Build teams and allocate work to team members

This standard is about building teams and allocating work to team members, including set up for a particular project and ongoing teams. You specify the purpose of teams and their expertise, skills and attitudes required to achieve them. You ensure that the work required of your teams is allocated amongst team members, taking account of their skills, knowledge and competence, their workloads and opportunities for personal development. You encourage your teams to collaborate and build respect for the strengths and expertise that each employee brings. You encourage creative problem solving and feedback to enhance team and individual performance. You also celebrate individual and team successes and refocus energy when things go wrong.

This standard is for all managers and leaders.

1. specify the purpose of teams and what they must achieve
2. define the expertise, knowledge, skills and attitudes required to achieve team purpose
3. identify team members' knowledge, skills and competences to determine their roles within the teams
4. plan and develop any knowledge, skills and competences lacking in the teams
5. develop and implement succession and knowledge and skills transfer plans, where required
6. confirm the work required of teams with your manager and seek clarification on any outstanding points and issues
7. plan how teams will undertake the work, identifying any priorities or critical activities and making effective use of the available resources
8. allocate work to team members by taking account of their skills, knowledge, competence, backgrounds and experience
9. analyse team members existing workloads, and opportunities for their development
10. brief team members on the work they have been allocated and the standard of performance expected
11. encourage team members to ask questions, make suggestions and seek clarification in relation to the work they have been allocated
12. respond to any concerns team members may have about their work
13. demonstrate behaviours that show and inspires team members to show, respect, helpfulness and cooperation
14. agree the behaviours that will help achieve team purpose and those likely to hinder progress with team members
15. support team members to understand their unique contribution to teams, the contributions of fellow team members, and how these complement each other
16. provide opportunities for team members to get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses and build mutual respect and trust
17. allow time for teams to develop through their stages of growth
18. support the team to seize opportunities presented by team member changes and the introduction of new members
19. encourage team members to share problems with each other and solve these creatively together
20. encourage open communication between team members, including providing constructive feedback to enhance the performance of individual members and the whole team
21. monitor the performance of teams to evaluate how well its purpose is being achieved
22. celebrate team and individual successes together
23. identify conflicts, acknowledge the feelings and views of all parties, and redirect energy towards a common goal
24. dissolve teams once their purpose has been achieved and they are no longer required
25. follow the industry legal, organisational, codes of practice and policies relevant to building teams and allocating work

General knowledge and understanding

1.      the importance of confirming and clarifying the work required of teams with your manager and how to do this

2.      how to identify the scope of knowledge, skills and competence required to achieve the purpose of teams

3.      the importance of selecting team members with the required knowledge, skills, competence and different personalities so they can play complementary roles within teams, and how to do so

4.      the succession and knowledge and skills transfer planning

5.      the importance of agreeing with team members the behaviours that are likely to help achievement of team purpose and those that are likely to hinder progress and should be avoided

6.      how to help team members to understand their unique contribution to team purpose

7.      the contributions expected of team members and how these compliment and support each other

8.      the importance of providing opportunities for team members to get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses to build mutual respect and trust

9.      the importance of encouraging open communication between team members, and how this supports collaboration

10.   how to provide feedback to team members to enhance the performance of fellow team members and the team as a whole

11.   the importance of allowing time for teams to develop through its stages of growth, and how to do so

12.   the importance of celebrating team and individual successes together and commiserating together when things go wrong

13.   the different ways of communicating with members of teams and refocusing the energy on achieving its purpose

14.   how to plan the work of teams, including how to identify any priorities or critical activities and the available resources

15.   why it is important to allocate work across teams and how to do so

16.   why it is important to brief team members on the work they have been allocated and the standard or level of expected performance and how to do so

17.   the ways of encouraging team members to ask questions, seek clarification and make suggestions in relation to the work which they have been allocated

18.   the concerns team members may have about their work and how to address these concerns

Industry and sector specific knowledge and understanding

19.   the industry and sector legal, organisational, codes of practice and policies relevant to your role and the activities being carried out

20.   the industry and sector requirements for the development or maintenance of knowledge, skills and competence.

Context specific knowledge and understanding

21.   the purpose and objectives of your teams, the plans for undertaking the required work and the resources required

22.   the required mix of expertise, knowledge and skills to achieve teams' purpose

23.   the work required of your teams and your organisation's standards or levels of expected performance

24.   the backgrounds and experience of team members, their knowledge, skills, competence and workloads

25.   the opportunities for team members' development and your organisation's policy and procedures for personal and professional development

26.   the reporting lines in your organisation and the limits of your authority

1. Acting assertively
2. Communicating
3. Decision-making
4. Empowering
5. Evaluating
6. Involving others
7. Leadership
8. Monitoring
9. Obtaining feedback
10. Planning
11. Presenting information
12. Problem solving
13. Providing feedback
14. Reviewing
15. Setting objectives
16. Team building
17. Valuing and supporting others
18. Communicating
19. Decision-making
20. Delegating
21. Empowering
22. Information management
23. Leading by example
24. Monitoring
25. Planning
26. Presenting information
27. Prioritising
28. Problem solving
29. Reporting
30. Setting objectives
31. Team building
32. Time management
33. Valuing and supporting members of staff