Develop skills to become an effective
team leader
Overview
2
What makes a good leader?
3
Leadership styles
3
Identifying problem roles and negative leadership
6
What matters—team or task?
Task orientation and maintenance orientation
8
8
Goals, planning, time management
10
Priorities and time management
11
Consultation skills
12
Managing conflict
14
Avoiding a conflict crisis
15
Collaborative problem-solving
17
Mentoring and coaching
17
Self-managed teams
18
Evaluating and reflecting on team progress
19
Points to consider
19
Feedback methods
20
Summary
Team participation skills
22
1
Overview
This topic is designed to introduce you to the skills and knowledge you need
to become an effective leader and facilitator.
Inside this topic
As you work through this topic you will look at:
2

what makes a leader/facilitator

leadership styles

considering the people and the task

goals, planning, time management

consultation

acknowledging team members’ contributions

resolving conflict

collaborative problem-solving

mentoring and coaching

evaluating and reflecting on team progress.
Team participation skills
What makes a good leader?
Some people may think that the word ‘javascript:void(0);leader’ suggests
someone who leads the team by telling them what to do. The ideal leader is
someone who encourages the team members to:

function autonomously and democratically as adults.

share responsibilities with those who are best at doing the tasks.

helps others to come up with answers

take on leadership roles.
The characteristics of successful leader/facilitators include:

drive

honesty, self confidence

creativity

flexibility

knowledge of the business

cognitive ability.
The most important characteristic seems to be the desire to lead. A
successful team relies on the leader/facilitator having good interpersonal
skills.
Leadership styles
What leadership/facilitator styles does your organisation seem to promote?
Leadership/facilitator styles have an important influence on teamwork
within the organisation.
The type of team you have will influence the leadership/facilitator style, just
as the leader/facilitator style can influence the type of team you have.
The role the manager or leader/facilitator takes on will depend on the task,
as well as the level of skills and experience of the team members. In a new
organisational structure with well-trained and enthusiastic team members,
problems will occur if the person is leading in a supervisory manner and not
giving team members any autonomy. They will be frustrated and the
organisation will not make use of all their talents.
Team participation skills
3
There are three leadership styles in the workplace.

Supervisor

Facilitator

Team leader/facilitator
Different leadership styles are useful for different types of work place
activity. The members of the teams will behave differently because of the
different style of leadership.
Examine the team leading chart below. It shows that leadership style is not
fixed. You can change your behaviour to become a team leader or facilitator
to suit the tasks and the team members.
Figure 1: Team leading
People in a team can contribute leadership skills in many ways. The more
variety in the roles people play, the richer the team. The chart below
identifies some of these roles within a team.
Table 1: Team roles
4
Team participation skills
Role
Behaviour
Initiator
Suggests tasks and ideas, defines the issues with suggestions
Helper
Offers help in response to problems
Motivator
Likes to get things done and encourage others
Observer
Watches the others
Doubting Thomas
Doesn’t think any ideas will work
Clarifier
Makes sure everyone understands the issue
Influencer
Can convince others
Surpriser
Always comes up with new ideas
Summariser
Pulls ideas together, makes decisions, suggestions
Mediator
Tries to keep harmony, conciliates, offers compromise solutions
Gate keeper
Helps other to take part, keeping communication channels open
Follower
Accepts others’ ideas, can be an interested listener and positive
team member
Activity 1: Your teams
Think about the teams you have participated in. This team might be work-based but could
also be a social or community team.
Explain below how you have acted in at least three of these roles as a member of a team.
An example is given to show you.
1
As a member of the P & C Committee at my children’s school, I often act as a
clarifier. I often think that some of the teachers don’t really understand parents’
concerns so I try to talk to them in ways that I think they will understand. I guess that I
am also a mediator at these meetings as I try to help sort out any conflict that comes up
by finding common ground between two different points of view.
Role 1: ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Role 2: ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Role 3: ___________________________________________________________________
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5
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Comment
Each person’s experience as a team member is individual. It is important to
reflect on how you contribute (or don’t contribute!) to the teams that you
belong to. There will always be different personalities in a team and some
will contribute more than others.
Help and encourage each member to contribute as much to the team as they
can. You can help to lead or facilitate your team’s goals by taking positive
roles yourself.
Identifying problem roles and negative
leadership
These are some roles that make working in teams difficult. These roles may
be used to influence the team in a negative way.
Figure 2
Activity 2: Team roles
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Team participation skills
What names would you give to each of these roles?
In the following table, draw lines to connect the comments with the correct role.
Did you hear the joke about?
Criticiser
That’s stupid. Can’t anyone come up with a
decent idea?
Joker
This is so boring! How much longer will it
take before I can escape?
Timeserver
I don’t know what you think this meeting
will achieve!
Distractor
Did you hear about Julie? She’s going to
Surfer’s Paradise for a week.
Negator
Comment
Did you hear the joke about?
Joker
That’s stupid. Can’t anyone come up with a
decent idea?
Criticiser
This is so boring! How much longer will it
take before I can escape?
Timeserver
I don’t know what you think this meeting
will achieve!
Negator
Did you hear about Julie? She’s going to
Surfer’s Paradise for a week.
Distractor
As a leader of such a team, or a fellow group member, you would need to
consider what action you would take to help the meeting be successful.
Team participation skills
7
What matters—team or task?
Part of ensuring the success of a team depends on the team leader’s ability
to assess the strengths of each team member. Task-oriented people focus on
getting the job done while maintenance-oriented people focus on keeping
the group together
When leaders/facilitators are co-ordinating the work in a team, they need to
think about which members are task-oriented and which are
javascript:void(0);maintenance-oriented. Both types of behaviour are
important in a team.
Task orientation and maintenance
orientation
In a team we all assume various roles according to:

our own personalities

the task

the behaviour and interests of the others in the team.
Some of us like teams because they are a useful and efficient way of getting
the task done while others like the interaction between the people in a team.
Look at the table below. Think back to your answers to Activity 17.
Consider how you contribute to the team in terms of tasks or team
maintenance. The table below gives examples of both task and maintenance
roles.
Role
8
Behaviour
Task or
maintenance?
Initiator
Suggests tasks and ideas, defines the
issues with suggestions
Task
Helper
Offers help in response to problems
Task
Motivator
Likes to get things done and encourage
others
Task and
maintenance
Observer
Watches the others
Maintenance
Team participation skills
Doubting Thomas
Doesn’t think any ideas will work
Task
Clarifier
Makes sure everyone understands the issue
Maintenance
Influencer
Can convince others
Task
Surpriser
Always comes up with new ideas
Task
Summariser
Pulls ideas together, makes decisions,
suggestions
Task
Mediator
Tries to keep harmony, conciliates, offers
compromise solutions
Task and
maintenance
Gate keeper
Helps other to take part, keeping
communication channels open
Maintenance
Follower
Accepts others’ ideas, can be an interested
listener and positive team member
Task and
maintenance
An effective team leader/facilitator will get to know the team members and
allocate tasks to them with their orientation and strengths in mind.
An ideal team will survive and produce good results if it has a mix of taskand maintenance-oriented members.
Team participation skills
9
Goals, planning, time management
Every project has a goal and a time limit. It’s a good idea to start by looking
at the ‘big picture’, then breaking it down into tasks and allocating these to
the most appropriate people.
Activity 3: Task priorities
Look at the list of tasks below. Put in numbers to indicate the order in which you think the
tasks should be done.
Order
Tasks
Allocate tasks
Set a main goal
Hold regular meetings
Create a schedule
Get team members to report on their progress
Set a timeline
Set some standards
Monitor progress
Keep the team informed about what’s happening
Keep a record of what’s happening
Break the main goal into tasks
Keep the team motivated
Comment
See if you have put the following order in your answer as this would help
your team to achieve its goals.
Think about the reasons for this order.
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Team participation skills
1
Set a main goal
2
Set a timeline
3
Break the main goal into tasks
4
Allocate tasks
5
Set some standards
6
Create a schedule
7
Hold regular meetings
8
Monitor progress
9
Get team members to report on their progress
10 Keep a record of what’s happening
11 Keep the team informed about what’s happening
12 Keep the team motivated
You could undertake tasks on the list in a slightly different order, but to
complete any project, the team leader/facilitator needs to:

set goals

break them down into tasks

work out which team members will do the tasks.
It is the team members’ responsibility to offer each other cooperation and
support so they can complete their tasks. The role of the team leader or
facilitator involves reviewing and prioritising the tasks to keep the project
on track.
Priorities and time management
Once you have decided on the goals of the team, establishing priorities is the
next task. The leader/facilitator, in consultation with the team, must decide
which jobs deserve the most attention and the order in which the team will
handle them.
Coupled with this is the consideration of time management. When is the
best time for the meeting to take place? What is the best day? Where is the
best place?
Plan - Do - Check - Act (PDCA)
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is a quality-planning tool. It can be a useful
method of solving problems and making decisions in a team. This method
helps to keep the team on track by following an established plan.
Team participation skills
11
The initial planning is the most important step. At each step you must check
on the progress before the final action.
The following diagram shows how these four steps work as parts of a
continuous process.
Figure 3
Keeping a team on track means having a plan. However, to keep a team on
side also means knowing about using effective interpersonal skills,
encouraging assertiveness and active listening.
Consultation skills
Consulting all the members of a team is important if you wish to make a
decision that all members are prepared to follow. It also makes the best use
of the talents of all members—one of the main reasons we form teams.
There are many ways you can consult with other people in small groups or
teams.
Remember that consultation isn’t just a matter of saying ‘Are you OK?’ It
requires agreement and commitment. A leader may need to use a variety of
problem- solving tools to encourage their team to work harmoniously.
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Team participation skills
Acknowledging team members’ contributions
If you are an experienced team leader/facilitator, you will realise that team
members like to feel appreciated. Sincere praise and encouragement from
the team members, as well as the leader/facilitator, will help the team
members to encourage each other.
You must consider the personal needs as well as the needs of the
organisation. The leader or facilitator’s role is to ensure that support and
encouragement are given, whether they come from the leader/facilitator or
the other members.
Every contribution should be acknowledged, even if it can’t be used this
time. One useful method is to set up a whiteboard and note on it any ideas
not used. They can be referred to later. This encourages all team members to
participate.
Team participation skills
13
Managing conflict
Conflict comes from a breakdown of interaction between people. If we want
to deal with the conflict, we have to look at what causes the breakdown.
Conflict in our lives comes from our differences in attitudes, values and
beliefs.
What influences these attitudes, values and beliefs? These are some areas
where differences in attitudes can lead to misunderstandings, which in turn
can lead to conflict. Look at the examples made in the statements below:
Family
Culture
He’s our kind of person.
They won’t even let her go out unless she’s
with her brother or father.
Friends
Media
Why don’t you go out with him? He’s cute.
It must be true. I saw it on the 6.30 Report.
Education
Books
She didn’t even finish Year 12. She must be
stupid.
Have you read about how they live in…?
Era/ age
Climate or geography
You’re out of touch. No-one worries about
that these days.
I know about these Mediterranean types.
Gender
Economy
All men are selfish. Women can’t operate
machines.
She doesn’t even own a pair of ABC
joggers.
Community
Location
They won’t fit into our group.
Did you know they come from that suburb?
Our judgments and attitudes are based on a mixture of influences. Only an
understanding of these influences can overcome the limiting judgments we
often make. This can help us to avoid the causes of conflict. Our differing
needs are another important source of conflict.
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Team participation skills
Avoiding a conflict crisis
Conflict can occur at different levels. If you recognise the signs of conflict
at each stage or level, it is possible to do something about it before things
get worse. Study the stages in the diagram and try to relate them to a conflict
you have experienced.
Figure 4
If you want to learn more about managing conflict, contact the Conflict
Resolution Network, PO Box 1016 Chatswood, NSW 2057 or look at their
website on http://www.crnhq.org
Using interpersonal skills to manage a conflict
Managing a conflict successfully requires a broad range of interpersonal
skills, such as:

active listening

being assertive

having healthy self-esteem

understanding non-verbal communication (your own as well as others)

being able to interpret signals

having good questioning skills (both open and closed)

showing respect for others.
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All these will all contribute to positive outcomes from conflict situations.
Strategies
The following strategies will help you manage conflict:

Know your goals and your ‘bottom line’.

Build on common agreement.

Be assertive, not aggressive.

Learn the other person’s view and feelings.

Use reflective (active) listening to discover the real issues.

Ask open questions.

Avoid the disagreement spiral where one incident just leads to a bigger
and a bigger one.

Be honest when you make mistakes or feel uncertain (this may well be
the most difficult).
Activity 4: Steps for managing conflict
Conflict usually involves people getting emotional. Having a plan is essential for solving
conflict. It helps defuse the emotions and helps you to focus on the actions and not the
person.
The steps for managing conflict are listed below. Number them in the order in which you
would carry them out.
Order
Steps for managing conflict
Plan how you will deal with it
Acknowledge your emotions
Use an effective close
Follow up the outcomes
Identify the problem
Communicate effectively
Comment
Using the following steps in the order shown will help you to manage the
conflict.
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Team participation skills
Steps for managing conflict
1
Acknowledge your emotions.
2
Identify the problem.
3
Plan how you will deal with it.
4
Communicate effectively.
5
Use an effective close.
6
Follow up the outcomes.
The skills you need to resolve a conflict are all interpersonal skills for
communicating successfully. If you are not sure that you have completely
understood this topic, go back and revise Interpersonal skills for successful
communicators earlier in this module.
Collaborative problem-solving
A collaborative problem-solving javascript:void(0);approach assumes both
sides will cooperate to produce a solution satisfactory to all. This is often
called a
win-winjavascript:void(0); approach.
If you adopt this approach, you are more likely to have long-term solutions
and commitment to the solutions. However, it is a time-consuming process
and it assumes both parties have negotiation skills and a desire to reach a
solution.
Mentoring and coaching
What is the difference between a coach and a mentor? A coach is a person
who can tutor or train their team members to develop the skills and
knowledge the organisation needs.
javascript:void(0);A mentor helps a new or inexperienced team member by
supporting them with advice and by demonstrating the way things should be
done. A mentor is a role model. They will advise team members about
workshops or training that may be coming up.
Mentoring and coaching are collaborative approaches to
leadership/facilitation. They use the concept of leading by support and
example, rather than directing staff.
Team participation skills
17
Self-managed teams
Self-managed teams are those which are either completely autonomous or
semi autonomous with a high level of control over their work. They allocate
tasks, decide on time frames and usually take turns in leadership/facilitation.
They choose the person to lead according to the task.
Self-managed teams encourage decision-making and achieving results by
letting everyone have an equal say.
Old style organisations rely on a leader/facilitator who is the manager. New
style organisations rely on a leader/facilitator who is the coach, facilitator
and teacher.
Look at the chart below for a comparison of old-style managers and newstyle leaders.
18
Old style managers
New style leader/facilitators
Assign tasks
Let team members take responsibility for their own work.
Direct the team members
Let team members monitor their own performance.
Control the individuals in the team
Allow team members to alter their performance strategies as
needed to solve problems and adapt to change.
Team participation skills
Evaluating and reflecting on team
progress
Your team has finished the project. Which of these views is your?
Figure 5
A project isn’t always finished with a presentation to the public or even
when the main goal seems to be achieved. As the leader/facilitator or a team
member, you must ask what has the team learnt from the task and how this
knowledge can be used next time.
Points to consider
During the project, there are several points to consider.

Will the team work together again?

If so, what would they do differently?

Is everyone on the team satisfied with the progress or the results?
Team participation skills
19

Are the stakeholders satisfied?

What can we learn from working on the project?

Should we be doing something differently?
All projects require feedback. In this way, the leader/facilitator will be able
to learn from the experience and think about how this team or another one
will approach new projects. The feedback process is also important as it
allows all team members to have input.
Feedback methods
Listed below are methods you can use as a leader/facilitator to assess how
successful your team has been.

Use a questionnaire of team members.

Use a questionnaire for other stakeholders, customers or clients.

Form a focus group, including outside experts, to review the progress.

Video a meeting to assess how effective it is and whether participation
is wholehearted.

Use auditors. If your project is budgeted you might use accounting
auditors. If it has a safety or health component, you might bring in an
auditor from WorkCover or Worksafe Australia.

Reflect: keep a personal record of the qualitative results (numbers) as
well as quantitative ones. Record how you and others are feeling about
the project.

Use pilot groups and summarise findings as you work through the
project and at the end.
At the beginning of a new project, discuss with the team how to evaluate the
project at the end, suggesting these methods.
20
Team participation skills
Activity 5: Feedback methods
Which of the above methods would you use to assess the following team projects?
1
Project to find new uniforms for a work place netball team.
_____________________________________________________________________
2
Introduce new induction program to organisation.
_____________________________________________________________________
3
Introduce training program for new software.
_____________________________________________________________________
4
New safety policy for organisation.
_____________________________________________________________________
Comment
1
Use a questionnaire.
2
Use a questionnaire/Use a questionnaire for other stakeholders/Use
pilot groups/Form a focus group.
3
Use a questionnaire/Reflect.
4
Use auditors/Form a focus group/Use pilot groups.
Almost any of the methods listed could be used to evaluate a project. The
key to improving team results is to continually reassess and reflect on what
you can learn from the stakeholders, including yourself.
From the feedback, the leader/facilitator can provide direction for further
team projects, whether using this team or transferring to another team.
Team participation skills
21
Summary
In this topic you have learnt about becoming an effective leader and
facilitator. This involved looking at:
22

leadership styles

considering the people and the task

goals, planning, time management

consultation

acknowledging team members’ contributions

resolving conflict

collaborative problem-solving

mentoring and coaching

evaluating and reflecting on team progress.
Team participation skills