1. When staff work together as a team they can complement each other and deliver a consistent level of service.
True
2. A key to creating a team environment is recognising both team and individual contributions to achieving the goals of the group.
True
3. Simple rules can apply to any interpersonal relationship, but are essential for a leader. What are four simple rules that apply to leaders?
1. Focusing on creating positive partnership with subordinates in order to increase the quality of cooperation with them.
2. Paying particular attention to the ideas, needs, and problems of employees in order to apply received information with the goal of enhancing organization’s performance.
3. Keeping to sufficient approach of communication with the employees and customers by listening carefully and providing appropriate feedbacks.
4. Being a source of inspiration for the employees in order motivate and encourage them to high quality work and advanced involvement with the organization.
4. A good team leader will communicate important ideas, plans and objectives. A team will need full access to any relevant data such as sales targets. List five other objectives that should be communicated to the team.
1. The company’s major goal, mission and objectives should be clearly communicated to the team in order to increase the understanding of common goals within all team members.
2. Key aspects of corporate culture need to be appropriately communicated to the team.
3. The whole spectrum of responsibilities, specific technical information, and other issues associated with particular job position should be communicated to each worker.
4. Comments and remarks, regarding current quality of employees’ performance as well as and recommendations regarding its changing need to be regularly communicated.
5. Information about company’s success and failures has to be communicated to the team in order increase the quality of team spirit.
5. Good leadership will put in place a contingency management program to help staff prepare for unexpected situations. A team needs to know the following aspects. Please list four aspects that apply
1. Absolute endorsement of a contingency management program by senior managers and their advanced engagement into the program.
2. Regular provision of a sufficient education directed on clarifying key aspects of a contingency management program to staff.
3. Achievement of the recognition among the staff the fact of a contingency management program being an intervention directed on the modifying specific behaviors.
4. Establishing constructive dialogues with the team regarding crucial aspects of a contingency management program before its actual implementation.
6. Specific operational aspects of the team’s work should be left to the manager to allow for his decision-making powers.
True
7. Encouraging active problem solving strategies is one aspect of producing innovative approaches within a team. Please name four others that a leader should consider and encourage within his team.
1. Encouraging employees to offer regularly new creative ideas regarding the organizing of working process.
2. Encouraging employees’ participation in brainstorming in which workers from different company’s departments take part.
3. Offer regular training to workers in order to inspire them to produce new thoughts, ideas, and approaches to working process.
4. Promoting active interaction between company and employees, in particular by encouraging informal discussions.
8. Constructive criticism aims to improve the employee’s understanding and ability to perform their task.
True
9. Rewards should be handed out as a matter of course, rather than being given for meeting a goal or for performing above standard.
False
10. Some of the roles of an effective team leader would include the following aspects – match the definition with the correct point
11. The delegation process can be divided into steps – place the following procedures in logical order:
12. What are four reasons managers do not delegate:
1. Managers like their job and do not want to give up on doing it.
2. Managers have doubts regarding the ability of other people to cope successfully with the task.
3. Managers do not have the desire to invest their time and efforts into training employees.
4. Managers like maintaining control and do not want to give up on this opportunity.
13. Employees sometimes resist delegation. Please give three reasons why.
1. Some employees may not have enough time for dealing with the tasks which are additional to their primary job.
2. Some employees may feel that they are not experienced enough to cope with the task which is going to be delegated.
3. Some employees might be afraid of failing to accomplish sufficiently delegated tasks.
14. Barriers to delegation of tasks can be overcome by fostering an environment of trust and openness to boost employee morale and confidence.
True
15. Effective monitoring procedures for team performance will require a set of clear goals with associated timelines and deadlines. Provide two reasons why:
1. It contributes to the in enhance of discipline within the team which has to be focused on achieving needed goals within defined deadlines and timelines.
2. It helps for the team to organize efficiently its work in order to be able to perform the task within the determined timelines and deadlines.
16. Once the overall objective has been determined, you will need to break that down into smaller, more specific milestones and goals which should follow the SMART rule. The SMART rules state that goals should be:
The SMART rules state that goals should be specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-related (“Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals”).
17. Effective leadership will focus on mentoring and coaching principles in order to help staff to get the job done correctly and efficiently.
True
18. Staff who are inexperienced in their role do not require more involvement from their supervisor.
False
19. Staff awards and team recognition processes can be useful, motivational tools to boost staff confidence and engagement.
True
20. Describe what you think it means to ‘Lead by example’.
‘Lead by example’ means demonstrating by the leader to the team members the examples of appropriate behavior, high quality of work, sufficient lifestyle, and other aspects which are likely to influence on working performance. As employees might learn and follow these examples, there is a possibility of the increase of the quality of their performance.
21. As a manager of a team, how would you support organisational goals and act as a positive role model?
First, I would act in accordance with the standards of behavior adopted by the company. Second, I would try to establish positive partnership with the team. Third, I would demonstrate high standards of work performance for the team.
22. Explain the difference between leadership and management.
Though leadership and management are undoubtedly linked, there are certain differences between these two concepts. The primary difference between manager and leader is that manager basically has a team of employees who work for him or her while leader has a team of employees who follow him or her.
23. Why is it important for team leaders/managers to maintain high standards of performance and behavior?
24. Name three strategies that assist in developing respectful workplace relationships.
1. Building positive relationships with the team, in particular by developing mutual respect, communicating effectively, and being mindful.
2. Demonstrating sufficient quality of performance by acting responsibly, meeting the company’s goals, and adhering to specific standards of behavior
3. Encouraging active and positive communication within the team and promoting team building process.
25. What is the difference between showing empathy and showing sympathy, and why is empathy more suitable?
Whereas showing empathy means demonstrating the understanding of other person’s difficulties or hardship, showing sympathy is associated with having feelings of sorrow and pity to the misfortune of other person. Thus, empathy is more suitable as the person who shows empathy is as well able to provide sufficient recommendations and help.
26. What are some of the standard plans and/or objectives for a team?
Standard plans or objectives for a team may include providing high-quality product or service for customers, coping with certain tasks within the specific deadlines, or receiving certain levels of income.
27. As a leader, what method/s could you use to effectively communicate organisational expectations, roles and responsibilities to a team? Give three examples
1. Communicating during formal meetings organized for the whole team.
2. Communicating in terms of informal meetings organized for the whole team.
3. Providing the unspoken example of expectations, roles, and responsibilities.
28. How would you keep team members up to date with their individual expectations, roles and responsibilities?
I would clarify roles, responsibilities, and individual expectations to the team members at the beginning of the cooperation, and I would monitor the performance of every separate employee. In case of the necessity to make some recommendations regarding the employee’s work or in case of the necessity to modify employee’s roles or responsibilities, I would communicate it directly to the employee.
29. What are some of the benefits of allowing members of a team to develop innovative approaches to work?
Benefits of allowing members of a team to develop innovative approaches to work may include increasing of employees’ interest in working, introducing ideas which can substantially improve working process, improving the quality of the product or service developing by the team.
30. What could the negative effects be on a team that lacks acknowledgement, encouragement and reward for individual and team efforts?
Negative effects may include absence of sufficient interest in the work, low quality of work, inappropriate atmosphere within the team.
31. Give three examples of open and supportive communication styles that could be used to enhance the morale, cohesion and effectiveness of a team.
1. Listening carefully to the team members and appropriately respond to them.
2. Providing smart, ground, and efficient feedback for the team members.
3. Providing wise recommendations considering the enhancement of the performance of a team member.
32. As a leader, what opportunities for mentoring, coaching and individual development would you be able to provide to a team?
I would make constant emphasizes on the necessity to set up definite goals, work hard to achieve these goals, and study continuously in order to increase the quality of performance.
33. As a leader, what process do you follow for monitoring team performance? Include types of information you need and where you would obtain that information from.
For monitoring team performance, I might need to observe the team’s work, make analysis of the documentation associated with the work of the team, and communicate with customers in order to assess the quality of the team’s performance.
34. What factors should a leader or manager take into account when delegating tasks and responsibilities?
First, while delegating, it is essential for a leader and a manager to take into account the level of knowledge, experience, and skills of a person for whom the task and responsibilities have to be delegated. Second, the goals and expectations for the task which is being delegated need to be taken into account. Third, the timelines and deadlines related to the tasks which are being delegated have to be taken into account.
35. What should a leader’s approach before handling conflict or tension, including cultural differences, within a team? Include any resources you could utilize in an organisation.
Before handling conflict or tension, a leader should thoroughly learn the causes of the conflict and make analysis of possible solutions for certain negative situation. While having deep understanding of the problem, the leader might cope with it in the most efficient way.
36. List three types of recognition and rewards you can provide to motivate team achievements.
1. Annual and quarterly bonuses
2. Verbal praise of a high-quality work;
3. Increasing the level of the worker’s role and responsibilities.
37. Why are government legislations such as the Privacy Act, the Anti-discrimination Act and the Equal Employment Opportunities Act in place?
One of the essential government’s task is ensuring safe and adequate working conditions for the employees and prevent different sorts of the discrimination of employees. Mentioned Acts contribute to effective clarifying different aspects of appripriate treating employees.
38. Briefly describe four different leadership styles and their characteristics.
Works Cited
“Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals.” Top Achievement. Top Achievement, n.d. Web. 28 July 2016. <https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm>.
