultural differences to enhance interaction
between team members.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE:

 Learners accessing this qualification will have demonstrated competence against standards in project management
practices or equivalent of NQF Level 3.

SESSION 1.
Demonstrate an understanding of criteria for working as a
member of a team.
Learning Outcomes
 Criteria for working as a member of a team are identified and explained.
 Behaviours conducive to working as a member of a team are identified and explained.
 Team dynamics are identified and explained.

1 Criteria for working as a member of a team

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Working on teams can be rewarding, but at times it can be difficult and downright frustrating. If there are
poor communicators on your team, you may often feel left in the dark, confused or misunderstood. To
create a successful team, effective communication methods are necessary for both team members and
leaders. Even though some people understand their communication skills need improving, many aren't
certain how to improve them. So, in the following article, we've outlined how to avoid some common
team blunders as well as some helpful advice on how to be a better teammate or leader overall. Go…
team!

If You're a Team Member

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

If you have a problem with someone in your group, talk to him about it.
Letting bad feelings brew will only make you sour and want to isolate
yourself from the group. Not only does it feel good to get it out, but it will
be better for the team in the long run.

Don't Blame Others

People in your group lose respect for you if you're constantly blaming others for not meeting deadlines.
You're not fooling anyone, people know who isn't pulling his weight in a group. Pointing the finger will
only make you look cowardly. Group members understand if you have a heavy workload and weren't able
to meet a deadline. Saying something like, "I'm really sorry, but I'll get it to you by the end of today ." will
earn you a lot more respect than trying to make it seem like it's everyone else's fault
that you missed your deadline.

Support Group Member's Ideas

If a teammate suggests something, always consider it – even if it's the silliest idea you've ever heard!
Considering the group's ideas shows you're interested in other people's ideas, not just your own. And this
makes you a good team member. After all, nobody likes a know-it-all.

No Bragging
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It's one thing to rejoice in your successes with the group, but don't act like a superstar. Doing this will
make others regret your personal successes and may create tension within the group. You don't have to
brag to let people know you've done a good job, people will already know. Have faith that people will
recognize when good work is being done and that they'll let you know how well you're doing. Your
response? Something like "Thanks, that means a lot." is enough.

Listen Actively

Look at the person who's speaking to you, nod, ask probing questions and acknowledge what's said by
paraphrasing points that have been made. If you're unclear about something that's been said, ask for more
information to clear up any confusion before moving on. Effective communication is a vital part of any
team, so the value of good listening skills shouldn't be underestimated.
Get Involved
Share suggestions, ideas, solutions and proposals with your team members. Take the time to help your
fellow teammates, no matter the request. You can guarantee there will be a time in the future when you'll
need some help or advice. And if you've helped them in past, they'll be more than happy to lend a helping
hand.

What are selection criteria and why are they used?

Selection criteria describe the qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities and experience a person requires
in order to do a job effectively. They are divided into:
 essential criteria
 desirable criteria.
You must meet the essential criteria to be considered for a position because without having the relevant
qualifications, knowledge, skills or experience you would not be able to do the job. If you do not meet the
essential criteria, you will not be shortlisted for interview. It is not necessary for you to have the
qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience described by the desirable criteria, but your chances of
being shortlisted are better if you do. Where there are several applicants who meet the essential criteria,
the selection panel will shortlist on the basis of the desirable criteria.

Examples of selection criteria

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Apart from qualifications and experience that may be specific to a particular job, there are several
selection criteria that are common to many University positions. These include:
 ability to maintain confidentiality
 ability to work as part of a team
 ability to work independently
 ability to work under pressure
 attention to detail
 flexible and adaptable approach to work
 initiative
 keyboard skills
 knowledge of University organisation, policy and procedures
 organisational/planning skills
 problem-solving ability
 sensitivity
 supervisory skills
 verbal communication/interpersonal skills
 written communication skills.

Have you worked for teams where everyone pitches in, and you all work together in perfect harmony? Do
you always play to your strengths in a team, or are there times when the group you're in just doesn't gel?
Either way, teamworking is such a vital way of completing projects that it's worth developing and refining
the skills that will help you make a valuable contribution to whichever type of team you're in.
Sports teams are perfect examples of how many players working together can achieve much more than
one player who is acting alone. For example, you may not be the best goal scorer, but you're great at
moving the ball forward. You know that if you pass that ball to the person who can score, the team has a
better chance of winning. Everyone on the team plays a different role, according to their strengths – and
by helping and encouraging one another along the way, you can make some inspiring things happen.

Off the sports pitch and back in the workplace, we hear the term "good team player" a lot. But what does
this really mean in a business context? What do leaders want from their team members, and how can you
make a more significant contribution to your team?
These are some of the questions we address in this article. We show you what makes a good team player,
and we offer some tips on how to make a bigger contribution in the future.
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The Importance of a Good Team Player
Teams are created for several reasons. They may need to deliver a one-time project, or work together on
an ongoing basis. Either way, if you take advantage of a group's collective energy and creativity, the team
can accomplish much more in less time. What does this mean for you? Well, teams are probably an
integral part of how things are done in your organization. If you show that you have the ability to work
well with others, this could have a major impact on your career. Being a valuable team member can open
new career opportunities, because leaders may see firsthand what a great job you're doing. You may even
be invited to bring your strengths into play in another team setting – and in higher profile, business-
critical projects. This is why learning to be a good team player is so important. If you make a good
impression, you never know what possibilities might open for you.

Use Your Strengths

Do you know what you do best?
Perhaps you're incredibly organized. Or, you might excel at motivating people, helping resolve
disagreement, or researching hard-to-find information. Whatever your strengths, you have something
valuable to offer. Find a role within your team that allows you to do what you do well. This will help you
make a meaningful contribution – and increase your chances of doing a great job. Plus, it's usually much
easier, and more satisfying, to do tasks when you're naturally good at them. Teams usually come together
to handle an issue that's difficult, if not impossible, for people to do on their own. When a group works
well together, creativity levels are generally higher, as people tap into one another's strengths. This often
leads to increased productivity, and an inspiring sense of collaboration and cooperation that moves
everyone – and the project – forward.

Understand the Team's Objectives

On the occasions that teams don't function well, it's often because there's a lack of communication and
understanding about what the group's objectives are.
If you want to be a good team player, make sure you understand the group's goals. Ask key questions like
these:
 Why are we here?
 What is the 'perfect ending' to this project?
 What is our deadline?
 How often will we meet?
 What is our budget?
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  Who is in charge of implementing our ideas?
 What roles and responsibilities will each of us have?
Be clear about what you're there to do. This will help you complete your tasks to the best of your abilities.
Be Reliable
We've probably all worked with people who have made promises they didn't keep. It's frustrating when
someone says one thing and does another, and it can really slow a group's progress. You can be a valuable
asset to your team simply by delivering what you said you would do – on time. For some people, it's all
too easy (and, unfortunately, quite common) to make promises they can't keep. But you may really
surprise and impress people by following through on what you say you'll do. If you commit to completing
something for the group by the end of the day, make sure you do it. If you say you'll attend the 5:30
meeting, don't be late. Being reliable also applies to the work you do for the group. If you have high
standards, people will depend on you to produce quality work. If your output is excellent one day, but
only average the next, the team may regard you as being unreliable.
Be a Good Communicator
Be involved and active within the group. If you sit silently while someone else discusses an idea that you
know won't work, you could damage the team's chances of achieving its outcomes. If you're got an
alternative suggestion that might be more effective, then share it with the group. The opposite applies as
well: If people discuss a plan that you think is great, then speak up. Tell them what an inspiring idea you
think it is. They might really need and appreciate your support, even if they don't show it.
When you communicate with your team members – whether showing support, or challenging their
thinking – it's important to stay positive and respectful. Even if you disagree with someone, don't become
emotional. Being objective and fair will make a good impression; getting upset and angry won't.
Stay Flexible
If you've ever worked with a team, you probably know that things can change quickly. People may join or
leave the group, budgets may be reduced, or goals may be redefined. The best team players know how to
be flexible. They don't fight change – instead, they see it as a new opportunity for growth. You may find
that that the group members, the approaches you use, and the goals you started with have all changed by
the time you've finished. By staying flexible, you can take advantage of the new opportunities that arise
during the project, and you'll be able to help others do the same. Your willingness to remain comfortable
and positive in a constantly changing environment is an important business skill – and your boss will
likely notice.

Tips for Being a Good Team Member

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  Don't cherry-pick projects. It can be tempting to choose only those projects that seem easier, or
ones that offer more benefits. But if you choose more difficult projects, and accept what's offered
to you, you'll earn a reputation for being a hard worker. Your boss will notice your willingness to
take on a challenge, and it will pay off in the long term.
 Support other people on your team by offering positive feedback, and providing help if they need
it. Your willingness to collaborate and help others will make a good impression on both the group
and upper management.
 Share information and resources with your team. Remember, you're all there for one purpose –
and by keeping everyone informed, you contribute to that goal. If you have past experiences or
knowledge that can help others, then offer it. They'll appreciate the help.
 Keep a positive attitude. If you complain, delay, or give the tough assignments to others, people
will notice – and they may start to avoid you. A positive attitude can be a refreshing change, and
it will help others stay focused and productive as well.

Key Points
Being a good team player isn't always easy. Teams are usually created to solve difficult problems, and
they often have tight deadlines and strict budgets. But this can be your chance to shine. Look at teamwork
as not only a challenge, but a great opportunity.
Help your team by using your strengths, clearly understanding your role, and staying flexible and reliable
until the project is completed. Be positive, and help others as much as you can. By being cooperative and
willing to work hard, you'll make a good impression on everyone – including your boss.

If you were choosing team members for a business team in your organization, who would the best team
players be? Assuming that people have the right technical skills for the work to be done, what other
factors would you use to select your team members? Teams need strong team players to perform well.
But what defines such people? Read on. (Also, check out How to Hire the Best Brains for the Best
Team for some tips on putting a team together.)
Demonstrates reliability
You can count on a reliable team member who gets work done and does his fair share to work hard and
meet commitments. He or she follows through on assignments. Consistency is key. You can count on him
or her to deliver good performance all the time, not just some of the time.
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Communicates constructively
Teams need people who speak up and express their thoughts and ideas clearly, directly, honestly, and
with respect for others and for the work of the team. That's what it means to communicate constructively.
Such a team member does not shy away from making a point but makes it in the best way possible — in a
positive, confident, and respectful manner.
Listens actively
Good listeners are essential for teams to function effectively. Teams need team players who can absorb,
understand, and consider ideas and points of view from other people without debating and arguing every
point. Such a team member also can receive criticism without reacting defensively. Most important, for
effective communication and problem solving, team members need the discipline to listen first and speak
second so that meaningful dialogue results.
Functions as an active participant
Good team players are active participants. They come prepared for team meetings and listen and speak up
in discussions. They're fully engaged in the work of the team and do not sit passively on the sidelines.
Team members who function as active participants take the initiative to help make things happen, and
they volunteer for assignments. Their whole approach is can-do: "What contribution can I make to help
the team achieve success?"

Shares openly and willingly

Good team players share. They're willing to share information, knowledge, and experience. They take the
initiative to keep other team members informed. Much of the communication within teams takes place
informally. Beyond discussion at organized meetings, team members need to feel comfortable talking
with one another and passing along important news and information day-to-day. Good team players are
active in this informal sharing. They keep other team members in the loop with information and expertise
that helps get the job done and prevents surprises.
Cooperates and pitches in to help
Cooperation is the act of working with others and acting together to accomplish a job. Effective team
players work this way by second nature. Good team players, despite differences they may have with other
team members concerning style and perspective, figure out ways to work together to solve problems and
get work done. They respond to requests for assistance and take the initiative to offer help.
Exhibits flexibility

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Teams often deal with changing conditions — and often create changes themselves. Good team players
roll with the punches; they adapt to ever-changing situations. They don't complain or get stressed out
because something new is being tried or some new direction is being set. In addition, a flexible team
member can consider different points of views and compromise when needed. He or she doesn't hold
rigidly to a point of view and argue it to death, especially when the team needs to move forward to make
a decision or get something done. Strong team players are firm in their thoughts yet open to what others
have to offer — flexibility at its best.
Shows commitment to the team
Strong team players care about their work, the team, and the team's work. They show up every day with
this care and commitment up front. They want to give a good effort, and they want other team members to
do the same.
Works as a problem-solver
Teams, of course, deal with problems. Sometimes, it appears, that's the whole reason why a team is
created — to address problems. Good team players are willing to deal with all kinds of problems in a
solutions-oriented manner. They're problem-solvers, not problem-dwellers, problem-blamers, or problem-
avoiders. They don't simply rehash a problem the way problem-dwellers do. They don't look for others to
fault, as the blamers do. And they don't put off dealing with issues, the way avoiders do.
Team players get problems out in the open for discussion and then collaborate with others to find
solutions and form action plans.

Treats others in a respectful and supportive manner

Team players treat fellow team members with courtesy and consideration — not just some of the time but
consistently. In addition, they show understanding and the appropriate support of other team members to
help get the job done. They don't place conditions on when they'll provide assistance, when they'll choose
to listen, and when they'll share information. Good team players also have a sense of humor and know
how to have fun (and all teams can use a bit of both), but they don't have fun at someone else's expense.
Quite simply, effective team players deal with other people in a professional manner. Team players who
show commitment don't come in any particular style or personality. They don't need to be rah-rah,
cheerleader types. In fact, they may even be soft-spoken, but they aren't passive. They care about what the
team is doing and they contribute to its success — without needing a push. Team players with
commitment look beyond their own piece of the work and care about the team's overall work. In the end,
their commitment is about winning — not in the sports sense of beating your opponent but about seeing

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the team succeed and knowing they have contributed to this success. Winning as a team is one of the
great motivators of employee performance. Good team players have and show this motivation.

2 Behaviours conducive to working as a member of a team are identified and explained.

When building a new team, an obstacle you, as the team leader, will face is expectations and behaviors
not conducive to team work – especially if your team is diverse or competitive. You can overcome these
challenges by establishing guidelines for team conduct early on in the team-building stage. This will
improve your chances of building a unified team. When everyone is following the same guidelines,
competitive tendencies tend to dissipate and team members get along better, focusing their efforts and
ambitions on achieving team goals. Establishing a code of conduct that all team members agree to and
commit to offers several team benefits:
 it outlines expected behavior
 it promotes shared responsibility for team accomplishments
 it decreases misunderstandings, and
 it increases productivity
You can write effective guidelines by applying three basic criteria: write guidelines using one clear,
concise sentence; state guidelines in a positive way; and make sure guidelines are actionable.Guidelines
for team conductAll team interactions should be guided by what's best for the team. A code of conduct
can help guide acceptable behaviors and actions, helping to create a high-performance team. Team
success depends largely on the code of conduct being followed. So, as team leader, it's important that you
set a good example by following guidelines yourself. Leading by example will help to establish the
credibility of the guidelines and demonstrate the expectation that everyone must follow them.There are
several other types of guidelines that every team should develop to address areas of team behavior:
 etiquette for team meetings – Establishing guidelines for meeting etiquette helps you manage
meetings so they remain as productive as possible. Meeting etiquette guidelines involve attendance,
interruptions, confidentiality, and action orientation.
 Open approach to communication – As team leader, you need to create a team atmosphere where
team members feel comfortable contributing and sharing. Because team members must work closely
to achieve team goals, they must be able to work harmoniously while being productive. Work to
make sure your team is free from critical and damaging communication, such as sarcasm, ridicule,
and any other counterproductive behavior.

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 Handling conflict – Some team leaders hope they can avoid conflict on their teams, but this isn't
realistic. Conflicts over schedules, priorities, resources, and different approaches to work are common
and you need to be prepared to handle them. When your team is locked in a conflict, you can use
three approaches to handling conflict: compromising, collaborating, and confronting.
 Decision making – Because decision making is done by the team, not a higher authority, it tends to
be more complex than in nonteam situations. As team leader, you must work with your team to
establish a decision-making process. Part of this is deciding who'll make decisions and who'll be
accountable for them. It's important to establish a decision-making process early on to avoid conflict.
Conflict within a team impacts productivity and can potentially lead to the failure to meet team
objectives.
Set the stage for team success by establishing guidelines for expected and acceptable team behavior as
soon as possible during team development. Effective guidelines are written using one clear, concise
sentence; are stated in a positive way; and are actionable. Because all teams are unique, the codes of
conduct that guide their behavior and actions are also unique. As you develop a code of conduct, make
sure you create guidelines to cover these four areas: etiquette for team meetings, an open approach to
communication, handling conflict, and decision making.

Effective teams develop strong commitment to a common approach, that is, to how they will work
together to accomplish their purpose. Team members must agree on who will do particular jobs, how
schedules will be set and adhered to, what skills need to be developed, how continuing membership in the
team is to be earned, and how the group will make and modify decisions. This element of commitment is
as important to team performance as is the team's commitment to its purpose and goals.
Agreeing on the specifics of work and how they fit together to integrate individual skills and advance
team performance lies at the heart of shaping a common approach. It is perhaps self-evident that an
approach that delegates all the real work to a few members (or staff outsiders), and thus relies on reviews
and meetings for its only "work together" aspects, cannot sustain a real team. Every member of a
successful team does equivalent amounts of real work; all members, including the team leader, contribute
in concrete ways to the team's work-product. This is a very important element of the emotional logic that
drives team performance.

3 Team dynamics are identified and explained.

WHAT IS TEAM DYNAMICS?

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The work place, social organizations, community groups and sports all use teams to accomplish goals.
The dynamics of teams determine if these goals will be met in an efficient manner. Identifying team
dynamics and understanding positive and negative outcomes that may occur due to the dynamics will
assist you to achieve team efforts.

Description
According to Psychology Campus, a group of people that share and work toward accomplishing a
common goal are referred to as a team. The dynamics of a team depend on each team member. Unseen
forces that exist in a team between different people or groups are called team dynamics and can strongly
influence how a team reacts, behaves or performs. Many factors influence team dynamics, such as
personalities of team members, how the team operates, how the team views itself and the team's
organization.
Friendships and Team Dynamics
Team Technology notes that the development of friendship within a team can have both positive and
negative effects. Friendship can foster communication among members of the team. This may lead to a
positive social feel within the group and make members enjoy being a part of the team. This good feeling
can increase motivation and commitment to the team. However, a strong friendship within a group can
leave other team members feeling excluded and make them less likely to include the friends when
decisions are made. These friendships can split the team into sub-groups and lead to a lack of
communication leading to unsuccessful efforts to accomplish team goals.
Identifying Goals
Identify team goals before anyone starts doing the work or playing the game. A common mistake teams
make is to assume that team members see tasks the same way and understand how everyone should be
contributing. Avoid conflict and conserve resources by developing a plan and communicating as a team.
This discussion should identify team mission, tasks and goals.
Knowing Yourself and Knowing Your Team
According to BestFitType.com, each member of the team should be aware of her individual talents and
weaknesses. This identification will allow the team member to contribute to her maximum potential.
When team members learn about their teammates, individuals can tap into other team members' strengths
and talents, thus creating a stronger team.
Avoiding Team Laziness
Social loafing is when team members do not work to their potential, with the assumption that other team
members can make up for their laziness. Emphasizing the importance of individual contribution and pride
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within the group can avoid this phenomenon. Making members accountable for their effort by identifying
individual contributions can deter laziness. Breaking the team down into smaller groups when possible is
another way to avoid social loafing.

Team Dynamics are the unseen forces that operate in a team between different people or groups. Team
Dynamics can strongly influence how a team reacts, behaves or performs, and the effects of team
dynamics are often very complex. This page considers what team dynamics are and the impact they have
on the team.

Suppose in a small team of six people working in one office there are two people who have a particularly
strong friendship. This friendship is a "natural force" that may have an influence on the rest of the team,
and can be manifest in various ways, either positively or negatively. Other factors can also play an
influence. For example, if a wall of cupboards were to be placed across the middle of the office, this
would also form a 'natural force' that influences the communication flow and may separate the group into
two further sub-groups.
Sometimes, an "absence" of a natural force can also be a team dynamic. For example, if the leader or
manager is permanently removed from the office, the group may be drawn into a change of behaviour.

How Do You Recognise Team Dynamics?

You can recognise team dynamics by looking for the forces that influence team behaviour. These forces
might include:
 Personality styles (eg: including or excluding people)
 Team Roles (eg: see MTR-i team dynamics)
 Office layout (eg: cupboards dividing teams into two)
 Tools and technology (eg: email, bulletin board, information pool enabling hidden communication).
 Organisational culture (eg: company cars acting as status symbols to separate groups of employees)

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 Processes/methodologies/procedures (eg: problem-solving methodology)
 etc.
You can identify personality-based dynamics by completing our online Team Dynamics Assessment.

How Can Team Dynamics Be Managed Constructively?

You need to:
a. look for the team dynamics - the 'natural forces' at play
b. determine whether they are acting for good or ill,
c. Make interventions to make the effect of those dynamics more positive.
For example, if a wall of cupboards is inhibiting communication within a group, that wall can be
repositioned and the room layout designed to encourage communication (without making the
environment too uncomfortable for those who value their privacy when working on individual tasks).
Example: The Impact of A Friendship
The positive effect of a strong friendship in a team might be:
 the friends communicate a lot together...
 ...which naturally results in other members being drawn into the discussion
 ...which results in a good 'social' feel to the group
 ...which makes people enjoy being in the group
 ...which improves motivation and commitment
The negative effect of a strong friendship might be:
 to cause the other four people to feel excluded...
 ...which means they are less likely to include the two friends in decision making
 ...which means that there are likely to be two sub-groups
 ...which means that information may not flow across the whole group, but only within the subgroups
 ...which means that miscommunication may lead to misunderstanding and poor collective
performance

This friendship has an impact on the group's performance, and is therefore a team dynamic. Whether it is
good or bad depends on other factors. In the first, positive, example, there is a natural force of "inclusion"
which results in people being drawn into productive discussions. In the second, negative example, there is
a natural force of "exclusion" which results in communication between groups being stifled.

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 SESSION 2.
Work autonomously and collaborate with other team members.
Learning Outcomes
 Team members are given sufficient support for them to achieve their work / project objectives.
 Team members are consulted with.
 Authority levels of all team members are identified and applied.
 Collaboration reflects the needs of all team members.

1 Work autonomously and collaborate with other team members.

What makes great teams be such? Is it a matter of coincidental matters that some teams perform
systematically above average or being a high performance team is due to specific traits of those that make
the team up?

When your team is motivated to do a better a job, you are giving them a reason to excel so that your
business will thrive. However, motivating your employees is not an easy task and requires a strategic
plan. Once you learn how to motivate a team and the various steps that it entails, you should also be
prepared to embrace them and use them on a regular basis.

Great high performing teams leverage strong shared beliefs and goals among other key characteristics to
perform systematically above others. Generally, high performance collaboration teams have very strong
motivation for what they do and for the end result that their work produces. They deeply share a common
set of beliefs and support each other under all circumstances.
But which are the unique characterizing beliefs so vital to the smooth and efficient performance of this
new popular animal which is the small work team? Ken Thompson, author of the breakthrough
Bioteaming Manifesto, has nailed this belief set down and provides an academic, but very punctual and
precise roundup on its makeup.
If you are into growing your first extended collaboration team, I strongly suggest you look into this
and take the words in it as rare and precious advice. In my personal experience, the great teams I have
worked in, even in very recent times, have all shared, often very openly, the set of common beliefs that
Ken has identified so well.

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2 Team members are given sufficient support for them to achieve their work / project objectives.
Explain the positive outcomes of achieving the objective if it benefits your team members. By
incorporating this team motivating step, you are putting the control of their future compensation into their
own hands.

Build a sense of curiosity within your team member's mindsets so that that they are interested
enough to want to achieve the goals you expect. By doing this, your team members will want to learn
more. This can be achieved if you understand what excites or interests your team members.

Establish a plan of action that requires cooperation between team members so that they are forced
to work together to achieve that goal. This may just mean that a project is divided into tasks that need
to be accomplished by each member of the team.

Challenge your team members to achieve an objective. Make sure that they understand what you
expect as a goal. Don't set them up to fail. Establish a realistic goal and provide a tool that shows their
progress as they get closer to attaining that goal. For example, if you have a project that needs
completing, create a chart that breaks that project into smaller goals so that, as they achieve each step,
they can check it off and visualize themselves getting closer to completing the project.

Create a competitive environment that will inspire your team members to achieve their goals . For
example, break your team up into smaller teams and have them each be responsible for an aspect of the
complete goal. Introduce an incentive that will inspire them, but make it a friendly competition and not
one that brings about hostility and back stabbing.

Put your team members in control of their own destiny when instilling team motivation. You can
have an objective that needs to be met, but passing that sense of control over each of your team members
will give them the feeling that achieving the goal is something they want done.

Design a tool for recognition when motivating your team. By doing this, team members know that
their individual efforts will be noticed and not lost as a team effort. This will inspire all members to do
their share. If members know that they will only be rewarded and recognized as a team, they may be more
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inclined to hide behind the efforts of others. This in turn, may cause resentment amongst those who did
all the work.

1. Motivate through challenges. Create personally meaningful goals that require increasing effort
but are still attainable, provide feedback on performance and align those goals with the
individual's self-esteem.
2. Motivate through curiosity. Provide something in the individual's environment that makes him
want to learn more. This should be something that connects his present skills or knowledge with a
more desirable level -- if he's willing to work for it.
3. Motivate through control. If your employee likes to be in control of his destiny, this is the best
approach. Make cause and effect relationships clear (e.g., this is the goal and this is the reward).
Allow him to see the work he does makes a difference, and let him choose what (and how) he
wants to learn.
4. Motivate through fantasy. Help individuals imagine situations that are motivating -- for
example, if the project is done well it would help make a case for a promotion.
5. Motivate through competition. While comparing one's performance to that of a co-worker can
be motivating, be careful with this approach if you're pitting two team members against each
other. The loser may lose motivation, and competitive spirit can decrease the likelihood of a
cooperative, helpful environment.
6. Motive through cooperation. Allow your employees to help each other attain goals in a
teamwork environment.
7. Motivate through recognition. Money's important, but so is respect. Some people perform best
when their achievements are recognized or praised by others, so call out their efforts in a public
way.
3 Team members are consulted with.
Team members will have valuable input regarding what needs to be done. Also, they will be more
willing to participate in the project if they've had input from the start. Teams may choose different models
for making decisions; the most important factor is that the decision-making model be explicit and
understood by all team members. A clear decision making model describes who makes the decision and
how others will be involved. (Will decisions be made by consensus where everyone can agree to support
the final decision? Will the team leader get input but make the final decision? Will the team
vote?) Knowing what decision-making model will be used lets team members know what to expect and
what is expected; this can help build support for the final decision.
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Good decisions have two characteristics: quality and commitment. Quality decisions are logical,
supported by sound reasoning and good information. Steps towards making quality decisions include
checking to see if all available information has been gathered and shared, that all team members have
been consulted, and that critical input from stakeholders (individuals or groups affected by the decision)
outside the team has been considered as appropriate. Commitment is demonstrated by the active backing
for the decision by every team member. Each team member agress with the decision, is committed to
carrying out the decision, and understands their individual role in doing so.

4 Authority levels of all team members are identified and applied.

Choosing Authority Levels for Team Members
Empowerment is often incorrectly perceived as a binary choice. Either you empower someone, or you
don’t. In reality, your options are more varied than that. We can distinguish between different levels of
authority.
“Empowerment is a continuous variable; people can be viewed as more or less empowered, rather than
empowered or not empowered.” - G.M. Spreitzer
In your very first driving lesson your driving instructor may have given you the steering wheel, but I’m
sure he told you exactly when to go left and when to go right. But after a number of lessons, when you
had gained some experience, he might have said “Let’s drive to the shopping center, where you almost
rammed a phone booth last week,” and it would have been your job to find a way to get there. And with a
really experienced driver, the instructor might have said “Why don't you drive around a bit? Mind if I take
a nap?”

or each individual activity we can distinguish seven levels of authority(modified from Susan M.
Heathfield):
 Level 1: Tell: You make decisions and announce them to your people. (This is actually not
empowerment at all.)
 Level 2: Sell: You make decisions, but you attempt to gain commitment from workers by
“selling” your idea to them.
 Level 3: Consult: You invite and weigh input from workers before coming to a decision. But you
make it clear that it's you who is making the decisions.
 Level 4: Join: You invite workers to join in a discussion and to reach consensus as a group. Your
voice is equal to the others.

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  Level 5: Advise: You attempt to influence workers by telling them what your opinion is, but
ultimately you leave it up to them to decide.
 Level 6: Confirm: You let the team decide first, with the suggestion that it would be nice, though
not strictly necessary, if they are able to convince you afterward.
 Level 7: Delegate: You leave it entirely up to the team to deal with the matter, while you go out
and have a good time.
You can vary these levels of authority, depending on the topic. For example:
 I told our people that I would be starting a new business unit in our organization. (There was no
reason for selling this to our employees, because the one I had to sell it to was our CEO.)
 I did sell the business model, and what type of customers we’re after, to the people that I selected
to join me in my effort.
 For the name of our business unit I decided to consult all team members, asking for their ideas.
 When it was time to select a logo, I invited all team members to join me in ranking and rating the
different designs.
 The technical design of our product is ultimately a team responsibility, though I did advise them
concerning some architectural issues.
 I don't really care who is doing what in the team, but I do appreciate it when they ask me
sometimes to confirm that they made the right choices.
 Finally, I delegate all the hard work. I was involved in coding for a while, but none of my code
survived the team's refactoring efforts, so I've deduced that I'm better at adding value in other
areas.
Every topic requires its own level of authority, and the further you go the better it is. But in some cases, it
is best to start by telling or selling, and then gradually increase the authority of team members as their
experience grows.
"The best way to empower team members is gradually and systematically. [...] Responsibilities for self-
management and decision making should be turned over to employees on an as-ready basis."
- S. Caudron
It will probably take our team some time before they're able to completely refactor my business models
into something I cannot recognize, as they did with my code. But if they do, and the results are again
better then mine, you won't hear me complaining. I would be the manager of an extremely powerful team.

Level of Authority takes into account 2 variables when delegating a task or project-how experienced the
team member is, and how important the task is. If you have a team member with lots of experience, we
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use a higher level of authority. If the task is not complicated and most outcomes are OK, we again use a
high level of authority. So let's take a look at the 4 Levels of Authority.
Level One-I Ask Team Member To "Look Into" Something And Report Back. In level one, our team
member is very inexperienced and you make it clear that they are not to take any action, and the decision
is 100% your. You will not ask for suggestions or involve the team member in the decision making
process at all.
Level 2-I Ask The Team Member To Look Into Something, And Come Back With Recommendations For
Taking Action. Here we are wanting the team member to evaluate potential solutions or actions before
coming back to us. We will then "Coach" them to make good decisions. We still hold the final say on the
solution or action, but the team member is involved.
Level 3-I Ask The Team Member To Look Into Something, And Come Back And Tell Me What Action
They Wish To Take. Here we are skipping the "Coaching" process and just want to make sure we have
the ability to "sign-off" on the action BEFORE it takes place. We have a fairly high level of confidence in
this team member and have spend a great deal of time in Level 2 coaching them on how to make good
decisions.
Level 4-I Ask The Team Member To "Take Care" Of Something, I Do Not Need To Know Before You
Act. We want to use level 4 ONLY with those very senior Team Members that have a proven track record
for making good decisions. We may use Level 4 if the task is very minor, and almost any action will do.

5 Collaboration reflects the needs of all team members.

Building a collaborative team

But who said teams need to be hierarchical? Within a team you will find a mixture of different people
with different assignments - but that does not necessarily require a hierarchy. The best team cultures
develop where team members recognise that everyone else also has important value to contribute.
For each issue someone needs to be the recognised leader; someone has to believe it is their responsibility
to drive an issue otherwise it may become forgotten. For each issue there will be a sub-set of people most
appropriate to make contributions. "Appropriate", here, means a combination of capability, resource
scheduling/availability, and the need to build a good team.

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The team structure that develops
(either formally or informally)
will be flexible such that the
right people work together for
any given topic. It also means
that a leader for one issue might
be only a contributor for another
- and vice versa. A can be B's
"boss" in some aspects of the
teamwork, but B might be A's
boss in others.
In this example, see how the
Applications Development Team Leader is an important contributor to the Solutions Architecture Team
and also to the overall project leadership team. In fact, all the leaders can be a leader in one context but a
contributor in others.
If we expand this thinking, it
is possible to generate a
highly collaborative team
where every member has at
least one issue to lead upon.
In this table, we see how the
Project Manager has
assigned staff to the various
issues. Even the most junior
team member, Pat Sapphire,
has a team leader role to
play - Pat is responsible for
organising the team's social
events.
Notice how Jude Jade, the
Change Management leader,
works for Jo Green as part of the Solutions Architecture Team, but Jo defers to Jude when dealing with
Change Management issues. By respecting the specialist skills, roles and responsibilities of other team
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members, a strong, collaborative team spirit can be created - each person recognising the value of others
and the value of working as a team. It is a good idea to give everyone responsibility for some aspect,
major or minor, of the overall success of the project.

Collaboration is a process of participation through which people, groups and organizations work together
to achieve desired results. Common factors and characteristics have been identified by research as
influencing the collaborative process, including the skills of leadership, communication, sustainability,
unity, participation, and a history of successful accomplishments (Hogue, et al, 1995; Keith et.al, 1993).
Borden (1997) has identified four factors: internal communication, external communication, membership,
and goal setting.

Borden & Perkins (1999) identified and defined the following factors in the development of a simple self
evaluation tool. This tool can be used by groups to stimulate discussion after self rating the collaborative
effort for each key area. It can also provide an overview of the key factors necessary for success in a
collaborative project.

• Communication - clear and open with an established process.

• Sustainability - there is a plan for sustaining participation and resources throughout the project including
guidelines in regards to the replacement of members.

• Research and Evaluation - a needs assessment has been conducted, goals are clear and there are
measurement processes in place to collect data and review those goals.

 Political Climate - there exists positive history and environment surrounding power and decision
making. Political climate may be within the group as a whole, systems within the group or networks
of people;

 Resources - there is access to the required resources. Resources refer to four types of capital:
environmental, in-kind, financial, and human;

 Catalysts - the collaboration was commenced due to the existence of problem(s) or the reason(s) for
collaboration to exist required a comprehensive approach;
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 Policies/Laws/Regulations - the collaboration can function effectively under the existing policies,
laws, and/or regulations or these can be altered or created

 History - the group has a history of working cooperatively and solving problems;

 Connectedness - members are connected and have established informal and formal communication
networks at all levels;

 Leadership - there are leaders who promote, facilitates and support team building, and who can
capitalise on diversity and individual, group and organizational strengths;

 Group Development - this collaboration was mobilized to address important issues. There is a
communication system and formal information channels that permit the exploration of issues, goals
and objectives; and,

 Understanding Stakeholders - the collaboration understands the stakeholders, including the people,
cultures, values and habits.

Using the factors outlined above as a focus of discussion may reduce fragmentation within the group and
move group conversation from generic discussion to focused dialogue leading to sound decision making,
and action. Open and honest communication within the group can increase group effectiveness and
commitment. It also assists with viewing issues and problems in a holistic manner. Open and honest
communication within the collaboration and with stakeholders is critical to success.

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 SESSION 3.
Contribute to building relations between team members and
stakeholders.
Learning Outcomes
 The importance of building relations between team members and stakeholders is explained.
 Stakeholders are identified and their needs explained.
 Communications with stakeholders encourages open and frank discussions.
 Commitments to stakeholders are honoured and met.

1 The importance of building relations between team members and stakeholders is explained.
Relationship building informs planning, but how much is enough?
It seems somewhat intuitive to perform a certain level of research on stakeholders or team members prior
to project engagement. My experience has shown me that doing more homework on stakeholders can help
with timeline estimations. In addition, there is considerable value to be gained in building relationships
with stakeholders to understand their backgrounds and skill sets.
There are some questions though:
 To what extent can this research be performed?
 How much time do we realistically have to get to know stakeholders before the business demands
estimated project timelines?
 Do you believe there is a link between getting to know stakeholders and project planning?

Building relationships is just as important within the project team as it is outside. Good relationships can
be the difference between outstanding success and dismal failure because it's all about getting people to
like and trust you so that they will deliver what you need them to deliver at the right time in the right way.
We have talked previously about managing stakeholders, finding out about and managing their needs and
expectations, however this is much easier if you have developed good relationships with stakeholders in
the first place.

Networking Helps Build Relationships

Networking (internal and external) is essentially about building solid business relationships. To do this
you need good skills in creating rapport and listening. If you can make a connection with people on
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subjects you have a genuine interest in, their confidence in you will grow. Use this connection to engage
them and then ask genuine questions and just listen. They'll often tell you what you need to know. Strong
bonds will inevitably stem from commonalities discovered in simple conversation.
Getting Personal
Building good relationships means being truly interested in the people you deal with, both from a
business and personal view. While discussing business issues is usually the main purpose of speaking
with someone, finding out something personal about them takes the relationship to the next level.
Learning about hobbies, special interests, family, accomplishments, leisure time activities, organisation
memberships, and special dates such as birthdays will help you make a deeper connection with them.
The important thing is what you do with the information. When dealing with team members, suppliers,
clients and stakeholders try to mix personal information in the conversation. Every contact doesn't have to
be about business. It's about peeling away the layers of formality and resistance to improve your chances
of achieving what you want to achieve from the interaction.
Establish a Culture That Favours Relationships
The best project managers are those that develop a good sense of community within the project team.
Establishing a healthy culture as part of that community can help win the hearts and minds of clients, staff
and suppliers. Culture is about sharing values and a healthy culture will be one that has people who care
about each other. In projects it's about creating a 'community' within the project team that shares a
common purpose. It's not just a nice idea. A healthy culture can give a team an edge both in performance
and in attracting good quality team members which is of vital importance. A good culture includes (often
unspoken) expectations about the way things are done. In a project team these can be about how members
respond to inquiries, how they greet each other, and how they behave when the pressure is on. It's about
treating people with respect and listening to their point of view. This doesn't mean you have to agree, but
it does mean you respect their right to think differently and to express their views. Cultures need leaders
to set expectations and offer guidance on what's important. As a project manager you will need to be
aware that people are watching you for clues as to how to behave in relationships with others. Actions
speak louder than words.

Supplier Relationships

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The contractual relationship is often one that's all about who has the power. One of the best ways that
project managers can improve their supplier relationships is to develop loyalty. Loyalty is a two-way
street and to earn trust of suppliers, project team members need to demonstrate their value. It includes
being professional and respectful in dealings with suppliers, being efficient in delivery of orders and
specifications and working one-on-one when the supplier needs it. In essence, it's about remembering that
suppliers are people too and will respond well to a personal touch. When making a judgment about how
their client will be treated, a supplier can't help but consider how he or she is treated by that organisation.
Project managers can cultivate supplier loyalty through open and honest communication. Keep them
informed about major decisions and show them you have thought about how decisions will impact on
them.

2 Stakeholders are identified and their needs explained.

Very early in the life of a project, it is critical to identify all of the organizations and people who may
have an impact on the project, and all those who may be impacted by the project. A “stakeholder” is any
person or organization that is actively involved in a project, or whose interests may be affected positively
or negatively by execution of a project. Stakeholders can be internal to the organization or external. In
many projects the public at large will become a stakeholder to be considered during the project. The
challenge for the project manager when the public is a stakeholder will be to act while considering public
needs. Often there is no direct representative of the public to be consulted during project planning and
execution.

What do we mean by stakeholders and their interests?

Stakeholders are those who may be affected by or have an effect on an effort. They may also include
people who have a strong interest in the effort for academic, philosophical, or political reasons, even
though they and their families, friends, and associates are not directly affected by it.
One way to characterize stakeholders is by their relationship to the effort in question.
 Primary stakeholders are the people or groups that stand to be directly affected, either positively
or negatively, by an effort or the actions of an agency, institution, or organization. In some cases,
there are primary stakeholders on both sides of the equation: a regulation that benefits one group
may have a negative effect on another. A rent control policy, for example, benefits tenants, but
may hurt landlords.
 Secondary stakeholders are people or groups that are indirectly affected, either positively or
negatively, by an effort or the actions of an agency, institution, or organization. A program to
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 reduce domestic violence, for instance, could have a positive effect on emergency room personnel
by reducing the number of cases they see. It might require more training for police to help them
handle domestic violence calls in a different way. Both of these groups would be secondary
stakeholders.
 Key stakeholders, who might belong to either or neither of the first two groups, are those who can
have a positive or negative effect on an effort, or who are important within or to an organization,
agency, or institution engaged in an effort. The director of an organization might be an obvious
key stakeholder, but so might the line staff – those who work directly with participants – who
carry out the work of the effort. If they don’t believe in what they’re doing or don’t do it well, it
might as well not have begun. Other examples of key stakeholders might be funders, elected or
appointed government officials, heads of businesses, or clergy and other community figures who
wield a significant amount of influence.

While an interest in an effort or organization could be just that – intellectually, academically,

philosophically, or politically motivated attention – stakeholders are generally said to have an interest in
an effort or organization based on whether they can affect or be affected by it. The more they stand to
benefit or lose by it, the stronger their interest is likely to be. The more heavily involved they are in the
effort or organization, the stronger their interest as well.
Stakeholders’ interests can be many and varied. A few of the more common:
 Economics. An employment training program might improve economic prospects for low-
income people, for example. Zoning regulations may also have economic consequences for
various groups.
 Social change. An effort to improve racial harmony could alter the social climate for members of
both the racial or ethnic minority and the majority.
 Work. Involving workers in decision-making can enhance work life and make people more
satisfied with their jobs.
 Time. Flexible work hours, relief programs for caregivers, parental leave, and other efforts that
provide people with time for leisure or taking care of the business of life can relieve stress and
increase productivity.
 Environment. Protection of open space, conservation of resources, attention to climate change,
and other environmental efforts can add to everyday life. These can also be seen as harmful to
business and private ownership.

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  Physical health. Free or sliding-scale medical facilities and other similar programs provide a
clear benefit for low-income people and can improve community health.
 Safety and security. Neighborhood watch or patrol programs, better policing in high-crime
neighborhoods, work safety initiatives – all of these and many other efforts can improve safety
for specific populations or for the community as a whole.
 Mental health. Community mental health centers and adult day care can be extremely important
not only to people with mental health issues, but also to their families and to the community as a
whole.
As we’ll discuss in more depth further on, both the nature and the intensity of stakeholder interests are
important to understand.

Why identify and analyze stakeholders and their interests?

The most important reason for identifying and understanding stakeholders is that it allows you to recruit
them as part of the effort. The Community Tool Box believes that, in most cases, a participatory effort
that involves representation of as many stakeholders as possible has a number of important advantages:
1. It puts more ideas on the table than would be the case if the development and implementation
of the effort were confined to a single organization or to a small group of like-minded people.
2. It includes varied perspectives from all sectors and elements of the community affected, thus
giving a clearer picture of the community context and potential pitfalls and assets.
3. It gains buy-in and support for the effort from all stakeholders by making them an integral
part of its development, planning, implementation, and evaluation. It becomes their effort, and
they’ll do their best to make it work.
4. It’s fair to everyone. All stakeholders can have a say in the development of an effort that may
seriously affect them.
5. It saves you from being blindsided by concerns you didn’t know about. If everyone has a
seat at the table, concerns can be aired and resolved before they become stumbling blocks. Even
if they can’t be resolved, they won’t come as surprises that derail the effort just when you thought
everything was going well.
6. It strengthens your position if there’s opposition. Having all stakeholders on board makes a
huge difference in terms of political and moral clout.
7. It creates bridging social capital for the community. Social capital is the web of
acquaintances, friendships, family ties, favors, obligations, and other social currency that can be
used to cement relationships and strengthen community. Bridging social capital, which creates
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 connections among diverse groups that might not otherwise interact, is perhaps the most valuable
kind. It makes possible a community without barriers of class or economics, where people from
all walks of life can know and value one another. A participatory process, often including
everyone from welfare recipients to bank officers and physicians, can help to create just this sort
of situation.
8. It increases the credibility of your organization. Involving and attending to the concerns of all
stakeholders establishes your organization as fair, ethical, and transparent, and makes it more
likely that others will work with you in other circumstances.
9. It increases the chances for the success of your effort. For all of the above reasons, identifying
stakeholders and responding to their concerns makes it far more likely that your effort will have
both the community support it needs and the appropriate focus to be effective.

Who are potential stakeholders?

As we discussed, there are primary and secondary stakeholders, as well as key stakeholders who may or
may not fall into one of the other two categories. Let’s examine possible stakeholders using that
framework.
Primary stakeholders
1. Beneficiaries or targets of the effort. Beneficiaries are those who stand to gain something – services,
skills, money, goods, social connection, etc. – as a direct result of the effort. Targets are those who may
or may not stand to gain personally, or whose actions represent a benefit to a particular (usually
disadvantaged) population or to the community as a whole.
Some examples are:
 A particular population – a racial or ethnic group, a socio-economic group, residents of a housing
project, etc.
 Residents of a particular geographic area – a neighborhood, a town, a rural area.
 People experiencing or at risk for a particular problem or condition – homelessness, lack of basic
skills, unemployment, diabetes.
 People involved or participants in a particular organization or institution – students at a school,
youth involved in the justice system, welfare recipients.
 People whose behavior the effort aims to change – delinquent youth, smokers, people who
engage in unsafe sex, people who don’t exercise.
 Policy makers and agencies that are the targets of advocacy efforts.

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Secondary Stakeholders
2. Those directly involved with or responsible for beneficiaries or targets of the effort. These might
include individuals and organizations that live with, are close to, or care for the people in question, and
those that offer services directly to them. Among these you might find:
 Parents, spouses, siblings, children, other family members, significant others, friends.
 Schools and their employees – teachers, counselors, aides, etc.
 Doctors and other medical professionals, particularly primary care providers.
 Social workers and psychotherapists.
 Health and human service organizations and their line staff – youth workers, welfare case
workers, etc.
 Community volunteers in various capacities, from drivers to volunteer instructors in training
programs to those who staff food pantries and soup kitchens.
3. Those whose jobs or lives might be affected by the process or results of the effort. Some of these
individuals and groups overlap with those in the previous category.
 Police and other law or regulation enforcement agencies. New approaches to violence
prevention, dealing with drug abuse or domestic violence, or other similar changes may require
training and the practice of new skills on the part of members of these agencies.
 Emergency room personnel, teachers, and others who are legally bound to report possible child
abuse and neglect or other similar situations.
 Landlords. Landlords’ legal rights and responsibilities may be altered by laws brought about by
campaigns to stop discrimination in housing or to strengthen tenants’ rights.
 Contractors and developers. Open-space laws, zoning regulations, and other requirements, as
well as incentives, may affect how, where, and what contractors and developers choose to build.
 Employers. A workplace safety initiative or strengthened workplace safety regulations, health
insurance requirements, and other mandates may affect employers’ costs. Those that hire and
make a commitment to workers from at-risk populations may also have to institute worker
assistance programs (personal and drug/alcohol counseling, for example, as well as basic skills
and other training).
 Ordinary community members whose lives, jobs, or routines might be affected by an effort or
policy change, such as the location of a homeless shelter in the neighborhood or changes in
zoning regulations.

Key stakeholders
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4. Government officials and policy makers. These are the people who can devise, pass, and enforce
laws and regulations that may either fulfill the goals of your effort or directly cancel them out.
 Legislators. Federal and state or provincial representatives, senators, members of parliament,
etc. who introduce and pass laws and generally control public budgets at the federal and state or
provincial levels.
 Governors, mayors, city/town councilors, selectmen, etc. The executives that carry out laws,
administer budgets, and generally run the show can contribute greatly to the success – or failure –
of an effort.
 Local board members. Boards of health, planning, zoning, etc., through their power to issue
permits and regulations, can be crucial allies and dangerous opponents.
 State/federal agencies. Government agencies often devise and issue regulations and reporting
requirements, and can sometimes make or break an effort by how they choose to regulate and
how vigorously they enforce their regulations.
 Policy makers. These people or groups often have no official power – they may be “advisers” to
those with real power – but their opinions and ideas are often followed closely. If they’re on your
side, that’s a big plus.
5. Those who can influence others.
 The media.
 People in positions that convey influence. Clergy members, doctors, CEOs, and college
presidents are all examples of people in this group.
 Community leaders – people that others listen to. These might be people who are respected
because of their position of leadership in a particular population, or may be longtime or lifelong
residents who have earned the community’s trust over years of integrity and community service.
6. Those with an interest in the outcome of an effort. Some individuals and groups may not be
affected by or involved in an effort, but may nonetheless care enough about it that they are willing to
work to influence its outcome. Many of them may have a following or a natural constituency – business
people, for instance – and may therefore have a fair amount of clout.
 Business. The business community usually will recognize its interest in any effort that will
provide it with more and better workers, or make it easier and more likely to make a profit. By
the same token, it is likely to oppose efforts that it sees as costing it money or imposing
regulations on it.
 Advocates. Advocates may be active on either or both sides of the issue you’re concerned with.

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  Community activists. Organizations and individuals who have a philosophical or political
interest in the issue or population that an effort involves may organize to support the effort or to
defeat it.
 People with academic or research interests related to a targeted issue or population. Their work
may have convinced them of the need for an intervention or initiative, or they may simply be
sympathetic to the goals of the effort and understand them better than most.
 Funders. Funders and potential funders are obvious key stakeholders, in that, in many cases,
without their support, the effort won’t be possible.
 Community at large. When widespread community support is needed, the community as a whole
may be the key stakeholder.

How do you identify and analyze stakeholders and their interests?

The first step in identifying and addressing stakeholder interests is, not surprisingly, identifying the
stakeholders. We’ve discussed in general terms the categories that stakeholders might fall into, but the
list is different for each community and each effort. It’s an important part of your job to determine who
all your stakeholders are, and to try to involve them in a way that advances your goals. Once you’ve
identified stakeholders, the next task is to understand their interests. Some will have an investment in
carrying the effort forward, but others may be equally intent on preventing it from happening or making
sure it’s unsuccessful. Stakeholder analysis (also called stakeholder mapping) will help you decide which
stakeholders might have the most influence over the success or failure of your effort, which might be your
most important supporters, and which might be your most important opponents. Once you have that
information, you can make plans for dealing with stakeholders with different interests and different levels
of influence.
1. Identifying stakeholders. In identifying stakeholders, it’s important to think beyond the
obvious. Beneficiaries, policy makers, etc. are easy to identify, whereas indirect effects – and, as
a result, secondary stakeholders – are sometimes harder to see. A push for new regulations on a
particular industry, for instance, might entail greatly increased paperwork or the purchase of new
machinery on the part of that industry’s suppliers. Traffic restrictions to control speeding in
residential neighborhoods may affect commuters that use public transportation. Try to think of as
many ways as possible that your effort might bring benefits or problems to people not directly in
its path.
Given that, there are a number of ways to identify stakeholders. Often, the use of more than one will
yield the best results.
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 o Brainstorm. Get together with people in your organization, officials, and others already
involved in or informed about the effort and start calling out categories and names. Part
of the point of brainstorming is to come out with anything that comes to mind, even if it
seems silly. On reflection, the silly ideas can turn out to be among the best, so be as far-
ranging as you can. After 10 or 15 minutes, stop and discuss each suggestion, perhaps
identifying each as a primary, secondary, and/or key stakeholder.
o Collect categories and names from informants in the community (if they’re not available
to be part of a brainstorming session), particularly members of a population or residents
of a geographic area of concern.
o Consult with organizations that either are or have been involved in similar efforts, or that
work with the population or in the area of concern.
o Get more ideas from stakeholders as you identify them.
o If appropriate, advertise. You can use some combination of the media – often free,
through various community service arrangements – community meetings, community and
organizational newsletters, social media, targeted emails, announcements by leaders at
meetings and religious gatherings, and word of mouth to get the word out. You may find
people who consider themselves stakeholders whom you haven’t thought about.
2. Discovering and understanding stakeholder interests. As we’ve mentioned several times,
stakeholder interests may vary. Some stakeholders’ interests may be best served by carrying the
effort forward, others’ by stopping or weakening it. Even among stakeholders from the same
group, there may be conflicting concerns. Some of the many ways that stakeholder interests may
manifest themselves:
o Potential beneficiaries may be wildly supportive of an effort, seeing it as an opportunity
or the pathway to a better life… or they may be ambivalent or resentful toward it. The
effort or intervention may be embarrassing to them (e.g., adult literacy) or may seem
burdensome. They may not understand it, or they may not see the benefit that will come
from it. They may be afraid to try something new, on the assumption that they’ll fail, or
will end up worse off than they are. They may be distrustful of any people or
organizations engaged in such an effort, and feel they’re being looked down on.
o Some stakeholders may have economic concerns. Sometimes these concerns are merely
selfish or greedy – as in the case of a corporation with billions in annual profits unwilling
to spend a small part of that money to stop its factories from polluting – but in most
cases, they are legitimate.
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Classic case is that of the conflict between open space preservation and the opportunity to sell land for
development. Farmers and other rural residents often have almost no other assets but their land. If, by selling
it, they can become instant millionaires and live comfortably in retirement after working very hard for very
little all their lives, why should they be expected to pass up that opportunity in favor of open space
preservation?
In some U.S. states, farmland has been preserved by the state’s paying farmers the development value of their
land (or something close) in return for a legal agreement to always keep the land in cultivation or open space.
Conservation easements – agreements never to develop the land, no matter how many owners it goes through
– sometimes are negotiated on the same basis.

 Economic concerns may also work in favor of an effort. An initiative to build one or more
community clinics can provide construction jobs, orders for medical equipment, jobs for medical
professionals and paraprofessionals, and economic advantages for the community. It might be
backed, therefore, by unions, equipment manufacturers, professional associations, and local
government, largely for economic reasons.
 Business people may have concerns about such things as universal health care or regulation.
While these may be good for the larger society, they may actually hurt some businesses.
Especially for very small business, where a slight change in profits may mean not a drop in share
price, but the inability to sustain one’s livelihood, this is a big issue. Businesses may have
economic concerns in the opposite direction as well. Violence prevention might bode well for
businesses in areas that people are hesitant to frequent because of the threat of violence, and it
might also reduce the risk of losses and physical harm to the business owners themselves. Thus
their positive interest in an effective violence prevention effort.
 Organizations, agencies, and institutions may have a financial stake in an effort because of
funding concerns. Their ability to be funded for conducting activities related to the effort may
mean the difference between laying off and keeping staff members, or even between survival and
closing the doors.
 Efforts that concern issues that are controversial for cultural reasons, such as abortion and gay
marriage, may be enthusiastically supported by some segments of the community and fiercely

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 opposed by others. While such hot-button issues may not be resolvable, it’s important to
understand the positions of stakeholders on both sides.
 Ideological as well as cultural differences may also drive stakeholder interests. Those who
believe that government shouldn’t be seen as the source of anything but the most basic services
that people obviously can’t provide for themselves – the military, roads, police, public education
– might oppose government-funded programs to help the poor, maintain public health, or provide
other services that others deem necessary for the well-being of the community.
 Legislators and policy makers may be concerned with public perceptions that they’re wasting
public money by funding a particular effort. (On the other hand, they can be convinced to spend
the money by the perception that an effort is one the public is greatly in favor of, or one that will
return more than is being spent.)
 The jobs of organization staff members engaged in carrying out an effort can be drastically
changed by the necessity to learn new methods, increases in paperwork, or any number of other
requirements. Depending on the situation, they may be more than willing to take on these
responsibilities, may have ideas about how they can be made less burdensome, or may resent and
dislike them.

Stakeholder analysis/stakeholder mapping. Let’s suppose, then, that you’ve identified all the
stakeholders, and that you understand each of their concerns. Now what? They all have to understand
what you want to do, you have to respond to their concerns in some way – at least by acknowledging
them, whether you can satisfy them or not – and you have to find a way to move forward with as much
support from stakeholders as you can muster. Stakeholder analysis (stakeholder mapping) is a way of
determining who among stakeholders can have the most positive or negative influence on an effort, who
is likely to be most affected by the effort, and how you should work with stakeholders with different
levels of interest and influence.

Characteristics of Stakeholders
Owners and Shareholders
• The number of owners and the roles they carry out differ according to the size of the firm
• In small businesses there may be only one owner (sole trader) or perhaps a small number of partners
(partnership)
• In large firms there are often thousands of shareholders, who each own a small part of the business
Managers:
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• organise
• make decisions
• plan
• control
• are accountable to the owner(s)
Customers:
• Customers buy the goods or services produced by firms
• They may be individuals or other businesses
• Firms must understand and meet the needs of their customers, otherwise they will fail to make a profit
or, indeed, survive

3 Communications with stakeholders encourages open and frank discussions.

Ways to Communicate with Your Stakeholders
The most important element in stakeholder communications is identifying the target audience. Be
deliberate and seek out input from all known groups to find the unknown groups. It can be tough when
too late in the project a critical person or group is identified that has not received any of the
communication through course of project and has valuable links that need to be addressed. So make sure
you avoid this scenario and take all the steps early to create a document with all stakeholders you need to
manage communication with. Once you have that the ways below can help you keep communication
active, frequent and ongoing collaboration so there is strong support for you project.
Formal Methods for Communicating– If they don’t exist already, create them. Make occasions when
info should be presented.
1. Meetings – One of the most common ways to communicate. They can vary from only 1 person to
thousands based on message and audience appropriate. It is up to you to maximize every minute of the
time spent to have dialogue. Make sure it is a dialogue and not a monologue. It is the best way as you
have the verbal and non verbal cues that enhance the communication and avoid misinterpretation.
2. Conference Calls– These days this is the most common as it does not require the time and expense of
travel. The dialogue can take place though its dependant on voice intonation and clarity of the verbal
message. They only require cost of phone call and there are many paid and free services that will facilitate
use of a conference call line for many people to dial into. Its also a common way for classes to be
recorded and replayed when its convenient for you.

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3. Newsletters/ Email/ Posters – This strategy is one way communication and utilizes emailed updates,
hard copy brochures, posters, newsletters mailed or emailed. One of the weaknesses is that messages are
delivered and you cannot guage if they were read and understood, deleted as sometimes there is no
feedback. That immediate feedback is valuable for strengthening your message and making sure impacts
and feedback are quickly received.
Informal Methods – It is important to not only rely on formal channels but to utilize informal
communication as well. The impromptu channels are often more information rich and critical for
relationship building.
4. Hallway Conversations, Bathroom conversations – These meetings are great for one on one
communication, but also be clear and do not establish false expectations with casual comments dropped.
5. Lunch Meetings, Drink at the bar after work – These casual environments can be great for connecting,
getting feedback, ideas, and work to build support
6. Sporting events – tennis, golf, etc are an easy forum to get the input on what support exists, feedback
on ideas, brainstorming to strengthen your communication and build stakeholder support
7. Voice mail – this is often underutilized since email is so common but still shown to be more often
listened to than an email will be read. By using voice intonation for excitement, urgency, etc it can be
more compelling. This can be a solo voice mail, a voice mail broadcast to large team or you could pursue
use of automated calling to get the word out depending on the size of audience

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 SESSION 4.
Make a positive contribution to team coherence, image and spirit.
Learning Outcomes
 The needs and objectives of team members are identified and explained.
 Methods and techniques for building team coherence and spirit are identified and explained.
 Team member actions are conducive to team coherence, spirit and image.
 Trust and support of colleagues is gained through applicable behaviours.
 Feedback is provided which leads to constructive working relationships.

1 Make a positive contribution to team coherence, image and spirit.

From a work environment, think of a time when you and several others have all had to work together to
produce a satisfactory result, e.g. completing something difficult on time, doing something to keep
customers happy, or resolve a customer complaint maybe. My personal example comes from when I
worked in an Accounts environment at Financial Year End; We were all given set lists of tasks to resolve
by a deadline and as I had resolved mine quicker than the rest of the team, I immediately began looking
into one of the other team members' list. This meant that although I had completed my work for the day
first and was "off-the-hook" so to speak, I helped the rest of the team to be more productive as a whole,
we got things done quicker TOGETHER. (This meant we got to leave work early for some well-earned
drinks!!!)

Basically, think about something that you have done with one or more persons that was productive, and
not only beneficial for yourself ... Teamwork!
ach of us has a meter inside, where we consciously or unconsciously measure the balance of give and take
that exists in our relationships. Whether dealing with business or social relationships or with family
members or friends, we all gauge the level of positive reciprocity that exists. To judge the balance of give
and take in a relationship is not selfishness. It can be, but in healthy relationships it is natural to want to
do our fair share; especially if we truly appreciate and value the other person or institution. We make sure
that we are a team player at our businesses or jobs and show up on time and add value to collaborative
projects. We also make sure that colleagues or higher-ups are not left ‘holding the bag’ or have to clean
up our mistakes. In social relationships we make sure we are friendly, ensure that we show up for parties
or special events and alternate who picks up the tab for lunch or dinner. We also check up on friends and

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acquaintances when we haven’t seen them for a while. With family, the same principles apply. Calls,
visits, invitations to dinners and watching kids in an emergency all fall within the realm of maintaining
balance. If you are conscientious of your need to maintain the give and take balance in relationships,
congratulations! However, from time to time, we need to review all of our relationships to see if we are
providing positive contributions or if we are taking more than we are giving. If we are accepting more
than we give then we must re-balance that relationship. Sometimes we aren’t mindful of a co-worker that
we always allow to handle certain difficult tasks because they “do it so well.” Or a mentor who always
provides references, advice and introductions, but only receives a big, “Thank you so much!,” in return.
Or a family member that is depended on too much and sometimes not even thanked because of the idea
that is what brothers, mothers or aunts do.

2 The needs and objectives of team members are identified and explained.
Developing Team Objectives(Setting team objectives ensures that every team member
understands the direction in which the team is moving)
Many companies have mission statements, vision statements, corporate, department and individual goals.
These are usually blended together to ensure that everyone in the organisation is moving in the same
direction. If the goals are not compatible, groups or individuals in the company start pulling in different
directions and the overall progress of the company is affected.

As a team leader, you communicate the objectives that the team needs to achieve on a daily basis. Then
you coach them to accomplish them. Ensuring that these daily objectives are achieved is part of a long
term plan and essential to being an effective leader.
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When the goals of the company, team and the individual are focused in the same direction, they are more
likely to be achieved. When everyone is moving in the same direction it is more satisfying and
productive.

Identifying Team Tasks(ensures that each team member knows what they are responsible for
and what is expected of them. This reduces confusion and prevents tasks from falling through
the cracks.)
Once you have decided what you want to achieve and who will fill what roles in the team, you must
itemise the tasks that need to be completed. It is a good idea to involve the team in this so everyone has
some input and understanding of what is involved. The overall process for this is as follows:
1. state the goal to be addressed
2. list the tasks required to achieve that goal
3. group similar tasks under one heading (For example, inventory control)
4. determine the resources needed to complete each task
5. define the role, responsibility, authority and accountability for each task
6. allocate team roles to the appropriate people.

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For a business to be successful, setting specific performance goals that can be tracked and measured is
essential. However, big business goals can seem daunting. Breaking down the goals into smaller
objectives makes it easier to monitor and track progress. It is not enough for a business to set goals and
expect employees to achieve them. Team leaders must communicate these goals to the employees, create
awareness of the importance of achieving these goals and provide motivation to reach the goals.

SMART Goal Setting for A Team(is a method used to create objectives that are Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

 Successful goal setting is structured around SMART goal setting. The acronym SMART stands
for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. For goals to be specific,
the objective has to be precisely and clearly defined in detailed steps to reach the goal. Objectives
need to be evaluated constantly to determine progress; for this reason the objectives have to
measurable in terms of knowing when it is accomplished and the criteria needed to make it
happen. Objectives need to be attainable to be accomplished. Setting specific weekly targets for
the sales team that are within their capabilities to achieve makes the goal attainable. For
objectives to be realistic they need to be something the team can accomplish. Every objective
should have a time frame for completion.
Alignment of Team Objectives to Business Objectives(t ensures that team efforts are directed
towards achieving the organization's strategic priorities)

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  A business is typically made up of numerous departments. If each of these departments proceeds
to work to their own rules and follow their own goals, the business will not be successful. Setting
objectives for each team or department has to be done in alignment with the company's overall
business objectives. The sales team will need specific sales target objectives to be accomplished
within a time frame to add to the company's bottom line. The production team needs to create the
required number of products each week, to enable the sales team to reach its objectives. The goals
of each individual team should move the company closer to its vision.

Agreement of Team Objectives(When everyone is on the same page regarding the objectives, it
becomes easier to coordinate efforts and work together towards achieving them.)

 Team objectives need to be developed through the process of team interaction, discussion and
agreement. One way of successfully achieving the development of team objectives is to hold a
focused team workshop. Team members work alone for 15 to 20 minutes to list ideas for team
objectives. After this is done, the group unites to organize the ideas, eliminate duplicates, discard
ideas that are irrelevant or not feasible and select the objectives that incorporate the business
objectives and vision of the company. The objectives are then discussed to identify the pros and
cons of achieving each objective and the resources needed to do so. A team vote will help to
solidify the choice of objectives for the team.
What Team Objectives Help in Achieving(teams contribute directly to the success of the
organization, whether it's increasing revenue, improving customer satisfaction, or launching a
new product.)
 A company that focuses its efforts on setting objectives for each of its teams succeeds on several
fronts. The team objectives will help to establish the team's vision and purpose, and achieve the
company's overall business goals. Team objectives help to establish the basis of any team's work
planning and strategizing. Team objectives establish the basis for talent and resources planning.
These objectives are also the starting point for employee objectives that form part of the
performance management process.

3 Methods and techniques for building team coherence and spirit are identified and explained.
Techniques that successfully build a harmony are an vital key to continued business growth. A sensible
team incorporates a whole that's bigger than the total of its components with members who have

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commitment to shared goals and who understand their role at intervals the team. This text asks 5 queries
whose answers can offer team building techniques that may help to realize a successful and coherent
team.

1. Is every team member's role clearly outlined and established within the team?( When everyone
understands their responsibilities, they can focus their efforts on tasks that contribute to the
team's objectives.)
This can be half of the basic groundwork. Every member wants to know what role they need among the
team thus that they will understand what is expected of them. They also want to grasp what the roles of all
the opposite team members are and the way they fit in to the overall picture.

During this manner every team member can build up a image of where they stand and where each other
person stands. This can be a typical distinguishing trait of all successful teams. The members apprehend
where they match in and where the others work in. This may additionally facilitate to remove conflict
within the team.

2. Is there a method to avoid or resolve possible conflicts arising inside the team?( unresolved
conflicts can have several negative consequences, including decreased morale, reduced
productivity, and damaged relationships. Here are some reasons why
)
There wants to be team building techniques in place to eradicate conflicts in a team. A team must be
coherent so as to be successful. It is usually best when individual team members know that they alone
aren't accountable for resolving conflicts involving themselves. They have to grasp that there's an overall
policy to deal with such matters as and after they arise.

3. Are there adequate channels of communications open to every team member?

Communication is one among the most effective team building techniques. It covers simply concerning
everything. Way too many problems arise as a result of somebody does not apprehend one thing that they
must know. Keep all channels of communication between members open in the slightest degree times.
Beware of data overload though. Generally those that receive an excessive amount of data merely shut
off. This creates a state of affairs that's every bit as dangerous as having too very little information.
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4. Are team members allowed to feel better about team successes?

Employment should be a lot of than simply a job. Every member should feel half of one thing vital and
important. This is often where commitment and engagement comes in. When team members feel an
necessary half of a team they must also feel that they have the proper to celebrate any major success that a
team has. After all, they're the rationale for the success. Each individual is a crucial cog in the general
wheel and this fact should be recognised. The celebration of a team's success will be a straightforward
affair, perhaps simply an announcement saying "well done" to everyone. It will after all be one thing
abundant grander.

5. Does the team have a positive angle in general?

A positive perspective is very important to success. Seeing the glass as half-full is best than seeing it as
0.5-empty. A positive attitude, especially coming from team leaders, will spur on all team members and
contribute to the overall success of the team. Create certain that every one criticism includes a positive
edge and always notice one thing good regarding any failure.

But good teams don't just happen. They are the result of an intentional effort on the part of the company's
owner to create a work environment in which every person feels like his/her contribution is a vital and
valued part of the organization's success. Here are some tips to help jumpstart the team-building process
in your small business:
Establish clearly defined roles.
Successful teams share a common characteristic - every person knows the role they are expected to play
as well as the roles of the other team members. As the business owner, it's your job to make sure that
every employee clearly understands the role he/she plays in the organization. You can accomplish this by
ensuring that every employee has received an accurate job description that is reviewed annually, perhaps
during the employee's annual review. Tools such as organizational charts and staff meetings provide a
way for employees to see how they fit into the big picture and to discuss role-related conflicts.
Maintain open channels of communication.
Communication is the building block of an effective business team. With that in mind, it is critically
important for you to create and maintain open channels of communication with your employees. This
means not only maintaining a clear channel of communication between you and your employees, but also
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helping your employees maintain clear channels of communication with each other. E-mail, voice mail,
and other communication advances make it easier than ever before for team members to keep in touch.
Even so, there's no substitute for constantly reminding your employees that your door is always open and
that you are always willing to listen to their concerns.
Develop a way to resolve conflicts.
Inevitably, your team will experience conflicts. Ignoring those conflicts will only cause them to grow
until they become a major problem. So instead of ignoring them, develop conflict-resolution skills with
your employees and create a mechanism for them to address grievances if they can't resolve their conflicts
on their own. If you don't feel up to the task of teaching your employees how to resolve conflicts yourself,
consider bringing in a professional to do the training for you.

Model a positive attitude.

Teams tend to adopt the attitude of their leader. If the leader is positive and upbeat, then team members
will tend to be positive and upbeat as well. But if the leader demonstrates a negative or critical attitude,
the team will suffer because of the attitude of the team members. By modeling a positive attitude for your
employees, you are setting the standard and creating an expectation of the qualities you want to see
reflected in your team.
Celebrate achievements as a team.
Since every employee plays an important part in the success or failure of your business, it only makes
sense to celebrate your achievements as a team. Depending on the size of the achievement, your
celebration can be as simple as a pizza party or as involved as a company trip to the Bahamas. The
important thing is that every team member has the opportunity to celebrate a job well done.

How to Build Team Spirit

Man is a social animal and whether it is in his personal life or his professional life, he needs to work with
other people. This makes it important to understand how to work with people without getting into an
argument over things. This is especially true for workplaces where you need to work in teams. For most
team leaders, one of the most important tasks at hand is generally learning to build team spirit among the
members in their team. In today's corporate world, it is extremely important to understand the importance
of working with others. Team spirit is not only important to avoid disagreements in a team but also
important in order to enhance performance and to ensure the success of the team.
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Look at any company, whether big or small, you will see how they are working towards promoting the
team spirit. Team building helps foster a sense of togetherness and brings the team together. This helps in
working towards a common goal and ensuring that success is achieved. But how do you build team spirit?
In this article, we tell you exactly how, as a leader, you can build a sense of togetherness in your team.

Building Team Spirit

Most experts will always emphasize on the importance of outdoor and indoor games for team building.
Team building activities are one of the best ways to bring a team together. But there are certain things that
you need to do on a normal everyday basis to foster a sense of team spirit. While making teams in your
office, it is important that you ensure that the teams are not bigger than 8 member teams and not smaller
than five members. While with smaller teams there is always the problem of not having enough people to
perform all the tasks, with larger teams, it becomes difficult to manage the same. If it is possible, try to
make membership to a team something that needs to be earned. You can have some elite teams for which
membership will be awarded on the basis of completing some tasks or achieving certain targets. This will
push your employees to work harder and also give the team members a sense of healthy competitiveness.
The entire team needs to be made responsible of any success or failure. It would be unfair to reward a
single member as that could create problems within the team.

As a team leader it may be a good idea for you to organize activities where the team members spend time
together. You could organize picnics, family dinners, and other such social events so that they get to
know each other on a more personal level. It may also be a good idea to organize corporate training
sessions wherein team members learn how to cooperate with each other, how to communicate in a team
and how to work together. Another tip that can work very well is to try to get team members to perform
each others' task. This will create a sense of appreciation for the other person's work which can be very
important. An extremely important and effective way of building team spirit can be ensuring that you are
free with the praise that you give your team. That you constantly appreciate their good work in front of
others. At the same time it is important that you do not criticize your team in front of others.

There are many small activities and games that you can use in order to foster a sense of togetherness and
build team spirit. Given below are some activities that you can use at your workplace.

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One good way of fostering team spirit is by building a wall of fame that can have a display of trophies,
certificates, and awards that team members have won. If you have team members spread all over the
country, send out newsletters that detail out achievements of the team.

Get your team to send out messages to other team members regarding things that they appreciate about
each other. Also get them to share information like birthdays, anniversaries, favorite restaurants,
vacations spots, etc. Knowing people personally can be a great way of fostering a sense of belonging.

Get to know team members better and discover what their talents and skills are. There may be good
singers, painters, dancers, etc. in the team. Have exhibitions and classes to get other team members
involved.
Plan group activities like sporting events, gala dinners, concerts, family fetes, etc. so that team members
can have fun together and enjoy with the team.

Ideas to Build Team Spirit

Make Small Teams

One of the ways to foster team spirit among your employees is by dividing them into small teams and
instead of giving individual goals for them to achieve, give them team goals. This will ensure that the
employees work, consult, help and support each other in their work as they will now be appraised on the
basis of their team's performance. At the same time, the employees should be very clear as to what is
expected from them i.e. there should be clarity of individual tasks. This will automatically enhance team
spirit amongst them.

Promote Open Communication

As every one knows, communication is the key to all relationships, whether personal or professional. So,
promote an environment where every one feels free to communicate, take and give advice and opinions
related to work. Every morning, make it a rule that individual departments or groups call a meeting and
discuss the things/tasks that were completed the previous day and the same which are to be done that day.
Give freedom to employees to speak whatever they think will contribute to everyone's knowledge about

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their work or any departmental issues. You can even use these daily morning meetings as a platform to
train the employees in some innovation/technology that has been introduced in your particular industry.

Maintain the Right Balance of Autonomy and Control

Although, the rules, regulations and procedures should be in place to get the things done at the right time,
yet give some amount of freedom to your employees to do a job in a particular way they deem is right. If
you have made teams, give a bit of autonomy to the team leaders to use their own methods of getting the
things done by the people under them. This will contribute immensely towards team building in the
workplace.
Plan Fun Events and Outings
Give opportunities to the employees to know each other personally. So, plan fun events and outings
regularly. Take the employees out on a picnic, celebrate birthdays, keep special days wherein everyone
comes dressed in a particular color, organize small competitions between the employees like painting or
singing contests, etc. The idea behind these is to let the employees mingle and talk about other things, not
just work. Such events and special occasions have found greatest success as they give time to the
employees to bond with one another.

Organize Team Games and Activities

Plan some interesting games for the employees, in which they can participate, play and have fun as a
team. Some interesting activities that you can keep are - tug of war (in which two teams hold a rope, stand
on either side of a line and try to pull each other to their side), treasure hunt (in which the employees are
divided into groups of five or more and then given a list of tasks to do or things to bring, while working
together as a team), one lie and two truths (a game in which all employees have to tell one truth and two
lies about themselves and the rest of the employees have to figure out which is the truth), etc. Planning a
sports day or a cultural day is another great idea for fostering team spirit.
Appreciate the Employees
It is not just a hike in salary which matters to the employees. A pat on the back, recognition, award and
appreciation by their seniors, all such gestures motivate the employees to achieve more and stay
committed to the organization. So, plan appreciation days wherein you recognize the employees who
have outperformed. Inviting the family members of the employees on such days is a good idea too.
Organizations can have a bulletin board or a shelf wherein they place trophies or put up notices about
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individual, team and organizational achievements, from time to time.

In the words of Ryunosuke Satoro, "Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean." So, all
organizations, in order to make profits and be successful, should undertake these team building activities.
After all, investing in the human capital is the best investment decision a company can take!

4 Team member actions are conducive to team coherence, spirit and image.
Qualities of an Outstanding Team Player

1. Enthusiasm & Commitment

An exemplary team member has enthusiasm for the organization and commitment for its cause. An
outstanding team member stands behind the organization's ideals, vision and mission. A team player
knows when to put aside the differences for the common good.

2. Integrity

Integrity is foundational and sets the parameters for the organization's success. The higher one's integrity,
the higher one's success potential. An organization or a person can't be truly successful without integrity.
Align your actions with your values for a high level of fulfillment and integrity an ideal team member's
actions reflect their commitment to the organization and community.

3. Competency

When we work with competent people, we're confident and trusting, knowing they'll deliver quality.
Because one person's performance effects the functioning of the whole team, competency takes on great
significance. Competency begets excellence; who can argue with that? Competency builds a strong team.
Competency erases any cause for needless anxiety and is good for our mental health, as well as the health
of the team.

4. Creativity

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Creativity and "outside the box" thinking is key for organizational transformation and problem solving.
Having creative thinkers on the team moves the organization forward in ways that can't be anticipated.
Nurture your creative instincts and don't be afraid to share what you think might be unconventional ideas.
Change would never occur if we didn't have bold "outside the box" thinkers!

5. Sense of Humor

Lightness holds the team together as much as shared values and vision. Dedication and commitment to
shared values doesn't preclude team members from having fun! Lightness adds perspective and helps to
keep team members balanced. Keep your life sane so you maintain your sense of humor; laughter is
healing, healthy and fun!

6. Perseverance

Perseverance comes easily to those who are committed. When one is committed, one is steadfast in their
belief of possibility. Nothing gets in the way of the vision. Obstacles are stepping-stones en route to
fulfillment of the vision. Never take your eyes off the vision work towards the goal so that nothing stands
between your team and the goal/vision.

7. Language

Language is the conduit for growth and self-expression. While progress can happen without words, it's
language that brings forward our learning and experience. Language is the context for commitment.
Language connects us and is a primary conduit for self-expression.

8. The Power of Questions

Questions open communication; statements don't. Outstanding team members are inquisitive by nature
and are open to hearing other points of view. Team members who appreciate the power of questions

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demonstrate strong teamwork skills. Questions move the team (and organization) forward in both linear
and non-linear ways.

9. Reliability & Follow-Through

When we give our word, we create an expectation for others. When we deliver, others consider us reliable
our word carries weight and means something. An ideal team member understands the power of the word
and how strongly our integrity is based upon our word. Reliability is keeping your word, time and time
again.

10. Collaboration

Collaboration is at its essence, contribution. It's what happens when we "step outside of ourselves" and
honor the space we share more than where we each individually come from. Collaboration is what we
create when we come together. Strong team members value the power and synergy of collaboration.

4 Trust and support of colleagues is gained through applicable behaviours.

Supporting Your Colleagues

It is tough when someone you are working with has to battle it out with a mental problem. But it can be
helpful if one co-worker knows what to do to support that colleague. It will help everyone cope up with
the sudden change of things. Work is a huge event for many of us. We spend the majority of our time
working, we tend to have more contact with other people in the work place and it is where we make our
money. To be fulfilled with your work is one thing to consider if you want to have a sound mind and
healthy mental well-being. Work can be stressful at times but it can be means for us to cope up with all
the other things that we go through in life. Work can be tough on you if someone you work with is having
a rough time. He could be dealing with a loss of a loved one or something else. Other problems such as
marital and family troubles may be driving your co-worker to his limit. Other mental health issues like
having panic attacks or depression could also be a reason. Your co-worker may be described as having an
emotional crisis or that they are having a nervous breakdown. Either way, as friends and as colleagues in
the workplace, we can do our share of help to support those in need. It is very important that you know
what to do when someone is at their breaking point. It will make a huge impact to your colleagues or
friends when they know that someone is there to look out for their wellbeing and sanity. You may feel
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powerless at first but with good intentions, you can go on and offer your help. To be able to work in an
environment where all the members are being cared for can increase their chances of coping up with their
problems.

5 Feedback is provided which leads to constructive working relationships.

Strategies for Sharing Constructive Feedback

"What can you say to your employees and how can you say it?"
"Where can you give and receive feedback?"
"How can you bring out the best in your staff?"
"How do you handle difficult issues without inflaming the situation?"
"How do you respond to negative feedback yourself?"
These are common questions, many of them reflecting frustration and fear of dealing with the "hard stuff"
of managing people. But giving constructive feedback to employees doesn't have to be difficult.
Positive feedback, when you tell people they've done well, should be easy. For example:
 thanking people for doing a job well
 commending them for solving a problem for you
 discussing progress with teams and praising their commitment
 celebrating successes when everyone's combined efforts have paid off
This is the kind of feedback that everyone likes; the kind that motivates people to perform well
consistently. Here are some more practical strategies for improving feedback at work.
Give Feedback to Encourage Employees
Give feedback to encourage people to continue "putting-in" great effort, or to help them through setbacks,
or when people lack confidence or skills. Respect people for the value of their time, their work and their
commitment. Show your respect with words that make employees feel good.
Try saying, "You're right!" when someone successfully challenges an idea or work practice. Ask, "Can
you spare a few minutes?" when you need to interrupt someone at work. Then wait for the positive
reactions.
Use Feedback to Overcome Negativity
A leader must remain optimistic at all times, but how can you convert negativity into something positive?
When someone says, "That's a stupid idea!" you could respond, "How could we change it to make it more
realistic?" Try the ideas in our guide, 2 Way Feedback, and then add your own.
Coaching Is the Best Feedback
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Coaching is the best kind of feedback. Coaching is based on mutual respect, strict confidentiality and
trust. A coach believes that people are able to change the way they operate and achieve more if they are
given the opportunity and are willing to do something about it.
Questioning is a fundamental skill of coaching. A coach asks questions to:
 assess where the person might need help
 discover how s/he can best help
 help people find solutions for themselves.
Our book, 2 Way Feedback, will show you how to ask questions and what questions to ask. Coaching
strategies then vary according to the willingness and the skills of the person.
Turn Criticism into Constructive Feedback
Avoid feedback that however unintentionally criticizes the employee rather than their actions. If you
leave them feeling humiliated and resentful, they will be even more reluctant to change. You can't ignore
the problem if something is obviously wrong, but there is a difference between criticism and constructive
feedback. Talking about a "bad attitude" is unlikely to be helpful because the person won't know what
they need to change. Telling someone they are incompetent or lazy is a personal attack on their character
and will probably lead to an emotional response. Constructive criticism means starting from a different
position. Your criticism should be factual, impersonal and timely. The value of changing their behavior
must also be clear. You might say, "This week I've noticed you've been late to three sales briefings and
now you want to leave early today for a dental appointment. When you behave so casually the rest of the
team feel resentful and tomorrow someone will have to do your work for you. So what can we do about
it?" Now here's a chance for the person to respond.
Giving Feedback in Really Difficult Situations
Some situations may have you feeling anxious and finding the right words to say at that moment may not
come easily. So, next time you are about to face a really difficult situation, try this four-step plan:
1. Prepare yourself – checking facts and positions, dealing with feelings.
2. Approach the situation constructively – using the right words that you have prepared.
3. Deal with excuses – respectfully.
4. Make sure people can do what they say they will.
Encouraging Feedback from Others
Do you listen when your staffs complain about a customer or a situation? Or do you dismiss their
comments because they haven't happened to you? As a business owner or manager you need feedback to
find out immediately if something is wrong, or to hear what a customer has said, or if relationships are
growing tense. How do you encourage that kind of feedback? Listen to what people have to say. True
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listening isn't all that easy; however, our book, 2 Way Feedback, shows you how to really listen –
actively listen. Try listening to your staff, actively listening, even though your schedule is full and
business is frantic, and see how trust develops.
Accepting Negative Feedback
Negative feedback? It's a little like letting the genie out of the bottle and then finding you can't put it
back. However, accepting negative feedback gracefully and gratefully is a skill of great leadership.
Remember, though, other people may not know how to give negative feedback diplomatically, like you
have. So take a deep breath and swallow your pride.
You may find these guidelines useful when receiving negative feedback.
 Listen without interruption – you may learn something of real value.
 If you hear something you don't agree with, simply say, "That's interesting!" and discuss it at the
end.
 Ask questions to clarify what exactly went wrong; what you did or didn't do.
 Acknowledge what is true, but don't necessarily change your position – you may have good
reasons for your actions.
 Before taking any action, ask for time to think and then get back to the person.
Can feedback really help to improve working relationships and productivity? Remember, feedback
doesn't always have to be negative. Start by looking for occasions when you can give positive feedback
and remember to plan carefully for the occasions when you have to give negative feedback – and make it
constructive. Try some of these ideas and see what happens.

Everyone likes to receive praise and few people enjoy being criticized. But praise and criticism are not
effective ways to improve or change behaviour. By telling someone “You did a great job,” or “I didn’t
like that report,” you’re not really helping them to understand what they did well or what they need to
improve for next time. Constructive feedback is a more supportive communication tool than praise and
criticism. It is based on factual observations, not personal feelings, and addresses specific issues or
concerns. Constructive feedback strengthens working relationships because the overall intent is positive.
The purpose of constructive feedback is to raise an individual’s awareness of his or her behaviour in a
way that will lead to corrections or improvements.

Constructive feedback guidelines

• Keep your personal feelings under control. Feelings of frustration or anger will be evident in your
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 tone of voice and body language and will undermine your message.
• Focus on the task or behaviour, not the person. Instead of saying “You’ve made a mess of this
report,” say “There were a number of spelling errors in your report.”
• Avoid personal comments. Focusing on who the person is, rather than what he or she did, turns
constructive feedback into a negative personal attack. Saying “You’re such a loudmouth,” implies
that the behaviour was caused by a personal characteristic that can’t be changed or improved. It is
much more helpful to say “You spent a lot of time talking during the meeting and didn’t let others
have an opportunity to speak.”
• Only comment on behaviour that a person can do something about. Don’t make remarks about
circumstances that the person can’t change (e.g. physical appearance) or that are out of his or her
control (e.g. project decisions made by a manager). It only causes resentment and frustration.
• Be specific. Give clear examples of what has been done right and what areas need improvement.
General comments, like “This report wasn’t very good,” aren’t as useful as “The issues in section one
were clearly stated but sections two and three didn’t provide enough analysis of our marketing and
hiring concerns.”
If the feedback is entirely positive, you can still be specific in your comments – e.g. instead of “Good
job”, say “You showed a lot of initiative in setting up a parent meeting to explain our new math
curriculum.”
• Give feedback in a timely manner. Don’t wait days or weeks to provide feedback. Both positive and
negative feedback should be given as soon as possible, so that events are still fresh in everyone’s
mind. However, if you don’t think you can address the situation calmly, take some extra time to cool
off.
• Be direct. Don’t beat around the bush or give mixed messages. Qualifying your comments with a lot
of ‘ifs, ands or buts’ only confuses the issue. Give feedback in a clear, straightforward and sincere
manner.
• Ask for the other person’s point of view and listen to what they have to say. There are two sides to
every story!
• Agree on targets or outcomes. Discuss what needs to be done to improve or change the behaviour and
agree on a way of getting there. Establish a timeline for change and a method of measuring
improvement.
• Use constructive feedback regularly. Try to respond to people doing things right as often – or even
more often – than you respond to them doing things wrong.

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How to receive feedback

When you’re on the receiving end of constructive feedback, these tips will help you get the most out of
the experience:
• Listen carefully to what is being said to you.
• Be sure that you understand the feedback. Summarize or restate the feedback for the other person to
be sure there are no misunderstandings.
• Take notes so you can review everything that was said at a later time.
• Control your feelings and try not be defensive.
• Ask for examples to clarify the feedback and put it into context.
• Decide what to do with the feedback: listen and change; listen and gather more information; listen and
ignore.
• Consider your other experiences – have you been given similar feedback before? Does it fit a pattern?
Is it time to change?
• Check with others – did other people involved in the incident or project have the same feelings about
your efforts?

We often confuse feedback with criticism – probably because much of our experience with it has had
more to do with what we’ve done wrong than what we’ve done right or how we could do better. This is
unfortunate. Feedback should not be viewed as a personal assault or a list of errors, mistakes, or mishaps.
While the content of the feedback can be negative, its delivery can always be constructive. If it’s not, the
feedback will not be accepted or be received as an insult, which can ignite other issues and problems.
How feedback is communicated is based on an individual’s communication skills. Are these essential
interpersonal skills good or poor?
Constructive feedback is the most useful and beneficial to the receiver because it provides
encouragement, support, corrective measures and direction.

Definition of Feedback
The definition of feedback in organizations and business is ongoing, open two-way communication
between two or more parties. Typically, feedback is given in annual performance reviews, but the best
feedback is timely, honest, and provides useful comments and suggestions that contribute to a positive
outcome, a better process or improved behaviours.

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When delivered in a positive, constructive way, you can communicate something negative without
offending or putting the other person on the defensive. At the same time, you help solve the problem,
change behaviour and work towards established goals. The degree to which you’re successful at this will
indicate how good your interpersonal skills are.
What are the Characteristics of Good Constructive Feedback?
Good constructive feedback is
 given with the goal of improvement
 timely
 honest
 respectful
 clear
 issue-specific
 objective
 supportive
 motivating
 action-oriented
 solution-oriented.

Why is it Important to Give?

To improve. The importance of feedback in an organization is crucial to its ongoing development and
growth. In the competitive environment that businesses operate constructive feedback is essential for
continuous improvement. Employers need to give effective, constructive feedback regularly, which is
what most employees want. What employees look for in feedback from employers includes positive
reinforcement and acknowledgment for a job well done as well as ideas or instructions on doing their jobs
better. Learning how to give good feedback is a learned communication skill and one that can be achieved
through thought and planning.

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 SESSION 5.
Respect personal, ethical, religious and cultural differences

Learning Outcomes
 Differences between team members are identified and acknowledged.
 The importance of showing respect is explained.
 Team members are treated in ways which that demonstrate respect for individuals.
 Behaviours, which are of concern to individuals, are discussed promptly and openly with those
concerned.

1 Respect personal, ethical, religious and cultural differences

Increasingly, managers must deal with multiple ethnic groups with very different cultures. Thanks to
globalization, you are likely to work with Japanese, French, Chinese, German and all sorts of other
nationalities. It is important to recognize that people from different cultures have are different in a variety
of ways, including
 different ways of looking at things
 different ways of dressing
 different ways of expressing personality/goodness
You can become more accustomed to different comfort zones by practicing this exercise:
1. Stand about 6 feet away from your partner.
Your partner should be someone you don’t know that well, and definitely not your spouse or anyone else
you’re intimate with.
2. Have your partner start walking toward you slowly.
3. When you feel your partner getting uncomfortably close, ask him or her to stop.
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Note the approximate distance between your feet and your partner’s feet. This is your comfort zone.
4. Ask your partner to take one more step forward, encroaching on your personal space.
Note how uncomfortable this feels, and recognize that when you violate someone else's personal space, he
or she feels the same discomfort.
5. Hold your ground while talking with your partner, resisting the urge to move away.
Make sure you also don't lean away or look uncomfortable.
6. Have your partner take two steps backward and continue conversation.
Remember to hold your ground, no matter how anxious your feet are to move closer.
Invading a customer’s personal space almost guarantees they won’t feel comfortable with you. Standing
too far away is a lesser offense, but it still won’t put them in the mood to buy. Pay attention to your
customer's queue's for face-to-face interaction.

2 Differences between team members are identified and acknowledged.

Teams definitely are forms of work groups, but not all work groups are teams. In fact, plain work groups
are much more numerous than teams.
Work groups function on three levels:
 Dependent level
 Independent level
 Interdependent level
Here's the breakdown.
Dependent-level work groups
Dependent-level work groups are the traditional work unit or department groups with a supervisor who
plays a strong role as the boss. Almost everyone has had some experience with this work setup, especially
in a first job. Each person in a dependent-level work group has his or her own job and works under the
close supervision of the boss. The boss is in charge and tells the employees the do's and don'ts in their
jobs. Helping each other and covering for one another do not occur often and do so mostly under the
direction of the supervisor. In fact, most problem solving, work assignments, and other decisions
affecting the group come from the supervisor. A dependent-level work group can perform well in the
short term. But for the long run, because group members operate separately and mostly at the direction of
the supervisor, such work groups don't seem to go anywhere. Maintaining the status quo and keeping
operations under control are what they do best. Creating improvements, increasing productivity, and
leveraging resources to support one another are quite uncommon with dependent-level work groups.
Independent-level work groups
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Independent-level work groups are the most common form of work groups on the business scene. Like a
dependent-level work group, each person is responsible for his or her own main area. But unlike the
dependent level, the supervisor or manager tends not to function like the controlling boss. Instead, staff
members work on their own assignments with general direction and minimal supervision. Sales
representatives, research scientists, accountants, lawyers, police officers, librarians, and teachers are
among the professionals who tend to work in this fashion. People in those occupations come together in
one department because they serve a common overall function, but almost everyone in the group works
fairly independently. If members of an independent-level work group receive the managerial guidance
and support they need on the job, such a work group can perform quite well.
Interdependent-level work groups
Members of an interdependent-level work group rely on each other to get the work done. Sometimes
members have their own roles and at other times they share responsibilities. Yet, in either case, they
coordinate with one another to produce an overall product or set of outcomes. When this interdependence
exists, you have a team. And by capitalizing on interdependence, the team demonstrates the truth of the
old saying: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. An independent work group can often be
brought up to speed faster than an interdependent group. It simply takes more time to get a group of
individuals to work as a team than to set a group of individuals off on their independent assignments. Yet
when teams move into a high-functioning and high-producing state, where they capitalize on
interdependence, they can outperform all other types of work groups. So, if you want a quick fix, don't
look to teams: but if you want to see strong results for the long term, do look to teams. To call a group a
team does not make them a team: wishing for them to work as a team doesn't work either. For a snapshot
of the main differences between work groups and teams, take a look at Table 1. As you can see, work
groups have a strong individual focus and teams have a strong collective focus. The individual is not lost
on a team, but that person's work is coordinated to fit in with the greater good. Team concerns are much
more focused on the outcomes of the overall unit rather than an individual's accomplishments.
Table 1: Difference Between Work Groups and Teams
Work Groups Teams
Individual accountability Individual and mutual accountability
Come together to share information Frequently come together for discussion, decision making, problem
and perspectives solving, and planning.
Focus on individual goals Focus on team goals
Produce individual work products Produce collective work products
Define individual roles, responsibilities, Define individual roles, responsibilities, and tasks to help team do its

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and tasks work; often share and rotate them
Concern with one's own outcome and Concern with outcomes of everyone and challenges the team faces
challenges
Purpose, goals, approach to work Purpose, goals, approach to work shaped by team leader with team
shaped by manager members
Table 1 also indicates that teams meet more often than traditional work groups. Work groups may meet
periodically, based on the manager's style, primarily to hear and share information. Teams, by comparison,
do much more than communicate when they meet. Team meetings are forums for planning work, solving
work problems, making decisions about work, and reviewing progress. In short, meetings are vital to a team's
existence.

The last item in Table 1 is crucial: Team leadership is participatory, in contrast to the primarily manager-
driven nature of regular work groups. On a team, the manager or team leader frequently involves team
members in helping shape the goals and plans for getting the group's work done — may as well get them
involved, they've got to do the work! But in other kinds of work groups, managers more commonly work
with staff individually to set goals and determine assignments. Of course, in many cases, managers just
assign work with little discussion or collaboration with the staff members. And staff are then left to figure
out what's expected and how best to get it done. The word “team” is a convenient label for almost any
collection of people who assemble together for whatever purpose or period of time and yet there is a vast
difference between these groups and the world of a real team. Understanding the fundamental differences
between work groups and real teams is essential. It helps us to lead, manage, develop and participate in
the team more effectively while avoiding many of the problems associated with teams. This insight
equips leaders and team members with the ability to unleash a team’s immense potential and in doing so
experience the deeply satisfying rewards of membership.
The Difference between Groups and Teams

Calling a collection of people a team and rallying them to the cause does not make them a team. Real
teams have design features and characteristics that set them apart from groups. Katzenbach and Smith
summed this up neatly with their definition of a team:
A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to
A common purpose
Set of performance goals
A common approach
For which they hold themselves mutually accountable

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Complementary Skills
Teams bring together complementary skills and experience that exceed those of any individual on the
team. The different perspectives, knowledge, skills and strengths of each member are identified and used,
by comparison most groups are extremely rigid, members usually have assigned roles and tasks that don’t
change. Teams however are flexible performing different task and maintenance functions as required.
Roles and tasks may change depending upon the expertise and experience most pertinent to the work
being performed
Performance Goals
Members share the common task and have clearly defined objectives for which members are individually
and collectively accountable
Common Approach
A team has sense of shared purpose with a clear understanding of what constitutes the team's mission.
They can describe a vivid picture of what the team needs to achieve, and the norms and values that will
guide them. The actions of members are interdependent and coordinated. Members have a shared sense of
unity and consciously identify with the team and each other. Individuals use "we" rather than "me."
Mutually Accountable
A group typically produces products that are the sum of individual member contributions whereas a team
develops products that are a result of the team's collective effort. In groups, members are individually
accountable for their efforts where in real teams members need the help of one another to accomplish the
purpose for which they joined the group. They are individually and collectively accountable for the
timeliness and quality of the team's products. If members answer to the boss instead of to one another,
then you have a work group not a real team.
Leadership
Typically a work group has a strong leader, in a traditional management role, who directs activities,
assigns tasks and establishes schedules. Where the team leader makes all the critical decisions it’s a single
leader unit not a real team. By contrast, teams share or rotate leadership among individual members. They
will also rotate less desired tasks, such as record keeping, so that no one member is permanently assigned
to a less challenging or interesting activity.

The Characteristics of a Real Team Characteristics of a Work Group

 Shared Leadership roles  Strong, clearly focused leader solo leader

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  Team discusses, decides, and does real work  The Leader discusses, decides and delegates
together
 Specific Team purpose that the team delivers itself  The group’s purpose is the same as the
organizational mission
 Individual and mutual team accountability  Individual Accountability
 Collective work products  Individual work products
 Measures performance directly by assessing  Measures effectiveness indirectly eg financial
collective work products performance of the business
 Encourages open-ended discussion and active  Runs efficient meetings with information sharing
problem-solving meetings main activity

The distinction between work groups and real teams is very important. If a leader or group or their
organization fails to recognize the difference as an issue there can be significant consequences:
1. The group cannot determine whether they are properly organized to accomplish what the organization
needs from them.
2. They cannot correctly assess their performance potential.
3. They cannot choose the appropriate strategies to manage or grow the group.

2 The importance of showing respect is explained.

WHAT is respect?

On the surface, respect can seem to be a fairly nebulous concept; much like the beauty in the eye of the
beholder. However, we can clearly outline respect as the result of each person’s search for dignity, to be
valued in society. Respect is about one person honoring and recognizing the dignity of another. To that
extent, the definition is clear. It is, however, less clear how to demonstrate respect.

RESPECT is fundamental

People learn respect early in their lives. Through the loving examples of relatives, neighbors and friends,
people learn the reality of others’ dignity and the importance of showing respect. People also learn the
give and take of respect; to get it, you must give it. We learn not to demean others’ abilities, life situations

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or choices. We also learn that joking others in this way is no joke. Our socialization tells us that these
behaviors are serious and bring serious consequences. What we learn from these rules is that every life
has a precious contribution to make, and that we must consider every person worthy of retaining their
dignity through our communicating respect.

RESPECT in the workplace

What about respect at work? Is it important to remember respect in the workplace? The answer is a
resounding yes! Although we conceded in a previous paragraph that the concept is nebulous, we can
describe the behaviors of respect clearly. In the workplace, respect is a pervasive consideration of the
dignity of others. Respect in the workplace can be demonstrated by:
• Respect for privacy
• Respect for varying viewpoints
• Respect for personal and physical space
• Respect for others’ feelings, and
• Respect for others’ cultures and values. Organizations must be clear about the value of respect.
Unfortunately, many organizations expect values such as respect to evolve or to spring fully formed from

While it should be common sense to show respect to others, some people need a constant reminder.
During the relationship-building process, you want to always treat other people with the respect they
deserve. Since business circles are small, you need to be careful not to give off a negative impression with
anyone. If you do, don't be surprised when other people find out about your actions.
Treat Seasoned Executives With Respect
Whenever you have the privilege of forming a relationship with a seasoned executive, make sure you take
it very seriously. It doesn't matter whether you are an executive yourself. You still need to treat other
executives with the utmost respect. In general, executives are very busy and have various people
contacting them all the time. If you are lucky enough to have begun to build a relationship with an
executive, don't mess it up. I can't tell you how many times I hear about people not respecting the time of
seasoned professionals. It's amazing that some people don't take these relationships seriously. Anyone
who botches up these relationships probably has a hard time developing relationships with most people.
Rather than taking the chance of losing a relationship with an executive, go the extra mile to treat this
individual right. To help build these relationships, you need to "respond" and "realize". What I mean by
"respond" is that you should always respond to phone calls and e-mails no matter the subject of
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discussion. For example, if an executive offers to provide you free advice, take him or her up on the offer
even if you don't think you need guidance. You never know what could come out of these conversations.
With "realize," be cognizant of the fact that you are fortunate enough to have a relationship with an
executive. Though you may need to be more proactive to keep the relationship strong, this is a good
networking technique to learn.
Use E-Mail Appropriately
E-mail is a great communication tool for building relationships because it provides you with the ability to
connect quickly and easily. Make sure you use this tool appropriately. Keep in mind that any information
sent via e-mail is traceable and can be forwarded to anyone in no time. Don't write anything you will
regret later. Take the time to always write professional e-mails when you are sending them to other
professionals. The e-mails should be different than the free-flowing ones you send to your friends and
family. As you probably know, many people are lazy when it comes to writing e-mails. Don't get caught
using shorthand and writing incomplete sentences. In fact, write your e-mails as if you were composing a
letter. Take the time to send high-quality e-mails. This shows respect. For instance, if you are upset with
someone, don't lash out in an e-mail. Not only will this come across as rude but it will also show your bad
judgment. Sometimes it is better not to speak your mind about certain issues. If you do need to share your
thoughts, talk to the person rather than sending an e-mail. With e-mail, your words may come across
harshly or can be taken the wrong say. Talking on the phone or in person should still not be forgotten in
the relationship-building process.

Importance of Respect

Respect is a very broad term when people use it. What is the definition of respect? When I looked it up in
the dictionary, I found out the dictionary definition is: to show regard or admiration of something or
someone. I see respect as a universal characteristic. Respect to me, is a way of showing someone that you
think highly of them and well, respect them! Respect is a very important part of life. If a person is
respected, it makes him fell good and in return, he or she respects you. Respect is important to me
because if a person didn’t respect anyone, he himself would not be admired, and over time, he would
grow up to be a very rude and inconsiderate person. Rudeness and kindness are also two very big
components of respect. If you are rude to people or a person, you are disrespectful. If you are purposely
mean or nasty to people, you are disrespectful. Respecting teachers such as Mr. Wellman is a very
important part of education and life.

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3 Team members are treated in ways which that demonstrate respect for individuals.

How do you demonstrate respect to your team?

There is a Golden Rule of behaviors that can be found in many religions and philosophies. It is usually
summarized as, “Treat people as you would want them to treat you.” Here are some tips to help you
apply this rule in building RESPECT to others in your team and in personal life.
 Relate to them as individuals – every person is different and they have different needs, ways of
expressing themselves and relating to others. Get to know their names, their family names, what is
important to them and what are they goals.
 Encourage individuality – You can’t expect conformity and productivity at the same time. Everyone
is different in personalities, styles and creativity. When you encourage them to embrace their
individual uniqueness to support the team you will enable them to perform at a higher level.
 Show trust in their capability – Once you know your team members’ capabilities, competence levels
and capacity, assign to them tasks to match their capabilities with a little of stretch. Then allow them
to do their task without too much interference. They will feel that you trust them and will reward you
with higher performance.
 Positively communicate with them – A couple of old proverbs say, “The tongue has the power of life
and death.” And, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” It is
in your power to speak life or death into your relationships. So chose to speak life with positive and
pleasant words rather than harsh and negative tone and phrases.
 Expect differences – People with speak differently, act differently, and perform differently as well as
respond differently. Expect to observe different reactions and contributions from your team members.
Embrace it and celebrate the differences in order that they will feel valued for their contribution to the
team.
 Care for their needs and feelings – Your team members are not robots. They have lives outside their
work. Be aware of their feelings, needs and be flexible in how you deal with them. This will build
rapport with them and loyalty to you and your leadership.
 Talk straight – To build trust your team needs to know that, “what you say is what you mean,” and,
“what you say is what you will do.” Do not use flattery or beat around the bush. Be gentle yet be
straight. They need to know where they stand with you at all times. This will bring you respect and
gives them freedom to perform at higher levels.
How to Demonstrate Respect

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me.”
to Train:
“Everybody needs a little respect
Everybody needs a little time
Everybody needs a little respect
Everybody needs a little.”
Everybody needs a little respect. You know when you have respect. You know when you don’t. But what
is respect really? And, how is respect demonstrated at work?
You can demonstrate respect with simple, yet powerful actions. These ideas will help you avoid needless,
insensitive, unmeant disrespect, too.
 Treat people with courtesy, politeness, and kindness.

 Encourage co-workers to express opinions and ideas.

 Listen to what others have to say before expressing your viewpoint. Never speak over, but in, or
cut off another person.

 Use people’s ideas to change or improve work. Let employees know you used their idea, or,
better yet, encourage the person with the idea to implement the idea.

 Never insult people, name call, disparage or put down people or their ideas.

 Do not nit-pick, constantly criticize over little things, belittle, judge, demean or patronize. A
series of seemingly trivial actions, added up over time, constitutes bullying.

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  Treat people the same no matter their race, religion, gender, size, age, or country of origin.
Implement policies and procedures consistently so people feel that they are treated fairly and
equally. Treating people differently can constitute harassment or a hostile work environment.

 Include all coworkers in meetings, discussions, training, and events. While not every person can
participate in every activity, do not marginalize, exclude or leave any one person out. Provide an
equal opportunity for employees to participate in committees, task forces, or continuous
improvement teams. Solicit volunteers and try to involve every volunteer.

 Praise much more frequently than you criticize. Encourage praise and recognition from employee
to employee as well as from the supervisor.

 The golden rule does apply at work, or, as professional speaker Leslie Charles, says, “Implement
the platinum rule: treat others as they wish to be treated.”
There are many other ways to demonstrate respect at work. These ten constitute a solid foundation.
Implemented consistently at work, these respectful actions help ensure a respectful, considerate,
professional work place.

4 Behaviors, which are of concern to individuals, are discussed promptly and openly with those
concerned.
What are behaviors of concern?

 Behaviours of concern are sometimes called challenging behaviours.

 Behaviours of concern are words that describe a kind of behaviour. They are behaviours people do
that may be a problem for them or others.
 Behaviours of concern can be when someone does things that hurt themselves, other people or things.
 This behaviour can stop them from doing things that other people do. These things may be going to
work or seeing their friends.
 These behaviours can seriously hurt people.
 These behaviours can be very stressful and upsetting.
There many different behaviours of concern. Below is a list of the main kinds:
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Hurting themselves.
For example, a person may hurt, hit or scratch themselves.
Hurting others.
For example, a person may hit, pinch or bite someone else.
Breaking things.
Refusing to do things.
For example, a person may not eat or take their medicine.
They may refuse to do activities they used to enjoy.
Doing the same thing again and again.
For example, a person may say the same thing over and over again.
Doing things that others don’t like.
For example, a person may scream, swear or take their clothes off.
Hiding away from people
For example, not wanting to be with other people.

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