• Home
• Module overview
• 1. Manage and appraise performance
  • 1.1 Manage performance of individuals in teams
    • 1.1.1 Performance appraisal defined
    • 1.1.2 Types of appraisal
  • 1.2 Goal alignment: "Best practice" performance appraisal supports
  • 1.3 360 degree feedback or multi-rater appraisal sessions
  • 1.4 Individual development
    • 1.4.1 Aligning individual with organisational needs
    • 1.4.2 Setting individual development needs
  • 1.5 Evaluating the performance appraisal process
  • Job Performance Plan

• 2. Improve performance

  • 2.1 Address performance related issues
    • 2.1.1 Job Performance plans
    • 2.1.2 Setting and integrating job performance outcomes
    • 2.1.3 Addressing poor performance
    • 2.1.4 One-on-one formal staff interviews
  • 2.2 Address issues and problems of individuals in teams
    • 2.2.1 A team problem solving process
    • 2.2.2 Solutions search
    • 2.2.3 Removing root causes
    • 2.2.4 Solutions implementation through inclusive communication processes

• 3. Motivate and build commitment

  • 3.1 Build support and commitment within the work team
  • 3.2 Encourage value and reward contributions
  • 3.3 Empowerment
  • 3.4 Expectancy theory
    • 3.4.1 Motivation and expectancy theory
    • 3.4.2 Rewarding individual commitment
  • 3.5 Gaining individual and team commitment to action
    • 3.5.1 Participative processes and commitment building

• 4. Review and evaluate performance within the work team

  • 4.1 Teams as delegated authority centres
    • 4.1.1 Transitioning to the required team structure
  • 4.2 Review and examine performance in teams
  • 4.3 Monitor delegated performance
  • 4.4 Assess the ability of the team to achieve goals
  • 4.5 Review the success of team leadership

• 5. Facilitating team outcomes

  • 5.1 What is a team leader?
  • 5.2 What is a team?
  • 5.3 Types of teams
    • 5.3.1 Self-Managed Teams
    • 5.3.2 Quality Circles
    • 5.3.3 Project Teams
    • 5.3.4 Empowered Teams
    • 5.3.5 Process Improvement Teams
    • 5.3.6 Virtual Teams
  • 5.4 Forming participative teams
    • 5.4.1 Forming Storming Norming Performing team-development model
    • 5.4.2 Hints on developing teams
  • 5.5 Team planning processes
    • 5.5.1 Establishing purpose and gaining commitment
    • 5.5.2 Ensuring the team adds value
    • 5.5.3 Avoiding group-think in teams
    • 5.5.4 Encouraging participative group relationships
    • 5.5.5 Team member roles
  • 5.6 Supportive and directive team leadership behaviours
    • 5.6.1 Cost of poor team participation

• 6. Establishing and administering safe work environments

  • 6.1 Introduction - What is safety?
    • 6.1.1 Safety and the potential for injury
    • 6.1.2 How accidents happen
  • 6.2 What is legislative responsibility and what are laws?
    • 6.2.1 Common Law
    • 6.2.2 Statute Law
    • 6.2.3 Occupational health and safety legislation in the workplace
    • 6.2.4 Further legal definitions
  • 6.3 OHS administration and the responsibilities for all workplace personnel
    • 6.3.1 Employers
    • 6.3.2 Persons in Control of Workplaces
    • 6.3.3 Manufacturers, Designers and Suppliers
    • 6.3.4 Persons who Erect and Install Plant and Equipment
    • 6.3.5 Employees
  • 6.4 Making implications of an unsafe practices and environment clear to all within the workplace
  • 6.5 Provide financial and human resources for the effective operation of the OHS system
    • 6.5.1 The nature of symbols
    • 6.5.2 Common symbols
    • 6.5.3 Choosing the appropriate OH&S interpersonal communication medium
  • 6.6 Health and safety representatives and committees
    • 6.6.1 Role of OHS representatives
  • 6.7 Occupational Health and Safety induction and training
    • 6.7.1 Complete a OHS training needs analysis

• 7. Occupational health and safety risks and hazards

  • 7.1 Hazards
    • 7.1.1 Monitoring safety and maintaining a safe environment
    • 7.1.2 What are hazards?
    • 7.1.3 Hazard identification
    • 7.1.4 Safety audits
    • 7.1.5 Hazard scenarios
  • 7.2 Hygiene
  • 7.3 Equipment hazards
  • 7.4 Risk assessment
  • 7.6 Risk control
    • 7.6.1 Fire and evacuation procedures
    • 7.6.2 Waste recycling, reduction and disposal hazards
  • 7.7 Inspections
    • 7.7.1 Continuous inspections
    • 7.7.2 Planned inspections
    • 7.7.3 Planning for Inspections
    • 7.7.4 Who will conduct the inspection?
  • 7.8 A suggested guide for planned inspections

• 8. Managing and controlling an occupational health and safety system

  • 8.1 Monitor control measures
    • 8.1.1 Writing the inspection report
  • 8.2 Reporting and making claims
  • 8.3 Occupational health and safety record keeping
    • 8.3.1 Investigate and report non-conformance
    • 8.3.2 Follow up for corrective action
    • 8.3.3 Recommendations for corrective action in an inspection report
  • 8.4 Implement improvements to the OHS system
    • 8.4.1 Accident Investigation

5.4 Forming participative teams

Put simply, people are far more likely to be committed to an agenda they helped create. To maintain participation in teams, leaders need to:

• Keep the process and 'rules' for involvement simple;
• Make each step in the process gradual and as integrated as possible;
• Acknowledge that individuals will improve as they learn from their involvement in the process;
• Realise group communication and creativity skills are not easy to acquire or harness;
• Accept many values and beliefs cannot be immediately translated into dollar or budge 'bottom line' outcomes;
• Acknowledge individual and group cultural differences and beliefs;
• Accept policy and politics may alter short-term staff functions but a focus on clients needs can be expressed over a longer time span; and
• The final document can be challenged and the only absolute is that actions will align with the document until changes are agreed (ie. the document is a template for change and actions).

Note:
David Stevens' 15 Rules for Involvement:

Rule 1 Big picture in, trivial matters out
Rule 2 Unnecessary examples are out
Rule 3 Speaking in turns saves time
Rule 4 Everybody's a winner, nobody's a loser
Rule 5 Everybody contributes, and everybody's equal
Rule 6 Consensus, not majorities get results
Rule 7 Agenda hidden, is everybody's loss
Rule 8 Silence is golden
Rule 9 Emotive arguments are for wimps
Rule 10 Digressions waste time
Rule 11 Empathise and learn
Rule 12 Ask questions when in doubt
Rule 13 Long windedness often confusing
Rule 14 Exiting is disruptive
Rule 15 Repetition, if unnecessary, means memory loss

(Stevens, 1992:Chapter 2)

Hints

How do you get the most out of participation and cooperation in teams?

• Human and financial responsibilities of the team are united through information sharing process;
• Team members share more information on customer needs;
• Day-to-day management of outcomes is no longer possible for managers with tight time constraints;
• Those who devise outcomes implement outcomes;
• Culture of participation encourages devolution of responsibilities and empowerment;
• Powerful communication tool that can support ownership and personal or social commitments team members have to achieve customer outcomes;
• Co-operative rather than directive use of authority; and
• Quick flow of information throughout the workplace.

Activity 3

Complete the following assessment tool on indications of barriers to cooperation and participation.

Low Participation	1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	High Participation
Disrespect for other's views						Respect for other's views
Contributions and information in jargonistic and complex terms						Clear, distinct and simple language answers and information
Arguing between staff						Encouragement by all staff for each other
Domination of processes by a few						Contribution to processes by all
Low levels of agreement on primary focus						Focus of individuals on tasks
Desire of staff to seek different approaches without focus on company outcomes						Innovative approaches sought to improve outcomes
Poor progress on resolving problems						Solutions oriented in everyday operations
High use of external facilitators to promote change						Little need for external facilitation of internal processes
Low levels of acceptance of new ideas and reluctance to explore opportunities						Excitement on dealing with new issues and opportunities
One way communication between management and staff						Two-way and multiple pathways for communication
Actions after plans agreed to are unknown to participants						Participants allocate and know actions from plans
Unwillingness to be committed to goals						Commitment to actioning goals
No goal or strategic focus						Clear result areas and corporate goals
Irrelevant issues dominate considerations						Relevance is maintained to agreed agenda
Little encouragement for ideas and innovative suggestions						Encouragement for diverse ideas and innovative suggestions
High facilitator involvement						Involvement driven by participants
Rejections of suggestions not fitting supposed planning basis						All suggestions vetted but not rejected until overall review
Dominant people						All participants have input
Suspicion reigns each input						Open consideration of inputs
Exhaustion						Enthusiasm
Individuals don't contribute openly due to fear or threat						Open contributions with out fear of sanctions

(Modified see David Stevens, 1992: Appendix A)

The team leader plays a critical role in the construction and formation of the team. It must be acknowledged that not everyone understands nor embraces the move towards team structures. Individuals may resist change and conflict may arise. Transformation to team structures or movement from one team approach to another requires the leader appreciate the current stage of team development. A traditional way of representing team development has been the four stages team development cycle. This cycle indicates what behaviours may exist and what forms of communication may be usefully employed.

Previous Page - Next Page