unit 519 – developing and leading teams

Unit 519 Resource Pack –

Unit 519 – Developing and Leading Teams

1.1 Assess the effectiveness of own organisation in measuring team performance against organisational goals and objectives

1.2 Evaluate the role of leadership in helping teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives

2.1 Critically review own ability to develop and lead teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives

2.2 Implement changes to own leadership style in order to more effectively develop and lead teams


Unit 519 - Developing and leading teams

Task The purpose of this unit is to develop your understanding and ability in developing and leading teams, as required by a practising or potential middle manager.

It is recommended that you discuss the assignment with your line manager to explore and agree how the task could be used to support the needs of your employer (as well as evidencing your learning as part of completing your ILM qualification

The nominal word count for this assignment is 2500 words: The suggested range is between 2000 and 3000 words, however individuals have different writing styles, and there is no penalty if the word-count range is exceeded. Guidance This resource pack is designed to support you in writing your assignment and contains a structured response to the theory, research, tools and techniques you need to know about to successfully complete the Unit.

You can copy and paste text from this resource pack, as long as you reference this resource and provide the section or page number it came from.

You can also search the internet for more materials if you wish to expand your thinking and learning, however, keep this to a minimum to ensure you don’t spend too much time in the research and not enough time in the writing!

You are also expected to provide your own personal examples and experiences from your project implementation to the questions this Unit poses to demonstrate and evidence your own understanding of what the theory means. Therefore, you are combining both the theory and practice to the responses required.

Please use the structure of the assignment format in the assignment template to populate your responses to each of the question this Unit asks you to undertake.

It is also essential you read the assessment criteria as this often goes beyond what is expected in the question itself. Make sure all your responses meet the assessment guidance in the assignment template. They are also highlighted in this resource pack to reinforce what is expected of you to pass this Unit.


Assignment 519 questions Section 1: Understand the importance of leading teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives

1.1 Assess the effectiveness of own organisation in measuring team performance against organisational goals and objectives (32 marks)

Assessment criteria: Relevant and detailed criteria are used to assess and make a judgement on the effectiveness of own organisation in measuring team performance against organisation goals that is based on comprehensive evidence

Context for question 1.1.

In order to respond to this question, a team leader needs to understand what environment and approaches make a team perform effectively.

Once we know more about the generic principles and theory around the purpose of a team and what makes a team perform effectively, then we have more knowledge to be able to assess how we can measure the team we lead against our own organisational goals and objectives.

We will look at some of the generic principles in this resource pack and then we encourage you to explore what your own organisations approach is to measure team performance.

Let’s begin with some generic context and background…

What is a team? The label is often used interchangeably with 'group' and yet team as we understand it has a very specific meaning. The difference very largely lies in the direction of action. A group can exist and yet not achieve much. A team, on the other hand, is ACTION ORIENTATED. It has a clear purpose and it is a purpose which is shared by its members.

There are several features of a team which make it different from a group: 1. In an effective team, members share a high level of commitment to achieving the common

objective.

2. Members of an effective team experience a high level of satisfaction from being part of and working with the team.

3. In an effective team, members work well together in an integrated way, with a high level of awareness and appreciation of each other’s strengths.

4. An effective team shows a high capability for solving its own problems. The skills exist and there is a willingness to act.

5. Most important from the organisation’s point of view is that an effective team is one producing high quality results. High quality results, it could be reasonably argued, are the outcome from the other characteristics of the effective team.

The qualities of an effective work team are, therefore, identifiable, quite specific and measurable. Although any group can possess any or all these characteristics, an effective team must display them all.


What organisational measures, communications and activities support team effectiveness? Review the context below and the questions posed to support your responses to 1.1

Clear Objectives: The overall organisational objectives and its reference to the importance of teamwork needs to be identified and defined in terms which allow each member to understand the same goal and how this fits into the organisational goals. The leader has an important role in communicating a clear picture of what the organisation expects from the team. A style which encourages a questioning approach is likely to reveal any members' doubts, misunderstandings or resistances and knowing this, helps a team leader to understand more about how they can support the team member to be more aligned to the team and organisational goals.

Appropriate Leadership: Leadership is a shared function based on the need of the task rather than through consideration of formal role or position-based power. This requires considerable flexibility in recognising and allowing teams and team members to exercise real leadership when a member's skills are more appropriate to the team at that time.

Capability: For a team to be able to work productively, its members must display the right range of skills, knowledge and experience and the right 'mix' of these for the task it is undertaking. The emphasis is on strengths and individuals’ positive attributes.

Responsibility: This requires team participation and each member taking personal responsibility. Self-control replaces imposed control. Responsibility is widely shared throughout the team on a rational basis, given the skills and other strengths among members. Members are encouraged to contribute ideas, take risks and question the team and its activities openly without fear of censorship, disapproval or reprimand.

Achieving team targets: The successful team not only knows where it is going, it knows when it has arrived. It sets performance targets and milestones and establishes ways in which the team's

movement toward achieving the targets can be measured. It is important that performance targets are ones that represent something of a challenge to the team and its members without being unrealistic and consequently demoralising. When the right performance standards are set, the team's energy is directed towards achieving results. Team performance is constantly being appraised, in order to identify any problems in the team's path or being experienced by members. This is an important responsibility for the team leader.

Working techniques: The team needs to invest time and effort into developing working techniques, methods, procedures and ground rules to move the team toward its goal in the most efficient way; these include techniques for making decisions, solving problems and generally coping with anything which gets in the way of progress.

Feedback is accepted: Constructive criticism, based on logic and rationality and intended to help the team and its members grow in competence is welcomed. These places a premium on fact-to-face skills associated with coaching and giving feedback. They will be particularly highly valued skills when used effectively by the team leader.


New members: New team members are quickly integrated into the team, their strengths identified, and contribution defined. Every effort is made to help the new member prove his/her value to the team quickly.

Team relations: An effective work team recognises the importance of monitoring the team itself and the way in which it is working. Understanding something of 'group dynamics' is an area of knowledge and skills which is highly developed in effective teams. Allocating time and energy to understanding and managing relationships is an important investment. The team leader should be able to display considerable competence in this respect.

Relationships with other teams: An effective team also invests time and energy into developing ground rules for managing its relationships with other teams in a positive and productive way. This includes identifying areas of work where collaboration would clearly help one or both teams achieve results more efficiently or effectively. It includes maintaining open contact and frequently reviewing tasks priorities. Resources are shared where this will help progress toward a broader, but understood and shared, organisational objective. Joint problem solving is widely adopted and the tendency to 'blame others' is replaced in effective team working with a direction of effort toward understanding problems and finding solutions.

How well does your organisation support and develop team effectiveness?

As a manager you need and want to know whether your team believe they are operating effectively as a team in relation to what the organisation expects of them.

As part of your response to 1.1 – can you describe or evidence your organisation’s goals and targets?

More specifically – what is your organisation’s approach to measuring team performance?

What examples do you have where your organisation does this well or less well to support your responses to the PERFORM TEAM HEALTH diagnostic?

The PERFORM Team Health Check diagnostic (overleaf) is provided as a separate template 519/1.1 However, you may choose to develop your own diagnostic around the context and questions posed to assess the effectiveness of your organisation in developing team performance against the organisation’s goals and objectives.

(Please note that we will revisit this diagnostic again in 519/2.1 to assess and understand the views of your team in terms of its purpose and the way you and they work together)


519 1.1 Assessment in measuring team effectiveness against organisational goals


How to use the PERFORM Team Health Check • You can complete it yourself and can then compare your scores against that of other team

leaders on the ILM L5 programme. Do not judge the scores of other participants, as everyone has a different perspective in how the organisation measures, supports and develops team functions.

• Having compared your scores against those of others, what are your initial similarities and differences against the diagnostic criteria? Summarise what these are and why?

• Where do you see the organisation scoring highly on its strengths and where there is room for development regarding its effectiveness to measure, lead and develop teams.

• What is your rationale and conclusions about the effectiveness of your organisation to measure team performance effectively and provide specific examples support your evidence for this in response to Unit 519/1.1


1.2 - Evaluate the role of leadership in helping teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives (28 marks)

Assessment criteria: Detailed current research and/or current and relevant management theory is used appropriately to evaluate and reach a conclusion(s) as to the role of leadership in helping teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives

We will start with some team leadership theory

John Adair: Action centred leadership John Adair 's simple Action-Centred Leadership model provides a great blueprint for leadership and the management of any team, group or organisation. Action Centred Leadership is also a simple leadership and management model, which makes it easy to remember, apply and adapt to your own situation.

Good managers and leaders should have full command of the three main areas of the Action Centred Leadership model and should be able to use each of the elements according to the situation. Being able to do all of these things, and keep the right balance, gets results, builds morale, improves quality, develops teams and productivity and is the mark of a successful manager and leader.

John Adair's Action-Centred Leadership model is represented by Adair's 'three circles' diagram, which illustrates Adair's three core management responsibilities:

• Achieving the task • Managing the team or group • Managing individuals

When using it in your own environment think about the aspects of performance necessary for success in your own situation and incorporate local relevant factors into the model to create your own interpretation. This will give you a very useful management framework.

1: Managerial Responsibilities: The Task • Identify aims and vision for the group, purpose, and direction - define the activity (the task) • Identify resources, people, processes, systems and tools: e.g. financials, communications, IT • Create the plan to achieve the task - deliverables, measures, timescales, strategy and tactics • Establish responsibilities, objectives, accountabilities and measures, by agreement and delegation • Set standards, quality, time and reporting parameters • Control and maintain activities against parameters • Monitor and maintain overall performance against plan • Report on progress towards the group's aim • Review, re-assess, adjust plan, methods and targets as necessary


2: Managerial Responsibilities: The Group • Establish, agree and communicate standards of performance and behaviour • Establish a style, culture and approach of the group - soft skill elements • Monitor and maintain discipline, ethics, integrity and focus on objectives • Anticipate and resolve group conflict, struggles or disagreements • Assess and change as necessary the balance and composition of the group • Develop team-working, cooperation, morale and team spirit • Develop the collective maturity and capability of the group - progressively increase group

freedom and authority • Encourage the team towards objectives and aims - motivate the group and provide a collective

sense of purpose • Identify, develop and agree on the team- and project-leadership roles within the group • Enable, facilitate and ensure effective internal and external group communications • Identify and meet group training needs • Give feedback to the group on overall progress; consult with, and seek feedback and input

from the group

3: Managerial Responsibilities: The Individuals • Understand the team members as individuals - personality, skills, strengths, needs, aims and

fears • Assist and support individuals - plans, problems, challenges, highs and lows • Identify and agree on appropriate individual responsibilities and objectives • Give recognition and praise to individuals - acknowledge effort and good work • Where appropriate reward individuals with extra responsibility, advancement and status • Identify, develop and utilise each individual's capabilities and strengths • Train and develop individual team members • Develop individual freedom and authority

Review the theory Evaluate how well do leaders in your organisation apply the 3 core responsibilities of action-centred leadership?

Provide examples in how effective leaders are in their roles as team leaders in all 3 areas.

Provide your conclusions as to how effective leaders are in your organisation in helping teams to achieve their goals and objectives


To support your conclusions for 1.2…here are some pointers as to what makes an effective leader in helping their teams achieve their goals and objectives

Introduction One of the keys to leading and managing a successful organisation is the leaders ability to motivate, lead and inspire those who work for you to achieve the organisations goals.

The way you lead your team is critical to those goals and objectives being met and exceeded. After all, you are only as good as your team, so making sure they’re focused on a common goal at all times is vital.

This section provides some relevant behavioural traits and approaches to support John Adairs Action Centred Leadership theory in how you can lead, motivate and inspire your people to achieve and exceed their goals.

1. Make sure everyone understands the big picture Define a very clear picture of the future–a vision for the team. This is crucial, because teams search desperately for specific targets. Consider the old expression: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Journeys without a clear destination leave groups feeling flat and lost. Keeping teams informed on where they’re headed and how best to get there means leaders must be prepared to acknowledge and adapt to changes in operational conditions and even objectives. Leaders cannot sit back and watch, but instead must create and recreate the vision and team spirit that stops people from losing heart and becoming lost.

If your team isn’t already familiar with your organisations main goals, then lay them out in plain language.

Show them where they fit within the organisational structure, and why their work moves everyone toward those goals. Make them feel valued, so they’ll have reason to engage with and “own” their jobs. Teams that achieve great things share one key habit -"Clarity". Teams armed with clarity know exactly what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and who’s responsible.

2. Give your team what they need If team members lack the right tools or training, they may not feel capable of or confident about doing the tasks you’ve assigned them to achieve these goals. Whether they need training, a laptop, or more technical skills to help them perform better…make it happen, so they can move forward with confidence.

If they express a need for something to help them be more productive, and you fail to provide or approve it, they soon will stop coming to you with improvement ideas.

3.Create a culture of Peer Accountability Research has shown that in mediocre teams, bosses are the source of accountability whereas in high performance teams, peers manage the vast majority of performance problems with one another. Therefore in order to achieve and exceed your goals it is worth creating a culture of peer accountability.


Here is how as a Team Leader you might create a culture of peer accountability

• Set expectations. Let team members know up front that you want and expect them to hold you and others accountable.

• Tell stories. Call out positive examples of team members addressing accountability concerns. Especially when they take a big risk by holding you accountable. Vicarious learning is a powerful form of influence, and storytelling is the best way to make it happen.

• Model it. The first time your team hears you complain about your own peers to others—rather than confronting your concerns directly, you lose moral authority to expect the same from them.

• Teach it. The best leaders are teachers. List the skills you think are important for holding “crucial conversations”—and take 5-10 minutes in your weekly meeting to teach one. In these teaching sessions ensure the team practices on a real-life example— perhaps one that happened recently. This will make a huge difference in retention and transference to real life.

• Set an “It takes two to escalate” policy. If you struggle with lots of escalations, set a policy that “it takes two to escalate.” In other words, both peers need to agree they can’t resolve it at their level before they bring it to you together.

The role of the leader should not be to settle problems or constantly monitor your team, it should be to create a team culture where peers address concerns immediately, directly and respectfully with each other. This will take time up front to create but the return on investment happens fast as you regain lost time and see problems solved both better and faster.

4. And Stop Micromanaging No one likes a boss who is constantly looking over his shoulder and second-guessing his every decision. A true leader will step back and let his team do their jobs. If you have got the right people on the bus then you need to trust your team members to perform. Once you’ve assigned a task, explained why it’s important, and made sure your employees have the skills and the tools they need to complete it to an agreed standard, step back and let them do the work. Your job is to explain the “what” and “why” of the task. Their job is to get the work done in the way they find most efficient.

5. Bring Your Team Together Often To ensure your team is on track to achieve their goals, hold regular meetings. Bring your people together at a fixed time, to talk, catch up on progress, learn how the company is doing, and generally share ideas, opinions, and insights. You can also share key metrics which should tell the team how they are progressing against their goals. Your team should know how they are performing at any given time.

6. Lead by example Your habits and leadership will rub off on your team. If you disappear for a few hours at lunch time or play golf every Wednesday afternoon, you aren’t leading by example. You should never dip below the bar you set and expect your team to perform at. You should also demonstrate knowledge. You may be a great motivator but if you lack knowledge, you lack credibility and your team will never take you seriously as a leader if you are not credible.


7. Be personable and accessible Cold, distant and unavailable managers will quickly alienate their staff leading to a reduction in the likelihood of the team achieving its goals.

Today’s leaders need to be accessible and approachable. If your team knows they can come to you at any time with a problem, concern or suggestion and you will hear them out then it is going to help create a team that will achieve its goals. Part of being a leader involves being there for your team. If they have a question or need your advice, make sure that you make it easy for them to access you. With email and mobile phones there is no reason your team shouldn’t be able to get in touch with you when they need to.

8. Be an interesting Storyteller Don’t just reel off facts and figures and expect members of your team to be instantly inspired. Try and bring all discussions back to real life situations, or interesting stories. Personal stories are much more effective than cold facts, far more memorable, and your experiences will give greater meaning to your people and create a deeper connection between you and your staff.

9. Stress your company’s purpose- Explain the why

Setting goals and then exceeding them is always great, but you can also inspire your team by enforcing what your company’s purpose is and "why" your organisation exits. Every successful product or service solves a problem, so remind your team that all of their hard work really makes a difference.

The way they communicate this purpose is through storytelling with leaders regularly telling stories and giving "shout outs" in order to illustrate examples of employees who have gone above and beyond what the organisation expects of them.

10. Say Well Done You can make a huge difference in team morale by simply taking the time to recognise each employee’s contributions and accomplishments, large or small. Don’t take it for granted that your team know they’ve done well — be generous with praise. As Alex Ferguson the former Manchester United Manager said– there is nothing better than saying "well done". Those are the two best words ever invented in sports he said. You don't need to use superlatives.

In summary The above are just a few of the behavioural traits that you should exhibit as a leader if you want you and your team to achieve their goals. You may have noticed that "Storytelling" is a common theme with high performing leaders and that is because storytelling makes leadership possible. Stories can change the way we think, act and feel. They can capture our imaginations, illustrate our ideas, arouse our passions and inspire us in a way that cold, hard facts often can't.


Section 2: Be able to develop and lead teams 2.1 - Critically review own ability to develop and lead teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives (28 marks)

Assessment criteria: An objective and evidence-based critical review makes realistic and practical recommendations for further actions that are focused on own ability to develop and lead teams to achieve organisational goals and objectives A wide variety of appropriate sources present an objective and balanced overview of the evidence and confirms the level of ability claimed

Section 1 was all about understanding the importance of leading teams to achieve organisational goals and this resource pack provides guidance and theory to support your responses to 1.1 and 1.2.

Section 2 is now asking you to review your own leadership abilities based on what you know about team leadership and what it takes to be an effective team leader.

In summary an effective team leader knows that there is an identifiable link between having a clear understanding of the purpose and role of the team (on the one hand), and the organisational strategy, vision and functional objectives (on the other hand). This can be summarised by three words: leadership, communication and engagement.

Simon Sinek says that there are “leaders [who] hold a position of power and influence” and there are “those who lead …Those who lead inspire us.” Whether we call them “those who lead” or “outstanding leaders” according to The Work Foundation’s leadership report, those are individuals who communicate the corporate strategy, explain what the organisation wants to achieve in the short and long term, and enthuse over a shared vision. They create engagement with their staff because, as humans, one of our primary needs is the sense of belonging.

It is the idea of inclusion, being involved, feeling empowered and adding value to something higher with our ideas, critical thinking and passion. High-performing teams of employees who go the extra mile understand the purpose of their roles. They feel inspired and know where they are going.

To achieve this, it seems there are three main steps to follow: 1. First, ensuring teams and roles at individual level have a purpose 2. Second, communicating that purpose effectively so that it gets embraced 3. Thirdly, empowering staff to do what they should be doing in the name of that reason called

purpose or why. Leading with vision Here are some tips to help you put leading with vision into practice: Remind your team of the vision: As the leader, it is important that you take every opportunity to remind your team of the vision. You can do this at the end of staff meetings, in emails and in other conversations with your team. Lead by example: One of the best ways to help your team understand how to put the vision into practice is to set an example for them to follow. You can put the team’s vision into practice in your hiring choices, the way you focus your meetings and your daily interactions with others. Accountability: Challenge your team to reach for the goals in your vision statement and hold one another accountable for your success.


To respond to the requirements of 2.1 the programme requires that you to critically review your own ability to lead and develop your team. This requires you to do some in-depth analysis with some evidence-based feedback to affirm your level of ability to do this.

To support your responses to 2.1 we have provided 2 diagnostics to help you to: a) Assess your ability to perform as a team leader b) Assess your ability to effectively communicate as a team leader

In question 1.1 we used the PERFORM Team Health Check as a diagnostic to assess how the organisation measured, encouraged and developed team effectiveness… now we ask you to use the same, but adapted diagnostic which is now focused on your role as a team leader (not the organisation) as this will help you to review your own ability to lead and develop your team. The aim of the PERFORM Team Health Check is for you find out what your team think about you and how you lead them, regarding their purpose and the way they work together. This is a key requirement for ILM 519.2.1.

Diagnostic 1: Reveow your ability to develop and lead teams

How to use the Team Health Check shown overleaf

• Issue the form to team members and ask them to complete it – anonymously if they prefer. • You complete it yourself to compare your scores against that of the team. Do not judge

the scores as everyone has a different perspective in how the team functions well or not together.

• Complete an average of the scores and note where they team strengths are and there is confidence in how the team operates – and where there is room for development.

• Hold a team meeting to share the overall scores (not individual scores) and highlight the strengths and development areas that come to light.

• The team can then share their views on what the results disclose. • Focus on the strengths of the team and ask for examples in how these strengths are

important and how you and they as a team can continue to keep doing them! • Focus on the development areas that emerge and ask the team for their honesty on what

examples they have that causes these issues and ask for their views on what you and they as a team can do about these.

• Create an action plan of the options and possibilities that emerge and assign roles and responsibilities to these actions with agreed deadlines.

• Check what support they individuals need to make these actions happen and what does success look like for the team if it is achieved.

• Your role is to manage the processes and recognise successes along the way and the efforts of the team to make improvements.

Most proformas are available to download from the Learning Zone bookshelf as a WORD document for you to use with your team. Document 519/2.1 “519 2.1 Review your ability to develop and lead teams” template


Diagnostic 2: Assessing my own effectiveness with team communications

How well do you communicate? Every contact we make involves communications skills – speaking, listening, speech patterns, the words we use, the tone of our voice, our body language and even silences, all play a part in how successful our communications are.

Self-awareness can be one of the most effective ways to identify and improve your skills. Take this quick assessment to learn more about how well you currently communicate with both individuals and your team. Answer each statement honestly by rating each statement from 1 to 5

How well do I communicate as a team leader?

Statement Rate your assessment

Strong = 5 Poor = 1

I listen more than I talk. 5 4 3 2 1

I speak specifically and personally, instead of generally and abstractly.

5 4 3 2 1

My body language corresponds with my words and my tone. 5 4 3 2 1

I check my tone (especially in written communication) to make sure it corresponds with my message.

5 4 3 2 1

I pay attention to one person/conversation at a time. 5 4 3 2 1

I don’t rely primarily on written (e-mail and text) conversations. 5 4 3 2 1

I am clear in what I am saying and in sharing my expectations with others.

5 4 3 2 1

I make it comfortable or “safe” for others to talk to me about sensitive subjects.

5 4 3 2 1

I never avoid certain people or conversations. I tackle the hard conversations with ease.

5 4 3 2 1

I deal with issues as soon as they come up. 5 4 3 2 1

Make a note of the communication skills that you feel most confident with – the ones you listed as “true” in the above list. What are you already doing well?

Now, list the areas you identified that you should do and need to work on and make a plan.


How to use the Communication skills diagnostic

• Issue the form to team members and ask them to complete it – anonymously if they prefer. This is word document 2.1 Communication skills diagnostic – feedback to my team leader TEMPLATE

• Complete it yourself to compare your scores against that of the team. Do not judge the scores as everyone has a different perspective in how the team functions well or not together. This is word document 2.1 Communication skills diagnostic – my assessment TEMPLATE

• Complete an average of the scores and note where they team strengths are and there is confidence in how the team operates – and where there is room for development.

• Hold a team meeting to share the overall scores (not individual scores) and highlight the strengths and development areas that come to light.

• The team can then share their views on what the results disclose.

• Focus on the strengths of the team and ask for examples in how these strengths are important and how you and they as a team can continue to keep doing them!

• Focus on the development areas that emerge and ask the team for their honesty on what examples they have that causes these issues and ask for their views on what you and they as a team can do about these.

• Create an action plan of the options and possibilities that emerge and assign roles and responsibilities to these actions with agreed deadlines.

• Check what support they individuals need to make these actions happen and what does success look like for the team if it is achieved.

• Your role is to manage the processes and recognise successes along the way and the efforts of the team to make improvements.

Both communication diagnostics are available to download from the Learning Zone bookshelf as a WORD document 519/2.1 Communications diagnostic

Your strengths Identifying your personal communication strengths is important since you can build and draw on these when the team is experiencing difficulties.

It is always beneficial to know what you are good at when it comes to communicating with the team as it enables you to lead them with confidence and remind yourself how good you can be - even when the going gets tough.

Remember all the positive feedback and recognition you have received in respect of your skills and ensure you continue to showcase these skills and behaviours on both good and bad days!


Room for improvement in some areas? Here are some communication skills development strategies you might use

1. Have an Open-Door Policy. It Builds Trust. An open-door policy in place sets the precedent that anyone can ask questions, voice concerns, and pitch ideas at any time. This is an important part of building trust within your team. Making management inaccessible sends the message to lower-level employees that they are not as valuable. Keeping the doors of communication open is crucial.

While you are opening figurative doors, open literal ones as well. Removing physical obstacles between employees creates a sense of mutual trust and encourages the open exchange of ideas. Problems can be presented and resolved as they arise instead of waiting for the weekly company meeting.

2. Be Open to Reciprocal Feedback Constructive criticism is meant to be just that – constructive. In order to get the most out of feedback, it is important that it be clear to all parties involved. To be effective, feedback needs to be clear and detailed. And do not forget to accept feedback, too! No one is perfect, so we all need a little constructive criticism now and again.

3. Be Clear about Tasks So Everyone’s Knows Their Responsibility No one can effectively complete a task if they are unsure what tasks they are responsible for. Make sure that the entire team knows the scope of the tasks and that each team member is clear about exactly what is expected of them. Getting the team together regularly to check progress, ask questions, and address any issues is another good way to keep everyone on track and assure that all team members are aware of their responsibilities.

4. Do Fun Stuff to Boost Morale Team-building exercises have long been used to improve communication among team members. But rather than role-playing or any of those other workplace activities that no one likes, get the group together and play cards (without gambling, of course). Put a few board games in the break room.

5. Give Purpose to Coffee Breaks Keeping in the spirit of team building, a set coffee break for all employees together allows everyone to interact informally while still in the workplace. Coffee is the fuel that gets most people through the day, so why not make drinking it enjoyable and productive at the same time? Research shows that conversation over coffee, work-related or not, promotes healthy communication among co-workers and encourages the exchanging of ideas.

6. Decide What Form of Communication Works Best Different situations require different ways of communication. For a project involving team members working remotely, a video conference is an excellent way for everyone to keep in contact about progress and milestones. Email has been a popular form of contact in the past few decades, but it can be inefficient and unreliable. Emails can get lost in cyberspace, sent to a junk folder, or overlooked in a crowded inbox.


7. Identify Group Leaders…and Support Them With most activities, there is a main leader and several mid-level leaders that take charge of smaller groups. Making it clear from the start who those leaders are makes it easier for team members to know who to go to in the event of a problem or question. Delegating roles to others distributes the work more evenly among the leaders and reduces stress on individual team members.

8. Understand Diversity Issues When people of all nationalities, races, ideologies, and languages collaborate, unique ideas come together to create something truly special. But diversity is not without its challenges. Accents, nuances, dialects, and cultural colloquialisms can make clear communication difficult at times. To combat these difficulties, team leaders first need to recognise that the problem is indeed a problem. Sweeping these kinds of issues under the rug, although they may be uncomfortable to address for some, does not help anyone. Make it a point to be open with your team members about the problem at hand and discuss ways to overcome the obstacles present.

9. Point Out Individual Strengths and Use Them Well Keep in mind that not everyone prefers to communicate in the same ways. Visual people tend to prefer written forms of communication while auditory people benefit more from a phone call, a video chat, or face-to-face meetings. Realising that everyone is different not only allows for better communication, but it also sends the message to your team members that you value them as individuals and recognise which form of communication works best for them. A team member who feels valued is a team member willing to go above and beyond for the organisation.

10. Be open and honest with your team members Possibly the single most effective way to improve interpersonal communication in the workplace is to instil a sense of trust among your team members. Transparency is key here; if team members feel like secrets are being kept from them, any trust you have built goes right out the window. Of course, sensitive information should be handled as such, but team members have a right to know when they are not privy to such information. Be open and honest with your team members and reassure them that they can do the same with you. Mutual trust is important in any relationship, including a professional one.

11. Take Ownership for Mistakes The best managers are the managers that can relate to their employees. That includes owning up to the decisions (and errors) that you make and admitting when you could have done something differently. Everyone makes mistakes, so by confessing your flaws, you are showing your employees that you are just as human as they are. By utilising some (or all) of these tips, you can bring your team together, improve communication, and generally make the workplace a more enjoyable and stress-free place to be.


2.2 - Implement changes to own leadership style to more effectively develop and lead teams (12 marks)

Assessment criteria: Comprehensive explicit evidence is provided that changes based on the critical review have been implemented, or are being implemented, to own leadership style in order to more effectively develop and lead teams

Reflection and review Having completed your critical review of how you lead and develop teams from the 2 diagnostics in 2.1 (and/or other tools you may have chosen to use instead) consider how you will now implement any changes to be even more effective in your ability to lead and motivate your team.

PERFORM Health Team diagnostic: Consider the outputs and comments your team members have made in the PERFORM Team diagnostic completed in 2.1 against your own ratings and perspective. What conclusions have you drawn from this to support your plans to implement improvements and enhancements to your team leadership style?

Communications diagnostic: Consider what conclusions you have drawn as a result of the communications diagnostic you and your team members completed in 2.1. What areas do you need to do more of, or less of? Are there any aspects of your knowledge or skills you could further develop?

This final question is asking you to consider what changes you may want to make to improve and enhance your own leadership style…

So you should remember from Unit 522 - Becoming an effective leader (workshop 1)

Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership model

A directive leader (S1) is more likely to control their employees by supervising every aspect of their duties. A directive leader is happy when the tasks are completed by their deadlines and their way of doing things

A coaching leader (S2) as a manager as coach you may set the objectives yet be supportive in how the person is motivated and engaged in how the person plans to achieve the task

A supportive leader (S3) engages in two-way communication with their employee rather than just telling them what to do; this is needed where confidence may be low

A delegating leader (S4) knows that the person has high competence and high confidence to get on with the task and achieve results without much direction


Here are some pointers to consider as part of your actions (in terms of what you can continue doing, do more of and less of in the future)

• Establish objectives together: Define performance objectives with the team, making sure that all team members understand the objectives and what actions will need to be taken to achieve them.

• Develop a more participatory style: Encourage staff to suggest ways to improve services. Listen to their ideas and acknowledge their points of view. Encourage team members to discuss issues and to find solutions together.

• Focus on contributions: Define objectives for having all team members actively contribute to the meeting. Introduce team members to the ways in which they can participate.

• Organise meetings: Hold meetings with the whole team. Discuss objectives and encourage the team to discuss their concerns.

• Organise the team: Define roles and responsibilities together. If everyone has a clear role, individuals will be less likely to become frustrated and will be more willing to work together. Agree on who will assume leadership roles for different team activities.

• Explain the rules: Discuss and agree the norms and standards in how the team will operate. Be clear about the rationale for these rules and discuss their implications in day-to-day practice.

• Promote team responsibility: Encourage members of the team to take responsibility for completing specific tasks and to solve problems as a team. Introduce rewards only if the entire team meets objectives.

• Establish time commitments: Schedule when and how each team member will devote time to teamwork. Determine if teamwork will require other staff to take on extra work, and, if so, discuss this with all staff and obtain their commitment. Monitor actual vs. planned time carefully and clarify all adjustments in schedule.


Practical examples of when it is important for the team leader to lead Effective team leaders ensure that team morale remains high and that workers are motivated to perform well. ... Leaders can also affect morale by creating an environment of cooperation between team members so that they work together to achieve team objectives instead of only fulfilling individual goals.

Providing Guidance to Staff Leaders offer guidance to all members of the team to ensure they are fulfilling their roles. Guidance can include training and instructing team members and taking corrective or even punitive actions when necessary. Guidance also involves responding to questions and resolving problems that can hinder job performance. For example, an employee conflict may negatively impact productivity. A leader intercedes and finds a solution, such as reassigning a worker to a different division. When new direction is given by team leaders make sure that team members understand the information and how it impacts their specific roles.

Building Team Morale Effective team leaders ensure that team morale remains high and that workers are motivated to perform well. Leaders can impact morale by helping to instill a sense of confidence and trust in workers so that they take a positive approach to their jobs and the company as a whole. Leaders can also affect morale by creating an environment of cooperation between team members so that they work together to achieve team objectives instead of only fulfilling individual goals. Compliment workers when they reach important goals and keep the lines of communication open as workers strive to meet new objectives.

Fostering an Atmosphere of Creativity A team leader can foster an atmosphere of creativity that can lead to innovation. For example, when telling an employee what needs to be done, the team leader can offer the flexibility to allow the employee to determine the methods used to complete the task, within reason. By doing so, the employee may develop an effective new process that benefits the team, while giving him/her a sense of empowerment from making her own decisions.

Promoting Essential Values Team leaders can promote essential values that are crucial to the success of an organisation. A team leader who exhibits honesty and integrity in all his activities, for instance, can serve as a role model for team members to ensure that they will act in a similar fashion. This includes, when possible, informing the team about business transitions on the horizon, such as retooling to produce new products or provide new services. A team leader who admits a mistake and takes ownership of the situation can demonstrate the importance of acting with accountability to the rest of the team.


To support your response to 2.2 you can use the template below and as a separate word doc titled 519/2.2 My Personal Development Plan to structure your responses.

You can have as many activities as you think are helpful in implementing changes to your leadership style to enhance the way in which you develop and lead your team. The plan provides a generic template for 6 activities as a starting point!

Examples include: peer coaching; having a mentor; the action learning sessions; a reflective journal; line manager support, HR support; other training sessions you attend in addition to this programme

Finally… it takes effort, self-awareness and resilience to be a good team leader and manager – here is a visual that captures all the traits!

End of ILM Module 519 Resources

My Personal Development Plan

Activity Timescales Resources Support Expected Outcome

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unit 519 – developing and leading teams

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