Lead Small Team
Lead Small Team
Lead Small Team
Sector:
HEALTH, SOCIAL, AND OTHER COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SECTOR
Date Developed:
CBLM for January 2020
Page
Bookkeeping NC III / Lead Developed by: ARNEL HIMZON 1 of 56
Small Team
Checked by: LCEST
Downloaded by Maria Shiela Bayungan (mariashiela.bayungan001@deped.gov.ph)
lOMoARcPSD|16761676
Welcome!
The unit of competency, “Lead Small Team”, contains the knowledge, skills and attitude
required for leading small team. It is one of the BASIC competencies of BOOKKEPPING NC
III.
The module, Leading Small Team, contains training materials and activities related to
providing team leadership, assigning responsibilities among members, setting
performance expectation for team members and supervising team perfromance for you to
complete.
In this module, you are required to go through a series of learning activities in order to
complete each learning outcome. In each learning outcome are Information Sheets, Self-
Checks, Task Sheets and Job Sheets. Follow and perform the activities on your own. If you
have you have questions, do not hesitate to ask for assistance from your facilitator.
Remember to:
Read information sheets and complete the self-checks. Suggested references are
included to supplement the materials provided in this module.
Perform the Task Sheets and Job Sheets until you are confident that your outputs
conform to the Performance Criteria Checklist that follows the sheets.
Submit outputs of the Task Sheets to your facilitator for evaluation and recording
in the Accomplishment Chart. Outputs shall serve as your portfolio during the
Institutional Competency Evaluation. When you feel confident that you have had
sufficient practice, ask your trainer to evaluate you. The results of your assessment
will be recorded in your Progress Chart and Accomplishment Chart.
LIST OF COMPETENCIES
CONTENTS:
Communication skills required for leading small team
Skills and techniques in promoting team building
Negotiating skills
Up to date dissemination of instruction and requirements to members
Art of listening and treating individual team members concern
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
1. Work requirements are identified and prescribed to members
2. Reasons for instructions and requirements are properly disseminated to team
members
3. Team members questions, problems, concerns are recognized, discussed and dealt
accordingly
METHODOLOGIES:
Self-paced/modular
Discussion
Role play
Brainstorming
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Written test
Direct Observation
Interview
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
LEARNING OUTCOME 1: Provide Team Leadership
1. Read Information Sheet No.2.1-1 on Providing You may clarify with the
Team Leadership facilitator if you have concerns
on the lesson.
3. Perform the Task Sheet No. 2.1-1 on Providing Evaluate your performance
Team Leadership using Performance Criteria
Check List No. 2.1-1
INFORMATION SHEET:2.1-1
PROVIDING TEAM LEADERSHIP
LEARNING OBJECTIVE/S:
Effective team leaders communicate clearly. Quality verbal and written communication
skills allow leaders to present expectations to team members in a way workers can
understand. Effective communication skills also allow team leaders to listen to the input of
others.
Communication skills are essential for success in almost any role, but there are particular
skills and techniques that you'll use more as a manager than you did as a regular worker.
These fall under two headings: communicating with team members, and communicating
with people outside your team.
1. Listening. The most important communication skill for leaders is the ability to
listen. Professional listening skills include listening for the message, listening for
any emotions behind the message and considering relevant questions about the
message.
Listening for the message means hearing the facts accurately, without prejudgment
or being distracted by other thoughts. It’s also important to listen for any unusually
strong stresses in the sentences or other signs of emotion. In training, leaders can
practice using role-play; if they hear these signs of emotion, they can respond by
saying, “You seem to feel strongly about this. Please tell me more.”
Help leaders consider questions they might ask when someone gives them a new
idea:
2. Complimenting. People work for more than pay; they want to be noticed and
praised for their work.
Compliments are most effective if they are specific to the situation and in writing,
so they can be re-read. For example:
“You stayed late to finish that report for our client and made sure every aspect
of the project was to his specifications. Thank you for your attention to detail
and pride in your work!”
“I noticed you took extra time to make sure the new employee had a great first
day. She was very excited about the company and her new job at the end of the
day!”
Use this technique first on those leaders, managers or supervisors who work for you
to show them how to do it for their direct reports.
3. Delegating Tasks Clearly. Think of the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why” and
“how” as you explain what needs to be done. Explaining the reason (the “why”) is
especially vital, particularly in regard to deadlines. Employees may not realize that
their job is only part of a series of tasks for a big project. People like to know the
reasons they are doing something. Establish check-in times to discuss progress.
4. Managing Meetings. What’s a “good” meeting, from the point of view of the
leader, meeting participants and the organization?
Multiply the estimated hourly pay of each person invited to the meeting by the
length of the meeting, and decide if the meeting is worth this cost. Would an e- mail
do just as well to convey information?
Excellent communication skills are essential for leadership and for business. Use
these strategies to help your leaders become great communicators.
The following lists the main team building skills for effective
teamwork:
Without communications, there is not a team at all. Good communication skills are
absolutely crucial for every good team and effective teamwork. Examples of good
communication skills are verbal and non-verbal communication skills, to be patient
and confident.
Listening skills have the top position in the team building skills list. To build a team you
have to understand other team member’s needs, beliefs, worries, hopes. This can be
achieved only by active listening including care and attention to other members.
Collaborative skills
To make collaboration with many people is one of the most difficult task, but also
one of the most important prerequisites to achieve successful team work. That is
why collaborative skills are key team building skills on our list. Effective team
means a great collaborative team.
Building confidence
This is absolutely critical ability among the team building and team leader skills.
Confidence keeps a team together. It promotes support and reliability. No matter
whether you are a team manager, leader or an employee, you have to be confident.
To be confident means that people can rely on you and can trust you.
Patience
Supportive
There is no team without support. Team members have to support each other and
have to rely on each other. These are the main building elements of a team. So
being supportive have also a key place in the team building skills list.
Problem-solving skill
In every team there are problems. No matter whether you are a team manager or
an employee, you have to learn to deal with conflicts in the most effective way.
Other essential abilities in the team building list for effective teamwork are:
Respectful
Positive Attitude
Relationship Building
Responsibility
Understanding Feelings
Honesty
Influencing
Learn and develop these teamwork skills because they are the basic answer to the
question “How to build an effective team ?”.
Negotiating Skills
Negotiation isn't limited to "big decisions." When you're working with other people, much
of your time is spent negotiating – even if it's just deciding whose turn it is to collect the
coffees!
For projects to be successful, roles, strategies, targets, and deadlines all need to be agreed,
ideally to everyone's satisfaction.
And there are also times when a very obvious negotiation process is taking place, such as
setting payment terms with a client, or agreeing the contract details for a new job.
Do your Homework
h. Solutions. Taking all of these points into account, what do you now consider to
be a fair outcome – one that you can put forward with confidence?
Choose your Negotiation Style
Many people assume that there's just one, "perfect" style of negotiation that we
should all be aiming for.
In fact, there are several approaches to choose from. It's important to vary your
style to suit the subject – and significance – of each negotiation you enter into.
Think about what you're trying to achieve, how important "total" success is, and
how willing you are to compromise. Also, bear in mind how much you need to
maintain an ongoing relationship with the other people involved.
Negotiate!
should also help you to anticipate how the next few minutes will go.
No matter how prepared you are, or how carefully you follow your chosen
approach, you'll need to draw on a range of people skills to achieve the results you
want.
It's important to be assertive in negotiations, but remember to listen, too! And try
to strike a balance between emotion and logic – "heart" and "head."
Without communicating workplace policies, processes and the company's mission and
principles, employers cannot reasonably expect employees to perform their job functions;
much less enjoy working for the company. Many employers provide employees with a job
description and then expect that they'll require little more to do their jobs. However, timely
and regular workplace information conveys an important message from the organization's
leadership: The company cares enough about its employees to keep them well-informed
about the organization and its direction.
2. E-mail employees about updates to the company's intranet and require that
employees provide electronic signatures that indicate they have read and
understand critical updates. However, don't overload employees with mostly
unnecessary emails. Devise a system for sending critical updates versus sending
updates that don't need immediate attention, such as marking critical e-mail
messages with a colored flag.
3. Post employee training materials on the company intranet and provide written
materials to supplement online training. Coordinate efforts with your IT
department to offer online courses, seminars and workshops for mandatory
leadership refresher training, as well as optional coursework that employees can
complete on their own time.
4. Establish publication dates and submission deadlines for the company's newsletter.
Encourage management and employees to make contributions that benefit the
organization or enlighten co-workers on topics such as diversity awareness, safety
measures, announcements and employee discounts. Consider mailing newsletters to
employees' home addresses to ensure they receive them and can read them at their
leisure.
6. Revise employee handbooks at least once a year. Get input from both HR and
employee committees on the type of information that employees need in their
handbooks. Also, get department managers and supervisors to review handbooks
before publication to benefit from a variety of perspectives.
The most successful business leaders understand the art of listening is key to effective
leadership. It is an art that can be acquired and developed, but only if you are willing to
commit time and resources to doing it well.
Here are six effective forms of listening that will help get you started:
When you care about your employees, they tend to work harder and aim to exceed
your expectations. Employees want to be led by those who genuinely care about
who they are and what they represent to the team and organization at-large. Don’t
just view your employees as tools and resources for your own success – but as
people and valuable assets who bring unique capabilities and aptitudes not
necessarily limited to their job functions
2. Engage Yourself
Beyond caring, engage yourself in matters important to your employees. When they
share their opinions, ask questions and encourage them to elaborate and
expand upon their perspectives. When you engage yourself more actively, hold
yourself accountable and follow-up with your employees, they will know that you
are listening, paying attention and attempting to understand what matters most to
them.
3. Be Empathetic
The workplace is fueled with the stress and pressure of each day. Because every
employee manages stress and pressure differently, it is important that you are
empathetic to how these distractors impact employee performance. Express your
concern and show your employees that you feel their frustrations. Don’t be afraid to
express sentiment or feel that it will weaken your stature or authority as a leader.
Leaders that judge others are not listening. Instead of judging someone, they could
be learning from them.
5. Be Expansively Mindful
Great leaders are extremely mindful of their surroundings. They know how to
actively listen beyond the obvious via both verbal and non-verbal communication.
They acknowledge others via body language, facial expressions and nods. These
types of leaders possess a tremendous degree of executive presence and are tuned
in to the dynamics that are taking place around them, at all times.
Leaders that are mindful are not just hearing conversations; they are listening to
them and engaging in the dialogue. They don’t fake it, they are taking note of what
is being said and how people are saying it and are making continuous eye- contact
and gestures.
6. Don’t Interrupt
How many times has your leader rudely interrupted your train of thought? It’s fair
to say this is a common occurrence. Compassionate leaders listen and don’t
interrupt the flow of the dialogue. They embrace two-way communication and are
aware that with every interruption comes disengagement. They earn respect from
their peers by being a patient listener.
Stay focused on what your employees are saying. Stay in the moment and be
respectful of others. Listen and become a more compassionate leader.
References: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_92.htm
https://trainingindustry.com/blog/leadership/5-important-
communication-skills-for-leaders/
https://www.businessphrases.net/team-building-skills/
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/essential-negotiation.htm
https://work.chron.com/tools-disseminating-workplace-information-
11070.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/05/20/6-effective-ways-
listening-can-make-you-a-better-leader/#66d67e291756
Enumeration. Enumerate the following. Write your answer on the space provided.
1. What are the five important communication skills for leaders?
2. Give at least five of the main team building skills for effective teamwork.
Performance Objective: You are required to perform an activity that would demonstrate
your team leadership. The objective of the activity is to transfer 5 glasses full of water from
point A to point B without spilling or with minimal spillage.
Supplies / Materials:
5 Glasses
Water
Equipment: 2 Chairs
Step / Procedure:
1. Form a group of 5 participants.
2. As a leader, meet with your members to plan the strategies that you will be using in
transferring 5 glasses of water from point A to point B. The challenge is the player
transferring the water must stand using one foot only. Planning stage is limited to 5
minutes only.
3. After 5 minutes, the group should start carrying out their plan with minimal
spillage. The level of transferred water should not be lower than the demarcation
line.
Assessment Method:
Observation
CRITERIA YES NO
Was your group able to transfer 5 glasses of water from point A to point B
successfully?
Instructor’s Signature :
Student’s Signature :
Date of Performance :
CONTENTS:
Duties and Responsibilities of each Team Member
Skills in Identifying Individual Skills, Knowledge and Attitude as Basis for
Allocating Responsibilities
Knowledge in Identifying each Team Member Duties and Responsibilities
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
1. Duties and responsibilities are allocated in respect to the skills, knowledge and
attitudes of every team member
2. Duties are allocated having regard to individual preference, domestic and personal
considerations
3. Duties and responsibilities of each member are properly identified and defined
METHODOLOGIES:
Self-paced/
modular
Discussion
Role play
Brainstorming
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Written test
Direct Observation
Interview
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
LEARNING OUTCOME 2: Assign Responsibilities among members
1. Read Information Sheet 2.2-1 on Assigning You may clarify with the
Responsibilities Among Members facilitator if you have concerns on
the lesson
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
After reading this information sheet, you should be able to:
Explain the duties and responsibilities of each team member
Identify the knowledge, skills and attitude as basis for allocating responsibilities
Explain the factors that leaders need to consider in allocation responsibilities to a
member
Teams are usually selected or authorized by the Quality Council. A team normally consists
of Team leader, Facilitator, Recorder, Timekeeper and Members. Each and every member
have their own responsibilities. They play their role for the welfare of the team. Some of the
roles and responsibilities of team members are briefly explained below.
A team leader is selected by the quality council, sponsor or the team itself.
Facilitator is not a member of the team. Yet his role in the team is indispensable.
1. Facilitator supports the leader for facilitating the team during initial
stages of the team.
2. He focuses on team process.
3. He acts as resource to the team
4. He provides feed back to the team concerning the effectiveness of the
team process.
1. Team recorder is selected by the team leader or by the team and may be rotated
on a periodic basis.
2. He documents the main ideas of the team’s discussion.
3. He presents the documents for the team to review during the meeting and
distribute them as ‘minutes of the meeting‘ afterwards.
4. He participates as a team member.
1. Time keeper is selected by the leader or by the team and may be rotated on a
periodic basis.
2. He monitors the time to maintain the schedule as per agenda.
3. He participates as a team member.
Skills in Identifying Individual Skills, Knowledge and Attitude as Basis for Allocating
Responsibilities
Knowledge, Skills and Attitude are the abilities and characteristics that enable a job holder
to accomplish the activities described in a task statement that describes what the job
holder does.
Knowledge
Knowledge can be measured with written or oral exams where a person documents
or explains what they know.
Skills
Attitude
Examples:
Team Leaders need to allocate roles to team members in such a way that the roles are
coordinated to achieve the team's goals and that team members take responsibility for
their individual roles. Allocating appropriate roles and coordinating these roles can lead to
increased morale and motivation.
There are a number of factors that Team Leaders need to consider when allocating roles to
ensure that the team is effectively meeting its goals. Team Leaders need to ensure that
team members:
Understanding the roles of team mates helps ensure that team members
concentrate on their own responsibilities and that their actions do not impinge on
their team mates functions. Team members need to understand the challenges and
basic functions of other roles so that they can support and complement their team
mates.
As team members take ownership of the team's goals it is important that they
understand how the different roles of each team member interrelates. Knowing that
each role is contributing towards the achievement of team goals encourages team
members to play their part and take responsibility for their work. Understanding
how the team operates increases the sense of belonging to a team and a belief that
the whole team is moving in the same direction.
It is important that team mates have the authority to coordinate their activities
with team mates. This helps ensure that obstacles can be effectively dealt with by
the team and that opportunities for improvements to the work process can be
capitalized upon.
One method for allocating the appropriate type of tasks to team members is Responsibility
Charting. Responsibility Charting involves identifying who is best suited to dealing with a
situation or issue in a certain way by identifying four roles that individuals adopt in
relation to a decision. These four roles are:
Information provider
Consultant
Decision maker
Knowledge recipient
References: https://accountlearning.com/roles-and-responsibilities-of-team-members-
in-a-team/
https://thepeakperformancecenter.com/educational-
learning/learning/process/obtaining/obtaining-
information/knowledge-skills-attitudes/
https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au/toolboxes/toolbox316/ip/ip_c02.html
SELF-CHECK N0.2.2-1-
ASSIGNING RESPONSIBILITIES AMONG TEAM MEMBERS
Identification. Write T on the space provided beside the number if the statement is
correct. Otherwise, write F.
1. He should work for consensus on decisions.
2. He documents the main ideas of the team’s discussion.
3. He monitors the time to maintain the schedule as per
agenda.
4. He prepares the agenda of all meetings and ensure
necessary resources are available for the meeting.
5. He presents the documents for the team to review
during the meeting and distribute them as “minutes of
the meeting” afterwards.
6. He provides feed back to the team concerning the
effectiveness of the team process.
7. He serves as a mediator between the team and the
Quality Council.
8. He should actively, participate in meetings and shares
knowledge, expertise, ideas and information.
9. He ensures smooth and effective operations of the
team.
10. He should listen carefully and ask questions.
1. Individual Member
2. Team Recorder
3. Time Keeper
4. Team Leader
5. Team Recorder
6. Facilitator
7. Team Leader
8. Individual Member
9. Team Leader
10. Individual Member
CONTENTS:
Knowledge and Skills in Setting Individual Performance Target/ Expectation
Team Member Duties and Responsibilities
Employee Policies and Procedures
Defining Performance Expectations Criteria
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
1. Performance expectations are established based on client needs and according to
assigned requirements
2. Performance expectations are based on individual team member’s duties and
responsibilities
3. Performance expectations are discussed and disseminated to individual team
member
CONDITIONS:
The students/trainees must be provided with the following:
CBLM
Paper
Learning Materials
Pencil
Eraser
METHODOLOGIES:
Self-paced/modular
Discussion
Case study
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Written test
Portfolio Analysis
Interview
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
1. Read Information Sheet 2.3-1 on Setting You may clarify with the
Performance Expectation for Team Members facilitator if you have concerns
on the lesson
3. Perform the Task Sheet No. 2.3-1 on setting Evaluate your performance
Performance Expectation for Team Members using Performance Criteria
Check List No. 2.3-1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Setting expectations for your employees is an essential responsibility that many business
owners gloss over. Clear employee expectations benefit not only your staff, but your
business as a whole.
It is important to set clear employee and performance expectations for each new person
during the onboarding process. Be specific and clear as to what the expectations are and
how you will measure them. Performance expectations should be measured by the
company and communicated by management or leadership.
Before you can have a conversation with your staff members, you need to have a
conversation with yourself and write down what your realistic expectations are.
For example, you may expect staff members to do the following:
Clear communication from leaders is imperative for success. If staff members don't
fully understand what you expect from them, it'll be difficult for them to meet your
expectations. You can do these things to make them clear:
Lay out exactly what your expectations are in paperwork for new hires.
Provide existing employees with a digital or print guide as an amendment to
your employee handbook or their job responsibilities.
Don't just hand staff members your expectations guide – meet with them to
discuss what they are.
Address any questions employees have about your expectations.
Ensure they understand what your expectations are.
When employees understand why expectations are important, it can help them see
the bigger picture and feel like their role in the company matters.
Don't just tell staff members what your expectations are – communicate
why they are important.
Help staff members see how the company as a whole can benefit when they
meet or exceed your expectations.
Beyond communicating the importance of your expectations, break down
the "why" in as much detail as possible to minimize confusion.
Offer concrete examples as to why you've set certain expectations, and explain to
your team how these expectations connect to the big-picture goals of the company.
Each team member has a role to play on the team, defined by skill set and experience.
Some might be optimists, providing encouragement, innovative ideas and positivity, while
others will be more pragmatic and encourage definable goals and structure. The point is
that all roles have their own value in the collaboration of a team. Here are some general
roles and responsibilities for a team member:
Actively participate.
Be an active listener.
Take notes.
Complete tasks and assignments.
While most employees are aware of a company’s general mission upon getting
hired, the precise details should be spelled out and distributed to each employee.
Mission statements include things such as sales goals and marketing initiatives,
where a company has been and where it hopes to go. This should include top
management's vision of the company.
All employers have to set general policies regarding employee conduct. That
includes guidelines on what is considered appropriate behavior between two
employees, as well as employees and managers and employees and customers. This
section will also include information on absenteeism, insubordination and all areas
of employee conduct.
Most companies offer vacation and sick time to their employees. Much of the time,
vacation is based on an employee’s experience, with those who have spent more
years at the company receiving more time. Sick time also varies, and an employer
must detail such policies, as well as whether or not employees will be compensated
during vacation and sick time.
Example: New full-time employees will receive a pro-rata number of vacation days
based on one day for each month worked in the hired calendar year, not to exceed
10 days
.
Employee Compensation Policies
Employees have a wide range of pay, but those who work for the same company are
often paid on the same day. Policies and procedures must outline when employees
will be paid, whether it be once a week or twice a month. Employees also need to be
made aware if direct deposit is available, as well as the guidelines on bonus pay
and reimbursement for mileage and other work-related expenses.
Example: Employees are paid on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Companies that offer health benefits need to include key aspects, such as pricing for
individuals and families, in their list of employee policies and procedures. Many
companies also have a mandatory waiting period of anywhere from 30 to 90 days
before benefits become available to an employee.
Example: Full-time employees, their spouses and eligible dependent children are
eligible for health benefits on the first day of the month following 30 days of
continuous employment.
Programs such as 401K and other forms of retirement are another important
aspect of employee policies and procedures. Companies must provide information
on the different type of options available.
Employee policies and procedures should consist of every imaginable situation and
topic, ensuring that employees understand all aspects of working for a company.
That includes policies on acceptable attire, safety, termination and resignation,
working from home and overtime.
While the list of Major Job Duties tells the employee what is to be done, performance
standards provide the employee with specific performance expectations for each major
duty. They are the observable behaviors and actions which explain how the job is to be
done, plus the results that are expected for satisfactory job performance. They tell the
employee what a good job looks like. The purpose of performance standards is to
communicate expectations. Some supervisors prefer to make them as specific as possible,
and some prefer to use them as talking points with the specificity defined in the discussion.
Keep in mind that good performance typically involves more than technical expertise. You
also expect certain behaviors (e.g. friendliness, helpfulness, courteousness, punctuality,
etc.). It is often these behaviors that determine whether performance is acceptable.
Performance standards are:
References: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/workplace-
issues
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9451-clear-employee-
expectations.html
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/team-roles-
and-responsibilities
https://hr.iu.edu/training/performance_management/define.htm
SELF-CHECK 2.3-1
SETTING PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION FOR TEAM MEMBERS
True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is correct on the space provided, otherwise
write FALSE.
1. It is important to set clear employee and performance expectations for each
new person during the on-boarding process.
2. Employee compensation policies should be included in defining
performance expectation criteria.
3. Performance standards are based on the individual not the position.
4. Performance expectations go beyond a job description and include a range
of expected outcomes.
5. Performance standards are observable, specific indicators of success.
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. FALSE
4. TRUE
5. TRUE
Performance Objective: You are required to set performance expectation criteria for a
team member.
Supplies / Materials:
Paper
Pencil
Step / Procedure:
Position:
Duties and Responsibilities Performance Expectation Criteria
3. Submit it to the facilitator.
Assessment Method:
Portfolio Analysis
CRITERIA YES NO
Instructor’s Signature :
Student’s Signature :
Date of Performance :
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
1. Monitor team member’s performance in respect to the defined performance criteria
2. Provide team members with feedback, positive support and advice on strategies to
overcome any difficulties
3. Inform team members of any changes in the priority allocated to assignment or
task
4. Provide communication follow-up on all issues affecting the team
CONDITIONS:
The students/trainees must be provided with the following:
CBLM
Paper
Learning Materials
Pencil
Eraser
METHODOLOGIES:
Self-paced/modular
Discussion
Case study
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Written test
Portfolio Analysis
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
4. Read Information Sheet 2.4-1 on Supervising You may clarify with the
Team Performance facilitator if you have concerns
on the lesson
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
However, quantifying and measuring performance metrics is easier said than done.
Traditional metrics such as productivity can present a moving target and can often be
misleading. As Jeff Haden notes in an article for Inc, “measuring is important, but
measuring what you need to measure and measuring it the right way is critical.”
There are a number of different methods to choose from for actually tracking performance
metrics. The Houston Chronicle outlined regular appraisals, productivity tests, 360-degree
feedback, and management by objectives as a few common forms of measuring individual
performance metrics.
Certainly, there are a number of metrics that can be used when it comes to tracking how
team members are doing, and the most effective ones will depend on your business and on
different team member roles.
1. Attendance
First and foremost, it’s important to look at whether a team member shows up to
work or not. Attendance is definitely worth tracking. We’ve talked about using time
and attendance data for company growth before, but team attendance can be a
useful performance metric as well. Automating time and attendance is a great way
to keep an eye on things. If a team member is consistently showing up late, leaving
early, or taking an unusual number of sick days, they’re likely not showing their full
potential.
2. Helpfulness
We love helping our clients, so it isn’t surprising that we’d aim to include
helpfulness on a list of team member performance metrics. Joshua Konowe of
Konowe & Associates told All Business Experts that helpfulness is a key performance
metric at his company: “At our company, we ask: ‘Who in your department (or
another department) has been the most helpful over the past six months to you and
your operational role?’”
He adds that posing this question to team members is “a great motivator, is totally
anonymous, and identifies the real doers in the company—not just what
management believes.’” Helpfulness is important for fostering a culture of
teamwork, allowing your team to perform better when tackling difficult tasks
together. It might be difficult to measure helpfulness, but Konowe’s method is a
great place to start.
3. Efficiency
Team members need to be able to complete their work on time. They should have a
good handle on the limitations provided by the time and resources available and
should be able to prioritize to get things done as efficiently as possible. Look for
missed deadlines or work that suffers as a result of cramming for deadlines for
clues as to how efficiently a team member is working.
Attendance is important here too: if you see a team member clocking large
amounts of overtime every day, you may need to speak to them about time
management.
4. Initiative
It’s nice when those you work with ask what’s needed and where they can help. It’s
even nicer when they see a need and take steps to meet it on their own. An
employee that takes initiative is definitely a sign of team satisfaction and
engagement.
Looking at team members who take initiative is also important for growing
businesses and for rapidly changing workplaces that require people who can adapt
and be proactive. Initiative-taking is definitely a difficult metric to measure, but a
good place to start would be by keeping track of the times you see a team member
taking initiative, either with a nifty app or with good old- fashioned pen and paper.
5. Quality
The quality of work your team members put out is perhaps the most important
metric, but it is also the most difficult to define. Team members who care about
what they do and are engaged at work will likely perform better, and it’s a good
idea to recognize resulting achievements.
Productivity is more complex than simply looking at the number of sales calls put
out or the number of blog posts published. How many meaningful connections did
your salesperson actually make with the new leads? How much of your content
actually gets viewed and shared by your audience? One suggestion is to measure
the amount of work that gets rejected or needs to be redone as a proxy for the
quality of work, but it’s best to pick and design the method that suits your business
best.
To drive your team toward achieving improved results you will need to monitor their
performance. Doing this in a way that is both empowering and data-driven, and not
intrusive and counterproductive is challenging.
The first rule to monitoring team performance is to properly gauge a given group’s
characteristics; try and sense the degree to which the team and individuals within it can
withstand scrutiny, without becoming overly-stressed, paranoid and feel spied upon and
mistrusted. To do this, try to focus on measuring activities that will help optimize team
performance. Then, try to quantify the period of time in which you can live with a
decline in these activities and when such a decline would indicate a behavioral pattern, as
opposed to an anomaly.
Some information is harder to come by than other. Is a certain team member someone
colleagues can turn to when they need to consult, brainstorm etc.? Can this worker be a
negative influence on co-workers in times of turmoil and change?
This kind of information does not easily present itself to an inquiring manager. Unlike sales
performance and customer satisfaction, deriving this information requires using a
different approach.
Here are a number of methods designed to help you gather this type of information:
Conduct workarounds – Not only in quantum physics, but also in psychology, the
spectator can change the system he’s observing. Therefore, observing work
processes as a manager is only advisable if you can blend in and disappear. Since
this is normally not the case, opt for second opinions on your workers’ and team’s
performance from various stakeholders: clients, suppliers, colleagues from other
teams etc. Try to make sure you collect hard information and not data that is
difficult to validate. Lastly, don’t jump to conclusions based on your observations.
Approach providing negative feedback in a more sophisticated way, and let
employees provide feedback on monitored performance.
Monitoring employee performance works best with an established routine. Carry out
regular one to one meetings, team meetings or recording performance data. Monitoring
styles need to be adapted to suit the situation and individual.
Performance monitoring can have a big impact on organizations, teams and individuals.
Under-management can lead to a lack of direction and isolation, micro-management can
cause frustration and resentment. Finding the right balance is essential for success.
Monitoring methods:
Within regular one to one meeting a work plan should provide a focus. Work plans
should be created in consultation with the employee and include clear tasks,
timescales and the resources required. Each one to one should include discussion of
the work plan. What progress has been made since last time? Did they meet their
targets? If not, why?
Listen to the feedback you are given. Ask questions and encourage the individual to
consider how they can work effectively and reach their potential. Make sure the
employee is aware they are accountable for their actions. Engage them in deciding
and agreeing on targets and timescales for their work plans.
Project plans, checklists and activity logs are all great ways of monitoring
performance. This is beneficial not just as a tool for project management but also
so employees themselves can monitor their own goals and deadlines.
5. Feedback
Give and encourage feedback as often as possible. Don’t wait until meetings, one to
ones and reviews. Encourage your team to come and speak to you and keep them
motivated by keeping on top of their progress and letting them know when they are
doing well. Always remain constructive.
Coaches in the workplace help their employees to set measurable goals and to move
toward them in a clear fashion. They support the employee in attaining the desired
outcome, which may be greater productivity, increased performance, a promotion, etc.
This is different from counselors who strive to assist the employee in moving forward by
dealing with the past or internal issues that’s hindering them in the workplace.
First, you must size up the situation. The trick is to know the difference between the two
and when to use coaching and when to use counseling. The first order of business is to size
up a situation and ascertain whether you’re helping to coach an employee forward into a
future goal in the workplace or helping the employee to improve a quality or trait that is
affecting his performance.
Coaching
Future focused
Solution focused
Outcomes driven
Doesn’t give advice, instead it leads the individual to find their own answers
Asks: “How can you change?”
Believes that the individual has the answers within
Helps the individual find their own solutions to meet their goal
Counseling
Past focused
Problem focused
Challenge/issue driven
Gives advice, recommendations and directives, at times, forcefully
States: Why you must change.
The counselor has the answers
Gives the individual a diagnosis and treatment or solution to fix the problem
Following are six secrets for effective employee coaching and counseling. These secrets
deal with when and how to effectively coach and counsel employees.
Secret #1: Every moment in the office is an opportunity for training, coaching and counseling
employees
In many cases, the most impactful coaching and counseling will be informal – a moment
here, a passing observation there. These quick, informal moments then grow into deeper,
fuller conversations – conversations that sometimes span days or longer. If you rely strictly
on set times to meet with your various employees to talk to them, then you’re not having
enough conversations. If you’re only coaching and counseling your employees during
formal reviews, you’re not having the right kind of conversations. True mentoring
flourishes in the day-to-day interactions of relationship.
Secret #2: Lay the groundwork of a healthy relationship for more successful training, coaching
and counseling
The groundwork for successfully coaching is strong, healthy and open relationships. This
means that every moment of every day is an opportunity to build relationship. To be most
effective, you must have a healthy professional and personal relationship with your
employees. Usually leaders think in terms of having a professional relationship, not
understanding that a strong personal relationship will augment whatever coaching and
counseling you conduct.
Secret #3: See failures and mistakes as perfect opportunities for training, coaching and
counseling employees
Everyone makes mistakes and nobody is immune to failure. Robert F. Kennedy once said,
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” The most successful people
are the ones who have plenty of failures and mistakes, keep pressing forward and turn
them around. They perceive their failures and mistakes as opportunities for growth. Many
mention the role of counseling in helping them turn these things around, or they mention
that special coach who pushed them to surpass their limitations and become great.
When people fail, do you jump into the trenches to help them out? Do you reach down, get
a little dirty and pull them up? Or do you stand far off and criticize and berate? Remember
to see beyond the bottom line and immediate returns; instead, look at what an investment
in a person can do for your organization in the long term. You’ll probably observe a larger
dividend in the future with a loyal, productive employee. Always strive to reach down,
encourage and teach employees in the midst of their failure.
Everyone needs to be motivated, particularly when they’re pushing past their known
limitations. You want your employees to step out of their comfort zone. You want them to
push to take smart risks and excel. The best way to ensure that they’re comfortable taking
risks, going out of their comfort zone and innovating is to have a culture of reward and
praise.
Verbal praise and tangible rewards must be given for work well done. It must also be given
to the appropriate people – the ones who make the project happen in front of others. Make
sure to encourage your employees to shine.
Employees crave feedback that is detailed and specific. Such feedback looks like, “I really
appreciate how you devised a new way to…” They want to know that you truly see them
and what they do. Detailed and specific feedback also gives them something to use to grow.
It’s hard to grow on generalities. Specificity tells your employees exactly what works and
why, so they can work harder at it.
Secret #6: Carpool chats are a quick route to effectively coaching and counseling employees
Have you ever been in a car with a supervisor for a long trip and the conversation started
off stilted and then began to flow easily?
All of us have been there. There’s nothing like a carpool chat. There’s something magical
about being in a car with a coworker for a period of time. It’s a prime opportunity for some
coaching. You’re each a captive audience for the other; no one can run. The only escape is
focusing on your cell phone or the traffic, so there aren’t many avenues for distraction,
avoidance or hiding.
Further, sitting in the car allows for easy sharing and talking because no one is looking
directly at anyone else. This diminishes any sort of “confrontational” or “invasive”
feeling because you’re not looking at each other directly. This helps facilitate those
conversations that are more difficult when you are looking directly at each other. Thus,
surprisingly, a car ride to an event or meeting is an excellent opportunity for unnoticed, yet
extremely effective informal coaching and counseling. Make sure to take advantage of it.
The six secrets above and the additional tips will put you on the inside track for training,
coaching and counseling your employees. Don’t hesitate to begin. Quality mentoring is a
benefit for the coach and the coached, for the mentor and the mentee. You’ll be sure to see
the return in the growth of your employees and the success of your organization.
References: https://risepeople.com/blog/5-metrics-team-member-performance/
https://www.betterteam.com/team-member-job-description
https://centrical.com/monitoring-team-performance/
https://www.engageinlearning.com/faq/leadership/monitoring-
performance/how-do-you-monitor-employee-performance/
https://www.edgetrainingsystems.com/6-secrets-for-effective-employee-
coaching-counseling/
SELF-CHECK 2.4-1
SUPERVISING TEAM PERFORMANCE
A. Enumeration. Enumerate the following. Write your answer on the space provided.
B. True or False. Write T if the statement is True on the space provided, otherwise
write F.
1. Coaching is future focused while counseling is past focused.
2. Coaching is problem focused while counseling is solution focused.
3. Coaching is outcome driven while counseling is challenge/issue driven.
4. Every moment in the office is an opportunity for training, coaching and
counseling employees.
5. Coaching gives the individual a diagnosis and treatment or solution to fix the
problem while counseling helps the individual find their own solution to
meet their goal.
ANSWER KEY 2.4-1
SUPERVISING TEAM PERFORMANCE
A. Enumeration.
B. True or False.
1. T
2. F
3. T
4. T
5. F