Lead And Manage A Team Within Health And Social Care Essay

Explains the features of effective team performance An effective team which performs at the highest level, whilst completing their work efficiently to the best of their ability. An effective team will always consist of certain features enabling effective team performance. Some of these features are as follows; develop goals and plans, i.e. an effective team will always devise a development or goal plan, which will describe the specific purpose for the team. The team will work towards implementing plans to achieve the set goal. Team member should also be clear about these goals and their priorities and consistently work in ways that will support the team’s goals. Communication between the team is so important, team members should feel comfortable with sharing information, listening and provide each member with positive feedback. Team meetings should be held on a regular basis, you could also provide a newsletter with such information. Team meetings should be productive and well managed, they need to be focused and timely and used for team problem solving, decision making, distributing information and also developing the team’s skills. Effective teams maintain positive relationships by supporting, cooperating, respecting and trusting each team member. These relationships can be enhanced by proactively working to build these positive relationships by providing opportunities for social interaction. Problems need to be solved in a timely manner, the same as decision making. An effective team will identify a problem/issue and resolve it promptly with the involvement of all the team. Obviously there is always going to be conflict, an effective team will identify and resolve these conflicts in a promptly and timely manner, which will also be mutually beneficial. This will then minimise the occurrence of conflicts, effective teams will need to continue to communicate positively. Conflict training or conflict strate gies can also be used, in order to provide ongoing team building activities, which will encourage positive and active participation within the team. Read more:  Methods of Addressing Conflict Within a Team On the job training, coaching, and mentoring are all a must. 3171/1.2 identify the challenges experienced by developing team Challenging will be experienced in new teams such as communication and relationship issues. Effective teams will always have a strong and decisive leader at the helm. A lack of effective leadership will most definitely  challenge positive team building and development. All members of the team need to be aware of their own specific roles within the team, by explaining each members specific role will avoid confusion, team members should be monitored. Staff training on conflict is imperative for effective team working, enabling the team to work without constant interruptions. According to Bruce Tuckman, teams that have been developed will go through stages, which Tuckman identified as; forming, storming, norming and performing. 3171/1.3 identify the challenges experienced by established teams Working within an effective team is an ongoing process and it very may well be that the challenge could be maintaining that effective team. Another challenge could be that a team member leaves and moves on and a new member is now needed. This can have an impact on the team’s development, which emphasises Tuckman’s theory of reforming, which literally means going back to the very beginning and working through the whole process again. All teams need to be able to share ideas and sustain a team identity; ongoing support, confidence building and improving working relations can assist with challenges experienced. Dr Meredith Belbin argues a ream works best when there is a balance of roles represented within the team and all team members know their own roles and then work to their strengths and actively manage their weaknesses. 3171/1.4 explain how challenges to effective team performance can be overcome The University of Victoria (2008) have produced a team effectiveness model that teams could use by a means of improving their effectiveness by focusing on improving their functioning in 5 key areas which are as follows; the team should have clear goals, vision, mission, values and plans that the whole team as pires to achieve. Clear responsibilities and roles, the structure of the team, job descriptions, competencies, accountabilities, resources, tools and equipment should all be provided. Problem solving, communicating, managing conflicts, tasks, planning meetings, performance evaluation, managing change and decision making should follow clear procedures ensuring effective team working. Positive relationships, mutual respect and trust, continuing support and inclusion, valuing diversity and listening to feedback can overcome challenges to effective team performance. A strong credible leader with clear expectations can also overcome challenges to an effective team. 3171/1.5 analyse how different management styles may influence outcomes of  team performance. All management styles are to a certain extent determined by the given situation and the needs of the workers and the culture of the organisation. There has been a notable shift away from authoritarian style management where control is the key concept to a more empowering team working style. Managers that direct, control the work of their staff and co-ordinate have recently been replaced with managers who coach and council who are team leaders. A successful manager develops effective teams and works on building positive relationships, developing and motivating others. The participative management style involves information sharing and involving employees in decision making. Staff are encouraged to run their own departments, making decisions regarding their policies and procedures. This style of management is often regarded as the quick cure for low morale. However is not always appropriate for every organisation. The theory X management style makes the assumption that employees are lazy and do not really want to work (Douglas McGregor, 1960). This theory implies that the average employee does not like work and will do anything to get out of it. Employees must be controlled, directed threatened or even punished to get them to be productive. The average employee will prefer to be directed and will avoid all responsibility and will have little ambition. The total management is a style which involves all aspects of the company in order to achieve quality. This type of management consists of customer satisfaction; quality is seen as the employee’s responsibility and team work. This style of management will encourage employers to learn and grow within the company and allows them to take part in improvements. 3171/1.6 Analyse methods of developing and maintaining trust and accountability 1.6a This will mean always being honest by telling the truth and keeping any promises you may have made. This will encourage employees to have more faith in you and believe in the company. The businesses values and their vision will need to communicated to all employees. The staff will feel valued and part of a team regardless of their status. The manager will need to be seen and ask the opinions and ideas of their staff and they must ensure they acknowledge the contributions made by their staff and showing genuine respect. In order to maintain this, the manager will have to avoid withholding information and telling white lies, more importantly they will have to avoid acting or communicating inconsistently and also seek shared achievements rather than  personal achievements. 1.6b Businesses that trust employees are usually successful; integrity begins with trust and the manager sets an example and will develop within the business. A manager will have to establish and then maintain integrity within the business; integrity must start with those above and then move down. 3171/1.7 compare methods of addressing conflict within a team Conflicts will arise from time to time in your business and the mostly stem from difference in terms of power amongst the team or different values and attitudes. Managers can take a direct approach when dealing with conflict which will consist of confronting the conflict straight away, whilst looking at it objectively and looking at it as it is. A manager must ensure any criticism used will be constructive. Taking the direct approach emphasises problem solving and will in most cases leave everyone involved with a feeling of the issue being resolved. A manager can use a bargaining technique if employees have different ideas to a solution and cannot agree. This would involve helping the people come to some kind of compromise which is give and take and in most cases the people will be all be satisfied. On occasion someone may just be having a bad day and create a problem. An experienced manager may just avoid this and work around it, until the person with the issue as calmed down this is called retreat. Conflicts can be positive they are not always negative, co-operative conflict can help people solve problems together and this can be motivating. 3171/2.1 To maintain a positive culture within my home I actively encourage team working, effective clear communication and effective leadership skills. Promoting development within my team keeps my staff motivated and enthusiastic regarding their job role and responsibilities. Employees appear to be maintaining their integrity and enjoy their jobs. You can also encourage communicating with their colleagues and using a feedback system which will enhance the effectiveness of your team. A manager will need to set good examples, carry out tasks and make themselves visible. 3171/2.2 demonstrate how own practice supports a positive culture in the team One of my main responsibilities is the ability to promote a positive working environment for my team. I openly encourage others to come up with new ideas, communication is key in any business. I also like to think I make  myself approachable to my staff, and will listen to any criticism. Any issue need to be dealt with confidently and in a timely manner. I recently had to put in quite a few hours working the floor of my residential home as we had an outbreak of DVT, I found by doing this others followed suit and helped out when they could. 3171/2.3 Use systems and processes to support a positive culture in the team Regular handovers within our home are vital, with an emphasis on our service users needs and clear hones input from staff. Monthly meetings are also set up on a regular basis, where we can review and plan any courses of action we may have taken, or need to be taken. I also ensure I put aside time to carry out practice supervisions and regular supervisions monthly with my staff which highlight any problems which may need rectifying. Service user meetings are also vital and provide so much information and feedback for our service which ensures we are producing positive outcomes. All policies and procedures need to be adhered to and these are updated regularly. Appraisals are carried out to assess my staff and help them set targets that they would like to aim for. Developing staff and supporting them are all factors when encouraging a positive culture. 3171/2.4 Encourage creative and innovative ways of working within the team Different skill mixes within teams are vita for any successful productive team and people need to be given specific roles to match their abilities, always ensuring further development is available. Businesses will most certainly have a complaints procedure to adhere to, alongside this a comments policy with a feedback system is an effective way of recognising the importance and contributions made by your team. 3171/3.1 identifies the factors that influence the vision and strategic direction of the team Strategic planning is vital in ensuring we are prepared for different challenges. Your team will be better equipped to deal with these challenges if they are able to identify factors which may impact the business e.g. resources, skill mixes, partnerships with contractors. A mission statement within the home defining the homes values, and promoting a positive team spirit. Quality assurance surveys play a big part in determining where the home needs to improve or set new objectives. 3171/3.2 communicates the vision and strategic direction to team members Effective teams will have the ability to create a meaningful strategy which will enhance the likelihood of producing positive results. All the team will need to have  clear communication as to what changes or challenges they may face preparing them to make the changes needed. You will need to ensure the strategy planned is viable and will the team have the skills needed to take the strategy on, extra resources may also be needed. Set up a meeting with your team and discuss the vision planned. Clearly outline the vision at your meeting enabling you and your team to put a clear strategic initiative in place. You will need to set very clear expectations and then constantly monitor and review any progress that is made and make any necessary adjustments.