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This book is based on Unit Standard 242819 Motivate and build a team
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Team LeaderTechniques
Anthony Hill
Unit Standard 242819Motivate and build a team
Team Leader Techniques
Unit Standard 242819
© Anthony Hill 2007
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright owner.
First Published 2007
Published by Future Managers (Pty) LtdPO Box 13914, Mowbray, 7705Tel (021) 462 3572Fax (021) 462 3681E-mail: [email protected]: www.futuremanagers.net
FutureManagers
�
Motivate and build a team
After completing this unit standard, you should be able to:• explaintheimportanceofmotivatingateam• demonstrateanunderstandingofyourself(placingyourselfinthe
positionofateamleader)andteammembersintheworkplace• applytheoriesofmotivationandgroupdynamics• implementaplanofactiontostrengthenateam• providefeedbackandrecognizeachievements
UNIT STANDARD
242819
� Unit Standard �4�8�9
�Unit Standard �4�8�9
Specific Outcome 1Explain the importance of
motivating a team
Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to explain:• thereasonswhymotivationisimportant• whattheindicators of motivationare(accordingtotheoryandpractice)
1. Why is motivation so important?
Ateamleadercanbedefinedassomeonewhoisabletoinspirepeopletoworkenthusiasticallyandeffectivelyasateaminordertoaccomplishorganisationalobjectives?Oneofthekeyconceptsinthisdefinitionisthatof“inspiring people to work enthusiastically”.
Whyisitsoimportantthattheteamleaderinspiresteammemberstoworkenthusiastically?
Well,theoverwhelmingevidenceisthatsustainable successintheworldofworkisdependantonhowanorganisation’shumanresourcesaremotivated toperform!Thebestcompaniesintheworld:• constantlymeasure the satisfaction of their peoplebymeansofattitudesurveys • reward the performance of their peoplebylinkingpaytoperformance• promote their people from withinwheneverpossible• spendahighpercentageoftheirpayrollon the training & career development of
their people
Inotherwordsthesetopcompanieshavetakenspecificactionsthattheybelievewillresultin‘motivated’employeeswhowillwanttoputinmoreefforttohelptheorganisationsuccessfullyachieveitsgoals.
Atthesametime,thereisalsoconsistentevidencethatsuccessfulorganisationsmakesurethattheydon’tinvestmoney,effortandtimeinanythingwithoutachievingareturnonthisinvestment.Thereforewecanacceptthattheseorganisationsareconfidentthatrewarding,promotinganddevelopingtheiremployeesareappropriatemechanismstohelpthemachievedesiredresults.
4 Unit Standard �4�8�9
1.1 Understanding the needs of team members
“People are motivated by many different things but most importantly, I think we’re motivated by a sense of excitement!”(MarkShuttleworth:EntepreneurandfirstSouthAfricaninSpace)
Whatleadstotheconfidencethattopcompanieshavethattheyareusingthebest‘motivators’?Itissimplythattheybelievethattheyarefulfillingindividualneedsbyprovidingachosenrangeof‘rewards’.Theserewardsmaybeinthetangibleformofmoneyandbenefitssuchascars(beingpaidforperformance),orintheformofintrinsicfeelingsofachievementandrecognition(promotion),self-fulfilment(training&careerdevelopment).
Whateveritisthat'pushesanindividual’sbuttons';itisarealityintheworldofworkthatorganisationsbelievethatindividualemployeesaremotivatedtoperformbecausetheyexpectthatbetterperformancewillleadtosomeformofrewardfortheirefforts.
Obviouslyitthenmakessensetogainasoundunderstandingoftheseindividualneedsbeforetakingactiontomotivateemployees.Someoftheseneedsappeartobefairlyobvious.Thereareanumberofexamplesforexample:a) Employeesfindthatbeing part of a teamsatisfiestheirneedsfor: • Security–(gainingconfidenceaspartofateamonwhomtheycan
countforsupport) • Affiliation–(feeling‘partof ’ateam) • Status–(beingpartofa‘winningteam’leadstoshared
recognition) • Self-esteem–(beingpartofateambuildsafeelingofself-worth)b) Manyemployeeshavea need to be ‘empowered’,wheretheyarerecognisedfor
productivityimprovements,givendailyfeedbackontheirachievementsandkeptinformedofhowthey,asindividualteammembers,contributetoorganisationalsuccess.
Motivatingemployeesinanorganisationissoimportantbecausealltheevidencesuggeststhatitdirectlyleadstoimprovedorganisationalperformanceandsubsequentsustainablesuccess.Thesecretistofirstestablish;andtheneffectivelyutilisethelinkbetween‘motivators’andperformance!
1.2 The process of motivation
Ifyougainanunderstandingoftheprocess ofmotivation,thenyouareinamuchbetterpositiontounderstandhowtotranslateneedsintomotivators.This,inturn,meansthatyou,astheteamleader,can,forexample,linkgoodcommunicationandpositivefeedbacktomoreeffectiveteamperformance.
AtheoristbythenameofVictorVroomdevelopedamodelthatdoes,infact,linkneeds(forexample,“respect”)toadesiredoutcome(forexample,“performance”).Thisisillustratedinexhibit1.
�Unit Standard �4�8�9
Exhibit 1: Vroom’s expectancy model of motivation
MotivationalForce
=
Expectancy
An individual’s expectation
that he/she can perform a certain task to a certain
standard
Instrumentality
How instrumental
achieving this standard will be in leading to a
specific outcome
Valence
How much value the individual
attaches to the specific outcome
in question
x x
This model is best explained by a workplace analogy
Assume that you have been employed by an organisation in a temporary administrative capacity.
Youarehopingthattheywillofferyouapermanentjob,becauseyouhavebeenunemployedforthepastsixmonths.ThejobrequiresyoutogeneratealotofactivityreportsonExcelspreadsheets.Themanagerofthedepartmentwhereyouareworkingisveryfussyaboutaccuratereportsbeingsubmittedontime.Youhaveheardthatthelastpermanentpersonwhowasemployedleftbecauseshewasunabletocopewiththepressure.ThisconcernsyoubecauseyourExcelcomputerskillsarequiteweak.Inthisscenarioyouhavealowexpectationthatputtingmoreeffortintoyourworkwillleadtotherequiredstandardofperformance.
ApplyingVroom’stheorytothisanalogy:• Themaximumforexpectancyis1.00(possiblescoresrangefromaslowas0.00
toashighas1.00).Arealisticscoreforyouis0.25becauseofyourweakExcelskills.
• Youdo,however,knowthatdoingthisworkwellwillplayaveryimportantroleinyoubeingappointedfulltime.Thereforeyouscore0.9forInstrumentality.
• Valence(therealneed),accordingtoVroomcarriesavalueofbetween100(anegativefeelingbytheindividual)and100.Youaredesperateforthejobandthusscore100forValence.
Thefinalscorearrivedatbymultiplyingexpectancybyinstrumentalityandthenbyvalenceis22.5(0.25x0.9x100).
Your motivational force is therefore low.Thisisbecauseas‘motivated’asyouaretogetthejob,knowingthatyoudon’tpossesssufficientskillinthecriticalpartofthejobi.e.producingaccurateExcelspreadsheets,makesyouless‘expectant’andthereforeless‘motivated’toputintheextraeffort!
� Unit Standard �4�8�9
Whensettingperformanceobjectivesandstandardsoneofthekeyelementsisthat,althoughtheyshouldbechallenging,theyshouldnotbeunrealistic.Ifthishappens,teammembersarelikelytobecomede-motivatedandgiveup.Inotherwordstheirexpectationofmeetingrequiredstandardswillremainlowaslongasthesestandardsareunrealisticallyhigh!
Thesimplicityofthistheoryisofgreatvalueinhelpingustounderstandthe‘process’requiredtotranslatea‘need’intoanactionthatwillmotivateteammembers.
2. Content theories of motivation
Content theoriesofmotivationhelpusanswerthequestion“Whatmotivatespeople?”Ifweareabletounderstandthecausesofmotivation,thenweareinagoodpositiontoimmediatelyknowwhenateammemberismotivatedtoperform.
2.1 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Nearlysixtyyearsago,apsychologistbythenameofAbrahamMaslowhypothesizedthatpeopleonlydevelopcertainneeds(thathetermedhigher-orderneeds)whenother(lower-order)needshavebeensatisfied.Hesubsequentlydevelopeda‘hierarchy’ofneedsthathasbecomethemostwidelyknowntheoryofmotivationintheworld.Althoughcriticisedoverthepastfewyears,Maslow’sHierarchy(illustratedinexhibit2)stillprovidesanexcellent,user-friendlyexplanationofwhatmotivatesus.
IfyouhadnoexperienceofExcelwhatsoever,yourexpectancyscoremightevenbezero!Inthiscaseyourmotivationalforcescorewillbe0(sinceanythingmultipliedbyazero=zero)andyouareunlikelytoputinanyextraeffort.Ofcourseifyouhaveastrongsenseofself-belief,youmaywelltakeacrashcourseinExcelwhiletemping.Thismightincreaseyourexpectancyscoretoashighas.90,andsuddenlyyourmotivationalforcestandsatahighscoreof81!
�Unit Standard �4�8�9
Exhibit 2: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Whatthistheoryimpliesisthat,althoughwemaybemotivatedbyafairlywidevarietyofneeds,wewon’tbemotivatedby‘safety’issuesuntilourbasic‘physiological needs’aresatisfied,andbeingsociallyaccepteddoesn’tbecomeaneedunlessourlower-orderneedsforshelterandsafetyhavebeen,andcontinuetobesatisfied.
Toensurethatwearecompletelyclearaboutthisintheworldofwork,let’slookatanotheranalogy.
Self-actualisation
needs(personal growth & self-fulfilment)
Esteem needs(self respect, autonomy,
recognition, status, prestige)
Social needs(acceptance, feeling of belonging,
group affiliation)
Safety needs(feeling of security, protection from harm)
Physiological needs(hunger, thirst, sleep, shelter)
Maslow’s hierarchy explained by a workplace analogy
Assume that you are 30 years of age and live in Gugulethu, Cape Town. You have a family to support and are unemployed.
Yougetupat5ameverymorningtogoandstandoutsidethegatesofafactoryinthehopeofacasualjob.Whatareyourneeds?Clearlyyourprimaryfocusisto‘putbreadonthetable’foryourfamily–youaredrivenbyhungerandtheneedforshelter.
Becausethefactoryhasurgentorderstoproduce,youareluckyenoughtogetacasualjobforthreedaysaweekforthenextmonth.Yourbasicphysiologicalneedshavebeensatisfiedandyourfocusnowison‘safety’i.e.thesecurityofapotentialpermanentjob.Youworkverydiligentlyandarenoticedbytheforemanforyouraccuratework,goodtimekeepingandpositiveattitude.
8 Unit Standard �4�8�9
AcriticalissuetorememberinMaslow’stheoryisthat,asindividualswillnotbemotivatedbyhigher-orderneedssuchasstatuswheninneedofprotectionfromharm(safetyneed),itisequallytruethatlower-orderneedscanbecomeapriorityagainifpersonalcircumstanceschange.
Imaginetheuniversityprofessorwhohasachievedeverythingshewishestoandfocusesverymuchonself-actualisationneedsbyconductingresearchthatinterestsher.Duetorestructuringherpostbecomesredundantandshelosesherjob.Doesherprimaryfocusremainattheself-actualisationlevel?Highlyunlikely!Shehastoworryaboutearninganincometomakealiving.Wearebacktolower-orderphysiologicalandsafetyneedsaspriorities.
Maslow’shierarchyremainsavaluabletoolformanagersintheworldofworktounderstandthreekeyprinciples.Theseare:• notallindividualsaremotivatedbythesamethings• personalcircumstanceshaveapowerfulimpactonindividualneeds• thelessorganisationsgeneraliseaboutwhatmotivatespeopleandthemore
theyattempttounderstandindividualneeds,thebettertheyareableto'inspireemployeestoworkenthusiastically'.
PerformingActivity1willhelpyoutounderstandhowyourneedstieinwiththistheory.
Thecompanywinsanewexportcontractandisabletoofferyouapermanentjob.Afteracoupleofweeks,youstarttomakeanefforttogettoknowyourworkcolleaguesbetterasyoubecomepartofaformalworkteam.Thisisbecauseyourphysiologicalandsafetyneedshavebeensatisfiedandyouarenowmotivatedbyhigher-ordersocialneeds–youwanttofeelthatyou‘belong’.
Youcontinuetoworkhardandareeagertolearnnewskills.Aftersixmonthstheforemancallsyouintotheofficeandinformsyouthatyouhavebeennominatedtoattendatrainingcourseforteamleaders.Thisfulfilsyourneedforrecognitionandstatus–afteronlysixmonthsyouhavebeenidentifiedashavingleadershippotential!Youfeelgratefultotheorganisationforgivingyouthisopportunityandaremotivatedtoprovetothemthattheirconfidenceisnotmisplacedbyputtingevenmoreeffortintoyourwork.
Afteranothertwoyears,youhavebeenpromoted,areontopofyourjobandhavestartedtostudypart-time.Youhavealwayswantedtodoadegreeinordertoprovetoyourselfthat‘you’vegotwhatittakes’.Youdon’tfeeltheneedtoproveanythingtootherpeople-yourneedsnowareforself-actualisation.Youhavemovedtothetopofthehierarchy!
9Unit Standard �4�8�9
Activity 1
Step 1: Rate what your personal needs on a scale of 1 – 5, 1 = not at all important, 2 = not important, 3 = neutral, 4 = important and 5 = very important. Step 2: List which of these needs are Physiological (P), Safety (S), Social (So), Esteem (E) or Self-Actualisation (A).
Needs Rating Need Type
1. Interesting work
2. Job security
3. Recognition for work performed
4. A good salary
5. Pleasant working conditions
6. Help with my personal problems
7. Opportunities for promotion
8. More responsibility
9. A good Pension Plan and Medical Aid
10. Being allowed to work independently
What are your highest needs? Add up your scores for each type of need. This should give you an indication of where you are on the hierarchy.
2.2 Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory
Alsoknownasthe‘two-factortheory’,thisexplainshowtodistinguishbetweenthosefactorsthatcontributetosatisfactionintheworldofwork(the‘motivators’)andthosethatdon’tnecessarilymotivateindividualemployeesbuthavetoremaininplacetoavoidindividualsbecomingdissatisfied(the‘hygienefactors’).
FrederickHerzbergconductedextensiveresearchintowhatjobfactorsledtosatisfactionandwhatfactorscreateddissatisfaction.Fromthis,heformulatedascale(illustratedinexhibit3)highlightingthedifferencebetweenhygiene factors(“dissatisfiers”)andmotivators(“satisfiers”).
�0 Unit Standard �4�8�9
Exhibit 3: Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory
Let’sexplorethisfurther.WhatHerzbergsuggestsisthatremovinga‘dissatisfier’suchas“poorworkingconditions”willnotincreaseemployeemotivation.Infact,itwillbedifficulttorelyonidentified‘motivators’suchas“workitself ”tocreateamotivatedworkforce,ifpoorconditionscontinuetoexist.Inotherwords,hygienefactorsareanessentialfoundationformotivationtotakeplaceeventhoughtheydon’t,inthemselves,motivatepeopleatwork.
AlthoughHerzberg’stheoryhasalsobeencriticisedinregardtothevalidityofhisresearchdesignandresults,ithasmadeacoupleofmajorcontributionstounderstandingthecontentofmotivation.
Thefirstofthesehasbeento create awareness that money is not always the most important motivator in the world of work.Achievement,recognitionandopportunitiesforpersonalgrowtharegloballyrecognisedasmotivatorsandyetdon’tautomaticallymeanmoremoneyispaidouttotheindividualsconcerned.Let’suseanotheranalogytoensureweunderstandthis.
Hygiene Factors Motivators
Achievement
Recognition
Work itself
Responsibility
Advancement
Growth
Security
Status
Relationships
Salary
Work Conditions
Supervision
Motivators vs hygiene factors explained by a workplace analogy
Assume that you are a team leader in a factory who has worked very hard to achieve your performance targets over the past year.
Your boss calls you in and tells you that you have been awarded a fifteen percent increase in salary. You feel great! You find out that the average increase has been six percent and that the above average performers have been awarded between eight and ten percent. Now you are really motivated – you feel like putting in a huge effort to show the organisation just how much you appreciate your increase. Three months later your new higher salary is what you expect to receive each month. It has become a hygiene factor.
��Unit Standard �4�8�9
Thesecondmajorcontributionhasbeentoclarifythatthereisadifferencebetweenintrinsicandextrinsicmotivation.
Thisisparticularlywellillustratedbytherangeof‘rewards’usedbyorganisationsto‘motivate’theiremployees.Wesawearlierthattheserewardsmaybeinthetangibleformofmoneyandmaterialacquisitionssuchascars,orintheformoffeelingsofachievementandself-fulfilment.Herzberg’stheoryhashelpedsignificantlyindevelopingaclearerunderstandingofwhatcomprises‘reward’.
Twokeydescriptorshaveemergedtoexplainthetypesofrewardsthatmotivatepeopleintheworldofwork.
Intrinsic rewardsdescribethefeelingsofself-fulfilmentandenjoymentthattheindividualemployeegainsfromthejobitself.Inresponsetothis,manyorganisationshavereviewedthecontentofjobsinordertomakethemmorestimulatingandtoprovideopportunitiesforgrowth.
Extrinsic rewardsdescribetherewardsgainedfromsourcesotherthanthejob,suchasdirectfinancialcompensationandafeelingof‘beingpartof ’theorganisation.Extrinsicrewardscanbesplitfurtherintofinancialandnon-financialrewards.Thereis,forexample,adifferencebetweenasalary(financialreward),andalargeexecutiveoffice(non-financialstatusreward).
Exhibit4providesamodeltoexplaintheconceptsofinternalandexternalmotivationintheformofrewards.Hereitcanbeclearlyseenthatintrinsicrewards,forexample,fitnicelyintoMaslow’sself-actualisationneedsandthestrongestmotivatorsofHerzberg’smodel.Non-financialextrinsicrewardsmeetstatusneedsandsoon.
�� Unit Standard �4�8�9
Exhibit 4: Intrinsic and extrinsic rewards
2.3 McClelland’s nAch theory
Teamrolescanvarybetweenmembers.Someteammembersare‘goalachievers’,others‘teambuilders’andothers‘powerseekers’.TheserolesarebasedontheworkdonebyDavidMcClellandandhisassociateswhoidentifiedthreebasicneedsthattheybelievedaremanifestedbyindividualsintheworldofwork.
The need for achievement (nAch):adesiretoexcelincomparisontoothersandtobeseenassuccessful.The need for affiliation (nAff):adesiretohavecloserelationships,feelacceptedandlikedbyothers.The need for power (nPow):adesiretomakeotherpeoplebehaveinawaythattheywouldnotwithoutthisinfluence.
Individualswithahighneed for achievementtendtobeexcellentasentrepreneurswhostartupsmallbusinessesorasemployees,suchassalesrepresentatives,whoareallowedtooperateindependentlytoattainrealisticobjectives.Theyarenot,however,necessarilygoodmanagerswhotendtohaveastrongerneed for powerratherthanforachievement,andwhoarenotparticularlymotivatedbyhavingcloseinterpersonalrelationships.
Rewards for
Performance
• Merit increases
• Performance Bonuses
• Shares
Social Rewards
• Public Recognition
• Being asked for advice based on recognition of expertise
Rewards forBelonging
to the Organisation
• Basic Salary• Medical Aid• Pension Plan• Car Scheme
Status Rewards
• Job Title• Executive
Office• Private Parking• Personal
assistant
Rewards
Intrinsic Rewards
• Opportunities for personal growth
• Being given more job responsibility
• Opportunity to participate in decisions affecting the organisation
• Job Enrichment
Financial
Extrinsic Rewards
Non-financial
��Unit Standard �4�8�9
AswithMaslowandHerzberg’stheories,theprimaryvalueofthistheoryisinassistingorganisationstotapintovaryingindividualneedsandthenutilisethisknowledgetoapplyappropriatemotivationalmechanisms.Forexampleemployeeswithstrongaffiliationneedswillrespondpositivelytotheopportunitytoworkasamemberofateaminastructuredenvironment.
Ontheotherhand,thoseindividualswithastrongneedforachievementwillbemotivatedbytheopportunitytoworkautonomouslyandusetheirinitiative.
ThepredominantmindsetintheworldofworkoverthepastthirtytofortyyearshasbeenthatnAchandnPowarewhatit’sallabout.Theemployeewhoisindividualistic,competitiveanddisplaysastrongdesireto‘getahead’hasbeenvalued.
Whilethisisstillvalidtoapoint,moreandmoresuccessfulorganisationshaveseenthevaluethatgenuine teamworkhasaddedtoachievingorganisationalgoals.EmployeeswhohasahighnAff,addsanotherdimensiontoateam.Theseindividualsaremorelikelytoseekconsensusandthereforehelptoensurethatallteammemberssupportadecision.This,inturn,meansthattheyaremoremotivatedtoimplementitsuccessfully.
RecentresearchintheUSA,hasansweredthekeyquestionofwhatmotivatespeopletowork.
Usethenextactivitytoestablishthecorrectanswerandtoreinforcethelearningfromthesecontenttheories.
Activity 2
Answer the question “What motivates people to work?” by ticking () the appropriate box.
A. Pay and benefits compared to other people of their own age
B. Pay and benefits – the higher the better
C. Pay and benefits compared to other opportunities
D. Only pay – benefits don’t count
E. Quality of jobs and quality of the organisation I work for
Ofcoursetheansweris‘E’!ThisreinforcesHerzberg’scontentionofwhatare‘motivators’andwhatare‘hygienefactors’.
�4 Unit Standard �4�8�9
3. Workplace indicators of motivation
Allthesetheoriesexplainwhatorganisationshavetounderstandabouthumanneedsthatconsistentlyprovidethefoundationformotivatingemployeesintheworldofwork.
Asateamleader,youcanbesurethat,althoughwearealldifferentasindividuals,teammemberswillgenerallybemotivatedbyrecognitionforgoodperformance,opportunitiesforpersonalgrowth,beingempoweredtotakedecisionsandtakingonmoreinterestingwork.Intheworkplace,• Visualmanagementwillprovidesignsofpossiblede-motivationsuchasgenerally
higherlevelsofabsenteeism,lowerefficiencyandanincreaseinqualityproblems.• Teamreviewmeetingswillindicatedirectlyhowmotivatedteammembersare
bythenatureoftheirquestionsandresponses.Complaintsaboutperformancestandardsbeingtoodifficulttoachievewillbeindicatorsthatteammembershavealowlevelofexpectancyandarethusnothighlymotivatedtoachievestandards.
• FormalperformanceappraisalInterviewswillprovideausefulopportunityforteammemberstofocusontheirowndevelopmentneeds.Askingforcompanysupporttostudyforacourseinmanagement,isanindicatorofmotivationtosucceed.
Thebestindicatorthatyouwilleverhavethataparticularsetof‘motivators’isworkingwillbecontinuous improvement in performance.
Thatiswhygainingthecommitmentofteammemberstoachievingplans,targetsandstandardsaresoimportant;andwhythemostsuccessfulorganisationsintheworldspendsomuchtimeandeffortindoingthingsthattheybelievewillmotivatetheiremployees!Thereis,however,animportantwayofestablishingwhetherornotteammembersaremotivatedwithouthavingtowaituntilafteraperformancereviewperiodtofindoutthattargetshavenotbeenachievedduetolowlevelsofmotivation.ASKTHEM!
Thisisnotassimpleasitappears.If,forexample,teammembersfeelthatitisyourpoorcommunication,astheteamleader,thatistheproblem–thentheyarehighlyunlikelytotellyouthat!If,ontheotherhand,itisacompanypolicyonleavethatistheproblem,thenyouwillnotbeabletodomuchaboutitotherthanreportittoyourboss.
Thesolutionistoconductanattitudesurvey.Wesawearlierthattopcompaniesconstantlymeasurethesatisfactionoftheirpeoplebymeansofattitudesurveys.Bydoingso,theyareabletoseewhatisworkingandwhatisnotandwhetherornotitsupportstheachievementoforganisationalgoals.
Ifsurveysstarttoindicatethatemployeesfeelcommunicationandtrustarebreakingdownandpeopleareworkingasindividualsinsteadofasteams,managementareabletotakeaction.
��Unit Standard �4�8�9
Employeesurveyresultssuchasthoseillustratedinexhibit5,provideanorganisationwithanobjectiveassessmentofhowmotivatedemployeesare.
Exhibit 5: Employee attitude survey results
Fromthissurveyitisevidentthatemployeesviewtheorganisationinquestionasonethatpayswell,trainsitsemployeesandiscommittedtoqualityandexcellence.However,theyobviouslybelievethatteamworkandcommunicationneedtobeimprovedandarehintingthatgreaterempowermentcouldfacilitatethis.
Theorganisationthatiswillingtosubjectitselftothishonestfeedbackfromitsownemployeesand,mostimportantlytoactonitcanonlygrowtobecomeanorganisationthatsuccessfullylinkstheirmotivationtoachievingimprovedperformance.
Survey Category Negativeperceptions
Positiveperceptions
Product Quality
Financial Compensation
Training
Advancement Opportunities
Teamwork
Empowerment
Communication
�� Unit Standard �4�8�9
��Unit Standard �4�8�9
Specific Outcome 2
Demonstrate an understanding of oneself and team members in the workplace
Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should, in the position of a team leader, be able to identify:• yourown strengthsandareas for development,basedonself-reflectionand
feedback• the strengthsandareas of development for team members,basedonobservation
andfeedback
1. Introduction
“It’s not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves!”(SirEdmundHillary:thefirstpersontoclimbMountEverest)
Wehaveseenearlierthatmotivatingemployeesinanorganisationissoimportantbecausetheevidencesuggeststhatitdirectlyleadstoimprovedorganisationalperformance.Inotherwords,inspiring people to work enthusiasticallyisimportanttoorganisationalsuccess.However,inthedefinitionofaTeamLeaderyousawthatteammembersareALSOrequiredtoworkeffectively.
Inotherwordsitisnousehaving‘motivated’employeesgoinginthewrongdirection!Itisthereforecriticaltobuildamotivatedandeffectiveteam.ThefirststepinbuildinganeffectiveteamistounderstandhowcompetenttheTeamLeaderandteammembersare.
2. Individual competence
Competencecomprisesabilities,knowledge,skillsaswellasthepersonality,valuesandattitudesofindividuals.Reviewingeachofthesecomponentsinturnwillhelpustounderstandthisimportantconcept.
2.1 Components of competence
2.1.1 Ability
Abilityreferstoourcapacityto:• acquireknowledge• applythisknowledge• performfunctionaltasks
�8 Unit Standard �4�8�9
Althoughweallhavephysicalaswellasmentalabilities,theterm‘ability’intheworldofworktendstobeviewedasourcognitiveabilitytoidentify,analyseandchooseappropriatealternativestosolveproblems.Inotherwords,abilityisnormallyviewedasourmentalorintellectualcapability.Howeverdefined,abilityisacorecomponentofcompetence.
2.1.2 Knowledge
Knowledgereferstoourpersonal‘database’ofinformationacquiredfrom:• formalstudy• interactingwithotherpeople• mediaexposure(e.g.newspapers,radio,television)
2.1.3 Skills
Skillsrefertohowwellweapply:• ournaturalaptitudes(e.g.mechanicalaptitude)• ournaturaltalents(e.g.artistictalent)• learnedprocesses(e.g.usingacomputer)
Althoughcloselyalignedtotheconceptofability,‘skill’ispurposelyseparatedtoemphasizeasubtlebutimportantdifference.Abilitydoesnothavetobeappliedtobepresent–whereasaskillnormallyrequirespracticetoberetained.
2.1.4 Personality
Personalityreferstoourunique:• approachtoourenvironmentand• behaviourtowardsotherpeople developedasaresultoftheinteractionbetween• ourheredity-determinedbyourbiologicalparentsand,• ourenvironment–particularlytheinfluenceofourparents,friendsandwider
socialgroupduringourchildhood
2.1.5 Values
Valuesrefertothe:• guidingbeliefsandprinciplesofourlives• personalrulesbywhichwewanttolive
Personalvaluesmeanthatwehavetakenadecisionthatacertainwayofbehavingispreferabletoanother.
Onceagain,theinfluenceofourfamily,friendsandcultureduringourformativeyearsplaysapowerfulroleindevelopingthesevalues.
�9Unit Standard �4�8�9
2.1.6 Attitudes
Attitudesrefertothe:• opinionsweholdaboutpeople,issuesandsituations• strengthoffeelingwehaveinregardtotheseopinions• intentionswehavetobehaveinacertainwaybecauseoftheseopinions
Althoughnotasenduringasvalues,attitudesaresimilarinthattheyarenormallydevelopedthroughtheinfluenceofimportantpeopleinourlivesandaremanifestedinhowweinteractwithotherpeople.
Let’slookatareallifeanalogytoillustratehoweachofthesecomponentscontributestobecomingcompetent.
Becoming Competent
Assume that you have just turned 18 and want to get your Driver’s Licence.
Firstlyyouneed the inherent ability todrivea car. Inotherwordsyouhavegoodvision,acertainlevelofco-ordinationbetweenarmsandlegsandanunderstandingofwhatisrequiredtodrivethecar.However,thisalonewillnotmakeyoucompetenttodriveacarontheroad.
Youalsoneedtoacquire knowledge.Forexample,youhavetounderstandwhatwillhappenifthebrakesareappliedtobringthecartoahaltwhileleavingthecaringear.(Ofcourseyouknowthatthecarwillstall!)
Youalsoneedtoknowwhatthemeaningofthevariousroadsignsare.This,asweknow,willinitiallybeintheformofaLearner’sLicencewhereyouhavetoproveacertainlevelofknowledgebeforebeingallowedoutontotheroad.
Onceontheroad,youhaveto,bymeansoftuitionandpractice,acquire the skilltonotonlydrivethecarbutalsotodriveitsafelyintrafficaccordingtotherulesoftheroad.
However,evenifyouhavetheinherentability,havelearnttherequiredtheoryandhave demonstrated during a series of driving lessons that you have acquired thenecessaryskill, it isstillpossible to fail thedrivingtestandthereforenotobtainalicence–thesymbolofcompetence.
Therearemanyexamplesofpeoplewhofailadrivingtestbecausetheypanicandthenmakeerrorsorforgettoperformkeyactions(suchasusingtherearviewmirror).The reasons for getting into a panic or making mistakes will likely be a result ofcertainpersonality traitssuchasalackofconfidenceortheinabilitytouseinitiativeinadifficulttrafficsituation.
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2.2 Individual differences in competence
Allofusareunique!Thenexttimeyouhearsomeonesaythatsomeoneorsomethingisquiteunique,remindyourself(andtheotherpersonifyouwantto!)thatuniquemeans‘oneofakind’.Itcannotbereplicated.Thisisprettypowerfulbecauseitmeansthateachofushavedifferentpersonalities,values,attitudes,abilities,levelsofknowledgeandskillsaswellasourphysiologicaldifferencesingender,height,weight,build,orcomplexion.
Asimportantasourphysicaldifferencesare,organisationsaremuchmoreinterestedinourothercharacteristicsofpersonality,values,attitudes,abilities,knowledgeandskillsthattogetheradduptoourpotentialtomakeacontributiontotheirsuccess.Inotherwords,whatisimportanttotheorganisationistheindividualcompetencelevelsoftheteamleaderandteammembers.Let’sexplorethisfurther.
Allhumanbeingshaveinherent but different potentialtolearnandgrow.Thepotentialthatlieswithineachoneofus,providesuswithouruniquefoundationforpersonalgrowthandadvancementinlife.
Understandingandusingthispotentialprovidesuswiththeopportunitytomakeourcontributiontoanyfamily,socialcircle,societyandorganisationofwhichwearepart.Knowingthissimpletruthisonething-toharnessourpotentialtoachieveourdreamsisanother!
Fortunatelyitiswithintheorganisationalcontextthatopportunitiesarisetodojustthis.Atthesametimedorememberthatunderstandingyourpotentialwillnot automaticallycreateabetterjobforyou,orprovideyouwithsuddenextraincome.Itwill,however,prepareyoutotakeonthechallengeofaddingvaluetoanyorganisationofwhichyouareapartofwhileallowingyoutostayfocusedonyourownaspirations.
Whatifthishappenstoyouandyoudecidetogiveupafterfailingthefirsttime?Thiswouldbean indicationofa lackofbelief inyourself,andcouldbeviewedasyouhavinganegative attitudetowardsgettingyourlicence.
Finally, what if, after trying and failing a number of times, you are offered theopportunity to ‘buy’ a licence? You feel offended by this offer and refuse in spiteofyourdesiretogainalicence.Wecanacceptthatthisisbecauseofyourvalues ofhonestyandintegrity.
Fromanorganisation’sperspective,ifyoucannotobtainalicence,youwillobviouslynot be considered sufficiently competent to be appointed as a driver (nor to anyoccupationrequiringthiscompetence).
Fortunatelythereisalwaystheopportunityforyoutomatchother competenciesthatyoudopossesswith theneedsofanorganisation–acaseof ‘different strokes fordifferentfolks’!
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Thereforetry,asyoupreparefortheworldofworktorememberthefollowingvital‘personalrules’.• Thefirstpersonalrulefortheworldofworkis‘know yourself’.• Thisisfollowedcloselybythesecondpersonalrule–‘don’t try to be what you are
not’.• Thelastpersonalruleis–‘focus on building your strengths rather than trying to
eliminate your perceived weaknesses’.Thefollowinggreatwordsofwisdomfromperhapsthemostrespectedleaderintheworldtoday–formerPresidentNelsonRolihlahlaMandelaofSouthAfrica-reinforcetheserules:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure! It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in EVERYONE!”
QuotedbyNelsonMandela:1994InauguralSpeech(Thinkexist.com)
Toreturntotheorganisationalperspectiveforamoment,itisevidentthattop management is interested in the competence of individuals to perform!Competenceintheworkplaceisthereforeaboutindividualsdemonstratingthattheyareabletoperformtotherequiredlevel.
Aswiththeearlieranalogyoflearningtodriveacar,theindividualcompetencerequiredbyanorganisationcomprisesan appropriate combinationofthewillingnessandmotivationtoperformrequiredtasksandactivities,aswellastheability,knowledgeandskilltodoso.
Theemphasisonanappropriate combinationisparticularlyrelevant.Someofuswillgraspnewconceptsquickerthanotherswhomay,ontheotherhanddisplayagreateraptitudeforworkingwiththeirhands.Someofusfeelnaturallyateaseinthecompanyofotherpeople,whileothersarehappierworkingontheirown.Someofusfeeldriventosucceedwhileothersaremorelaidbackintheirapproachtolife.
Thegoodnewsisthatorganisationsneeddifferentcompetenciesfordifferentapplications.Thesuccessfulsalesrepresentativeenjoysinteractingwithpeopleandnegotiatingdealswiththem,butdoesn’tnecessarilyrequireanin-depthunderstandingoffinancialratios.
Thecomputerprogrammerdoesn’thavetobeoutgoingandcommunicativetobesuccessfulathisorherjob,butcertainlyrequirestheabilitytoapplythelogicalreasoningdevelopedthroughasoundunderstandingofmathematicalconcepts.
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Differencesinindividualcompetence,therefore,provideanorganisationwitharangeofopportunitiestoutilisethesedifferencestothemutualadvantageoftheindividualandorganisation.Individualsenteringtheworldofworkwoulddowelltorememberthis–diversityisstrength!
Aswithindividualdifferences,notallcompetenciesareofequalvaluetoperformingajobeffectively.Thenextactivitywillhelpyoutounderstandthis.
Activity 3
Assume that you are the Regional Sales Manager for the Chocolot range of confectionery. Prioritise the competencies you require in your Sales Representatives on a scale of 1 – 5, where 1 = not important, 2 = sometimes required, 3 = useful, 4 = important and 5 = essential. Try not to rate more than four competencies as 5 (essential). Circle your choices.
Competence Rating
1 2 3 4 5
Selling Skills
Analytical Ability
Time Management
Decisiveness
Planning
Organising
Product Knowledge
Negotiation Skills
Empathy
Assertiveness
Verbal Communication
Mental Alertness
ThepointofthisexerciseistoillustratetheprinciplethatthecompetenceoftheteamleaderaswellasthoseofteammembersMUSTbelinkedtothecompetenciesrequiredbythejobinquestion.
Insummary,tounderstandthecompetenciesrequiredbyateamleader,aswellasthoseofteammembers,youhavetounderstand:• whatcompetenciesare• whichcompetenciesarerequiredforaspecificjobsituation• whichofthesecompetenciesyoupossess• howyoucandevelopthespecificcompetenciesrequired
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3. Understanding your own competence as team leader
Wesawearlierthatcompetencecomprisesabilities,knowledge,skillsaswellaspersonality,valuesandattitudes.AgoodplacetobeginunderstandingyourownlevelofcompetenceistoconductaPersonal SWOT Analysis.
3.1 Identifying your own strengths and development needs
3.1.1 A personal SWOT analysis
A‘SWOTAnalysis’isusedalotinthebusinessenvironmenttoassistorganisationswiththeirstrategicplanning.Itrepresentsananalysisof:• thecurrentinternal strengths & weaknessesoftheorganisation• theexternal opportunities & threatspresentintheenvironmentTherefore,justasinabusiness,reviewingyourcurrentstrengthsandareasfordevelopmentprovidesyouwitharealisticfoundationfordevelopingthecompetencerequiredtobeaneffectiveteamleader.
This‘realitycheck’helpsyoutobuildonyourpersonalstrengthsandtoworkonappropriatedevelopmentareas.
Thepreviousexampleoftheintrovertedcomputerprogrammerreinforcesthispoint.Thereisverylittlevalueintryingtodevelopanoutgoing,socialpersonalitybecauseitisvaluedinsalespeople.Amuchbetterinvestmentwillbetodeveloplogicalreasoningskillstoaddmorevalueintheprogrammer’sdomainofexpertise.
Thenextactivitywillhelpyoutogainabetterunderstandingofthisbyidentifyingyourownstrengthsanddevelopmentareas.
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Activity 4
Add your list of personal strengths and development needs to the examples provided. If you are serious about this exercise, ask two or three of your close friends or family members to also write down how they view your strengths and development needs. Then ask them to place their responses in a sealed envelope and give it back to you. Then compare your list to theirs. This is a powerful exercise that can help you plan your own future in a more realistic manner!
My Personal Strengths
Examples Add your own:
• goodatstudying
• excellentcomputerskills
• outgoingpersonality
• creativeenergy
• speakthreelanguages
• leadershipskillsdevelopedatschool
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
My Development Needs
Examples Add your own:
• pooratplanningahead
• poortimemanagement
• poorwithfinancialdata
• noclearcareergoals
• tendencytomakedecisionstooquickly
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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Howusefulwasthisexercisetoyou?Althoughthisisanexerciseinself-reflection(i.e.ratingyourself),ithasbeenwidelyusedinbusinesswithgreatsuccess.
Ofcourse,ifyouwenttothetroubletogetfeedbackfromfriendsorfamilymembers,thiswilladdvaluetothisimportantlearning,whichwillclarifywhatstrengthsyoucanbuildonorwhatdevelopmentareasyoucansuccessfullyworkon.
3.1.2 Understanding ‘locus of control’
Earlierwealsosawthatpersonalityispartofwhatmakesupindividualcompetence.Thefactthatmanysuccessfulorganisationsrequirejobapplicantstoundergopsychologicalassessmentsbeforeemployingthemisanindicatorofitsimportance.
However,personalityispartofourcorebeing–notaskillthatwecanlearnorthatislikelytochangewithanewlevelofknowledge.Thegoodnewsisthat,whilewecannotchangeourinherentpersonality,thereisoneparticularareaofbehaviourthatcanbedevelopedinapositiveway.Thisistheconceptoflocus of control.
Aprocessoffeedbackandself-reflectionisneeded(thatweshallcoverlater),butthefirststepistounderstandthisveryimportantconceptinordertoassistanorganisationtoachievesustainablesuccess.
Manyorganisationsfindthemselveswithemployeesatalllevelswhoappeartohaveeverythingthatittakestobesuccessful,yetneverseemtogetahead.Youcanaskthefollowingquestionofyourselfaswellasmembersofaworkplaceteam.
“Whatisitthatdifferentiatessuccessfulfromaverageemployees”?Wellsometimesitistheirskill,knowledgeandintellectualability,butsometimesitcanbeputdowntoalackof‘drive’–anapparentinabilitytodisplayinitiativeandtakeresponsibility.
This,accordingtoapsychologistbythenameofJulianRotter,isamanifestationofwhathetermeda‘locusofcontrol’whichiseither:• anexternal locus of controlwhereindividualstendtobelievethattheirlevelof
performanceisbeyondtheircontrolandisdue,rather,to‘external’factorssuchasmanagementdecisions,badluckandenvironmentalfactors,OR,
• aninternal locus of controlthatreflectstheviewpointofindividualswhoattributeoutcomestotheirownactions,takefullresponsibilityfortheseactions(includingpoorperformance)andbelievethattheyare‘inchargeoftheirowndestiny’.
Whichtypeofemployeesdoyouthinkanorganisation,strivingtobesuccessfulwouldprefer?Thosewithaninternallocusofcontrolofcourse!PerformingthenextselfactivityshouldreinforceyourunderstandingofLocusofControl.
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Activity 5
Instructions:Circle either ‘a’ or ‘b’ for each of the following statements according to how you see yourself. There are no wrong or right answers, but to gain value from this exercise, try to be honest as possible.
1. a. Many of the unhappy things in people’s lives are due to bad luck b. The misfortunes that people have result from their own mistakes
2. a. A person’s value often goes unnoticed no matter how hard he or she tries b. In the long run, people get the respect that they deserve
3. a. You cannot be come an effective leader if you don’t get the right breaks in life b. If you are competent but don’t become a leader, it’s because you didn’t take advantage of your opportunities
4. a. I believe that ‘what will happen – will just happen’ b. Trusting ‘fate’ has never turned out as well for me as making firm decisions and then taking action based on these decisions
5. a. In the long run, the bad things that happen to us are balanced by the good ones b. Most misfortune is due to a lack of competence, ignorance or just pure laziness
To score this questionnaire, award yourself 1 point for all the a’s circled, and 3 points for all the b’s circled. If you have a score of 5 – 7, you are likely to have an external locus of control and if you score between 13 – 15, you are likely to have a strong internal locus of control. A score from 8 – 12 indicates a balance between an internal and external locus of control.
NB: Remember, this is NOT a psychological ‘test’ – merely an exercise to help you understand this concept better!
3.2 Utilising performance appraisal and feedback
Youshouldnotethatimmediatereflectionandfeedbackonperformanceensures:• short-termactionplansforimprovingperformancearedeveloped• motivationismaintainedYoushouldalsorememberthat,tobereallyeffective,reflectionandfeedbackshouldfollowaformal process.Makinganappointmentwithyourlecturertoreviewyouracademicresults,ismuchmoreeffectivethanaskingquestionsafterlectures!
Thesameprincipleappliesintheworkplace.Aformalperformanceappraisalwillfocustheattentionofbothpartiesandensurethattheprocessisseriousandismorelikelytoleadtopracticalaction.Ifyouareperformingpoorly,thenobtainingfeedbackonwhatthereasonsareisthefirststepinimprovingyourperformance.Ifitisduetoalackofcompetence,thesolutioncouldbetraininganddevelopment.Anexamplecouldbetheinabilitytoleadteammeetingsandthusineffectively
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communicateproductionrequirementstoteammembers.Thisneedcanbecomeapersonal development objectiveforyou.
Ifitisthatyourcompetencyprofileisnotsuitableforthejobinquestion,thenitmaybeanopportunitytodevelopplansforachangeincareerdirection.If,ontheotherhand,youareperformingwell,positivefeedbackwillreinforceyourgoodperformanceasyoubecomemotivatedbythisrecognition.
Whatever,theaction,formalperformanceappraisalandfeedbackisoneofthemostpowerfultoolsavailableintheworldofworktohelpyoudevelopabetterunderstandingofyourselfandyourlevelofcompetence.Itisoneofthebestmotivatorsweknow!
4. Understanding the competence levels of team members
Wesawearlierthatallofusareunique.Eachofushasdifferentpersonalities,values,attitudes,abilities,levelsofknowledgeandskills.Inotherwords,teammembers:• arenotallmotivatedbythesamethings• donotallpossessthesameabilities,knowledgeandskills• havedifferentpersonalities,valuesandattitudes
IfyouplaceyourselfinthepositionofaTeamLeaderwhohastokeepateamofdiversepeoplemotivatedandfocused,youneedtohaveasmuchknowledgeofindividualteammembersaspossibleinordertobuildaneffectiveteam.Thesimplestandmostaccessiblewayofgainingthisknowledgeistoutilisethepracticalworkplacetoolsalreadyinplace.
4.1 Utilising practical workplace tools
4.1.1 Visual management
Althoughthefocusofvisualmanagementisprimarilyontheteam,thistoolalsocoversimportantindividualissuessuchasskills.
Forexample,theteamleaderisabletoobservetheprogressonindividualskillsdevelopmentandtaketherequiredaction,whetheritiscounselling,coachingorsendingtheteammemberinquestionfortraining.Oneofthecertaintiesisthatteammembersarelikelytobemotivatedtoperformbetterbytheattentiongiven.
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4.1.2 Team review meetings
Team review meetingscanbeextremelyeffectiveinprovidingafoundationforaction.Exhibit6illustrateshowateamleadercanutilisethistooltobetterunderstandteammembercompetenceandthentakeappropriateaction.Becausethefocusofthemeetingisoneofreviewingpastperformance,exploringwhatcanbedonetorectifyproblemsanddeviseplansandactionstomakeimprovements,ithighlightsindividualcompetence.
If,forexample,anoperatorisconsistentlymakingmoreerrorsthanotherteammembersperformingthesamefunction,itwillcomeoutinthemeeting.
Exhibit 6: Utilising team meetings to identify competence
Utilising the Team Meeting Agenda
TheMeetingAgendacovers:• pastperformance• futureobjectives• whoisresponsibleforaction• duedates
TheTeamLeaderisabletoseefromperformancedatawheretheoperatorisnotachievingstandardandthendecidetogetheronactiontobetakene.g.trainingfollowedbycoaching.
Developing Action Plans
ActionPlansspecify:• whoisresponsibleforwhatactions• ‘bywhen’dates
TheTeamLeaderisabletoseefromperformancedatawheretheoperatorisnotachievingstandardandthendecidetogetheronactiontobetakene.g.trainingfollowedbycoaching.
4.1.3 Performance appraisal
Aswiththeteamleader,receivingformalperformanceappraisalfeedbackonhowtheyhavecontributedasindividualstotheoverallteamperformance,willleadtoimprovedperformance.Whetheritispoorperformancethatneedstoberectifiedorexcellentperformancethatshouldbereinforced,theappraisalandfeedbackloopisoneofthebestworkplacetoolsavailableforidentifying,andthenactingonthedevelopmentneedsaswellasthestrengthsofteammembers.
Rememberthatthisisnormallyan individual process,whereeachmember’scontributionisaddressedseparately.
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4.2 Workplace facilitation
4.2.1 A personal SWOT analysis
APersonal‘SWOTAnalysis’isequallyapplicabletoteammembersasitistotheTeamLeaderandwillalsoclarifywhatstrengthsteammemberscanbuildonorwhatdevelopmentareastheycanworkon.
However,thisisnotsomethingthatshouldjustbelefttoeachindividualtocomplete.Firstly,notallteammembersmayhavetheunderstandingorskillstodothisimportantexerciseproperly.Secondly,itneedstobeplacedinthecontextoftheworksituation.Thereforeitisaprocessthatshouldbefacilitatedbyacompetentfacilitator(e.g.bysomeonefromtheTrainingDepartmentofanorganisationorbyanexternalconsultant).
Mostimportantly,itissomethingthatshouldbefollowedupbyateamexercisecalled‘Stop–start–continue’.4.2.2 Stop – start - continue
Thepersonal‘SWOTanalysis’providesafoundationforindividuallearningbut,ifleftthere,addslittlevaluetotheteam.
Stop–start-continueisapowerfulfeedbackmechanismthat,ifproperlyfacilitated,willensurepersonalgrowthandthebuildingofacohesiveteam.Thefollowingactivitywillhelpyouunderstandthisconcept.Tobeofvalue,however,itmustbefacilitatedeitherbyyourlectureronthiscourseorbyatrainedfacilitator.
Activity 6
Step 1: Working on your OWN, review your ‘SWOT’ Analysis and then write down selected strengths and development areas in the spaces provided. Step 2: Alongside each of these write in the actions you need to undertake in order to help you with the journey of personal and team growth. Step 3: In a Team of NO MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE, share your strength or development need and intended actions. Please note that it is very important that you use the full sentence in describing what you are going to stop, start or continue. Step 4: Complete your sharing and then ask other team members for feedback and contract with them for support to achieve your objectives.
NB: In this activity you may share as much OR as little as you wish. You are NOT obliged to share personal information that you don’t want to – it is your right not to do so. However, experience has shown this to be a very meaningful and valuable exercise.
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My Strengths: I need to continue
My Development Areas: I need to stop
I need to start
Examplesof‘Stop–start–continueare:• “Ineedtocontinueshowingconcernformyfriendsandcolleaguesandbeinga
goodlistener”.• “Ineedtostopprocrastinatingbeforetakingimportantbutdifficultdecisions”.• “IneedtostartaskingforhelpwhenIcan’tsolveaproblem,insteadofbattlingon
myownbecauseI’mtooproudtoadmitIneedhelp”.
5. Utilising this understanding of competence
SpecificOutcome4ofthisunitstandardwillfocusonimplementingaplanofactiontostrengthenateam.Suchaplancanonlybesuccessfulifthereisasolidunderstandingofthecompetencelevelsofboththeteamleaderandteammembers.
Oncethisunderstandingisinplace,itcanbeutilisedtoidentifytherelevantneedsfor:• skillstraining-whereperformanceisbelowstandard• formaleducation-toequippeoplewithrelevantknowledge• on-the-jobdevelopment-wherepromotionopportunitiesexist
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Specific Outcome 3Apply theories of motivation and group
dynamics in the workplace
Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to apply:• relevanttheories of motivation,providingpracticalexamples• the elementsof group dynamics,accordingtotheoryandpractice
1. Introduction
Wehavealreadycoveredanumberoftheoriesthatexplainwhymotivationissoimportanttoanorganisation.Maslow’shierarchy,Herzberg’stwofactortheoryandMcClelland’snAch–nAfftheoryhaveclarifiedwhat‘needs’willtriggerthemotivationtoperform.However,thetheorythathasbestexplainedtheapplicationofmotivationinpracticehasbeenVroom’sexpectancytheory,whichclarifieshowtherealitiesoftheworkplaceimpactonneeds.
2. Relevant theories of motivation
2.1 Porter and Lawler’s expectancy model
Twoorganisationalbehaviourresearchers,LymanPorterandEdLawlerIII,extendedtheboundariesofVroom’smodel.Thebestwaytoexplainthisexpectancytheoryistoreviewexhibit7.
Exhibit 7: Porter and Lawler’s expectancy model
(C)Effort
(F)Performance
Satisfaction
(E)Role
Perceptions
(D)Abilities
and Traits
(I)Perceived
Equity
(A)Value of the reward
(Valence)
(B)Perception that
effort will lead to the probability of reward
(Expectancy & Instrumentality)
(H)Extrinsic rewards
(G)Intrinsic rewards
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Fromthemodelitisclearthat:• (A)representsthevalue to the individual of the potential rewardforperformance
(‘valence’inVroom’stheory),• (B)representstheexpectancy and instrumentalitycomponentsofVroom’stheory,
andthat,• (C)representstheamountofeffortthattheindividualispreparedtoputinasa
resultofthiscombination.
However,PorterandLawlerexplainedthat,evenifthemotivationalforceishighandthustheindividualispreparedtoputinalotofeffort,thisdoesn’tautomaticallyleadtothedesiredresultfromanorganisation’sperspective.EffectiveperformanceisALSOdependentontheindividual’s abilities and personality traits(i.e.hisorherlevelofcompetence)indicatedbycapsule(D).
Theyalsoexplainedthat,evenifindividualemployeesarewillingandable,theymightnotputeverythingintoaparticulartaskifitisnotperceivedtobetheirrole in the organisation(capsuleE).Forexample,teammembersmaynottakecertaindecisionsthatcouldenhanceperformancebecausetheyperceivethattheydon’thavetheauthoritytodoso.
(F)is,ofcourse,thedesired performance outcome.(G)and(H)indicatethattheinitialvaluethatledtotheindividualbeingmotivatedtoperformisrewarded by both intrinsic factors(self-fulfilment,recognition)and extrinsic factors(performancebonus,potentialpromotion)–linkingtoHerzberg’stheory.
(I)indicatesthat,eveniftherewardsarevalued,individualsarenotlikelytoremainmotivatediftheyperceivethatthereisunfairnessintherewardforperformance.
Taketheexampleofaperformancebonuswheretheteammemberconcernedbelievesthatheorshehascontributedthemosttoachievingtheperformanceobjective.Iftheotherteammembersreceiveexactlythesamebonus,itmightcreateaperception of inequityandreducetheindividual’slevelofmotivation.
Finally,capsule(J)indicatesthatallthesefactorshavecontributedtofulfillinganeed.Theindividualissatisfied.
Aninterestingpointhereisthatifthisprocessleadstoahighlevelofsatisfaction,thenitislikelytoincreasetheoriginallevelsofvalenceandinstrumentality.
Inotherwords,fulfilled needs reinforce and strengthen motivational force!
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2.2 Adam’s equity theory
Capsule(I)inPorterandLawler’smodelleadsdirectlytoanotherrelevantprocesstheory.ApsychologistbythenameofJ.StaceyAdamsexploredthefactthatpeopleatworkdonotoperateinavacuum.
Thewholethemeofthiscourseisthatindividual employees function within the context of a team,withinadepartment,withinanorganisation.Thiscontextprovidesconstantopportunitiesforindividualstocomparetheirownperformancewiththatofothers.Withinthiscontext,shouldanyteammemberbelievethathisorherlevelofeffortandproductivityissuperiortothatofotherteammembers,itwillclearlyleadtoanexpectationofsuperiorrewards!
If,forexample,theemployeeinquestionisawardedpreciselythesamesalaryincreaseastheotherteammembers,thenthisindividualislikelytoperceivethatthereisalackofequity.Inotherwords,theindividualbelievesthattheratioofthe outcome(thesalaryincrease)totheinput(his/hereffortandproductivity)in relation to thatreceivedbytheotheremployeesshouldbegreaterinhisorhercase.
Exhibit8illustratesthisequitymodel.
Exhibit 8: Adams’ equity model of motivation
Perception of Own Outcomes
Perception of Own Inputs
2.3 Other theory constructs
2.3.1 Goal setting
Settinggoals/objectivesisaprocessthatisanintegralpartofvirtuallyeverytheoryonmotivation.Mostpeoplearemotivatedtoperformtheirjobswellwhentheyhaveclearly-definedandspecificgoalsorobjectivestoaimfor.EdwinLockebuiltupagoal-settingtheorythatsuggestsjustthis–peopleatworkwill perform betteriftheyhaveadefinitegoaltostrivefor.
=
Perception of Others’ Outcomes
Perception of Others’ Inputs
Learner Tip
Intheworldofworksomeindividualsandorganisationstendtousetheword‘goal’whenreferringtofuturemeasurableresultsthattheywishtoachieve.Othersprefertheterm‘objective’.Keepremindingyourselfthattheseareessentiallythesamethingandmaybeusedinterchangeably.
Forthesakeofclarityitissometimesusefultousetheterm‘goal’whenfocusingonthelong-termand‘objective’whenfocusingontheshort-term.
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Keypointsfromgoal-settingtheorythatreinforcewhatwehavecoveredsofarare:• Specific goals leadtohigherperformancethangeneralgoals.• Performancegenerallyincreaseswhengoals ‘stretch’ the individualconcerned,i.e.
theyarenottooeasilyattainable.• Improvedperformancewillonlyoccuriftheindividual concerned accepts the
goals.Thisnormallyrequiresparticipationinsettingthem.• Goalsworkbest when used to measure and evaluate performance.• Goalsshouldhavea direct link to feedback and rewards. Inotherwords,inordertomotivateemployeestowardsimprovingtheir
performance,goals/objectivesshouldconformtothe“SMART”principleswhichare:
• Specific• Measurable• Agreed• Realistic• Time-related
2.3.2 Reinforcement
AverywellknownbehaviouristbythenameofB.F.Skinner,focusedonwhatistermed‘operantconditioning’toexplainbehaviourintheworldofwork.This,inessence,meansthatlearningtakesplaceasaresultofbehaviour.
If,forexample,ateammemberbehavesinacertainway(e.g.submittingaccuratereportsontime)andisrewardedforthisbehaviour(e.g.ahigherperformanceevaluation),thenitislikelythatthisbehaviourwillberepeated-the behaviour is ‘reinforced’!
Theimplicationforteamleadersandanorganisationwantingtomotivatetheiremployeesistopositively reinforce desired behaviour.Reinforcementisnot,however,restrictedtoa‘positive’approach.Thetheoryindicatesthatwecanalsobemotivatedbynegative reinforcement.Thisoccurswhenanundesirablesituationisremovedinresponsetodesiredbehaviouronthepartoftheindividual.
Anexamplewouldbeateammemberhavingawrittenwarningforlate-comingandthennotcominglateforthenextthreemonths.Thereinforcementherewouldbetoremovethedisciplinaryactionfromtheemployee’spersonalrecord.Thedesired behaviour is good time keeping – the reinforcement is the removal of the negative warning.
Finallytherearetheconceptsofextinctionandpunishment.Thesemechanismsareusedwhenundesirablebehaviourpersists.Thefirstrequirestheremoval of reward(e.g.notrespondingtojokesinbadtastewillleadtothejoketellernolongerhavingareceptiveaudience).
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Thelatterisamoredirectresponse–forexample,takingawaykeystotheofficeasaresultofitbeingleftinamess.
Reinforcementgoeshand-in-handwithgoal-setting.Oneofthekeyprinciplesofsettinggoalsorobjectivesistohavea direct link to feedback and rewards,whichare,ineffect,reinforcementmechanisms.
3. Applying relevant theories in the workplace
Motivationaltheoryprovidesavaluablefoundationfortakingactioninanorganisationtomotivatepeopletoworkharderandsmartertohelpshapethesuccessofthatorganisation.
Thereareanumberofstrategiesthatareimplementedwiththespecificgoalinmindofachievingjustthis.Weshallfocusontwo:• Makingthejobmoremeaningfulbymeansofjob redesignand• Incorporatingtheoreticalconceptsintoperformance management
3.1 Job redesign Motivationtheorywillbeverydifficulttoapplyintheworldofworkifindividualjobsarepoorlydesignedoraresorigidlydefinedthattheypreventindividualemployeesfromusingtheirinitiativetocompletetasksinamoreeffectiveway.Thereforethefocustodayisoftenonhowtoredesign jobsinordertomotivateemployees.
Theefficacyofthisapproachisbasedontheprinciplethatjobs should increasingly be designed to improve employee satisfaction and thus motivate them to work smarter!
HackmanandOldhamdevelopedajobcharacteristicsmodel(explainedinexhibit9)explainingthekeyjobdesigncharacteristicsrequiredtosustainemployeesatisfactionwithaparticularjob.
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Exhibit 9: Job characteristics that motivate employees
Characteristic Description Leading to:
SkillVariety Theextenttowhichaparticularjobrequiresdifferentcompetence
Teammembersexperiencingmeaningfulness
TaskIdentity Claritywherethespecifictasksmakingupaparticularjobstartandwheretheyfinish
TaskSignificance
Thesignificancerolethatthejobplaysinachievingorganisationalobjectives
Autonomy Thelevelofdiscretionandindependencethatanindividualemployeeisgiventodecidehowtoperformaparticularjob
Teammembersfeelingresponsible forjoboutputs
Feedback Theextenttowhichresultsaredirectlylinkedtotheindividual’sjobperformanceandcommunicatedclearlytothatindividual
Theextenttowhichteammembersaregivenknowledge ofjoboutputs
(fromHackman&Oldham1980)
Inreactiontothesecharacteristics,organisationshaveattemptedtoredesignjobsinordertostimulateemployeemotivationandsoensuremoreeffectiveimplementationoforganisationalstrategies.Exhibit10illustrateshowthesejobredesigneffortscanpotentiallyleadtoanincreaseinskills,variety,tasksignificanceetc.andsubsequentlymotivateemployeestoimprovetheirjobperformance.
Theseapproachesreinforcetheprinciplethateffectivemotivationofemployeesneedswell-designedjobs.
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Exhibit 10: Job redesign approaches to motivate employees
Job Redesign Approach
Description Leading to:
JobRotation(Horizontalredesign)
Rotatingteammembersfromonejobtoanotherwithoutalteringtheintrinsicjobcontent
Theopportunitytodevelopskills variety–particularlythedifferentskillsrequiredbyotherjobs
JobEnlargement(Horizontalredesign)
Expandingthenumberoftasksmakingupaparticularjob
Theopportunitytodevelopskills variety–butwithintheparametersofcurrenttask significance
JobEnrichment(Verticalredesign)
Increasingjobdepthbygivingteammembersmorediscretion,autonomyandcontrolovertheirjob
Theopportunitytogainautonomy–toperformworkatthenextleveli.e.takingonresponsibilitiesoftheTeamLeader
3.2 Performance management
Itisimportanttonotethatifanorganisationwantstoachievethegoalofbecomingandremainingcompetitivethereneedstobeaperformancemanagementsysteminplaceto• integrateemployeeperformancewithorganisationalperformance• developthecompetenceofemployeestoachievethisperformance• rewardemployeesfortheircontributionstoorganisationalsuccess
Itremainsoneofthesinglemostpowerfultoolsavailabletoanorganisationwishingtogainstrongemployeecommitment.
Themorethathighperformingemployeesfeeltheyarefairlyrewardedfortheirperformancethemorelikelytheyaretoremaincontentwithintheorganisation.Equally,agoodsystemwillensurethatnon-performersarenotrewarded(andarethusmorelikelytomoveout!)
Italsoaddressestheprinciplesofequitytheoryinthatindividualsaremorelikelytoacceptwhytheyarebeingrewardedwithinasystemthatinsistsonformalfeedbackandrewardsmeasurableperformance.
ALLemployees–nomatterwhatlevelofsenioritywanttoknowhowtheyareperforminginrelationtostandardssetandrelativetootheremployees.Itaddressestheneedweallhaveforself-esteem.
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4. Applying the elements of group dynamics
4.1 The challenges of getting a team to work effectively Althoughwehaveseenearlierinthisunitstandardthatdiversityisa‘strength’becausetheteamleaderhastheopportunitytoutilisedifferencesinpersonality,values,attitudes,abilities,levelsofknowledgeandskills;thisalsocreateschallenges.
Youshouldnotethatintheearlystagesofteamdevelopment,eachmemberislikelytohaveconcerns,fearsandaspirations(forming).Also,thatconflictislikelytoariseasindividualdifferencesaremanifestedinbehaviour(storming).
Thisiswhereleadershipqualitiesareneeded–tomanagethebehavioural dynamicswithintheteamthatinfluenceteameffectiveness.Thismeansbuildingonindividualdiversityinsteadofexpectingthateveryoneagreeswitheachotherandacceptingthatconflictisnaturalwithoutallowingdisruptive,‘power-seeking’individualstonegativelyinfluencetheteam.
Oneofthemostimportanttasksthatyouastheteamleadermustundertakeistogainagoodunderstandingoftheindividualswhomakeupyourteam.Themoreyouunderstand–themoreyoucanadaptyourapproachtoleadingtheseindividualsinateamsituation.
4.2 Understanding team values Valuesareperhapsthemostdifficultcomponentofindividualdifferencetoclassify,inthattheyarenotuniqueabilitiesorskillsorpersonalitytraits.Infact,manyofus‘share’thesameorsimilarvalues.
Yetvaluesareapowerfulfactorinfluencingthewayindividualsbehaveintheworldofwork.Theyoftenprovidethecriticalfoundationthatindividualsusetodecidewhetherornottheyarewillingto‘gotheextramile’inhelpingtheirteamandtheirorganisationtoachievegoals.
Ifanindividualdoesnotbelieveinthesamevaluesastheorganisation,theyarelesslikelytoapplytheirabilities,knowledgeandskilltothesameextent–leadingtoalowerlevelofperformance.
Howevermanyvaluesteammembersmayhave,someareconsistentlymoreimportantthanothers-thesearecore values. Itisthesebeliefsthatmostindividualswillnotgiveupunderanycircumstances.Let’smakesurethatyouclearlyunderstandthisveryimportantconceptbyperformingthenextactivity.
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Activity 7
Instructions:Step 1: using the list of possible values to be found on the next page, select 20 values that are the most important to you. List these 20 values on the table to be found on the page that follows.Step 2: delete 10 values that you would give up if you were forced to make a choice.Step 3: review this list of 10 values and delete 5 more that you would give up if you were forced to.Step 4: you are now left with your 5 most important values. Rank these in order of importance i.e. #1 is the most important and #5 is the least important. Step 5: review your list of Core Values to ensure that your priority order is correct by applying the following simple ‘test’. If I had to choose between two ‘conflicting’ values e.g. honesty or loyalty or two ‘complementary’ values e.g. status or recognition, which of the two would I give up?Step 6: list your final Core Values in priority order in the space provided below and write down what each means to you e.g. ‘dignity’ might mean showing respect for the worth of others and expecting the same in return.
My possible values
Values Choice Values Choice
Achievement Intelligence
Autonomy Knowledge
Ambition Loyalty
Challenge Love
Democracy Meaningfulwork
Dignity Personalgrowth
Ethics Personalwealth
Empowerment Physicalchallenge
Equality Power
Excellence Privacy
Family Recognition
Freedom Religion
Friendship Reputation
Health Servicetoothers
Honesty Security
Independence Status
Innerharmony Trust
Integrity Wisdom
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My 20 most important values:
Value Priority Value Priority
1. 11.
2. 12.
3. 13.
4. 14.
5. 15.
6. 16.
7. 17.
8. 18.
9. 19.
10. 20.
Thesearethe rules that I live by-the'things'thatIshallnotviolateeithertoachieveshort-termsuccessorwhenIamconfrontedwithdifficultdecisions.Thesearethe‘rules’thatIvaluenowandwilllivebyevenwhencircumstancesbecomedifficult.
My Core Personal Values
Core Values
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Decidingonyourcorevaluesisquiteadifficultexerciseisn’tit?OneofthereasonsisthattheyareVERYIMPORTANTtoyou!Ifyoufeelstronglyaboutyourvalues,thenyoucanreasonablyexpecteachteammembertofeelequallystronglyabouttheirownvalues.
Differencesinvaluesaswithdifferencesincompetenceaddtothediversityofindividualsinanorganisation.Onceagain,thiscanbeusedasanopportunityratherthanviewedasabarriertocooperation.
OneofthewaystodothisistotakethetimeandefforttoestablishSHAREDVALUESinyourteam.Becauseitissuchapersonalissue,itisalsoaprocessthatshould be facilitatedbyacompetentfacilitator,i.e.theTrainingDepartmentoranexternalconsultant.
4.3 Understanding team diversity Letusbeclearaboutvalues.TheseareNOTskillsthatwecanlearnandchangeeasily–ifatall!Theyare,atthesametime,thefoundationforindividualdiversityintheworldofwork.
Ifwealsotakeintoaccounttheimpactofbelongingtospecificcommunities,whichhaveadifferentsetofvalues,culturalstandardsandreligiousbeliefs,thenunderstandingdiversityhasgottobeanimportantstepinmanaginggroupdynamics.Thisdoesn’tmeanthatallemployeesinanorganisationshouldbesenton‘diversitytrainingworkshops’to'understandoneanotherbetter',butitdoesmeanthatateamleadershouldconsidertheimpactofdiversityondecisions.
Oftenmanagersdecidetoimplementanideathatwillhelptheorganisationachieveitsobjectivesbutarethendismayedthatemployeereactionisnotpositive.Thismaybeduetoindividualdifferencesoritmaybeduetogroupissuesthatarenottakenintoconsideration.
Let’staketheexampleofYouthDay,June16thfallingonaWednesday.Aproductionmanagermaydecidethatitistotallyunproductivetorunthefactoryfor2daysofa5dayshift,stopproductionfor1dayandthenstartupagainforthelast2daysoftheweek.Themanagerisprobablycorrect.
Acommunicationisthensentouttoemployeesstatingthatthefactorywillrunonthe16th,thateveryonewillbepaiddoubletimeinaccordancewithlegislationandthatalongweekendwillbegivenatanappropriatetime.ThereactionofalargepartoftheworkforceisnegativeandthemanagercannotunderstandwhyuntilsomeoneexplainsthehistoricalsignificanceofJune16tomanySouthAfricans.Understandingissuessuchasthesemakesitsomucheasierforteamleaderstoensuresuccessfulteamwork.
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ThegoodnewsisthatoneofthereasonswhySouthAfricanmanagersaresosuccessfulinmanyothercountriesispreciselybecausetheyhavelearnttomanageissuesofdiversityinSouthAfrica!
4.4 Dealing with resistance in the team Becausepeoplebringtheirvalues,attitudesandperceptionstotheworkplace,theremayberesistanceintheteamtotheintroductionofnewtargets,newSOPsorjustnewideas.Thismayhavenothingtodowiththeorganisationbutrelatetopersonalinterests.
Negativereactionmaysurfaceinmanyforms.Intheworkplaceitisoftenmanifestedinincreasedabsenteeismandgrievances,lackofmotivation,sabotageofprocessesandjobresignations.Ifwe‘scratchthesurface’wewillprobablyfindthatsomeofthelikelyreasonsare:• uncertainty-leadingtofearthatcouldberealorimaginary.Inmanyinstances,
theoffice'grapevine'isoverloadedwithrumoursthatincreaseemployeefeelingsofuncertaintyandinsecurity.
Forexample,theintroductionofnewtechnologymaycausesomeindividualstofeelthattheirexpertiseisbeingthreatened.Thiswillcreatefearandresultinresistancetothenewtechnology.
• fear that jobs will be lostorchanged,resultinginpossibleretrenchmentandlossofincome(forexample,improvedtechnologyhasoftencausedpeopletobecomeredundant).
• disruption to relationships-whereinformalrelationshipswhichdevelopintheteamcanbedisruptedordestroyedbychangesintechnology,products,marketsandpeople.
• perceived loss of power–wherepeoplewhoarecomfortablewiththeirpositionofpowermayresentnewideasandoftenpretendtosupportthem,butactuallyworkhardtoensuretheydon’thappen.
• inertia–wheregroupmembersknowthattheyneedtochangebutaretoocomfortablewiththecurrentstatus.
Learner Tip
Intheworkplaceitwillbeveryusefultoremembertherealitythat:
• misunderstandingsarelikelytooccurinamulti-culturalsituation
• communicationstylesneedtobeadaptedwhenacommunicationproblemarises
• evenwithinasmallteamtherewillbedifferences
• ethnically-basedassumptions,stereotypingandinappropriatestatementswilloccurandneedtobemanaged
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Someofthewaysthattheteamleadercanchangeresistanceintoacceptanceandeventually,commitmenttonewideasareby:
• building trust-ifteammemberstrusttheteamleader,theyarelesslikelytobethreatenedbyanyproposedchanges.
• communicating consistently and openlytoreduceincorrectperceptionsandambiguity.Evenbadnewsisacceptedmorereadilywhenitispresentedasaclearmessagegivingthefacts.
• involving team members in the decision.Employeeswillnotresistdecisionsthatthey‘own’.
• explaining the benefitsoftheidea.Teammembersarefarmorelikelytoacceptanewideaiftheycanseehowtheywillbenefitfromit–forexample,increasedautonomyinthejob.
4.5 Utilising team dynamics to build a high performance team culture Understandingthedynamicsofvalues,diversityandissuessuchasresistancetochangeprovideanessentialfoundationforbuildingahighperformanceteamculture.A‘culture’inanorganisationisnotsomethingtangible-thatwecan‘touch’or‘see’,butrathera set of values and beliefs that are sharedthroughouttheorganisationtosuchanextentthattheyinfluenceindividualemployeestobehaveinacertainway.
Exhibit11illustratesthekeyelementsofanorganisational‘culture’aswellasthebehaviourthatmanifestsahighperformanceculture.
Exhibit 11: Key elements of an organisational culture
An Organisational Culture must: A ‘High Performance’ Culture requires:
• endureovertime• besharedbyasignificantnumberof
employees• provideinformalrulesofbehaviour• provideauniqueidentityforthe
organisation• bemanifestedbysymbolssuchasa
commonlanguage,slogansanddresscode
• notbeeasytochange
• asharedvisionthateveryoneunderstandsandsupports
• alignment–whereemployeesfeelcommittedtoorganisationalgoals
• astrongcustomerorientation-whereeveryoneknowsthattheyexisttoserveitscustomers
• anobsessionwithquality–witheveryoneworkingtowardsproductandservicequality
• innovation–whereallemployeesconstantlycomeupwithnewideastoimproveteamproductivity
• respectforindividuals–whereallemployeesfeelempoweredtomakeacontribution
44 Unit Standard �4�8�9
Makesureyouclearlyunderstandtheseveryimportantconceptsbyperformingthenextactivity.
Activity 8
Think of the high school you attended or a club that you belong to. What are practical examples of symbols, slogans, and common words or phrases used that provide an ‘identity’ for the school or club?
Organisationsusethesesymbols,slogansandcommonwordsintheirformaldocumentationsuchasadvertisements,policymanuals,inductionprogrammesandtrainingmanuals.
However,theunderlyingbeliefsandvaluesbehindthesesymbols,slogansandphrasesthatareopentoemployeesoftheorganisationarelikethetipofaniceberg.
Belowthewatertherearenormallyahostofothervaluesanddynamicswhichsometimeshavethemostinfluence.These'unwrittenrules'caneitherpreventanorganisationfromachievingitsobjectivesorcanalternativelybetherealbuilding-blockofahighperformanceculture.Exhibit12illustratesthiscrucialconcept.
Exhibit 12: The ‘iceberg’ of business culture
Explicit beliefs and rules etc -------------------------------------------------------------------- water level
The hidden rules and agendas. The covert politics which tend to really influence what goes on in the organisation
4�Unit Standard �4�8�9
Aculturecanbestrongorweak.Ifitisweak,itunlikelytomakeanydifferencetohowabusinessperforms.Ontheotherhandastrongculturewillhavealargeinfluenceonhowthebusinessperforms.
A strong, healthy culturethatissupportiveoforganisationalobjectivesgreatlyassiststheorganisationtoachievetheseobjectives.
A low performance, unhealthy culturethatischaracterisedbyinternal‘politics’,competitionandunwillingnesstoworktogether,willhinderobjectiveachievement.
Anyteaminanyorganisationwillfailunlessitissupportedbyastrong,healthyculture.
4� Unit Standard �4�8�9
4�Unit Standard �4�8�9
Specific Outcome 4
Implement a plan of action to strengthen a team
Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to implement:• anactionplanbyobtaining team commitment• theeffectiveexecutionoftheactionplan• monitor and amendtheactionplanasrequired
1. Obtaining team commitment to action plans
Ifweprovideateamwith‘SMART’objectives,realisticstandardsandaperformanceplanwithclearly-definedtargets,thenwehaveastrongfoundationforgainingthecommitmentofteammembers.Teammembersarealsomuchmorelikelytoenthusiasticallysupportandimplementdecisionsthattheyhaveparticipatedintaking.
Youshouldalsorememberthatempowermentmechanismssuchasproperlyimplementedgreenareaandvisualmanagementsystemsarelikelytobeexcellenttoolsinobtainingcommitmentfromteammembers.
Settingobjectives,empoweringteamstotakedecisionsandprovidingthemwithimmediatefeedbackdonot,ontheirown,leadtoimplementation.Yousawthattranslatingexcellentplansandhighlevelsofcommitmentintoactionrequiredaformalteamreviewmeetinginwhichthemostimportantoutputisalwaystheaction planthatspecifieswhoisresponsibleforwhatactionsandbywhen.
Aformalactionplanisahighlyeffectivewayofgainingcommitmenttoachievingteamobjectivesbutthenneedstobesuccessfullyexecuted,monitoredandamendedascircumstanceschangeinorderfortheseobjectivestobeattained.
2. Executing, monitoring & amending action plans
Itisimportanttonotethevalueofutilisingtheprinciplesofcontrollinginimplementing,monitoringandevaluatingperformanceagainstteamobjectivesandorganisationalstandardsby:• measuringandmonitoringperformanceagainststandards,• identifyingvariancesfromstandardand• takingcorrectiveaction
48 Unit Standard �4�8�9
Actionplansaretheidealbusinesstoolforapplyingtheseprinciplesintheworldofwork.Theactivitiesthatfollowsshouldprovideyouwithanunderstandingofhowtoexecute,monitorand,wherenecessary,amendanactionplan;andwhere:• thefocusofActivity8isexecutingtheinitialplan• thefocusofActivity9isutilisingtheplanto monitor progress• thefocusofActivity10isamendingtheplan
Activity 8
Step 1: Review the Action Plan found below.Step 2: Enter what you think are realistic due dates for each action.
Skills Training Action Plan
Action requiredAction
by
Due Dates (Week Nos)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1.Conducttrainingneedsanalysis TO
2.Identifytoptrainingpriorities LM/TM
3.Determinerequiredtrainingoutcomes LM/TM
4.Agreeontrainingdateswithmanagers LM/TM
5.Booktrainingvenuesandfacilitators TO
6.Advisenominatedemployeesoftrainingdates
TO
7.Conducttrainingcoursesandassesscompetence
FA
8.Evaluatevalueoftrainingcourse TR/TO
9.Applynewskillsintheworkplace TR
10.Ratejobperformanceandcomparebefore&aftertraining
LM/TM
Key: TM = TrainingManager TO = TrainingOfficer TR = Trainees FA = Facilitators LM = LineManagers
= PlannedDates
Howdidyoufindthisactivity?Inanyactionplanthereisalwaysasequenceofactionstobetakenbyrelevantpeople.IfyoulookforwardtoActivity9,youwillseethatbyweek7notallthedeadlineshavebeenmet.Aspartofthemonitoring process,youshouldcompletestep2oftheactivity.
49Unit Standard �4�8�9
Activity 9
Step 1: Review the achievement of due dates.Step 2: Write in the space below what action you would take as the Training Manager in this situation.
Skills Training Action Plan Review: Week 7
Action required Action by
Due Dates (Week Nos)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1.Conducttrainingneedsanalysis
TO X
2.Identifytoptrainingpriorities LM/TM
X
3.Determinerequiredtrainingoutcomes LM/TM
X
4.Agreeontrainingdateswithmanagers LM/TM
X
5.Booktrainingvenuesandfacilitators TO
6.Advisenominatedemployeesoftrainingdates
TO X
7.Conducttrainingcoursesandassesscompetence
FA
8.Evaluatevalueoftrainingcourse TR/TO
9.Applynewskillsintheworkplace TR
10.Ratejobperformanceandcomparebefore&aftertraining
LM/TM
Key: TM = TrainingManager TO = TrainingOfficer TR = Trainees FA = Facilitators LM = LineManagers
= PlannedDates X = PlannedDatesAchieved
Monitoringismorethanjustmeasuringactualprogressandcomparingittorequiredduedates.Itencompassesregularreviewsusingtheoriginalactionplanasthestandard.
�0 Unit Standard �4�8�9
Inthiscase,monitoringprogresshighlightstheimpactofnotbookingthetrainingvenuesandtheeffectithasondelayingthedeliveryoftraining.Itisalreadyweek7andtrainingshouldhavestartedinweek5!This,inturn,willdelaytheimplementationofallsubsequentsteps.
Irrespectiveofthereasonsfortheproblem,itisnogoodjusthopingforthebest.Itisalsonotagoodideatomerelyadjustthetimingschedule.Thevenuesneedtoberebookedandmaynotbeavailableforawhile.Inthiscasetheschedulerequiresamendment.
Activity 10
Update the plan based on what you saw in Activity 9.
Amended Skills Training Action Plan
Action required Action by
Due Dates (Week Nos)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1.Conducttrainingneedsanalysis
TO
2.Identifytoptrainingpriorities LM/TM
3.Determinerequiredtrainingoutcomes LM/TM
4.Agreeontrainingdateswithmanagers LM/TM
5.Booktrainingvenuesandfacilitators TO
6.Advisenominatedemployeesoftrainingdates
TO
7.Conducttrainingcoursesandassesscompetence
FA
8.Evaluatevalueoftrainingcourse TR/TO
9.Applynewskillsintheworkplace TR
10.Ratejobperformanceandcomparebefore&aftertraining
LM/TM
Key: TM = TrainingManager TO = TrainingOfficer TR = Trainees FA = Facilitators LM = LineManagers X = PlannedDates
Wasthisactivityusefultoyou?Didyouremembertore-enterplanneddatesalreadyachieved?Anactionplanthatisnotconstantlymonitoredandamendedtoreflecttherealitiesofthesituationremainsa‘paperexercise’–aniceideathatdoesn’tleadtotherequiredoutcomes.
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Specific Outcome 5Provide feedback and recognise achievements
Assessment criteriaAfter completing this outcome, you should be able to provide:• feedbacktoteammembersbasedonobservation• recognitiontoteammemberswhohavecontributedtotheteam
1. Observing team dynamics
hereisadifferencebetweenthecontentofthedecisionsandactionswetakeintheworldofwork(the‘what’)andtheprocessweusetotakedecisionsandimplementthem(the‘how’).
Youalsosawthatthestrongestinfluenceontheeffectivenessoftheprocessisthebehavioural dynamicswithintheteam.Byutilisingthepositivedynamicsofgoal-achievementroles(e.g.informationseekers,energisers)andteam-buildingroles(e.g.harmonisers,expediters),theprocessbecomesmoreeffective.
Howdoyou,asateamleaderidentifytheserolesinthefirstplace?Theanswerisbyobservingpeopleatwork.Oneofthebestopportunitiestodothisis,isduringtheteamreviewmeetings.Thekeyisto observewhichteammembersareaddingvalueby:• providingnewideasonhowtomoveahead• findinginformationneededtosolvetheproblem• helpingresolveconflict• stoppingdominantindividualsfromtakingoverdiscussions andwhichteammembersaredisruptingtheprocessby:• stoppingnewideaswithcontinualnegativereactions• focusingmoreontheircontributionthanonachievingteamgoals
Ofcourse,astheteamleader,itisyourresponsibilitytoleadthemeetingandyouhavetofocusyourattentiononthemeetingagendaandtheinformationbeingcommunicated.However,youwillfindthatoneofthemostpowerfultoolstoassistyouwithobservationintheworldofworkisthesimpletaskofMAKINGNOTES!
Thisiswhatmanyhumanresourcepractitionersrefertoas‘recording critical incidents’andconsistssimplyofmakingnotesaboutspecificcommentsandactionsasyouobservethemhappening.
Youdon’thavetorecordeverywordoractionbutyoushouldwritedownsufficientinformationthatyouneedforthefeedbackyouhavetogivetoindividualteammembersaswellastotheteamasawhole.
Thereasonthatthesearecalled‘criticalincidents’,isthattheyarespecificincidentsthatprovidecriticalinformationtotheteamleaderwhenprovidingfeedback.
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Ifyoutellateammemberthatthey“haveabadattitudetowardscustomers”,whatdoesthisactuallymean?Whatdoyoudoiftheyaskforspecificexamplesofthis‘badattitude’?
Ontheotherhand,ifyouareabletosay;“Jim,doyourememberlastMondaywhenthatcustomeraskedyouforhelpandyourepliedthatyouwere‘busywithanothercustomer’?Well,I’mafraidthatthisisanexampleofyourgeneralattitudetowardscustomersthatIhaveobservedlately.”
Hereyouhaveaclearexampleofthepointthatyouwanttomakeduringafeedbacksession.Togetbacktotheinteractionofindividualsworkinginateam,themeetingisanobviousopportunitytoobservebehaviourdynamics.Thereare,however,otherwaysof‘observing’behaviour.Thenextactivitywillbeofhelptoyouinunderstandinggroupdynamicsthatisnotsomethingyouseetakingplaceinfrontofyou.
Activity 11
Step 1: On your own, review the Visual Management System example overleaf.
Step 2: Also on your own, make notes on the following:a. Which 1 day of the week does the team consistently meet standard?b. Why do you think this is?c. What can you do about improving team output?
Step 3: In a team of 4 to 7 people, discuss the group dynamics you have ‘observed’ by reviewing the information made available by the system.
��Unit Standard �4�8�9
Ifyouhavestruggledwiththisactivity,pleaseconsultyourlecturer.Theinformationprovidedisbasedonareallifesituationandisamanifestationofa‘message’thattheteamofwarehouseemployeesisgivingtomanagement.
Whatisimportantisthatthe‘observation’ofteamdynamicsintheworkplaceisnotrestrictedtotheprocessofdirectlywatchingpeopleperformdailytasks.
2. Providing feedback to team members based on observation
2.1 Feedback Steps Feedbackshouldfollowaformalprocess,whichensuresthatteammembershavetheirattentionfocusedonlearningfromthefeedbackandthusimprovingperformance.Thespecificstepswereto:1. reviewthepurposeofthediscussion2. reflectonactualperformancecomparedtostandard3. seekreasonsforvariances4. discussproblemspreventingtheteamfrommeetingstandards5. developfutureactionplanstorectifypoorperformanceortoenhanceprevious
goodperformance
50
40
30
20
10
1 2 3 4 5 6
Daily Warehouse Orders Despatched per Employee
Standard
Weeks
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Thisapproachmeansthat,astheteamleader,youshould:• inviteteammemberstospeakfirst.Thisfosterstheskillsofself-criticismand
protectsself-respect.• bespecificratherthangeneral.Tobetoldthatoneisdisorganisedwillprobably
notbeasusefulastobetold“Whenyoulostyourplaceduringthelectureandcouldn’tfindtherightnotes,Ifounditdistracting.”
• balancepositiveandnegativefeedback.Positivefeedbackonitsownallowsnoroomforimprovementandnegativefeedbackonitsownisdiscouraging.
• directyourfeedbacktowardsbehaviourthatcanbecontrolled.Itisnothelpful,forexample,tocommentonsomeone’swayoftalking.
2.2 A framework for structuring feedback Asimportantastheformalprocessistoensuringeffectivefeedback;utilisingacommonframeofreferenceisequallyvaluableinensuringthattheactionplanistheappropriateoneforthecircumstances.
MagerandPipedevelopedamodelover30yearsagothatprovidesaveryusefulframeworkforgivingfeedbacktoteammembers.Followingthismodelensuresthattheteamleadernotonlyprovidesfeedbackbutalsotakesresponsibilityforthedevelopmentofteammembers.The‘actions’ontheactionplanarenotalwaystheresponsibilityoftheindividualteammembers–theteamleaderisalsoresponsibleformakingsurethatrequiredoutcomesareachieved!
Ofparticularimportanceistoestablishwhetherornotperformancecanbeimprovedbytrainingasopposedtootherinterventions.Exhibit13illustratesthiscrucialconcept.
��Unit Standard �4�8�9
Exhibit 13: The feedback model
Toensurethatwearecompletelyclearaboutthisintheworldofwork,let’slookatanotheranalogy.
DescribePerformanceDiscrepancy
Ignore
ArrangeFormal
Training
Arrangepractice
Arrange feedback
Removepunishment
Arrangeconsequences
Arrangepositive
consequences
Remove obstacles
No
Important?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
NoNo
No
No
Used often?
SkillsDeficiency
Used to do it?
Performancepunished?
Used often
Non-performance
rewarded?
Performancematters?
Obstacles?
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Mager & Pipe’s Model explained by a workplace analogy
Assume that you are the Team Leader of a Call Centre in Johannesburg handling Client Queries for a Cellular Phone Company.
YouhavereceivedanumberofcomplaintsfromclientsabouthowineffectivesomeoftheCallCentreOperatorsareinhandlingtheirqueries.
ThefirstquestionthattheModelrequiresyoutoaskisthefollowing:“Is the performance discrepancy important?”Ifsomeofthecomplaintsweretodowithproblemssuchasunavailabilityofcertainnewmodelsintheirarea,itisnotsomethingthatyourteammemberscandoanythingaboutotherthanexplainthereasonsgivenbythecompany.Thisisnotimportantinhowtheservicelevelsoftheteamaremaintainedandsomaybeignored.
Thenextissueisthecriticaloneof“is it a lack of knowledge, skill or ability OR rather a behavioural problem e.g. a bad attitude?”
Todetermineifitisaskills deficiency,youcouldaskthequestion“could the team member perform the task/function if his/her life depended on it?”ObviouslyiftheanswerisNO(e.g.anewproductrangehasbeenlaunchedandtheoperatorhasn’tbeenforproductknowledgetraining)–thenthereisaskillsproblemthatneedstobeaddressedbymeansofappropriatetraining!
Howeverthemodelalsorequiresyoutoask“did the employee know how to perform the function in the past?”.If,forexample,theproblemhastodowithnotprovidingtheclientwiththecorrectprocedureforactivatinginternationalroaming,thentheanswerisYES.Inthiscaseperhapstheteammemberhasforgottensomeofthetasksbecauseitisnotafrequentquery,sothebestsolutionistoarrangepracticeratherthanspendingmoneyoncomprehensivere-training.Iftheemployeegetsthesequestionsfrequently,thenfurtherperformancefeedbackisappropriatebeforejustrushingofftotrain.
Todetermineifitisa behaviour problem,thenthemodelrequiresyoutonotjustjumptotheconclusionthatitisan‘attitude’problem,butrathertoaskthequestion“if the performance problem was not due to a lack of skill, could there be reasons other than a poor attitude?”
Firstly,isperformance‘punished’? AnexampleofthiswouldbeanoperatorusinginitiativetohelpaclientwithacrisisandthenbeingscoldedfornotadheringstrictlytotheStandardOperatingProcedureintheManual.Allowingtheteammembertouseinitiativeremovesthe‘punishment’andenhancesafeelingofself-worth.
Secondly,isthereisa‘reward’fornotperformingtostandard”?Forexample,ifteammembershavenottraditionallybeendisciplinedforpoorclientservice,thentheyarereceivingthe‘reward’ofbeingabletomaintainbelow-standardperformancewithoutanysanction.(FortunatelymostCellphonecompanieshavesystemsinplacetomonitorandthenexertdisciplineforpoorperformance).
��Unit Standard �4�8�9
Manymanagersintheworldofworksee‘training’oralternatively‘takingdisciplinaryaction’assimplesolutionstoimproveperformance.Providingcontinuousfeedbackonaformal,structuredbasisensuresthattheteamleadermaintainsmotivationbyfocusingontherealissuesandaddressingthese(notnecessarilybymeansoftraining)andutilisingtheopportunitytogainvaluableinputsfromteammembers.
3. Providing recognition to team members who have contributed to the team
Thereisanexpressionthatisequallyusefulinthecontextofthe‘worldofwork’asitisinsport.Itis:“Feedback is the breakfast of champions!”
Ifyoubelievethatfeedback is a motivator in its own right,thenyouhaveunderstoodboththisexpressionandtheinformationonmotivationprovidedinthisunitstandard.
Givingteammembersfeedbackprovidesasignalthatsays;‘youandtheworkthatyoudoarebothimportantenoughformetotakethetimetoprovidefeedbackonhowIviewyourcontribution’.
If,however,thisfeedbackisnotspecific–thenitwillbelimitedinreinforcinggoodperformanceorimprovingpoorperformance.
3.1 Specific recognition Intheworldofworkitisinterestingtonotethatalotofeffortgoesintoprovidingfeedbackonpoorperformancecomparedtothetimetakentogivepositivefeedbackforcontributionsmade.Manyemployeescomplainabouta‘blameculture’thatexistsintheirorganisationandthat“managementonlytalktouswhenthereisaproblem!”Thiswidespreadperceptionisbasedonalackoffeedbackwhenemployeeshavemadeapositivecontribution.
Thirdly,doesperformance‘really matter?’Iftherearenoincentivesforperformingwellthenitmaybeasimpleissueofdevelopingbetterperformancestandardsandimplementingincentivestomeetthesestandards.
Lastly,arethere‘obstacles’toperforminguptostandard?Ifthereisaproblemofinadequateoperatorspershiftwhichleadstoclientswaitingfortoolongbeforethereisaresponse,thenremovingthese‘obstacles’byemployingsufficientoperatorswillsolvetheproblem.Thismightnotbewithinyourauthoritytodecide,butitcanbetakenintoaccountwhengivingfeedbacktoteammembers.Peopleremainmotivatedwhentheyknowtheyarenotbeingheldresponsibleforfactorsoutsideoftheircontrol.
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However,recognisingemployeesbymakingbroadstatementsthankingthemfortheirloyaltyandcommitmenthasverylimitedimpact!Wesawearlierthatrecording‘criticalincidents’enabledtheteamleadertoprovidespecificfeedbackbyusingthese‘incidents’toillustrateageneralperformanceissue.Thismustbetheapproachtorecognisingteammembers–recognitionmustbesincereandrelatedtospecificvalue-addingcontributions.
Whetherthefeedbackis‘one-on-one’suchas:“Sipho, I have called you in to thank you for working overtime on Tuesday when I asked you at very short notice. I know you missed your normal lift because of the overtime. This is an example of your commitment and I will make a note of it and send it to HR to place on your Personal File. Thanks a lot!”oritisinateamsituationsuchas:“ Guys, I want to specifically thank Sipho for stepping in last Tuesday when Kobus was off sick. He really helped us meet our targets. Sipho, you set an example for all of us – thanks a lot!” itisapowerfulformofrecognitionthatweknowisarealmotivator!
3.2 Forms of recognition Recognitiontakesmanyforms.Itmaybeasimpleasverbalfeedbackonaspecificperformanceaccomplishmentormaybeacomplexschemethatoffersincentivebonuses.
Youmayrememberthatexhibit4identifiedanumberof‘rewards’–bothintrinsicandextrinsic.Allofthesecanbeutilisedtoprovideteammemberswithrecognitionfortheirachievements.Exhibit14providesalistofactionsthatcanbeusedtorecogniseteammemberswhohavecontributedtotheteam.
Exhibit 14: Actions taken to recognise team members
Recognition
Non-financial
• Provide opportunities for personal growth
• Offer more job responsibility
• Allow more participation in decision-making
• Create opportunities for job enrichment
• Change the Job Title• Public Recognition• Allow extra time off
Financial
• Award a high merit increase in salary
• Offer performance bonuses
• Offer share options • Implement a Suggestion
Scheme• Offer free trips or
entertainment
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Manyorganisationshavestrictpoliciesinregardtorecognisingachievementbyfinancial means.Themainreasonsfortheseareeitherthat;individualshaveabusedasysteminthepast,orthatithasbeendifficulttoadministerinsuchawayastokeepitfair.Non-financial forms of recognitionarenotnearlyascomplexorasexpensivetoimplementandyetactasdefinitemotivators,IFappliedcreatively and consistently.Thesetwofactorsareveryimportanttoensurethatrecognitionleadstomotivationand,inturn,tocontinuousimprovementinperformance.
Youcanstepintomanyorganisationsandfindphotosandrollsofhonourrecognisingthe‘EmployeeoftheYear’and‘BestNewcomer’etc.thathavestoppedbeingusedmorethan3yearsago!Onceaformalwayofrecognisingemployeeshasbeenintroduced,itmustbemaintainedandupdatedwithfreshideastomakeiteffective.
Withinateamcontext,oneofthemostpowerfulformsofrecognitionisawardingextratimeoffonfullpaytothoseteammemberswhohavemadeanextracontribution.Thisisnotassimplisticasitmaysound.FormallyannouncingattheThursdaymorningteamreviewmeetingthatZolekawillbeabletoleaveworkat12h00onFridaybecauseofherspecificcontributiontomeetingthedebtcollectiontargetsforthismonthisareallymeaningful‘reward’.
ShewillbeabletodothingsonFridaythatwouldnormallyhavetakenuppartofherweek-end,andwhichisnowfreeforhertoplansocialactivities.Thebenefitstotheorganisationofhavingahighly-motivatedemployeeworkinghardtoachieveteamtargetsfaroutweighsthe‘cost’ofpayingherforafewhourswhennotpresentatwork.
3.3 Celebrating success
Finally,asmuchasformalrecognitionisapowerfulmotivator,celebratingitwithotherteammemberstakesittoanotherlevel.Exhibit15providesexamplesof‘celebrating’thesuccessofindividualswhohavemadethatextracontributiontotheteam.
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Exhibit 15: Celebrating success in a team
Examples of recognising the contribution of individual team members
Employee of the Month Awards:Teammembersvoteonwhohasmadethebiggestcontributiontoteamsuccess.Eachrecipientispresentedwithaspecialbadgeandhastheirphotoprominentlydisplayedintheworkplace.Thisisparticularlyeffectiveinateamdealingwithcustomerswhooftenaddtheirowncongratulations,thusincreasingtheperson’sfeelingofachievement.
Thisisanexampleofshort-term recognition.Attheendofthemonthteammembersvoteagainonwhowillbenextmonth’sawardrecipient.
Status Awards:ExecutiveManagementdecideonspecificcriteriaforawardingteammembersacertainstatusinrecognitionoftheircontribution.Thecelebrationisnormallyintheformofaformalfunctionatwhichrecipientsreceiveatrophyorframedcertificate.Theawardsarepublicizedthroughouttheorganisation.
Thisisanexampleoflong-term recognition.Thestatusawardiskeptbytheindividualforever.Forexample,PamGoldingProperties,oneofthelargestpropertygroupsinSouthAfricahas‘GoldClubAwards’fortheiragents“who have achieved and maintained a consistently high level of excellent service and have adhered to the strictest principles of ethical conduct.”
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Unit standard: Learning reinforcement exercise
Answerthefollowingquestionsbywritingyouranswersinthespaceprovided-usingyourownwords.Trytocompletethewholeexercisebeforeyoulookuptherightanswers.
1. Sustainablesintheworldofworkdependsonhowanorganisation’humanresourcesaretoperform.
2. Thebestcompaniesintheworlddothefollowinginordertokeeptheirpeoplemotivated:
a)
b)
c)
d)
3. Vroom’sexpectancymodelrequirethate,iandvareallinplaceinordertohaveastronglevelofm.
4. InMaslow’shierarchyofneeds:
a) Thefirstlevelofneedsarep
b) Thesecondlevelofneedsarefors
c) Afterthattheneedforshastobesatisfied
d) Theforthlevelisforseand
e) Thehighestlevelisforsa
5. Herzberg,ontheotherhand,feltthatalthoughsomefactorswere,otherswereonlyhfactors.HefeltthatmostofthesuccessfulmotivatorsareIsuchasrecognitionandpersonalgrowth.
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6. McClellandproposedthattheindividualwithahighneedforahasadesiretoexcelincomparisontoothersandthattheindividualwithahighneedforahasadesireforcloserelationshipsandtofeelaccepted.
7. Animportantwayofestablishingwhetherornotteammembersaremotivatedwithinanorganisation,istoconductanEmployeeas
8. Competencecomprises:
a. A
b. S
c. K
d. P
e. Vand,
f. A
9. Conductingapsahelpsustobuildonourpersonalstrengthsandtoworkonappropriatedevelopmentareas.
10. Peoplewhohaveanlocusofcontrol,tendtobelievethattheirperformanceisofteninfluencedbyfactorsbeyondtheircontrolsuchasbadluckorpoormanagement.Ontheotherhand,thosewhohaveanlocusofcontrol,takefullresponsibilityfortheirperformance.
11. Inthe‘stop-start-continue’exercise,‘stop’means
,‘start’meansand‘continue’means
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12. InAdams’equitytheory,highperformingemployeesexpectagreater/smallersalaryincreaseinrelationtotheirownicomparedtothatreceivedbyotheremployeeswhoseiis,intheirperception,lower.
13. Makingajobmoremeaningfulbymeansofjrshouldleadtoimprovedemployeesandthusmthemtoworksmarter.Awell-designedjobshouldprovideemployeeswithsv,ti,ts,aandf
14. Ateamleadercanreallybuildateambyreducingresistance.Thiscanbedoneby:
buildingt communicatingcando involvingtmindecisions
15. Ahighperformancecultureincludesasharedvthateveryonesupports,astrongco,anobsessionwithqandcontinuousiwhereallemployeesfeelempoweredtomakeacontribution.
16. Effectiveexecutionofactionplansrequires: theallocationoframongstteammembers specificdd mechanismstomprogressand,whenrequired, makingatotheplan.
17. Ciprovideclearexamplesofthepointthatyouwanttomakeduringafeedbacksession.
18. Recognitioncanbeprovidedbyfornon means.
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19. Thespecificstepsusedduringaformalfeedbackprocessare: 1.reviewthe 2.reflectoncomparedto 3.seekforv 4.discusspreventingtheteamfrom 5.developfutureAPtorectifypoor ortoenhancegood
20. Statusawardsareanexampleoftermrecognitionforcontributiontoteamperformance.