Guide to Managing and Optimising Team Performance

 "A printed bound copy of the 'Guide to Managing & Optimising Team Performance' can be ordered for $15 or $10 each for orders over 10 by contacting Leadership and Management Development at  senior.leadership@adm.monash.edu.au

• Section 1: Introduction
  • 1.1 Teams at Monash
• Section 2: Team Development Model
  • 2.1 Stages of Team Development
• Section 3: Forming
  • 3.1 The Role of Team Leader
  • 3.2 Setting Team Goals and Direction
  • 3.3 Becoming an Effective Team Member
• Section 4: Storming
  • 4.1 Managing Team Performance Through Difficulties
  • 4.2 Assess Team Functioning
  • 4.3 Symptoms of Dysfunctional Teams
  • 4.4 Team Health Assessment
  • 4.5 Strategies to Address Team Dysfunction
• Section 5: Norming
  • 5.1 Evaluate and Review Team Success
  • 5.2 Evaluate and Review Individual Team Members' Success
• Section 6: Performing
  • 6.1 Create a High Performance Team Culture
  • 6.2 Delegating and Empowering Team Members
• Section 7: Case Studies
• Section 8: Resources
• Appendix A
• Appendix B

Section 1: Introduction

1.1 Teams at Monash

In order for Monash to achieve it's strategic direction, teams need to work effectively. At Monash the concept of team is broad and includes teams across the areas of research, teaching, community engagement, management and administration.

Teamwork drives the performance of most organisations with the success of performance dependant on the team members, their commitment, direction and drive to perform for the common goals of the team. A team can be defined as:

"A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable."¹

The following guide has been developed for Monash staff who:

• lead newly established teams;
• lead teams that are not performing to their potential;
• lead high-performing teams who wish to review and reflect on their team performance;
• participate as a team member and want to learn more about team functioning and dynamics; and
• recognise potential issues in teams and seek advice on ways to improve team functioning.

A team is distinct from a group of people who come together for a common interest. Establishing a team involves gathering a group of people who 'work together in concert to achieve a common goal'². Teams have a purpose and direction and team members have clearly defined roles and responsibilities within the team. Key characteristics of teams include:³

• common purpose
• complementary skills
• interaction
• shared resources
• consensus decision-making on major issues
• synergy (output greater than sum of parts)

Section 2: Team Development Model

2.1 Stages of Team Development

Building a team requires a period of goal-setting and strategy development for completing goals. Once a team has been established and roles are clarified, the team usually progresses through a series of developmental stages (see below).⁴

Although this model describes an ideal team development process, many teams do not have a clear start or end point. This model can also be applied for existing teams with new members or a new team leader as the principles are the same. The remainder of this Guide will detail each of these stages.

Section 3: Forming

This stage includes building a common purpose, understanding personal expectations and interests, clarifying accountability, recognition and rewards.

3.1 The Role of Team Leader

The team leader (head of school, head of department, centre director, supervisor etc.) plays an important role in providing structure, support and direction for the team during the 'forming' stage. As a leader of a team there are several roles and strategies that you can fulfil in order to motivate and improve team performance. The team leader can play many roles and may vary according to need and focus of the team and the individual members of the team. For a full description of the various roles a team leader can play, see Appendix A.

The role of team leader will vary according to the identified needs of the team, stage of team development and level of functioning. It will also depend on the style, qualities of the team leader and how comfortable they are in each of the roles.

3.2 Setting Team Goals and Direction

The primary focus of the team leader is to set team goals and ensure alignment with the strategic direction of the University (faculty, school, department, centre, campus, division). Teams are brought together with common goals and purpose. In order for team members to be effective they need to be clear on team direction and purpose and what they are working towards. The following elements can help team members create a commitment to a common vision:

1. Supportive Environment: A team needs internal support from management or the team effort may fail. Team members require the essential resources to get the job done, such as materials, research capabilities, software and human resources.
2. Clear Goals: Clear goals provide a structure and direction for each individual member of the team and they create the context in which team members can make their day-to-day decisions. Team involvement in goal setting will increase each member's buy-in and commitment. Clear goals are also supported by good planning.
3. Operating Agreements: These explicit agreements detail how each member of the team will behave, and how the team will work together, make decisions, communicate, share information, and support each other, (Refer to Appendix B).
4. Competent, Dependable, Trusted Team Members: Teams have the most difficulty with this part of the equation. All members need to feel confident that team members are trustworthy.

3.3 Becoming an Effective Team Member

When individual team members behave like team players instead of solo performers, the collective output of the team increases, so the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. The following checklist has been designed to assess whether you are an effective team player.

Section 4: Storming

The storming stage gets the team focussed on goals, managing processes, conflict-resolution procedures and integrating everyone in the team. It is important for the team leader to generally provide support and remain positive and firm in the face of challenges. The team leader may consider explaining the stages of team development to normalise 'storming' behaviours and manage team member expectations.

4.1 Managing Team Performance Through Difficulties

As the name suggests, the 'storming' stage can involve a period of uncertainty while team members integrate and find their way in the team. During this stage, there can be conflicts and dysfunctional patterns starting to emerge, so it is important to monitor and evaluate factors that may be impeding the overall team's effectiveness.

A number of operational stressors (eg. high workload, organisational change, conflict) can have a negative impact on team performance. The following factors have been found to mediate the influence of these operational stressors:⁵

• high level of individual morale
• supportive leadership
• positive work team climate
• individual employee susceptibility

When morale decreases, individual's become increasingly sensitive to perceptions of organisational support and fair treatment. A high-level of morale increases resilience and creates a 'buffer' against operational stressors. Supportive leadership is characterised by a range of behaviours. If you would like to know if you display effective team leadership skills, complete the checklist below.

How do I know if I am an effective team leader?

4.2 Assess Team Functioning

In order to improve team performance and increase outcomes it is crucial to gain insight into how the team is operating and identify opportunities for improvement. It is advisable to collect data on the team's functioning which can be collected in a variety of ways. Some options are listed below:

• At Monash, a Staff Attitude Survey (SAS) is run biennially and measures a range of organisational factors. You should review this information to identify whether there are any areas that require attention.
• Review staff data including absenteeism data.
• Use of proprietary team survey instrument on team effectiveness.⁶
• Individual interviews can be conducted with the aim of seeking perspectives from team members. It may also help to assist your understanding of the team dynamics and functioning
• Conduct your own team health assessment (see section 4.4).

4.3 Symptoms of Dysfunctional Teams

Reviewing your team in its current state will indicate whether dysfunction exists. Various symptoms, outlined below, should help you recognise if your team is performing sub-optimally. Patrick Lenconioni (2007) outlines the five dysfunctions of teams:⁷

^*For a general overview of conflict consult the Monash Guide to Managing Conflict - Positive steps for managing and promoting a health workplace culture

4.4 Team Health Assessment⁸

The following instrument can help assess team health and isolate whether a particular dysfunction exists in your team.

Instructions: use the scale below to indicate how each statement applies to your team. It is important to evaluate the statements honestly and without over-thinking your answers.

1 = Rarely     2 = Sometimes     3 = Usually

Scoring

Combine your scores for the preceding statements as indicated below.

A score of 8 or 9 is a probable indication that the dysfunction is not a problem for your team. A score of 6 or 7 indicates that the dysfunction could be a problem. A score of 3 to 5 is probably an indication that the dysfunction needs to be addressed.

Regardless of your scores, it is important to keep in mind that every team needs constant work, because without it, even the best ones deviate toward dysfunction.

4.5 Strategies to Address Team Dysfunction

The following table outlines some further indicators of team dysfunction and provides a range of potential strategies:⁹

Section 5: Norming

At this stage, team members begin to work towards consensus on issues and develop the processes for information sharing and feedback. Team members are given more opportunities to lead. It is important for the team leader to step back and help the team take responsibility for milestone achievement.

5.1 Evaluate and Review Team Success

When you believe the team has successfully navigated through the 'storming' stage, it is important to develop a process for tracking team performance and measuring overall team progress as part of a continuous improvement process that will contribute towards a culture of high performance. The following assessment provides feedback on how effectively your team works together.

On a scale of 1 (not at all) - 5 (very often)

Calculate your total score ____________

5.2 Evaluate and Review Individual Team Members' Success

The performance development process provides an opportunity for both the staff member and the manager / team leader to review the performance of individual team member's and provides an avenue for discussion about future performance indicators and career development strategies.

• Further information on the performance development process

Section 6: Performing

Team members seek to improve tasks and relationships, test for better methods and approaches, and celebrate successes. It is critical that the team leader delegates as far as possible. Once the team has achieved high performance, the team leader should aim to have as 'light a touch' as possible.

6.1 Create a High Performance Team Culture

It is important to monitor and evaluate your team's effectiveness in an ongoing way to ensure that you are constantly looking for ways to improve. There are a range of management systems, processes and practices that contribute to creating a high performance team culture at the organisational, manager and staff level. The following checklist outlines these in more detail.¹⁰

6.2 Delegating and Empowering Team Members

In the 'performing' stage of team development, the team leader should delegate as much as possible to allow team members the opportunity to lead and take responsibility for major tasks through to completion.

So why don't people delegate?

If you are the team leader, chances are you already have the skills to do most of the work yourself and are likely to do it a lot quicker than bringing someone else up to speed. However, by doing the work yourself, you are not making the most of your time and are not developing your team member's skills and abilities. By investing a little bit of time up-front, you will be able to delegate tasks with confidence the next time around with less involvement from you.

When do you delegate?

Delegation, when done properly, is a win-win. However, this does not mean that you can delegate everything. To determine when delegation is appropriate, ask yourself the following questions:

If you can answer "yes" to at least some of the above questions, then it could be well worth delegating this job.

To whom should you delegate?

Having decided to delegate a task there are some other factors to consider as well. The factors to consider here are:

• The experience, knowledge and skills of the individual as they apply to the delegated task
  • What knowledge, skills and attitude does the person already have?
  • Do you have time and resources to provide any training needed?
• The individual's preferred work style
  • How independent is the person?
  • What does he or she want from their job?
  • What are his or her long term goals and interests, and how do these align with the work proposed?
• The current workload of this person
  • Does the person have time to take on more work?
  • Will delegating this task require reshuffling of other responsibilities and workloads?

How should you delegate?

Use the following principles to delegate successfully.

1. Clearly articulate the desired outcome. Begin with the end in mind and specify the desired results.
2. Clearly identify constraints and boundaries. Where are the lines of authority, responsibility and accountability? Should the person:
   • Wait to be told what to do?
   • Ask what to do?
   • Recommend what should be done, and then act?
   • Act, and then report results immediately?
   • Initiate action, and then report periodically?
3. Where possible include people in the delegation process. Empower them to decide what tasks are to be delegated to them and when.
4. Match the amount of responsibility with the amount of authority. Understand that you can delegate some responsibility; however you can't delegate away ultimate accountability. The buck stops with you.
5. Delegate to the lowest possible organisational level. The people who are closest to the work are best suited for the task, because they have the most intimate knowledge of the detail of everyday work. This also increases workplace efficiency, and helps to develop people.
6. Provide adequate support, and be available to answer questions. Ensure the project's success through ongoing communication and monitoring as well as provision of resources and credit.

Once the delegated work is delivered back to you, set aside enough time to review it thoroughly. If possible, only accept good quality, fully completed work. If you accept work you are not satisfied with, your team member does not learn to do the job properly. Of course, when good work is returned to you, make sure to both recognise and reward the effort. This effort will go along way toward building the team member's selfconfidence and efficiency.

Section 7: Case Studies

Establishing a Team

You have recently been appointed as an Academic Head of a newly formed Department and have also just received a high-profile Australian Research Council (ARC) grant to run a major research project for the next three years. Your role is to establish a team of research and professional staff within your new Department who will conduct the research and manage the ARC grant. The team will include eight research staff, a resources manager and two administrative staff. The Dean has expressed a desire to see research outcomes from the team quickly within the first year which means your team needs to start performing within a short timeframe.

You are concerned about how you can establish a high-functioning team that will be in the best position to work cohesively together to start producing research outcomes.

Key considerations:

• What characteristics are important for the team members you require?
• What are the goals for the team/each individual?
• What common purpose are members working towards?
• What are the roles for each person within the team?
• What resources are required for members to undertake their roles effectively?
• Should an operating agreement be developed to articulate roles, objectives, agreements?
• What tools are in place to measure and review team performance?
• What processes will be established to support regular communication opportunities within the team? ie: regular team meetings.

Team Performance

You have been a senior member of a research centre for several years. Last month your Director resigned and you have been appointed Acting Director.

In your opinion the team has not been functioning well for several years and you are keen to review the centre and implement strategies to improve team performance. In particular you feel that members are not working cohesively and could be unclear about the goals and objectives of the team. As a result team performance is suffering.

Key considerations:

• Are members aware of the team goals?
• Are members clear on their roles/tasks and how they work towards the team goals?
• Do team members have the resources and facilities to meet the team goals?
• What tools and processes do you need to establish to review the team's performance on an ongoing basis?
• Has the performance development process been undertaken regularly and appropriately?
• Undertake a Team Health Assessment - see Section 4.4
• Implement strategies to address team dysfunction - see Section 4.5
• Evaluate team success - see Section 5.2

Rebuilding a Team

You are a Manager of a team that works in an administrative department at the University. There has been a recent restructure of your Division and several positions have been made redundant. Staff morale has been significantly affected and many are concerned about the impact the downsize has had on their workload. You are concerned about being able to refocus the team and rebuild confidence, team cohesion and focus.

Key considerations:

• Review team functioning, current direction and goals
• Consider a team building exercise
• Reframe and focus the team's goals and direction
• Develop a team Operating Agreement
• Meet with team members individually to seek their thoughts and feedback
• Implement change management plan - see Guide for Managing Change

Section 8: Resources

Human Resources Division

Leadership and Organisational Development

Telephone: 9902 9914
Coaching, consultancy, advice and support in the following areas:

• Conflict and change management
• Team building
• Performance development advice
• Leadership and management development

Staff Development

Telephone: 9902 9888

• Development advice
• Staff development calendar
• Customised learning solutions

Policy

Telephone: 9902 9915
Provides advice and support in the following areas:

• HR policies and procedures
• Performance development
• Academic promotion

Workplace Relations

Telephone: 9902 9595

• Enterprise agreement interpretation
• Discipline and grievances
• Policy interpretation
• Advice and support in conflict and change management and performance management

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Manager Assist

A professional, confidential and external counselling service available free-of-charge to Monash staff and their immediate family members. This service can be of assistance when staff are experiencing work-related and personal or health problems.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  Telephone: 1800 350 359
  
  
• ManagerAssist
  Telephone: 1800 350 359

Student and Community Services Division

Equity and Diversity

Telephone: 9905 5704

The Equity and Diversity Centre supports students and staff to reach their full potential by promoting inclusive practices across the University. Equity and Diversity provide conciliation/mediation services, including under the Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Grievance procedures.

Health, Wellbeing and Development

Telephone: 9905 3156

Health Wellbeing and Development offers internal services to students and staff in the areas of chaplaincy, counselling, family and child care advice, financial aid, housing advice and health and medical assistance. Health Wellbeing and Development contributes to the University's goals by providing support and advice to students and staff on emotional, psychological, health, financial, accommodation, religious/spiritual, educational, child care and physical problems in order to enhance their academic performance and the University community life.

Counselling Service

Telephone: 9905 3156

The Monash University Counselling Service provides a free, professional and confidential psychological counselling service to all Monash students and staff. The service also offers a fee-for-service, vocational testing and consultation service.

Occupational Health and Safety

Telephone: 9905 1016

Occupational Health and Safety is committed to working with the University community in the prevention of injuries and illnesses in the workplace, in compliance with occupational health and safety legislation and in the development of a proactive safety culture within the University in which conservation of the environment is actively practised. Their specific role is to initiate, develop and oversee the University's overall health and safety programs in consultation with the University community.

Appendix A - Roles of the Team Leader¹¹

Appendix B - Operating Agreement Template

Develop an Operating Agreement

The Operating Agreement acts as a 'roadmap' that the team and its sponsors create at the beginning of a project to make sure that all involved are clear about where they are heading, and provide direction when things get tough. The precise format of a Operating Agreement varies from situation to situation and from team-to-team, and although the actual charter may take several forms, its value comes from thinking through and discussing each of the elements.

These elements include:

Operating Agreement Template

References

1. R. Katzenbach & D. Smith, The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press, 1993.
2. M. Hays, Building High-performance Teams: A Practitioner's Guide, Argos Press, 2004.
3. L. Marlow & R. Jones, Leadership in Action, PowerPoint Presentation, Monash University, 2008.
4. Catalyst Consulting Team. (2002). Accelerating Team Development: The Tuckman’s Model.
5. Cotton, Dr. P. (2005). The prevention and Management of Psychological Injuries: An Evidence-Based Approach, Department of Human Services, Occupational Heath & Safety Forum.
6. HR can provide assistance in the selection of an appropriate proprietary instrument.
7. P. Lenconioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Leadership Fable, Jossey-Bass, 2007.
8. Source: 'The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Leadership Fable,' © 2002, Patrick Lenconioni, Jossey-Bass
9. Harvard Business Essentials. Creating Teams with an Edge. Harvard Business School Press, Boston: Massachusetts, 2004.
10. Corporate Leadership Council, 2002. Performance Management Survey.
11. McKenna, revised 2008, www.lindsaymckennalimited.com, viewed 9 November, 2008.