Effective Team Working

Question 1

Characteristics of an effective team.

Answer 1

1. Clear objectives – the members of the team understand why the team was created
   - they understand what is expected of the team and all members work towards achieving
   the same goals.

Question 2

Outline 4 leadership skills you would expect to see in an effective leader (1)

Answer 2

1 Give a clear vision of what is to be achieved by the team and set goals for the team – so
that everyone knows exactly what they are trying to achieve.

Question 3

Ways in which a team can be affected by poor leadership (1)

Answer 3

1. There may be conflict between members which could result in the job not being done
   properly or not being completed on time.

Question 4

Skills needed to be a good leader (1)

Answer 4

1. Good communication skills – they can make people clearly understand what it is that
   has to be done, (they can explain things well).

Question 5

Characteristics of an effective team (2)

Answer 5

2. A good composition – ie the type of people who make up the team. People who think
   along the same lines will usually work well together. Personality clashes can cause
   conflict. A mixture of people with different skills may be need to achieve the team’s objectives

Question 6

Characteristics of an effective team (3)

Answer 6

3. A good leader – someone who can motivate members and ensure that everyone is
   working towards the same goals. Someone who can ensure that everyone knows their
   role in the team.

Question 7

Characteristics of an effective team (4)

Answer 7

4. Good communication between members - members listen to each other, everyone is
   kept informed and everyone is able to participate in discussions. They reach decisions by
   agreement. Disagreements are discussed openly and members respect and value each
   other’s contributions.

Question 8

Skills needed to be an effective leader (2)

Answer 8

2. Good at listening – they listen to team members and don’t make all the decisions
   themselves.

Question 9

Skills needed to be an effective leader (3)

Answer 9

3. The ability to motivate team members – they can make team members want to work
   hard and make them want the team to succeed.

Question 10

Skills needed to be an effective leader (4)

Answer 10

4. The ability to keep conflict out of the team – they can solve disagreements between team
   members and reconcile team members who have fallen out.

Question 11

Ways in which a team can be affected by poor leadership (2)

Answer 11

2. The team may be unclear of its purpose, i.e. what it has to achieve and this
   again may result in the job not being done properly and resources being wasted

Question 12

Ways in which a team can be affected by poor leadership (3)

Answer 12

3. The team will be poorly motivated which could mean that it is unlikely to meet its objectives.

Question 13

Benefits of good leadership (1)

Answer 13

1. There will be good relationships between members with little conflict meaning more
   work is done and it will be better quality work.

Question 14

Benefits of good leadership (2)

Answer 14

2. Members know the team’s objectives which means the team will be more productive and
   will do the work correctly.

Question 15

Benefits of good leadership (3)

Answer 15

3. The team will be motivated and so will be more likely to achieve its targets.

Question 16

Benefits of good leadership (4)

Answer 16

4. Staff will have good morale and be less stressed leading to better work.

Question 17

Advantages of effective team working (to the business) (1)

Answer 17

1. Risk-taking: Teams will often be more willing to take risks than individuals. This can benefit the
   business as they may come up with more creative solutions to problems.

Question 18

Advantages of effective team working (to the business) (2)

Answer 18

2. Morale and motivation: Team-working often gives people a sense of achievement which improves job
   satisfaction and motivation. This benefits the business as it improves efficiency and
   productivity and makes staff less likely to be absent from work.

Question 19

Advantages of effective team working (to the business) (3)

Answer 19

3. Ideas are shared: Team-working enables techniques such as brain-storming to be used and thereby generates more ideas. This benefits the business as a team is more likely to find solutions to problems and the business will be more competitive.

Question 20

Advantages of effective team working (to the business) (4)

Answer 20

4. Multi-skilling: Teams are multi-skilled. The knowledge and skills of individual members are
   brought together and this should mean that tasks are completed to a higher standard.

Question 21

Advantages of effective team working (to the employee) (1)

Answer 21

1. Team working gives employees a feeling of involvement and makes them feel more
   supported at work.

Question 22

Advantages of effective team working (to the employee) (2)

Answer 22

2. It increases job satisfaction and motivation which means employees will be less stressed.

Question 23

Advantages of effective team working (to the employee) (3)

Answer 23

3. Team members may increase their skills by learning from other team members – this may
   give them more chance of promotion.

Question 24

Disadvantages of team working

Answer 24

1. If team members are indecisive, it could take a long time to make decisions.
2. If team members spend a lot of time chatting to each other then time can be wasted.