3
Team leader 1 Toolkit 2 Training 3 Evaluation
Equipping team leaders to engage their teams
Team3 helps equip and enable line managers with the skills to engage and mobilise their teams. It provides organisations with a simple process, incorporating a practical toolkit, introductory training and a 360 degree evaluation process focused on transforming team leader performance.
team3 at a glance powerful toolkit with A practical, everyday support to enable team leaders to utilise the correct skills and behaviours
L ow-cost framework, materials and support for introductory training in how to apply the toolkit
Evaluation process of team leaders’ communication and engagement capabilities, including self-evaluation and feedback from direct reports summarised in a personalised report aligned with individual development needs
Why is this so important?
1
Our experience highlights three critical factors for successful team leader performance. Team leaders need to be: 1 Informed, having a crystal clear understanding of the role they play and what they need to do 2 Engaged, having the passion and belief to go the extra mile and to motivate their teams 3 Equipped, having the practical tools and skills to know how to engage their teams The focus on team leader engagement skills is at the heart of the Karian and Box team3 process.
team3 from KARIAN BOX AND
The challenge common in many organisations is the search for line managers who can effectively engage, involve, motivate and communicate with their teams. This is often the Achilles heel for organisations trying to mobilise their employees when implementing change or striving to deliver their business strategy and priorities. While visible leadership from senior directors is vital too, it is the capability of team leaders to align employees with business priorities and mobilise them to go the extra mile – this is demonstrated to have the greatest impact on business performance (see page 6).
A three step process to enable tea 1 Team Leadership Toolkit Team3 provides a three step process to help equip line managers with the skills and behaviours necessary to engage their teams. It offers them simple tools and practical insights, together with a process to help them understand their own strengths and areas for development around communication and engagement.
Step 1
The Toolkit provides line managers with a consistent approach based on best practice together with tools to support them in communicating with, and leading, their teams.
The Team Leadership Toolkit is easy to use, accessible and compelling, with deliberately clear and straightforward language and format, for use at all levels across an organisation.
The Team Leadership Toolkit can be used to enhance the skills of managers at all levels and can be tailored to meet audience needs.
Icons and imagery are used throughout to signpost sections – making navigation easy. Each section follows a set format which includes:
I t provides practical hints, tips, ideas, templates and solutions for line managers to use in their everyday work – see page 4 for more details.
n introduction – what the section is about and the A fundamentals of the subject
T he core Toolkit content is based on best practice techniques from a range of UK and multi-national organisations. C ore content can be tailored to meet the style, culture and tone of individual organisations. The Toolkit is designed to be simple to use; each organisation can choose the format which best meets the needs of its people. s appropriate, the Toolkit can be tailored to align A with current HR policies and learning and development initiatives around leadership development and performance management. 2
Practical hints and tips – ‘tangible actions you can take’ A look in the mirror – ‘does what you are doing match up to what you’ve learned?’ H ints – ‘quick ideas on how to get the most out of your team’ ‘ To do’ checklists and case studies from across a range of organisations – and, where possible, your own.
am leaders to engage their teams Inside the Team Leadership Toolkit The Team Leadership Toolkit contains guidance and a full range of advice and tips in a flexible format which allows managers to pick and choose those areas where they need the most support. Your organisation can choose the most relevant areas from a menu of core content. Example areas are: 4 Communicating with your team Tools and practical tips on how to improve the way you communicate with individuals in your team
4 Active listening skills and
responding to feedback Specific sections on asking questions, improving listening skills and answering questions – the basis for effective employee engagement
4 Planning and managing effective
team meetings Step-by-step processes and tips for planning, chairing and participating as a line manager for more productive team meetings
4 Encouraging individual
involvement in teams Techniques to get individual team members involved in debate, discussions and work group meetings
4 Leading people through change Practical advice on how to help engage team members through periods of uncertainty
4 Managing team conflict negativity Tools and tips to stop conflict becoming harmful to team engagement and performance
These are just some of the areas covered in the Toolkit. The team at Karian and Box can advise you on how to tailor the core content to produce a bespoke solution for your organisation.
3
4 Recognising success in the team Simple ideas and advice, based on best practice, on how to improve the way team members are recognised for their efforts
4 Good business communication
skills Easy-to-use hints and practical guidance on presentation skills, best practice use of email and basic tips on better business writing and communications planning
4 The characteristics of an engaged team Help to identify the primary characteristics of engaged teams, with evidence to show what contributes to successful team engagement.
The Team Leadership Toolkit can be used in tandem with other steps in the team3 process or it can add standalone value.
2 Introductory training
Handing over a toolkit to line mangers is not always enough to ensure its use is effective. Enabling team leaders to understand its potential and to motivate them to use it is critical. Introductory training helps achieve this.
Step 2
The introduction of the Toolkit across your organisation is supported by training workshops which help line managers understand: Why and how the Toolkit can help them in their jobs What is in the Toolkit and how to use it The workshops are designed in part to be interactive, with a range of simple, practical exercises. These are based on examples from the Toolkit, which give a flavour of and introduction to the tools and techniques included. 4
Train the trainer Given cost constraints for many organisations, we provide an ‘off-the-shelf’ half-day introductory training workshop with materials which can be used in-house for local delivery. e can support this through ‘train the trainer’ coaching W sessions for those rolling out the Toolkit and any related internal introductory training. rganisations are provided with a bespoke training pack O of materials for use internally, including PowerPoint presentation, trainer guidance notes, handout materials, tools to support practical exercises and feedback forms.
3 Team leader engaging evaluation and reporting “The team3 evaluation process provides a really powerful incentive to line managers to work on their engagement skills and capabilities. It helps them identify their areas for development. Critically, it also ensures that they see this as not just a ‘nice-to-do’, but integral to their role as a line manager.” Andrea Law, Internal Communication Manager, Warburtons
We all know that what gets measured gets done. The simplicity and transparency of the team3 evaluation process focuses the minds of line managers on those areas where they need to improve their skills. It acts as a stimulus for reinforcing the behaviours and practices which will improve team performance. A key to the success of the team3 process is the ability of line managers to have a clear picture of the areas for personal improvement they need to focus on. The team3 evaluation process incorporates a:
Step 3
Get in touch You might now be asking yourself some questions... How much does it cost? Or, how might it work for us? If you would like to know more and to discuss the practicalities of the team3 process just pick up the phone or drop us a line: Email: teamleader@karianandbox.com Or call us on: +44 (0)1904 654454 To find out more about Karian and Box: www.karianandbox.com
5
4 simple, automated self-evaluation and team feedback evaluation process that allows both line managers and their team members to rate engagement skills and behaviours.
4 quick-view feedback report for line managers providing an analysis of their strengths and areas for development. It integrates the feedback from both line managers and direct reports. Feedback reports are provided as a simple one-page dashboard. E ach area for development is directly linked to specific sections of the Team Leadership Toolkit, providing team leaders with the tools they need to help improve their skills.
Aligning with Learning & Development processes We can work with HR and Learning & Development functions to ensure the team3 evaluation aligns with and supports the organisation’s existing leadership and team development initiatives. We can also help ensure that team3 is embedded into the organisation’s performance review processes. I ndividual team evaluations can be integrated to provide a composite analysis of overall team leadership engagement strengths and development needs, either for a whole organisation or specific population groups.
Evidence shows focus on team leaders pays off There is significant, data-driven evidence to demonstrate that strong line manager employee engagement capability helps drive team alignment and performance. Analysis of extensive Karian and Box employee research* highlights a number of key drivers which contribute to levels of employee engagement and mobilisation. Figure A ranks, in order of importance, the factors which correlate most positively with high levels of alignment of employees with the organisation they work for. The top five, in particular, act as leading indicators of whether an employee is engaged at work. This means that the more positively they respond to questions on these factors, the more aligned they are likely to be. The analysis shows that the relationship employees have with their line manager is one of the most critical drivers for engagement. It also acts as a driver for two other important factors. Employees who have positive relationships with their line manager are much more likely to say they feel empowered at work, and are more likely to receive more regular feedback on their performance. Taken together, this shows the importance of overall organisational performance of team leader capability in the area of staff engagement. Three of the top five indicators which can disproportionately drive employee engagement are related directly to the skills and behaviours of line managers. Fig B The
Fig A Key
correlations, drivers for employee alignment with the organisation they work for
Clarity of team goals Relationship with line manager Involvement and empowerment Team and individual performance feedback Recognition and feeling valued Trust in senior leaders Work-life balance Pay and rewards Career progression Learning & development opportunities 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
substantive impact on employee alignment of having engaged and engaging team leaders
31% 46% 54% 69%
Chart 1
% of all employees who are actively aligned.
Figure B shows the impact that line managers can have on the active alignment and efforts of their teams.
Chart 2
% who are actively aligned among those employees working for line managers, percieved to have the right skills and behaviours to engage their teams. Chart 1 shows that, in 2009, 46% of employees across our total sample were ‘actively aligned’ – i.e. understanding the direction of the organisation they work for, believing in it and actively working towards achieving it.
Chart 2 shows that, of those working for line managers who are deemed to have the skills and behaviours necessary to engage their teams, 69% are actively aligned – a boost of 23%.
*Based on research with over 250,000 employees globally across a range of multinationals, government organisations and UK-based brands
6