|
Working with Others and in Teams is essential to all aspects of work and adult life. Working with others can encompass working with another individual, working with groups or in teams, and working with clients or customers.
Efficient, productive and smoothly functioning workplaces of the 1990s are relying increasingly on individuals' thoughtful and cooperative contributions at staff meetings, work meetings and in formally structured teams. Similarly, a customer or client orientation, whether the client is external to the enterprise in counter or sales service or a member of another section of the same organisation, is recognised as central to achieving the competitive edge.
Each of these contexts requires the skills to work with others to ensure that personal interactions are consistent with the goals of the organisation and that individuals are able to make appropriate judgments and apply an appropriate mix of courtesy and assertiveness in their workplace and service interactions. In all cases, the needs and aspirations of others as well as one's own contribution need to be considered to achieve the desired outcomes.
In unpaid, voluntary and community work the focus may be on less formal applications. The skills developed through domestic, voluntary and community work are of growing importance in client-oriented and service employment and team-based work structures.
In further and higher education, including lifelong learning, people working with others and in teams is also valued. It is an integral way of learning in these sectors and provides people with the capacity to create knowledge by discussing ideas and insights with others and working through problems cooperatively. These skills characterise the emerging patterns of work and work organisation.
Working with Others and in Teams focuses on the capacity to interact effectively with other people both on a one-to-one basis and in groups, including understanding and responding to the needs of a client and working effectively as a member of a team to achieve a shared goal. It has been based on three main ideas. The first idea involves the clarification of purpose and objectives of working with others. Sometimes this will take the form of a simple transaction, such as selling a product over the counter, with someone who specifies what they want. Sometimes it will be involve a complex collaborative process, with outcomes negotiated and subject to compromise over time, in which the ability to represent a certain interest or point of view effectively is an essential component.
The second idea relates to awareness of different roles and perspectives and how these are taken into account. These roles and perspectives may derive from social, gender or cultural differences, or from the nature and structure of workplaces. The capacity to see a product or service from the perspective of the client is vital to customer satisfaction, whether that customer is within or outside the organisation. In community, voluntary and domestic work there is an equivalent need to be able to 'step into another's shoes' in order to better achieve shared objectives or to assert a point of view.
The third idea involves working with others towards agreed timeframes and objectives. In one situation this could mean working with others where Objectives are clearly defined. In another, it could mean negotiating objectives from the start and monitoring tasks to ensure their continued relevance.
In summary, Working with Others and in Teams involves:
- clarification of purpose and objectives of working with others;
- identification and taking into account different roles and perspectives;
- achievement of objectives.
At Performance Level l the emphasis of Working with Others and in Teams is on interactions that have established roles and follow established patterns of procedure. Performance Level 2 focuses on collaborative planning and completion of processes to achieve agreed results. This may involve agreeing on the processes, procedures and objectives that the people in the pair, group or team are going to use. At Performance Level 3 the emphasis is on defining and redefining interactions, processes and objectives.
PERFORMANCE LEVEL 1
At this level a person:
- clarifies defined purposes and objectives to be achieved by working with others; and
- identifies and responds to defined roles and perspectives; and
- works with others to achieve agreed objectives within agreed timeframes.
PERFORMANCE LEVEL 2
At this level a person:
- interprets purposes and objectives to be achieved by working with others; and
- organises procedures and timeframes to take account of different roles and perspectives; and
- works with others to achieve agreed objectives.
PERFORMANCE LEVEL 3
At this level a person:
- defines purposes and objectives to be achieved by working with others; and
- establishes roles, procedures and timeframes taking into account different perspectives; and
- negotiates with others to define objectives and, where necessary, to monitor and redefine them.
|
